Review: Entice

Entice by Carrie Jones

Publication date: January 3, 2011

My review:

After the way Captivate ended, I couldn't wait to find out what happened in Entice. In some ways Entice met my expectations especially with the development of Astley's character. Those who liked Astley in Captivate will be really happy with Entice as he becomes a major player in the storyline. By the end of the book he was definitely my favorite character. I really enjoyed watching the friendship develop between Zara and Astley.

Entice had a different feel to it compared to Need and Captivate. This is partly due to the changes and events that occur during Captivate. In that book we were introduced to Norse mythology and the concept of Valhalla, a Norse version of heaven and the place where fallen warriors are taken. In Entice, Zara and her friends are trying to find a way to get to Valhalla. The addition of Norse gods to the plot was not a plus in my opinion. Thankfully that is just a small part at the end of the book but it really doesn't seem to fit the rest of the book or the series.

I do wish the story had focused more on the changes in Zara's life. There are some moments in this book where characters are not given enough time to process what happens.  Instead everything is pushed to the side to focus on the "quest" to find Valhalla. I think that part was handled badly. I still liked this book however mainly because of Astley. His character is the only one that really shows development. While Astley is likely the "Jacob Black" of the series, I still hope that Zara will choose him in the end. I look forward to seeing where Carrie Jones will take the series and how the story will be resolved.

Readalikes: The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa, The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer, Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin, Thief Eyes by Janni Lee Simner, The Hush, Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick

Note: I received an ARC for review purposes as part of an ARC tour courtesy of Around the World ARC Tours