Catching Tales...

With the first book of the Dustland series that left off with Jack giving Saba his farewell kiss but with a promise that he will come back to her after finishing an important errand, I was already anticipating for their next reunion in this second installment "Rebel Heart". A distressing news about Jack set Saba once again on the road to another place to meet up with him and help him out once again from a dangerous situation. Despite the warnings and grave doubts and discouragements from Lugh and friends who believes that Jack has betrayed her, she was determined to stuck to her faith in him and seek out the truth herself. A new threat has arise, it seems that the Tontons have a new leader that sounds more cunning and systematic in his operation and Jack  somehow got involved with them. What is more is that there is a price on her head for the Angel of Death to be delivered to this new leader who is called the Pathfinder.

I confess I was wary that what Saba might find may be heart breaking. While I admire Saba in the first book for her fighting spirit and sheer will to survive, in here i came to recognize another side of her one that is prideful and selfish even. The somewhat pragmatic character that I saw in Saba in the previous book was now Gone with the Wind in here all in the name of love. Many times I found myself frustrated with her decisions but I learned to accept her mistakes because I understand that she needs to learn these things the hard way and she also acknowledges these mistakes. It was interesting of how the direction of this story went it was not something I would have thought it would really play out. The revelation about Jack was indeed heart breaking but then not everything is what it seems. Saba was feeling devastated and I was too! She then encountered DeMalo again and something happened that left a feeling in my gut that this will have a nasty consequences later on :( This was not the reunion I was hoping for but do not despair for not everything is lost I hope.The majority of the first half of the book conveys the changes that are surfacing between Saba and Lugh who were inseperable before but now they drifting apart and by the end of this book there might not be enough to hold them back together again like the way they were and It was such a sad sad realization. There were no happy outcomes in general :(

Saba may have experienced many great loss in here but she also gained another loyal animal companion in the form of a wolfdog name Tracker. Now I think Nero and Tracker makes a great sidekick for a destined warrior like Saba. As for Jack and Saba it was another bittersweet farewell dance but here is one die hard romantic that will keep hoping for the best.

 "I don't need no stone to find you. I'd find you anywhere." Jack to Saba in Blood Red Road

Yes the road that Saba has set upon may be treacherous but I find that I do like it. Once again the narrative writing style of the author has sucked me into dustland and d*mn if I still don't feel the sands behind my eyelids.