Seeing Night Reviews: {Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway} of Sing Sweet Nightingale by Erica Cameron

Seeing Night Reviews is the next stop in the Sing Sweet Nightingale tour for Erica Cameron with the Rockstar book tours!

Sing Sweet Nightingale by Erica Cameron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: Paranormal
THEME: Romance, Mystery, and Demons
RECEIVED: Netgalley

BLURB:

Mariella Teagen hasn't spoken a word in four years.

She pledged her voice to Orane, the man she loves—someone she only sees in her dreams. Each night, she escapes to Paradise, the world Orane created for her, and she sings for him. Mariella never believed she could stay in Paradise longer than a night, but two weeks before her eighteenth birthday, Orane hints that she may be able to stay forever.

Hudson Vincent made a pledge to never fight again.

Calease, the creature who created his dream world, swore that giving up violence would protect Hudson. But when his vow caused the death of his little brother, Hudson turned his grief on Calease and destroyed the dream world. The battle left him with new abilities and disturbing visions of a silent girl in grave danger—Mariella.

Now, Hudson is fighting to save Mariella's life while she fights to give it away. And he must find a way to show her Orane’s true intentions before she is lost to Paradise forever.

REVIEW:

This was definitely the most intense young adult paranormal fantasy that I’ve ever read. It was a roller coaster of suspense with bits or horror and romance, intertwined in a complex and original plot. The lead characters are wonderfully flawed, both connected to a Dreamworld with demons that take control over innocent humans. This was a one of a kind story that I’ll definitely be continuing.

Sing Sweet Nightingale follows Hudson after the death of his little brother. He trusted a demon, thinking she was someone whom would help him and maybe bring his brother back. But after realizing the truth he tries to destroy her and ends up taking some of her power within himself. Hudson begins to have dreams about two girls, but one stands out the most, a young blond girl Mariella who is burning. He becomes determined to save her, knowing that she too is being lead on by a demon like he was. But once he meets her, he discovers how much the demon has a hold of her and there is much time left.

Hudson was my favorite character, when the readers first meet him he’s hanging out with his little brother J.R. But something terrible happens and Hudson’s life it about to take a drastic turn. The beginning is always the most important to me, because if I’m not drawn into a story in the first chapter, I usually don’t continue. But Cameron really knows how to pull in her readers by creating a grippingly intense scene that breaks your heart at the same time. Hudson is a hero; his character is determined to help victims like himself. I adored his character, hated how his parents kicked him out and wanted him to find some happiness again. The readers get to enjoy his point of view as well as Mariella’s, which I normally don’t like but it was seriously important to see from both of their POVs.

Mariella is a girl who is trapped in a fantasy like world and doesn’t really know it. She has been stuck in a dreamworld controlled by a demon named Orane. She believes she’s in love with him and she ends up convinced to not speak to anyone. This has been going on for four years now, and it changed her and also ruined her friendship with her best friend K.T. Mari was a bit harder for me to connect too compared to Hudson and even K.T. I think it was mostly out of frustration of her not seeing how bad Orane really was. But in the end she really steps it up and becomes the girl that she once was before Orane took her in his grasp.

Overall a big thumbs up to Cameron for her creative and intricate plot that always kept me on my toes. There are a tons of twist and some points that may give some people the chills, imagine not knowing that your actually being controlled by someone? There is also some romance but its very light, not rushed and a perfect pace for a story with a heavy plot line. The world building was fantastic in the dreamworld, however at times I did have to sit back and process some pieces as I did get a little overwhelmed and confused with information. But nonetheless the main characters are what brought this story to life and the secondary characters K.T. and Horace, are vital to what is happening with Mari and helping Hudson. The ending was without a cliffhanger but prepped the readers for another suspenseful installment.

RECOMMENDATION:

This is a young adult novel with some dark elements and suspenseful storyline. Fans of the Blood of Eden series by Julie Jagawa and Jennifer Esteps Mythos series will enjoy Sing Sweet Nightingale by Erica Cameron.

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About Erica:
Erica Cameron knew that writing was her passion when she turned a picture book into a mystery novella as a teen. That piece wasn’t her best work, but it got her an A. After college, she used her degree in Psychology and Creative Writing to shape a story about a dreamworld. Then a chance encounter at a rooftop party in Tribeca made her dream career a reality.

Erica is many things but most notably the following: writer, reader, editor, dancer, choreographer, singer, lover of musical theater, movie obsessed, sucker for romance, Florida resident, and quasi-recluse. She loves the beach but hates the heat, has equal passion for the art of Salvador Dali and Venetian Carnival masks, has a penchant for unique jewelry and sun/moon décor pieces, and a desire to travel the entire world on a cruise ship. Or a private yacht. You know, whatever works.

Her debut novel Sing Sweet Nightingale releases March 4, 2014 from Spencer Hill Press. It is the first book in The Dream War Saga.
Photo by Lani Woodland