Reviewed by Becca
TITLE: All That Has Flown Beyond
SERIES: Natural Magic #2
AUTHOR: Marina Vivancos
PUBLISHER: self-published
LENGTH: 404 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 3, 2018
BLURB:
Kaiyo’s bloodline has been part of the Garrow pack for generations. He has been destined to be shaman, to anchor the werewolves to the land, and lend aid with the force of his Ousía. When Kaiyo is fourteen, however, an attacking group kills all of the adults in the pack, leaving young Ahmik, only fifteen, as leader.
Their worries don’t end there.
Smelling blood in the water, enemies hunt the decimated pack from all sides. Kaiyo grows increasingly reckless in his desperation to defend his pack, to finally grow into his shaman powers, and to protect Ahmik: the boy he loves.
In the end, Kaiyo loses his pack anyway.
Packless, landless, Kaiyo drifts. For ten years, he fights to remake himself into the shaman, and the man, he was meant to become. One phone call from his old pack, though, and he is forced to return.
Something is killing children and Kaiyo is the only one strong enough to stop it.
Kaiyo never thought his journey would take him back to his old land, his old pack, and to Ahmik. Forced to face his past, and the wounded love that still aches for Ahmik, Kaiyo will be tested like never before.
Content Warning: This story contains themes of depression and associated thoughts and behaviours. However, as always, it focuses on recovery and strength.
This book takes place in the Natural Magic world but can be read as a standalone.
REVIEW:
I will be doggone, she got me again. Tears from page one all the way through off and on. And I have to tell you, I know this is a fictional book, but there are some hella messages going on in this story, that actually had me stopping and thinking about my own life and my struggle with deep depression. There’s some killer words by a ‘therapist’ in this book that can be helped to healing and I was amazed. This whole book was just amazing. Informational. But still a story. The thing you have to take away more than anything though, each day is a choice to take a step or don’t. I hope we all choose to do.
When you have ties with someone, bonds, deep-seated bonds, when those are severed, it’s like taking half of your soul. And it’s worse when half of your soul is already gone from the loss of your family. But death has caused Kaiyo, Ahmik and Tera to lose all the rest of the pack. Slaughtered by another. And now they are forced in roles they are so not ready for. Ahmik is in charge. He’s the head. Kaiyo is supposed to be his Shaman, but he hasn’t come into his ‘powers’ yet. But grief and loss have taken it’s toll on these three and Kaiyo has become wreckless. He puts himself in harm’s way often and the pack has to let him go. And they do. They use a ritual and wards and cut him completely off and out of their lives. The betrayal is deep. One is his lover, the other his best friend. And Kaiyo is gone. He can’t fill the hole that is inside him. To be completely cut off. And he spirals to the point of death.
It’s a slide I’ve been down and it’s hard. So I empathize with Kaiyo. I am destroyed for him. Gutted by what he feels. It’s a void. A loneliness so deep it shatters you. Thankfully he had his mom. Who fought for him when he couldn’t fight for himself. Who pushed him to therapy, made him eat, made him try. Between the therapist and his mom, he starts taking baby steps. He gets his powers and is taken under the wing of Akiko. Who drives him nuts but teaches him what he needs to know to go on his own. He such in knowledge like a tornado and becomes known to packs for his help and advice. But in spite of all that, he still has darks days. But he persists. And keeps going. Until the past comes to his present.
Help is needed in his old town. Children are dying. His old best friend is about to lose her baby to a dark force. His anxiety and dark thoughts push in on him at seeing everyone, but he does what he has to do. Which is save the child and take away the bad. But in his effort to save the baby, he needs more than he has to give and uses the land to help power him. But there’s a price. He now has to stay a year and it seems it’s time for everyone to face their own demons.
Having to be a leader at a young age is hard as hell. It sucks. You make bad decisions. Think with emotions instead of a level head. And cause things to happen that strain things for life. But when opportunity presents itself, you have to make the best of it and make it right. Ahmik and Keiyo had a lot of bad blood. They all did. But little by little they tried to make things right. But it’s never easy. They fight, they argue, they get flat out stubborn and pissed. But a true leader has to know when it’s time to let go and get help that’s needed. And it was time to let go.
There’s a lot of information in this book. A lot of explaining. Don’t let that deter you. You will see how it’s used. I love the characters. We have genderfluids/non-binary and that was amazing to see. And amazing to see the support that was there. As it should be. The writing was so well done. It was a journey weaved through pain and heartache and utter despair, but brought through with hope, love, and a new lease on life. I recommend this wholeheartedly.
RATING: 
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