Would you sacrifice everything for a world you barely knew?
A year has passed since Charlotte and Kevin first stepped
through the gate into Energo and neither has been able to settle back into their normal lives. Charlotte tries to distract herself from thoughts of Calvin with the antics of James and her growing friendship with Liam. Kevin can’t seem to shake his feelings for Samantha as he adjusts to his new identity as a college basketball player.
When they unexpectedly return to Energo, both Charlotte and Kevin must face their fears and become the leaders they were always meant to be.
Moving right along with the After Glow trilogy, I read Alyssa Rose Ivy's Perilous Light in the same amount time I did with the first book! They're rather quick reads, and enjoyable ones too!
The one thing that still nags at me that I can't seem to get on board with is the romance! Seriously! It bugs me to no end!! Charlotte is soooo in love with Calvin and for some reason it drives me bonkers! I get that they are fated to be with one another, but I guess, to have that deep romantic connection just appear at the drop of a hat nags me. It's insta love to the extreme! What's worse, Charlotte still has these feelings despite Calvin's actions from the last book. She still loves him irrevocably. And I still feel like she has better options than Calvin. There's still this possibility with Liam, who was her crush from her early teens, and I still can't help but like James. He can be annoying for sure, but there's just something I like about that guy!
Okay, so now that that's out of the way, let's get down to the review. That above was my only problem with the book. I can't ship this romance for the life of me and I keep telling myself to get used to it, but I just haven't managed to get there yet.
It's been a year since Charlotte, Kevin and co. have returned from Energo. They bring with them James and Henry, another of Charlotte's guards who was loyal to her. Life has gotten to be pretty normal, but almost immediately the group heads back to Energo. There's been a plan of a resistance almost since the moment they left, now it's time to move the resistance forward and put a stop to Blake. While Kevin is out recruiting the other countries? territories? to their side, Charlotte, her uncle Monty, James, and Liam go off to find her mother. For as we learned last go around, Charlotte's mother is very much alive and being held prisoner somewhere by Blake.
The story is still told through Charlotte and Kevin's point of view, though this time Calvin gets a few turns as well. And what with my sort of dislike for the guy, you can imagine how I felt about that! Though he does go through a lot of startling revelations. Things Charlotte already knew, naturally, and is soon alongside Charlotte and her cause. Though I can't help but feel Charlotte took him back a little too easily, it was her undying love for the guy that was the main motivator.
I was surprised by how much of the book was spent in Energo. It was nearly all of it, but as the story moves along, you learn why that is. There's a connection for Charlotte and Kevin to Energo and it's very deeply rooted in family. Which we still haven't seen their father yet, but there was yet another startling reveal towards the end of this one that puts him in a new light! I expect we'll be seeing him in the final book of the trilogy.
It may seem like I am not enjoying these books because of the romance, and while I am not at all enjoying that factor, I am enjoying the books! They are rather intriguing. I am realizing that Energo is basically a fantasyland of sorts. Magic exists as do a few other surprises. It's a series that's pretty rich in world building, especially in this one. Why we don't get detailed details, I feel like I have a better grasp on what this world is all about and I'm sure I'll be learning more about it in the final book as well.
Alyssa is most popular for all her New Adult series and this seems to be her only YA one from what I gather, and it's still a remarkable read! True, there's no strong romances or swoon worthy ones, but the books are packed with some pretty decent action and character development! Charlotte has done a lot of growing and maturing in these two books, you wouldn't recognize her from the girl she was at the start of the series. I cannot wait to see how things end with her story and all her friends and family!
Overall Rating 4/5 stars
It must be intriguing to push through that mess of a romance! I'm toying with the idea of picking this series up.
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