Relentless: A Young Adult Urban Fantasy Romance

This review is for the entire series so far (Relentless, Refuge and Rogue). I will NOT rehash the plot. You need to read the books. ;) I will however tell you bits about why I liked the books and what I liked about them.The entire series was, surprisingly and refreshingly, well written and original. I am eagerly awaiting the next book, Warrior. Karen Lynch hit it out of the park with this. I love all the characters and loved watching the plot and relationships grow through all 3 books. There are a lot of plot twists and turns but the story doesn't get diminished or confusing.Don't hesitate to get all 3 at once. Once you get started you won't be able to stop. There are many YA Paranormal books that try to be like Twilight. I am not sure why either. This series is complex and original. No copycats here! There are similarities in the Relentless series to Twilight but they are these: Vampires, Werewolves, boy meets girl and happily ever after. The rest is WAY WAY better and way way different. No glittery vamps,no brooding werewolves, no stupid love triangles, and most importantly, a real love story that develops over time and isn't INSTANT. There is a connection between them but it doesn't HAVE to happen, (sorry any more info would be a major spoiler and we can't have that).Sara is strong and determined (not silly and whiny). She is a loyal friend and a gentle soul at heart. Despite the horrors around her and her own strange budding powers, she is still grounded and retains her humanity and a desire to do the right thing. She is, however, a teenager and has her own emotional teenage moments. I am glad that Ms. Lynch wrote that in. It makes Sara much more believable.Like I mentioned before, her loyalty towards her friends and family is steadfast. I love the relationship she has with Roland and Peter. We should all be lucky enough to have BFFs like that. They love her and have her back 100%. They don't even hesitate to follow her on epic and dangerous quests.Although unconventional, her relationship with Remy is beautiful. Their adventures together show a sweet and honestly compassionate side of Sara.Sara's relationship with Jordan is more "normal" teenage girl stuff. It isn't forced or immediate. Jordan is a kick ass and take names kinda gal and you can't help but love her. Her friendship and loyalty towards Sara comes about gradually but in the end she is willing to lay it all out there alongside her and her friends.Nikolas is just....AMAZING. He screams strong ALPHA male but is so incredibly patient and sweet with Sara. He can be a serious and ferocious warrior one minute and then a tender caring man the next. He really seems to understand how hard it is for Sara to adapt to all the "new" stuff around her and he tries to do what is best, even if it goes against his own desires. He never loses focus on her. He never wavers there at all. He never gives up, no matter how hard she pushes him. And in Relentless and the beginning of Refuge, SHE PUSHES HIM! By the time they get to Rogue, you see his unwavering love and support for her. It is beautiful. There are many heart stopping and tender moments from Nikolas though the entire series that make you wish he was YOUR boyfriend.Chris is also an amazing character. The one flaw in this series is, we don't see enough Chris time. Maybe Karen will write a spin off for him? (HINT HINT Ms. Lynch) Fingers crossed. He is loyal to Nikolas and is always right there when needed and never hesitates. His calm demeanor and open friendly outlook are a good contrast to Nikolas when he is "in the rage". (read the books to know what "the rage" really is. :)The flow of these books was perfect. Ms. Lynch described the "world" without losing us in a flurry of descriptive adjectives. You get enough information to see it in your mind's eye and believe it. It is fast paced and full of action. What a fun read. I just purchased all the books within the last 2 months and have read the series 3 times already. If I want to read a book more than once, that is a good thing. Reading it multiple times, that is a sign of a REALLY REALLY good book and believe me, it doesn't happen often.I would love to read spin off stories about Roland, Peter, Jordan, Chris and even Remy. I hope Karen Lynch is thinking the same thing.

If you have anything else to do, don’t start reading this book. I could not put it down. Tight storyline, exceptional character and world building. Sassy, fiercely independent female and of course a sexy male to cause conflict. Love that they did not fall into bed at first glance nor have they yet and may never. All creatures great and small are real, even the hellhounds-yes hellhounds. Oh, did I mention the trolls?

