Review: Misty Falls (Benedicts #4) by Joss Stirling

Misty is a one-girl disaster zone. Born with a Savant 'gift' that means she can never tell a lie, her compulsive truth-telling gets her into trouble wherever she goes.

So when she meets Alex: gorgeous, confident, and impossibly charming, Misty instantly resolves to keep her distance . . . Someone so perfect could never be hers, surely?

But a dark shadow has fallen across the Savant community. A serial killer is stalking young people who have these special mental powers. Soon one of them will be taken to the edge of death . . . and beyond.

It's been a long time waiting for this one, at least it was for me. There were still three Benedict brothers without a soulfinder, so I was anxiously looking forward to this moment. I'm so happy we're getting more books and also love the fact that we're branching out somewhat.

For those of you who've read the previous books, Misty is Crystal's younger niece. So it was definitely fun to get to know that family better, though a family tree might have come in handy once in a while. There are sometimes just too many names, and currently not important enough to remember them well. Therefor I mostly focused on Misty, Alex and the Benedict branch. They are the most important.

Misty's gift is a very interesting one. She can never lie and always knows when someone else is lying. Plus when she loses control over her power, people around her start speaking the truth without wanting to. While it's not necessarily a bad gift to have, it has put her in a lot of awkward and uncomfortable situations. Even after all these years she still hasn't come to terms with it, as she only sees the negative parts.

Alex is quite the opposite from Misty. He's all about charm and convincing people. Though being near Misty brings him out of his element and he doesn't like it for one second. Her power cancels out his, so it seems they both prefer not to be too close together. Still fate tends to tell them something different.

While Misty and Alex explore this connection between them, there is also a serial killer on the loose, with a special interest in savants. The threat doesn't seem too scary, until they find out who the next victim might be. Overall there is a lot of stress and pressure going on, just waiting for it all to explode.

Another great addition to the Benedicts series. I just love the family dynamic in these stories and how outsiders get brought in. The two main characters were interesting. Misty was very easy to relate and I freaking loved her humer. At times she was indeed a bit too self deprivating and has a tendency towards the dramatic, but she's still a teenager so that's quite normal. Alex was totally different from Misty and that made the dynamic between them very interesting. You can consider him, I wouldn't say perfect, rather well put together. He's confidence is great, but he's still somewhat jealous of Misty as she has family. It was entertaining to see it all unfold.

3.5

Benedicts - Reading order and purchase links

      

Finding Sky: My review - Amazon - Book Depository

Stealing Phoenix: My review - Amazon - Book Depository

Seeking Crystal: My review - Amazon - Book Depository

Misty Falls: Amazon - Book Depository

The Author

Julia Golding is a British novelist.

She was born in March 1969 in London and grew up on the edge of Epping Forest. She read English at the University of Cambridge.

Golding lives in Oxford and works as a freelance writer. She is married with three children.

In 2007 she was selected by Waterstone's as one of the 25 Authors of the Future.

Golding also publishes under two pen names: Joss Stirling and Eve Edwards.

Connect with Joss Stirling:

Website - Facebook - Twitter - Goodreads

Saturday Series: Seeking Crystal (Benedicts #3) by Joss Stirling

Seeking Crystal is (so far) the last installment of the Benedicts series by Joss Stirling. Her next full length novel will be 'Storm & Stone', but no further details are known yet. So this is the first end of Saturday Series, next week will be a special about J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood in honor of her latest release 'Lover At Last'.

Sparks will fly . . . Passion will ignite . . .

Crystal Brook has always been the dud Savant in her family; paranormal powers just aren't her thing. Dropping out of school with a clutch of 'E' grades and no future, she lives in the shadow of her high-flying sister Diamond. On a trip to Denver, a chance encounter with the dashing Benedict brothers leaves Diamond head over heels in love and engaged to be married. Crystal, on the other hand, is unimpressed by their charms . . . in fact no boy can annoy her as much as Xav Benedict! Back in Venice, their families assemble for Diamond's wedding and a powerful enemy seizes the opportunity to attack. Crystal and Xav must join forces to save their loved-ones, unlocking a secret that, until now, has lain deeply buried

Review:

Crystal is the seventh child in a Savant family and that usually means she is a bit more special and powerful than the rest. She might be extra special, but not extra powerful. Instead of having all these amazing abilities, she can't event communicate telepathically, which is a basic Savant power. It is also one of the only ways to know if you've met your soulfinder. The only thing Crystal can do is find lost items, like your keys or that scarf you've misplaced. So besides being a huge letdown (that's what she thinks of herself), she will also never find that one true love.

