Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
The plot of the story was unique enough to keep me somewhat entertained but the story as a whole was just not for me. I found it to be too dark for my tastes and I wasn't really 'enjoying' the reading.
Everything is made of steel, even the flowers. How can you love anything in a place like this?
Brenna Yovanoff's The Space Between is the poignant and beautiful tale of a semi-confused and not-like-expected character resulting from the pair of Lucifer and Lilith. The story progresses quickly, the inciting event happening not too far into the book. The writing is gorgeous, as is the norm for a Yovanoff book.
Daphne is the half-demon, half-fallen angel daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. Life for her is an endless expanse of time, until her brother Obie is kidnapped - and Daphne realizes she may be partially responsible.
You'd think a daughter of Lucifer and Lilith would be trained to feel no good and only think evil, but Daphne is good at not playing the expected and stereotypical part. She's a very unique character, and she experiences a lot over the course of the book, especially the end . . .
Determined to find him, Daphne travels from her home in Pandemonium to the vast streets of Earth, where everything is colder and more terrifying. With the help of the human boy she believes was the last person to see her brother alive, Daphne glimpses into his dreams, discovering clues to Obie's whereabouts.
The Space Between unfolds slowly, containing many intricate and complex plot levels that only a master at the craft like Yovanoff could to. Truman (the human boy mentioned above) is a very complex person, buried under the many guilts he's had to bear over the years, drinking away his sorrows. Daphne has to withdraw him from the world he's immersed himself in before she can get to the one she needs.
As she delves deeper into her demonic powers, she must navigate the jealousies and alliances of the violent archangels who stand in her way. But she also discovers, unexpectedly, what it means to love and be human in a world where human is the hardest thing to be.
The world-building in The Space Between is fantastically done. The unique worlds of Hell, Heaven (yes, there is Heaven in this book as well) and Earth are all rich, developed places that the characters explore. The characters are developed richly as well. The Space Between is a fabulous book.
Even though the plot isn't as quickly-paced as some other books and the writing is very rich and delicate, the book still stands strong with its plot. Yovanoff obviously spends lots of time in these worlds!
And the ending. Gosh, the ending.
Brenna Yovanoff's The Space Between is the poignant and beautiful tale of a semi-confused and not-like-expected character resulting from the pair of Lucifer and Lilith. The story progresses quickly, the inciting event happening not too far into the book. The writing is gorgeous, as is the norm for a Yovanoff book.
Daphne is the half-demon, half-fallen angel daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. Life for her is an endless expanse of time, until her brother Obie is kidnapped - and Daphne realizes she may be partially responsible.
You'd think a daughter of Lucifer and Lilith would be trained to feel no good and only think evil, but Daphne is good at not playing the expected and stereotypical part. She's a very unique character, and she experiences a lot over the course of the book, especially the end . . .
Determined to find him, Daphne travels from her home in Pandemonium to the vast streets of Earth, where everything is colder and more terrifying. With the help of the human boy she believes was the last person to see her brother alive, Daphne glimpses into his dreams, discovering clues to Obie's whereabouts.
The Space Between unfolds slowly, containing many intricate and complex plot levels that only a master at the craft like Yovanoff could to. Truman (the human boy mentioned above) is a very complex person, buried under the many guilts he's had to bear over the years, drinking away his sorrows. Daphne has to withdraw him from the world he's immersed himself in before she can get to the one she needs.
As she delves deeper into her demonic powers, she must navigate the jealousies and alliances of the violent archangels who stand in her way. But she also discovers, unexpectedly, what it means to love and be human in a world where human is the hardest thing to be.
The world-building in The Space Between is fantastically done. The unique worlds of Hell, Heaven (yes, there is Heaven in this book as well) and Earth are all rich, developed places that the characters explore. The characters are developed richly as well. The Space Between is a fabulous book.
Even though the plot isn't as quickly-paced as some other books and the writing is very rich and delicate, the book still stands strong with its plot. Yovanoff obviously spends lots of time in these worlds!
And the ending. Gosh, the ending.
The Space Between is the second book that I've read by Brenna Yovanoff and I have to say that it really surprised me. I enjoyed it far more than [b:Paper Valentine|18667810|Paper Valentine|Brenna Yovanoff|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1382328161s/18667810.jpg|17393387]. Yovanoff is really a very versatile author though, because in this book she writes about angels, demons, Hell and a girl who's lost and uncertain about herself but determined to find her brother. The writing was also really lovely, alternating between Daphne's perspective and the third person perspective about Truman. I loved Daphne's voice and her inner strength.
Daphne is the daughter of Lucifer and Lillith, she's the seventh daughter born after her parents' marriage had already broken down. Daphne has never ventured out of the city where she was born but her half-brother, Obie, the son between Adam and Lilith, spends most of his time on Earth. Obie's mission in life is to save lost souls, especially those borne between fallen angels and humans and Obie's determined to help them as best he can. During Daphne's last encounter with Obie, Obie saves a human boy (Truman) from Pandemonium and then Obie leaves, to live on Earth with a woman that he loves. Later on, it's discovered that Obie's been kidnapped and the only person who's paying enough attention and who can leave to save him is Daphne. And the only lead that she has on Earth is Truman.
