I received this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
Mosaic by Sarah Fine Series: Reliquary #3
Published by 47North on 2016-11-15
Length: 320 pages
Reviewing eARC from Netgalley
Rating:
Reading Challenges: 2016 New Release Challenge
Mattie Carver never thought she’d give up her small-town life to become one half of the best magic-smuggling duo in the business. Until recently, she didn’t even know such a business existed. But as an unusually strong reliquary—able to carry vast quantities of magic in her body, undetected—she’s been pulled into an underworld of organized crime and addictive enchantments. And although she’s determined to keep things professional, her partner, Asa Ward, is a temptation she finds increasingly hard to resist.
Even as their relationship reaches a tipping point, Mattie is wary; Asa already told her he hates cages—literal or otherwise. But when an international black-market magic exchange goes awry, Asa falls into the hands of his enemies. Now, with the man who refuses to be controlled under the command of a ruthless captor, Mattie must decide how far she’s willing to go to rescue him—assuming there’s anything left to save.
I am so sad writing this review. Sarah Fine is one of my favorite authors. I fell in love with her Guards of the Shadowland series and have been hooked on her writing ever since. But Mosaic was not at all what I was expecting. It didn’t really follow the first two books of the Reliquary series. In fact, I loved Reliquary and Splinter so I was really excited for the series conclusion. However I was so disappointed upon reading that I really don’t even know how to begin this review.
Mosaic picks up an undisclosed amount of time after the end of Splinter. It’s clear on reading that Mattie has been traveling the world and working with Asa. What’s unclear is their relationship. They seem to tiptoe around each other. Mattie still guarding her heart and Asa wanting more but waiting. At least that is the gist of it. Mattie has reverted back to the character she was at the beginning of Reliquary. She’s afraid of commitment, afraid to love, and running from her past headlong into Asa and his underground magic trading.
I could have handled the character regression after what happened to Mattie in the second book. What I couldn’t handle though was the scattered plot. I really had a hard time following what was going on, especially in the beginning of the book. There is no real clear time line on how long Asa and Mattie have been working together and how much time has passed since the second book. I could have handled that, but the odd, violent plot I couldn’t take. Asa and Mattie get in over their heads and Asa is taken by one of the larger magic-mob bosses, the same one that supposedly held his mother. It’s basically his nightmare and honestly I was excited (at first) to see how Mattie would handle saving Asa for a change, but I was so disappointed in its execution. The characters that pop up in this book from previous books don’t align with what we the readers know of them. Characters that have proven to be enemies are now allies, allies can’t be trusted…it’s all really confusing. And the ending….don’t even get me started!
Overall, I want a do-over. At 48% I stopped reading and just skimmed. I couldn’t handle the violence, I couldn’t handle the characters’ odd behaviors (acting unlike they have in previous books), I just couldn’t. And the sweet relationship/friendship that had blossomed between Mattie and Asa…that’s gone! Seriously I was questioning if I was reading the right book because it takes such a drastic turn from the previous two. Mosaic reads more like a second, bridge novel in a series than the concluding novel. Disappointing!
About Sarah Fine
Sarah Fine is a clinical psychologist and the author of the GUARDS OF THE SHADOWLANDS series, as well as other young adult novels and the adult fantasy novel MARKED.
She was born on the West Coast, raised in the Midwest, and is now firmly entrenched on the East Coast, where she lives with her husband and two children.
What a shame this one was SUCH a disappointment:(.
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