Synopsis:
Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.
Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.
The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.
Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.
The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.
My Thoughts:
*Warning: This review may contain spoilers for book one, Wither. Please read at your own risk!*
It's only been a few days since Rhine and Gabriel managed to escape the mansion and Rhine's evil father-in-law, Vaughn. After stealing a boat, they somehow find themselves on land and at a mysterious carnival. Held against their will and drugged, Rhine and Gabriel are desperate to escape. Madame, the ruler of the carnival, is an evil woman who sells girls to the highest buyer, or just by the hour. She is determined to incorporate Rhine into her show, even if Rhine refuses. But at what cost are Rhine and Gabriel willing to pay to break free?
It's been quite a long time since I read Wither, two years actually. I wasn't sure if I was going to remember everything that happened in the first book and how lost I was going to be when I finally picked up Fever. Turns out, I forgot quite a bit. But that's ok because everything I needed to know was once again told to me in this book and I could easily fill in the gaps.
What I do remember though is how much I loved Wither, and Fever was just as amazing. Rhine's character is growing stronger and more determined to escape Vaughn and to find her brother, Rowan. She won't let anything stop her, not when she knows what she needs to do. I'm still not sure of Gabriel though. I feel like he is missing something. Fire or passion, I'm not sure. It's clear that he cares about Rhine, but their relationship is not at the level I would expect it to be after he risked his life to run away with her. I want more from him. I want to see him let go and prove to Rhine how he feels. I need to feel some more goosebumps when they are together.
There is also, of course, the big bad evil Vaughn. His true colors really shine in this book and I was shocked to learn a few of his secrets that I should have seen coming from the first book, but didn't. I can't wait to get my hands on Sever and make sure that he has what is coming to him. As for his son, Linden, I'm still a little torn on my feelings for him. I didn't like him in Wither, but for some reason I found myself feeling sorry for him in this book. I really hope he turns out to be not-so-awful.
I guess what I'm saying here is: why the heck did I wait so long to read Fever? I'm so glad I decided to take part in a sequels challenge that finally forced me to pick up some long shelved books. I won't let this happen again. I am determined to pick up the final book in this series, Sever, as soon as possible. I need to know what happens with these characters, I'm too invested in them now to let them go.
For more about Lauren DeStefano and Fever, visit her website here.
Purchase: