{"id":57711,"date":"2021-02-25T09:00:18","date_gmt":"2021-02-25T14:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=57711"},"modified":"2021-02-25T09:18:02","modified_gmt":"2021-02-25T14:18:02","slug":"release-arc-review-song-for-dead-ada-palomino-2-by-karina-halle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=57711","title":{"rendered":"Release & ARC Review: Song for the Dead (Ada Palomino, #2) by Karina Halle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whoever said love is a battlefield, never had to fight demons at the same time<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n

Song for the Dead by Karina Halle is now live!\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

Amazon<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Apple Books<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Nook\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Kobo<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

\r\n <\/div><\/div><\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n

Blurb<\/strong><\/h4>\n

My name is Ada Palomino.<\/p>\n

By day, I’m studying my ass off at design school in Portland, Oregon.<\/p>\n

By night, I’m slaying demons and ghosts who have dared to slip through the Veil.<\/p>\n

Or at least, that’s what I should be doing.<\/p>\n

The problem is Jay, who also happened to be my immortal guardian and now ex-boyfriend, was banished from being with me.<\/p>\n

And now my new trainer is a previously dead friend of mine that I helped bring back to life.<\/p>\n

With both of us nursing broken hearts, we embark on a road trip to New Orleans to help him win back his long lost love.<\/p>\n

As if that\u2019s not tricky enough, we\u2019re also being hunted by a demon with a grudge, and I\u2019m not sure if all the training in the world is going to help me.<\/p>\n

One things for sure, the more complicated our relationship gets, the scarier things become.<\/p>\n

Whoever said love is a battlefield, never had to fight demons at the same time.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Add to Goodreads<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Review<\/strong><\/h4>\n

4.5 stars!<\/b><\/p>\n

This is the second book in the Ada Palomino<\/i><\/a> series, which spins off from (and is very closely tied to) the Experiment in Terror (EIT)<\/i><\/a> series. I loved the first book in this series, Veiled<\/a>, which gave us the story of Perry\u2019s little sister, Ada, and it\u2019s been a while since that book came out, but I was still right there with Ada and all of her badass smartassery as her journey continues.<\/p>\n

The events of this book take place after the newest EIT book, Came Back Haunted<\/a>, and contains huge spoilers for the entire EIT series. There is enough background to get you by if you haven\u2019t read that book – or the rest of EIT – but just be aware that huge plot points will be revealed when you read this one. If you\u2019re an EIT fan, make sure you\u2019ve read Ghosted<\/a> and Came Back Haunted<\/i> before diving into this one.<\/p>\n

Also, just note that this review contains some spoilers for the EIT series, because OMG, this storyline came out of nowhere, and it\u2019s a shocker!<\/p>\n

Firstly, after falling in love with her supernatural guardian\/trainer\/mentor Jay in the first book, he has now chosen duty over her and has left, breaking Ada\u2019s heart and leaving them both devastated. So in this book, she has a brand new love interest, and\u2026<\/p>\n

<\/span>Spoiler<\/div>
IT\u2019S MAX! OMG, IT\u2019S MAX! SOMETIMES BAD-GUY, MOSTLY GOOD-GUY, GINGER ELVIS, THE ORIGINAL DOUCHECANOE, MAX! MAX IS ADA\u2019S NEW LOVE INTEREST! WTF#&*!FHUT&GH&^$ELFNERGN#ERWGHE!RGADFLGDFLADFN!!!!!\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

OK, now that my freakout is somewhat abated\u2026 just wow.<\/p>\n

This book overlaps briefly with events from Come Back Haunted<\/i> and carries forward one of the big surprises from that book \u2013 Max is back from the dead, and because Ava used her supernatural badassery to save him from the veil, the two of them share a special connection. And with Ava all broken-hearted and without a guardian\/trainer to help her with her demon slaying, who could be better to step in to help her? Of course, a newly-resurrected Max.<\/p>\n