The Space Between is a haunting novel and unlike Paper Valentine I felt like the plot was more developed and that there were so many layers that Yovanoff had thought through before she wrote the novel. I loved the exploration of the differences between Pandemonium and Earth and how Daphne becomes more of herself when she ventures into Earth. At first I really wasn't sure what to make of Daphne because she's quite a passive character, being more content to stay in the city rather than to go out and see Earth. But I think her personality really came to life after she's gone down to Earth and searches for Truman to save her brother.
Needless to say, I also found Truman to be a great, complex character. There are layers to him and to his depression after losing his mother. Even though we don't spend as much time with Truman as we do with Daphne, he was still an interesting, if self-destructive character to have around.
Brenna Yovanoff has written a truly original story about demons and angels. There are also twists in the plot that I really didn't see coming.
Overall, I really liked this story and I'm glad that Goodreads recommended it to me. I definitely don't think that I would've picked this up by myself!
Daphne is the daughter of Lucifer and Lillith, she's the seventh daughter born after her parents' marriage had already broken down. Daphne has never ventured out of the city where she was born but her half-brother, Obie, the son between Adam and Lilith, spends most of his time on Earth. Obie's mission in life is to save lost souls, especially those borne between fallen angels and humans and Obie's determined to help them as best he can. During Daphne's last encounter with Obie, Obie saves a human boy (Truman) from Pandemonium and then Obie leaves, to live on Earth with a woman that he loves. Later on, it's discovered that Obie's been kidnapped and the only person who's paying enough attention and who can leave to save him is Daphne. And the only lead that she has on Earth is Truman.
The Space Between is a haunting novel and unlike Paper Valentine I felt like the plot was more developed and that there were so many layers that Yovanoff had thought through before she wrote the novel. I loved the exploration of the differences between Pandemonium and Earth and how Daphne becomes more of herself when she ventures into Earth. At first I really wasn't sure what to make of Daphne because she's quite a passive character, being more content to stay in the city rather than to go out and see Earth.
Spoiler
Well I guess you can't really blame her when the only reason she would have to leave the city would be to become one of the Lilim, which appear to be like succubus-ish characters. But compared to Obie, her life seems to be rather boring.Needless to say, I also found Truman to be a great, complex character. There are layers to him and to his depression after losing his mother. Even though we don't spend as much time with Truman as we do with Daphne, he was still an interesting, if self-destructive character to have around.
Brenna Yovanoff has written a truly original story about demons and angels.
Spoiler
Can I just say that it was awesome how the good guys are a bunch of demons and that the archangel's like the bad guy of the story? Yovanoff has also incorporated many different elements from Christian mythology into the story as well as coming up with some new paranormal elements of her own, e.g. Daphne's power was really unique and cool.Spoiler
Such as the super creepy baby Raymie. She's practically a horror story by herself.Overall, I really liked this story and I'm glad that Goodreads recommended it to me. I definitely don't think that I would've picked this up by myself!
As much as I love Goodreads, I wish there was an option to give half stars. Because I would have given this 4.5...and who knows, maybe I'll bump it up to a 5 later after I let my thoughts on this book digest (I'm extremely picky with what books I rate 5 stars).
Anyway, on the surface The Space Between has a lot in common with its shallower cousins in the paranormal YA genre, but it goes much deeper than that. As someone who has dealt with grief, I really found it beautiful.
Also, it's a breath of fresh air to have a story that's resolved in one book. Not everything needs to be a trilogy!
Anyway, on the surface The Space Between has a lot in common with its shallower cousins in the paranormal YA genre, but it goes much deeper than that. As someone who has dealt with grief, I really found it beautiful.
Also, it's a breath of fresh air to have a story that's resolved in one book. Not everything needs to be a trilogy!
Known in the US as ‘The Space Between’, Smoulder is The Replacement author Brenna Yovanoff’s second novel. I picked it up after reading this great review by my critique partner, and I wasn’t disappointed
In Smoulder, Hell goes up in flames every night when the furnace at the heart of the city opens. Everything is made to withstand the fire: metal gardens filed with iron flowers, museums with blast-proof vault doors to protect Earth items, and the nearly indestructible demons themselves.
The story had me hooked from the very first chapter, where we meet Lilith: bold, defiant, and unapologetically female, the Prologue shows her rejection by Adam and her exit from Eden, to the night-time beach where she first meets Lucifer. Chapter 1 cuts us to the future, where we meet Daphne: one of Lilith’s many daughters, with the metal teeth and Lucifer’s blood in her veins.
Daphne and Truman are chalk and cheese: Daphne’s detached and withdrawn, reacting very little to some of the horrific things she witnesses. Truman is a damaged, self-destructive young guy, but he's powerfully open in his reactions. I absolutely love how Yovanoff brought this suicidal, alcoholic chain-smoker to life without watering down his issues.
