Title :
Dead Radiance
Series :
Valkyrie # 1
Release date : February
25th, 2012
Publisher :
Evolved Publishing
Genre :
Young Adult / Paranormal
That day I knew for sure. I'd lost
control of my tears then. They fell in huge, mocking drops. I stared at Joshua
through those bitter tears, my heart missing beats as I tried to remember to
breathe.
I finally knew what the glow meant.
I was a freak and Joshua was going to die.
Bryn Halbrook had always seen the glow. But it is only when her best friend dies that she discovers the meaning of those beautiful golden auras — Death. Alone, lost in the foster system, she struggles to understand who she is and why she was cursed with the ability to see the soon-to-be-dead.
The new foster kid, Aidan, isn’t helping any. Mr. Perfect seems to fit in no matter what, making her feel even more pathetic. But when his affections turn to her, Bryn finds him hard to resist. Impossible actually. A mystery himself, Aidan disappears, leaving behind a broken heart and a mysterious book that suggests Bryn might not be entirely human.
Bryn stands at the threshold of a journey of discovery. Will destiny help her find herself, find her purpose and her place in a world in which she’d never belonged?
I finally knew what the glow meant.
I was a freak and Joshua was going to die.
Bryn Halbrook had always seen the glow. But it is only when her best friend dies that she discovers the meaning of those beautiful golden auras — Death. Alone, lost in the foster system, she struggles to understand who she is and why she was cursed with the ability to see the soon-to-be-dead.
The new foster kid, Aidan, isn’t helping any. Mr. Perfect seems to fit in no matter what, making her feel even more pathetic. But when his affections turn to her, Bryn finds him hard to resist. Impossible actually. A mystery himself, Aidan disappears, leaving behind a broken heart and a mysterious book that suggests Bryn might not be entirely human.
Bryn stands at the threshold of a journey of discovery. Will destiny help her find herself, find her purpose and her place in a world in which she’d never belonged?
Dead Radiance by T.G. Ayer is the first novel in her
Valkyrie Series and it was great. I knew I had to read the book when I read the
book description and I can tell you the story didn’t disappoint me. It pulled
me right in from the start and I couldn’t put it down.
Bryn Halbrook has been in the foster system since her
father died a couple of years ago. As long as she can remember she sees a gold
glow around some people, but she always kept her strange gift to herself. It is
until now in her new foster home and a very understanding foster mom that she
understands what it all means.
When Aidan moves into her foster home, she is immediately
drawn to him. But Aidan hides something from her and she is determined to find
out what. So when she investigates some books he leaves behind, she discovers
that she is his topic and finally understands what she is and why she sees the
gold glow.
I loved Bryn and Aidan as main characters. Bryn is
nice, strong and very determined young woman; who is finally learning more
about her heritage and try to deal with the changes in her life. Aidan is the
bad boy when he steps into Bryn’s life, but with his knowledge of the Norse
Mythology he is a strong link in her journey.
There are some very interesting secondary characters
that make the story complete. I love Fenrir, who’s training Bryn in her
Valkyrie role. Sigrun is a Valkyrie and becomes
Bryn’s friend in Asgard and of course a lot of the Norse Mythology characters
like Odin, Freya and Loki.
T.G. Ayer has written a fantastic novel, created a
fabulous world with great characters. The way she uses the Norse Mythology is
great and I can honestly say that I will be looking forward to the second book
in this series. Because with an ending like this, you really need the next book
to see how it will turn out.
I highly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys
young adult novels with a mix of Norse mythology, you won’t be disappointed.
*Disclosure of
Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy
of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been
received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in
exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review.
All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with
those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This
disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part
255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*
Excerpt:
Chapter 1
I was cold, like the roses on
Joshua’s casket, like the muddy dark-brown soil waiting to embrace the lifeless
remains of the boy who was my friend.
My fingers curled around the stem of
a butter-yellow rose, knuckles tight. I blinked away the liquid burn stabbing
my eyelids. I had to get out. Give him the rose. Then get the hell away.
I tried to squeeze past the old
woman who guarded my route to the center aisle, glaring. Her stares slithered
down my neck as I passed. I shuffled by, careful not to touch her. But she
huffed, her shoulders stiff and unimpressed with my rudeness. Her disapproval
slid down my back.
I straightened my pencil skirt and
short coat, scraped my wet hands on my hips. I knew the cool black silk
wouldn't dry my sticky palms, but I did it anyway, needing to do something with
my hands other than clutch the dead flower.
The slim heels of my pumps sank deep
into wet ground. I jerked them free and swallowed, my throat aching with
tears.. My best friend would soon be entombed within this sodden mush, to lie
beneath Craven forever. Until his flesh fell off his bones and he turned to
dust.
A cool hand tapped my shoulder.
"Bryn Halbrook. " She spat
my name, each syllable harsh, and dripping venom to match the tiny emerald
flecks in her hazel eyes. "You've got some nerve coming here."
Cherise Barnes knew she looked good, even in drab funerary garb. She stood, a
bony hip jutting out, one foot forward. The Cherise pose.
The last thing I needed was a
bitch-match. Not here. I straightened, pulling my jacket closer in the face of
this poisonous storm. Her eyes widened as I drew to my full height. Guess
Cherise forgot it wasn't easy to intimidate a person who was a full head
taller. I stared down at her.
