About the book:
Forget everything you know about Halloween. The stories are distortions. They were created to keep the Church of Midnight hidden from the world. Every October 31st a gateway opens to a hostile land of sacrificial magic and chaos. Since the beginning of civilization the Church of Midnight has attempted to open the gateway and unite with its other half, the Church of Morning. Each year they’ve come closer, waiting for the ideal sacrifice to open the gateway permanently. This year that sacrifice has come. And only two can protect it.
Martin and Teresa are the nomads, battle-hardened people who lack identity and are forever road-bound on an endless mission to guard the sacrifice. Their only direction is from notes left from a mysterious person called the Messenger. Endowed with a strange telekinetic power, the nomads will use everything at their disposal to make it through the night alive.
But matters have become even more complicated this year. Teresa has quickly lost ground battling cancer, while Martin has spiraled into a panic over being left alone. His mind may no longer be on the fight when it matters most… because ever on their heels is the insidious physical representation of a united church: Chaplain Cloth.
My Thoughts:
Martin and Teresa have had a bad year. They lost the previous Heart and it was sacrificed, opening the gaeway for the Church of Midnight and Morning to enter the world, allowing one of their Priestesses to slip through. The Churches are determined that this year will be the year the gateway will finally open, letting chaos rule over Earth. To top it all off Teresa's cancer is quickly becoming worse and Martin doubts if he will make it though another Halloween.
Pros: I loved Martin and Teresa. Their relationship was so perfectly written. They were almost too close to each other, having travelled together for so long they know everything about each other. Martin can't stand to watch as Teresa slowly deteriorates and gets weaker. While Teresa wonders how Martin will manage without her. On the other hand, the Church of Midnight has a new bishop that is determined to find the Heart this year and use it to blast the gateway wide open. The Heart is extremely powerful this year, so the hunt is on.
The plot was very fast paced and instantly had me caught up in it. It jumps back and forth between the nomads, Martin and Teresa and their preparations for defending the heart, and the Church of Midnight and thir search to get a head start on finding the Heart before the nomads can prepare to defend it.
Cons: There's not too much to mention as a con on this one. The big thing that may turn some people off is that there are parts that are a bit graphic. There are a couple sexual scenes and a few very graphic scenes of violence. Also, I did not always understand the motivation behind the Church of Midnight. It was never really explained why they wanted the gateway open to the other side, they just did.
The tour for Black and Orange will be going on through Dec 16th. Check out the other stops on the list below.
Black & Orange Tour Schedule
Chrys Phillips debut book series, Magic Wars Books is available worldwide. She is a successful playwright with many of her plays being performed in full scale theater and musical productions. When not creating her books, screenplays and theatre scripts, she can be found shopping for her favorite accessories, spending time at Australian beaches and/or traveling the globe to attend her public speaking & writing events. She’s a self-proclaimed chocolate and movie addict.
ITS A WICKED RUN OF LOVE ~ SECRETS ~ REVENGE ~ HEARTBREAK AND FEAR…ONE TASTE AND YOU’LL BE BEGGING FOR MORE!
