Sunday, August 21, 2011

Review: Cascade by Lisa T. Bergren

From Back Cover: Gabi knows she's left her heart in the fourteenth century, and she persuades Lia to help her return, even though they know doing so will risk their very lives. When they arrive, months have passed, and all of Siena longs to celebrate the heroines who turned the tide in the battle against Florence - while their enemies will go to great lengths to see them dead. Even in the midst of the battles, Gabi's heart is increasingly drawn to Marcello, just as Lia's is to Luca. In medieval Italy, the sisters discover things inside themselves that they couldn't seem to find in the present - connection with their mom, courage within, and the understanding that a life well lived often means encountering sacrifice. But in a world long past, many things still keep Gabi from giving Marcello her heart forever ... and one thing in particular calls all three of the Betarrinis home. 

My Rating: 5 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: It’s rare for me to like a sequel just as much as the first book in a series, and with trilogies, I tend to find that the middle books lag a bit. Lisa T. Bergren’s Cascade however was just as awesome as Waterfall!

At the end of Waterfall, Gabi and Lia had returned to the twenty-first century out of sheer necessity. In Cascade then, they appear in their medieval dresses in the Etruscan tomb and quickly get into trouble for entering the archaeological site without being authorized to do so. After Gabi and Lia explain to their mother what happened to them, Mrs. Betarrini decides to humour her daughters and they all end up going back to the tomb. Of course, Gabi and Lia aren’t lying and the two soon find themselves in fourteenth century Italy with their mother. This time though Gabi and Lia are clearly aware of how dangerous life is in medieval Italy.

So not only does Cascade reunite us with Gabi and Lia who are mentally tougher now, but it continues to be action-packed and full of romance. While Gabi and Marcello are still deeply in love, the relationship between Luca and Lia is heating up as well. Also, though there wasn’t a lot of Fortino, we’re introduced to the mysterious Lord Greco who may or may not be a villain. Since Luca seems like he’s going to be off the market soon, I’d like to thank Bergren for adding another hot Italian knight to the mix. I love morally ambiguous characters and there better be a lot of Lord Greco in Torrent!

Cascade ends with a huge twist that will have you pining for Torrent, the final book in the River of Time trilogy. Since I’m now dying to see the ramifications of the Betarrini ladies’ actions, it’s a good thing that the wait for Torrent – it comes out September 1, 2011 – isn’t long.

Cascade was released in June 2011 by David C. Cook. 

Comments About the Cover: I want a cover that captures your eye and shows off how amazing the River of Time series is. This cover does neither and makes me wonder why the model looks like she is asleep (seriously, that’s one of the two ways I lie when trying to go to sleep). Alternatively, I think that she is praying and that makes me want to avoid picking up the book. Oh well, it least matches Waterfall’s cover.  

11 comments:

  1. I'm so glad you liked it! Isn't Lord Greco great? He reminded me a little of Valek from the Poison Study series. I think you're going to love Torrent :)

    I agree about the covers. I don't dislike them, but they don't really stand out for me. I do picture Lia and Gabi looking like those girls though.

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  2. I need to read this series since everyone seems to like it so much! =) Glad that you enjoyed it!

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  3. YES!!! I just finished this today and loved it to pieces:) Lord Greco was certainly intriguing, and he plays an even bigger role in Torrent, so I can't wait to see what you think of him then Zahida!

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  4. So happy that everyone seems to agree that the sequels are just as good or better than the first book because I often notice a lull with middle books too. So excited to start reading this, probably next after Ashes!

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  5. YAY! So glad you loved this. I have just read Torrent and I can you tell you it is the BEST in the series. And there is more of the delicious Lord Greco too. Awesome review :)

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  6. What? I'm reading this now, and I don't see myself liking Lord Greco at all. I want to punch him. Yes, morally ambiguous can be quite intriguing, but I guess I haven't gotten that far yet.

    Exciting review, Z. Now I'm nervous about that twist.

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  7. Thanks for the great review! I'm so glad CASCADE just upped the ante for you and hope that TORRENT does the same, in your mind and heart. P.S. Currently toying with a book for Lord Greco in which he would star! He's pretty intriguing...

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  8. I've been seeing lots of bloggers reviewing both Waterfall and Cascade lately. I should probably start this series and jump on the bandwagon since everyone seems to be loving both books.

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  9. So glad you enjoyed this one. I haven't come across any reviews for it as yet. I think I should get started on this series ASAP!

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  10. I've ordered Waterfall because of all the wonderful reviews I've read. I'm dying to get into this series!

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  11. Dang. That's it. You make these books sound sooo good! I'm gonna order Waterfall from TBD now.

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