But right now that's not even on her mind. She recently graduated high school (barely) and has no clue what she wants to do with her life, so now she's travelling with her sister Diamond to all these Savant conferences. Unlike Crystal, Diamond does have a Savant power, best described as being a mediator, but on a whole new level. This is where they literally run into Trace Benedict and Diamond and him plan on getting married.

Since Crystal and Diamond live in Venice, they decide on getting married there. While Diamond stays behind, Crystal flies back home and starts working at Signora Carriera as a costume maker. Carnaval is coming up so times are busy. Soon she is joined by Trace's brother, Xav, who she thinks is the most annoying person ever (putting it mildly).

They both have to plan their brother and sister's bachelor(ette) party and seeing as they are now living in the same house, they are spending a lot of time together. Their friendship grows, but they both know it can never be more as they can't know if they are soulfinders.

Soon the entire family arrives in Italy, but as always having the entire Benedict family together makes them vulnerable for their enemies. They really do have enemies all over the world. Before you know it people are attacked, go missing or other misfortunes are happening. So definitely exciting and a lot of action. For Crystal it might even be a good thing in the end.

I can't say anything more without giving away big spoilers, but it's funny, exciting, mysterious and romantic. The setting of the story is also beautiful, I've been to Venice and I think it's definitely an advantage if you really know how it looks and can remember the atmosphere of the city. Joss Stirling has done a wonderful job on translating that to the pages. 

Click here for the review of Finding Sky (Benedicts #1) & Stealing Phoenix (Benedicts #2).

Connect with Joss Stirling:

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Saturday Series: Stealing Phoenix (Benedicts #2) by Joss Stirling

This Saturday Series I will be reviewing Stealing Phoenix, which is the second part in the Benedicts series by Joss Stirling. It tells Yves' story and how he stole his soulfinder.

Phoenix belongs to the Community, a gang of thieves with paranormal powers. Yves Benedict, an American student visiting London, is her mark. But Yves turns out to be more than just a target. He is her destiny. Her soulmate. The Community owns Phoenix's past and it wants her future too. Can Phoenix save the boy she loves . . . and herself?

Review:

"Stealing stuff wasn't something I did by choice; it was a means of survival."

Phoenix' life has always been about surviving. Living in the Community meant that you did as you were told. If you were disobedient, you would be punished by the Seer, their leader, whom could easily mess with your mind.

So far she has been able to stay out of his way, but everything goes wrong when Yves becomes her next mark. Phoenix has to steal from him, but when they discover they are soulfinders her world turns upside down.

Living life from the sidelines has made Phoenix wary. She doesn't know what it is to have a normal life, a loving family, not having to live in constant fear and survival mode. Her mother made her believe that finder her soulfinder, might be her only way out of the Community. But now Yves is standing right in front of her, she's doubting. They are from opposite sides of the tracks and she doesn't want to involve Yves in her life.

"Who would think my soulfinder would turn out to be a thief?"

Yves luckily is very stubborn, an obvious family trait, and he's not going to give up so easily. It's what every Savant dreams of, finding their soulfinder. He just didn't expect his would have been trying to steal from him. But it will be a fun story to tell the children one time.

Before they have the chance to enjoy this wonderful discovery, the Seer finds out and suddenly becomes very interested in Phoenix and her connection to the Benedict family. Since Phoenix is under his order, she has no choice but to obey him and that's when it all goes horribly wrong. Everything she has tried to prevent comes crashing down. Now she and Yves have to find a way to get out from under the Seer's thumb.

This was a great sequel. Yves is the smartest and sweetest boy from all the Benedicts. He and Phoenix are total opposite, so just sit back and enjoy the fireworks. They do pretty much nothing else but arguing. She wants to protect him from the Seer and he's thinking the same for her, but they have different ideas on how that is going to happen.

"Soulfinders can't be bad for each other - they are each other. We aren't complete apart."

The biggest difference between them is how Yves is very confident of his connection with Phoenix, how he wants to protect her and help her. He's had a very easy life compared to her, so he doesn't always fully understand how her world works. Phoenix is not so sure that what's between them is meant to be, she has her doubts and is afraid Yves might get hurt if they would stay together. It's mostly her doubts and his stubbornness that gets them in trouble.

Stealing Phoenix has a lot more action than Finding Sky. From the first page you realize the threat has always been there, you're right in the middle of it and it's not going to be so easy to get out of it. You get a great point of view of what could happen if you grow up outside the Savant Net. The Benedicts are lucky, but it hasn't been so easy for everyone. Luckily for Phoenix, Yves would walk through fire for her.

