#Review - Public Enemies by Ann Aguirre (Young Adult, Fantasy)

Series: Immortal Game # 2
Format: Hardcover, 320 pages
Release Date: August 4, 2015
Publisher: Feiwell & Friends
Source: Author
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

In Book 2 of the Immortal Game trilogy, Edie must learn the rules of the game . . . and then play better than anyone else.

Through a Faustian bargain, Edie Kramer has been pulled into the dangerous world of the Immortal Game, where belief makes your nightmares real. Hungry for sport, fears-made-flesh are always raising the stakes. To them, human lives are less than nothing, just pieces on a board.

Because of her boyfriend Kian's sacrifice, she's operating under the mysterious Harbinger's aegis, but his patronage could prove as fatal as the opposition. Raw from deepest loss, she's terrified over the deal Kian made for her. Though her very public enemies keep sending foot soldiers--mercenary monsters committed to her destruction--she's not the one playing under a doom clock. Kian has six months...unless Edie can save him. And this is a game she can't bear to lose.

Public Enemies is the second installment in the Immortal Game series by author Ann Aguirre. Edie Kramer has had her entire life turned upside down since this series started. She's gone from the taunted and bullied at school, to a player in a game between Immortals who treat humans like game pieces. She's lost her mother, her boyfriend Kian has only months to live, Edie is now under the protection of the Harbinger thanks to Kian's deal, and her father has pretty much checked out on reality. What is a girl to do when her boyfriend gives up his life so that you can live? 

If you are Edie, you grow a backbone, you do whatever you can to fight back against those in charge of the game, and you find a way to defeat your enemies before they can take you down. Surprisingly, I actually preferred this book to Mortal Danger because Edie is a whole different character. She's one who takes the fight to the enemy and doesn't sit back waiting to see what happens next. She's made some unusual alliances, including a temporary one with Buzzkill the clown, and has some interesting moments with the Harbinger, who more than stole the show this time out. 

I found myself more engaged with the story, and really liking Edie a whole lot more. especially in the last third of this story. I liked that besides Kian by her side, she also has Ryu, Vi, Jen, Davina, and yes, even Allison Vega the so called psychic vampire who impressed me by going into battle with Edie. I loved it when it was revealed who she really is. Never saw that coming! I liked that Edie found herself a mentor in Raoul, who stole an artifact from Wedderburn and has been hiding ever since. I liked that Edie pushed herself to learn how to fight and protect herself so that she doesn't have to rely on everyone else to keep her safe. 

Edie though does have a weakness. That is finding a loophole to save Kian. But, what happens when the loophole is right in front of her face? I guess I could guess at what was coming, but it takes a whole lot of guts for Aguirre to move the story forward the way she did. I liked that Aguirre gave Edie a whole new weapon that can defeat an Immortal. With said weapon, Edie has come close to evening things out with her enemies. Edie also has a secretive society wooing her to join their cause of ending the Immortal Game.

Final Thoughts:

Edie was kicking ass and taking names and killing off villains like they were Florida Palmetto bugs. Then, all of a sudden, the story took an abrupt U-Turn and tossed me for a loop. I am still lying on the ground stunned and in agony from that ending. What was a 4 star review, became a toss up. Damn, I hate when that happens! I do think there needs to be more of a summary of what happened in Mortal Danger. Waiting a full year for the sequel, kind of takes the sails out of my yacht. I do think the last third of the book was well done, and full of bloodshed, action, and intense moments where you don't know who is going to live, or survive, or what happens next. I kind of like the mystery of not knowing how Edie will overcome her challenges and survive. But, while I liked the ending, it kind of threw me for a loop. 

**I received this book for free from (Publisher) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**

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