Book Review: Invincible

Invincible (Piercing the Veil, Book 2) 

Author: C.A. Gray 

Published By: Wanderlust Publishing

Publication Date: April 28, 2014 

Page Count: 424 

Buy it at Amazon or Barnes & Noble 

Source: eBook sent from author 

Audience: Young Adult – Fantasy, Arthurian Mythology

It was fabulous getting back into the world of Arthurian legend along with Peter and his friends in Invincible, which picks up just a few days after the end of Intangible. I warn you now, if you haven't read the first book in this series, stop reading this review as it will contain spoilers for Intangible. I promise, however, there will be no spoilers for Invincible. 

Along with the heavy burden of knowing of the prophecy that may or may not apply to both Peter and Lily, they also have the much more terrifying experience of starting a new school. However, they soon realize that this is no ordinary school. Their classes contain Arthurian history, Science that allows them to share the mind of any creature, and learning the Ancient Tongue which gives them the ability to control different elements. Peter is also no longer an outcast made fun of by his fellow classmates. He is widely recognized as looking identical to King Arthur and being the Child of Prophecy.

As fascinating as their new school is, Peter, Lily, Brock, and Cole soon find themselves thrust into yet another life threatening adventure. They once again must face the Shadow Lord, but this time it's a race to get to the Philosopher's Stone.

I was enthralled from the beginning, even though the search for the Philosopher's Stone didn't really heat up till over half way through the book. I enjoyed reading about the hidden city and their new school, learning along with Peter and Lily as they discover more about their unique abilities, and meeting new, memorable characters. I would have liked to have seen more development with Brock and Cole, they don't really use their new gifts at all in this book.

I love the world Gray has created in her series, Piercing the Veil. She has smoothly and creatively linked the Arthurian world of legend with the modern world of today. In the first book, the final battle is fought in another dimension, whereas the battle is book two is fought in the real world. It all seems very natural and flows well.

C. A. Gray again combines magic and science in a way that is easily believable and quite fun. She also describes the scientific parts in a way that is easy for a non-scientific brain like mine to understand.

I like that as a story, this book could stand on its own. Yes, it is a continuation of the first story, and there is a final third part, but it concentrates on one main objective and that works really well. I am looking forward to reading the conclusion to this trilogy, but I will admit I may be a bit sad when it is over.

One Last Thought: I did not have the same problems in this book as I did with some of the wording in the first book. It all flowed much better for me.

Favorite Thing About This Book: The developing relationship between Peter and Lily, and the linking of their destinies.

First Sentence: A stealthy pair of eyes scanned for any sign of life on the banks of the Lake of Avalon.

Favorite Character: Peter

Least Favorite Character: Sargon

Synopsis 

Peter Stewart is a dead ringer for the legendary King Arthur, and because of that, everyone in Carlion believes that he is the Child of the Prophecy, destined to destroy the Shadow Lord. But Peter doesn’t want to be a hero; all he wants to be is left alone. Lily Portman also fits the prophecy. Having spent her entire life as an orphan and a misfit, Lily would love nothing more than to be the Child of the Prophecy, so she envies Peter… but she’s also developing a crush on him. And it seems to her that he couldn’t care less. Isdemus and the Watchers believe that it is only a matter of time before Peter’s twin brother Kane betrays them all and frees the Shadow Lord. The winner of the war to come depends on who has the legendary Philosopher's Stone—the only problem is, it has been lost since the days of Arthur. With the help of a skeptical anthropologist, the Watchers attempt to decode the ancient treasure maps that lead them to the heart of Egypt and the dawn of time. Meanwhile, Lily and Peter discover that Peter holds the real key to the mystery... but will they be too late?