Haze by Paula Weston

About the book

Haze is the second book in the Rephaim series by Paula Weston. The book was published by Indigo on

Plot Synopsis

Gaby Winters had a pretty normal life living with her best friend and working in a library. The only problem she had was getting over her twin brother’s death. She didn’t think anything of the crazy dreams she was having until Rafa arrived and told her that everything was real. She is one of the Rephaim, a descendent from fallen angels. Since finding out who she really is, everything changed. Gaby knows that demons exist and that they’re coming for her. With a battle on her hands, finding out her brother might actually still be alive could alter everything she had planned on doing.

What I thought

The first book in this series, Shadows, was one of my all-time favourite angel books. I couldn’t put it down and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the sequel.

Haze begins where Shadows left off, with Gaby getting used to her new crazy life and realising that she doesn’t really know her true self at all. She’s constantly being told about the old her, the one she doesn’t remember and that person couldn’t be more different than who she is now. Gaby knows that there is a chance her brother is alive and she, along with Rafa, Jason, Maggie and Simon, will do anything to find him again. Although this does give the book an exciting and mysterious feel to it, there is more. This series has demons, numerous fights with awesome weapons involved and many, many secrets. Honestly, Haze is one of the most exciting books I have ever read due to how much is going on.

Australia isn’t a location used too much in young adult books and that was another reason for me loving this series. Paula Weston uses somewhere fresh and exciting but also as the setting isn’t typical, it makes it different. Australia isn’t the only setting though. The Rephaim are able to travel to any location by shifting there. The use of shifting throughout the book enables the location to change and for the plot to take unexpected turns at any moment.

Although the demons and the fights are exciting, Haze has something even better going for it. Gabe and fellow Rephaim Rafa have been inseparable since the first book due to her not knowing the dangers she faces and Rafa’s friendship with her brother. Since the beginning, there has been a fabulous sexual tension between Gabe and Rafa. Paula Weston doesn’t give much away between these two characters but littered through the pages of this book are sexy as hell smirks, tense moments and a connection that rivals any other. Gabe and Rafa’s romance does not take over the whole book though, unlike in some others, and instead makes for an interesting sub plot. Their connection adds to everything else in the story and makes it a whole lot more intense. I kept reading Haze waiting for something big to happen between them but Weston held out, making me want it even more.

Haze has characters that I deeply cared about, ones that I was hoping would do well throughout but it also has characters who I hated (because they’re pretty evil). There is a fantastic contrast between good and evil in this book and I really enjoyed reading about such diverse characters. Gaby especially was one of my favourites, along with Rafa of course. These two are very different but also very similar due to their backgrounds. Speaking of their backgrounds, this is what makes most of the characters so interesting. Gaby is this normal girl, or so she thinks, but she also has this past that she knows nothing about and finding out about that past is incredibly interesting.

Just like Shadows, I absolutely loved Haze. I stayed up until the early hours of the morning just so I could finish it in one sitting. Haze was also so much better than Shadows, which I didn’t think would be possible. Paula Weston certainly has a gift for writing and this series is seriously addictive.