YA Paranormal
Date Published: 4/29/2013
Dark Prophecy, Book 2
"Out of the darkness and into the fire. The truth changes everything."
The discovery of who and what she is changed Kat Matheson's life forever, revealing a world she never knew existed. A world filled with ominous spirits, mystical beings and dark magic. And a powerful ruler who will stop at nothing to achieve his ultimate goal: her death. Now, in her fight to stay alive, and to protect those she loves, Kat begins the battle to take back what's hers.
Teaming with the enigmatic Lovell, Kat searches for the clues that hold the secret to her destiny. Clues that take her to places she never imagined, exposing her life—and her heart—to dangers she never saw coming…
Excerpt:
Using a poker, Lovell shifts the remnants
of blackened logs, adding two fresh ones to the top. Stepping back, he lowers
his head and stares into the firebox. Two small flames appear, slowly working
their way up from the bottom of the pile. Growing larger, they sweep up and
around the logs, the wood popping and snapping as it ignites.
I look at him in astonishment. "How
did you do that?"
"I'm a man of many talents," he
says, pouring water into a mug. He takes a sip. "You can do it, too."
"What?" I shake my head.
"There's no way…"
"Yes, you can."
I cross my arms, one hip thrusting out.
"How?"
"Come here." Lovell gestures me
forward, positioning me in front of the hearth. He sweeps his hand through the
air and the fire goes out.
I look at him, a comment on the tip of my
tongue. He returns the look, one eyebrow raised. I swallow the comment and
exhale through my nose. Standing behind me, he places his hands on the side of
my head.
"Clear your mind and
concentrate," he says. "Don't think about anything but the fire.
Picture the flame where you want it to appear."
I take a deep breath, exhaling slowly.
Closing my eyes, I try to empty my mind.
But it's impossible. Too many thoughts, too many images flash in a Technicolor
stream.
"Concentrate, Kat," Lovell
whispers. "Nothing but the flame."
I can't help but wonder if he can actually
read my thoughts. I hope not because the feel of him behind me is conjuring
images I don't want to think about. Or him to know.
"Just the flame," he repeats.
I force myself to think of nothing but a
blank wall. Black and empty. When I've succeeded, I picture a flame, small and
hot, working it's way through the wood.
"Keep focusing, Kat. Don't let it
go."
I picture it building and building,
growing larger as it consumes the logs. I hear Rick gasp behind me. But I keep
the image in my head, holding onto the flame until the logs are ablaze with
fire. The logs begin to shift, morphing into twisted, fiery shapes. They pop
and sizzle as sap bleeds out of them. And, then, they aren't logs anymore.
They've melted and burned, realigning themselves into a shape that becomes
slowly human. A head and shoulders and torso emerge. It grows taller and
taller. The flames part to reveal a face.
Aratus.
He smiles, his silver-blue eyes
challenging me. I will the flames higher and hotter and he throws his head back
and laughs. I can feel the heat washing over me, the sweat accumulating on my
forehead, my neck. I push my energy forward again, and the flames engulf him,
igniting his hair, his flesh. His face begins to melt and I feel a surge of
power, so energizing, so invigorating, it's intoxicating. I revel in it,
thrilling to the force pouring through my blood.
"Kat!" Lovell's voice is far
away, a distant echo on the wind. "Kat!" It comes again, louder this
time. "Stop!" He pulls me away from the fireplace, swiping his hand
through the air.
I gasp and stare at the hearth. At the
logs, now no more than ashes. At the black scorch marks, reaching towards the
mantle. Rick is looking at me with a mixture of shock and awe. "What
happened?" I stammer.
"You almost turned this place into an
inferno," Rick says.
I look at Lovell.
"That is not what I expected,"
he says. "At this stage in your training, you should not be able to do
that."
What I say (Review): Relentless is the second book in Molly M. Hall's A Dark Prophecy series. Relentless will probably be confusing for those who haven't read book #1 Reckoning, but in brief: In Reckoning we met teenager Kat, who can secretly see ghosts. Kat's new next door neighbour is the uber hot and mysterious Lovell. It turns out Lovell has his own secrets. Kat discovered a prophecy involving her ancestors, herself and her secret powers. Kat finally gets together with her long term crush Rick (although she has a connection with Lovell.) Kat's bestie Rachel is taken by the 'big bad' in the concluding cliffhanger. Relentless picks up with Rachel still missing and Kat well into her training with her watcher Lovell.
Relentless sees Kat, Lovell and Rick (who is now aware of Kat and Lovell's powers) travel to Scotland in the 1970s (yep it's magic thing). If you've read book #1 you'll be aware of Kat's desire to visit Scotland and to learn more about her family. I found all of the background info Lovell gives Kat on her family and the prophecy interesting (although there is a lot of it).
I have to say I found Rick irritating in the last book and really annoying in this one! After his somewhat shady actions in Reckoning I found his jealousy and obsessing over Kat and Lovell a bit hypocritical. I'm defo pro a Kat and Lovell romance! It was almost bittersweet seeing the hidden clues to Lovell's feelings and his connection to Kat.
I didn't like Kat as much this time around, but I think she was probably overwhelmed by all the information thrown at her and by recent events (poor Rachel).
I enjoyed Relentless (even with the cliffhanger). I just hope Kat grows into her role with a bit more ease in the next instalment!
For Lovell - 4 Stars in my Sky!
Author Bio: I’ve spent most of my life in Colorado and currently live just outside of Denver. I write my books on a laptop perched atop a rather creaky desk, surrounded by two crazy and loving cats. I love to travel and have visited 27 of the 50 states, as well as Canada, Ireland and England. And there are still a lot of places I want to go.
I spent entirely too many years in the gray dullness of the corporate world, imagining something more exciting as I punched numbers on a keyboard. During that time, I worked on a degree in English Literature, but never quite managed to complete it. Mostly because I was too busy reading and creating fantasy worlds in my head. It’s actually my love of reading and imagining that led me to take up writing full time. I thought I should finally give all the characters in my head a voice.
Music is a huge part of my life and plays a big role in the creation of my books. Although I listen to everything from Johann Sebastian Bach and Dvorak, to Glen Miller and Bobby Darin, to Rihanna and Nox Arcana, as well as movie and video game soundtracks, there are two bands whose music is practically my lifeblood: Daughtry and Linkin Park. I will listen to or see them live anytime, anywhere.
I’m a fan of British television, Doctor Who (favorite doctor? David Tennant. Let the debate begin!), The Vampire Diaries, Japanese animé, Ghost Hunters, MI-5 and Eureka. And anything featuring James McAvoy. And I probably would never be able to unwind without That 70′s Show. When I’m not reading and writing, you'll probably find me listening to music, practicing yoga, working on my very inadequate French, playing piano, enjoying a lovely glass of red wine or champagne, or looking for inspiring landscapes to photograph.
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