Origins (#2 The Vedeine Saga) by Ashley Strachan

Rating: 9/10

  

Summary: Amelia Powell is heartbroken after the plane transporting her grandparent’s back home crashes and kills them instantly. After witnessing this she is even more shocked to learn her mother died during childbirth. While Christopher and Marius are taking care of her, her husband Robert calls her a slut and runs away. After working through some tough times, Amelia finds out that her sister is having trouble at home. She picks up her sister from Canada and moves her to Portland with her and Christopher.  While things are still complicated a new threat is discovered against the Vedeines; Angels are teaming up to eliminate them. Although just as she has given up on love, she meets Kaius. Will she pick love or survival of her species?

                                              

My thoughts: This book was even better than the last. I really felt for Amelia through her initial struggle. Loosing 3 people you cared for at once is extremely hard and her reaction was exactly how I would picture myself reacting. I could not for the life of me, understand why Robert acted the way he was, after saying you would stick with your partner through thick and thin, sickness and health. One day later he calls her a slut and runs away? Wow what a jerk. I definitely began hating him with a passion. Although I was secretly happy he was going to have a smaller role in the novel, his character I found was annoying and too childish.

As the title of the book announces, the story gives you some good background information on Vedeines; who they are, where they came from, why they can do certain things, and why they are being threatened. This was definitely necessary in understanding the threat that is now plaguing their species, and is a great set up for the upcoming two novels.

The story progressed nicely and had its own twist to it that separated it from the first. Many of them were unexpected and twisted the plot line in a new direction. Ashley had a few similar twists in her first novel, and with even more in the second, I was even more pleased. As I had mentioned in the last review, I absolutely love being surprised, and when an author can provide that in their writing, my appreciation of them grows threefold.

My only small problem with the storyline is the love triangle. So many stories out there are adding this in their novels and I feel it is being a little overplayed now. Most Vedeines do not find their soul mate for decades and centuries, yet within a few months she has found 3 men who are all her soul mates?? Wait, did I say 3? Yup! We have Robert, Marius and Kaius.  Personally, that is a little unbelievable, maybe it wouldn’t be if the story was played out over a few centuries.

I still recommend to all you YA paranormal fans out there to pick up this series and give it a go. Revelations, the third in the series is now expected to come out in early 2013, and the fourth, Judgement, is expected around mid 2013. 

Quote p.104: “‘It’s not like that, though,’ she explained, ‘it isn’t hunger or even rage. It’s almost like a… like a feeling of doom and bitter cold.’

Nodding his head, Christopher let out a slow breath. ‘Keep your mind open then and see what you can find. Let me know if you experience anything similar to… well, like you felt this morning, alright?’ He placed a hand on her back as she stepped off the wall”