Toot's Book Reviews: Spotlight, Review, Trailer & Giveaway : The Guardians (More #2) by T.M. Franklin (YA)

Book Blurb

Ava’s life is . . . complicated.

After all, it’s not every day a girl learns she’s not entirely human, or unlocks hidden powers strong enough to make even the First Race sit up and take notice. After surviving an attempted kidnapping and standing up to the Race’s Ruling Council, Ava Michaels returns to college and what she hopes is a normal life. But Ava quickly realizes that for her, normal may not even exist anymore.

In fact, the Council wants her under their control, and they’re not the only ones. The mysterious Rogues have a plan of their own, and it turns out Ava’s a big part of it, whether she wants to be or not.

On top of that, her new relationship is tested in ways she never expected. Her boyfriend, Caleb Foster, has disappeared—accused of betraying the Race—and Ava herself stands implicated in a crime she didn’t commit.

Clearing their names will mean uncovering a web of deceit and intrigue with Ava woven right in the center. To unravel the strands, she joins forces with some unlikely allies; a Protector who once haunted her nightmares, a young girl with secrets as unexpected as Ava’s, and a group of rebel Guardians who have their own fight against the Council.

Together they stand in a battle to find the truth, bring Caleb home, and secure Ava’s freedom—not to mention save her life.

More Information | Goodreads

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Book Trailer

Toot's Review by Stacy Sabala

Ava Michaels is a member of the Race and now that she has some of her powers, she is training with Caleb Foster to get stronger. He is a protector for the Council, but saved her from them. He is her mentor and her boyfriend. The bond is growing between them and he wants to protect her from the Council and the Rogues. He pushes her to get stronger as a result.

Ava is still an interest to the Council because of her strong telekinesis power. So Tiernan and Katherine Ross, a brother and sister Protector team, are assigned to keep an eye on her. Ava and Caleb know that she is being followed by the protectors. They find it irritating that the Council feels the need to do it.

One night Tiernan mysteriously gets reassigned to Caleb. He is surprised but doesn’t question orders. Caleb doesn’t know there is a shift of attention on him. In fact, he goes about his business. He secretly delivers half breeds to the Guardian’s Colony. Being a Protector, he is going against orders when he helps the half breeds. However, he does what he feels is right.

When he gets back from a mission from the colony, he seems overly tired and snaps at Ava. His behavior is odd and she can’t figure out what it is that worries her. He isn’t acting like himself. Then when Tiernan shows up to take him to the Council, Caleb flees. The Council believes he is helping the Rogues. Ava is shocked at the turn of events.

She teams up with Tiernan to find Caleb. She knows something isn’t right and is determined to prove it. She also finds herself being framed for murder, so someone is who is Race is manipulating things.

It looks like the Rogues are up to something and Ava has to figure out what in order to save herself and Caleb.

This is the second book in the More Trilogy. I did not read the first one, but I really would like to. This one was intriguing. The political entanglements that Caleb and Ava have to dodge are not something I would expect. It gives the story more depth. The fact that the Rogues have this elaborate plan they are enacting and working together to do so makes for an interesting storyline. There is a lot going on in this story, fallout from the first book, more secrets revealed about the characters, new enemies enter the picture, and old enemies become friends. It was funny, action packed and full of tough decisions. Excellent story and I recommend it. You don’t have to read the first book before you read this one, but I probably would to understand the background better. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Author Info

T.M. Franklin started out her career writing non-fiction in a television newsroom. Graduating with a B.A. in Communications specializing in broadcast journalism and production, she worked for nine years as a major market television news producer, and garnered two regional Emmy Awards, before she resigned to be a full-time mom and part-time freelance writer. After writing and unsuccessfully querying a novel that she now admits, “is not that great,” she decided to follow the advice of one of the agents who turned her down—write some more and get better at it. Her first published novel, MORE, was born during National Novel Writing month, a challenge to write a novel in thirty days.

She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Mike, is mom to two boys, Justin and Ryan, and has an enormous black dog named Rocky who’s always lying nearby while she’s writing. Whether he’s soothed by the clicking of the computer keys or just waiting for someone to rub his belly is up for debate.

In addition to MORE and The Guardians, Franklin penned the Amazon best-selling short story, Window, as well as another short story, A Piece of Cake, which appears in the Romantic Interludes anthology.

Connect with T.M. Franklin

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

~Giveaway~