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    Sanctum
    Sanctum
    Sanctum
    Audiobook10 hours

    Sanctum

    Written by Sarah Fine

    Narrated by Amy McFadden

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    “My plan: Get into the city. Get Nadia. Find a way out. Simple.”

    A week ago, seventeen-year-old Lela Santos’s best friend, Nadia, killed herself. Today, thanks to a farewell ritual gone awry, Lela is standing in paradise, looking upon a vast gated city in the distance—hell. No one willingly walks through the Suicide Gates, into a place smothered in darkness and infested with depraved creatures. But Lela isn’t just anyone—she’s determined to save her best friend’s soul, even if it means sacrificing her eternal afterlife.

    As Lela struggles to find Nadia, she’s captured by the Guards, enormous, not-quite-human creatures that patrol the dark city’s endless streets. Their all-too human leader, Malachi, is unlike them in every way except one: his deadly efficiency. When he meets Lela, Malachi forms his own plan: get her out of the city, even if it means she must leave Nadia behind. Malachi knows something Lela doesn’t—the dark city isn’t the worst place Lela could end up, and he will stop at nothing to keep her from that fate.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateOct 16, 2012
    ISBN9781469211862
    Sanctum
    Author

    Sarah Fine

    Sarah Fine is the author of several popular series, including The Impostor Queen and the Guards of the Shadowlands. And while she promises she is not psychoanalyzing those around her, she manages to use both her talent as a writer and her experience as a psychologist to great effect. Sarah's stories blur lines, challenge convention, and press boundaries. Her mash-up of seemingly disparate genres yields stories that not only are engaging but will keep readers guessing. Sarah has lived on the West Coast and in the Midwest, but she currently calls the East Coast home. She confesses to having the music tastes of an adolescent boy and an adventurous spirit when it comes to food (especially if it's fried). But if her many books are any indication, writing clearly trumps both her musical and culinary loves.

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    Reviews for Sanctum

    4/5

    114 ratings10 reviews

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    • 5/5
      BookNook — Young Adult book reviewsOh my god, you guys!!! I did not expect this book to be so amazing. I bought this book completely on a whim. I never do that. I saw an ad for it on my Kindle screensaver, thought "That's kind of a cool cover," and bought it. Well, Sanctum blew me away.I think I'm going to burst if I don't mention the romance right away, because it was incredible. I didn't expect a great romance from a paranormal story. Usually when I want a great romance, I look towards contemporaries. But Sanctum has it all: great plot, great world building, and an insanely delicious and jaw-dropping romance. Honestly, the romance does start off a little fast, but I seriously did not care at all. Because Malachi—oh-so-sexy Malachi—is the sweetest, sexiest, most badass of all book boyfriends.The deep voids of his eyes were surrounded by thick, black lashes and full of confidence and threat. It was as if he'd already assessed my weaknesses and ticked off all the possible ways to kill me, so now he could relax and be friendly."I never said I didn't want you to touch me! That is exactly the problem. Every time you put your hands on me, I don't want you to let go."You can be selfish. It makes me feel wanted. And I..." He chuckled softly. "I want you to want me."Malachi is sweet, selfless, tender, but also the hot Captain of the Guard that can kill guys with his bare hands. He's deep and thoughtful, but without being corny or cheesy. So many of the scenes with Malachi—especially towards the end—had me giggling and squealing like a crazy, love-struck girl!Okay, I'll attempt to pull myself together and talk about Lela. Lela was a fantastic main character, and extremely likeable (most of the time). She's strong, sensitive, damaged, and also kicks some ass. I loved her dedication to Nadia. It was just so... admirable. At times it made me feel bad, because I seriously wondered if I would go through all that for one of my friends. I mean, we'd all like to think we would, but if it comes down to it, would we actually give up eternal happiness to travel through hell (with no guarantee that we could go back)? I really think this makes Lela one of the most selfless characters I've ever read about.But the thing I loved most about Lela was how she held her own. She wasn't a poor, pathetic, wimpy character that needed rescuing. Lela was strong, stubborn, and determined. Sure, sometimes she was a little foolish, or maybe a little too self-sacrificing, but I still loved how independent she was. She makes some incredibly difficult choices that had me sitting there in awe.Sanctum is one of those books that will have you highlighting every other line. It is riddled with deep, thought-provoking messages about life, death, loss, and love. So many passages forced me to just stop and think for a minute. I swear, you guys, this shit is deep.They're so absorbed in their own sadness that they can't see past the darkness.She once told me that everybody carried their secret savages beneath their skin, and some people just covered them better than others.I think some people like the disease better [than the cure]. It's more familiar, and they don't want to give it up, even once they know they can be healed of it."Mercy is not a right. Mercy is a gift from one to another. It can't be earned."I kind of expected Sanctum to be good, just because of the high ratings, but I don't think I expected it to be this good. Sanctum was so imaginative, dark, scary, and provocative. It has a deliciously swoony romance that will bring you to your knees, and is riddled with tough decisions and sacrifices. Book 2: bring it on. (Seriously, I want it now, please.)
    • 4/5
      Rating: 4.5/5

      The mother of all sweet tension... I loved it!
    • 4/5
      I was prepared to give this book 3 stars. While I really enjoyed reading it, the romance was crazy stupid. There was a point in the book, amidst all of the action, where it seemed the author got stuck in "silly teen romance" mode and couldn't get out. I haven't gagged on the romance this much in a book since I read Twilight. I didn't even complain about Twilight (out loud to myself) as much as I did with Sanctum. And Twilight is SO BAD.

