Book #2 of the Chronicles of Nowhere
by Vicki Keire
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press (March 2012)
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Format: eBook (102 pages)
Source: NetGalley
Purchase: Amazon
Rating: ★½☆☆☆ (1.5 stars)
Chloe Burke has only two choices left: run or fight.
As she wakes from a poisoned sleep with silver scars across her back, her aunt’s diary may provide the only clues about the creatures of fire that hunt her.
Separated from her last living relative and the only home she has ever known, Chloe must rely on the deadly Eliot Gray to guide her through the strange world she suddenly finds herself inhabiting. It’s a world where the Abandoned wear human bodies like cheap suits, where the Landing finds itself threatened by its nearest neighbors, and Chloe and Eliot must watch their every move.
A dangerous road stretches on before them, and Chloe and Eliot must learn to work as a team against the deadly predators that threaten a whole new world. As the bonds of trust grow, they must be careful not to tread upon time-honored boundaries: those forbidding Guardians to act on feelings for their Wards. Determined not to let the only home she remembers suffer the same fate as the world of her childhood, Chloe finds herself in a race to reach Gray’s Landing before it is too late.
~ GoodreadsThis is a short review for I have little to say about this book overall.
The Good
I would have given this book one star but I have read worse books so that wouldn’t be fair. So that half a star that makes it a little better than a bad book is for the fact that the little action that was there was interesting, and there was one or two scary parts that gave me the chills.
The Bad
Wow, where to start. First, it was painful to finish this book (or short story if you want to get technical). I did finish it only because every book I get from NetGalley I read and review no matter what. I actually liked World Burns Through, which was the first book in the series. Shadowed Ground, however, went downhill fast. First, this is not a stand alone book. If you haven’t read the first book, this book will make no sense to you. It literally starts where the last book ended. No recaps.
The beginning and middle were BORING. Nothing happens. Chloe and Eliot talk, sleep, drive, sleep, talk… Yup, that’s it. I think there was two action scenes all together, and the action finally comes at 60% into the novel.
The POV shifts within the same scenes seemed accidental since they weren’t consistent, which made Keire look amateur. Then Keire decides to “tell” us everything not “show.” I felt offended as a reader that Keire thought I couldn’t figure out what certain actions or facial expressions meant–she had to tell me, like spoon feeding me information.
This book is also inconsistent compared to the last one. In World Burns Through we got a mix of POV’s for each chapter. We would go from Chloe and Eliot to Chloe’s mom and her guardian, then to Alexander (who is a human amongst the craziness). We got to see Alex three times in this book. Chloe’s mom was pretty much non-existent. You can’t write one book one way and change the format completely in the next.
I felt like I was being dragged through this whole novel. It was so slooooooow. I don’t care about mundane actions and events. I don’t care that Chloe likes to whine about everything in her life. At one point, I lost interest in what happened to Chloe. She became so unlikable.
The book in no way added to the overall plot of the series. Nothing new happened, nothing was moved forward or set in motion. It was all very stagnate. I am just happy I don’t ever have to read this book again.
The Snuggly
The possible relationship between Chloe and Eliot was annoying, and I really don’t care if they get together. The inner angst got too much for me. This book is clean sexually.
Overall
I was surprised that some people liked this book. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe this just wasn’t the book for me. Either way, in my personal opinion, Shadowed Ground is not a good read. I do not recommend it at all. I will no longer be reading the series.
She just manages to get one leg into the jeans and was starting on the other when her dressing room door crashed open.
Eliot stood there, his face chalk-white, eyes wide with alarm. He didn’t appear to notice or care that she was in the process of getting dressed.
She didn’t even ask what was wrong. “Damn,” she swore, and shoved her other leg into the jeans. “How many?”
Books in the Chronicles of Nowhere:
Book #1: World Burns Through
Book #2: Shadowed Ground
kimba88
Eek.bummer since the first book was good.
Jennifer L. Bielman
Yeah, I’ve never had a second book in a series be so bad compared to the first.
FABR Steph
I have not read the first in the series, yet it appears that the second is a huge letdown. Thank you for your honest review. It is very much appreciated.
Jennifer L. Bielman
I try not to be too mean but sometimes a book just is not good and you can’t help but be honest.
Sarah Elizabeth
I sometimes find that books are really difficult to get into when all the characters do is talk and sleep. I haven’t read the first book in this series, so I don’t think I’m going to start now!
I know it’s sometimes really hard to write a review of a book that you don’t like so thanks for being so honest and fair!
Sarah
Jennifer L. Bielman
I just don’t get why people write about sleeping, driving, and mundane talking. It frustrates me. And yes, it is really hard to write a bad review, I try to be nice but truthful.