Amber Smoke: The Escaped - Book One

By Kristin Cast

"With a unique twist on Greek mythology and heart-stopping action, AMBER SMOKE keeps you riveted to the very last page." —#1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout

"With the perfect mix of thrills and chills, along with characters who pop off the page and a gripping plot, this explosive new series is perfect for any Hunger Games and Divergent fans."―RT BOOK REVIEWS

"AMBER SMOKE is thrilling and funny with just the right amount of magic. Brilliant!" ―Kresley Cole, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author

"In AMBER SMOKE, Cast's wit, creativity and talent shine! I turned the pages at lightning speed, ready for more! What a tasty treat!" ―Gena Showalter, NEW YORK TIMES & USA TODAY bestselling author

The door to the massive New York Times bestselling HOUSE OF NIGHT series has closed. Now, Kristin Cast kicks down a new door to welcome her millions of fans to her latest sizzling series.

There is a world that runs parallel to our own, a world in which the souls of the damned are caged, where they are looked over by the Furies, and where they spend eternity in torment, mirroring the devastation and mayhem they created when alive.

Someone has opened the cage.

The worst of terrors has crossed the barrier that separates our world from theirs, and the Furies send a great, albeit untested warrior—their only son, Alek—to try to bring those souls back. He is young and handsome, headstrong and impulsive, and he won't be able to do it alone.

Eva has grown up, beautiful and beloved, but surrounded by secrets. First, she will be hunted in an ancient feud that will threaten her life. Then, she will become the hunter.

With the police closing in and two worlds on the verge of crumbling around them, Alek and Eva must find each other, discover the limits of their powers, and work together to save everything they hold dear, including one another. Blending elements of mythology with the dazzling storytelling that her fans have devoured through the HOUSE OF NIGHT series, Kristin Cast weaves a spellbinding and passionate tale that starts a thrilling new series with an explosive charge.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Diversion Books
• Release date: Jun 9, 2015
• ISBN: 9781626815520

Kristin Cast

Kristin Cast is a #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling author who teams with her mother to write the wildly successful HOUSE OF NIGHT series. She has editorial credits, a thriving t-shirt line, and a passion for all things paranormal. When away from her writing desk, Kristin loves going on adventures with her friends, family, and significant other, playing with her dogs (Grace Kelly and Hobbs the Tiny Dragon), and is obsessed with her baby.

Reviews for Amber Smoke

[eire2011 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Those who are fans of the House of Night series and a play on Greek Myths will enjoy this book.
Eva is a regular college age girl who lives with her Mom and her best friend is Bridget, a girl with a trust fund who always has her back. Or so she thinks on the scale of normal until she's abducted one night, a mysterious hunky guy named Alek rescues her and she learns she's actually an Oracle who's descended from Pythia, the Oracle of Delphi.
Alek is the beloved son of the Fries and defender of Tartarus who needs Eva's help to capture some of the evil that's escaped into the Mortal Realm before it's all released and destroys his world as well as hers.

These two unlikely people who the Fates have connected will need to work together to save the world and rely on the help of Bridget who shows just how valuable it is to have a best friend that asks no questions and do everything in her power to protect.

I'm never a fan of reading about someone being kidnapped and hurt but thankfully Eva was rescued not long after her capture and kudos for keeping the content on that fairly clean.

A mixture of adventure, mythology, power of friendship, love and mystery, it was a pleasure to read and well worth the wate. This book had me so captured that I finished it in less than two days and can't wait for the next book in May!

[elizaking · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Can I first just say holy crap? My friends and family all know I am obsessed with Greek culture, so when I saw this book pop up on BenjaminofTomes' BookTube channel...the first thing I did was run to NetGalley to request a copy. It was so worth it!

One of the three furies got them into the mess by falling in love with a damned soul. She wanted to know what it was like to be in love and to be with the humans of the Mortal Realm and because of her folly they had to seek the guidance of Hera. Hera gave them a child who would grow up to protect and save their world. He would just have to find the Oracle first. Without her, he won't be strong enough to defeat the evils that have escaped from Tartarus.

I absolutely loved the way this book was told. It only took me two days to read it because of how well written it was even with my time constraints. I flew right through it. Would probably have read it in just one day, but church and mother's day happened and I had to get ready for that while doing some household chores. Life got in the way of reading!

I was intrigued by how real the characters came off. Neither Alek or Eva were that super confident know-what-their-doing kind of lead. I loved how Alek never did figure out how to teleport correctly. It showed that even though he is a warrior for a different world, he has just as many flaws as we do. Ms. Cast definitely earned my respect there. I think she kept the characters human and flawed enough to make it worth rooting for them.

I rated this book a 5/5 stars because I loved the premise and the way it was presented. I have already told friends that they have to read it when it comes out in June. I know I would buy a copy if I saw it in the stores.

[kris_anderson-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Amber Smoke by Kristin Cast is the first book in the Escaped series. The Furies (Maiden, Crone, and Mother—the phases of women) lived in Tartarus. They are the jailers who keep the evil (those who threatened to end humanity) contained. But then the Maiden fell in love with Galen Argyris (he gave up his soul for his son). Their true love (which was forbidden) has cast a curse over Tartarus (infected it) and prisoners have escaped. Maiden goes to Hera for help. Hera gives the Maiden a son, Alek who will be a warrior. He need to bring back the prisoners that have escaped. Alek will need to work with Eva. Eva Kostas is a descendant of Pythia (first Oracle of Delphi). The two need to work together to end the darkness/curse. But first Alek needs to find Eva before the hunter does. Can Eva and Alek complete their mission and save Tartarus?I found Amber Smoke to be juvenile, flat, and cheesy (especially the romance between Alek and Eva). The characters did not feel real (they were not developed or fleshed out). They never came alive for me. The dialogue is stilted and awkward. I’m afraid I found the novel to be silly and just not for me. It sounded like a good book, but I just did not enjoy the final product (I finished it though). One scene that seemed especially ridiculous was when Eva and Alek find each other. They have people chasing them and they need to move quickly (run), but they stop to share a kiss (they are about to be captured). I found myself laughing. I give Amber Smoke 2 out of 5 stars (did not like but good idea). The worst part is the novel ends with a cliffhanger. Normally, these would ensure I read the next book. But in the case of this series, I will not be reading Scarlet Rain.I received a complimentary copy of Amber Smoke from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel.