*ARC* Lailah - Review

Lailah (The Styclar Saga #1)

By: Nikki Kelly

Published: October 7, 2014 by Feiwell and Friends

352 pages

Source: ARC from publisher via Netgalley

(Goodreads /Amazon)

Summary:

The girl knows she’s different. She doesn’t age. She has no family. She has visions of a past life, but no clear clues as to what she is, or where she comes from. But there is a face in her dreams – a light that breaks through the darkness. She knows his name is Gabriel.

On her way home from work, the girl encounters an injured stranger whose name is Jonah. Soon, she will understand that Jonah belongs to a generation of Vampires that serve even darker forces. Jonah and the few like him, are fighting with help from an unlikely ally – a rogue Angel, named Gabriel.

In the crossfire between good and evil, love and hate, and life and death, the girl learns her name: Lailah. But when the lines between black and white begin to blur, where in the spectrum will she find her place? And with whom?

Gabriel and Jonah both want to protect her. But Lailah will have to fight her own battle to find out who she truly is.

MY REVIEW:
In a young adult book world where vampires sparkle (this is in no way a dig at one of my all time favorite series!), this book was a nice change of pace. It takes us back to the basic fundamental issue of vamps - they are evil. As such, humans should be afraid of them, because they steal your humanity and your soul.

I highly enjoyed this story! There were parts in the beginning that I was confused as to what was going on but I caught on quickly.

The story is told from the POV of a girl. She can't remember her name or where she came from or even who she is. The only thing she does know is that when she has died, she's come back to life again, the same age, with memories of the lives she had before. She has visions of her past lives and of people and things she can't fully remember. She never ages. She's stuck looking the age of a 17 year old. She has long blonde hair, blue eyes and is just trying to make it by. Until one night on her way home from bartending, she sees an injured man named Jonah and she offers him help. Only he isn't human....he's a vampire. His maker, a Pureblood - scary wicked creatures, and his clan are tracking him to kill him.

Gabriel is the one person that she has a name to in her visions of the past. She can't recall what he meant to her or really who he is, just that he was always there and she felt safe and protected by him. Things really get interesting when he shows up to help save Jonah and sees the girl.

It's a fast read filled with action and love and loyalty. The ultimate good versus evil plot. Only things aren't really that black and white.

My one and only small dislike was the modern name dropping that occurs early on. Mention of the iPhone is dropped as well as a modern band name. I've mentioned in reviews before that I dislike this because it ages a book and though it may be relatable now, 5, 10, 15 years down the road it very well might not be.

I can't wait for book 2! If you love vampires, love angels, love good and evil story lines, heck if you love hot guys with serious attitude, check it out ya'll!

Favorite Quotes:
I didn't realize it yet, but I had, and would continue, to cost him everything to keep me safe. And he didn't yet know what I truly was and who I would become.

"I would go to the ends of every world to keep you from harm. I owe you nothing less."

"He can never be with you. But me, you can have any which way you like. I want you."

Final Rating - 4 stars

This post is part of the ARC Thursday feature on Words Fueled by Love.