Welcome to my stop on The Messenger Tour! This tour is brought to you by AToMR Tours. Thank you to Pamela DuMond for providing the book to review. There is also a tour-wide giveaway for some nifty goodies! Giveaway: The author is giving away (1) print copy of THE MESSENGER to US addresses. Open International giveaway is (5) eBook copies of THE MESSENGER.
(Mortal Beloved, Book 1)
by Pamela DuMond
*Formerly Titled: The Messenger's Handbook
Release Date: April 2012
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi, Historical Fiction
Synopsis:
Infinity. Life. Death. Rebirth. Some souls are meant to be together, but pursuing true love can be dangerous and often deadly. When sixteen-year-old Madeline falls in love with Samuel, a boy who lives hundreds of years before she is even born, she will risk her very existence to be with him.
Madeline’s from present day Chicago when she is pushed onto the train tracks, and accidentally time travels to a bloody war between the Natives and the colonists. She falls in love with a Native boy, Samuel. But, she’s living in the body of a colonial girl and their romance is a crime that carries harsh punishments.
Madeline discovers that she is meant to be a Messenger, a traveler who if properly trained, can slip through time's fabric at will. The Medicine Woman mentors her. But Madeline doesn't fit in this world. She’s different from the other colonists. Rumors of witchcraft and spying arise. Deadly Hunters, dark-souled predators as well as skilled time travelers, crave Madeline's powers. Can Madeline find the way back to her future? And will that future include her one true love, Samuel?
My Thoughts:
I am a huge fan of time travel books and The Messenger did not disappoint! Madeline has had a hard time ever since her mother vanished in a car crash. Madeline was in the car when it crashed and only remembers the fear of the car falling and that her mother was no where to be found afterward. Her family had her mom legally declared dead so they could move on, but somewhere in the back of her mind, Madeline isn't sure of what really happened. On her birthday, her father gave her a book that her mother made for you ten years earlier; a book that she remembers her mother working on, but only finds it to be nothing more than an album. But it is so much more.
Madeline is a Messenger but she doesn't know what that is. It isn't until she is almost killed that she blacks out and wakes up nearly 300 years in the past. 1675 to be exact. Everyone thinks she is this girl named Abigail, except for one medicine woman who believes her story. I knew right then that this medicine woman was going to play a big part in the story because who just believes someone when they say they are from the future? As she lives the life of an upright colonial woman, she sees things that make her sick: a reverend who is supposed to be holy using his power unethically, people who jump to condemnation and live through fear and suspicion and the ravages of a war and the treatment of the local Natives. All of this makes Madeline angry, but she can't do anything about it. She just wants to get home.
Along the way, Madeline meets Samuel, a gorgeous boy with whom she falls for. However, they should not be together because he is part native and the fact that she isn't from his time. But despite the hindurances, they do fall in love and through that find enemies. Samuel promises Madeline that no matter where or when they are, they will find each other again. He is a Healer and they are part of a duo - a Healer to work with a Hunter. However, Hunters hunt Messengers. And the Hunter that appears in Madeline's dreams is there with them.
This is a fantastic story that I could not put down. The writing was easy and flowed well and I never once had to stop because of bad grammar. My main issue with this book is that there are so many questions left unanswered. I'm not sure if this was done purposefully so that we have to read on or if things were just glossed over. I would love to know more about what it means to be a Messenger. What are they, why are they and why are they hunted? And how do healers fit into the whole equation. Also, the idea of reincarnation is used and never discussed why or how. Are all souls reincarnated? Is there a reason people meet back up in other lives? You see, so many questions. And I want answers, dang it!
Despite my previous issues, I really found The Messenger to be an exciting and engaging read. I was enthralled by Ms. DuMond's characters and her vivid descriptions of the world around them. I will definitely be reading book two as soon as she presses print! For those who like The Immortals series by Alyson Noel, Timeless by Alexandra Monir, or The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller - The Messenger is a must read!
★ ★ ★ ★ ½
FTC Advisory: I was given a copy of this book from the author for an honest review as part of a blog tour. No backroom deals or whispered promises were made.
About the Author:
Pamela DuMond is the writer who discovered, pitched and sold the real-life Erin Brockovich story to Hollywood. Erin Brockovich the movie was nominated for four Academy Awards.In grade school Pamela was an A student but stuttered and was bullied. Reading became her refuge. She devoured every thriller and mystery she could get her hands on and eventually wrote her own. When she was twenty-two years old she finally started talking. Her brother swears she hasn't shut up since.
Pamela writes comedic sexy Cupcakes mysteries: Cupcakes, Lies, and Dead Guys (An Annie Graceland Mystery) was published by Krill Press in 2010. She published Cupcakes, Sales, and Cocktails – A Novella in 2011 and Cupcakes, Pies, and Hot Guys in 2012.
***Giveaway***
The author is giving away (1) print copy of THE MESSENGER to US addresses.
Open International giveaway is (5) eBook copies of THE MESSENGER.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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