Book Review: Burn and the Rephaim series by Paula Weston

“Love. Nightmares. Angels. War.” 
– Paula Weston, Shadows

SYNOPSIS

Burn: The Rephaim Book Four – Suddenly, Gaby remembers everything.

For a year she believed she was a backpacker chilling out in Pandanus Beach. Working at the library. Getting over the accident that killed her twin brother.

Then Rafa came to find her and Gaby discovered her true identity as Gabe: one of the Rephaim. Over a hundred years old. Half angel, half human, all demon-smiting badass and hopelessly attracted to the infuriating Rafa.

Now she knows who faked her memories, and how—and why it’s all hurtling towards a massive showdown between the forces of heaven and hell.

More importantly, she remembers why she’s spent the last ten years wanting to seriously damage Rafa.

REVIEW

There are times when my neighbours must think I am a little crazy… all they hear is a girl standing by the letterbox squealing! Late last year I binge read the first three books in Paula Weston’s Rephaim series – Shadows, Haze and Shimmer – and stared at the back of book three with great sadness when I realised it was going to be seven long months before the last book came out! Needless to say I was extremely excited when book four turned up for review – thank you Text! I couldn’t review Burn without doing a write-up of the series as a whole.

Meet Gaby. A year after the death of her twin brother Jude she is living in a small Australian coastal town, working in a library and living with her new friend Maggie. Plagued by nightmares full of fighting hell-beasts, Gaby’s mind and body are raw with grief. Enter Rafa, the ultimate bad boy oozing charm, fight and a ton of sex appeal. He is hard and fast and comes to town with a tale for Gaby; a dangerous story of the Rephaim – half-angel/half-human – on a search for the Fallen while avoiding the demons hunting them all down. Stranger yet, Rafa claims that Gaby and Jude are Rephaim too…

This series is ADDICTIVE! From the very first page I couldn’t put it down; the pace picks up so quickly that the first book was over soonerthan I wanted it to be. Despite the intensity of the story, there is a laidback ‘Australian-ness’ to it that I found extremely endearing without being over the top. Weston’s writing allows the reader to get swept up with the characters; they are so likable and so real. There is also an intense physicality to the story; the characters are always on the move, either fighting others or each other and it is quite exhausting at times! The short time frame over which the story is told fuels the intensity; each book picks up right where the last left off and the overall time is about two weeks. Books two and three hold their own – there is no filler book in this series!

The final book Burn was no exception! The story came hurtling towards a massive showdown between angels and demons with a mixed group of humans stuck in between. The book begins with Gaby finally remembering who she is and the reason why everyone has been so cautious around her, especially Rafa. Gaby has something big to decide. Does she tell everyone the truth of what happened twelve months ago?

Overall, this urban-fantasy series is seriously good. Weston manages and maintains the story in a way that keeps the reader engaged. Not once did my attention waver… although there may have been a few moments of daydreaming about Rafa… he is such an ass-kicking bad boy! There is plenty of mystery, suspens, intrigue and action with a dash of romance to satisfy any reader!

 

AUTHOR: Paula Weston

ISBN: 9781925240078

PUBLISHER: Text Publishing

RRP: $19.99

PUB DATE: 24 June 2015

 

Thank you to Text Publishing for sending me a reading copy in exchange for an honest review!