Seventeen year old Sara Grey has known she wasn’t normal since she was 6 years old when she first discovered she had the power to heal. Two years later her world was shattered by her father’s brutal murder. Sent to New Hastings, Maine to live with her uncle, Sara becomes friends with a troll and her eyes are opened to the paranormal world around her. Despite diving into the world for details on her father’s murder, she keeps this hidden from her uncle and friends all until one fateful night where a vampire attack forces Sara to face some life-changing truths.I was very fascinated by the paranormal creatures we meet in this novel. Werewolves and vampires are a big staple of the genre, but I enjoyed exploring trolls, imps and the half-demon Mohiri whose job it is to hunt creatures intent on harming others. We learn early in the novel that Sara’s mother, who apparently abandoned her when she was very young, was a Mohiri which means Sara is one as well. However, Mohiri do not have the power to heal so there is still a question as to why Sara is able to do so. I liked how that mystery played out and it should cause some friction in the sequel.Sara is thrust into the Mohiri world while out in Portland with her friends Roland and Peter. She comes across the evil vamp Eli in an alley and is rescued by the yummy Nikolas, Mohiri warrior extraordinaire. Roland and Peter also come to her aide and it appears they have a few secrets of their own. These three guys play critical roles in Sara’s story. Roland and Peter are her fiercely loyal friends who are steadfast in their desire to help Sara find the answers she seeks. Nikolas knows right away Sara is Mohiri and spends the novel both rescuing her from her misadventures, trying to convince her to join the Mohiri and leave her life in New Hastings behind, and slowly becoming a trusted friend and potential love interest.This novel had some elements that were predictable based on other YA paranormals I have read, but I was pleasantly surprised at the overall plot and some of the twists and turns the story took. The book had a few good villains and plenty of ups and downs as Sara navigated the murky waters where her Mohiri and “regular” lives combined. I felt it was a bit slow at times and was over-detailed in some spots where I wish it moved faster, but that did not hinder my enjoyment of the novel. I also wished the romance angle was played up a bit more. There was virtually no romance in the book despite Nikolas being there and obviously crushing on Sara. I believe there is more to their connection and I definitely think their romance will amp up in Refuge (Relentless #2) which will release in a few weeks. While I may be sour on the lack of romance in Relentless, it certainly has me clamoring for Refuge.My grade: A-A well-crafted story arc and delightful characters/creatures highlight this new series by Karen Lynch. What it lacked in romance it more than made up for in mystery, action and suspense. Fans of the YA paranormal genre will not be disappointed.

Ciao, lettori appassionati di avventure e romanzi fantasy! Oggi voglio parlarvi di un libro che vi porterà in un mondo emozionante e pieno di magia: "Relentless" di Karen Lynch e Kelly Hashway. Preparatevi a un'esperienza coinvolgente che combina amore, mistero e azione senza sosta.Quando ho preso in mano questo libro, sapevo che mi stavo preparando per un'avventura straordinaria. E devo dire che Karen Lynch e Kelly Hashway non mi hanno deluso. "Relentless" è una storia avvincente che cattura l'immaginazione sin dalle prime pagine. Mi sono trovato coinvolto nel mondo fantastico che le autrici hanno creato e non vedevo l'ora di scoprire cosa sarebbe successo ai protagonisti.La trama di "Relentless" segue il percorso di Sara Grey, una ragazza che scopre di avere un destino straordinario nel mondo degli esseri sovrannaturali. Con una scrittura avvincente e ricca di dettagli, le autrici ci immergono in un universo ricco di creature magiche, poteri straordinari e segreti oscuri. Ho apprezzato l'equilibrio tra la storia d'amore che si sviluppa e l'azione frenetica che tiene il lettore con il fiato sospeso.I personaggi di "Relentless" sono ben sviluppati e affascinanti. Sara è una protagonista forte e determinata, pronta a combattere per proteggere coloro che ama. I personaggi secondari sono altrettanto interessanti, ognuno con le proprie sfumature e segreti da svelare. Ho apprezzato anche le dinamiche interpersonali e i dialoghi vivaci che hanno dato vita a relazioni autentiche e coinvolgenti.Lynch e Hashway hanno creato un mondo magico che cattura l'immaginazione. Ho amato l'ambientazione urbana con un tocco di fantasy, che conferisce al libro un'atmosfera unica. La scrittura fluida e coinvolgente mi ha fatto immergere completamente nella storia e mi ha tenuto avvinto fino all'ultima pagina.In conclusione, se siete alla ricerca di un'avventura mozzafiato che mescola romance, azione e magia, "Relentless" di Karen Lynch e Kelly Hashway è il libro perfetto per voi. Preparatevi a essere catturati dalla storia di Sara Grey e ad essere trasportati in un mondo fantastico pieno di sorprese.