      However, I'm giving it four stars because, despite the ridiculous romantic fluff, everything else was pretty awesome. Especially the ending. I'm so pumped for the sequel I couldn't contain my excitement as I turned the last page.

      I'll read the trilogy and just ignore the romance because this story is badass.
    • 5/5
      i flew through this book. i started it and then suddenly i was halfway through. i didn't know what to expect when i got into it, but it was definitely not this. i loved it so much. there was nothing about it that i didn't like. Lela was absolutely perfect, she wasn't annoying, she was human and i loved reading her story. I really really liked Malachi. At first I hated him because i didn't really know what his part was in the book but he was so cute and nice and i fell in love with him after a few pages he was great. Nadia's story was interesting and complex, i felt that it was symbolic in a way because people are not what you see on the surface. The Mazikin were terrifying i hated them they were very good villains. Ana's death was horrible oh my god it made me cry so hard why did that have to happen I loved the writing style, it was easy to understand but still very well written. (though i did find one thing that annoyed me: the fact that i read this structure 'his precise, clipped accent' at least three times.)
      I am not a big fan of this genre, i think i've read like a total of two books in this genre but this book is gripping and fast-paced and unputdownable and p e r f e c t.
    • 4/5
      I'd give this book a 4.5.The subject matter of this book intrigued me and originally lead me to read the book. However, what I found was a rich and imaginative story of Loss and Redemption,Courage and Grief with two really exceptional characters. Lela, who comes into the story to find and rescue Nadia, the beautiful, Popular girl at Lela's high school who befriends Lela, becoming her best friend. Nadia's convinced she's unlovable and depressed, and in her despair, kills herself,entering Hell through the "Suicide gates" and Lela inadvertently dies and follows her dispite her fear of this place which she's seen in her dreams. I fell in love with Lela. She's strong willed, impetuous , wild (like her curly hair) and unstoppable. She's damaged, carrying the emotionl scars caused by an abusive Step father, but when she meets Malachai, she finds her soul mate. While the other Guards in hell resemble Rhino's, Malachai is their Human Captain. He's built like a Greek god and he's fearless, determined and he immediately falls for Lela, thus the heavy element of romance in this novel. I loved the world that Sarah Fine has created in Sanctum. It's a dark, unreal place where horrors, seen in Lela's dreams become very real. I enjoyed that these two "damaged" character, Lela and Malachai, find strength in one another and I look forward to the next book in the series. I had so much fun with this one. Jack Murphy
    • 5/5
      Bloody amazing! Sarah Fine deftly handles delicate and sensitive subjects with powerful and very human characters, leaving the reader wanting for little.
    • 5/5
      More reviews can be seen on Boricuan Bookworms.

      I never tend to expect anything new when it comes to themes of death and the afterlife. All that changed when I read Sanctum. Sanctum totally blew me away! I was not expecting so much originality in one book.

      Lela Santos has never had anything to live for. She’s on parole, and everyone at her high school labeled her as the school thug. When she defends Nadia, the school queen bee, she expects to be ignored soon after. But that’s not the case. Nadia befriends her and shows Lela that there IS something to live for. When Nadia suddenly kills herself, Lela finds out she’s stuck in the Suicide Gates, a place that haunts Lela’s dreams and apparently is very real. Lela decides to save Nadia, no matter the cost.

      What initially drew me into this story was the overall theme of friendship and how it can make you do crazy things. Nothing is crazier than literally going to hell for your best friend. Lela is a total badass. She reminds me of Rose Hathaway from Vampire Academy; willing to do anything for her best friend.
      But how could I walk away from Nadia? After everything she’d done for me…how could I turn my back on her when I knew what she was going through? […] I had to go after her.

      -Sanctum by Sarah Fine



      Lela is one of the most refreshing characters I’ve read in a while. It’s true that sometimes she was a bit too self-sacrificing, but other than that I loved her! She wasn’t perfect, not at all; in fact she had tried to kill herself, which is why she knows what happens in the afterlife. I think it shows true character when you’re damaged. Lela grew so much in this book, at the end she’s a completely different person, and still completely likable. Wanna know the best part? Lela is Puerto Rican.


