Review: This Same Earth, by Elizabeth Hunter

Author: Elizabeth Hunter
Title: This Same Earth
Series: Elemental Mysteries (#2)
ASIN: B006HIR944
Publisher: E. Hunter (December 2011)

Buy your copy: Kindle | Paperback

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Beatrice De Novo thought she had left the supernatural world behind…for the most part. But when the past becomes the present, will she leave her quiet life in Los Angeles to follow a mystery she thought had abandoned her? Where has Giovanni Vecchio been, and why has he returned? Giovanni has his own questions, and he’s looking to her for answers.

The sequel to A Hidden Fire will reunite Beatrice and Giovanni to continue their search through the past while both wrestle with the future. When the world as you knew it has changed forever, is there any way you can turn back?    

This Same Earth is the second book in the Elemental Mysteries series. It is a paranormal romance/mystery for adult readers” GoodReads’ blurb

If you have read my review for the first book in this series, you know how head over heels in love I’m with it. If you haven’t, I don’t know why, and you should go check it out right now – here’s the link.

That said, if you haven’t read the first book, this review of the second one might contain spoilers – though I’ll try to keep it in check. With that warning, let’s move on and discuss this amazing title.

This Same Earth lived up to each and every single one of my expectations after book one... and then some.

I’m not going to touch on the plot, because it’s too tight and revealing something would perhaps give too many clues. Suffice it to say that at the end of book one, we learned that Gio’s unruly child was planning something big – that this plan, as much as his own pride, fuels his hunt for B’s father. Through This Same Earth, we gather more pieces to the puzzle of this ambition. Not nearly enough to figure anything out yet, but enough to know that this is so important that no one is safe. That our despicable vampire is not as broken as we thought he might be. That there might be more to the whole “elements” thing than just the abilities of the vampires.

And that’s all I can safely say. If you’re curious at all... well, that means I’ve done my job because this is one wonderful story.

Why? What makes This Same Earth so great? (that I can tell you without giving away too much)

In A Hidden Fire, I said that the characters have real relationships, that they actually get to know each other and that their bonds are deep and complex, not just between the main couple but among all their friends and family. They were also real in and of themselves, reacting in plausible ways to tough situations – when Gio rescues B, she doesn’t swoon in his arm. She’s scared, she feels betrayed, and she needs a lot of time and work to get over that.

Well, the amazing characterization that got me in A Hidden Fire comes back tenfold in This Same Earth.

B left Gio, and he didn’t stop her. When book two begins, a good five years have gone by... and while Gio hasn’t come back, he hasn’t left B alone either. She’s moved on, just not completely. And then, suddenly, he comes back. Aaaand... she reacts in a way I can understand and relate to.

Also, the time that’s gone by has affected them both. Specially B, because she’s mortal. She’s matured, has found her center, has taken up new hobbies. She’s got a job. None of those changes are random, though. You can see how her experiences from book one have influenced her, shaped her into the woman she’s now.

Actually, there was this one scene where I thought, ‘I think I’ve seen this before...?’ But then, it turned out I hadn’t. The way the scene played was such a shocker, and it fit so perfectly with B while illustrating the way she had changed that I ended up almost laughing while cheering her on. I’m not sure if that was the intended effect, but the pararels and the new take were amazing.

Gio has changed, too. Or not. He’s old, so five year’s not much for him. But it’s long enough for him to exercise patience, and in the end I think I understood his character much better – even if I wanted to kick his ass at first! When he comes back in This Same Earth, he knows what he wants, and he’s given himself permission to get it. And it shows! You’re going to love this side of him, I promise.

The rest of the cast is also around, even if they’re not as central to the story – they’ve not been forgotten. You’d not forget family when it’s not convenient for the story, would you? Actually, the secondaries multiply as we get a better look at vampire society, how it works, what it hides... I know there’s this one water vampire I’m dying to read more about!

And talking about families and other characters, prepare to meet a different Carwin. That’s all I’m saying on that matter.

I could go on and on, but that’d be either spoilery or too gushy. So I’m going to leave the review at that, with a final piece of advice:

This series is not only top-noch, not only consistent... it’s also getting better with each volume, with added depth and complexity. You’ll want to start in on it!