Review: Starling (Starling #1) By: Lesley Livingstone

Title: Starling (Starling #1)

Author: Lesley Livingston

Published: August 28th, 2012

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars!

Goodreads Summary:

Mason Starling is a champion fencer on the Gosforth Academy team, but she's never had to fight for her life. Not until the night a ferocious, otherworldly storm rips through Manhattan, trapping Mason and her teammates inside the school. Mason is besieged by nightmarish creatures more terrifying than the thunder and lightning as the raging tempest also brings a dangerous stranger into her life: a young man who remembers nothing but his name--the Fennrys Wolf. His arrival tears Mason's world apart, even as she feels an undeniable connection to him. Together, they seek to unravel the secrets of Fenn's identity as strange and supernatural forces gather around them. When they discover Mason's family--with its dark allegiance to ancient Norse gods--is at the heart of the mystery, Fennrys and Mason are suddenly faced with a terrifying future.

Set against the gritty, shadowed back-drop of New York City, this first novel in award-winning author Lesley Livingston's epic Starling Saga is an intoxicating blend of sweeping romance and pulse-pounding action.

My Thoughts:

I absolutely adored this book, it was so much fun to read. The Norse mythology was awesome, I didn't know a lot about it before reading the book but, I felt like I learned everything I needed to know to understand the book, each character was so distinct and I could picture exactly what they were like in my head, it was full of mystery, suspense, and awesomeness! This is the first book of Lesley Livingston I have read and it definitely will not be the last.

Our main character Mason Starling is your average teenage girl, besides the fact that she goes to a super expensive and private boarding school for the uber rich and elite. She is an amazing fencer and you can really tell how much she loves it. Everything changes after fencing practice one night when a storm hits the school crashing a giant tree into the gym and a mysterious man appearing naked fighting zombielike creatures that Mason and her friends can't believe they are seeing. This is only the beginning for Mason Starling and her friends and family.

Mason was one of those main characters that I felt was completely relatable. She wasn't super popular but, she wasn't nerdy either. After the mysterious attack and man leave her reeling she isn't content to just brush it all away and pretend it never happened. She is determined to help the mysterious man named Fennrys Wolf who crashed into her life and when everyone else can't see why she would waste her time on him she doesn't seem to care.

Now onto her amazingly hot love interest Fennrys. I totally picture him as the spitting image of Chris Hemsworth (who played Thor), so dreamy. He was sweet, kind, tough, endearing, and I could go on and on about how much I adored him.

We learn a lot about the Starling family, who are descendants of Norse people, it was so fascinating to read about all of the mythology and it was woven into the story so perfectly that it didn't bore you or seem out of place it stemmed from each character and came together to make the tale complete. I will admit that I really hated Mason's father Gunnar Starling and her brother Rory Starling. I don't want to give away why but, I will definitely say I could not believe these two and the plans they cooked up together. She also has another brother named Rothgar or Roth, and I was totally swooning over him, riding his motorcycle all geared up in leather, and he was not who he seemed to be in the beginning of the book and he really surprised me, I can't wait to see where his character goes in the next book.

On to the romance, I really enjoyed reading about Mason and Fennrys, it wasn't really insta-love, I never remember reading that either one of them was in love with the other and I was so happy about that. It was obvious they had feelings for each other but, it was ruined by either of them falling madly in love with each other in a matter of days.

Overall, this book was incredible, it has everything that you could ever want to read about all packed up into one, the ending left you with a complete cliffhanger and I am dying to read the next book and find out what happens. Ugh! I hate waiting. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys mythology it was intriguing and it kept my interest. I really think that everyone should read it  because it was just plain awesome, action, adventure, romance, mythology, hot boys, what else could a girl ask for? Definitely pick this one up!

Happy Reading!

Kristin