by Paula Weston
Read: August 7 - 8, 2013
Published: (AU) May 22, 2013 by Text Publishing
Published: (US) September 9, 2014 by Tundra Books
Source: International purchase from Fishpond
Category: PNR, Angels, NA
Series: The Rephaim #2 (four books total. Shimmer comes out in Australia in July)
Find: Goodreads | Amazon
But most of all, she can’t quite believe that her twin brother, Jude, might be alive.
And Gaby can’t explain the hesitancy that sidetracks the search for him, infuriates Rafa, and sends them, again, into the darkest danger.
___________________________________________________________________________
Note: Haze is book 2 in the Rephaim series. My thoughts may contain spoilers for Shadows. See my review of book 1, HERE.
Haze is a rush from start to finish. It begins soon after the end of Shadows, and I daresay it’s even more exciting that the first book in the Rephaim series. Haze features more action and intrigue, and it amps up the tension big time. I wasn’t sure how Paula Weston would pull it off, but she does with exclamation points!! Haze also incited lots and lots of one of my favorite bookish related activities: discussion.
Although I find the overarching Fallen angel/Rephaim plotline to be interesting enough, I think what sets this series a part for me are these dynamic characters and the complex relationships between them. I’m totally caught up in all of the drama, confusion and pain over Gaby and Jude’s disappearances and then Gaby’s reappearance sans memory.
While I had a bit of trouble warming up to Gaby in the first book, I fell hard for her throughout book 2. She's incredible. I was right there feeling everything along with her: trying to find herself in a world she doesn’t remember, struggling to manage all the differing opinions about herself, and attempting to connect who she is today with the person everyone else tells her that she was before. I think Gaby’s struggle with identity is the most moving part of this book. While I’m really eager for her to regain her memory, I’m also nervous for her. What will she remember and how will it change the awesome person she’s become? Although there’s no way to tell what Gaby was really like until she remembers, it seems like her loss of memory has enabled her to regain some of the humanity that she’d lost over the years.
And then there’s Rafe who not only has gotten even hotter as this series has progressed (romance fans, do yourself a favor and pick this series up!), but we see so much more of him emotionally in Haze. We see Rafe’s tender side and how much he’s truly started to care for Gaby, but also his own agony over losing Gaby and Jude. What I love about Rafe is that he’s very protective of Gaby, while at the same time he’s pushing her to be stronger and more confident in the person that she is. The two of them have an amazing dynamic that is also brimming with tension. You thought it was high in the last book, but the fire between Gaby and Rafe just gets hotter. Of course, the big question is what will happen between them when Gaby regains her memory.
In my opinion, Haze is paced perfectly, even though the major plot action picks up well into the second half of the book. Weston took a lot of care to match the action with the growth of her characters, and both are done incredibly well. We also get lots of awesome revelations, as well as many details that we’re just starting to piece together. I know you’re all wondering about Jude, but all I’m going to say about him is READ THE BOOK. If you’re wondering about Mya. She’s in here too. Thankfully, she's one area where we get some clarity, and I will just say that I was pleased with the information.
The end of Haze is crazy! Knowing ahead of time that it was going to be a cliffhanger helped me deal with it. I’m excited for book 3, but I wasn’t freaked when this one was over and I didn’t have it in hand. Perhaps you will not agree, but I think the end is the perfect set up Gaby’s continued growth in the series.
Love Triangle Factor: None
Cliffhanger Scale: Medium/High
What? WHAT? I wasn't aware that this had four books *headdesk* Ehhh. I thought I'd be able to read the three right away. Well, almost. Eh. Ok. I'm not gonna read your review since I don't want to know anything about anything and go in blind-folded since I have no idea what these books are about other than angels. Oh, and yay for no love triangles! :)
ReplyDeleteAs much as I dislike cliffhangers, it does make it easier to deal with when you know it's coming. I've heard good things about this series but haven't picked it up yet mostly because, well, angels. I'm just not the biggest fan, even though Rafe sounds adorable!
ReplyDeleteYou've already told me that I need to read this series Lauren and I believe you 100%. I'm going to pick it up just as soon as book 3 is out in the US (or available from an international bookseller where I can get it asap) because that cliffhanger ending has me so nervous! Please just tell me the cliffhanger is not Rafe dying. I can't deal with that and I need that kind of information upfront!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this series and I actually enjoyed this book even more than the first. The characters and their interactions are what make me love this book--the snark and banter. I feel the same way, I'm nervous about Gaby getting her memory back. Will she be the same person? How will she feel about Rafe? And Rafe...the tension between those two...incredible. Love love love this series, I had to buy the book from Fishpond because I couldn't wait and now I'm going to have to do that again when the third one comes out. Great review! ~Pam
ReplyDeleteGaah! I seriously need to read this second book, Lauren. It sounds absolutely wonderful. Like you, while I enjoy the plot, the character dynamics is what makes the book stand out. And Rafe sounds even more perfect than he was in the first book.
ReplyDeleteGreat review, Lauren!
I skimmed the review because I need to read Shadows but I'm happy you liked this second installment. Always good to hear a series is on the right path. I desperately need to pick up my copy of Shadows soon!
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, I thought you had published your review for this book already, but I must've been thinking of our extensive e-mail discussions instead! ;) Anyhow, I adore this series and am so curious to find out what happens next, both in terms of the plot and the romance. Weston really has paced this incredibly well, revealing plot twists but still leaving so much in the dark - frustrating, yet satisfying. Absolutely stunning review, Lauren! :)
ReplyDeleteThe only other time i've read about angels was for Lauren Kate's Fallen series to be brutally honest and i wasn't a huge fan so i've stayed away from Angel stories since then but this is the second time i'm seeing a review for this series (the first review was for the first book) and now i'm curouis about this series. Hmm..
ReplyDeleteLily @ Lilysbookblog
So many series. So little time. But my goodness, I have to make an effort for this one! My library has Shadows. So, I hope that means a copy of Haze is coming too! I could possibly purchase the second installment, if my library never acquires it. We'll see! Oh, but I'm loving the sound of the vibrant characters and the intricacy of the plot. It's a little hard to be patient when so many bloggers rave about a series, but in the end, I usually take my time to get to them; the discovery of an incredible story never loses its magic--no matter when I decide to read it. I'm sure this sentiment will apply to The Rephaim series, whenever I get around to it. I look forward to the day! :)
ReplyDeleteThe ending to this book was totally insane right? The eager reader that I was I ordered my copy of this book from Fishpond too, so have been dying for the third book since May, thank goodness that the third book is getting published in the UK at the same time as the Aus edition, and we only have to wait until July now :) I have to agree with everything you have to say Lauren, the growth of these characters was just something else, I loved the little revelations we got to experience, I am however still nervous about the things we don't know about!!! Gorgeous review as always!
ReplyDeleteI am a romance fan, as you know, so this is apparently a series I really need to read! I think I'll wait for the third to release and then get right on that. :)
ReplyDelete