Invincible by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Invincible by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Book Stats:
Reading level: Ages 12 and up
Genre: Paranormal
Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release date: March 22, 2011

Series: Chronicles of Nick #2

Source: St-Martins for review

Reviewed by: Tynga

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Nick Gautier’s day just keeps getting better and better. Yeah, he survived the zombie attacks, only to wake up and find himself enslaved to a world of shapeshifters and demons out to claim his soul.

His new principal thinks he’s even more of a hoodlum than the last one, his coach is trying to recruit him to things he can’t even mention and the girl he’s not seeing, but is, has secrets that terrify him.

But more than that, he’s being groomed by the darkest of powers and if he doesn’t learn how to raise the dead by the end of the week, he will become one of them…

Invincible is the second book in the Chronicles of Nick series, a YA spin-off of Sherrilyn’s well known Dark Hunters series. After discovering the world around him has more to offer (or should I say has more ways of killing you?) than meets the eye, Nick is struggling to adapt to his new knowledge. He is walking on a tightrope, trying to stay on the good side, but every decision he makes might bring him to the dark side. He has allies, and not-so-allies that would crush him at first opportunity, to help him but evil lurks in the shadows, trying to trick him. Will our 14 years old hero manage to stay out of trouble?

Invincible turned out to be one quick read. Its 432 pages might lead you to believe it’s on the long side, but there’s barely any text on each page, so it’s actually a short book. I think it’s too short even, because even though I enjoyed the story, I wished the series’ plot arc would progress faster quite honestly. Two books in the series and the only progress is that Nick is now aware of the paranormal world, and has some shaky handle on his divination powers, oh and even more people out there to kill him. I really wish he would get some sense of the bigger picture and that we would progress faster toward his destiny.

On the bright side, the characters on this book are shinning stars. Nick is highly likable and his sarcasm never fails to entertain. Simi & Caleb, two demons tag along, were also very enjoyable with their completely opposite nature. Death, aka Grim Reaper, was the cherry on the cake for me. His dark sense of humor and his impatience were simply delightful. Here’s an excerpt:

“Can you use the item to test for something?”
”Stop interrupting me,” Grim snarled. “Or I will skin you.”
”Sorry… but can you?”
Grim let out a long-suffering sigh. “This is why I don’t have children and why I’ve spent eternity avoiding them at all costs”. He met Nick’s gaze. “Yes. Yes you could use the item to test for something personal about the owner.”
”Like what?”
”Anything. Do they bake? Are they smart? Are they going to die for irritating me, et cetera.”

On the other side, I wish Kyrian’s role would be clearer, I guess it might be, had I read the adult series, but I’d like to know more about him.

The plot line of this second book was good enough, Nick tries to harness his abilities, tries to make the difference between friend and foes, which is harder than it looks, and has to deal with a plethora of demons trying to sway/kill him and a crazy coach threatening him. All in all, Nick has enough on his plate to keep him busy and keep the readers entertained. The pace was quick and steady without any lengthiness, so kudos to Kenyon.

The end was exciting and I’m really anxious to read the next installment, Infamous. Lucky for me it’s already released so I won’t have to wait ^^ Hopefully the series’ story line will progress more steadily in this novel, quenching my thirst for answers!

The chronicles of Nick has a very unique way to approach the old good vs evil battle. The humor and sarcasm the characters bring to the table are great assets to the story, making it stand out from other books with a similar theme. Its male main character is also highly appreciated in a literary world filled with girl protagonists. YA Paranormal lovers should definitely give this series a shot!

Read an excerpt

Posted by Tynga at 07:37

 Demon, Macmillan, Review, Sherrilyn Kenyon, young adult  5 People left their mark

Tynga is a 32 years old mom of two, from Montreal, working as a lab technician in an hospital specialized in heart disease. In her free time, she enjoys reading all things Paranormal and photography.

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