better than the 1st book! Unusual YA

This is the rare second book in a series that improved upon the first book. My favorite part of the first book was the setting in realms of afterlife (aka Circles of Hell) that was unique with a interesting demonic "bad guy" to fight, and the romance story seemed really cliched and trite. The second book thrusts our characters to a modern day high school setting and that worked for me much better. There is still the higher stakes and the demonic bad guys to fight. It becomes a riff on Buffy The Vampire Slayer. There is better banter and more humor. The secondary characters are more fleshed out than in the first book and helped me have a greater emotional response to this book. The action is fast and believable. Our heroine gets to be quite the badass fighter. The romance seemed more believable and progresses through interesting maturation through the book, and seems to be at an appropriate level of importance in this more usual setting.

Fine wrote a smooth, action-packed story with a lot of suspense and danger. This is a better meld of the high school genre with its inherent YA romance aspect than the previous book's dire fantastical setting did. The book is supplemented nicely with a unique paranormal plotline to add interest, tension, and lots of action.

Audiobook note: Malachi's accent is awful. But the rest of the narration was solid. Nice emphasis during action sequences.

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Great read!

I like that new characters were introduced. I really love Dianne, the foster mom, and how she stood up for Lela. This was a twist I didn't see coming, I thought it would be another realm. I can't wait to read the next book.

love this series.

I'm a sap. I'm 54yo and cried like a baby. love this book. excellent story, and narrator.

Very engaging YA novel!

I am adult addicted to listening to YA! Yes I admit I have a problem... In admittedly such, Sara Fine's Guards of the Shadowlands is a wonderfully engaging series with a strong believable SHEwoman/girl who struggles w/self confidence, school, boys & life in the... Afterlife..? Sorta. 😁 It's just fun!

Crazy YA Novel series

What did you love best about Fractured?

This one is set in the real world, well kinda.

Any additional comments?

I didn't think I could like any of these more than the first but boy I was wrong! This one starts right where the other stopped at but instead of being in the Suicide City trying to stop the Mazikin they are now in a High School setting doing just that. Lela is now the Captain and running her own group of Guards. Two who are from different circles of Hell which was pretty awesome to hear about the differences. The action and fights are pretty wicked and the drama is high. Amy McFadden did a fantastic job reading this story and Sarah Fine did a superb job writing this!
That ending though!! Make sure you have a credit ready for that book or go ahead and buy it because you will want to start reading it instantly!! I was almost screaming at my phone when that ending happened!

Excellent Series/Author/Narrator

Book 2 in this series is excellent, and I now find myself needing to read everything Sarah Fine has ever written. Whereas book 1 brought Lela from the real world to hell, book 2 brought hell to the real world, which was an interesting change of pace.

The ending to this book is quite brutal, so make sure you have book 3 in hand before you finish book 2.

Just as good as the first

Just as good ad the first. A wicked twist at the end that made me want to kill the Mazikan (sp?) myself. Auuuuggghhhhh!

Onto the 3rd!

Side note. At 45, I never thought I'd enjoy teenagers books. So glad I am wrong on this one!

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High school can be hell.

It was okay for a second book, but I didn't quite like it as well as the first book. There was a little bit too much teenage angst for me. I didn't like the way the relationship went with Lela and Malaki, it eventually resolved itself, sorta. I don't mind teenage stories, but sometimes they are just a little to juvenile for me. I feel that if the author had not focused so much effort on the high school part of the book the story would have been much better. First book was way better and I suspect the third book will be too. I like the creativity with the different versions of hell and I probably will listen to the next book. Narrator is good.

Slow start, but great read!

What made the experience of listening to Fractured the most enjoyable?

The story was slow going at first but it really picks up. It definitely had it's share of twists and turns.

Would you be willing to try another book from Sarah Fine? Why or why not?

YES! I WANT GUARDS OF THE SHADOWLANDS BOOK 3!!!

What does Amy McFadden bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She's very good at portraying the teenage attitudes of the characters, both when she narrates the thoughts of the main character and when she reads the words of others.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. Not until it picked up, that is.

Loved this book! I didn't want it to end!

What made the experience of listening to Fractured the most enjoyable?

The story line kept me on the edge of my seat and I fell in love with the characters.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Malachi. He is the epitome of perfect love.

What about Amy McFadden’s performance did you like?

She enunciated everything perfectly and read with appropriate emotion.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I just loved it. It was incredibly imaginative and entertaining.

Any additional comments?

I can't wait for book 3. The trilogy would make an awesome movie!