8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fate or Choice?, May 29, 2010
This review is from: Early to Death, Early to Rise (Madison Avery, Book 2) (Hardcover)
Madison is dead, her body is no where to be found and officially she's the new Dark Timekeeper. Always by her side are the Dark Reaper Nakita and The Light (actually neutral) Reaper Barnabas. She doesn't believe in fate though as the Dark Timekeeper she is suppose to, yet she doesn't believe that all these 'marks' will make the right decision on their own, they need some intervention. Naturally this is throwing off the order of everything, and no one Reaper or Seraph knows what to do with her. The sad fact is that as a young senior in high school, she's flying by instinct alone and isn't sure what she's doing either.
This is the second installment of the Madison Avery series and I personally think is better than the first one. The first book Once Dead, Twice Shy threw the reader into a world of marks, Reapers, Timekeepers, amulets, Seraphs, guardian angels, exc. In this book we already have a feel for Madison's world and understand a bit more how reaps work. Madison is working so hard to try to find a balance between being the Timekeeper of fate, yet herself believing in free choice. This whole book is about one reap and the everyone connected to it.
The only reason it didn't get five stars was because I believe it was too short, in hardcover, and needed more storyline. The plot was fantastic, but simple and only involved one reap. Madison didn't even learn any new skills or train with Barnabas. There also wasn't that much action. I love how the story unfolds and where the plot is going though and that makes it a worthy read. Light on action, but thick in characters.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
I tried but I failed, March 11, 2011
This review is from: Early to Death, Early to Rise (Madison Avery, Book 2) (Hardcover)
Madison is the new Dark timekeeping. Much to her disliking I might add. Trying to change the way the heavens have been doing things since the beginning of time isn't as easy as she might think. Especially while she is constantly finding herself in the middle of Nakita, a dark angel, and Barnabus, a once light angel gone grim. The three of them working together is next to impossible. Determined not to give into a fate Madison doesn't believe in, she is out to prove there is another way. That everyone has a choice, but she begins to question herself after spending a little time inside her marks head. Will Madison be able to change the rules of the divine? Or will Nakita get frustrated and scythe him? In the end the big question is will Madison be able to hang on to her beliefs?
After reading the first book in this series I was left intrigued by the whole concept of light and dark timekeepers.
Fate vs. Choice
While I did come to understand the concept a little better something about it just isn't setting right with me. I still found myself a bit confused from time to time, as I often did in the first book. I'm also sad to report that it just didn't seem to keep me interested. My mind kept wondering to other stories I've read recently. I will say that I am happy to see Madison has grown up some and Grace is still talking in riddles. At times her riddles were funny, but at others they fell flat.
I was also sad to see that Josh, Madison's love interest, didn't have much of a roll in this book. I would have liked to see more from him and I will admit that when he was in the picture, the book had my attention. When he wasn't my mind started to wander. Can you tell I'm a sucker for teen agnsty tension?? Yep yep I am and I'm not afraid to admit it, but there just wasn't enough in here for me.
This being said all I have left is...Try it you might like it. There are a lot of reviews out there for this series and they range from 1 to 5 stars so who knows maybe you'll understand it better than i did!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Saving Souls, October 10, 2010
This review is from: Early to Death, Early to Rise (Madison Avery, Book 2) (Hardcover)
Early to Death, Early to Rise (2010) is the second Fantasy novel in the Madison Avery series, following
Once Dead, Twice Shy. In the previous volume, Seth tried to give Madison a final death, but Nakita intervened and killed the dark timekeeper. A seraph then confirmed that Madison was the new dark timekeeper, but Madison still believes in Choice rather than Fate.
Madison decided to try to talk the marks into saving their souls by changing their ways. The seraphs allowed her to try and gave her Barnabas and Nakita to support the effort. Grace was also assigned to Madison.
In this novel, Madison Avery is dead, but appears alive due to Seth's amulet. Although she is now the dark timekeeper, she knows very little about the role. Her reapers are trying to help her, but Nakita is only sure that Madison is boss. Everything else is subject to debate.
Josh Daniels is the son of a coworker of Madison's father. He had witnessed the death of Madison. His memories of the incident were wiped, but now he remembers again.
Barnabas was a light reaper. He is now a grim reaper, neither dark nor light. He is Madison's principal supporter in the project, but even he is not convinced that intervention will work.
Nakita is a dark reaper. She is still puzzled by the situation, but tries her best. Still, this doesn't mean that she has stopped arguing with Baranbas.
Charon is the light timekeeper. Ron had been Barnabas's boss, but is now just a pain in the neck. He believes in Choice, but tends to lie to Madison and Barnabas.
Grace had been Guardian, Reaper-Augmented Cherub Extinction Security number one-seventy-six -- a first level guardian angel -- before Madison gave her a name. Then she was promoted to messenger and assigned to assist and watch Madison. Grace also issues relevant Limericks now and then.
Mitch (Shoe) is a young man is his last year of high school and is headed to college. He works at a pizza joint and plays with computers in his spare time.
Ace is Shoe's best friend, but recently they have been arguing a lot. He is not going to college and believes that Shoe is leaving him behind. Ace also works at the pizza place.
In this story, Grace has brought Madison word of a cyber prankster who will cause the death of a few people at a local hospital. Madison, Josh, Barnabas and Nakita sneak out of school to hunt the cracker. But Nakita doesn't understand about sneaking. She just walks out toward Josh's pickup.
Naturally, Nakita is spotted and the group is caught. Worse yet, they are caught by a cop. They are escorted back toward the school entrance by the policewoman.
Barnabas tells her to drop back as they are walking. As each one passes the cop, Barnabas wipes her memory of that person. Finally, the policewoman reaches the school with only Josh in tow.
Madison is sorry to leave Josh behind, but somebody has to remain or the memory wipe must be deeper. Besides, Josh has little to add to the cracker hunt. Madison gets a ride with Barnabas and they fly off.
During their flight, Madison has an urge to land at a local mall. As she enters the pizzeria to order a cold drink, she witnesses the firing of two teenage employees. She feels that one of them is the cracker.
The reapers argue over which one is the mark. Madison lets them argue and Grace recites a limerick. Then Madison suggests that they split up -- mostly to separate the reapers --and sends Barnabas after Shoe. Then Madison and Nakita follow Ace.
Madison and Nakita get a ride in Ace's car. Along the way, he tells her something about his life and his relationship to Shoe. Madison confides a little about their mission and Ace is shocked. Then Nakita grabs his shirt and demands that he take them to Shoe's house.
Ace orders them out of the truck. Madison is ready to leave, but Nakita isn't ready to let go. Ace threatens to hit her and Madison drags her out of the vehicle.
Now Madison believes that Shoe is one who will cause the deaths. She tries to use her amulet to contact Barnabas, but also touches Ron and another person. Barnabas reaches the two just before Ron appears.
This tale has Madison spying on Shoe at his computer. Then she does a flash forward and watches the cracker load the virus onto a disk. But the flash forward hurts beautifully.
Nothing goes right, but Madison keeps trying. The next installment is
Something Deadly This Way Comes. Read and enjoy!
Highly recommended for Harrison fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of supernatural magic, the walking dead, and girls making the best of their situation.
-Arthur W. Jordin
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