Negative Zero (Soldier of Light Chronicles #1)

**3.5 Stars** The first four chapters of the book were VERY hard for me to listen to. We meet Evika who is very much alone and lonely on her 21st birthday. She struggles with depression and sorrow from the murder of her mom three years prior and her only person, her best friend, has recently moved to another country for school leaving her with nobody to be with on her supposedly special day. Evika was a hot mess of emotions, with grief, despair, angst and a complete lack of regard for her own well being. She was on a one way track to her own demise- which I guess is what happened, but it was a much better life she had once she died (ironic!) Keep in mind the story is still very dark, dealing with evil spirits and ghosts and such (including a description of a terrible child sexual assault), but it was much easier to deal with (for me, the reader). Evika was an incredibly reactive character, acting on impulses with no thought. Even after her traumatic event in the book she was still so dangerously impulsive, which made me want to shake her! Every time something happened she did not like or could not process, she would literally run away, like a petulant child. She had a lot on her plate and some strong dark emotions so I will cut her a break and hope that she can mature as a character in the next book in the series. She was hard to relate to with her self-destructive behavior and attitude, I saw that she was experiencing pain but I still wanted her to make better choices and learn to cope since she had ZERO coping skills. Hayden aka the guardian angel was a great character, real yet ambivalent and so freaking patient! My favorite part of the book was the world building and I feel like this book is just touching on the tip of this dark, interesting and incredibly unique supernatural read. These are not your mother\’s angels, instead they are moody, drink bear and drive a harley (but they are still very attractive!) I loved that while this was an angel book, it took a different origin for the angels and there was no real religious overtone which I loved about the story. I can\’t wait to see which direction the story and world will take next. Overall this story was something very different from anything I have read before and I look forward to more of the world unfolding as well as a forbidden love connection finally happening (I hope!!). The audiobook narrator gave Evika personality and depth, really portraying her feels so that I experienced them too. I recommend this to anyone who loves angel stories, angst and heartbreak as well as a scary new kind of supernatural.

List I\’m a world of hurt and pain on the anniversary of her mother\’s death and also her 21st birthday Evika goes out drinking with her friends and they have an altercation. Evika goes home and drinks some more climbing on the roof she slips and dies. Meeting her guardian angel and learning that she is no ordinary human but in fact a part of God\’s plan. She\’s like a bucking bronco fighting everything and everyone because she doesn\’t trust or believe in anyone. She slowly begins accepting what she has been told. Hayden her angel is there to train her and help her in her assignment from above. Heart aching and heart pounding action. Lots of emotions and you come to feel them all. A book worth reading and taking your time to absorb. Received ARC copy and this is my honest opinion.

It is hard to believe that \’Negative Zero\’ is Ireland Gill\’s debut novel, as it was so accomplished. On reading her author bio, I discovered that she had spent a decade creating her fantasy world, and her level of dedication really shows. She really does transport the reader to the afterlife with captivating writing, allowing you to see things from the character\’s perspective. Her descriptions are so clear and vivid, and her characters are so \’real\’, with complex emotions and eternal struggles. There is darkness and there is light, just as there is good as there is evil, which our strong female lead Evika, must get to grips with in the afterlife, if she is to fulfil her role as Soldier of Light. But, as she learns about her task of saving troubled souls, she also learns secrets from her past, and that things are rarely what they seem. Will Evika thrive or will she be torn apart by all the things she though she knew.

Young Adult/Teen Fiction lost me a long time ago, around about the time the Twilight Saga, and hundreds of similar book hit the shelves. It had all become so predictable, with one storyline being rehashed in dozens of books. But, I\’m happy to say that YA fiction has found be again, thanks to Ireland Gill, and her great fantasy novel \’Negative Zero\’. Her unique plot line, set in the afterlife had me gripped from start to finish, and had everything from action to peril, romance and uncertainty, with characters that I actually felt invested in, both the good and the evil. The pacing of the novel was great and the descriptions really set the eerie and other-worldly scenes, If you have lost an appreciation for Teen Fantasy novels, get it back with this amazing book from Ireland Gill, it was a real joy to read. I already have the second in the series \’Absolute Zero\’ on my bookshelf.

From the synopsis, she had me. Negative Zero by author Ireland Gill, the book could turn the pages for you. You will be hooked. Well written, developed and delivered. Evika has died on earth, yet as her mortal life passed into the afterlife, one ending is anothers life beginning. Evika meets her guardian angel Hayden in the afterlife, and what Hayden reveals to her, will even have the Devil himself, clamoring to stop her. Get this YA storyline and strap in; heaven meets hell in an attempt to save souls for eternity.

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