So I was completely bombarded by March. Not only was I seemingly swamped at work and with side projects, I got a terrible cold where I lost my voice for, like, 5 days. I intended to post this last month but, alas. I did not. Anyway, here it is now.
*I received an Advanced Reader Copy from BHC Press through NetGalley.*
Published by: BHC Press
Rating: 5 Stars
Publication date: May 28, 2019
Wow. I was completely swept off my feet by this book. It was filled with romance, humor, and magic, and I was crying at the end. "The Path Keeper" by N.J. Simmonds is book 1 in the Indigo Chronicles. This is easily one of my new favorite series out there, and I can’t wait for the next book to come out. Author N.J. Simmonds had me hooked from beginning to end, and I’m in for the long haul now.
Ella is one of the most relatable characters I’ve found to date. She is not flat in any way: she cusses, she’s not skinny, and she is rude, but she has a heart of gold buried beneath her coarse attitude. And despite having quite a bit of shit happen to her, over and over again (quite literally), she never came off as a victim to me, but a survivor.
Zac, her star-crossed lover of sorts, is meant to keep Ella on her “life path” but has, for a very long time, been deeply in love with her. However, their paths were never meant to cross, and he’s made sure they didn’t. He’s loyal to a fault, and always tries to do what’s best for Ella, even if it’s not what he wants for himself. He succeeded at this for many years, until now. Unable to resist, he lets himself fall for Ella completely when, after all this time, she notices him. And she falls for him, too.
Despite its many moments of light-hearted romance and humor, this book does have complex undertones about religion and destiny versus fate. While it made me laugh and cry, it also made me think: what if I loved someone so deeply, but we weren’t meant to be together (a la Romeo and Juliet), what would I choose to do? Would I even have a choice in the end? It’s an age-old question, one that many stories have asked, and yet I’m still stumped. While a big part of me is rooting for Zac and Ella, a part of me wonders: should they be together? If their choice to be together, fate be damned, causes a domino effect that could hurt a lot of people in the end, is it worth it?
If there are any Twilight lovers out there still, I really recommend this book to you. And if you didn’t like Twilight, I still recommend this book to you. Ella is quite a bit different from Bella.
*TRIGGER WARNING* It also addresses rape and sexual harassment. While I do recommend this book, I want to forewarn readers to proceed with caution. Some scenes may be triggering. Prepare thyself.
For more information about this book, go here. "The Path Keeper" comes out May 28, 2019, so check it out now!