Review and Giveaway Ixeos: Rebellion (Ixeos Trilogy #2) by Jennings Wright

REVIEW:

Reading Ixeos Rebellion it’s like when you meet a good friend after a long time. You know, looking forward to see how he is and try a bit of anxiety to see if something you liked about him has changed... Ixeos has changed. It's more mature, more serious, but just as good as ever.

The losses incurred in the first volume, the success of the "outsiders" and its repercussions bring a deeper seriousness. Humor no longer makes an appearance and the atmosphere is one under pressure and which menaces with a disaster at any moment. Disaster that can come (and sometimes it comes) from any direction.

The ingenuity and the fever of the preparation for the new mission, manifests not as vivid as in the first volume. The enthusiasm and eagerness to obtain the result gives way to deeper analysis. Everything is an unquietness: missions executed as planned or messed up, regrouping and ad-hoc actions. The tomorrow’s uncertainty is felt at every step they take. Everything is a matter of life and death. Some will survive, others will not, and the author wants and she succeeds to not let you know what will happen.

All characters are important, and their separation into main and secondary is superfluous. Old and new characters you'll feel them, you’ll know them and you will deplore their disappearance. The relationships that are born or developed can be destroyed at any moment. The author introduces in a delicate manner several love stories whose kismet remains to be known. Something binds the "outsiders" to Ixeos and their desire to return "home" becomes evanescent. All these will increase the stake and the need to win. I like how Darian does not take over the action. With his own anxieties, a good leader and comrade, he integrates, leads the rebellion and takes risks just like everyone else.

The action runs smoothly and the plans’ details, the way of solving problems or discovering new ones, the feelings and thoughts of the characters put you in the heat of all events.

The last volume should bring more answers. That's because in Ixeos Rebellion new unknowns occur. What you knew is totally changed, what you did not know you still don’t know. Who or what is London, who or what is Darian and what they can do, Clay's "special" connection with Ixeos (yes, I didn’t forgot about it) remains a mystery, and the ending - although you are given the information that not everything is what it seems to be - it's best to leave you wide-eyed.

Conclusion: I met an old friend and I love it just as much.

“What do you think he’s going to do first?” [...]
Neahle shrugged and continued eating her apple. It was the biggest question on everyone’s mind, and no one had an answer. That didn’t keep anyone from asking.

Obviously, the Firsts aren’t going to let them go that easily. They’d kill them in a heartbeat… It’s all going to have to be timed to have the least amount of casualties.”
“Casualties. You mean deaths.” Clay sighed. He was twenty years old. He’d been a typical beach bum back in North Carolina. His transition to a soldier had been from necessity, not temperament.
“Yeah, deaths. We have to trust that Darian will come up with a plan for them. [...]
Wherever he’s from, whatever he is, he’s all we’ve got.”

 I received the book for review as part of Book Tour - Thank you

ROMANIAN
RECENZIE:
Citind Ixeos Rebellion m-am simțit ca atunci când te întâlneşti după mai multă vreme cu un bun prieten. Aştepți cu nerăbdare să vezi ce face şi cu un pic de nelinişte ca nu cumva ceea ce îți plăcea la el să se fi schimbat... Ixeos s-a schimbat. Este mai matur, mai serios, dar la fel de bun.

Pierderile suferite în primul volum, reuşita „celor din afară” şi repercursiunile avute aduc o notă mai accentuată de seriozitate. Umorul nu îşi mai face apariția, iar atmosfera este una de fierbere la foc mărunt şi care amenință în orice moment cu un dezastru. Dezastru care poate veni (şi chiar vine uneori) din orice direcție.

Ingeniozitatea şi febra pregătirilor pentru noua misiune nu se manifestă la fel de vivace ca în primul volum. Entuziasmul şi nerăbdarea în obținerea rezultatului cedează locul unor analize mai profunde. Totul este o frământare: misiuni executate conform planului sau date peste cap, regrupări şi acțiuni ad-hoc. Incertitudinea zilei de mâine se simte la tot pasul. Totul este pe viață şi pe moarte. Unii vor supraviețui, alții nu, iar autoarea doreşte şi reuşeşte să nu te lase să ştii ce se va întâmpla.

Toate personajele au un rol important, iar separarea lor în principale şi secundare e superfluă. Personaje noi sau vechi le vei simți, le vei cunoaşte, le vei deplânge dispariția. Relațiile care se leagă sau dezvoltă pot fi distruse în orice clipă. Autoarea introduce delicat mai multe poveşti de dragoste a căror final rămâne de aflat. Ceva îi leagă pe „cei din afară” de Ixeos, iar dorința lor de a se întoarce „acasă” devine evanescentă. Toate acestea vor creşte miza jocului şi necesitatea de a-l câştiga. Îmi place şi modul în care Darian nu acaparează acțiunea. Cu propriile sale nelinişti, bun lider şi camarad, el se integrează, conduce rebeliunea şi îşi asumă riscuri la fel ca toată lumea.

Acțiunea se desfăşoară cursiv, iar amănuntele planurilor, modul în care se rezolvă probleme sau se descoperă altele noi, trăirile şi gândurile personajelor te fac să iei parte „în prima linie” la toate evenimentele.

Ultimul volum trebuie să aducă mai multe răspunsuri. Asta deoarece în Ixeos Rebellion noi necunoscute apar. Ceea ce ştiai se schimbă total, ceea nu ştiai încă nu ştii. Cine/ce este London, cine/ce este Darian, legătura „specială” a lui Clay cu Ixeos (da, nu am uitat de ea) rămân un mister, iar finalul – deşi ți se oferă informația că nu totul este ceea ce pare a fi – e bun să te lase cu ochii mari.

Concluzia: m-am întâlnit cu un prieten mai vechi şi îmi place la fel de mult.

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Description:

The McClellands are enjoying a lazy summer vacation at the beach when they are lured from our world into Ixeos, an alternate Earth. Finding themselves lost in a maze of tunnels under Paris and surrounded by strangers, they discover that they have been brought to Ixeos for one purpose: to take the planet back from humanoid aliens who have claimed it. With the aid of the tunnels and a mysterious man named Landon, the teens travel the world seeking the key that will allow them to free Darian, the long-imprisoned rebel leader. But the aliens aren't the only problem on Ixeos -- the McClellands have to deal with brutal gangs, desperate junkies, and a world without power, where all the technology is owned by the aliens, and where most of the population has been killed or enslaved. The worst part? There's no way home. 

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About the author:

Author Jennings Wright Born and raised in Florida, Jennings spent her early years reading anything she could get her hands on, when she wasn't spending time in and on the water. She won a prize in the 6th grade for her science fiction stories. Jennings attended the University of Tampa, graduating with a B.A. in Political Science, and almost enough credits for B.A.s in both English and History. She attended graduate school at the University of West Florida, studying Psychology. She spent time over the years doing various kinds of business writing, editing, and teaching writing, but mostly having and raising her family, homeschooling her children, owning and running a business with her husband, and starting a non-profit. Thanks to a crazy idea called NaNoWriMo Jennings got back into creative writing in 2011 and hasn't stopped since. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband, also a business owner and writer, and two children, and travels extensively with her family, and her non-profit in Uganda. 

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Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 7/31/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway