Review: Hidden

Hidden
Author: Sophie Jordan
Published: September 11, 2012
272 Pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the "prince" of their pride. But she resisted long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian's sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory.

The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there's no guarantee they'll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning...

The thrilling finale to the Firelight series doesn't stop for a second. It picks up right where Vanish left off. Jacinda has escaped the hunters but Miram, Cassian's sister, is still being held captive. Jacinda decides the only way to make things right is to get her out of there and that means getting captured herself. But once in the enemy compound, where she knows her dad has once been, she fears that it may be harder to get out than she first thought.

Life is pretty complicated for Jacinda. Not only is she a draki, a descendant of dragons, but she has been bonded with Cassian even though her heart belongs to Will, the human hunter. She has already made her choice, it is forever Will, but she can't seem to find the strength to let go of her pride and live a normal life with him. Cassian's emotions flow through her like her own and she knows how he feels about her. Her inner dilemma stays on the back burner as she tries to rescue as many draki as possible and get out of the compound alive. 

The action is non-stop. From the first sentence, we'll pulled into the fight. As Jacinda is trying to find her dad and save Miram, she's also trying to figure out where her loyalties lie. Will doesn't let her off easy either. He tests her whenever he can and I think this is an important aspect to his character. I know some people may find him pushy, but he knows she loves him and he's trying to show her that she's more than her pride. She's wanted to escape that place since she was young, but with Cassian in her head and more information about her father being discovered, she can't find the means to do it. It's nice that Will isn't just a pushover love interest that just stands in the background and waits to be kissed. He is a strong character and I admire everything he does for Jacinda. 

Tamra steals the show. She has developed the most over the three books. She tried to fit in with the pride but feared she never could. When they moved to the real world, she fit in perfectly but soon discovered that she was a draki, a very powerful draki, and suddenly she didn't fit in anywhere. When she meets Deaghan, a primal draki, she seems to see new hope for her future. Their love story is quiet, but it's as important as Jacinda and Will's because it seems like Tamra has been through more than any other character has in this series. I'm very glad she got her happy ending. 

Uncreative cover aside, the story held its own and satisfied me as the conclusion to a series that has kept me breathless from the beginning.

“And I realize I’m both my strongest and weakest with him.  And I guess that’s love.  When you’re at your most vulnerable”