"Dedicated to the perfectly imperfect," felt like the only justifiable way to introduce this review. Over the last year (yes, it has been a year already!), I've had the pleasure of getting to know our very own, Misty Hayes - author extraordinaire of the paranormal and utter genius when it comes to characterization and plot development.
Our first interaction in late September last year was merely formal, exchanging pleasantries and going through the motions of a question and answer session, but as we dug deeper I could sense the undeniable passion that this woman has for writing. It drew me in, knowing I too had this love for something that feels like second nature, and got to know the author behind The Blood Dagger Series. After getting to know Misty I can say I have nothing but respect for this author, and since delving into her book further and further towards the beginning of this year (and over and over again during many re-reads), I can honestly attest to the fact that I am a shameless fan of both her, and her work.
Needless to say, I'm dying to see where the second installment of this series takes us. But, without further a due, let us get acquainted with the book that SHOULD already be in your libraries (both on Wattpad and in bookshelves at home).
The Outcasts – The Blood Dagger: Vol 1 by Misty Hayes
Print: 345 pages - 59 chapters
Published: December 15th 2017
Shay's Thoughts? A solid 5/5 , 10/10 ... Whatever rating suits your fancy
Mystical relics.
Powerful vampires.
Strange allies.
It’s hell being a teenager.
Larna Collins has never understood why her dad skipped out on her and her mother when she was twelve years old. Until then, he was a devoted and loving father.
But six years later, during a renovation of her childhood home, she unearths her father’s journal from under a dusty floorboard. According to his final entry before he left, he had recently visited a small parish in England.
The entries draw her to this seemingly quaint village, which Larna discovers isn’t as charming as its blood-craving inhabitants want her to believe, and she learns that she isn’t the only one trying to track her father down.
Could this explain her father’s disappearance? Or was placing her in the center of danger her dad’s master plan all along?
I'll start off by saying that when I begin investigating potential featured authors each month, I dive in head first and ask questions later; so when I originally started reading The Outcasts on Wattpad, I had no idea what this book was about. Judging from the first chapter I had, at the time, gathered that Larna, an unfortunate soul suffering through her final weeks of Catholic school, had a thing for her best friend. Something about that plot alone kept me coming back for more, and as the action continued, I finally threw caution to the wind and checked out the official description to figure out what I had gotten myself into.
It became clear that the whole point of this story was Larna figuring out what happened to her father. When he disappeared without a word six year's prior, it left a hole in her heart that could never be filled - and though from the first few chapters you can tell she has a great life and family despite his absence, I can't blame the girl for wanting to know more.
One of my favorite things about this book is how Misty established what Larna's life was like before she left for England. It seems the very second she arrives in haphazard mess of an English town, she's thrown right into the action; unlike many other books that too get caught up in starting the book with their artful way of describing a fight scene (or rather a kidnapping in this situation), we got to know not only what Larna is missing back home, but what she would have to come back to when all this came to a close. Not that I'm complaining about getting to meet our mysterious antagonist, Gabriel, but it was a great start to the book.
The intrigue is felt instantaneously upon entering this gigantic mansion (that is owned by whom I can only assume is a millionaire, or a billionaire, actually). Each and ever word he speaks, every artifact and even every person guarding his home has a specific purpose - and I know I can't only be speaking for myself when saying I STILL want to get to know more about Gabriel (a prequel maybe?). But as he opens himself, and his home, up to Larna (his hostage), you can feel the uncertainty from Larna in your own heart, and that's another great thing about this book.
The characters are relatable to put it mildly, and though that's the goal for every author when writing any novel, the main point to take away from this is how real it felt. With every chapter I got through, I couldn't deny the feeling that I was not only watching these incredible feats play out, but that I was there. The effort that must have gone into the descriptions that were scattered between paragraphs came off so effortlessly, and even casually seeing as we're looking at this story through an 18-year-old Texas native - one that's finding out vampire's actually exist, and that her father is somehow wrapped up in this mind boggling situation.
The more I got into this book, the longer I spent finding excuses to not put it down. Getting to know Larna through this extraordinary situation let the real her show through, and definitely assisted in her finding the confidence that she'd always felt she had lacked. It was a genuinely one of my favorite experiences to watch these strangers quickly become family, and as Larna began picking up the bread crumbs of clues that her father had left behind, it allowed her to get to know the man the she had been longing to know for so long.
I want to end this review by asking what you all loved about The Outcasts, or rather, who exactly is adding it to their reading lists for the fall season. I would also like to briefly touch on an important topic that I would like to think will be addressed in The Watchers... Team Alastair or team Corinth? (Hint hint... Team Alastair...)
The Outcasts on Wattpad | Barnes&Noble | Amazon
Misty Hayes has always had a thing for escaping headfirst into fantastical books. This is what led her to start writing her own adventures down. As someone who has spent a long career in law enforcement, Misty has a love for strong female protagonists.
Besides the self-torture of writing books, she also loves the self-torture of running. Misty is currently working on book three of her young adult trilogy in 'The Blood Dagger' series.When not writing, Misty enjoys reading any books by Jim Butcher, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Joe Hill, and J.K. Rowling. She also directs short films and claims to have been bitten by the traveling bug (not to be mistaken for a radioactive spider).
When Misty isn’t filming or roaming the planet, or diving into another novel, she’s spending time at home in Texas with her myriad of nieces and nephews in tow.
The Blood Dagger Series is a high-octane Young Adult Paranormal trilogy.
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