Almost Everything

Details

Title: Almost Everything

Author: Tate Hallaway 

Publisher: National American Library Trade

Publication Year: 2012

Language: English

Genre: Young Adults, Fantasy, Paranormal, Magic

Rating: 8/10

Continuation: This novel is the third book in the "Vampire Princess of St. Paul" series.

Pages: 320

Review

Half-vampire, half witch Ana Parker has boy trouble. Her musician ex, Nikolai is trying to heat things up again and high school hockey star wants her to get with him. Her sort-of boyfriend Elias is her vampire knight - living in her basement.

Ever since Ana and Elias are banished from the court of the Northern vampires, Ana has been trying to live a normal life. When a Prince from the Southern region informs her of a brewing war, she accidentally offers Elias for marriage to the Prince's captain.

Vampires in the Nothern region haven't hunted for decades and they're getting hungry. They can only survive on witches' blood and it is up to Ana to get out of this situation, without letting any of her loved ones get harmed.

This novel was positively wonderful. It had a great combination of romance, action and fantasy. The novel has a complex plot, which appears to be confusing, but can barely be noticed in the story itself. The plot flows smoothly. The change in scenes are all quite clear and the ending ties up ALMOST EVERYTHING! I find the sub-plot of Ana's romance throughout the novel quite exciting. The reader will be intrigued and curious as to which of her three suitors Ana picks. This makes the story interesting.

Action in the book is written quite well. The direness of the situation is always described without too much gore or violence. The author's take on vampires is also an innovative one. The story moves fast without any dull moments and the tone of the book is lightened by the small sections of humor the author has placed strategically.

Magic and fantasy are major elements in this novel. I find that the descriptions given o the fantasy world are not overdone. Enough information is given to understand the events but some information is also withheld. This information is left to be completed by the reader's imagination and adds to the story's charm and mystery.Tat sometimes painted in a negative light to make Ana seem more sensitive and deep in contrast. I find this quite unfair to Bea's character, because Ana may be the the heroine of the book, but she is not as mature or sophisticated as she sometimes made to seem.

The author has a knack for story telling. I couldn't flip the pages fast enough, just to sate my curiosity. This novel kept me mesmerized till the end and I will recommend it.