YA-AHOLIC BOOK BLOG: Review: Through the Arch by Devri Walls

Title: Through the Arch
Author: Devri Walls
Series: Venators
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 300
Released: Oct 1st, 2016

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Six years ago, Grey Malteer was attacked by creatures he thought couldn’t possibly exist. They repeated a word, calling him a name he’d never heard before…Venator. Since then, his life has been a hellhole of secrecy—hiding old pain alongside strange new abilities.

Rune Jenkins has an itch, as she calls it, but it’s more than that. It's an anger that builds up like the inside of a boiler whenever she’s around anything remotely supernatural. The pressure is growing steadily worse and she can’t understand why. All she knows is—her control is slipping.

By order of an unknown council Grey and Rune are pulled through a portal in the St. Louis arch, landing them in an alternate dimension where creatures of myth and legend exist. A realm that calls them, Venators.

Made up of centuries old fae, vampires, werewolves, elves and succubi the council’s corrupt nature becomes obvious as they seek to wield the newly returned Venators as weapons. Wedged in an impossible position, Grey and Rune must decide their fate—do they go against the council’s wishes and help the innocents of this unforgiving land, or face the possibility of execution by the council.

Devri Walls is permanently cemented as one of my favorite authors to read, her fantasy novels always have me fully immersed in the world with the characters she creates. Through the Arch was no expception and was another exciting adventure of a read. With great characters, the start of some romance, tons of action and a plethora of different paranormal creatures, Venators is looking to be another 5 star series for me from Devris Walls.

The start of Venators immediately had me very intrigued, Rune gets an itch, a built up rage she feels she needs to release when anything supernatural/paranormal is around her, even a commercial making a slight reference to werewolves sends her into a frenzied feeling of anger that she has to work hard to contain. She knows this isn’t normal, but how can she talk to anyone about this without being thrown into the looney bin? As a reader this had me SO intrigued right off the back, why is she filled with such a rage over paranormal things? And on top of that what does Grey (male classmate of hers) know about Runes itch? The beginning was so strong and immediately sucked me in with tons of questions and me wanting answers.

Through the Arch was a perfect ‘first novel’ to a series, we are introduced to the characters, there is a sense that some romances will pick up in book two, and you get a general understanding of how the world works and how the politics work in the fantasy world Rune and Grey have been shoved into. It reminds me a lot of how I felt during Wings of Arian the first book to Devri’s other series Solus, it’s a first novel that gives you everything you need…but leaves you wanting soooo much more and dying for book two.

The only negative critique I would give Through the Arch would be the ending, this for me is a minor critique too considering this is the first book to a series, and not a stand alone. Through the Arch's ending had a pretty rushed feeling to it, the pacing felt off and I felt it was tied together rather quickly and then bam…the novel was over.

While the ending felt rushed the rest of the novel was flawlessly paced, through out Through the Arc you're on such a roller coaster as the reader. You're thrown around quick turns and then dropped down big plummets, but don't worry Devri always gives you a moment to catch your breath before throwing you right back onto the ride.

I really cannot wait to see where this series will go, knowing Devri's previous series though one thing is for certain.... this is going to be one hell of a good ride.