ARC Review: Exile

Exile by Rebecca Lim
4/5 stars
Hyperion, 2013
Originally published in Australia, 2011
275 pages
YA Paranormal
Scheduled to release April 23

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In 2011, I picked up a random book from Netgalley and was blown away by its enthralling story that kept me on the edge of my seat. That book of course was Mercy in its American release (originally from Australia). Naturally I eagerly awaited the release of the rest of the books in the series and we finally reach book 2 with the pending release of Exile.

Although it has been two years, I still anticipated this sequel and loving it as much. Did I think it would matter that I didn't remember that much from book one? No, because it was fairly self-contained and not much was revealed about the overarching story mythology. That is what I figured book two would divulge.

And Exile does follow through on that promise, revealing more about Mercy's past as some kind of angel although the specifics are still murky. In fact, I feel like I learned about as much from the goodreads summary as I did from the whole book. But whereas book one has Mercy caught up in a kidnapping situation, this book has her occupying the body of a young woman whose mother is battling cancer. Very sad, yes, but not as suspenseful or gripping.

I think some very interesting questions around faith, responsibility, and free will are raised in this book but I found them choppily interwoven with some chapters following Mercy's body while some chapters dove in to those questions through her dreams. They were not tied together very strongly. Add to that, the lackluster plot and I was less impressed with this second book, somewhat breaking my streak of strong second books so far this year. But I am still intrigued by the promise of this series and I do want to check out book three Muse as well as what looks like the fourth book Fury. If you are interested, I would definitely say read Mercy first before reading Exile. I can't imagine getting a hang on Exile without having had the background of Mercy.

Mercy

Mercy by Rebecca Lim
Hyperion, 2011
269 pages
YA; Paranormal; Suspense
5/5 stars

Source: Received a free e-copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had no expectations for this book going in, nor did I look closely at the cover so I had no idea that this was an angel book.  It starts with "Mercy" waking up in an unfamiliar body, knowing that she has taken it over and that the other person is still present but being able to overpower it.  All she has are memories of the two previous bodies she has resided in and the beautiful Luc who calls to her.

As Mercy settles into the body of Carmen, she discovers that she has a purpose there.  Two years ago Lauren was taken from her family's house and her body was never recovered. While the rest of the town thinks she is dead, her twin brother Ryan maintains that she lives and he has committed his life to finding her.  As a visitor to the town and staying with Ryan and his family, Mercy approaches the case with fresh eyes and a believing heart.  She juggles controlling Carmen's body and her beautiful soprano voice with investigating the disappearance of Lauren.  Mercy also attempts to puzzle out her history, helped only by brief glimpses of Luc and the mysterious Eight.

Mercy goes through a great transformation over the course of the book.  She starts out sarcastic and strong with walls built up high to keep people out but she becomes interested in Ryan romantically and attempts to give Carmen more of a backbone.  Attachments are formed and her interest in rescuing Lauren becomes the main focus of her life.  These all infuse Mercy with more human characteristics and make the ending quite heartbreaking.

Personally I was caught almost completely by surprise by the kidnapper.  I had started to suspect him/her but his/her actions moved quicker than I had anticipated.  The showdown reveals more of Mercy's powers, confirming that she is definitely not human but that she is compassionate and brave.

Despite the cover, it is never explicitly said that Mercy is a fallen angel, although the goodreads summary and this cover support that explanation.  That resulted in more intrigue for me while reading because I wanted to confirm what she was and find out her history. I think Luc is supposed to be Lucifer but I still have so many questions.

Although this is a trilogy, the book as a whole is self-contained, leaving me wanting more without a big cliffhanger.  It looks like the next book has Mercy in a new body but still searching for answers with Luc and Ryan making appearances.

Overall: A fast, thriller with a great MC and just enough paranormal and romance to please me: the complete package!

Cover: I've seen a lot of different covers for this book and I *think* this is the US cover being released by Hyperion.  Personally I like some of the other ones I've seen more but this does make the angel theme obvious and I like the color of the title.