Title: Refuge (Relentless #2)
Author: Karen Lynch
Release Date: December 9, 2014
Publisher: Karen Lynch
Pages: 309
Source: Bought

Overall: 5 Stars

Summary:

To keep the people she loved safe, Sara left everything she knew behind. She soon learns this new world is nothing like her old one, and she struggles to make a place for herself among the Mohiri. But it soon becomes apparent to Sara and to everyone one around her that she is not your typical warrior.

As the weeks pass, Sara builds new relationships, copes with her new trainers, and tries to manage her ever-changing powers, while keeping her unique heritage a secret. Looming in the background is the constant shadow of the Master who will do anything to find her.

Sara finds herself on a journey of self-discovery that uncovers her true strengths and awakens a part of her she never knew existed. She experiences the delight of new friendships, the sweetness and pain of first love, and a loss so deep it could be the thing that finally breaks her. At the end of it all, she discovers that the one place she was supposed to be safe might not be the refuge she thought it was. 

My Thoughts: 
My sister and I share very similar tastes in books, so when she raved about a self-published YA paranormal novel called Relentless, I took her advice and read it. Maybe it was because my sister gave away much of the plot in her excitement, but I didn't get it right away why she enjoyed the book so much. Sara was reckless and threw herself into danger before thinking about the consequences, a trait which generally annoys me in any novel. 

There was just something so promising and utterly addictive about Relentless though that I knew I needed to read the sequel. My feelings for Sara aside, the series showed so much potential with its thrilling premise, and I couldn't wait to see what Karen Lynch had in store for readers next in Refuge. Thankfully, the few problems I had with Relentless completely disappeared with the sequel! And yes, now I totally understand why my sister fell for this series so quickly.

Sara can't escape the danger that always seems to shadow her, but at least she's now learning the skills she needs to efficiently fight back against the vampires and demons that would love to see her dead. She refuses to be a damsel in distress ever again; she's learned from her mistakes and understands the wisdom of expressing caution, that being impulsive will get her nowhere. To protect her loved ones, she'll need all the training she can receive at Westhorne, a Mohiri military stronghold she must now reluctantly call home.

Despite feeling restless with the knowledge that the Master still hunts for her, Sara knows she can't leave Westhorne, not when she's so wholly unprepared to face the powerful vampire who has already played a role in trying to kill her months ago. Her Fae abilities may be continuing to grow stronger everyday, but without embracing her Mori, she'll always be as physically weak as a human. Frustrated and feeling out of control, Sara will need the help of her new friends and family to prepare for her battle against the relentless evil that threatens their refuge.

I absolutely loved Karen Lynch's Refuge! When I reached the end, I immediately turned back to the first page to begin reading it all over again, not ready to pull myself out of the Mohiri world just yet. With exhilarating action and suspense, and a dash of romance, Karen Lynch's Refuge is not to be missed. I'll be counting down the months and days ahead until I can read what happens next in Rogue.