Double Star
Cindy Saunders
Paperback/ebook: 266 pages
Release Date: June 7, 2013
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing
ISBN: 148101532X
Buy it at Amazon
When Cepheus, a dark god, forces seventeen-year-old Ally
Ashworth off an isolated overlook, she has no idea she’s falling into his
world, or that the necklace she’s wearing is actually a key – one with the
power to ignite the next world war. But she’s carried beyond his reach and into
the one place where he’s powerless…the forest
of Gilgamesh.
Ally’s never been Miss Popularity, but her outsider status
takes on new meaning when she’s rescued by Liam Cheveyo and his peculiar
friends. After seeing them shape-shift into their freaky humanimal
counterparts, Ally smacks hard into a few truths: magic really does exist and,
although getting here took no effort, finding her way back might be impossible.
Feelings between her and Liam being to grow along with the realization that, in
this world, she’s stronger, better…until she’s caught in a trap set by the
creepy spider-boy Cepheus sends to retrieve her. But Ally’s not going down
without a fight, not after learning the horrible truth about the passageways.
The survival of both worlds depends on it.
My review
Double Star is an exciting read, set in a beautiful world,
with amazing characters that you can’t help but fall in love with. First off, I
want to live in Gilgamesh. The descriptions are stunning and the magic is
mesmerizing. In particular, there is a scene involving the main character Ally
and her love interest Liam at a lake that is so well done. It completely draws
you into a place where it’s as if time has slowed down and lost innocence is
found.
Ally is a great main character. She’s tough and adapts to
her odd surroundings. Yet she is also a teenager, not always thinking first
when she speaks. I love her musical talent with the violin. It brings her
character even more alive. And of course her relationship with Liam is amazing.
She goes from a bratty nuisance to his inspiration and true love. As the reader
you get to enjoy seeing the relationship totally evolve.
Liam is the “man of the house” taking care of his sister
while his father is always away. He’s never recovered from losing his mother.
When Ally blows into his life, he wakes up again and as readers we slowly learn
there are many layers to this character. It’s heartbreaking as Liam wrestles
with his love for Ally and knowing that eventually he will lose her.
The book is full of wonderful secondary characters. The
friendship between Liam, Corm, Oisin, Ian, and Shane is something we all
probably long for. Each character has his own back story and traits. Corm is the
honorable one. There are hints to a complicated home life that I hope we get to
learn more about deeper into the series. The antics of Ian, Oisin and Shane add
some lightheartedness to the dangerous journey they all take. Liam’s sister Meg
provides a youthful innocence and their wise grandmother Thea helps tell the
story between the two worlds.
Cepheus is the evil antagonist that brought Ally to
Gilgamesh. He utilizes a few nasty cronies in his quest to kidnap her, but my
favorite minion is Caleb. Ms. Saunders gives the reader a complete picture of this
character. The way she brings part of his story into the folds of the group of
six is intriguing.
I love the way Ms. Saunders relates the two worlds through
history of the gods and history Ally remembers from school. It’s fun to connect
the dots between the vastly different dimensions.
There’s so much more I want to know. The end is really more
like the beginning, or just a pause in the journey for Ally to get home. There
is so much more ahead for this group, many battles are likely in their future.
But the bond they share is unbreakable. This book will make you wish you could
fall into such a magical, wonderful land where someone’s word is still their
bond. I can’t wait for the series to continue and to see what lies ahead for
Ally and Liam and their friends.
