Journeys Are My Diary

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Book Review: Sanctum, Fractured & Chaos – by Sarah Fine

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A few months back I wrote a post about two great books that I’d read called Marked and Claimed. They were written by Sarah Fine and while I loved the plot and writing style immensely, I just wasn’t really into the ‘adult’ aspect of them. Therefore when I saw that the rest of her books were YA (young adult), I decided to give them a go – hoping they were less raunchy. They were – and I quickly discovered three great new books.

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Sanctum – the first in this series, Sanctum is a book about Lela Santos, a girl with a troubled past, who is just trying to start over. She has a new foster mum, a great best friend and she’s doing okay at school. Things changed however (and I won’t spoil why) but she ends up technically dead in a city for people who committed suicide. She’s here to rescue someone and so determined to do it that she will even sacrifice herself in the process. However she meets a guard called Malachi and it’s pretty obvious they like each other. They work together to help Lela’s friend and become closer the whole time. An enemy of the city, comes in the form of Mazikin and these form the main plot for all three books. However there are twists and turns, happiness and sadness, and a massive cliffhanger at the end. Without a doubt if you enjoy the first book, you are certain to pick up the second!

Fractured – the second in the series, picks up exactly where the other left off. I can’t tell you an awful lot but Lela is back ‘alive’ and only a few minutes after she last thought she was, even though weeks and weeks have passed where she was. Her role is now Captain of the Guard and she needs to stop the Mazikins from spreading and growing in number. The story centres around Lela’s regular life and her hidden life as a guard. There is school and boys and of course a prom to attend – nevermind the threat to mankind! Again the book ends on a cliffhanger (far worse than the first book) and you are guaranteed to be desperate to read book number three!

Chaos – the third and final book, is not just a tying up book as some third books in a trilogy can be, but instead a whole story in itself. I was desperate to get this book read and find out what happened in the end, but there is so much to it that you would never guess. I really can’t tell you an awful lot about this final book but there are people who you thought were gone, back again, but others lost. There is an adventure to the Mazikin city to be had, but also back on “Earth” too.

I absolutely loved these books as they are a bit fantasy, a bit adventure and a bit romance. They were some of my favourite reads ever and it has now firmly made me a fan of Sarah Fine.

There are a few small books to read in addition to these main three. There is Captive, Vigilante and Stories from the Shadowlands. One is Malachi’s PoV before meeting Lela and isn’t many pages at all. One is Ana’s point of view, but runs from first book, right into the third, so be careful not to read this in the wrong place and spoil the ending to book two (as I did). And finally Stories from the Shadowlands is a compilation of various stories, largely from Malachi’s PoV before the first book, but with other bits relevant to all three books and even an additional bit after the ending of three. Make sure you definitely read that one last!

Sarah Fine has also written several other books and I’m tempted to try Scan and its sequel Burn. However both are quite expensive at the moment so I’ll probably wait till they drop in price!

Book Review: Marked & Claimed by Sarah Fine

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About two months ago, I meant to review a book called “Marked (Servants of Fate Book 1)“. It was one my mum had recommended and I read on kindle. I really enjoyed the book and wanted to share it with you all – in fact I even pre-ordered the next book in the series, “Claimed (Servants of Fate Book 2)“. Though I didn’t get time to read it when it first came out, I did get around to it this week and finished it within a day. So instead of one review in this post, I’m doing both!

Claimed is the first in a series of books, known as Servants of Fate. I had never heard of Sarah Fine before my mum recommended this book and I have to admit it was nice to read something from someone new.

In this urban fantasy, brilliant scientist Galena Margolis is determined to fulfill her destiny and develop the vaccine that could save millions. Yet when Galena’s test subjects meet with foul play, it’s clear that someone is still determined to stop her, and that Galena herself is a target. As the Ferry empire forges a plan to keep her safe, Declan Ferry, the politics-hating black sheep of the family, steps forward to protect her—but the emotional cost may be more than either of them is willing to pay.

As unknown enemies close in, it becomes terrifyingly clear that they threaten to destroy not only Galena’s lifesaving work but also the very fabric of fate. As Galena and Declan race to uncover the traitor, they also forge a special bond that could save both Galena and those she’s sworn to help. Torn apart by the past and hunted by those she trusted, can Galena find room amidst her fears for a passion that could make her stronger than ever? And even if she and Declan can find their way together, will it be enough to keep the future from coming apart at the seams?

I will admit that it took me a little while to get into this book. While I knew it was an urban fantasy, the world that was created for this story, took time for me to wrap my head around. However the characters were easy to love, especially Eli, Cacy and Declan. The story is basically an introduction to the world of Ferrys, Keres and the concept of death and fate. It’s a really easy read and I think would be enjoyable for most who like a fantasy read.

That said, what you don’t know before reading it, is that there is quite a fair bit of erotica. This isn’t a grumble, just an observation. I went into the book, not expecting it and got quite a suprise. I’m not a prude but I did skip over the majority of the sex scenes as I really just didn’t think it was necessary to enjoy the book. I was happy with how the story ended and it definitely left me wanting more. I immediately pre-ordered the next book in the series and couldn’t wait for it to come out.

Though you could say that the first book was focused on Eli and Cacy, it also carried a very general storyline too. It introduced all the characters fairly equally and also spent time covering the whole world introduced by the series. Claimed however is completely different. This second book in the series, is very much a focused story. It revolves mostly around Galena and Declan, continuing on from the first book but branching off into a very individual story. To be honest, I had no problem with this. I enjoyed Eli and Cacy as a story but Declan and Galena had me gripped.

In a broken landscape carved by environmental collapse, Boston paramedic Cacia Ferry risks life and limb on the front lines of a fragile and dangerous city. What most don’t know—including her sexy new partner, Eli Margolis—is that while Cacy works to save lives, she has another job ferrying the dead to the Afterlife. Once humans are “Marked” by Fate, the powerful Ferrys are called to escort the vulnerable souls to either eternal bliss or unending fire and pain.

Unaware of Cacy’s other life, Eli finds himself as mesmerized by his fierce and beautiful partner as he is mistrustful of the influential Ferry clan led by the Charon—who happens to be Cacy’s father. Cacy, in turn, can no longer deny her intense attraction to the mysterious ex-Ranger with a haunted past. But just as their relationship heats up, an apparent hit takes the Charon before his time. Shaken to the core, Cacy pursues the rogue element who has seized the reins of Fate, only to discover that Eli has a devastating secret of his own. Not knowing whom to trust, what will Cacy have to sacrifice to protect Eli—and to make sure humanity’s future is secure?

Due to the nature of this storyline (you learn Galena was attacked and raped in the first book and this is revisited a lot in the second book), there is even more erotica in this book than the last. Again for the most part I skipped over it, though I could at least see how it was relevant to the storyline and partially needed to be there.

I really loved Claimed and I think probably more than Marked. Luckily mum tells me that she has already pre-ordered the third book in the series but that doesn’t come out until Fall/Autumn. I’ll need to find something else to read until then but I’ll definitely be looking forward to it’s release.