Lynburn Legacy #2: Untold Review

Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan

Title: Untold

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan

Series: The Lynburn Legacy #2

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: September 24, 2013

Genre: Romance; Gothic; Fiction; Fantasy; Supernatural; Young Adult

Pages: 367

Format: Hardback
goodreads

On the surface, Sorry-in-the-Vale is a sleepy English town. But Kami Glass knows the truth. Sorry-in-the-Vale is full of magic. In the old days, the Lynburn family ruled with fear, terrifying the people into submission in order to kill for blood and power. Now the Lynburns are back, and Rob Lynburn is gathering sorcerers so that the town can return to the old ways.

But Rob and his followers aren’t the only sorcerers in town. A decision must be made: pay the blood sacrifice, or fight. For Kami, this means more than just choosing between good and evil. With her link to Jared Lynburn severed, she’s now free to love anyone she chooses. But who should that be?

A darkly humorous take on Gothic romance, Sarah Rees Brennan's Lynburn Legacy weaves together the tale of a heroine desperate to protect those she loves, two boys hoping to be saved, and the magical forces that will shape their destiny. 

Just a piece of advice: when you finish a book that ends in a soul-crushing cliffhanger, do not–do not–read a sneak peak (specifically this sneak peak) posted by the author. It will destroy you. Just patiently wait for the whole book to be available for your reading pleasures. It will save you so much pain.

Kami Glass, aspiring reporter and journalist, will stop at nothing to uncover the secrets of the Lynburns. Now that she has discovered magic and unleashed a villain that has promised to plague the town, she must choose to fight or surrender. Kami must protect her family, the town, and the two boys that have so suddenly come into her life. A journalist’s work is never done. After breaking free of the bond that has held her and Jared together since childhood, Kami has the power to choose between the two beautiful Lynburn boys. Can Kami find love and save Sorry-in-the-Vale from magical destructive ruin?

Like almost every sequel ever written, I liked the first book more than the second. But I also loved the second. If I were to plot my love of these two books on the graph, there would be an almost unintelligible downward slope between Book 1 and Book 2. Just barely less than the first, but still less. The first book had an element of suspense that the sequel did not seem capable of grasping. Also, Jared’s attitude made me very angry.

Jared is a jerk. I mean really, how can he be that horrible and that perfect all at the same time? Brennan is mean that way, I guess. Ash is just plain boring. The only good guy in this book is good ol’ Rusty. Ahh, Rusty. Who can escape your impish whims and childish charms? You really are the best guy out of all of them.

Kami has to be one of the best female heroines I’ve read in a long time. Strong, capable, independent, brave, funny, smart. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be Kami Glass? Now, if she could just get a handle on her romantic situation, then she would be unstoppable. And her friend, Angela, is just as perfect as ever. She perfectly complements Kami’s character and personality. Her cynicism is such a vital part to the life of the story. Brennan forges her characters with incredible expertise. So much work goes into their personalities, everything else is almost left out. If the plot was worked on as much as the characters, it would bring this whole series to an extraordinary new level.

As to be expected, this book ended in a horrible, good-for-nothing cliff hanger. Brennan works real magic into her books, and I can’t wait for what she’ll do in the third and final installment of the Lynburn Legacy.

Unmade