Aussie Book Review: Rogue Gadda by Nicole Murphy
Nicole Murphy- Rogue Gadda (Dream of Asarlai #3)Format- PaperbackSource- review copy/ Harper Voyager (HarperCollins Australia)Synopsis: Hampton Rourke has always lived under his father′s shadow, and he′s not convinced he′s the right man to be leading the search for Asarlai and the Forbidden Texts. When the clues lead to Boston and he stumbles upon one of the fabled lost families, Hampton faces challenges that will test his faith in himself.Review: This is the third book in the Dream of Asarlai series by Nicole Murphy following the first book, Secret Ones (see my review) and the sequel Power Unbound (see my review) which introduces us to the Gadda, a secret human race who have access to extraordinary power and magic.Rogue Gadda brings together all the characters from the first two books as well as introducing us Hampton Rourke from the Gadda Bardia and new character Charlotte Haraldson. Asarlai is still on the run and she has the Forbidden Texts in her possession and is causing havoc in America where she is practicing her powers. She takes Rogan Connor, one of the ‘free ones’ who have cut themselves off from the gadda. Asarlai plays a bigger role in Rogue Gadda than in the earlier books and it is interesting getting to know her motivations and desires.Charlotte is a sweet woman who runs an alternative therapy business, selling oils and potions. She’s also gadda but doesn’t practice her powers as her mother’s accident has left her anti-gadda and anti-power. But when Hampton walks into her shop and she feels that gadda spark with him she begins to question whether she still wants to shut out her race and abilities. Hampton and Charlotte have great chemistry and Murphy creates this well and early in the story. However their relationship begins based on deception- Charlotte is protecting her step-father and Hampton is trying to find Blair. When their lies become undone they need to figure out whether their feelings for each other were true or not but both struggle to trust each other.I really enjoyed Hampton and Charlotte’s characters and their relationship, which in Murphy’s style develops slowly and gradually throughout the book to create a friendship and chemistry which becomes a much deeper connection. I was quite happy with how things were tied up in the end as well. Overall, I have really enjoyed this series; it has a unique storyline, plenty of romance and lots of interesting characters. I would recommend the Dream of Asarlai series to anyone who loves contemporary scifi and romance and would like to check out Aussie fiction! It probably wouldn't matter too much if you read Rogue Gadda without reading the earlier books as they are new protagonists, however the Asarlai storyline and the background on the gadda may be a little confusing to new readers of the series- so bear that in mind.
4/5 rating
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About the author: Nicole has been telling stories for as long as she can remember and been writing them down since primary school.
Her two main occupations thus far in her life – teaching and journalism – have taught her a great deal about writing. As a teacher, having to explain the nuances of story to young children helped to hone the information in her mind. As a journalist, Nicole has won awards for her writing (in particular a series of articles on mental illness) and has interviewed people such as Gary McDonald, Noeline Brown and Roy Billing. She quit journalism in 2008 to focus on her fiction writing.Nicole lives in Queanbeyan with her husband Tim, a computer programmer who happens to be one of the top croquet players in Australia and has just captained NSW to victory in the interstate cup (From Goodreads).
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