- Review: The Vanished
- Series: Blemished #2
- Author: Sarah Dalton
- Rating: 4/5
Synopsis:
“The Compound bustled with action and anticipation, causing my stomach to do a flip. I stopped in my tracks, realising something, something I hadn’t thought of before. We were going to war, and people were going to die.”
The Vanished are the forgotten: those who live beyond law or society. Mina fought for freedom. She fought for a better life – a future. But even a free world can decay.
As Mina begins her new life in the Clans she meets people with surprising knowledge about her power, knowledge that could change everything – even her relationship with Daniel. But as she makes new friends, old friends turn against her in shocking betrayal.
Life in the Compound is tough; there are ways and traditions so strange that Mina begins to suspect foul play at the very heart of her new home. Instead of leaving corruption behind in Area 14, Mina is faced with the rotten core of human nature as a Clan warlord threatens to invade the Compound. The Clans are turning against each other and Mina is stuck in the middle.
The Vanished is the second installment in the Blemished series and follows Mina’s story as she continues to challenge those in power and seek out new dangers. With even more rebellion, romance and betrayal, The Vanished promises to take the reader on a roller-coaster ride of adventure and emotion.
Will freedom fall?
My thoughts:
This picks up right, and I do mean RIGHT where The Blemished ends. If you haven’t read The Blemished in a while, don’t fret, there are a few reminders thrown in so you can fully remember how everything fits.
Mina is much stronger in this than in The Blemished but there is still so much for her to learn. But she’s willing to put everything on the line, including her life. She’s so much older than her years but this is how everyone is in this dystopian world. The other characters are also just as strong as Mina. There are a ton of characters in this though. You know who you are cheering for but it’s the guys that make you go hmm that keep you wanting to read more!
Hiro is my favorite character though. He is just so sweet and knowledgeable for his age. Absolutely my favorite, hands down!
The intense is really ratcheted up in this one. The knowledge that these people are truly fighting for their lives is dripping in every word. They all know they can die at any moment. And yet there are still bad men that will do whatever they want to hurt people. I find this really interesting! The way Sarah is able to weave people in and you’re not sure exactly what side they are on until the end. It is fascinating!
Sarah was able to ratchet up that intensity for book two. She never fails at keeping you guessing, wondering exactly what is going to be around the next corner. I love that about her writing. And her vocabulary rocks.
If you like dystopian with a bit of paranormal thrown in, this is definitely for you!!
About the author:
Sarah grew up in the middle of nowhere in the countryside of Derbyshire and as a result has an over-active imagination. She has been an avid reader for most of her life, taking inspiration from the stories she read as a child, and the novels she devoured as an adult.
Sarah mainly writes speculative fiction for a Young Adult audience and has had pieces of short fiction published in the Medulla Literary Review, PANK magazine, Apex Magazine and the British Fantasy Society publication Dark Horizons. Her short story ‘Vampires Wear Chanel’ is featured in the Wyvern Publication Fangtales. The Blemished is her first full-length novel.
Contact Links:
twitter @sarahdalton
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