Review: Shadows by Ilsa J. Bick

Shadows by Ilsa J. Bick

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Source: Publisher for review (via Netgalley)

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Alex has escaped from Rule - but what new horrors face her in the ravaged world outside? 

Tom is safe - but what will he risk to find Alex? 

Chris - how much does he really know about the terrible darkness of Rule? And what are his true feelings for Alex? 

Ellie - where is she? 

The terrifying follow-up to the hugely popular Ashes.

Book 2 in the Ashes series

Either I've forgotten how gory the first book is, or this book is even more gory. It is definitely very tragic, extremely bloodthirsty and harsh. Prior warning- characters will get murdered and tortured in the most horrific ways.

Alex has to be one of the toughest heroines I have ever known. She has some serious survival skills, and an unwavering determination to overcome any obstacle, whether enemy, illness or injury.

This is quite a traumatic story. Nevertheless I loved this book, and I just love this series. These character's hardships and struggle to survive, to bond together and strive to find each other again in a world gone to hell made such a compelling and emotional read for me.

Most of this book is told from different perspectives, as different characters travel their own journeys toward each other again. There are so many layers to the book, and so many turns in the story, that you never know where it's going to take you next, and it has such a compelling cast of characters that you really root for.

After THAT shocking cliffhanger ending in Ashes I was dying to get hold of this next book, and it didn't disappoint- I was gripped. But there is another shocking and dramatic cliff-hanger, and it's a long wait to book 3! [Book 3 Monsters is currently due for release February 2012]

I know now that Ilsa Bick's books are real character driven page-turners, and this author is an auto-buy for me.