Date Published: January 2013
Publisher: Self
The Blurb:
Underworld is a gritty YA Novel that is action packed. The protagonist is a 19 year old girl named Ivy. She is strong and yet broken but she has a sense of hope that drives her to push beyond what she believes about herself. The story shows Ivy's growth as she comes to grips with who she really is and busts out the box that society has put her inside. She realizes she is so much more than just a girl from the wrong side of town and that she has it within herself to change the destiny of many. She finds herself facing not only demons from her past but also the demons beyond the veil of the underworld. The Underworld is a brutal place, with intense evil, that resonates the very worst of human nature. Sometimes to save those you love you must walk alone into the unknown and be ready to die for what you believe.In a green ocean of pine trees and twisted branches it seems impossible that light can penetrate the darkness. I find myself outside the strange house in the coolness of a pine forest with my backpack slung over my shoulder. The pine scent lingers in the air and I can hear the faint sound of music from far away.
The pleasure of the light is so intense that I don’t care about anything else. All I have ever wanted is to be loved and to be held just like this. I want to stay forever and never to go back to my life. I savor the experience for a few more moments and then let my body fall out of the light. I know what I must do and slowly close the locket.
“The white horses belong to the third realm. When we saw him in the field this morning Emma said he was yours. How did you ever get your hands on one? He will prove right useful to you here.”
“How can I be equipped when I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do?” I feel a sudden feeling of panic rising up in me as the words tumble out. I don’t understand what I have done to deserve this and the thought of what I will have to face is terrifying.
“The way you are to go will come to you. You will be led by an inner feeling and when the time is right you will know what to do. The light will find you and show you other dimensions and doorways which you may pass through”.
My eyes never leave her face. She radiates warmth and looks as she had long ago, before the world had left its cruel marks on her. It’s a sliver of time I will never get back. It’s been a lifetime and I can’t forget her face, she is the one who completes me. It’s a fragment of time that I have hidden away in the inner recess of my mind. Nothing more than a promise of the reality of what could have been. We had chosen different paths and were never to see each other again.
I often dream the impossible dream. Can this sliver of time, this chance meeting, ever lead to an eternity with her?
My Review:
Underworld is the second book in the Dark Passage Series by M.L Woolley. I highly recommend that you read Dark Passage before reading Underworld. Ivy is relatable as a character in that she comes off as normal. She doesn't know how to use her power yet, and she seems just like you or me in her thoughts and actions. She finds herself in many different settings and situations along her journey. The scene would change at times, and I was sometimes lost trying to figure out: Are we in a vision? a memory? the present? or something else entirely? I love the horse! Big surprise right? I'm so glad he is on the cover. My animal giddyness aside, I think there is more behind the animals in the story. The horse seems to know what's going on and what's expected of him, and Jeff, the dog is different too. He has the same name as her brother. Coincidence? There's just something else about him. I can't put my finger on it. Underworld is building towards something. I'm not entirely sure what yet, but I hope the next book will start pulling things all together. This book felt like a big teaser of what's to come, and it worked. I'm anxious to find out more! The author paints the setting beautifully. M.L. Woolley has a way with words that make it effortless to visualize the worlds she creates.
I received Underworld by M.L. Woolley from the author for review. The opinions are my own.
I received Underworld by M.L. Woolley from the author for review. The opinions are my own.
ML was adopted and raised in Washington State. She grew up loving the escape of books, far away places and magical endings. Horses were a huge part of her life and she learned to ride at age 6 on the neighbor's farm. She worked cleaning stalls and doing work in trade for riding lessons. When she was on the back of a horse she felt that anything in life was possible. The horse used in the second book is her own Quarter Horse show Stallion "The Great White Hope".
ML married early to start a new life and divorced by the time she was 23. She raised her two girls, worked her way through college and graduate school working for a housekeeping service. She has spent many years in social services as social worker, crisis worker, counselor and case manager. Her first intrest has always been helping people to live better lives and become all that they can be. She was remarried later in life and lives with her husband in a small town in Washington- I never give up on a goal once it's set in my mind.
ML's educational background is BA in Psychology, MA in Education and an MED in Counseling Psychology. Education focused on applied principles with a diverse theoretical approach. Writing plays a very small part of what I do vocationally and this is my first work of fiction.
To learn more about M.L. Woolley and her books, visit her blog.You can also find her on Twitter.
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