Review: When Copper Suns Fall by KaSonndra Leigh

Hey all, my newest review is When Copper Suns Fall by KaSonndra Leigh. This dystopian fantasy is book 1 in the Copper Suns Trilogy.

Title: When Copper Suns Fall
Author: KaSonndra Leigh
Publisher: TriGate Press
Release Date: 6th December 2011 (Kindle Edition)
Series: Copper Suns Trilogy, Book 1
Source: I recieved a copy of this e-book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis from the KaSonndra Leigh's website:
In fifteen-year-old Chela Prizeon’s city, alchemy is forbidden and angels hide among the mortal. With a deadly virus ravaging the globe, Chela’s nightmarish memories compels her to experience a past riddled with gloom, and now her brother is infected. Chela’s only hope is the Caduceans, slayers sworn to protect the last seven Light Keepers and the ancient memories they share. A group led by the sometimes elusive, sometimes infuriating boy who intrigues Chela. But can she trust this boy with the mysterious past, someone who can influence her memories?
With the Caduceans aid, Chela races to defeat her rivals, to unearth dark family secrets, desperate to find a cure…only to discover the glutovirus is far more than a simple disease.

Review:
First Line: 'My brothers hand twitched. It was the first time he'd moved in almost a year. Micah was in a coma. He lay in his bed, sightless eyes staring upward. Tubes attached to his arms, legs, and head led to a life-support system. My chest ached, stomach rolled, and grief was a bomb waiting to explode inside me.'
This first few lines drew me right in, how did Chela's brother end up in a coma? This is the question that eventually draws Chela into a world most believe had been left in the past. The official story is that he was in an accident, (Micah fell from the top of a ride) but Chela is convinced that it was no accident. She believes the mythical Tainteds were somehow involved and being twins...Chela will not stop until she discovers the truth.

Unfortunately the incurable Glutovirus is rampaging through Micah's system and his Doctor wishes to use Micah's body for research purposes...because Micah and Chela share a secret. They have celestial blood running through their veins. With her celestial blood Chela could have thrown off the men who took her from her brothers room or done some serious damage to the doctor who threatens to tell the world what she is...but Chela knows she has to keep her blood hidden...otherwise she risks being arrested or shot like the others of her kind. Since the Great War the humans have been forbidden, by the governing tribuneral, to have any association with the Caduceans and Tainteds who where the beings at the centre of the war which changed mankind forever. Chela's journey to discover the truth about Micah takes her further than she had ever imagined and drags her in to a place where the Caduceans and Tainteds are anything but myths. Chela makes some life changing discoveries about her home and her celestial heritage. Lies will be uncovered and cracks begin to show in the perfect society, for those in power have been anything but honest. Chela's celestial blood brings her new discoveries about her heritage and the role she will play in a hidden war. With the help of her friends Chela will change the world and her future...forever.

As far as the characters go, I liked Chela, she's strong and protective of those she loves and will do all she can to make things right. She is human and makes mistakes...I find a flawed heroine more believable than a perfect one so this is a definite plus for me. However, I didn't always connect with Chela. In some places I can picture exactly what she sees and feels...but in a couple of other places I feel more like someone sat on the sidelines. The love intrest in the form of Faris certainly has some promise...and I love the scene where they first meet, my word Faris is certainly intriguing...my mind kept wandering back to him. However, 2 more love interests are inrtoduced in the form of Seth and Jalen. The love triangle...or maybe it's a square...I don't know that ensues is hard on Chela (though I was always rooting for Faris) and she loses herself briefly.

“They’ll call me, now, and make me a witness against you. I’m sorry, but I already have too many problems. So I—I have to tell the truth,” I said.
“That won’t be a problem.” Faris smiled, a catchy one that lit his face up. I couldn’t decide whether it was angelic or downright wicked. Just like I couldn’t remember where I’d ever heard an accent like his. What kind was it? Old southern? Old English? Irish? It sounded like a mix of all three, but with a deep timbre, making him sound god like. “In a few minutes, you won’t remember me or any of this.”
“Really? How do you figure that?” I asked, heart racing.
“Because my gift to you…” He moved his face closer to mine, pulling me into whatever was happening in his head. “My gift is to remove memories that cause you pain.”
“Okay, um, right.” Had I lost my mind? It probably wouldn’t have hurt to scream.
He held my gaze, locking me into something I couldn’t explain. A tear puckered up in his left eye, and slid down his cheek where it stopped on his top lip. Then he blinked, snapping us out of whatever place he’d taken us to, and glanced behind my head. “Here comes your dark knight,” he said, easing his arms away from me.

Seth, unlike Faris, creeped me out from the very beginning. He is just one of those characters you are always suspicious of, and for that I think he is absolutely great. He is the guy in this love triangle who whenever Chela spent time with him I was going 'NOO! FARIS, PICK FARIS, GIRL ARE YOU BLIND!?' I always enjoy trying to get characters to see what they, in my opinion, are doing wrong...though my housemates get creeped out when I start shouting at books haha.

When Copper Suns Fall certainly keeps you on your toes while you're reading it. KaSonndra Leigh has created a new world full of many types of people. It reads well and I rarely had to struggle through it. There is a lot of action and when you think you see where the story is going, KaSonndra Leigh throws a curve ball and you suddenly have no idea what will happen next! I loved that about it, predictable is no fun. The unique spin on angel myhtology was absolutely fascinating and the dystopian theme was woven really well into the mythology. The Seraphim, Cherubim, the Caduceans and the Tainted will keep you enthralled throughout.

The one fault I could find with When Copper Suns Fall was the lack of background information in one or two areas. Some area's are not fully explained and left me a tiny bit lost at times. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed the read but I don't think I got as into it as I feel I should have done, I mean the story showed so much promise. I had to flick back occasionally to try and find explanations that weren't always there which spoilt it for me a little bit. An example is that we don't get an awful lot of information about the Great War, it is mentioned yes, but not to the level of detail that I would have personally liked.
BUT, and this is a big but, this series certainly has a lot of promise and I certainly will be keeping an eye out as the trilogy progresses.

My Rating 3.5/5