Review Detail

When I heard about this book, my first thought was 'another vampire story'. But this is not the case. Jessa succeeded to step back from the typical vampire concept and created a whole new world. And o boy what a world that Black world is!

The main character Adelin is for me the typical girl next door and that made it easy to relate with her. She doesn't really stand out but there is just something about her. What I particularly liked is that Adelin isn't the usual whiny girl that needs to be rescued. She is strong, intelligent and independent. One day she discovers that she isn't 'normal' like other people, that the mother she thought was dead is still alive, and that she has to make an impossible choice: staying human or becoming immortal. To make things even more complicated, this choice goes unavoidably together with choosing between the father who raised her and the mother she has never known. Understandable, she is lost at first...

Then Adelin meets Vraiden Black (V)... A handsome, dark and dangerous immortal. While staying on Black Island and getting to know her long lost mother, Vraiden shows Adeline how the world of immortals looks like. There is immediate chemistry between those two, and we can't really blame Adelin for that. My feelings for V were a roller coaster through the book. I really liked him at first, I mean how can one not? He is charming, witty and drop dead gorgeous. I even kept liking him after discovering he did some gruesome things in the past. I could forgive him that cause he sounds like he regrets those things and wants to change. But then there appears to be one more thing he has done and I just can't see pass that. And that has everything to do with his older brother, Lucien...

Luc is for me the 'underdog' in this story. And I caught myself starting to like him more and more while reading. He made me smile and laughing out loud more than once with his smart-ass comments and witty retorts. In the end I liked his character most of all the characters in the book and yeah it's obvious I want more from him in the sequel. In most books you have the typical good and bad guy. Although Vraiden is portrayed as the badass one, I don't think of Luc as the 'good' one. He has a dry sense of humor, is rude, funny in sarcastic way and sadly ... damaged. He lost the love of his life and that left noticeable scars. He did something unimaginable that he will regret the rest of his life, but it gives him an extra edge. At first he doesn't understand the relationship between V and Adelin and the fact that his brother is capable to love someone. After a while he realizes that V wants to make a real effort to change and although Luc doesn't like his brother he does help out when it matters. He even brings his own life in danger while helping to protect Adelin and that makes him again more likeable.

Important to mention is, that this is not just another love story or love triangle. Although it might sound like that, it is not the focus in this book. The choice Adelin has to make is central : staying human or becoming immortal. Cause lets be honest: How can you chose between your humanity -something you take for granted because you don't know anything else; or immortality -a dark hidden world full of bloodlust that both appeals and disgusts you ?

Although Vraiden and Luc don't like each other they need to work together to protect Adelin against the first - and therefore most powerful - immortal before the choice will be made for her. So yes, there is also action! And some pretty gruesome parts if you ask me.

The book has a good pace, characters are believable and Jessa has such a beautiful way of writing and describing things. She managed to draw me completely in the story and I hope Jessa will finish the second book soon so I can go back to that Black World. Cause it is a world I really came to love!