Griffin Rising Review

Monday, August 8, 2011

Title: Griffin Rising
Author: Darby Karchut
Publisher: Twilight Times
Published: June 28, 2011
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 174
Source: Author

For Griffin, it’s time to angel up. Armed with the power to control the ancient elements of Earth and Fire, sixteen year old Griffin is determined to complete his apprenticeship and rise to the rank of Terra Angeli.

But first, he must overcome a brutal past if he is to survive in this world. Will the perseverance of his mentor and the love of a mortal girl give Griffin the strength he needs to triumph?

Griffin is an angel in training, and he's on his way to great things. However, no matter how far he reaches or to what new heights he reaches, Griffin can't forget the torment of his first mentor, Nicopolis. Terra Angeli have the gift of free will, and Nicopolis used his to torment and tear Griffin down. His new mentor, Basil, however is a perfect complement to Griffin and the two are finally reaching their stride when a new family moves in across the street with a girl that catches Griffin's eye. Is angel training, a haunting past, a bright future and a potential love interest too much for one young angel to handle?

There is such a predominance of paranormal stories on the market today, that finding an original idea is an increasingly scarce thing to come by. Truly, the nature of the market is dominated by different realms of paranormal beings, so finding a story that can stand a part is great. Griffin Rising definitely sets itself apart with a unique, sweet and intriguing spin on angels among us. Author Darby Karchut has created a heartwarming novel about first loves, the truth and strength that lies within all of us and the ability to overcome adversity that just happens to involve a great and unique angel plotline. Griffin Rising is definitely a book that will delight all ages and keep readers entertained.

Griffin Rising, though a slim book, contained a perfectly executed plot with a well-developed cast of characters and story arc that kept me hooked. Griffin was a lovable character with a bit of everyone in him in the sense that everyone can relate to a piece of his story. Though young, he's on the cusp of discovering his true self, and as a reader, I felt invested in his journey. Watching his interaction with Katie, the girl across the street and Basil, his mentor, it all rang true and felt genuine. What truly made Griffin Rising stand out, however, was the manner in which it was written. With each chapter written as a journal entry from either Griffin, Basil or Katie, I had the opportunity to truly get to know each character and, in a sense, gain a new insight into the other characters through their eyes. This could easily have been a downfall for Griffin Rising, but it was executed so well that the book was made all the more powerful for it.

Overall, Griffin Rising was a brilliant book. Fun, engaging and enriched with sweet sentiment and great characters, it will transcend the young adult genre. I give it a 4.5 out of 5, only because I wanted the story to be longer, and I highly recommend this for YA, MG and adult readers, especially those who enjoy paranormal stories with a lot of heart and soul.

I received this book free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

23 comments:

  1. Sounds really unique. I want it!

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  2. This sounds really fresh. A great new book among many that are similar. I also love books that are in journal form. They seem more personal. Great review. Im adding this to my TBR list.

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  3. Great review Melissa. I really enjoyed this book too. Griffin was such a loveable character :)

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  4. Another great review :) You just read the best books. When did you even read a bad one? ;)

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  5. This book had me at "time to angel up". It sounds awesome! Really glad you enjoyed it - I've been looking for a good paranormal, and this sounds like it might be just the thing for me. Thanks for the great review!

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  6. I've been hearing nothing but great reviews for this book. I guess I need to own up and buy it!

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  7. I enjoyed this one as well, I just adored Griffin and Basil and their relationship and cannot wait to see what's in store for then next! It was a short read, but I still felt like I got a complete and rich story from it:)

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  8. I've seen this one around but it never really caught my attention. Your review, however, has me intrigued! Sounds like a fabulous read!

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  9. Love the sound of Griffin. Glad you enjoyed it even though it was a bit short. =)

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  10. I'm glad you enjoyed this one. I'm not a fan of the cover but Griffin sounds like a good character. Thanks for the review, Melissa!

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  11. I wanted to read this one but just didn't have the time, so I will be having a review up from AimeeKay. Seems that she liked it too! Great review.

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  12. It's great that Griffin Rising managed to have so much impact despite its small page count! This book definitely sounds like one I'd enjoy. Thanks for the review! :)

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  13. I loved this book! Loved the review! So glad you liked it as well!

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  14. Thanks so much for your terrific review of my book - I'm just delighted!

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  15. Oh, I really like the sound of this one! Fabulous review, :D

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  16. You definitely have me intrigued in saying that this was a unique take on angels because it seems to me that many of the angel books I read tend to blend together. I'm surprised that such a short book was able to be so effective but I guess that's a sign of a great author!

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  17. Sounds really good. I enjoyed your review and intend to check this one out. Thanks!

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  18. Wow--a 4.5? I think I'm going to have to pick this one up! While I'm getting a little meh about angels, this one sounds cute and fun. Thanks for a great review, as always!
    Mary @ BookSwarm

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  19. This sounds wonderful. I love male POVs and I like the theme of self-discovery. It's nice when character and their interactions feel real. What specifically makes this stand out from other angel books?

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  20. After reading favorable reviews from you and Jenny, I'm going to put this one on my tbr pile. A male POV in a sea of female povs in the paranormal genre is very rare and refreshing. The theme of self discovery is an added bonus. Like Alison, I was also wondering how you can distinguish this book from the other angel books out there.

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  21. I've heard nothing but great things about this book. I want to read it for the relationship between Basil and Griffin. I love those kinds of mentor/friendship relationships.

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  22. The cover isn't appealing to this book, but the story sounds like it more than makes up for that. I wouldn't look at this one twice except that you've given it such a good review. Now, I'll be looking for it.

    Heather

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  23. I guess I'm not really drawn to this book because of the boring cover. However, I've read terrific things about it. I was kind of on angel-story overload for a while, but now that I haven't read any as of late I'll check this out. Great review!

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