8 Rivers of Shadow (13 Days of Midnight #2) by Leo Hunt
Publisher: Gollancz
Goodreads Summary: In a high-stakes sequel, reluctant necromancer Luke Manchett must call upon the most wicked and eerie ghosts of his dispelled Host to save two innocent souls.

It’s been a few months since Luke Manchett inherited a Host of eight hostile spirits from his dead father and made a deal with the devil to banish them. Luke’s doing his best to blend in to the background of high school, to ignore the haunting dreams spawned by his father’s Book of Eight, and to enjoy the one good thing to come from the whole mess: his girlfriend, Elza. And then it all begins again. Ash, a strange new girl with stark white hair, requests his help—and his Book of Eight—to save her twin sister, who was attacked by a demon. Ash knows a lot more about necromancy than Luke and seems to know what she’s doing, but can she be trusted? As Luke is drawn into a spiral of ever more dangerous favors, he finds himself not only summoning the deadliest members of his father’s Host, but returning to Deadside in a terrifying quest to save what he holds dearest—or die trying.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Review: Luke Manchett is no longer popular. Shunned by most of the school, he sits with his girlfriend Elza Moss a lunchtimes as far away from his former friends as possible. When a new girl, Ashley Smith comes as an exchange student from California, Luke's suspicions are high as he knows immediately that something is up and that she isn't who she appears to be.

This book is definitely better than its prequel, but there are still many things I didn't like/believe about it, and it was the ending that made me lower my rating. For instance, tales of resurrection never end with a HEA... It's almost unheard of, and I believed it was an unspoken law that something bad would happen every time. From the information I gained in 8 Rivers of Shadow, it appears that no bad side effects had any chance of occurring in book 3.

Luke's enemies become his friends in no time, one such friendship even occurs wih no betrayal. At first I accepted this, but when it became clear no backstabbing was to occur I disliked it because it seems very unrealistic that former enemies can become instant friends by bonding over a situation with barely any hints of distrust or arguments.

With all that being said, I liked the plotline. Ash and Luke both want to save their loved ones, and desperation creeps into their minds like a vicious poisonous snake. Trust can be a walk into the unknown... Potentially dangerous, but just as likely to be rewarding.

The mystery part of this novel is also written well and became my favourite aspect of the book. The ending left little room for a third book's plot so I'm interested to see what Leo Hunt comes up with.
Purchase Location: ~I received a copy from Hachette NZ which I willingly reviewed~
Edition: Paperback
Buy the book: Book Depository
Recommended for: Fans of the "I'll do anything" situation.

13 Days of Midnight (13 Days of Midnight #1) by Leo Hunt
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Goodreads Summary: When Luke Manchett’s estranged father dies unexpectedly, he leaves his son a dark inheritance: a Host of eight unique, powerful, and restless spirits. Unfortunately, Luke has no clue how to manage them, which the ghosts figure out pretty quickly. Armed with only his father’s indecipherable notes and a locked copy of The Book of Eight, Luke struggles to adapt to his new role as a necromancer. Meanwhile, the increasingly belligerent Host mutinies, possesses Luke’s mother, and forces him out of his own house.

Halloween, the night when ghosts reach the height of their power, is fast approaching, and Luke knows his Host is planning something far more trick than treat. With the help of school outcast Elza Moss, who knows a bit about ghosts herself, Luke has just thirteen days to uncover the closely guarded secrets of black magic and send his unquiet spirits to their eternal rest.

And if you thought it was going to be easy, you’d be dead wrong.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Review: Sixteen year old Luke Manchett is a popular kid at school. He plays rugby, hangs out with all the right people, and as a bonus the most popular girl in the school likes him. When his father, the well known Dr. Horatio Manchett dies and leaves Luke everything, Luke discovers that all is not as it seems. he gets dragged into a world of ghosts and necromancy and someone is always watching, waiting for his next move, counting on his mistakes.

I enjoyed reading this book, and the idea is great. However, I didn't find many things that made 13 Days of Midnight stand out from other wonderful books. I rarely read books written by male authors (although I'd love to, there just don't seem to be as many!) and this one was a refreshing read.

In the end I liked the ghosts more than the main characters. (I mean, what!) I understand that Luke is a typical teenager, obsessed with fitting in, but his trust in Elza seems sudden and poorly constructed on the writer's part. The ghosts get a much better development. The Vassal is seemingly trustworthy, but soon his betrayal is discovered. The Judge appears to only speak the truth, but his words carry more weight.

Elza is intriguing. I'd like to know more about her, motives, interests, etc. I think her original distrust of Luke also faded too quickly with very little explanation. I liked the plot a lot more than the characters, the storyline was complex and not always predictable. Perhaps the second book will act on the promise of this series.
Purchase Location: Borrowed From Library
Edition: Paperback
Buy the book: Book Depository
Recommended for: Fans of necromancy.