Series: Keepers of LIfe #1
Paperback: 334 Pages
Publication: August 2, 2011 by Entangled Publishing
Seventeen-year-old Dylan Kennedy always knew something was different about him, but until his mother abandoned him in the middle of Oregon with grandparents he’s never met, he had no idea what.
When Dylan sees a girl in white in the woods behind his grandparents’ farm, he knows he’s seen her before…in his dreams. He’s felt her fear. Heard her insistence that only he can save her world from an evil lord who uses magic and fear to feed his greed for power.Unable to shake the unearthly pull to Kera, Dylan takes her hand. Either he’s completely insane or he’s about to have the adventure of his life, because where they’re going is full of creatures he’s only read about in horror stories. Worse, the human blood in his veins has Dylan marked for death…
Shea Berkley is an amazing writer. From the beginning, she engages us with the mystery of the girl in white, the girl who never speaks and whose face Dylan has trouble remembering outside his dreams. Dylan is a rare male narrator, and I enjoyed reading from his perspective. His thoughts are straightforward and often sarcastic. Deep inside, however, he has a caring nature and passionate resolve, and he has strong support from his good friends Leo and Jason. He’s a modern high-school hero.
While Dylan is the hero of this story, the story is told from the alternating perspectives of Dylan and Kera, the girl of his dreams. If you only knew Kera from Dylan’s dreams, you would think of her as a mysterious beauty. In reality, Kera is a headstrong, brazen girl. One thing hasn’t changed from the dreams, she does care for Dylan, and the feeling is mutual. There is nothing Dylan wouldn’t do to protect the girl of his dreams and her home world: the world of Teag, a fantastical world filled with diverse supernatural beings.
Boys and girls alike will love this book: not only because of the alternating perspectives, but also for the adventure and amazing storytelling. While Dylan is the true hero of the story, Kera is a strong heroine who doesn’t let Dylan overshadow her role in the story. She plays her part with fiery spirit despite the ordeals she must endure. There is romance in this story, but it’s nothing of the chick-flick sort. Dylan and Kera have known each other through their shared dreams since they were children, and their love is true and pure.
The Marked Son is filled with a wild cast of characters, gorgeous settings, and magical storytelling. I laughed, cried, cringed, and literally lost myself in the world that Berkley has created. If you are looking for an action-packed paranormal/fantasy read, I highly recommend this novel.
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An ARC was provided by the publisher for review purposes
Author: Crystal
A story girl at heart, Crystal is a bibliophile who can easily spend the day immersed in a good read. She writes under the name Kristy Wang. You can follow her writing adventures on X and Instagram @_kristywang.
roro says
same here ,lov that book, so lookin 4ward to book2 the lost prince
Anonymous says
I agree, it's nice to see a book told from a male perspective! There are so many female narrators and protagonists, and not too very many males!
Crystal says
Natalie, I agree that there aren't enough books told from guy perspectives in YA. That's what drew me to this book when I first heard about it.
Giselle, I didn't really like the cover either. It was the plot and the fact that Dylan is a male narrator that drew me in. I'm glad that I picked it up!
Giselle says
I was wondering about this book. At first I was put off by the cover – I don't really like it. But it sounds really great. I love mysteries and intriguing plot lines. I also enjoy different POV, especially when it's both genres. Great review!
Giselle
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Natalie Aguirre says
Great review. I hadn't heard of this book yet. I like that some of the POV is from Dylan's POV. There aren't enough guy POV characters in YA. Thanks.