Book Review: Unraveling by Sara Ella

Official Book Description:

In the second installment of the Unblemished Trilogy, YA author Sara Ella asks, “What happens when happily ever after starts to unravel?”

Eliyana Ember doesn’t believe in true love. Not anymore. After capturing the Void and saving the Second Reflection, El only trusts what’s right in front of her. The tangible. The real. Not some unexplained Kiss of Infinity she once shared with the ghost of a boy she’s trying to forget. She has more important things to worry about—like becoming queen of the Second Reflection, a role she is so not prepared to fill.

With the Verity intertwined with her soul and Joshua finally by her side, El is ready to learn more about her mysterious birth land, the land she now rules. So why does she feel like something—or someone—is missing?

When the thresholds begin to drain and the Callings, those powerful magical gifts, begin to fail, El wonders if her connection with Ky Rhyen may have something to do with it. For light and darkness cannot coexist. She needs answers before the Callings disappear altogether. Can El find a way to sever her connection to Ky and save the Reflections—and keep herself from falling for him in the process?

My review:

Angst. Chocolate chip cookies and yearnings for coffee angst. The tension and romance drama is so palpable, it’s almost unfair. But with Unraveling, the sequel to Unblemished, Sara Ella has created another great combination of young adult romance, contemporary fantasy, and adventure that will keep you entertained and engrossed in the characters. If you enjoy the TV series Once and the book series Doon, you will really love this series!

From the regal opening scene filled with her main character about to become queen, with ballroom gowns and twinkling lights, to the false reality of hopes crashing around her, Eliyana Ember has not escaped the love triangle that finally seemed settled at the close of book one. If anything, she’s chased by her own insecurities combined with trying to distinguish what true love is and who is really valiant in her life.

Eliyana travels between multiple worlds trying to set to rights the loss of the special gifts, or Callings, as they keep disappearing. Ella’s descriptions of these scenes is very dramatic and I found myself holding my breath with the characters diving under water, or striking out against an evil force. The book jumps continually between El’s perspective and Joshua and Ky’s as well, and successfully keeps the reader a bit on edge as well. The colors and settings are vibrant and feel very real in the moment, and the special powers the characters have in each world are really fresh and unique. Even unpredictable.

Overall:

I continued to appreciate how a kiss was a vow in these books, an unbreakable bond between the character/s and something very significant. I also liked how El begins to learn that her first judgements about people are often flawed. Her nervousness seemed very realistic for a nineteen year old who’s suddenly become a queen. One of the book’s themes is thought life, and I really agree with Ella that the thoughts you harbor can lead to greater good or evil in your life. Her characters follow this truth, but with an interesting twist. You’ll leave the ending, which is masterfully crafted, having a real desire to find out what happens next and feeling a bit unsettled about this world with its own shadows and doorways to thoughts. Unraveling is great for all of the young adult reader ages.

Title:  Unraveling

Series: Unblemished, Book 2

Author:  Sara Ella

Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date:  July 11, 2017

Genre: Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy

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Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sara Ella is the author of Unblemished, book one of the Unblemished Trilogy. Once upon a time, Sara dreamed she would marry a prince and live in a castle, and she did work for Disney! Now she spends her days throwing living room dance parties for her two princesses and conquering realms of her own imaginings. She believes “Happily Ever After is Never Far Away.”

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