Thursday, February 26, 2015

REVIEW: The Shadow Garden by Allen Houston



The Shadow Garden (Nightfall Gardens, #2)
Precocious Lily Blackwood carries a responsibility far greater than other people. As the last female Blackwood, she must keep the evils in Pandora’s Box from destroying the world.

With the help of her younger brother Silas, the dusk riders and her best friend Cassandra, she must protect Nightfall Gardens and ensure that the fairy-tale monsters, old gods and deathly shades stay separated from humanity.

But now, the creatures bound to the Gardens are gaining strength and threatening to break loose. Bemisch, a malevolent witch, has escaped into the mist land to join forces with Eldritch, a powerful nature god. The mysterious Smiling Ladies hold the key to a dark secret from the Blackwood family’s past, and something once again roams the halls of the manor, trying to kill Lily.

Worse yet, her fourteenth birthday is approaching and with it a dangerous rite of passage. Lily must enter the Shadow Garden, home of all that is nightmarish, and come face to face with her most terrifying threat yet.

I received an ecopy of this book  in exchange for an honest review.



NOTICE: THIS IS THE SECOND INSTALLMENT IN A SERIES. THERE MAY BE SPOILERS FOR THE PREVIOUS BOOKS. Review for book one.

MY THOUGHTS
I loved Nightfall Gardens, so I was quite happen to get into the next book right away!

This book takes place right where Nightfall Gardens left off. Lily is now the protector of the gardens and most prevent the terrors inside from unleashing into the world. Though, she's not alone. She has her brother, Sila, and her best friend, Cassandra, along with others to help her. Now the siblings and friends are finding more and more dangerous secrets about the gardens and their home. Even worse, her 14th birthday is coming closer and she has to face the Smiling Sisters in the Shadow Gardens. A challenge that many of her ancestors did not survive.

Many of my thoughts of the first book continue with this book.This book series is still incredibly imaginative and, again, love the world-building! What I really loved about this book is how we get more information about the gardens ans the creatures! We got a whole bunch of information, that I loved, in the first book. but with this book being focused strongly on one of the gardens, I felt like I was getting do much more info and it was absolutely interesting! Although, I have to say this: this series is still very very dark, and I loved it. Of course.

I loved the characters in the first book, but in this book I see this grow so much more. It's sad, how they are changing, due to the circumstances, but I loved how strong these characters become. Lily, who was described as vain in Nightfall Gardens, has changed so much since the beginning! She has to change, and I hate that, but she has become so strong! Silas is the same way! I also need to mention Cassandra! She's such a great friend!

IN CONCLUSION
I am loving this series! It's such a dark, gothic, gory series, and I love it! While this was the 2nd book it a trilogy, it had no middle-book syndrome whatever and I am definitely looking forward to the conclusion!

I hereby give this book
4 Wheels
Meaning: It was amazing!

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