Shadow of the Mark

Carrier, Book 2

By: Leigh Fallon

Narrated by: Nicola Barber

Their love could destroy them all.

Through the ages, Marked Ones have harnessed the powers of the four elements: Water, Fire, Earth, and Air. Much about the elements is shrouded in mystery, but one thing is certain: A relationship between two Marked Ones has the potential to cause widespread devastation.

Megan and Adam - Air and Water - are determined to defy the risks.

But the power that swirls inside Megan is growing in twisted ways. And the closer she is to Adam, the closer Megan comes to unleashing a dark force that could spell destruction for the entire Marked line.

©2013 Leigh Fallon (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers

So amazing

I’ve been waiting to read this book since I read the first and I’m so eager for the third!!

I am glad there will be one more in this series

Any additional comments?

I don't normally write reviews and I have never written a review that was less then a wow but I have to say I was a little disappointed in this book. I enjoyed the first book and have listened to it several times but this one was confusing and overall it seemed to be kind of a downer. Even though I did not enjoy this book as much as the first I will buy the third book.

Great narrator, good story, 3rd book please

The narrator does excellent accents, she also does male voices just as well as female and young as well as older quite believable. This really helps the story, there is nothing like a male narrator trying to do female character too high pitched or a too aged narrator trying to sound like a 17 yr old girl to put you off an audiobook! Five stars all the way for her Irish, English and all accents as well as sounding like a teen girl and a masculine 18 year old boy! Amazing.

That said, I really did like the storyline of this series which involves the four elements of Water, Earth, Air and Fire and the marked ones, four teens, that carrier the individual elements and are suppose to ultimately allign them all into harmony. That was the goal from the first book. The angst of the first book was that Megan discovered she was the embodiment of the Air element but her love, Adam was the Water element and all historical accounts indicate that two marked carriers could not be together romantically without bringing about horrible consequences. Sigh. They vowed to be together anyway...Little did they know things would only get worse.

Mild spoilers but personally I like to know what I'm getting into with these trilogies Wish someone told me about two books after Shiver, but that is another story. Anyway, In this sequel, the author was able to change and heighten the angst for the teen couple so that now they could not even actually touch without freaky consequences, Adam getting his power sucked out of him by Megan. Yikes. This is occuring while these lovebirds are also having to witness Adam's brother's easy sexual relationship with the new girl dangled in front of them. I must admit I really liked Megan and Adam in book 1 so this was heartbreaking and frustrating.

Freaker still is the fact that Megan's elemental power is causing these problems with Adam as well as strange attractions also to his two siblings that are the carriers of the other elements of Fire and Earth. I was glad this was just a weird product of her power and not an actual love triangle. Along the way we get introduced to more about the Order keeping the history of the Marked and the Knights of the Marked. There is a lot going on here and a lot of history.

It is very interesting but I felt a lot was crammed in the last half and the ending was a bit confusing. There was a lot of, what just happened? Did they just do it or not? Did the fifth element just come and pass her by, so nothing changed or did it? What the what? Really, the whole last 3 hours were rushed. I felt, Megan seemed way too calm about her situation, her being banned from the other marked ones. It was just a sad confusing ending. I know it is being left for a 3rd book, but I felt we needed a bit more time with Megan before the strange showdown here. There was no time put into the major character losses at the end or how Megan reached her determination that she states to be the last. Cliffhanger indicating everything changed but there was no allignment, no fifth element here, sounds like nothing happened, yet. And, of course Megan and Adam still are not able to even be a couple now. Sob.

But, the author left me wanting the 3rd book, not exiting the series as I have exited some series after the first or second book. I am still very much interested in the series and how it plays out. I am hoping there will be more in the 3rd book on how Megan's character has developed and will get stronger, the resolution for the release of the elemental powers of course and dealing with life after loss. And, lets face it, please have a HEA for Megan and Adam! That poor boy just needed major hugs in this 2nd book! Hopefully 3rd book won't take a year and a half and hopefully it is quick to be in audiobook for with the same narrator! Oh well, looks like its almost been a year now so my fingers are crossed but won't hold my breath!