Leanna Renee Hieber - The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker

With radiant, snow white skin and hair, Percy Parker was a beacon for Fate. True love had found her, in the tempestuous form of Professor Alexi Rychman. But her mythic destiny was not complete. Accompanying the ghosts with which she alone could converse, new and terrifying omens loomed. A war was coming, a desperate ploy of a spectral host. Victorian London would be overrun.
Yet, Percy kept faith. Within the mighty bastion of Athens Academy, alongside The Guard whose magic shielded mortals from the agents of the Underworld, she counted herself among friends. Wreathed in hallowed fire, they would stand together, no matter what dreams or nightmares—may come.

Comment: Practically six years after I read the first book, I finally managed to pick this second one and although I did remember some things, it was handy I had a small comment on the first (this is why I have a blog after all) because there was a lot I had forgotten too. Most of what I had forgotten was related to secondary characters, not as much about the protagonists, whom I still had an idea of.

In this second installment, recent couple Alexi and Persephone (Percy) just became engaged despite their tasks to defeat the evil that exists in this reality of the Victorian era. However, since Percy is a student, for them to marry something needs to be done and it is decided she will become a translator and be part of the staff at the school where they met and where most of the action takes place.

With several paranormal elements ongoing, it's up to the team of (now) seven people to finally defeat the darkness which has created so many problems for everyone. It is also known Percy will be a key element in defeating the evil presence they fight but will she be confident enough to do so, especially when she has always been too different and there are prophecies which predict betrayal. How will this affect the fight and the way the team is able to act?

This book starts immediately after the events which happened in the first (some came to mind again, as I was reading). This means it's better to read this book after having read the other for some details just don't seem to make much sense without prior knowledge.

This said, even after several years, several things came to mind again and I managed to follow what was happening easily enough.

This is a story that obviously combines Victorian elements and paranormal ones, which gives us a sort of alternate reality that, since it's based on established rules, makes it easier for the reader to follow. I liked this feel of things, some scenes are rather Gothic-like but it was especially interesting because of the relationships developed between the characters. Some things just had to work a certain way and I suppose more than the Gothic factor, it was the social rules one that probably influenced the author to pick this time as the setting for the series.

The romance between Percy and Alexei, which started in the previous book, reaches its conclusion here and they marry. The scenes with the two of them were appealing enough but very sedate. I liked the emphasis on how Alexei is careful in letting Percy know he does not care about her self perceived physical flaws but her spirit and mind are what makes her so attractive to him.

Yes, he desires her body but it was nice to see they do have an intellectual bond (and not just a paranormal one too).

As for the fight against evil, well it does follow the expected routes of the usual paranormal rules but it's easily accomplished too. 

However, I must say, when I read the first book it seemed the books were to be a trilogy and now I see there is a continuation, some novellas.... I also paid better attention to the blurb of the third book and it's not as much a continuation of the events here, but a sort of prequel, more centered on events that propelled the situation dealt with in books #1 and #2.

I mean, fine by me but I'm now wondering if I want to read about things I already know how will be solved.

I do seem a little mercenary about this but to be honest, this installment was nice but not amazing and I did grade it a number lower than the first book. There are good things here, the story was very easy to read, some things were great but... there's this sense of detachment between myself and what is happening. The writing style is easy but not overly addictive. I feel glad I read this but I don't feel like I gained treasured memories by reading it.

As it is then, I think this was an entertaining story, had interesting elements and I did feel curious to see what would happen but the whole process until the end wasn't as special as I think this deserved.

Grade: 6/10

Leanna Renee Hieber - The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker

What fortune awaited sweet, timid Percy Parker at Athens Academy? Hidden in the dark heart of Victorian London, the Romanesque school was dreadfully imposing, a veritable fortress, and little could Percy guess what lay inside. She had never met its powerful and mysterious Professor Alexi Rychman, knew nothing of the growing shadows, of the Ripper and other supernatural terrors against which his coterie stood guard. She saw simply that she was different, haunted, with her snow white hair, pearlescent skin and uncanny gift. This arched stone doorway was a portal to a new life, to an education far from what could be had at a convent -- and it was an invitation to an intimate yet dangerous dance at the threshold of life and death...

Comment: I got this book for some reason certainly, but I really can't remember. Anyway, I picked it out for this month's list of books to be read. I didn't read much besides the blurb so it would be a relatively big enough surprise when I'd finally start it.

This is the story of Percy Parker, she just left a convent where she was raised to attend school, despite her 18 years, because the nuns don't know what to do with her. She is smart and interested in learning and she is also albino, so other stare at her a lot. She knows she will only be recognized by her intelligence.

The story takes place during Victorian times and the school where Percy enrolls is innovative by having male and female students. Percy only doesn't do well at mathematics and the teacher is intriguing. But in a paranormal environment, what does it mean they feel linked to each other?

This book is set on Victorian times and presents us a cast of characters who live according to the society rules of then but the story also has a paranormal side which obviously demands more liberty in terms of behavior mainly.

I like the originality of the story. The story is based on a secret brotherhood who protects the city from demons only the chosen can see. They can also see ghosts and the action follows them from the moment they are chosen as children to the action time when they are already grow up.

Their leader is Alexi, a teacher in the school where Rebecca, one of the chosen, is the headmistress. The chosen are six and they know a seventh will appear one day to help them save the world. Of course we see Percy will certainly be that seventh but the story follows her tribulations at school and the mysteries surrounding her until the end where we see things as they are at last.

I liked the story, especially because it's hard to do well the dual paranormal and historical sides. I think the author did a good job and distributing the focus on both sides but in a way, the historical side gets my preference because I could envision better that aspect of the plot and the challenges that would provoke on the characters.

I liked how the situations were well thought and precise to suit the story's development and the way the characters behaved seemed natural and objective, even among the paranormal situations which were harder to accept, mainly due to the historical aspect of things.

The characters would be fair to their personalities and even the parts where we might not believe their actions, due to out contemporary lives, I still think they were done well and not too out of character.

The paranormal side was interesting enough, I could relate to their opinions about the prophecy an the incoming seventh's element presence and what would that mean, in particular Alexi's. I also thought it was clever how the action developed and how they thought some things could be true. 

Like I said, the author did a good job.

The romance was slow and believable. I liked how we got to see their personalities and thoughts during the process and how special they became to each other. I think it was sweet and romantic and it also had a little bit of angst. I'd change some details about it, as well as about the overall story, but all things considered, I had a great time reading.

In the end, it was good enough for me to want to read the rest of the trilogy and I will do so one day, when I finally get the other books.

Grade: 7/10