Have you ever had a book that you just couldn't put down to the detriment of all else. Knowing in the wee hours of the morning that you actually really need to go to sleep for the meeting the following morning, but you just can't do it. This is that book!Karen Lynch throws us into a world that is full of surprises and changes and carries you on a wave to a turbulent end, leaving you wanting more.

This book is an outstanding example of the Young Adult fantasy genre and a pleasant surprise to find. I am still amazed it is free! I am a big fan of urban fantasy and have read so much of it that it is very hard to find anything that is different enough or good enough quality to captivate me anymore. I very rarely give five star reviews but this book thoroughly deserves it. While I'm not the intended audience, I loved this book.Why is it so good? Well, it isn't that original. There are a lot of familiar elements, reminiscent of Twilight and The Vampire Diaries, and the author didn't do anything massively different with the vampire/werewolf myths. However, what the author did is she wrote these familiar elements so well that it didn't matter how many times I had read something similar. The opening chapter excels in making the main character sympathetic and likeable and from there the story and characters compel you. Some have said the main character, Sara, is a Mary Sue. This is true in the sense that many of the male characters around her seem to fancy her, but she is far from perfect, and there was even an explanation for their attraction at the end of the book.There was a point quite early in the book when the vampires first show up where it feels a tad generic and predictable, but with the introduction of new monsters it soon gets past that. What follows is a story full of human emotion, relatable conflict, friendship and family drama, all balanced nicely with rapid fire action and peril and some thrilling fantasy elements. The writing style is so good and the characters so well written that it is a truly absorbing read. I suppose whether or not you like the main character is relative, and sure this wont be for everybody. But if you like flawed, vulnerable heroines who learn slowly to stand up for what they believe and embrace their strengths, and urban fantasy balanced with human drama, then you wont be disappointed.

I stumbled across these books quite by accident, and ended up reading the whole series in less than three days. It's an interesting book filled with my favourite fantasy creatures and characters! The relationships between the players were well created and felt real enough to continue the story.

Lets talk about Relentless by Karen Lynch, on of my most favourite book to be honest.The book is about Sara Grey whos father was killed by vampires when she was a child. Soon she discovered that there is another world apart from the human ones. She learns about vampires, trolls, demons and lots of other magical creatures. During a fateful night she meets the warrior Nikolas who helps her understand the power she has and the magical world better.To begin with, this book is not a cliche romance! It is a wonderful and magical fantasy book with lots of new things.Our female protagonist Sara is a young teenager who fights the bad and is a total heroin who also has breakdowns and can't handle easily what happened in her life. That is one thing we see rarely in books. She isn't helpless either, she know when it's time to ask for help.Nikolas is our male protagonist and I just have to say that i am totally in love with his name. Even though we don't get to know him that well in this book I kind of fell for him right away. He is not only a warrior, he is also a caring man who is there to help everyone who needs help.Also Sara's friends Roland and Peter and her uncle Nate and Nikolas partner in crime Chris are wonderful described people you will totally going to love in the book!I just really love this book. The first page were a bit humpy but soon the beauty of the book was revealed to me! It always made me feel warm on the inside. I laughed a lot while reading it and cried my eyes out too and I think that's what a good book needs to do! It needs to make you feel various emotions while reading.I liked the way Karen Lynch described everything in the book. She has just a wonderful writing style. Everything she writes sounds magical and that's fascinating to me.One part I really want to talk about is the romance in the book, because there is little. This book is an evidence that books do NOT need to have romance and relationships in it to be good. A good book does not need those things at all! It pleases me to finally read a good book without love, heart and roses. It's just refreshing.I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves fantasy and wants to read a new and refreshing book about it! But also people who don't like fantasy that much should give it a try!As this book is one of my favourite books I am totally looking forward reading the next few books!