I’ve got some spoilers in my review…

So… I love the Twilight series. And like every other fan of that series, I got all excited when this book came out. It took me a massive amount of time to get through it, partly because of work-related interruptions, and partly because this book dragged for me. Seriously.

Wanderer and Melanie’s relationship was the most interesting part of the book to me. Lots of inner conflict between the body and the soul (literally and figuratively), each learning about different cultures and histories, and eventually coming to trust each other. And this relationship took a backseat to Wanderer (which is such a better name than Wanda!) fitting in with human beings and constantly being in love with Jared and getting knocked around and feeling confused about Ian. There were way too many characters to keep track of in the caves. Basically, what I’m trying to say in a muddled way (ha!), is that this book lacks focus. It felt more like a serial, something I’d pick up every few weeks, than a cohesive novel. The pace is slow, and I found myself reading large chunks without really feeling any sense of development in the plot. There’s just too much going on here!

So, while the book had an interesting premise, and Melanie and Wanderer really grew on me (Ian eventually did as well), this just wasn’t what I was expecting. With some editing, or maybe by separating this story into a collection, I think the overall story would improve.

I will say that these books do make me want to go live in a cave, eat tough bread rolls, and visit a hot springs. But I want nothing to do with cactus soap.