Besides all the action there is of course space for some romance, you do have two Savants who found their soulfinder. So between all the action and the drama, you get some lovely scenes with London on the background.

It's also always fun to even just read the difference between American and British languages, it even has it's effect on the humor in the book. Definitely a great mix.

One thing I do wonder is why it's always told from the girl's POV, considering the series are about the Benedicts. So the girls are the new one's, but they get to tell their story. I think it would be very interesting to see the Benedict boys' side of the story, to get a better look at their family dynamic. What do you think?

Click here for the review of Finding Sky (Benedicts #1)

Connect with Joss Stirling:

Website - Facebook - Twitter - Goodreads

           

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Series Saturday & Sunday: Finding Sky (Benedicts #1) by Joss Stirling

Every Saturday or Sunday I will review a book from a series. This weekend I'm starting with the Benedicts series by Joss Stirling, which consists of three books. So the next two weeks I will review the other parts, but today I'm starting with Finding Sky.

Title: Finding Sky

Series: Benedicts #1

Author: Joss Stirling

Synopsis: When Sky catches a glimpse of Zed for the first time, lounging against his motorbike at school, she is drawn to him just like every other girl in Wickenridge. But Zed sees something special in her that the other girls don’t have. Zed tells her they are both Savants – people with special powers like telepathy and the ability to see into the future. Not only that, she is a Savant too, and his soulfinder – meant to be together.

When a soulfinder speaks telepathically to her partner, it’s like all the lights coming on in a building. You lit me up like Vegas. But for Sky it’s just not that easy – she’s a mystery to herself, haunted by nightmares from her past before she was adopted, and riddled with doubt and insecurity. Just when Sky is slowly coming round to the idea of being with Zed she is kidnapped by a family of criminal Savants. In a chilling twist, Sky and Zed’s relationship is put to the ultimate test and the fate of those she loves lie in Sky’s hands. Will Sky have the strength to embrace her power and be brave enough to control her own destiny, or will the dark demons of her past prevent her from realizing her true potential?

Review: Simply brilliant! Joss Stirling came up with an unique world of Savants, which easily captivates you and stays very realistic, so it's easy to believe everything she says.

Life hasn't been easy on Sky Bright. She doesn't remember her parents and she has these reoccurring nightmares of a woman leaving her on the side of the road.  Now she and her adoptive parents are moving from England to a small town in snowy Colorado. She has always been kind of an outsiders and being the new girl in town doesn't make it any easier. Luckily she makes a couple of friends and she starts to believe she might actually fit in, as soon as people stop making fun of her accent.

That is until she meets Zed. He's THE bad boy in town and Sky doesn't really know what to think of him. They are obviously drawn to each other, but most of the time they just irritate each other, until Zed realizes they are soulfinders. Except Sky has no idea what soulfinders or Savants are, but slowly she starts believing they are meant for each other. Unfortunately before they can have their happily ever after, a family of criminal Servants interrupt and puts their faith and love for each other to the test.

I absolutely adore Sky, she's of course simply adorable: she's very short, clumsy, has a dry sense of humor, often spaces out and isn't afraid to say what's on her mind. During the story she's mostly confused on everything that is going on, her past keeps interfering with her possible future, but luckily she has a very handsome boy, Zed, whom loves to help her out.

Zed is the youngest of seven boys, whom are all very cute and talented. But being the seventh son, means he's a bit more special than the rest. Having all this power makes him act out and receive that bad boy reputation, but then he meets Sky and he's immediately irritated by this little, British Bo-Peep.

Once he gets over his irritation for her he finally realizes they are meant for each other, only now he has to convince her of his love, which isn't easy if you have been behaving like a jerk. The chemistry between these two just blows right of the pages and certainly in the beginning you're screaming at them for being such idiots and not seeing what is right in front of them.

The transformation in Zed is major. From bad boy to nearly being whipped, but luckily he stays a little edgy.

I can't say much more without without giving away any spoilers, so you're just going to have to read this story. It's a great combination of love and suspense, even a little unexpected action and some humor in between.

P.S. Reading Sky's parts with a British accent makes it even better.

About author: Julia Golding was born in March 1969 in London and grew up on the edge of Epping Forest. She originally read English at the University of Cambridge.

Golding lives in Oxford and works as a freelance writer. She is married with three children.

In 2007 she was selected by Waterstone's as one of the 25 Authors of the Future.

Golding also publishes under two pen names: Joss Stirling and Eve Edwards.

Website - Facebook - Twitter - Goodreads

Free Download "Challenging Zed": Want to be the first to find out what Zed was thinking when he met Sky? Fancy finding out what Zed was like at nine? Download "Challenging Zed" free on Amazon.

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