SOURCE: Netgalley
TYPE: E-Read
TITLE: The Other Lamb
AUTHOR: Katie Young
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Curiosity Quills Press
PAGES: 226
GENRE: Young Adult, Horror, Fantasy
RATING: 3/5 Stars
Blurb:
Incarcerated on Earth as punishment for breeding with humans, the Watchers found a way to escape. Zach is living proof of that…even though someone has cut out his heart.When Zach turns eighteen he develops an insatiable thirst for blood, but he tries to bury his fears and go on enjoying his birthday. His best friend Kim has scored them tickets to the hottest gig in town. But a charged encounter with his idol, the enigmatic rock star known as Grigory, leads to a revelation that shatters everything Zach thinks he knows about himself and the world, and places everyone dear to him in grave danger.
Zach is a Naphil, the forbidden offspring of a mortal woman and a Watcher. When those who seek to destroy him snatch Kim, Zach is forced to embark on a journey of discovery spanning continents and ages. With the help of a mysterious stranger named Sam, Zach must unearth the truth about his parentage, find Kim, and discover who has stolen his heart…before he triggers the apocalypse.
What I Liked:
- The fantastic writing style employed by Kate Young! It was lyrical and beautiful, and flowed in such a way that I was completely absorbed by the events that it portrayed. A lot of the imagery that Young paints was brutal and bloody, some of it even nauseating, yet it was just as morbidly fascinating to read as the moments of true beauty that she wrote about too. It gave the story and the characters depth, which took me completely by surprise but I loved it!
- Young really did her homework on the lore that builds the foundation for this story. She draws heavily from the Book Of Enoch and Jewish Mythology, especially focusing on the Watchers and the Archangels. Fans of the TV Show 'Supernatural' will recognise some of the names and in some respects, the characters, though I have to say that not all of them have the same personalities. It is a job to distinguish good from bad in this book, but I think that makes the reworking of these myths all the more interesting.
What I Disliked:
- I think a few of the characters could have done with a bit more work. The main character Zachariah didn't really interest me a whole lot, and I felt more and more like the story wasn't really about him as time went on. He spent a lot of time not really understanding what was happening and just following the other characters around in hope of getting some answers. I also felt like he, and other characters in the story, made some slightly bizarre decisions at times that didn't make a whole lot of sense.
- About two thirds of the way in, I began to feel like the plot was unravelling a little. Explanations for certain plot events didn't really answer many questions, and things were beginning to get really weird. The finale was pretty anticlimactic too with a very half-hearted resolution that left me feeling like everything had been far too easy. In the end, I was left feeling a little deflated after such a big build-up.
Overall Conclusion:
This book took me by surprise as I didn't expect it to be as enjoyable a read as it was! A lot of great things went into this book: beautiful writing, absorbing imagery and a ton of research. I also really enjoyed Young's take on the Nephilim, reminiscent of Vampires but actually very different. I do have to say that despite the YA vibes I got from certain elements of the story, there is a lot of adult content. If you're easily offended or don't like reading graphic sex or violence then there's a lot so don't pick it up. The detailed heart on the front cover is not the book's most gruesome part. There were a few issues that I had, but if Young decides to make this into a series I think they could easily be resolved! Fingers crossed!
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