ARC Review: Spirit (Elemental #3.0)

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Regina | 0 Comments

ARC Review: Spirit (Elemental #3.0)Spirit (Elemental #3.0) by Brigid Kemmerer
Published by Kensington on May 28, 2013
Pages: 301
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
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With power comes enemies. Lots of them.

Hunter Garrity just wants to be left alone. He' s learned the hard way that his unusual abilities come at a price. And he can' t seem to afford any allies.

He' s up to his neck in hostiles. His grandfather, spoiling for a fight. The Merrick brothers, who think he ratted them out. Calla, the scheming psycho who wants to use him as bait.

Then there' s Kate Sullivan, the new girl at school. She' s not hostile. She' s bold. Funny. Hot. But she' s got an agenda, too.

With supposedly secret powers rippling to the surface everywhere around him, Hunter knows something ugly is about to go down. But finding out what means he' ll have to find someone he can trust…

Regina’ s Review:

Spirit was a bit of a ride for me. For most of this story I felt like I was breathing with cinder blocks on my chest, waiting for the next drop. I felt like I was behind a glass wall, screaming at Hunter to make the right decisions. I wanted an insta-stick worm hole that I could toss on the wall and step through to guide his thoughts.  This roller coaster ride of high anxiety, sexual tension, rage and despair had my adrenaline glands pumping overtime. Hunter faces so many set backs and emotional highs and lows throughout, that I was anticipating his spirit to break. This book features Hunter as the MC once again, and I was a little put off by that going into it. Hunter has been my least favorite character in this series even though Brigid managed to warm me up to him in Fearless. That aside, I went into this book knowing that the caliber of Brigid Kemmerer’s writing would be enough to make up for the latter.

Hunter is a Fifth. People are drawn to him. The good and the bad. The last lesson Hunter’s father ever taught him was to use people before they used him, and Hunter hasn’t had an easy time playing the cards he was dealt with this advice in mind. Hunter lacks the rigorous, desensitizing training that most Fifths go through at puberty so his conscience is constantly warring with what he was trained to believe was his duty by his father, and what he feels in his heart. As a Guide, Hunter’s duty is to kill all full Elementals without a second thought. This installment picks up where Breathless left off, and we are drawn back into the complex thoughts and motivations of Hunter Garrity.
Hunter is mentally battling everything out in this novel, from his questionable relationship with the Merrick brothers to his precarious relationship with his mother and grandparents. Hunter’s bumpy existence turns into a cyclone of sorts when a couple of kindred spirits blow into town.  Meet Kate and Silver. Both are Fifths coming to pick up where the other Guides left off,  and wipe out the Merricks. Silver is in his early twenties, and of the sexy terminator variety, accent and all. Kate is no older than Hunter and is still trying to earn her stripes.  When Kate becomes acquainted with Hunter, she may be on a mission to kill and obtain information, but the pull her and Hunter feel for each other is undeniable, and leads both of them to question their allegiance. The mind games between these two takes reconnaissance to new levels, and Hunter can’t seem to catch a break in life or love.
 In Spirit, we see Hunter spiral down into a full blown dark night of the soul, and even Michael Merrick can’t console him despite his efforts. From trouble at school, a falling out at home, to questions of loyalty; Hunter is repeatedly pushed to his psychological limits. When it rains, it pours would be an understatement for Hunter in this novel, but we all know what comes after a storm. A rainbow. Vindication and security are Hunter’s pot of gold at the end of this book, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the ride.
P.S. If you’re HOT for Gabriel Merrick like me, Brigid is kind and throws us a few bones in the second half of Spirit. 🙂
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