Blog Tour ~ RETURN TO EDEN, by GP Ching

Welcome to The Bookish Babe's stop on the RETURN TO EDEN Blog Tour! RETURN TO EDEN is book three in THE SOULKEEPER'S SERIES. Today I have my review of RETURN TO EDEN followed by a giveaway hosted by author GP Ching. If you haven't read the first two books in the series, check out my reviews of THE SOULKEEPERS and WEAVING DESTINY.

Dr. Abigail Silva has waited over 10,000 years for redemption and a chance at a real relationship with the angel she loves. But when you're made from evil itself, it's hard to remember if salvation is worth the wait. With Lucifer's plan coming to fruition, she must decide if God's offer of humanity is all it's cracked up to be, or if a deal with the devil is the more promising solution. ~From GoodReads

What an intense journey! After THE SOULKEEPERS established the backdrop for this intense series, and WEAVING DESTINY kept the momentum going, RETURN TO EDEN is the dynamic showdown between Good and Evil.

WEAVING DESTINY is a busy book. God's Army on Earth is preparing for battle, gathering up their forces, making their plans to defeat Lucifer. This book centers more on Abigail Silva, fallen angel who is now a Watcher. She is on the edge, and no one truly knows which side she'll fall on. Abigail has spent countless years trying to earn her way back into God's grace. The love between Abigail and Gideon is timeless, likely her only reason to hang on to the good inside her. I've always had a bit of a problem with Abigail, never trusted her. With this book, I learned to know her much better, but never knew where her loyalty truly lay until the very end of the book.

Jacob and Malini, the center of the first two books in the series, are in a great place. They're still engaged in the fight against Lucifer, but their devotion to one another is clear. It's wonderful to see them at such ease. And even though enjoy Jacob and Malini, my favorite couple was by far, Henry and Mara. Oh, man. They are a truly swoon-worthy couple. At one point I did feel their relationship was a bit rushed, but with the devil breathing down their backs, who am I to judge.

My single favorite, though, was Mara. She's strong, yet vulnerable. Trusting, yet wary. Seeing her fall in love with Henry was so sweet. And what a mouth! Her lines are truly the best:

"Mara flipped him the finger. 'Suck it, Satan. Times have changed. Things are 'bout to get real tedious for you.' "


If you're not a big fan of religiously heavy books, this may not be the book for you. I don't normally lean towards this type, but Ching's writing is so gorgeous. I noticed this when I read THE SOULKEEPERS, and she's managed to continue throughout the series. Her ability, to add tiny details that you wouldn't miss if they weren't there, but make you think "wow!" as you read her words, is second to none.

RETURN TO EDEN is a lovely ending to such a meaningful series.

Favorite Quote:

"Silence wedged itself between them, but it wasn't there because there was nothing left to say. The words that waited in the corners had sharp edges. Words like that could do permanent damage if flung too hard at the one you loved." (ebook, 4%)

"Lifting on her tiptoes, she met his lips with hers. It felt just as good as the night before. A walk in the moonlight. The flutter of raven wings. Dark water on a cold night. Thoughts that should have scared her filled her with wanting, a blazing fire beneath her sternum." (ebook, 14%)

Published 2012 by DarkSide Publishing         

You can purchase RETURN TO EDEN at:
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Smashwords


Source: Received from author for review.


G.P. Ching is the author of The Soulkeepers Series and a variety of short fiction. She specializes in cross-genre paranormal stories, loves old cemeteries, and enjoys a good ghost tour. She lives in central Illinois with her husband, two children, and one very demanding guinea pig.


Visit her:www.gpching.com
www.TheSoulkeepersSeries.com
Author Facebook Page
Series Facebook Page
Twitter

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review of Weaving Destiny, by GP Ching

Malini Gupta thought Jacob Lau was her destiny. But after months of failing to decipher how she fits into the Soulkeepers, frustration threatens to tear their relationship apart. And it doesn't help that a new Soulkeeper named Mara is ready to stop time itself to earn Jacob's love.

When Malini faces her worst fears, and even death, she learns a funny thing about destiny. Fate is a tapestry of choices, and she has the power to weave hers.

(From GoodReads)

 

My Review

I loved The Soulkeepers. I thought it was a brilliant and amazing book. So, I was quite excited to read the next book in the series, Weaving Destiny. And when I learned that the story would be told from Malini's point of view, I thought "Yay!".

Weaving Destiny is the story of Malini's search to find her place in the world of the Soulkeepers. Her apparent lack of ability leaves her feeling frustrated and left out. All that frustration and the emergence of a new Soulkeeper, Mara, begins driving Malini and Jacob apart. It seems, the journey that Malini has to take to find her destiny, she must take alone.

