Minutes Before Sunset Review

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Minutes Before Sunset by Shannon A. Thompson
Narrator: Sarah Puckett, Steve Campbell
Series: The Timely Death Trilogy #1
Published by Clean Teen Publishing on July 28th 2015
Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Occult & Supernatural, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 278
Format: Audiobook
Source: Provided for review through Audiobook Blast/Boom
Goodreads

Two destinies. One death.

"Her kiss could kill us, and my consent signed our death certificates."

Eric Welborn isn't completely human, but he isn't the only shade in the small Midwest town of Hayworth. With one year left before his eighteenth birthday, Eric is destined to win a long-raging war for his kind. But then she happens. In the middle of the night, Eric meets a nameless shade, and she's powerful—too powerful—and his beliefs are altered. The Dark has lied to him, and he's determined to figure out exactly what lies were told, even if the secrets protect his survival.

Jessica Taylor moves to Hayworth, and her only goal is to find more information on her deceased biological family. Her adoptive parents agree to help on one condition: perfect grades. And Jessica is distraught when she's assigned as Eric's class partner. He won't help, let alone talk to her, but she's determined to change him—even if it means revealing everything he's strived to hide.

Minutes Before Sunset is the first book in The Timely Death Trilogy.

 Julie’s Review:

Thank you for no cliffhanger! I mean, the story is not by any means done, this is book 1 of the trilogy, but it has an ending, a good pause, if you will.

I had a chuckle to myself when I first started the audio because one of the narrators is the same narrator as the book I had just finished. That doesn’t usually happen. So let’s talk about narration now. I enjoyed both voices, and I like when the books are dual POV alternating between the guy and girl. Both voices were easy to listen to, enjoyable, and meaningful. This makes it easier to know who’s narrating the chapter and puts you in the right frame of mind.

The story was interesting, a bit of a twist on magical people. We have the light and the dark, and they are at war. And apparently, they are all waiting for this prophesized battle between their kids, which is about on par for most fantasy novels these days. But our first descendant doesn’t know the whole prophecy, some has been kept from him to protect him. But since prophecies come true whether you know about them or not, he meets this mysterious stranger who changes everything.

So I gotta say I was irritated that they did not know each other between their night forms as “shades” and their day human forms.  I get that they look different, but I feel like our male protag should have figured it out way sooner. I mean, she’s the only new unknown in this town! But I did like how their shade lives and their human lives intersected and they had formed a connection in both aspects of their lives.

Anyway, so book one does end in a pause, but it’s kind of tragic in a way. I want to know how this resolves. I want to know if their love can survive the coming battle. I want to know if the light finds out about her even with the effects of her (sacrificial) decision.

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