Reviewed by: Laura

RATING: 7/10 – Very good, would definitely recommend

BACK COVER:

Gabriella’s past is a mystery, but that never stopped her from achieving her goals. As a supernatural specialist, and far more intelligent than anyone her age, she has always been ignored by her peers. Because of the isolation she has always felt, she put her life and soul into her job. Being a supernatural specialist hasn’t given her the divine intervention she always longed for, until one day a shipment arrives from Italy containing three dead bodies with an uncanny ability to regenerate.

REVIEW:

I ended this story frantically leafing through the book in the hope that there were even just a couple more pages for me to inhale. But sadly there wasn’t. But if I had the second book to hand I would have picked it up immediately (you have been warned!).

I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked it up, besides from the fact I really love the cover! This is Laura Kreitzer’s first novel and while I have nothing but respect for what she’s achieved, to a certain extent it does show. The book could have done with a little bit more refinement and editing to move this book to an 8 or even 9/10.

In particular, the book got off to a bit of a shaky start, the first 100 pages or so didn’t seem to gel together very well and the writing wasn’t as tight as it could be. For example, you are introduced to a lot of characters of varying importance, who then disappear later in the book and are not seen again. Just when I thought I’d worked out who the love interest was going to be, everything changed. In fact the introduction of the first character as a potential love interest was a little bit odd, it builds nicely and then is completely abandoned.

So if you’re not a patient reader this beginning could put you off. But, my advice would don’t give up, because after those first 100 pages the story took on a life of its own and I was totally absorbed.

The lead character Gabriella is a scientist working in a top secret government laboratory who are dedicated to proving the existence of the supernatural. Gabriella is a super intelligent woman, who graduated years ahead of her class, she’s also a skeptic. Her youth, extreme intelligence and skepticism have meant she has become isolated from her peers.

Then one day a shipment arrives from Italy continuing the prone bodies of three humans with the eerie ability to regenerate. Gabriella is in equal parts fascinated and terrified as she studies her new subjects.

This is another book to embrace the trend for writing about angels, but the concept is unique. The angels are not what you and I would expect them to be. The supernatural world and storyline is well defined, interesting and the plot has some great revelations that will keep you guessing.

When the love story finally got going and you understand who the male lead is, it’s fabulous. I absolutely adored Andrew, and the love story in this book is what I call a breath-stealer, it literally took me away and made my heart squeeze. Which, while I will not spoil it for you, made the epilogue completely heart-breaking.

VERDICT:

A fantastic debut novel, by the end of the book I had fallen in love with the characters and I really look forward to finding out where the story goes and how Laura Kreitzer’s writing skills develop.

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