Review: Haven

Title: Haven

Author: Lindsay J. Pryor

Publisher: 31st  October 2017 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 288 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: fantasy, paranormal, dystopian, science fiction

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

A spin-off from the bestselling Blackthorn series by Lindsay J. Pryor, set in Lowtown, the neighbouring district to Blackthorn. The product of a brutal class system, the dark, gritty world of Lowtown will grip you and never let you go.

Every few days the handsome stranger comes into the café in Lowtown for an hour a time. Most of the time he keeps himself to himself - one drink and he leaves. Sometimes people meet with him but about what remains elusive, the edge of mystery and danger adding to his allure.

Not that Ember is allowed to think about him. She's finally on the cusp of gaining her citizenship and escaping Lowtown for good, so she can't be seen to be involved with a vampire - evidence of one single bite would be the end of her prospects. But when those prospects are rocked by her links to the district's dark underbelly, the stranger she must avoid could be her absolution - and she could be his . . .

My Thoughts

‘Haven’, Lindsay J. Pryor’s first standalone Lowtown novel is a worthwhile read. The best way I can sum it up is to say it is a mix of ‘Insurgent’ meets ‘Discovery of Witches’. This is best described as an urban fantasy novel with a bit of paranormal and romantic elements thrown into the mix - and the end result is interesting.

‘But she had no initiated powers anyway. She wouldn’t know what to do with them even if she did have. She didn’t even know what kind of witch she was’.

The author takes you to another world she has created (I have read no other Pryor books and this was never an issue) and most certainly she drops you slap bang right into the middle of all the action. The writing is engaging as you feel for the residents of Lowtown, their fear and desperation are palpable. At a deeper level, ‘Haven’ is about the dark and cruel side of humanity, rather than the focus being purely on the paranormal and the likes of witches or vampires etc. I liked that -  corruption and control is at the heart of this novel.

‘Does the morality behind killing someone vary according to the reason?’

The plot,the characters and the engaging writing make ‘Haven’ a worthwhile read. The new angle concerning the political and whole social injustice theme was interesting. Forgotten races, extortion and crime and the golden ticket chance to escape it. Yet amongst all this permeates integrity and hope, loyalty and love - a good balance of evil versus good. You will find yourself drawn into this world of ‘us’ versus ‘them’ - a simple oft repeated theme but one that is well executed.

‘And without doing what you do, what do you have left? Because you don’t have anything else, do you? Even this haven that you claim gives you freedom stops you from being a part of things.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release