Review: Worlds Burn Through by Vicki Keire

Worlds Burn Through

Book #1 of the Chronicles of Nowhere Series

by Vicki Keire

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press (January 2012)
Genre: Paranormal Sci-Fi
Pages: eBook
Source: Review Request by Publisher
Purchase at: Amazon
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 stars)

Summary
Chloe Burke has nightmares of a world burned to ash and the strange boy who saves them both.

Underneath the dreams lurks a deeply buried reality; Chloe and a handful of others are survivors of a decade old apocalypse that burned their home world to the ground.

Now their ancient enemies hunt them again. To keep their adopted world safe, Chloe must undergo a ritual of blood sacrifice that will have life-long consequences if she survives. Her lethal protector, Eliot Gray, must keep her alive long enough to do it.

Together they will uncover even more dangerous secrets buried in the past’s deepest, darkest ashes.

The Good
The goose bumps that engulfed my arms refused to dissipate the first few pages of Worlds Burn Through. I was sucked in from the get-go and didn't put the book down until I turned the last page.

Chloe has lived a somewhat normal life, but after her father's death, things just wouldn't go back to normal. Chloe and her mother now have a strained relationship, which is about to get even more tense as Chloe is pulled into a world of weird. For reasons unknown to Chloe, these creatures called the Abandoned are out to kill her, and only her guardian Eliot Gray, the boy who haunts her dreams, can keep her alive. What the future holds for Chloe, no one knows, but it's not going to be pleasant, that's for sure.

I would almost classify this book as young adult if not for some language that I haven't seen in a young adult book yet (though I have not read a lot of YA in general). But the classification I got from the publisher's website says paranormal sci-fi. But it could easily fall into the urban fantasy category with a potential in paranormal romance.

Chloe as a character was pretty interesting. She has not been the same since her father died. She doesn't find enjoyment in the world like she use to. And after some horrible things happen to her (sexual assault and an attack from horrible fire creatures), she is finding it hard to accept the new reality she is forced to now live in. But she has an obvious potential for strength that I think will grow in future books.

I liked Eliot a lot. His strength, both physical and mental, was quite obvious from the beginning. His care for Chloe was very endearing, and I can't wait until it takes a turn towards the romantic. His combat skills were noteworthy and made for some exciting fight scenes. But it was actually Alexander who interested me the most. He was not a big part of the book, but his short appearance made a huge impact. His fight is also with the Abandoned but in a whole other way. The Abandoned are using his influential family as a means to getting Chloe. Alexander may not know it, but through his aversion to these things that parade as humans, his political and financial battle with them may just save Chloe's life. His snarky attitude fits perfectly with his aggressive/jokester demeanor. I can't wait to see what he has in store for the Abandoned.

This book focuses on multiple characters, which at first irritated me but then became both exciting and essential. As a reader, it was nice to know what was happening in other parts of the region while the Abandoned sank their claws into numerous victims.

I am looking forward to learning more about the dynamics of the world Keire has created. The little background we get from this book was a great appetizer for what I hope will be a hefty load of world building we will see in the next book.

Worlds Burn Through is full of suspense and amped up my adrenaline through good old fashioned anxiety. I truly did fear for the characters and often held my breath, waiting to see how they were going to get out of some pretty dismal situations. Keire's writing is both streamline and mesmerizing. I will for sure be looking out for other books by this wonderful author.

The Bad
Really, the only thing that annoyed me was how abruptly it ended. The book doesn't end, it just stops in the middle of the story. Kind of like a 'to be continued' sort of thing. I don't mind cliffhanger endings, but this sudden ending bothered me enough to knock off a star.

The Snuggly
Not too much romance in this book but there is a lot of hints that there will be in the next book. No sex except for a scary close call of a sexual assault.

Overall
I can't wait for the next book. Keire has created a thrill ride of action, adventure, with a hint of romance. Though I wish the book was longer, I still enjoyed reading every page. Chloe, Elliot, and Alexander are all multi-dimensional characters that make this story a great read. I think Keire might be a hidden gem in the writing world and has a bright future ahead of her. A highly recommended book.

Excerpt
“Chloe,” he whispered, and the room around them exploded into a ring of fire.  There were shapes in the fire, of people who were wrong, who were stretched too thin and who undulated with the flames.  Their hands were flattened and sharp with fingers and teeth like razors, and she knew they had to get out.  There were no adults to save them now.  She did not cry out as the boy dragged her out of her bed.  His slim body blocked her from the flames, his hands a strange alchemy of object, motion, and light.  He cut through blood-colored flames with a single flare of gold, with a strength and steadiness that did not match his age, and walked through them, past razor-sharp hands that reached for them.  He brought her to a place thick with the smell of forest and river where her mother waited, catching her up in the smothering embrace frightened parents reserve for their children.  As she looked over her mother’s shoulder, she saw, through what looked like an arched, open door, a world engulfed in flames.  There were tears on her cheeks, and she didn’t know why, except that a world was burning, her world, and there was nothing she could do.