Wren Noble is a living dead girl (unfortunately not a zombie, though). She craves the rare moments when she’s allowed to step inside her twin sister’s body and experience the world of the living. Lark Noble is alive but often feels she belongs in the realm of the dead, the Shadow Lands. Known as the crazy girl who talks to her dead sister, she doesn’t exactly fit in with the living world, though a recent suicide attempt has proven she’s not ready to join her sister in the afterlife. Now, the guy who saved Lark’s life needs a favor. He and his friends have been marked for death by the spirit of a malevolent and long-dead serial killer, and the twins are their only hope of staying alive.
I read Kady Cross’ addictive “Steampunk Chronicles” last year, so I was really pumped to read Sisters of Blood and Spirit. Unfortunately, Sisters of Blood and Spirit isn’t as good as any book in the other series, but it’s still pretty interesting. The premise is promising, the plot is fast-paced, but the twists lack complexity. Finding the serial killer’s identity, though the process is supposed to be consuming, is remarkably simple. Even the world building isn’t fleshed out enough; the Shadow Lands are introduced but never fully explained. (Like my English teacher says, “A great idea but sub par execution!”)
The characters, unlike the world building, are fleshed out.I really loved the villain, a.k.a the murdering spirit. (I’m not going to give his name because it’s revealed in the middle of the book!) He’s so violent and angry, yet he still seems so real. His anger initially seems overdone, but I promise you’ll grow to love it, well as much as you can love a villain’s anger… Lark and Wren make a great team; though they have a strong bond, they each have distinctive characteristics. At times I thought Lark was distant and extremely rude, but eventually I found myself rooting for her. Wren is my favorite of the two. This red-haired girl is brave, caring, and smart. She’s also pretty easy to relate to, considering the spirit aspect of it all.
While I enjoyed some parts of Sisters of Blood and Spirit, I won’t be continuing with the series. Though the story is somewhat intoxicating, Sisters of Blood and Spirit still seems like a rough draft, not the final version by an accomplished author.
Rating: 6 out of 10
Publisher: Harlequin Teen (March 31st, 2015)
Length: 288 pages (Hardcover)
ISBN #: 9780373211487
Source: Netgalley
Advertisement