Review Detail

ARISE continues the story of the ghost Amelia and her Seer boyfriend, the very much alive Joshua. This time, Amelia is on the run from demons who want to forcibly drag her into the underworld and use her for their own purposes, and she's worried the demons will hurt Joshua and his family in order to get her cooperation. The bulk of the story takes place over Christmas break in New Orleans, where Joshua's family has a large reunion to celebrate the holiday.

Amelia still has the habit of doing things without being aware of them (like walking through a crowd of people and somehow ending up outside a club without realizing she was moving at all because she was distracted) and we still get crucial pieces of the action fed to us in a "somehow, I managed to do __fill in the blank__ and get away" which cheats the reader out of experiencing every breathtaking moment of danger, heroism, and victory. There are a few important pieces of the plot that feel extremely convenient rather than authentic. We also have a plot hole involving a new character (Gaby) violating the rules of being "risen" (as far as who can see her), and that isn't addressed.

BUT, those things aside, this book is much stronger than book one. The narrative is tighter, the plot flows much better, the stakes make more sense, and Amelia does less wringing her hands and more taking definitive action. The setting of New Orleans is fully developed and adds a lovely, atmospheric dimension to the story. The additional characters are interesting, the villain is creepy, and though I do want the action scenes to be as unhurried and specific as the romantic scenes, I can honestly say I enjoyed reading the book. Once again, Ms. Hudson has set up some strong continuing conflict for a third book, and I hope to see Amelia coming into her own and taking the bull by the horns in her afterlife. :)