Book Review - UNITY

It’s been a little more than I year since I read the first book in this series, SCHISM, and I’m happy to report that the follow up – UNITY -- was easier than I expected when it came to picking up with the characters. When I read Laura Maisano's first book, I said then - For me, one of the traits of a good book is when it’s able to overcome one or more inherent prejudices of the reader. Urban Fantasy is not a genre I'm particularly fond of, nor are books that are obviously part of a larger series, but neither of these elements prevented me from enjoying what turned out to be a very enjoyable reading experience. That sentiment still holds true here. The second book resumes the action three months after the events of the first book and it doesn’t take long before we’re back in the thick of things. With the Winged are defeated back in Illirin and Gabe struggling with his part of the slaughter, the plot kicks into high gear when Matt (the Reaper) sends Earth a message: he’ll provide access to unlimited power without the harmful effects to the environment, in return our leaders must simply submit to his rule. The thinly veiled threat sends Gabe and Lea back to Illirin to deal with Nor and fulfill the prophecy Lea has been struggling to come to grips with.

I’m not a big fan of multi-part series that seem to go on and on just for the sake of selling more books, so I was pleasantly surprised with the ending of UNITY. Each of the characters, both new and old, have a carefully laid out arc that had me invested in their journey, which even included the “bad guys”. My biggest compliment has to be saved for the conclusion, which brought forth a very satisfying (and a bit surprising) close. Once again Ms. Maisano has done a wonderful job interweaving resonating emotional content inside a very detailed plot, and making it all seem effortless. Her knack for believable world building, something that is far too often overlooked in books of this genre today, shines here.

No matter what genre you prefer, this is a pleasant tale that almost anyone would enjoy. I devoured it in a single day, which was a shame, because the experience was one I would have enjoyed drawing out for several.

You can pick up your copy of UNITY here - Amazon.