Awaken by HJ Daly

The war with Alphamore is over but Esa still isn't safe. There are people out there who fear the amount of power she wields. If they can't force her to use her power for their benefit, they don't want her running around free. And for them, dead is a better choice.

Early on the friends are attacked and Esa is injured. Thomas stumbles upon them in the aftermath of the fight and takes them to his father's home. As he learns something about how hard the last two years have been for Esa, she discovers not everyone is grateful for her part in ending the war. Feared and unwanted at every turn, Esa finds even love can hide the face of an enemy.

Esa still carries the emotional scars from the war and only her trust in Rootu keeps her sane. Only the knowledge that she is all he has left in the world keeps her from completely giving up. Tired of fighting and death, all she wants is someplace to call home where she can live in peace. That's not going to happen. Another power is rising and everyone needs to be afraid. It has its eye on Esa and will use her to get what it wants. Life altering choices are going to be made and death is in someone's future.

Unlike the first book, I was pulled into Awaken immediately and it didn't let go. I am absolutely not a night person. I like sleeping when it's dark out. Yet this book grabbed onto me and didn't let go until the end, at 3:30 in the morning. Then it ended on a cliffhanger. Daly has earned the fifth star with this book. The next one cannot come out soon enough for me. Although the book will stand alone alright, you will get much more out of it by reading Pulse first. I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.