And there are plenty of other interesting characters hiding in Smoulder’s world: a soul-collecting demon with a red mohawk, the suave and charming Lord of the Flies Beelzebub, and the angelic servant and demon killer Dark Dreadful -- a monstrous woman built to kill the almost unkillable.
This was a unique, dark read with an expertly crafted world. If you like dark, fast-paced YA be sure to pick it up.
In Smoulder, Hell goes up in flames every night when the furnace at the heart of the city opens. Everything is made to withstand the fire: metal gardens filed with iron flowers, museums with blast-proof vault doors to protect Earth items, and the nearly indestructible demons themselves.
The story had me hooked from the very first chapter, where we meet Lilith: bold, defiant, and unapologetically female, the Prologue shows her rejection by Adam and her exit from Eden, to the night-time beach where she first meets Lucifer. Chapter 1 cuts us to the future, where we meet Daphne: one of Lilith’s many daughters, with the metal teeth and Lucifer’s blood in her veins.
Daphne and Truman are chalk and cheese: Daphne’s detached and withdrawn, reacting very little to some of the horrific things she witnesses. Truman is a damaged, self-destructive young guy, but he's powerfully open in his reactions. I absolutely love how Yovanoff brought this suicidal, alcoholic chain-smoker to life without watering down his issues.
And there are plenty of other interesting characters hiding in Smoulder’s world: a soul-collecting demon with a red mohawk, the suave and charming Lord of the Flies Beelzebub, and the angelic servant and demon killer Dark Dreadful -- a monstrous woman built to kill the almost unkillable.
This was a unique, dark read with an expertly crafted world. If you like dark, fast-paced YA be sure to pick it up.
"Tender," she said again, "Tender is kind and gentle. It's also sore, like the skin around an injury."
Daphne's father is the first, fallen angel. Her mother is the demon, Lilith. She lives with Lilith in Hell/Pandemonium in a kind of dreamlike stasis, only coming to life when her half-brother Obie brings her trinkets from Earth.
But then one day a wet, bloody boy appears at the Terminal in Pandemonium and Daphne knows he doesn't belong here. When her brother takes the boy back, it starts a chain of events that will bring Daphne to Earth and Heaven and back to Hell again.
Yovanoff's characters make me want to cry. From Lilith's fierce determination to be her own woman (literally) and the penalty she pays, to Moloch's achy kind of caring, to Truman's self-destruction, to Daphne's slow melting into feeling.
All of them are Tender. The Space Between is a slow exploration of the sore places in love, and how love can lead us to make selfish and unselfish choices.
Daphne herself is a mesmerizing character. Her voice seems detached and murky at first, but slowly, as she experiences more on Earth, she comes into herself and acknowledges that her desires may set her against the people she always thought were authorities. Experiencing with her the "fall" of those authority figures is a true young adult journey.
And the Lilith mythology, coupled with the half-demons and Beelzebub and Azrael and the Dark Dreadful along with the descriptions of the Pit and Furnace in Hell coalesce just enough of the extent mythos to make it all seem perfectly real while being different enough to be cool.
This Book's Snack Rating: Garlic Parmesan Kettle Chips for the bitter-salt of complicated love in sturdy characters flavored with Christian mythos
Daphne's father is the first, fallen angel. Her mother is the demon, Lilith. She lives with Lilith in Hell/Pandemonium in a kind of dreamlike stasis, only coming to life when her half-brother Obie brings her trinkets from Earth.
But then one day a wet, bloody boy appears at the Terminal in Pandemonium and Daphne knows he doesn't belong here. When her brother takes the boy back, it starts a chain of events that will bring Daphne to Earth and Heaven and back to Hell again.
Yovanoff's characters make me want to cry. From Lilith's fierce determination to be her own woman (literally) and the penalty she pays, to Moloch's achy kind of caring, to Truman's self-destruction, to Daphne's slow melting into feeling.
All of them are Tender. The Space Between is a slow exploration of the sore places in love, and how love can lead us to make selfish and unselfish choices.
Daphne herself is a mesmerizing character. Her voice seems detached and murky at first, but slowly, as she experiences more on Earth, she comes into herself and acknowledges that her desires may set her against the people she always thought were authorities. Experiencing with her the "fall" of those authority figures is a true young adult journey.
And the Lilith mythology, coupled with the half-demons and Beelzebub and Azrael and the Dark Dreadful along with the descriptions of the Pit and Furnace in Hell coalesce just enough of the extent mythos to make it all seem perfectly real while being different enough to be cool.
This Book's Snack Rating: Garlic Parmesan Kettle Chips for the bitter-salt of complicated love in sturdy characters flavored with Christian mythos
Hell is a strangely beautiful city made of chrome and steel populated by demons that move back and forth between earth and their home city called Pandemonium. This is a love story. A love story between broken human boy not so sure about wanting to live and a demon girl who isn’t so sure about living the life expected of her. Daphne is a sort of goth Little Mermaid - a demon daughter of Satan looking longingly at life on earth and wishing she were human - maybe. The plot may be familiar but the telling is unique and entertaining. Brenna Yovanoff is an author to watch.