Cels Reviews: Amelia Atwater-Rhodes—"Persistence of Memory"

Sixteen year old Erin Misrahe has spent most of the last 8 years of her life on a variety of antipsychotic meds and being hospitalised, thanks to an extremely violent alter ego, Shevaun. A friend from the past gets back in touch and insists that Shevaun is actually very real, exists not inside Erin, but separately, and is a centuries old Vampire to boot. Erin soon finds herself at the mercy of the real Shevaun and her Witch lover Adjila as they try to sever the strange connection binding them together once and for all. Can Erin trust what she sees, or is she truly “crazy”?.

Atwater-Rhodes has, once again, brought us a deeply spun tale of love and loyalty, immersed with mythical roots and nail-biting action. Packed full with some of the hottest supernatural creatures, from Vamps to Witches and Shape shifters, Persistence of Memory will leaving you gasping for more.

The plot flows at a rapid pace without missing any vital information, and the characters on all sides are in depth and treated with dignity. Erin’s struggle left me with a deep-seated sadness for all she had to endure because of misdiagnoses and the truth being hidden for others’ selfish means and self-preservation. Certainly makes you wonder just how far all of us would go to protect ourselves at the expense of others. Shevaun, although perceived at the beginning as the enemy, is as much of a victim in this case as Erin, and I found myself hoping for a outcome that would harm neither of them.

Vampire fiction often reminds us just how fragile our humanity is, but Persistence of Memory reminds us for a whole new reason. A fantastic tale for Vamp fans and non-Vamp fans alike.

Persistence of Memory— Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Paperback, 224 Pages

Published by Random House Australia

ISBN: 978-174275-077-4