Welcome to this stop
in the tour for Landing
(Girl with Broken Wings, #2),
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About the Book
Landing
(Girl with Broken Wings, #2)
J. Bennett
Trade Paperback, 264 pages
Endeavor Writing
January 8, 2013
Dystopian Fiction, New Adult Fiction,
Paranormal Fiction,
Science Fiction, Thrillers
Book Synopsis
A compelling, and emotionally complex paranormal novel! Some landings you can’t walk away from. Fighting evil isn’t only high-stress, no pay, and uncomfortable as
hell most of the time… It also doesn’t turn out to be quite as black and
white as Maya would have hoped. As a hybrid angel struggling to control
her murderous appetite, Maya should know better than to expect
simplicity. With one half-brother still convinced that she’s an unstable
threat and the other oblivious to the danger she presents, Maya
struggles to find a balance between her diminished humanity and the
darkness of the monster within. >>> “Maya is imperfect, sarcastic and believable; and her plight is heart-poundingly realistic.” Reading Lark Blog
The world gets murkier when Maya discovers a pair of angels who invite
her into their lives. Now, she must choose between family or the promise
of acceptance. The stakes grow higher when Maya’s greatest enemy
returns. Vengeance may be within her grasp, but will Maya have to
sacrifice one she loves to take it? >>> “It's totally
exciting. Dramatic. Vividly intense. Poignant. Need I add that it's an
utterly riveting, page-turning read? To sum up, I have discovered a bold
new talent to follow! ” A Night’s Dream of Books Blog Landing
is J Bennett's action-packed, darkly-humorous sequel to Falling, and the
second book in the paranormal adventure series, Girl With Broken Wings
Series. Falling was just the beginning for Maya and her brothers.
My Review
This second novel in the series is even more riveting and compelling than the first novel, and the novella which follows it. In fact, I would say that Bennett has surpassed herself in this installment!
The saga of Maya the hybrid 'angel' (actually an energy vampire) and her vigilante half-brothers is seriously addictive reading! In Landing, the relationship of the three siblings becomes even more poignant, as the reader learns further details about their family history, and they are thrown into even more danger.
Maya is a totally admirable character; she's constantly fighting against the hunger -- that insatiable desire to 'feed' on energy from humans, killing them in the process. She manages to get by through draining small animals, but the hunger for human energy is always present, tormenting her. In spite of her situation, she's courageous, funny, snarky, and strongly loyal to her brothers, insisting on joining them on all their missions. She's definitely a great heroine!
I didn't think it was possible to love Gabe even more than I already did, but, in this novel, his kindness and endless sweetness toward Maya just made me want to hug him! His implicit trust in her is very touching, especially since he knows she could destroy him if she ever lost control. His easygoing, laid-back attitude, in the face of their family tragedy, is absolutely wonderful! Unlike Tarren, Gabe wears his heart on his sleeve. Maya, who can see human auras, can read him much more easily than she can Tarren, who keeps a very tight rein on his emotions.
As for Tarren, I have very mixed feelings about him. It seemed that he was beginning to trust Maya more in Coping, the novella in this series. However, this is really not the case at all; his attitude toward her remains one of cautious tolerance. He never fully lets her in, so she can only catch glimpses of what he must be feeling. He's even willing to risk her life at one point in the plot, against Gabe's vehement protests. So I found myself alternately disliking him, and then feeling sorry for him. After all, he has suffered at the hands of the heinous villain in these books -- terribly so. Still, his actions toward Maya are really unforgivable. In this novel, the reader finds out just how deeply he has betrayed her, simply because he's in pursuit of revenge.
Two new characters are introduced in this installment -- a married couple, Kyle and Jane. They're both 'angels'. Maya meets them one night, after she and her brothers have returned from an unsuccessful mission.
These characters are very likable, paradoxically enough. They want to take Maya under their wing, and she almost gives in, just so she can feel totally accepted and loved. However, she realizes that Kyle is trying to rationalize the 'angel' lifestyle by telling her that she should only drain people who really 'deserve' it, like criminals, or people who are already dying. She knows that killing a human being is wrong, no matter how you try to justify it. Her condition as a hybrid -- not completely human, yet, not fully an 'angel' -- helps her to resist the lure of this evil.
The action really ratchets up in this novel, as the siblings finally confront the villain -- Grand. In the process, the reader encounters his very sick, disgusting, views toward the humans who have not been 'enhanced'. This is a villain you love to hate; the thoughts of this most nefarious 'angel' mirror those of Hitler and his Nazis in their contempt for 'inferior people'. Indeed, this warped philosophy is also behind the eugenics movement. Bennett is thus implicitly criticizing it, and I admire her for doing so.
This novel, like the previous books in this series, has very profound philosophical implications underlying its action-filled plot. It's also a great example of masterful, suspenseful writing. Furthermore, it's peopled by very vivid, fully fleshed-out characters whose struggles and emotions we the readers come to feel and understand as if we were also going through the same things.
Powerfully intense, stunningly compelling, this is a novel that will not let readers go until the very last page is turned! Bennett fully immerses the reader in her terrifying, totally believable world, and she does so with remarkable ease.
These characters will remain completely unforgettable to me, even after I've finished reading the last novel in the series, Rising, which I am planning to purchase just as soon as I possibly can! In all honesty, I simply can't praise these books enough, in spite of their very dark themes, and the bleakness of this future, dystopian world. Still, hope remains ever present, and evil will not get the upper hand. In the final analysis, this is what's truly important. Kudos to J. Bennett for her imaginative portrayal of the darkness, as well as the light, within the human soul!
MY RATING: 
Reviewer's Note
I would like to thank Ms. Bennett
for providing me with a
print copy of her book.
I am continuing to enjoy this series!
About the Author
J. Bennett is a professional copywriter and copy editor, as well as a novelist. She lives and writes in Southern California.
Works by J. Bennett
Girl with Broken Wings Series
The Vampire's Housekeeper Chronicles
(short story, #1)
(short story, #2)
