*I received a free copy of Crushed from Angry Robot via Netgalley. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased *
Crushed by Eliza Crewe Series: Soul Eaters #2
Published by Angry Robot on 5 August 2014
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley
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Meda Melange has officially hung up her monstrous mantle and planted her feet firmly on the holy and righteous path of a Crusader-in-training. Or, at least, she’s willing to give it a shot. It helps that the Crusaders are the only thing standing between her and the demon hordes who want her dead.
The problem is, the only people less convinced than Meda of her new-found role as Good Girl are the very Crusaders she’s trying to join. So when a devilishly handsome half-demon boy offers escape, how’s a girl supposed to say “no?”
After all, everyone knows a good girl’s greatest weakness is a bad boy.
The fact that Crushed has a half-demon female character who actually enjoys having to eat humans to survive is one of the reasons I loved it so much!
My Crushed review:
The world-building is awesome, and the characters are many with several of them well developed. Even if Crushed is the second book in the Soul Eaters series, and I have not read the first book, I had no trouble following the action, the story and the plot to the fullest. Meda is a very intriguing main character, both because she is a half-demon actually trying to work with the crusaders to fight against demons, and because she actually needs human souls every now and then in order to survive. And she thoroughly enjoys her human feedings! It’s between play and necessity for her, especially because she only preys on despicable human beings who have done odious things in their lives, and frankly deserve to have a half-demon take care of them…
The crusaders are fighting the good fight, but they do not exactly enjoy having to indulge Meda with a human soul at least every month or so. And they don’t really trust her, even if she has shown her willingness to fight with them against the demons, and to keep them from the world as best she can. This distrust is partly why Meda has such a hard time at her school. Both the older crusaders and the students she has class with are a little afraid of her and her powers, even if there is a big chance she’ll do something amazing in the future and possibly save all mankind.
When even her best friend starts to act weird around her, and her room becomes a prison every night, Meda becomes easy pickings for the sexy half-demon and succubus Maurice. They run around together every night, up until the day when he persuades her to run away with him. There are many things that happen to help Meda make the decision to run from those who are supposed to help keeping her safe. And it is actually very easy to understand why she feels so disenchanted with the whole crusader thing. Maurice is a great companion for her, especially after he agrees to her rule to only take out ‘bad’ humans, and the way they play with those is chilling, really.
I now know I have to get my hands on Cracked, even if I am sure some things will appear evident to me in the first story since I have already read the second. Written mostly in first person, present tense, I loved seeing the world through Meda’s eyes, even if the fact that she is the narrator also is proof from the start that she survived – how else would she be able to tell her story, right? If you are looking for a story that dares to show a paranormal creature actually act the way most of them used to – with no qualms about what they need in order to survive – you should pick up this series! It is really well done.
Some of my favorite Crushed quotes:
The unkempt bungalow is old, and sad. It appears to be the type of place thats’ swallowed a great many happy children, and spat out discontent adults, and the work left it tired.
Colton suspects we’re not just children, that we are, in fact, the terrifying things that go bump in the night. But, no, that’s wrong. Not things that bump. Bumps are clumsy and inelegant. They are sounds made by creatures not at home in the darkness. I don’t bump. I crunch in the night. I crack; I splatter; I splash. But I never, ever bump.
About Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms
Linda is an English as foreign language teacher and has a Master's degree in English Language and Literature. She's an avid reader, blogger, compulsive one-clicker and a genre omnivore. Ever since she learnt how to read she has been seen with a book or two in her hands everywhere she goes.
I could see me needing a bit to get used the whole eating humans idea, but I was able to accept Angel’s (White Trash Zombie) need for brains, so why not this? It’s definitely unique! I’ll have to look this series up on Audible to see if it’s available because first person POV narration is the best. Thanks, Lexxie! 🙂
That looks absolutely good, I loved the last quote 😉
i love the cover art! amd its a bonus thay should i choose to read this ,i don’t have to burden myself to reading book 1.
This is an excellent review, Lexxie. You’ve definitely enticed me to read this series. That the world building is so well done and the characters so well drawn is a draw – particularly as you enjoyed them so well and hadn’t read the first in the series. The story sounds fascinating and chilling. And I’m eager to meet Meda. 🙂
Thanks for adding yet another few books to my tbr, my friend. I do hope you’re enjoying your Saturday! **BIG HUGS**
I heard so many great things about this series and I know I need to try it as well. I’m glad to see you had a good time.