Book Review ~ Asylum (Casual Enchantment #2) by KA Tucker

Tucked away in Sofie's wintery asylum with no hope of release for years, Evangeline must come to terms with her situation: the curse still plagues her, she's now hunted by a
two thousand-year-old vampire, and the guy she's in love with tried to kill her.
Plus, she's locked up with a cranky Max and the Forero kids—two people everyone
seems to prefer dead over alive. Things aren't looking good.

Meanwhile, back in Manhattan, Sofie struggles to keep forty trapped and bloodthirsty Ratheus vampires at bay and a desperate Viggo from killing Evangeline's friends, all
while hints stir outside the walls of the NYC vampire asylum of a war brewing
between the Sentinel and the witches.

Is there any hope for Evangeline and Caden? Can Sofie control the rival powers? Is the fate of Earth predestined? Find out in Book 2 of the Causal Enchantment series, a sequel to ANATHEMA. ~From GoodReads

Ack! You guys, I'm at a loss. How do I write my review without revealing spoilers, especially for those who haven't read book one, Anathema?!? I'll try not to give away anything you couldn't deduce by reading the synopsis. This is a tough one, but I'll do my best.

Asylum, thankfully, picks up immediately where Anathema left off. Chaos has ensued. Evangeline, along with Max and Leo, have been whisked away to a snowbound hideaway to protect her from the vampires who want to kill her, including the man she loves, Caden. Heartbreaking, right? So, Evangeline, separated from her boyfriend and best friends, is devastated. Leo is his usual wise, faithful self. Max, who can't hunt as much as he'd like is super cranky. And the Forero kids, including the handsome Julian, are understandably upset and confused. Good times!

Meanwhile, back in NYC, things have gone to hell. Poor Sofie. She must contend with the ever manipulative Viggo and Mortimer, a ton of blood thirsty vamps, and her biggest hope, to protect Evangeline. If you had told me while reading the first two-thirds of Anathema that I would root for and love Sofie, I would have laughed in your face. Oh, how times have changed.

Asylum is very much Sofie's story. Yes, there is a good portion of the book from Evangeline's perspective, but since she is trapped in her "asylum", there isn't a lot of action with her until the last portion of the story. I did love the progression of her relationship with Julian, from distrust and resentment, to a true friendship. And, as always, I loved her relationships with Leo and Max. To see Evangeline struggle to maintain hope for a future with Caden and her friends was heartbreaking.

But, back to Sofie. This poor lady has to watch her back at all times! Everywhere she turns, there is someone (usually Viggo) trying to take her down. There are the vampires trying to escape. And her biggest, and most heartfelt, challenge is to keep her beloved Evangeline safe. I must say that I have grown to admire and adore Sofie as a character. At times, while she is juggling her many responsibilities, I don't see how she can keep all the balls in the air. Somehow, she always manages to pull through.

And oh... the ending. The last third of Asylum was crazy! And I can't say what happened but WOW! Evangeline...and Caden...and Sofie...and Veronique...and the FATE OF EARTH!!! Ahhhhh! I just reread the last chapter again and I'm still reeling!

I absolutely love the unique, dangerous, and enchanting world(s) author KA Tucker has created in the Casual Enchantment series. I quickly fell in love with book one, Anathema. And the magic continues at a whole new level in Asylum. Love, action, danger, betrayal...this series has it all!
Favorite Quote:

" 'She's safe,' I whispered breathlessly, relief flooding my soul as my hands flew to his cheeks, suddenly the cheeks of an angel in my eyes. He may want to kill her, but he wouldn't break her heart - perverse but comforting."

Published December 12th 2011 by Papoti Books

You can purchase Asylum at:

Amazon  |  Smashwords  |  Barnes & Noble

You can get Anathema (Casual Enchantment #1) for FREE at:

Smashwords  |  Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

 

About author KA Tucker:

Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.
Asylum, the second book in the Causal Enchantment series, will be released January, 2012.

(from the author's website)

Find her on:

Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Amazon | Blog

*I received a copy of Asylum from the author, in exchange for an honest review.*