Fading Amber (The Cambion Chronicles #3)
By: Jamie Reed
Rating: 5 stars
Genre:Paranormal,Fantasy,Romance,YA Fiction
Publisher: K-Teen/Dafina
Released Date: December 24th 2012

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Synopsis:

After falling for a Cambion and then turning into one herself, Samara never thought her senior year could get any more complicated. The gaps in her memory, the mysterious deaths and the constant danger that threaten her once quiet town have a common thread: Tobias, a demon with a lot of enemies. He’s also Samara’s other soul mate and he’s suddenly disappeared. But Samara isn’t the only one who wants to find Tobias. His enemies are getting closer and their plans for retribution could mean deadly consequences for Samara and her true soul mate, Caleb.

BOOK REVIEW:

 

Truth be told, I am not a romancey type. I made it a mission to read more books from that genre this year, but I knew I’d be dragging my feet. Luckily, there have been a few tolerable books I have come across this year with the romancey theme and I am so delighted to add Fading Amber to that list.

On top of that admission, I could kick myself for getting this series mixed up with a different one I read forever ago, because as it turns out I haven’t read books 1 or 2, Living Violet or Burning Emerald like I thought I did. -_- I don’t even know if it’s sadder or not that this isn’t the first time I’ve done this.

Anywho, before I jump into the review, I also have to say this. From what I got from this book, Fading Amber and the entire Cambion Chronicles is everything the Twilight Sage and the millions of books that imitate it should be. This kind of writing and these layered/three dimensional characters are everything when it comes to YA books in my opinion.

Books (and TV shows) with teens plunged into unspeakable paranormal/supernatural circumstances, on top of school and having a social life, veer too often in this superficial, stereotypical cloud of in difference and self wallowing, that always makes me sick.

Mainly because when I try to put myself in their situation, I never once come up with the half-witted conclusions that they do or succumb to the wiles of the “macho prince charming.”   I am and will forever be the hero of my own story, which is not to say that I can’t have a co-pilot or anything. But enough babble about me.

I want to tell you all about how much I loved Fading Amber. This book had humor, realistic mother/daughter banter and a realistic perspective from a high school teenager, Samara, who wants a career and normal life first with being tied down or bonded (in this case) the last and furthest thing on her mind. Not only that, the author uses incorporates a kind of dying for love troupe in the narrative that was just another example of how relatable Samara’s character is and how being willing to die for love isn’t always about the boy/girlfriend in a YA fiction.

I’d also like to make a notable mention to her boyfriend, Caleb, who too didn’t want to rush their relationship anymore than Samara did. The two just wanted normal Cambion lives (if that even exist) and stability.  The two seemed to have gone through quiet a lot and I am excited to go and read books 1 & 2 to see how my assessment of the final book in the series adds up.

I love the duo now, but I wonder if I will still have that feeling reading about how they began. I also found myself feeling for Lilith and Tobias even. Even knowing all of the horrible things he has done and the lives he has taken, the author does did a good job at emitting a bit of sympathy for the two in my opinion. I could really go on and on about how much fun I had reading this book, but I think you’ve read enough from me for now.