Review: Prelude

Prelude is the first book in the Rhapsody Quartet and was graciously given to me in exchange for an honest review.  Honestly... I really enjoyed it.  The story introduces a fantasy realm parallel to our own human world with fantastical characters and it doesn't try to shove too much information into one small space. I was easily able to understand the plot, get to know the characters, and preview a glimpse into a fantasy realm that will surely become a bigger part of the story as it continues in the next installment.

Synopsis from Amazon:
Sarah Mills is an endangered species— she just doesn't know it. 

Then she turns sixteen and ‘transitions.’ One magical hangover later, she’s awakened as a gorgeous adult siren— a species the other magical races thought went extinct thirteen years ago. Most girls might adore the attention Sarah’s suddenly getting, but all she wants to do is become invisible for the remainder of her high school career. Unfortunately, Sarah can’t seem to turn off her siren compulsion. People hang on her every word. They do whatever she asks them to. The best looking guy in school wants to date her. Sarah just wants to go unnoticed, but it seems all she can do is make mistakes. After she shatters the minds of her foster parents with her first siren song, Sarah has no choice but to move in with the class diva. It’s the foster system all over again, but this time her host is a mermaid princess, backed by a council of magical creatures. The council claims to have her best interests at heart. They even assigned her a stoic elf bodyguard just to keep her safe. Because unfortunately for Sarah, there’s a reason the sirens all died off over a decade ago. Someone isn't happy that she survived. Someone wants her dead. 

The first attack was a wraith. The second attack played on Sarah’s greatest fears. The third attack might succeed.

My review:

Sarah is, in my opinion, a wonderful character.  She changes from human to siren in one day, almost kills her foster family, and then has to learn to survive in this new life that isn't friendly to say the least.  Her emotions are in an upheaval and there are many times when she breaks down due to the stress.  I predict however, that as she learns to use her powers and embraces what she is, she will become one of those kick-ass heroines we love.  I also love Glenn and have to say, that I was hoping that these two would be the ones to fall in love. This is not the case in this book but I still have hope for the future! Instead, she bonds with Will, who seems to be the perfect guy for her but I still feel like something is wrong with him.  Just a hunch.

The plot is quite interesting.  The big question being why many of the creatures in the story want to kill Sarah? She seems to be the last of her kind but no one seems to know the story behind what really happened to the other sirens. I truly had a hard time putting the book down.  I found it to be original, well-paced, and a stand out from many fantasies that seem to just tell the same story.  It had just the right amount of twists and turns and wrapped up nicely, leaving a perfect opening for the next installment to begin.

If you are looking for a YA fantasy that is unique and hard to put down, give this one a shot and you won't be disappointed.  I'll definitely be reading the next one very soon.