Forgotten Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Forgotten (House of Night Other World #3)
Author: P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal
Release Date: October 29, 2019
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Synopsis:

Before he was freed by Neferet, Kalona was imprisoned within the earth for centuries because of the Darkness in his heart. But what happened to the Other World’s Kalona? It’s as though he’s been forgotten, or maybe he never existed at all … 

In the present, Other Neferet may have left her House of Night, but she has far from given up her goal of immortality and world domination. As she operates in secret to gain access to Old Magick, the new High Priestess, Anastasia Langford, works toward peace and acceptance for the vampyres of the Other World. But just as Other Kevin’s broken heart will take time to heal, peace in that world will also take time and work—and not all of the Other World vampyres want peace. After all, why should they return to being shunned by humans, especially when they’ve had a taste of how it feels to be in power? 

Meanwhile, Zoey is desperate to help rid the Other World of Neferet once and for all, and not knowing what’s going on over there is eating away at her. But, as the Nerd Herd warns, it’s far too dangerous to call on Old Magick time and again. As a distraction, she throws herself into her work and attempts to bring the humans and vampyres of Tulsa closer together with the first human-vampyre swim meet in history! It’s too bad that something always seems to go wrong whenever the stakes are high. 

What happens when worlds clash and powers that should be left alone are awakened? Can Other Kevin and his world heal from the wounds Neferet continues to inflict? Can Old Magick ever truly be harnessed and used for good? Or will Darkness extinguish Light and leave our heroes broken, hopeless, and as forgotten as Kalona of the Silver Wings? Don’t miss this second to last volume in the House of Night Other World saga!

Forgotten is another enchanting installment in the young adult fantasy House of Night Other World series. I have read several books by these authors, including the original House of Night series, so I had a pretty good idea of what to expect when I started reading. I guess it had been too long since I last read one of the HoN books because I was blown away by all of the wonderful aspects the story contains. The world building is stunning and so intricate. One of the big reasons why I love these books is because there is so much care and detail used in creating the world(s) the characters inhabit. I loved the vivid imagery and descriptions used to bring these worlds to life before our eyes. At any time during the book, I felt like I could close my eyes and be transported to wherever the characters were at that moment. The authors have created a massive world throughout this series - with multiple time lines, periods of time and space, and now even multiple worlds. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, I felt like I was right inside the story with the characters experiencing everything along with them.

Another major aspect of the book and the series is the wide array of characters. We meet and get to know so many main and major characters over the course of the series. Each one is unique with their own positive qualities and flaws - which makes each and every one of them realistic and easy to connect with. We're introduced to not only normal characters, but now "Other" characters that exist in a different world than the mainstream ones. It sounds confusing, but if you read the books you'll understand and it won't be an issue. I loved getting to know these other versions of characters and how they are both similar and different from the ones I got to know in the other books. Again, the amount of characters and all of their realistic traits and flaws is quite amazing if you take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Not many authors can pull off such a wide array of characters and an enormous world and timelines - but these ladies definitely did it. Quite spectacularly, in my opinion. That being said, I do have one small issue that is wholly personal on my part. It's the writing style the authors chose to use for the book. I almost always prefer the first person point of view when reading because I feel it allows for a deeper and more personal connection between the reader and the narrator. However, this book was written in the third person and that did have a bit of a negative impact on me personally. I completely understand why this writing style was used, but I'm stubborn when it comes to my POV preferences and this just fell a little short. Don't get me wrong - I loved the book and everything about it. I just personally feel like it would've been a lot better if it had been done in the first person instead of the third person. Again - this is a weird personal issue of mine that applies to every single book and not just this one, and most readers won't give it another thought.

I don't want to go into the plot very much because I don't want to accidentally give anything away, but I do highly suggest reading at least the other two books in the House of Night Other World series before this one or you might get confused. I think it would be a much better experience if you were already familiar with the world, the characters, and the larger over-arcing plot. That being said, I'm so glad that there's still another book left in this series! I definitely don't want to say goodbye to Zoey and the Nerd Herd yet and I can't wait to see where the next book will take us. Definitely recommended for fans of the House of Night series, YA fiction, fantasy, and paranormal.

P.C. Cast

PC was born in the Midwest, and grew up being shuttled back-and-forth between Illinois and Oklahoma, which is where she fell in love with Quarter Horses and mythology (at about the same time). After high school, she joined the United States Air Force and began public speaking and writing. After her tour in the USAF, she taught high school for 15 years before retiring to write full time. PC is a #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today Best-Selling author and a member of the Oklahoma Writers Hall of Fame. Her novels have been awarded the prestigious: Oklahoma Book Award, YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Prism, Holt Medallion, Daphne du Maurier, Booksellers’ Best, and the Laurel Wreath. PC is an experienced teacher and talented speaker. Ms. Cast lives in Oregon near her fabulous daughter, her adorable pack of dogs, her crazy Maine Coon, and a bunch of horses. House of Night Other World, book 1, LOVED, releases July 11th. SUN WARRIOR, book 2 in the Tales of a New World series releases October 17th. 

Kristin Cast

Kristin Cast is a #1 NY Times and #1 USA Today bestselling author who teamed with her mother to write the wildly successful HOUSE OF NIGHT series. She has editorial credits, a thriving t-shirt line, and a passion for all things paranormal.

When away from her writing desk, Kristin loves going on adventures with her friends, family, and significant other, playing with her French Bulldogs (Grace Kelly and Sir Laurence Olivier), and discovering new hobbies. This year she'll work on handstands, gardening, and taking her new puppy (Baloo) to puppy classes.

#HoNLoved releases July 11th.

Win (1) of (2) HOUSE OF NIGHT OTHER WORLD bundles: a copy of LOVED, LOST and FORGOTTEN by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast and some swag (US Only)

Starts: October 23, 2019

Ends: November 6, 2019

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