Paths of Thorn and Flame (Dark Matter Heart Book #3)

Paths of Thorn and Flame (Dark Matter Heart Book #3) by Nathan Wrann

(Summary taken from amazon.com) "Cor, Taylor and Caitlyn fled the city, leaving a trail of chaos in their wake. Attempting to regroup, the trio learns that Caitlyn's actions have put Cor's mysterious new friend, Diana, in mortal danger. He must risk everything to save her, only to discover that she may not be who he thought she was. Secrets, lies and new enemies are uncovered down every path that Cor takes as he desperately tries to make things right and so he can ride off into the sunset in search of a normal life."

This book follows right where book #2 finished, and it is filled with lots of action, surprises, twists, turns, deception, mystery, and romance. It follows Cor, Taylor, and Caitlyn as they leave the city and try to figure out what to do next. I didn't love what they did to Orlovsky, but I guess it was better than the alternative. And, I didn't feel like that ever got fully resolved. I know it was mentioned later on, but we never saw it fully resolved. Cor made a lot of rash decisions, which drove me crazy, and I know it drove Taylor crazy as well. Cor needs to learn to calm down and think things through first. Taylor still baffles me a bit; I'm not sure a teenager could really be in his position, but you never know. I do like Taylor a lot, and I think he adds a lot to the story. Caitlyn....hmmm not too sure about her. She makes some rash decisions as well. Some good, some bad. I'm glad there was a little bit more about Diana in this book. I think she's really good for Cor. She brings a little bit more thought and calmness into his life. I liked the turn the story took in this book. I don't know if "normal" is something they will ever find, but it's worth a shot. I think the ending was ok. It left it open for another book or maybe another series. I don't know about what they did with the blood drive truck. I know they needed blood, but there had to be a better way, maybe??? I'm glad that it made Cor stop and think, though.

There is profanity, violence, gore, deaths, and some more gruesome descriptions. This book does have an "intimacy" scene. If you've read the first two books you will want to finish the series for sure. 

Rating: PG 13+ (Profanity, violence, gore, deaths, gruesome descriptions, and an "intimacy" scene.)

Recommendation: College age and up

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

From Out of Chaos (Dark Matter Heart Book #2)

From Out Of Chaos (Dark Matter Heart Book #2) by Nathan Wrann

(Summary taken from amazon.com) "The Cor Griffin Bloodsuckers' story continues in the thrilling sequel to Dark Matter Heart. Cor, Taylor and Caitlyn have put an end to The Creeper's reign of terror, but at what cost? The teens' lives are thrust deeper into turmoil as Detectives Tolliver and Orlovsky keep Cor under surveillance; Caitlyn copes with her transformation, and Taylor sets off a cataclysmic chain of events that will tragically change their lives forever."

If you remember my review of "Dark Matter Heart Book #1" , I did not like the ending, and I wasn't sure if I would even read the next two. Well, it took me awhile (over a year), but I did read #2 and #3. I'll review #3 later, but I am glad I read #2. I'm glad I waited to read it, because I had time to shake off the yuckiness of the first book's ending. The book starts off right as the last one finishes, and goes from there. It continues with the same characters. I found the relationship between Cor and Caitlyn very interesting in how it changed and how each of them handled it. Some of the new abilities Cor has are crazy. They might be a little over-the-top and unlikely, but hey, that's what fiction is for, right? I like how Mr. Wrann ties events and circumstances in his story to works of "fiction" like "Frankenstein" and "Dracula." I obviously love to read, and have read "Frankenstein," and think it's funny how Taylor and Diana kept telling Cor to read them because they had answers to a lot of his questions. So it makes me wonder.......are they fiction??? I liked the introduction of Diana into the story and think she added a new perspective and dimension to the story. Taylor's little experiment is.....how do I put it????......horrifying and unbelievable at the same time. One part of my brain kept saying, "Really? He could really do that as a teenager?No way." The other part of my brain totally believed he could because he is intelligent and curious, and it creeped me out. I like Taylor's character a lot, but some of his circumstances are a little sketchy. I don't  know if he could really do what he did as an orphan to become who he is in the story. But, I guess that is the fun of fiction....anything can happen. I am still not sure about Caitlyn. Good? Bad? Her actions at the end of the book definitely made me not like her as much, and not trust her as much. 

Mr. Wrann's writing style is easy to read and pulls you in. There is language in this book, but it is not as bad as the ending of the first book. There is also violence and gore, but it also isn't as bad as the first book's ending. There is some sexual tension between some of the characters, but no scenes or actual discussion about it. A few main characters die, and the descriptions of their deaths are quite gruesome. I'm glad I read this one. I enjoyed it, for the most part. If you liked the first book you will like this one as well.

Rating: PG 13+ (A little lower than the first book's rating of R) Profanity, violence, gore, deaths. It may have an "f" word--it's either in this one or the next one--I read them one after the other so I can't remember.

Recommendation: College and up (That is what I rated the first one, and even though it's not quite as bad, anyone who reads it will have read the first one, so they need to be the same."

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 

Dark Matter Heart

Dark Matter Heart (Book #1) by Nathan Wrann

(Summary taken from an email the author sent me) "A new town. A new school. A new beginning. Seventeen year-old Cordell Griffin, and his mother, moved from Southern California to the Pacific Northwest to deal with his "sun allergies," and bizarrely restrictive "human blood diet". Cor has one goal: To blend in and be invisible. Unfortunately for him, no matter how far he goes, danger and tragedy lurk around every corner. "

Mr. Wrann hooked me on this book from page one. Cor's character intrigued me from the very beginning. Why was he hiding under a blanket in the car? Why did he and his mom need to leave Los Angeles? Why is he a fugitive? Is he in trouble with the law? And, in order to find the answers to these questions, I kept reading and reading and reading. I liked the character development in this book. I really liked Cor, Taylor, Caitlyn, and Mr. Gifford. Cor did make me nervous hanging out at scary parks in the middle of the night with a murderer nearby, but as I read I understood a little more. I pretty much knew what was going on before Cor did, but I kept reading because I couldn't stop. Although it has a storyline that is similar to a lot of current books, it does have a different twist that makes it interesting.

I loved this book.....until I got to the last few pages. Oh man. I was really disappointed. In what had been a fairly clean book, suddenly there was a barrage of "f" words and other harsh language. There was a graphic rape scene and graphic murders. It became very violent and gory. I, the reader, felt violated after reading the last couple of pages. I didn't like it at all. And the sad part was, there was a really good twist at the end, and I just felt blah. Even though I really want to know what happens in the next book, I don't know if I'll read it because of those last few pages. I wish it hadn't ended on that note, because I really want to read the next one. I just don't know if I want to read it if it is going to continue to be that violent and graphic. I may give it a shot just because I'm kind of hooked, but I'll let you know.

Rating: R (Language, including a few "f" words, violence, a rape scene, murders, graphic descriptions)

Recommendation: College and up

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.