Max has unfinished business, and given that he and Ava can\u2019t be too far apart at any time, she accompanies him on a cross-country road trip from Portland to New Orleans, and here is where the fun begins.<\/p>\n

Karina Halle writes the best banter \u2013 especially in this series which is chock-full of smartasses \u2013 and the conversation flies free and easy between Ada and Max. They were friends before, but she was only 15 when they first met, and now she\u2019s all grown up which makes things even more entertaining. They\u2019re also both nursing somewhat broken hearts, dealing with the changes to Max and what that means for him and for Ada, and they\u2019ve got a bunch of demons chasing them down. It\u2019s all happening, and it\u2019s a wildly exciting ride.<\/p>\n

And in the middle of it all, there is this unfolding romance, which hasn\u2019t even been hinted at before now, until we start to see little glimmers of\u2026 something<\/i>.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone always leaves me \u2026 I\u2019m always left behind.\u201d
\nHe exhales hard, his breath moving my hair.
\n\u201cI have to admit, you\u2019re breaking my heart here, Ada,\u201d he says after a moment. \u201cI\u2019m not going to leave you.\u201d
\n\u201cBecause you can\u2019t?\u201d
\n\u201cI wouldn\u2019t even if I could.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I honestly didn\u2019t know what to make of it, because it was something I had never considered, but the longer they roadtrip, the more time they spend together, the more they open up to each other, I started to feel it. They have a great friendship, with a wonderful sense of playfulness, and slowly the chemistry starts to build.<\/p>\n

\u201cSweetheart,\u201d he says to me, his voice causing a cascade of shivers down my spine, \u201cyou\u2019re all I fucking think about, all the damn time. I\u2019m thinking about you even when you\u2019re right here in front of me.\u201d He pauses. \u201cTo say I want you is a fucking understatement.\u201d
\nI open my eyes.
\n\u201cThen find your balls and do something about it.\u201d <\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ada is such a sensational character. She\u2019s always been a scene-stealer, and she shines in her own story. She\u2019s bold, brave and confident, she has a wicked sense of humour and holds nothing back, and she\u2019s so much fun. I loved being back with her, and the way she handles Max and their situation is just gold. And Max has been such an enigma throughout the entire EIT series. You love him, you hate him, you have no idea how to really feel about him, but in this book we see a whole new Max, and damn, I was impressed!<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you want?\u201d I ask, \u2026
\n\u201cI have what I want.\u201d He kisses me deeply, pulls back to look intently in my eyes. \u201cYou.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd what am I?\u201d
\nHis gaze drops to my mouth, to my cheek, to my nose, back to my eyes. \u201cYou\u2019re everything and the only thing.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He\u2019s funny, he\u2019s sweet, he\u2019s swoony, and damn, he\u2019s filthy (and apparently quite skilled in the bedroom\u2026 and elsewhere). He is everything that I love in my romantic heroes, and I was happily swept up in everything that was happening between them. Is it fast moving? Sure. But their connection is strong, their situation is extreme, and when there is supernaturalness at play, you can get away with a quickly developing, super sexy romance, so I was fully on board.<\/p>\n

And when you add in the chaos that is happening around them, it creates a fantastically fun story.<\/p>\n

Nothing could be hotter than this, watching this man expertly wield a medieval-looking sword in the middle of Royal Street, decapitating demons left and right.
\nBe still my fucking heart.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This was a surprising read, but I\u2019m loving the direction of Ada\u2019s journey. The book moves very quickly, with lots of action and excitement. The paranormal stuff is creepy but entertaining, and is wrapped up nicely, but it takes a background to the unfolding romance which is just gorgeous.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want you.\u201d
\n\u201cAlways?\u201d I tease.
\n\u201cAlways, evermore, and on and on.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The book ends on a huge (and very unwelcome) cliffhanger. I\u2019m desperate to see where it all goes from here, and can\u2019t wait for the next instalment in the series.<\/p>\n

