Chaos

by Lanie Bross

[inlibrisveritas]

2.5 Stars

I had a lot of problems with Chaos, the sequel to Fates, which I found to be an interesting book with some faults. However, Chaos felt like actual chaos to me and while I will admit that it is an addicting read (I read it in one sitting) I found it to be lacking in some areas.

I hoped Chaos would be better than Fates, with more fleshed out backstory that felt solid and that it would add some depth to the characters and it didn’t quite hit that mark for me. It picks up right after Fates ends and we’re treated to the prospect that Luc’s sister Jasmine is now in mortal danger. What he does next (within the first few chapters so not a spoiler really) blew my mind…he leaves her by herself so that he can find a way to turn back time, save Corinthe, and fix everything. This is not the only time I had trouble understanding the motivations that drove the characters forward. In fact Luc pretty much confounded me the whole time, and I enjoyed Jasmine’s part of the story much more. I liked getting to know her better, I can’t say I know her well or that I connected with her.

There are lot of twists in the plotline that I thought were really interesting, and I did appreciate the way the author showed the duality of the characters who were supposed to be on strict side of the war. The writing style and plot flow quickly and I had no trouble getting through this one despite the lack of connection to the story, because there is truly very few dull moments to be had in this one. As a reader I personally love world building, even if it takes it’s time. I want to be able to see the worlds and appreciate them, and I think the lack of a solid world building foundation is what really threw me off with this one. There is also the dreaded insta-love, which is on my list of things I don’t enjoy. I will admit the two were cute towards the end, but I didn’t feel the spark they kept mentioning.

Overall I felt sort of disconnected from this one, and I find that I don’t have much of an opinion on the series as a whole. It’s not a terrible book, but it’s just not for me. I’m not sure if there will be a third one, though the ending is open enough to warrant one, and I’m not entirely sure I’ll read the next one. However, fans of fast paced and light fantasy might enjoy this one much more than me.