Bianca De Lumière | Book Review | By Lisette Prendè
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Title- Bianca De Lumière
Author- Lisette Prendè
Publisher- Full Time Unicorn Press, Wellington
Genre- YA Urban Fantasy
Links- Book Depository | Goodreads | Amazon
My Rating- ★★★★✰
Contents
Synopsis
My Review
About the Author
Synopsis
Something isn’t right with Bianca. All she wants is to fit in and be a normal teenager. A hard thing to do in high school when you’re different. The thing is, Bianca can see people’s auras, and with them the secrets behind their true feelings. Being labelled the Albino girl doesn’t help either.
When sleepwalking leads to waking up naked in the forest every night with horrific visions of demons swirling in her mind, Bianca knows something is very wrong. She needs answers.
Strange things start happening; a missing rancher, slaughtered cattle and a mysterious stranger showing up in her mind. But when this stranger shows up in real life things get serious. Bianca is drawn to him, he’s handsome, enigmatic and apparently knows who she really is.
Should she trust this mysterious stranger who seems to know so much about her? And does she have the courage to face what is lurking in the forest?
“I would try to stay out of the forest. I really would. But sleepwalking Bianca? She had other plans. Should I have told my poor mother that her daughter was even more of a freak than she knew? Not only is her skin the color of milk and her hair the color of snow. Not only does she see auras and sense people’s emotions, but now she also sleepwalks naked through the woods.”
My Review
This book brings together wonderful elements of classic fantasy with a modern day twist. I loved the abundance of magical creatures. Many are familiar, but they all have unique characteristics and some are entirely subverted. I don’t want to give too much away by telling you about them, but all the magical and paranormal creatures were one of the things I loved about this book.
Plot
The plot kept you guessing the entire way through, and I was surprised at some of the twists. They really got me! I liked the level of tension and suspense; it hooked me and kept me reading. One of the mysteries is waiting to find out the secret of what/ who Bianca truly is. I won’t give this away either. But finding out who she was really surprised me. Maybe other people saw it coming, but I didn’t!
Characters
Bianca is a strong character who is sick of being lied to. She is motivated, proactive and determined to get answers. Though there is a strong romance subplot in this book, I like that it isn’t Bianca’s main focus. She wants to get stuff done, while at the same time processing some complicated feelings.
I enjoyed the romance. For a while I was worried it was going to be instalove as it seemed to be heading that way. But things got more complicated, and it ended up being far more interesting. There is a bit of a love triangle between the mysterious stranger and a normal boy from school. I liked this, but I am one of those people who loves a love triangle. I know many people don’t like the old triangle, but it is well done in this book.
There is a good cast of characters and they are all well developed with interesting backstories that mysteriously link together. I liked the realistic relationship between Bianca and her mum. I also liked how close she was to her best friend Fae, though I was wondering why they were friends for a while there. But it is all explained and makes sense later. I enjoyed how many mysteries wound together and made sense at the end.
Summary
I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more because the story didn’t end there! It has all the elements of typical school drama and bullying, but with the added tension of demons and destructive paranormal forces. I recommend reading this to anyone who is interested in urban fantasy and paranormal romance.
“He said he heard something strange. Something almost musical. Like whistling. Then the cows started making all kinds of racket. He shone a flashlight and saw something.
He didn’t know what. He only said it was big and dark and fast. It moved more like a horse than a bear, he said. It saw the light and ran. He tried to track it through the trees but it was too fast.
That’s when he found them. The cows. Three this time.
Completely ripped apart.””
About the Author- Lisette Prendè
Lisette Prendé is an author, actor and tarot reader from Wellington, New Zealand. She lives with her partner, their two sons and their Burmese cat called Cheesecake. When she’s not writing Lisette spends her time, hiking in the forest, reading, drinking tea and casting spells.
Check out Lisette Prendè’s Website
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“I’m a writer, actor, tarot reader and Full Time Unicorn!
So…what’s a Full Time Unicorn? I’ve dedicated my life to feeling amazing! This means doing the things I love every day simply because they make my heart sing. It means writing, acting, and painting. It means laughing, dancing and having fun! It means seeing the world through heart shaped glasses and blowing kisses of gratitude to the Universe. ”
Hi I’m Jenny. I am passionate about promoting new authors and sharing any amazing books I find with the world. I am a book blogger, bookstagrammer, YA fantasy writer and travel writer.
I’m also a lover of nature, hiking, Harry Potter, cats, fantasy lands and quiet places.
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