Review: Swear by Nina Malkin

Author: Nina Malkin
Pages:448
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Source: ARC
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A promise broken. A bond betrayed.
It’s been six months since ghost-turned golem Sinclair Youngblood Powers confessed his love, stole Dice's heart, and disappeared from Swoon, perhaps from existence. Despite the hurt, Dice has been moving steadily toward ordinary. Dreams of Sin still plague and pleasure her sleep, and the mark of Sin's love remains on her skin, still sore. But Dice has been throwing herself into music, finding solace in song and sometimes even in the arms of her band mate, Tosh. Life seems almost…normal. The last thing Dice wants is to mess with anything remotely supernatural. But when her best friend’s boyfriend goes missing, Dice has no choice but to become very much involved. She knows that his disappearance was no accident, and it somehow has everything to do with Sin. Because Dice can feel it: Sin is back. And the promises and deceptions he left in his wake have returned to haunt him.

What do you do when an oath of devotion threatens to destroy the one you love?

When I first read Swoon, the book that precedes Swear, Nina Malkin hadn't planned on writing a sequel. So when Swear was announced, I was eager and excited, and did a lot of fan girlish squeeing. :D I have to say that Swear definitely lived up to my expectations.

For the a good portion of the beginning, Sin isn't there physically, but his presence in Dice's life--and her dreams--is unmistakable. But Dice is also getting close to a boy named Tosh, a member of the band Bruise Blue that Dice is the lead singer in. When Tosh and Dice get too close, the jealousy causes Sin to manifest, and, as ever, he brings chaos in his wake.

This was as good sequel to Swoon, although I liked Swoon better. I felt like the plot took a while to pick up, and the ending was a little anti-climactic. I enjoyed reading it, but one of my biggest peeves with Swear is that the paranormal elements seem kinda random. In Swoon, we know Dice is psychic. But in Swear, her powers become something more witchy, and then later on, the Roman gods just pop in out of nowhere. I wish there was a more definite mythology to it.

Sin is still a total sex god. Even though he's a douche sometimes, he's just way too irresistible. And in Swear, he's actually making an effort to be a good man, and to have a relationship with Dice. But that all gets complicated when an old acquaintance of Sin's comes back into the picture, and is determined to have him.

I still love Nina Malkin's writing style. I know some people aren't too fond of it, but I love her vivid and almost poetic way of writing. It gives the story a different edge to it.

If you're a die-hard fan of Swoon, then definitely pick up Swear. There's more Sin goodness to sigh contentedly over. But if you weren't too fond of Swoon, then you might not like Swear. Maybe give it a shot. 4 out of 5 stars.