4.5 stars!<\/p>\n

An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ada Palomino<\/strong><\/h4>\n

An Experiment in Terror<\/a> series spin-off<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Veiled\" \u00a0\"\" \u00a0\"\"<\/p>\n

Veiled (#1)<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0\u00a0Amazon\u00a0 <\/a>|\u00a0Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

Song for the Dead (#2)<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy: \u00a0Amazon<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

Demon Dust (#3)<\/strong>
\nTo be released 6 March 2023
\nPre-order:\u00a0 Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Experiment in Terror<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\" \"\"\u00a0\"\"\u00a0\"\"\u00a0\"\"\u00a0\"\"\u00a0\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"\u00a0\"\"\u00a0\"\"\u00a0\"\"\u00a0\"\"\u00a0\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Darkhouse (#1)<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon \u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

Red Fox (#2)<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon \u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

The Benson (#2.5)<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon \u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0 Paperback <\/a>(available in the ‘Perception’ EIT novella collection)<\/p>\n

Dead Sky Morning (#3)<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon \u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

Lying Season (#4)<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon \u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

On Demon Wings (#5)<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon \u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

Old Blood (#5.5)<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon \u00a0<\/a>| Paperback <\/a>(available in the ‘Perception’ EIT novella collection)<\/p>\n

The Dex Files (#5.7)<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon \u00a0<\/a>| Paperback<\/a> (available in the ‘Perception’ EIT novella collection)<\/p>\n

Into the Hollow (#6)<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon \u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

And With Madness Comes the Light (#6.5)<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon \u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

Come Alive (#7)<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon \u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

Ashes to Ashes (#8)
\n<\/strong>Review<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon \u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

Dust to Dust (#9)<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon \u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

Ghosted (#9.5)<\/strong>
\nReview<\/a>
\nAvailable as part of the All the Love in the World anthology:\u00a0Amazon<\/a>
\nBuy individual novella:\u00a0 Amazon\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

Came Back Haunted (#10)
\n<\/strong>Review<\/a>
\n<\/strong>Buy:\u00a0 Amazon\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"PerceptionPerception<\/strong>
\nA collection of the EIT novellas (The Benson, Old Blood and The Dex-Files) – original cover
\nBuy:\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Meet Karina<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Karina Halle is a former travel writer, music journalist and screenwriter, and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of over 55 bestselling novels, ranging from horror and suspense to contemporary romance. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband, and her adopted pitbull Bruce, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.<\/p>\n

Halle is represented by the Root Literary Agency and is both self-published and published by Simon & Schuster, Hachette and Montlake. Her work has\u00a0been translated and published in 20 languages.<\/p>\n

Hit her up on Instagram at @authorHalle, on Twitter at @MetalBlonde and on Facebook. You can also visit\u00a0www.authorkarinahalle.com<\/a>\u00a0and sign up for the newsletter for news, excerpts, previews, private book signing sales and\u00a0more.<\/p>\n

Connect with Karina:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Facebook\u00a0\u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0\u00a0Amazon\u00a0\u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Join her Reader Group<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Stay up to date with Karina by signing up for her\u00a0newsletter<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For more great reads, check out our\u00a0Karina Halle Author Spotlight<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Whoever said love is a battlefield, never had to fight demons at the same time Song for the Dead by Karina Halle is now live!\u00a0   Amazon\u00a0 |\u00a0 Apple Books\u00a0 |\u00a0 Nook\u00a0 |\u00a0 Kobo   […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":56627,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","yasr_overall_rating":4.5,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[79,972,25,10,9,29],"tags":[1240,59,38,48],"class_list":["post-57711","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-action","category-forbidden","category-friends-to-lovers","category-paranormal","category-romance","category-steamy","tag-ada-palomono","tag-arc","tag-karina-halle","tag-review"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Song-for-the-Dead.jpg?fit=200%2C300&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7gaNL-f0P","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57711","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=57711"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57711\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/56627"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=57711"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=57711"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=57711"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}