Here Me Roar About "Wildcat Fireflies"

Title:  Wildcat Fireflies (Fenestra #2)
Author:  Amber Kizer
Format:  Audible Audiobook
Length:  13hrs. 44mins.
Publisher:  Audible Inc.
Age Range:  Late Teen/Adult
Rating: 4 Stars


Meridian Sozu is a Fenestra—the half-human, half-angel link between the living and the dead. She has the dark responsibility of helping souls transition safely into the afterlife. If people die without the help of a Fenestra, their souls are left vulnerable to be stolen by the Aternocti, a dark band of forces who disrupt the balance of good and evil in the world and cause chaos.
Having recently lost her beloved Auntie—the woman who showed her what it meant to be a Fenestra—Meridian has hit the road with Tens, her love and sworn protector, in hopes of finding another Fenestra. Their search leads them to Indiana, where Juliet, a responsible and loving teenager, works tirelessly in the nursing home where she and several other foster kids are housed. Surrounded by death, Juliet struggles to make a loving home for the younger kids, and to protect them from the violent whims of their foster mother. But she is struggling against forces she can't understand . . . and even as she feels a pull toward the dying, their sickness seems to infect her, weighing her down. . . .
Will Meri and Tens find Juliet in time to save her from a life of misery and illness? And will Meri and Tens' own romance weather the storms of new discoveries?   -Goodreads

     Meridian and Tens are at it again and the stakes are even higher.  They are on the trail of a fledgeling Fenestra and they have to find her before the Aternocti, or she and her gifts will be lost forever.


You Know What?
     This was a rather difficult review to write due to the sheer volume of new storyline, character introductions, and the almost complete departure from the foundation laid in the first book.
Though this is supposed to be a continuation of Meridian's story; she and Tens get lost in the shuffle after Juliet is introduced.
This is not to say that Juliet's story is not a good one.  It grabs the heart in it's Annie-esque clutches (insert chorus of "Hard Knock Life" here) and holds on for dear life.  The problem lies in the fact  that Juliet's story should itself be a book.  She has her own Aternocti, guardian angel, protector, and a human oppressor to boot.  (Oh yeah...she even has her own version of Costus.  A very pissed off cat named Minerva.)  Add to this the whole missing mother situation and and all the dying old people.  See...book right?
Truthfully, if it were not for the  steamy 'almost sex scenes' a la Meridian and Tens; one could almost forget they exist.  

If You Build It...?
The beginning and middle of this book are so emotionally intense that by the end the reader is begging for the "and they lived happily ever after release".  Do you get it?   Well...sorta.  The last part of this story is happy yes...story...not so much.  
Amber Kizer  falls victim to the "I gotta make my deadline so let me explain" ending.  This is the ending that 'tells' the reader how things turn out  in a couple of sentences at the end of the book.
"Storytelling be damned!  This bow is getting tied!"

And Finally!
      All things considered, this is a good book.  Though it has some issues that keep it just shy of perfection; it is worthy of a read.  The direction of this book leaves the road wide open for a fantastic journey in the next.  This reviewer will be there for every step...will you?



Audiobook Review
Khristine Hvam delivers a wonderful performance in this heart-tugging read.  She did a wonderful job in bringing all of the characters to life and her vocal interpretations of each persona were original and distinct.  Here again is a rising star in the realm of audiobooks.

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