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| TITLE: Once (Eve #2) AUTHOR: Anna Carey PUBLISHER: Harper PUB DATE: July 3 2012 |
Summary from Goodreads:
"In the second book of this thrilling dystopian adventure, Eve will come face to face with the king who has been ruthlessly hunting her and learn the shocking truth about who she really is.
Having managed to evade the soldiers hunting her, Eve finally reached Califia, a haven for women determined to live outside the oppressive rule of the King of New America. However, Eve's freedom came at a price: she was forced to leave Caleb, the boy she loves, wounded and alone at the city gates. When Eve learns that Califia may not be as safe as it seems she sets out once again in the hopes of being with Caleb only to fall into a trap that sends her to the City of Sand and directly into the hands of the King.
Once at the stronghold of the King, Eve will uncover the real reason he was so intent on her capture, and the unbelievable role he intends her to fill. When she is finally reunited with Caleb inside the city walls, Eve will risk everything to be with him."
Rating:
In the events that follow Eve, the first book of the series: Eve has been living in Califia, a sanctuary for women who chose to live outside the rules imposed by the King of the New America. Since men are not allowed within Califia, Eve had to leave Caleb behind to enter in order to avoid being captured by the King’s men.
But when word got to her that Caleb is in trouble, Eve is determined to help him out, only to find out that this was a trap. Suddenly, Eve finds herself in the last place she expected to be. The one place she has been fighting off to be held in, the City of Sand; the king’s very home.
What shocks her is finding out the real reason behind the King’s determination to locate her and what role she must play in the rebirth of the country. And when she finally sees Caleb, a wanted criminal within the city walls, she would do anything to be with him once and for all...
What started out as a simple love story with a mix of dystopia from Eve, developed into a deeper kind of story through Once.
I was surprised about who Eve really was to the King. Although that makes better sense to me now over why the King was so obsessed in finding her, since he hadn’t even met her in the first place. I thought Eve’s identity would finally give her the upper hand. Turns out she’s just as powerless as before. I just wish she stood up from the King and gave a valuable argument. Mostly it felt like she didn’t push at all and only got in more than a word or two every time they had a conversation.
I was happy to see that Eve and Caleb found each other, and that Eve was doing the best she could to meet him despite the curfews, guards, and all the hindrances surrounding her. Although, I don’t get why she bothers to disguise herself when she’s just as recognizable either way? I’ve seen many times of her being identified by a number of people while she was in disguise. That seemed pretty useless.
Anyway, I wish I was given the chance to get to know the villain in this book. I know they said that the King was a ruthless person but I never really saw anything beyond ordering Eve around and being a public figure, and the ever so slightly embellished be-killed-by-the-soldiers/guards-when-you-disobey-the-king. But I didn’t see much of a character that would justify whether I would hate him or not.
This book is far more eventful than the first one, but it still looks like there’s a long way to go before Anna Carey concludes everything at hand. I hope the last book would truly give out the answers to all the things that have been occurring.
