Tuesday 9 October 2012

Falling To Ash by Karen Mahoney

Published by Corgi in September 2012
Pages - 342

I knew my morning was off to a bad start when I sneaked home from an illicit night out to find two cops waiting at my apartment door. 
Goodreads Summary
Trapped between two very different worlds, newly made vampire Moth is struggling to find her place in either. Not only does she have to answer to her strict Irish-Catholic Dad, but her over-protective maker, Theo, is intent on making her the star attraction in his powerful Boston vampire clan. Moth will have to pull off the double-act of the century to please both of them...
Adding to her problems is the dangerously attractive Jason Murdoch, a trainee vampire hunter who loves to play cat and mouse in his spare time (Jace = cat; Moth = mouse). But when the teenagers of Boston’s wealthiest families start to disappear, it forces Moth and Jace into an uneasy truce. Will they be able to solve the mystery behind the disappearances—before someone winds up undead?
********
This is the first book I have ever read by Karen Mahoney and I now want to kick myself that I haven't read any of her books sooner. I warmed straight away to her writing style and fell in love with her humour.  I was a bit wary about it being another vampire story, but I really think the author makes it her own and offers a whole new twist to the genre.
Moth is a brilliant lead character - as she struggles to come to terms with being a vampire, you discover she hasn't lost any of her humanity. She  is adorable on one hand and kick ass on the other. The author naturally blends her vulnerability with her toughness to create a really wonderful character. 
I adored the growing friendship between Moth and Jace; it was like a vampire version of Romeo and Juliet. There is no way in hell that these two characters should ever be together, but the author weaves such magic within the story that you can't imagine them ever being apart.  The added hints of sarcasm made the banter between them hilarious as they tried to understand how the other thinks. 
I instantly became a huge fan of Theo and I am not sure if I was supposed to. I mean, he is really BAD, but he is giving off some seriously sexy vibes with all that dark, gypsy style image - I can't wait to get to know him better!
There is a strong family connection in this book for Moth, as she tries to distance herself from her family without any luck. Some families rarely let the ties disintegrate and Moth's sisters are not about to let her disappear into the night. As she moves further into the realms of the vampire world, it will be interesting to see how she juggles the needs of her family alongside it. 
The plot was excellent and well paced, really drawing me into the story. The writing humorous and tense when required.  A very promising start to a new vampire series from an author quickly establishing herself among the UK YA greats. 

4 comments:

  1. Great review! The book sounds really interesting. Thanks for sharing! :)

    - Ellie @ The Selkie Reads Stories

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oooh, you are making me want to read this very soon. I've never read Karen Mahoney before even though I've been following her on twitter for yonks. Actually, I've even interviewed her for the blog and she was lovely. Should really get around to reading this soon! Great review, Viv! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Now I need to read this now!!! Off to put it right at the top on my review TBR :)

    ReplyDelete

Hiya, thanks for stopping by, it is always nice to hear what you have to say, so do leave a comment if you have time.