Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Review - Grasping at Eternity (The Kindrily #1) by Karen Amanda Hooper

I'll start out by saying that if you start reading this series (which I hope you will), understand that once you are finished with Grasping at Eternity, you will not be able to just stop and say that you understand the full story behind Maryah and Nathaniel and just quit. Please give this saga a chance. I'm sure you will enjoy it.

The Kindrily series is so much more than just about the two main characters Maryah Woodsen and Nathaniel Luna who alternate in telling their stories on how they lost each other, or how long Nathan suffered without her around, or how Maryah struggles to understand a power she doesn't truly understand, while also trying to regain memories that she choose to rid herself of.

It's also about Krista & Carson, Louise & Anthony, Dylan & Amber, Edgar & Helen, Faith & Shiloh, & Harmony who are all considered Elements and each has their own unique ability. They even have an X-Men like jet that travels the globe at a blink of an eye. It is also about love lost, love found, reincarnation while retaining previous memories and abilities, and what being part of something greater than yourself really means.

I was actually quite surprised at how much I liked Grasping at Eternity (I have also since read the sequel Taking Back Forever). There are, of course, open questions, and I have some thoughts on Nathaniel's ability to keep secrets from Maryah, while he searches the world for archenemy Dedrick Malone (leader of the Nefariouns) who was responsible for the attack on Maryah's family which set into motion the events of Grasping at Eternity.

I enjoyed the fact even though Maryah is subjected to affection and tail chasing by River Malone, she thinks more about her friendship with his ex-girlfriend Amy, than actually hooking up with him. I will say without hesitation that I was correct in my characterization of River as a total asshat and enjoyed knowing that Maryah didn't find any comfort from kissing River.

I've been kind of weary about books that center around reincarnation in the past but Hooper does a wonderful job in creating a different feel to the idea where you are given a choice at death whether to keep your memories from your previous lives, or remove them completely. They also have the ability to choose when to return to their next lives since the Kindrily are all elementals with extraordinary powers and abilities.

Hooper also delves into Promnesia, better known as déjà vu. It's the souls way of trying to recall a place, person, or event from another lifetime. Overall, a really good read, that I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series. *I would also encourage you to read my review of Taking Back Forever which has also been posted to my blog*

*Recvd via NetGalley 07/10/2013* Published May 25th 2012 by Starry Sky Publishing

Author - Karen Amanda Hooper
Title - Grasping at Eternity (The Kindrily # 1)
Published by Starry Sky Publishing
Genre - YA Paranormal, Romance
Received via Netgalley from Publisher
Released - May 25, 2012

2 comments:

  1. I am excited to finally see a review for this book/series. I got approved for book 2 on NG and was sent book 1 so I could be UTD. I have yet to read them, but I am excited to read them.
    This series looks really good because of the reincarnation thing. Its a fascinating topic to me and I cant wait to see how its done in this book.

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  2. Total asshat. *giggles* That's a great name for River.

    Thanks so much for your review! I'm so glad you enjoyed them. Reincarnation gets a bad wrap a lot of the time, but I appreciate you giving my series a chance. :) Off to read your Taking Back Forever review...

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