Review: Sisters of Blood and Spirit by Kady Cross
Sisters of Blood and Spirit (Sisters of Blood and Spirit #1)
by: Kady Cross
Publication Date: Mar. 31, 2015
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: Paranormal
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: e-ARC provided via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 288 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Wren Noble is dead—she was born that way. Vibrant, unlike other dead things, she craves those rare moments when her twin sister allows her to step inside her body and experience the world of the living.
Lark Noble is alive but often feels she belongs in the muted Shadow Lands—the realm of the dead. Known as the crazy girl who talks to her dead sister, she doesn't exactly fit in with the living, though a recent suicide attempt and time in a psych ward have proved to her she's not ready to join her sister in the afterlife.
Now the guy who saved Lark's life needs her to repay the favor. He and his friends have been marked for death by the malevolent spirit of a vicious and long-dead serial killer, and the twins—who should know better than to mess with the dead—may be their only hope of staying alive.
Lark Noble is alive but often feels she belongs in the muted Shadow Lands—the realm of the dead. Known as the crazy girl who talks to her dead sister, she doesn't exactly fit in with the living, though a recent suicide attempt and time in a psych ward have proved to her she's not ready to join her sister in the afterlife.
Now the guy who saved Lark's life needs her to repay the favor. He and his friends have been marked for death by the malevolent spirit of a vicious and long-dead serial killer, and the twins—who should know better than to mess with the dead—may be their only hope of staying alive.
Having really enjoyed Kady's Steampunk Chronicles, I knew I would be interested in reading this new series of hers. The premise was a really awesome one and I thought it would be neat to follow twin sisters- one of which is among the land of the living and the other among the land of the dead. The two can communicate with one another for one, which is both awesome and sad at the same time. Lark is never alone, always having had her twin sister Wren by her side. It doesn't matter so much that Wren is dead, because she is always with Lark. I really liked the bond these two sisters shared. Wren serves as Lark's protector on the other side, protecting her sister from other ghosts and harm. Wren can take possession of Lark's body if need be and together the sisters are even stronger. I am really curious to find out more about Lark and Wren's powers together and what they are capable of in future books. I am also interested in seeing more about the history of their family, as I think it's going to come into play big time.
Lark and Wren's characters had their moments where I felt a bit irritated, but for the most part I enjoyed them. Lark may be the living sister, but she is not doing so well. She doesn't have that much going for her, no real friends to speak of, and would really rather be with her sister in the Shadow Lands. Her parents aren't in the picture having left her for selfish reasons, so it's just Lark, Wren, and their Nan. However, after a stint in the psychiatric hospital for attempted suicide, Lark is back at school and must deal with the whispers, gossip, and general cattiness that comes with being a high schooler. This is the turning point for Lark, as she is approached by a group of kids who desperately need her help.
I liked this group of people, save for Kevin and Sarah. Sarah had a bit of a mean girl vibe going on and she definitely clashed with Lark several times. Sure, there were times Lark wasn't the most pleasant to be around, but cut the girl some slack. She's willing to help deal with their ghost problem and this is the first time anyone's really tried to connect with her. Kevin is a medium so he can actually hear Wren, which causes some issues, as realistically nothing can ever come from them getting close to one another. He also does a pretty jerk thing late in the book and I wasn't sure what purpose it had, so I wasn't happy about that development either because I think it could potentially lead the book in a love triangle direction in the future novels.
Roxi, Ben, and Mason seemed genuine enough and I really ended up liking those three. I wasn't completely sold on the romance in this one, only because I felt it was going to go in a different direction than it did. I like that direction, don't get me wrong, but I wish it had been more built up from the beginning. As I just stated, I'm also hoping we don't get caught in a love triangle in future books.
Wren is the complete opposite of Lark, as is to be expected. For being dead, she's awfully vibrant and full of life. She has a childlike innocence to her at points and my heart ached for her, as she wishes she could have the same normal experiences as her sister- making friends, kissing boys, etc. She loves her sister fiercely though and would do anything to protect her and keep her safe.
I am really intrigued by the Shadow Lands and the history behind Lark and Wren's family. Those are two things I really hope we get to see more of in the coming novel(s). While I enjoyed this one, I wasn't completely blown away by it either. There were some points where I felt the story dragged a bit and it was easy for me to put the book down and walk away from it. Still, the connection between the spirit world and the living was really neat and I love reading about that. It's so creepy and yet you can't help but be fascinated by it!
12 comments
Wow, sounds like a complicated book! How in the world can the author pull off a love triangle (if there's one)? Color me intrigued! I'm not much of a fan of them but you have to admit, it won't be a normal situation.
ReplyDeleteI'll check this one out! Thanks for the great review!
It was definitely different, but I liked that about it. There are two boys, so I'm hoping it doesn't turn into one, but we'll see. I'm okay with love triangles, but I'm pretty picky about them.
DeleteI have been dying to read this. I hear ya on liking it but not being blown away. I liked Cady's steampunk chronicles too and I am so in love with the cover on this one, but I don't have the book so I probably won't get around to reading it for a while.
ReplyDeleteGreat Review!
Michelle @ Book Briefs
I hope you like this when you get to it Michelle! I still need to read the last book in the Steampunk Chronicles. Maybe soon.
DeleteHmmm, interesting. Twin sisters, one dead and one living?! Color me intrigued. I'm mad the parents left them though. That's upsetting. Good to know that even though it dragged here and there, you still liked it.
ReplyDeleteI really loved that paranormal aspect. It was definitely different!
DeleteAt risk of repeating the earlier comments, this DOES sound interesting? What does it mean she was *born* dead? I also love twins in books... double the complexity. Sounds cool, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteEsty @ Boarding with Books
Hahaha. She was stillborn. But it was such a unique concept. I was definitely a fan and will continue the series.
DeleteOkay so this premise is pretty cool but the love triangle thing gives me pause. I like love triangles, I don't mind them EXCEPT when they aren't present from the beginning. If its gonna be a triangle I want it to be a triangle starting out, I don't like when the second book introduces one... anyhoo I'll stop rambling Great review!
ReplyDeleteI hear you Teresa. I don't like LT's introduced in the second books. I'm wanting them to be resolved by then! Haha.
DeleteI am quite intrigued about this one, but I just cannot get my head around about twin sisters where one of them was born dead and has always been in the Shadowlands? I guess I'll need to read the book to try and make sense of it!
ReplyDeleteNot a fan of love triangles myself and even less when those are introduced in the next books of a series to try and shake up the couple a bit, I tend to HATE those!
Great review Jessica!
Same here Pili. I'm not a fan when they're introduced that way either. I'm hoping it won't be. My fingers are crossed.
DeleteLeave me some comment love! And I will get around to commenting back!
My blog is an award-free blog, however, as I just do not have the time to follow-up.