Waiting.
"Perhaps you should
leave." She tapped the foot. "Now."
"I am leaving, as soon as I pay my respects. You are holding me up."
A streak of red colored her cheeks.
She avoided my eyes, then addressed my ear. "You shouldn't have come in
the first place. You aren't welcome here."
She wasn't backing off and I knew
why. Cherise was The Body here in Craven. Not the body to die for, though, as
most guys didn't need to go that far to sample Cherise. Joshua had belonged to
her, and she'd lost him. Lost him to me. Or so she thought.
I brushed past Cherise, had no
patience for her any more. I fingered the bandage on my temple, touched the
braid tied at my nape so my deep red hair wouldn't tangle in the stitches on my
scalp. The slight movement shifted my hair and the wound stung, releasing a
flash of memory.
White light,
blinding, sears my eyes.
Brighter now.
Bright enough to hurt.
Tires squeal,
harsh screams rip at my eardrums.
I swallowed a gasp, shoving the
memory out of my head. I had to get a grip.
I'd survived and he hadn't. It
didn't matter anymore. The only person who'd supported me had died on me. I'd known he would die. And I'd done
nothing to stop it.
As I neared Joshua's parents, they
threw me weak and teary smiles, which made the dam of tears inside my own heart
yearn to burst free. Even in their time of grief, they'd been so concerned
about me, asking if I'd recovered enough to get out of the hospital, if I'd
grieved enough, let it all out.
No one shared their concern, not
last week and not today. Claws of ice scraped up and down my back. Again. More
accusing stares. Too many eyes. More heads turning. Whispers. I ignored them.
Concentrated on anything else but those voices. Cars passing by at the bottom
of the hill. People going about their daily lives, neither knowing nor caring
that a friend and a son and a brother was about to be consigned to the dead
earth of Craven.
Stepping closer to the coffin I
sucked in a sob; the hollow in my gut grew harder, more painful, as I stared at
the shining black casket.
Roses trailed the ebony lid,
droplets of color scattered across its gleaming surface by a careless yet
artful hand. Eternity crept by while the box descended into the dark mouth of
the grave.
The rainbow of color shivered, slim
green stems entangled on the curve of the lid. One rose, bright, blood red,
slid off, as the coffin moved deeper and deeper.
Ice sliced through my veins. Piercing to the bone and to the
soul.
Blank, grey afternoon skies shed
occasional tears for Joshua O'Connell. The casket lurched, then continued its
descent. I gave in. Better give him the rose, a little piece of me to take with
him.
I choked on a breath, swallowing a
wave of nausea.
Metal shrieks,
grating in a lurid embrace. Deafening.
Sparks spit, ozone
coats the back of my throat.
Gasoline fumes
creep up my nostrils, burning, suffocating.
I stopped at the edge of the gaping
wound in the earth. Something felt wrong. Inside the grave, the black box came
to rest within deep grasping shadows. Darkness simmered, broken by a line of
glimmering, golden light that seeped through the edges of the casket.
He still glowed and I was still
helpless.
My fingers uncurled their desperate
grip on the rose and it fell, tilting, to drop head first onto the coffin,
twirling as it descended into the eerie depths. It hit the lid and shattered.
Petals flew in all directions and everywhere yellow scraps of the dismembered
flower reflected Joshua's iridescent light.
I turned, eager to flee.
Not possible. Not in heels, which
sank into the mushy soil as if the soft earth itself yearned to claim me. Not
when mourners had risen from their seats and were lining up to toss soil and
tributes onto the casket. I struggled for breath, my heart knocking double,
triple time like an angry jackhammer abandoned in my chest.
I steered a path through the crowd.
Ignored a young man in the middle row whose skin held the first yellow specks
of iridescence. Who was he? Did it even matter who he was? I sighed. It
wouldn't be much longer for him anyway. I ignored the woman with the red-rimmed
eyes, holding onto his arm. I didn't want to see him patting her pale hand and
giving her that watery smile.
Will she be alone, like me, when
he's gone? Who will pat her hand then?
Turning away, I kept walking. Didn't
want to look anymore. Didn't want to see any more glowing people.
I breached the throng and paused to
breathe.
To wait for my erratic heartbeat to
slow down.
To forget I left my friend behind, alone in the unforgiving ground.
Buy the book: Amazon
Author Bio:
I have been a writer from the time I was old enough to
recognise that reading was a doorway into my imagination. Poetry was my first
foray into the art of the written word. Books were my best friends, my escape,
my haven. I am essentially a recluse but this part of my personality is
impossible to practise given I have two teenage daughters, who are actually my
friends, my tea-makers, my confidantes… I am blessed with a husband who has
left me for golf. It’s a fair trade as I have left him for writing. We are both
passionate supporters of each other's loves – it works wonderfully…
My heart is currently broken in two. One half resides
in South Africa where my old roots still remain, and my heart still longs for
the endless beaches and the smell of moist soil after a summer downpour. My
love for Ma Afrika will never fade. The other half of me has been transplanted
to the Land of the Long White Cloud. The land of the Taniwha, beautiful Maraes,
and volcanoes. The land of green, pure beauty that truly inspires. And because
I am so torn between these two lands – I shall forever remain cross-eyed.
