Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Niederwald by Rachel Vincent: Review


"Enthralled" is a collection of 14 original teen paranormal short stories from some of today's bestselling YA talent, united with the common theme of road trips.
Niederwald is one of the short stories in the anthology Enthralled, written by Rachel Vincent. It's narrated by Sabine, the mara from Soul Screamers, who tags along with Emma, who goes on a road trip for an entra-curricular activity. Unknown to Emma, Sabine has an ulterior motive for coming along. In truth, all she wants is to go to Niederwald, where she needs to see a certain oracle and retrieve something of value.

Niederwald is the second short story I've read that's narrated by Sabine once again. (The other one is Fearless- check out my review here.) It was short, but fun fun fun! I think it's supposed to be read after My Soul to Steal and before If I Die. If read between those books, Niederwald drops some delicious hints, which keeps readers guessing til the end. In a way, it's an epic teaser of what's to come in If I Die.

In true Vincent style, she manages to pack mystery, action, suspense, and yes, even humor, into a story is short. She introduces a new specie here- harpies. They were briefly mentioned in past books, but they get the spotlight in this one. That's what I love the most about her books- they have unique creatures, not those overused vamps or werewolves. Also, the plot was well thought out, unlike those other stories in anthologies, which don't even make any sense.

The Rating
5 Stars! Yeah, I'm guessing I'm giving too much 5 stars to Rachel's books, but I really can't help it! I can't help but enjoy all of her Soul Screamers short stories. They're short, but a delightful addition to the main series. And Niederwald was no exception to this. Recommended for all Soul Screamers fans... Especially those who have yet to read If I Die! (But DON'T read this if you haven't yet My Soul to Steal yet!)

However, I'm not sure if readers who haven't read Soul Screamers yet should read this. I'm guessing they'll have a hard time relating to the existing plotline under it, not to mention the major spoilers it reveals. But still, this is something that should not be missed!

Jen @ Midnight Book Thief

1 comment:

  1. I love the Soul Screamers Series. I can not wait to read If I Die. I can already tell it is going to be awesome. I have to read Enthralled first though but I know that is going to be just as good

    ReplyDelete

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