Title: Crane
Author: Stacey Rourke
Publisher: Anchor Group Publishing
Format: Ebook
Genre: New Adult, Paranormal
Series: The Legends Saga #1
Rating:
Summary:
The
Horseman is unending,
his
presence shan’t lessen.
If you
break the curse,
you become
the legend.
Washington
Irving and Rip Van Winkle had no choice but to cover up the deadly truth behind
Ichabod Crane’s disappearance. Centuries later, a Crane returns to Sleepy
Hollow awakening macabre secrets once believed to be buried deep.
What if the
monster that spawned the legend lived within you?
Now,
Ireland Crane, reeling from a break-up and seeking a fresh start, must rely on
the newly awakened Rip Van Winkle to discover the key to channeling the
darkness swirling within her. Bodies are piling high and Ireland is the only
one that can save Sleepy Hollow by embracing her own damning curse.
But is
anyone truly safe when the Horseman rides?
Thoughts:
First of
all, can we just take a look at the cover? I’m so completely in love with it.
Whoever designed it needs a high five or two.
I wasn’t
actually sure what to expect from this story when I started it. I thought I was
“just” going into a slightly creepy retelling of the Sleepy Hollow Legend.
However, the book is so much more than that. It is hilarious, but at the same
time it was very freaky. There were scary parts, which only got scarier because
I was reading the book in the middle of the night.
Crane is a
retelling of the Sleepy Hollow legend. It’s told from a dual perspective of Ichabod Crane and Ireland Crane. The
first perspective is the one of Ichabod
Crane; A man who moves to the town of Sleepy Hollow with his two brothers
in arms, Rip Van Wrinkle and Washington Irving. Our second perspective is from Ireland Crane. She is the first Crane
to set foot in Sleepy Hollow since Ichabod.
We jump
between perspectives and time periods, and it works beautifully. Basically we
get two stories all wrapped up in one. The language when we are looking in the
perspective of Ichabod is so different from when we follow Ireland that it all
works perfectly together. The parallels between the past and present time were
very well done. You could clearly see the legend unfold once again in present
time.
I pretty
much adored all the characters in the book. They were all so different, but at
the same time they were all lovable. Okay, maybe there were a few that weren’t
exactly “loveable”, but they were so well written nonetheless. Ireland Crane, was such a badass main
character. She was so down to earth and incredibly witty. She was a strong
woman and she knew how to fend for herself. She took matters into her own
hands, and she was a quick thinker.
Rip Van Wrinkle, a man out of his time. I loved the reluctant
friendship that kind of struck between him an Ireland. Their interactions were so
witty and hilarious., and they almost had me in tears from laughing so much. He
was a fresh breath of air, and he really added something different to the
story. He, as well as Ireland, had some hilarious one-liners throughout the story. He stuck with Ireland no matter what, and proved to be incredibly knowledgeable and useful. There definitely was a difference between the Rip in the past, and the Rip we see with Ireland.
“Just when I think you can’t get any creeper, you astounded me by reaching a whole new plateau. What did you do to yourself? You’re twitching like a meth head.”
“Went into the kitchen. Consumed any products that claimed to boost energy. Ate a bowl of those disgusting brown rinds.”
“Rinds? That’s coffee, dumbass. You’re supposed to brew it.” Rip rambled on as if she hadn’t spoken, which—judging by his herky-jerky gestures—he might not have been aware she had.
There’s a
slight romance in the story. It’s still significant, but not something that
takes over the entire plot, which is a nice thing. The story mainly focuses on
the terrors the horseman creates and how to deal with those.
All in all, I absolute loved the book, and I don't think there was anything that I didn't like about it. It's definitely one of the best books I've read this year, and it has skyrocketed to place among my favorite books.
This is
definitely not the last book I’ll read from this author. There is a sequel to Crane, called Raven, which I hope to pick up very, very, soon.
I would definitely recommend
this book to anyone. It’s a perfect read for Halloween or just of you’re in the mood for a sort
of different read in the fall.
Have you read the book? Does it sound like something you might enjoy?
