ETHEREAL (Book 1 Celestra YA series) by Addison Moore
For the next few days, The Reading Cafe will feature the books of Addison Moore. Stay tuned for our Interview and Giveaway with Addison on Wednesday March 28, 2012
ETHEREAL is the first book in Addison Moore’s Celestra series of Young Adult paranormal fiction. The Celestra are the highest order of Nephilium on earth, and are therefore coveted or hunted to destruction by those hoping to eradicate their existence. Addison introduces several levels of angels and demons, all seemingly at war with one another, but our heroine Skyla Messenger is about to enter into a realm of existence she thought only found between the pages of a fairy tale.
Skyla Messenger is new in town. Her father was killed in a fire, and although she survived, her life has been changed forever. She once shared the ability to read people’s mind with her father through touch, but now she believes she is the only one left who knows her secret. But when her mother and step-father move the family to Paragon Island, she soon realizes there are more ‘people’ similar and dissimilar to her than she could have ever imagined.
Having met Brielle, the girl next door, Skyla soon learns that her new home was once the house of a young girl who was murdered. But it isn’t long before the ghosts from the past haunt the new residents, and whisk Skyla on a journey through time and space. And like any normal teenager, Skyla must suffer through the rankings of new-girl-in –town syndrome. Acceptance will be difficult especially now that she has the attention of virtually every available boy in town.
Logan and Gage are cousins, and play a major role in Skyla’s new life on Paragon Island. Both with their-own special powers of the Nephilium, Logan is able to communicate with Skyla through touching, and Gage has the strength and speed, as well as teleportation. Still learning about her powers, Skyla inadvertently travels through time and makes a connection with Chloe, the murdered girl, and alters the space-time continuum (channeling my inner Star-Trek). In doing so, Skyla has also alerted those who wish to see her gone. She soon learns she has a deeper affiliation with Chloe than just former living arrangements.
We read about the growing relationship between Logan and Skyla, but Gage has the power of forethought. And it is with this knowledge, that something isn’t quite right with the direction their paths will soon be heading. Skyla’s love for Logan is tested many times, but it is Logan’s love and affirmation for Skyla that will be called into question now and in the future.
Addison Moore writes an interesting storyline. She introduces several characters, as well as different species into the mix, without overwhelming our senses. The storyline is fast paced and rarely stutters, and she blends the reality of a teen-age girl with the paranormal of a supernatural being. The typical Young Adult 3-way love triangle is present, but there is a twist. I can only hope that Addison does not delve too deeply into the angst of the triangle, as that premise was lost to me with another long-suffering series. Ethereal is the first release in the Celestra series, and I look forward to reading the next.
Reviewed by Sandy
