SYMBOL of REDEMPTION (Symbols Duet #2)

5 "Nadia - надежда - Hope" stars I am without words right now...BUT I will say this, for now, Natalya Orekhov, you provided a story that gripped my heart and turned it into a tickering mushy blood pumping beat...and I never felt MORE ALIVE, VIVID and COMPLETE Symbol of Redemption continues right where Symbol of Treason ended...

Alice is in danger, from The Red Brotherhood looming, from the menacing indictment, her life is lingering on a thin thread of virtual normalcy as she's dreaded of the upcoming horror that is bound to happen any moment now...she needs to face not only the doomed confrontation, she's about to face the hurt from the man she loves, she's about to taste the bitter taste of emptiness of lost trust and fissured friendship. She feels lost and threatned... Can she find herself again? Can the forgivness overcome the mistrust, the lies, the secrets, disregarding the „noble“ reason for breaching the very core of them.

„It was a moment rare and unique;

an exchange of monumental meaning

because our friendship wasunconditional forgivness

centered on sacrifice.“

As the events come closer to happening, Alice and Logan get closer too, as he's revealing his past to her, taking her to the depths of his darkness as well as on the memory lane of the once happy life he had led...

Very core of who you are inspires me, moves me;

demands more of me and I find that I crave

the emotions you mine out of my darkness.

It all resembles to the ideal, until she finds out the hidden shattering truth. The secret Logan was adamant to reveal and yet in its own hideous, cruel and ironic way, the only way he could ever protect her. And it changes everything. The betrayal. The hurt. This unamendable fissure pushes Alice on a road of self-guilt guided rampage of sacrifice while she confronts her past as the final collision with The Red Brotherhood takes place.

We were one in the same.

At the core of what made us,

we were the same shade of selfish,

altered only by the kaleidoscope

of perception and nnothing more.

Redeeming in more ways than one…finding the absolution, salvation in forgivness, patience and endurance, beyond tragedy, beyond every single menacing beat out there, beyond recollection, beyond measure…

„I swear to spend every moment of my life

earning back your trust

if only you'd give me the chance.

I don't expect it, I don't deserve it;

but I can't help but dream of it, Alice.“

the beating heart does go on as it feed itself on hope and it survives more than it could ever be comprehend as possible. Logan will stop at nothing to keep her protected, safe and away from harm even if it means for her to stay far away from him BUT he will once again fiercly, posessively, devotingly fight for her every single heartbeat, her love and trust and ultimately her life...no matter the distance, length, no matter the obstacle or price to pay, no matter...at all, he would go...

„Beyond this life, Alice, and the next.“ „You're everything I desire and perfect in all your imperfections..“

as a part of his own penance, sacrifice and redemption.

„You offered me redemption when I deserved damnation.

In you, I found the man I wanted to become.“

They are both very much the same, the very true symbols of each other's redemption.

The epilogue was a conclusion that fulfilled me, made me complete and hopeful of having the faith in good ultimately winning over the bad/evil/ugly...even if our inner parts were infected by it, made us scarred and marked as imperfect, humanly imperfect...you rise above it, acknowledge it and own it.

Our hearts beating in sync to a tune known only by us.

We weren't beautiful, or easy, or innocent; we were us.

Accepting all that was imperfect and ugly,

loving of all that was unlovable

beneath the veneer of what everyone else saw.

Yet again, Natalya Orekhov proved to be a winning author for me, I was emerged in the story, as we are presented with more in depth characterisation, for both Alice and Logan, I was led through action, passion, horror, pain, mixed feelings torn between grief and rooting and overwhelming notion and hope that everything will turn out to be as it's supposed to, as it's meant to be in order to find a release and relief. All of it was packed with emotional grips and twists all wrapped up in a stunningly beautiful lyrical writing. I might sound very impartial, and I guess I am, but I truly enjoyed it and I won't stay quiet about it. For me, it's personally challenging to take a risk and find a new gem to cherish in the end. And I will hang on to this quote to end my review, as it shows the gratification, the truest meaning and purpose in holding on, continuing, thriving, hoping...keep on going in the eternal struggle called life.