Scarlet Rain: The Escaped - Book Two (Escaped, #2)

by Kristin Cast

The co-author of the New York Times bestselling House of Night series returns with the mesmerizing second book in The Escaped series.



In Amber Smoke, Kristin Cast introduced her legions of readers to Alek and Eva. Alek, immortal son of the Furies, has been charged to save his home and recapture the souls of the damned, evil creatures who escaped Tartarus into the Mortal Realm. He can't, however, do it alone...



Eva has discovered that she has been both blessed and cursed with powers beyond her comprehension. With a destiny to fulfill, she cannot escape the beings who will stop at nothing to destroy her.



Now, in Scarlet Rain, the Nosoi—spirits of plague—have been unleashed on the Mortal Realm, releasing a pandemic as clever and adaptable as it is insidious. Alek and Eva must capture and banish the Nosoi back to their Underworld prison—but Eva has yet to harness the abilities needed to defeat such a powerful enemy, and Alek sustains catastrophic wounds in the attempt. They must rely on detective James Graham, and Eva’s best friend Bridget, if they are to even slow down the plague. But can mere mortals come through in the face of such overwhelming peril?

• ISBN13: 9781626818958
• Publish Date: 2 June 2016 (first published 17 May 2016)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Diversion Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 266
• Language: English

Reviews

[Minx]

This review is based on an ARC I received from NetGalley. It is an honest review and the advanced receipt of it in no way affected my review or rating.

“”You need not worry. It will take time, but you will learn how to be a strong and powerful Oracle,” Maiden said. “Time?” Mother sneered. “She says the word as if there is not a curse and a multitude of evil pressing down upon us.””

In the second book of The Escaped series, the story picks up where book one left off. Maiden, one of Alek’s three mothers, takes Eva and Alek into Tartarus in order for Alek to survive. While there they are healed and Eva gleans more information about her potential as an Oracle. It is not long before Eva’s mortal presence has some unanticipated consequences in the underworld and she is then sent back into the mortal realm. Once back, everything goes from bad to worse as an ancient evil has awoken and released a mobile infestation that has one agenda: to cleanse the mortal realm in order to make way for the Nosoi queen. With only the help from Eva’s best friend Bridget and Detective James Graham, will Alek and Eva be able to withstand the onslaught of this terrible foe?

In order to really appreciate this book’s full potential you should first read book one “Amber Smoke.” There are many tiebacks to the previous book that without the information you might have a tough start of it. This book has some mythology but is more of a crime novel. There are a lot of introductions of sub characters that are only there for that chapter and I find myself trying to remember everyone because maybe they are important later? I did enjoy the main characters Alek and Eva but their relationship was kind of confusing. I did get from Eva that she had a thing about Alek, but that she wanted to keep it professional, her being the oracle and he being her warrior. From Alek, I was not so sure because he was “stoic warrior” until he got alone with her and then switch flip and now he wants her? Maybe more inner monologue from him to see where his head is at. Love Bridget as a character! She just cracks me up. I enjoyed the friendship aspect between Bridget and Eva. Detective James Graham, he is a great character and the scene with him and Bridget…hilarious! Trust me, you will find the humor. There are many great parts of this book. I did find it to be an interesting read and of course there was a cliffhanger and it’s a doozy.

*Thank you to Diversion Publishing & NetGalley for this ARC of Scarlet Rain*

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