Book Review: Black Orchid by Abigail Owen (Book IV of the Svatura Series) and Giveaway

It’s my pleasure to review book IV of the Svatura Series, Black Orchid, by Abigail Owen here on Wining Wife as part of the Black Orchid Blog Tour. For those who haven’t read the series, here’s a quick recap of the first three books (don’t worry, I won’t give away any spoilers!).

These books are in the young adult paranormal romance genre – a popular genre for teenage girls and women alike. They follow the exploits of Ellie Aubrey and others. The series begins with the book Blue Violet, which follows Aubrey, a gypsy princess, and her twin brother Griffin as they deal with the aftermath of hiding for many years. She comes out of hiding to watch over another family who has similar powers to her own, and in so doing, meets Alex Jenner. Now Ellie and Griffin are not normal teenagers, they instead are part of a group of supernatural beings called the Svatura who were largely murdered by the Vyusher – so you can imagine things became quite complicated, especially as Aubury began taking more risks for the boy we all know she falls in love with.

In the second book, Hyacinth, we follow Selene, one of the Vyusher. She harbors a secret love for Griffin Aubrey. This, naturally complicates things as he is one of her family’s enemies. After things get complicated when Selene seeks out help from Ellie and Griffin, will things work out between her and her love?

The third book in the series, Crimson Dahlia has things get more complicated (doesn’t everything always escalate in the third book?) Lila Jenner leaves her family and everything she knows in order to start over – Ramsey Pierce lets her go. However, when an old enemy goes missing, Ramsey works hard to try to protect her and win her back. Will he?

That brings us to the most recent release (May 2014)  Black Orchid. Here is the synopsis provided by the publisher:

”

Heartbroken…

Adelaide Jenner feels nothing… she is completely numb inside. Her te’sorthene, her fated love, abandoned her and joined their enemy. On that day her sister turned off all Adelaide’s emotions in order to save her from a heartbreak that could push her over the edge of sanity. But great power wielded without compassion or love can only lead to pain.

Deceived…

Nate Pierce believes Adelaide used her extraordinary powers to deceive him all these years. So he destroyed a relationship he thought to be false and hungers for revenge. Now, Nate serves Maddox. He is unaware that his new leader is using him as a pawn in a bid to enslave all Svatura.

Unraveling…

The only hope of finally defeating Maddox is for Adelaide and her sisters to combine their growing powers against him. But the the key to a Svatura’s power is the heart, and Adelaide’s is still missing.”

Now, while paranormal teen romance isn’t exactly my glass of Merlot, the book is a fun read. It transports you to a world where extraordinary powers allow the people in the world to have an amazing balance between ordinary everydayness and the magic that makes everything far more complex. It wraps the whole series up well, and gives the reader a satisfying feeling – unlike with some series where the ending makes you feel heartbroken. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy books like those in the Twilight series.

Buy Links

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository  |  iBooks  |  Kobo  |  Goodreads

Now for the moment you’ve been waiting for, my first giveaway. Enter for your chance to win a $40 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Giftcard or a $40 Book Depository shopping spree plus the first three books in the series given away as digital copies. Just click on the link below to find instructions on entering.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Bio

Award-winning author, Abigail Owen was born in Greeley, Colorado and raised in Austin, Texas. She now resides in Northern California with her husband and two adorable children who are the center of her universe.

Abigail grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. A fourth generation graduate of Texas A&M University, she attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by obtaining a degree in English Rhetoric/Technical Writing. However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.

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