Aleksandra's Corner: "Arms of Anu" by Christina Mercer

Jun 30, 2014

"Arms of Anu" by Christina Mercer

Posted by Aleksandra at 8:00 PM

Title: Arms of Anu

Author: Christina Mercer

Series: Arrow of the Mist, #2

Publication date: March 13th, 2014

My rating: 4 of 5

(Book read on June 26th to June 28th, 2014, from a review copy received from the author via NetGalley, in exchange of an honest review.)

Summary:

Follows award-winning Preteen/Teen Fantasy ARROW OF THE MIST

Blood of body, blood of soul,
Entwined for life, then unfolds;
If blood still runs when magic binds,
Soul is never too far to find.

In ARMS OF ANU, Lia and Kelven battle through a land of tyrants, war and magic.

Can Lia escape the foes who ensnare her?
Will Kelven's love withstand the darkness taking root inside Lia?
Is freedom too high a crown to reach, or will they forever remain in the hollows?

My Thoughts on the Book:

Just like with Arrow of the Mist, I really enjoyed Arms of Anu. And just like Arrow of the Mist, some parts I absolutely loved, and some I only liked, but overall, I loved the finale, and although I was surprised (and a little bit sad) that it's over, I really enjoyed the journey & I was really happy with the ending, so I highly recommend this MG/YA fantasy duology.

After the events in Arrow of the Mist, Lia, Wynn & Kelven meet & face new friends & foes, as well as some old ones. I won't go into details, but I will point out that this book shouldn't be read without reading Arrow of the Mist first. Sure, everything is explained (mostly), so you won't feel lost, but most of the character-development was done in the previous book, so it will be much better if they're read in order. I already really liked all the characters, and that only grew in this book.

Even though the story was still quite predictable, it was still magical & so enchanting, and quite entertaining, so I didn't mind. And the characters were just so likable. I also loved the double PoV. The only thing that surprised me was the epic showdown between Lia & Draugyrd (mainly because it was set in this book, I had no idea it's the final book, thought there'll be more). This was actually my favorite part of the whole book, and I absolutely loved it. I think that the author made it perfect.

In the end, I was sad that it was over, once I realised there won't be any more. I wanted more of Wynn, Lia, Kelven, Holly, even Murdina & Koun, and definitely more of Brume. I'm hoping for a spin-off set in the same world, hopefully somewhere around Brume, there are so many possibilities in the world the author created.

If you enjoy fun & magical fantasy stories, with interesting worlds & lovable characters, the Arrow of the Mist duology is for you, and I highly recommend it!