Review: Vanish by Sophie Jordan

Title: Vanish
Author: Sophie Jordan
Publisher: Harper Collins (September 6, 2011)
Source: My Choice; Own

From GoodReads:

An impossible romance.
Bitter rivalries.
Deadly choices. 

To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone. 

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

For me, Firelight by Sophie Jordan was one of the best books I read last year. It was original and well-written with a complex story and steamy romance. Don't forget the thrilling nature of running for your life and trying not to be discovered. It had everything I wanted in a fantasy book. Obviously, with a book like that, I couldn't wait to get my hands on Vanish.

Vanish was a good book, but it suffers from Book II Syndrome. The first half of the book is dealing with what happened at the end of Firelight and it seems like we don't get into the new, good stuff till about halfway through. That's not to say the first half isn't interesting or enjoyable. It is. It just isn't as good as the second half.

Also, Book II Syndrome involves a mix-up in the romance. With the way Firelight ended, readers knew Will wouldn't be in the story as much, at least at first. Without as much Will, the steamy romance can't happen. It wasn't a surprise that Cassian became a possible romantic interest. I actually never minded Cassian in Firelight, though he didn't seem like a good match for Jacinda. In Vanish, I like him even more, though I still don't want the two to end up together. I appreciate that Jordan didn't make it a full on love-triangle, but I still didn't like the romance that didn't involve Will. Thankfully, Will does show up.

The end of the book was awesome. I loved the set up for the next book as well as the turn the story took. I'd guess that Hidden is going to be pretty fast-paced and fantastic, by the way Vanish ended. Besides the plot, I also liked how Jacinda's relationships developed, particularly her relationship with her sister, Tamra. By the end, I absolutely loved Tamra. Her dialogue in the last few chapters was wonderful. :)

Overall, if you enjoyed Firelight, definitely read Vanish. It's not quite as good, but Firelight is hard to live up to. If you haven't already read Firelight, what are you waiting for? It's an awesome fantasy book.

Final thoughts: If you bought Firelight and/or like fantasy, buy. If not, borrow.