Weaving Destiny includes some intriguing new characters and a larger role for some of the secondary characters of The Soulkeepers. The new addition to the group, Mara, is bold, sexy and confident. She is the polar opposite to Malini in many respects. She's the funniest character in the book, always sure to chime in with her morbid sense of humor. Henry is another new character that I felt made a great addition to the book. He is handsome and old-fashioned, to say the least. I won't give away in what capacity, but he is a major game-changer!

I was happy to find that Lillian, who is Jacob's mom, and Gideon played a bigger part in Weaving Destiny. And Dane, also. Dane was often the comic relief in this book. He was a huge support system for Jacob and Malini. And if you've read book one, you'll know that is a huge departure from the role he played in it.

One character that I was surprised didn't play a bigger part in this book was Dr. Silva. She was a huge part of The Soulkeepers. I've never fully trusted her. Something about her seems off. She always seems to have a secret up her sleeve.  I'm sure she has a lot more to reveal and hope that she will play a larger part in book three.

Weaving Destiny didn't pull me in quite as tightly as The Soulkeepers. And I definitely didn't become engrossed as soon. But, Wow. This book really got it together in the end. The last few chapters were fast-paced, terrifying, and heart-wrenching. And the epilogue? Let's just say it was ominous. Book three in The Soulkeepers series should be quite a ride!

Favorite Quote:

" 'So, you do find her attractive.'
   'Will you stop saying the word attractive like you looked it up in a thesaurus under 'ambiguous
    words to trap your boyfriend with'? "

" 'I wear the Spongebob pajamas so that I remember how it felt to watch someone I thought I wanted

   dead plunge a knife into her chest. I didn't like it, Jacob. Spongebob reminds me to live by the rules

   even though I don't have to.' "

 Watch the Weaving Destiny Trailer

Be sure to hit all the stops on the Weaving Destiny Blog Tour for chances to win fabulous prizes!

You can learn more about The Soulkeepers series at GP Chings blog.

You can find Weaving Destiny at:

GoodReads  |  Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

You can find author, GP Ching, at her blog.

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

In My Mailbox #3

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme created by Kristi at The Story Siren. It is a great way to put a spotlight on books received during the past week.

Here are the synopses and links to the books mentioned.

Malini Gupta thought Jacob Lau was her destiny, that they were meant to be together. But after months of failing to decipher how she fits into the Soulkeepers, frustration threatens to tear their relationship apart. As does a new Soulkeeper named Mara who is ready to stop time itself to earn Jacob's love.
When Malini faces her worst fears and even death, she learns a funny thing about destiny; nobody said hers couldn't change. The future is a tapestry of choices, and she's about to weave hers . (From GoodReads)   
Published 2011 by DarkSide Publishing     Find Weaving Destiny at GoodReads.

Leena Thomas’s senior year at boarding school begins with a shock: Frost House, her cozy dorm of close friends, has been assigned an unexpected roommate: confrontational, eccentric Celeste Lazar. But while Leena’s anxiety about a threat to her sanctuary proves valid, it becomes less and less clear whether the threat lies with her new roommate, within Leena’s own mind, or within the very nature of Frost House itself. Mysterious happenings in the dorm, an intense triangle between Leena, Celeste, and Celeste’s brother, and the reawakening of childhood fears, all push Leena to take increasingly desperate measures to feel safe. Frost is the story of a haunting. As to whether the demons are supernatural or psychological . . . well, which answer would let you sleep at night? (From GoodReads)

Hardcover, 400 pages
Expected publication: September 13th 2011 by Balzer & Bray    Find Frost at GoodReads.
 

“It seemed so right. Danny was mine, I was his, and that wasn’t going to work if he was dead. So I would make him not dead, not anymore. I didn’t think any further than what it would feel like to kiss him again, to wrap my arms around him and bury my head against his shoulder.
That was my first mistake. It also turned out to be the biggest.”
When her boyfriend, Danny, is killed in a car accident, Wren can’t imagine living without him. Wild with grief, she uses the untamed powers she’s inherited to bring him back. But the Danny who returns is just a shell of the boy she once loved.
Wren has spent four months keeping Danny hidden, while her life slowly unravels around her. Then Gabriel DeMarnes transfers to her school and somehow, inexplicably, he can sense her secret. Wren finds herself drawn to Gabriel, who is so much more alive than the ghost of the boy she loved. But Wren can’t turn her back on Danny or the choice she made for him—and she realizes she must find a way to make things right, even if it means breaking her own heart.
Amy Garvey’s transcendent teen debut is perfect for fans of Shiver and Beautiful Creatures. Wren’s unforgettable voice and story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned. (From GoodReads)
Hardcover, 336 pages
Expected publication: September 20th 2011 by HarperTeen       Find Cold Kiss at GoodReads.

Be sure and leave a link so I can check out your mailbox. Have a great week!