Book Review: The Obsidian Chimera by Marie Andreas

Title:  The Obsidian Chimera (The Lost Ancients, Book 2)
Author:  Marie Andreas
Genre:  Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Paranormal
Release Date:  October 3, 2015

From the Back Cover:

Archeology and anarchy? Magic and mayhem? Relics and havoc?

All of the above, and Taryn St. Giles just keeps digging.

After the destruction caused by the discovery of the glass gargoyle, the last thing archeologist Taryn St. Giles needs is another elven artifact capable of obliterating the world. But her eccentric new patroness seems hell bent on finding exactly that. An unholy companion piece to the glass gargoyle, the obsidian chimera may be far worse, and it may be more than just an artifact. It also could prove deadly to anyone who finds it.

Struggling to unearth the connection between her overzealous patroness, an outbreak of zombie trolls, and an infestation of flying snakes, Taryn also stumbles upon proof that the elves are still alive. She’ll need all the help she can get from old friends and an old adversary who might be more than a friend, because the elves have changed in the thousand years they’ve been missing. Unfortunately, their murderous spells are not a thing of myth. They want the obsidian chimera back. And they won’t let anything, or anyone, stop them from reclaiming it—and the rest of Taryn’s world.

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

My Review:

First of all, I just want to say that I love the covers of this series. The artist has done an amazing job!

I loved the first book so much that I had to immediately dive into this one. While it was action-packed and the characters we loved from the first are all there and accounted for, I felt as though there were more questions than answers -- and nothing was really answered from the first book. We just have more mysteries.

Sadly, I think it's a little hard to keep everything straight because there are too many open plot lines and we have very few answers. I noticed several inconsistencies in the book with timing (i.e. she made a meal and then a page later went back into the kitchen to start preparing a meal) that pulled me out of the story. But my biggest problem is that I'm starting to lose the thread of the story -- and a little bit of interest -- because we're now about to start the third book and nothing has been resolved.

I know second books in a series are sometimes hit or miss, but it felt as though it were definitely lacking the same plot structure and tightness that carried us at whirlwind speed through the first book.

In addition, be warned that this should not be considered a standalone book. Readers new to the series may be a little bit lost if they're trying to start with this book. I'd recommend reading the first book in the series to get better background on the characters and the world.

I definitely enjoyed the book, but I'm not sure I like the direction the series is taking. It's definitely got me interested enough to take a look at the third book, The Emerald Dragon. But I'll reserve my full thoughts until it's completion... and hope we finally get some of the answers we're looking for.

My Rating:

About the Author:

Marie is a fantasy and science fiction reader with a serious writing addiction. If she wasn't writing about all the people in her head, she'd be lurking about coffee shops annoying total strangers with her stories. So really, writing is a way of saving the masses. Her first fantasy series, The Lost Ancients, starts with The Glass Gargoyle. Books two and three, The Obsidian Chimera and The Emerald Dragon, are also out now. Book four, The Sapphire Manticore, will be out in January 2017. The six book series will continue in 2017 and 2018. A space opera trilogy, The Asarlai Wars, launched with Warrior Wench, and will continue in 2017 with the Victorious Dead. When not saving the masses from coffee shop shenanigans, Marie likes to visit the UK and keeps hoping someone will give her a nice summer home in the Forest of Dean.

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