Hidden Deep
(The Hidden Trilogy #1)
by
Amy Patrick
Synopsis
He isn't supposed to even talk to a human, much less fall in love with one...
Sixteen-year-old Ryann Carroll has just run into the guy who saved her life ten years ago. You might think she'd be happy to see him again. Not exactly. She's a bit underdressed (as in skinny-dipping) and he's not supposed to exist.
After her father's affair, all Ryann wants is to escape the family implosion fallout and find a little peace. She also wouldn't mind a first date that didn't suck, but she's determined not to end up like her mom: vulnerable, betrayed, destroyed. Ryann's just moved into her grandma's house in rural Mississippi, the same place where ten years earlier she became lost in the woods overnight and nearly died.
She's still irresistibly drawn to those woods. There she encounters the boy who kept her from freezing to death that long ago winter night and was nowhere to be seen when rescuers arrived. He's still mysterious, but now all grown-up and gorgeous, too. And the more she's with him, the greater the threat he poses to Ryann's strict policy-- never want someone more than he wants you.
Seventeen-year-old Lad knows the law of his people all too well: Don't get careless and Don't get caught.
It's allowed his race to live undetected in this world for thousands of years, mentioned only in flawed and fading folklore. Lad's never been able to forget about Ryann since that night ten years ago. When he sees her again, his fascination re-ignites and becomes a growing desire that tempts him to break all the rules. He's not even supposed to talk to a human, much less fall in love with one.
And the timing is atrocious. The Assemblage is coming, the rift between the Light and Dark is widening. Lad may have to trade his own chance at happiness to keep the humans, especially Ryann, blissfully ignorant and safe.
Sixteen-year-old Ryann Carroll has just run into the guy who saved her life ten years ago. You might think she'd be happy to see him again. Not exactly. She's a bit underdressed (as in skinny-dipping) and he's not supposed to exist.
After her father's affair, all Ryann wants is to escape the family implosion fallout and find a little peace. She also wouldn't mind a first date that didn't suck, but she's determined not to end up like her mom: vulnerable, betrayed, destroyed. Ryann's just moved into her grandma's house in rural Mississippi, the same place where ten years earlier she became lost in the woods overnight and nearly died.
She's still irresistibly drawn to those woods. There she encounters the boy who kept her from freezing to death that long ago winter night and was nowhere to be seen when rescuers arrived. He's still mysterious, but now all grown-up and gorgeous, too. And the more she's with him, the greater the threat he poses to Ryann's strict policy-- never want someone more than he wants you.
Seventeen-year-old Lad knows the law of his people all too well: Don't get careless and Don't get caught.
It's allowed his race to live undetected in this world for thousands of years, mentioned only in flawed and fading folklore. Lad's never been able to forget about Ryann since that night ten years ago. When he sees her again, his fascination re-ignites and becomes a growing desire that tempts him to break all the rules. He's not even supposed to talk to a human, much less fall in love with one.
And the timing is atrocious. The Assemblage is coming, the rift between the Light and Dark is widening. Lad may have to trade his own chance at happiness to keep the humans, especially Ryann, blissfully ignorant and safe.
Review
I'd seen this book around a few times so when I found out it had gone perma-free I decided to take a chance on it.
I'm glad I did. I was very surprised by how much I got into the secret world that the author develops. I can't say much without giving away a huge reveal, but the way she wraps fantasy with reality, and even human history and today's fame crazed culture, was extremely clever. There was always something pulling me through the pages. I had to know this boy's secrets. I think I was as curious as Ryann was! And when the truth finally came out, I was blown away! (Why didn't I think of that?)
The first 1/4 of the book dragged a bit as it set up the characters and the love triangle. Let me get something straight. I don't hate love triangles. In fact, I don't know why they are so widely hated. I want a good romance as much as anyone. But I wasn't convinced by this romantic standoff. I didn't particularly like either of the beaus and one just completely infuriated me. Ryann and one guy seemed to just be destined for each other, while the other just seemed to get in the way. That aspect of the story is not what did it for me.
The twists were interesting, though I called them pretty quickly. (I never used to do that. I think I'm just developing a talent.) Despite that, it was well crafted story that had a lot of originality. The writing flowed very well, keeping me interested and making it a quick read. As I said before, I loved the culture put into the secret world, and the mythos behind everything was pure genius. I want more of that world and I have to find out what happens next, so I definitely added this series to my list.
The first 1/4 of the book dragged a bit as it set up the characters and the love triangle. Let me get something straight. I don't hate love triangles. In fact, I don't know why they are so widely hated. I want a good romance as much as anyone. But I wasn't convinced by this romantic standoff. I didn't particularly like either of the beaus and one just completely infuriated me. Ryann and one guy seemed to just be destined for each other, while the other just seemed to get in the way. That aspect of the story is not what did it for me.
The twists were interesting, though I called them pretty quickly. (I never used to do that. I think I'm just developing a talent.) Despite that, it was well crafted story that had a lot of originality. The writing flowed very well, keeping me interested and making it a quick read. As I said before, I loved the culture put into the secret world, and the mythos behind everything was pure genius. I want more of that world and I have to find out what happens next, so I definitely added this series to my list.
4 stars
* * * *
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