      My absolute favorite part of this book was the romance. The romance doesn’t predominate in this book; Lela is focused mainly on saving Nadia than anything else, but… God. Malachi. I feel like Malachi needs a complete essay all for himself. He’s the perfect hero/love interest! He’s attractive, compassionate, charming, daring, smart, fierce, protective, wonderful, and let’s add an accent to everything else. Can you say drool?
      "This kiss was a living thing. A wild and dangerous thing. It spread its wings and carried us out over the city, over the walls. Malachi tasted like the forest, like the sun, like every dream I'd ever had about what this moment should be."

      -Sanctum by Sarah Fine





      Malachi knows how dangerous it is within the suicide gates, which is why he wants to get Lela out, but Lela has other plans. There was a sort of Rose/Dimitri feel to their relationship, in the aspect that they could both take perfect care of themselves, but together were a force to be reckoned with!

      The plot was amazingly put together, adding lots of twists and turns along the way, as well as lots and lots of feels. This is so much more than a girl searching for her best friend, this is also about a girl searching for herself, overcoming her fears and learning to love all at once. I loved this!

      When I finished the book I couldn’t believe it. I finished this book in less than 5 hours. I only regret the fact that I don’t have Fractured in my hands right now.

      If you want badass characters, swoony romance, awesome twists and turns, and great character development, then definitely pick this book up!

      Rating: 5 stars

      A finished copy of this book was provided by Amazon Children's Publishing in exchange for an honest and unbiased review .
    • 4/5
      There is a small part of me, as a (I would like to think anyway) somewhat mature woman in her early 30s that should probably be embarrassed by the fact I read what libraries and book stores the world over have coined "young adult literature." But eh. Good fiction is good fiction.

      And I am a fan of books that feature strong, independent, and thoughtful female leads who can hold their own in some seriously demented situations -- be it post-apocalyptic, dystopian landscapes like Panem from The Hunger Games trilogy, or the faction society of post-genetic war Chicago from the Divergent series, or the purgatory dimension set aside for those who have committed suicide from this first book in what promises to be an exciting series: Guards of the Shadowlands.

      I also love losing myself in these other worlds, and Sanctum, like The Hunger Games and Divergent series, took me to that .... well, not a happy place. It is a purgatory dimension for those who have committed suicide after all. But I walked the streets of this dark and terrifying city with Lela, the strong, independent, and thoughtful heroine, as she searched for her best friend and I admit, my lips twitched a bit as she fell in love with the to-die-for Malachi. So the book did take me to new lands. But the saving grace of this novel for me? Lela is a strong, independent, and thoughtful heroine. I am inspired by these female characters that face insurmountable challenges and make their own decisions. I don't want the characters to run away from love when it comes, but I don't want them to become (sorry Twihards): Bella Swan. So lost in their romance, they lose all sense of themselves. Even at her deepest, Lela loved both Malachi and her friend, Nadia, and she made the choices she felt were best for both of them. And she kicked some serious butt in the process. That's my kind of gal.

      On another note, I reveled in the creativity behind this story. One would think that death is the final battle we all have to face, and that anything beyond that should not be scary at all ... or, in other words, what could be scarier than dying? Well, considering the premise of this novel: a lot. And I appreciated the creativity that went into building this afterlife world, where even though you are already dead, you can "die" again, and yes, depending on how you go out in the afterlife determines whether or not you're seen again... and if you're not seen again, well, whatever happens to you remains a mystery as of the closing pages of this book. So even though most of the characters in the book are already dead, there is still lots to fear, and lots to fight for.

      So I may be a somewhat mature woman in my early 30s, but have I already downloaded the second book in the series, Fractured? You bet I have ...
    • 3/5
      Sanctum was such a compelling and gritty read! Review to come :)
    • 2/5
      Alrighty, I'm gonna make this short & sweet. Well, maybe not that sweet 'cos I'm rating this book 2 stars mostly due to the fact that it didn't make me want to cut a bitch. Truth be told, there was pretty much only one thing that I really enjoyed about the book and that was the world of Sanctum. It was dark, gritty, and imaginative. It sort of made me think of a twisted, creepy, nightmarish version of Wonderland. It was rather cool, and I wish it had been more thoroughly developed & explored. There were some fascinating ideas that could have been expanded upon in order to make this shadowy, hellish world the living, breathing entity it had the potential of becoming. Unfortunately, there's not much more kudos I can give this book. The only character that was ever truly fleshed out was the protagonist. All of the other characters, including Lela's cookie-cutter love interest, were flat with one-note, static personalities. Sadly, despite starting off on the right foot with me, Lela's likability slowly dissipated as the story progressed. I never hated her, but I also never fully connected with her, and the more angsty & lovesick she became, the less invested I found myself to be in her mission to save her best friend. It also didn't help matters that Lela made some very stupid decisions and wasn't as much of a badass as she claimed to be (or as much as the book desperately tried to make the reader believe she was). I mean, in all fairness, she did kick some ass, but there was just something about her tough girl persona that didn't ring true to me (and it felt really forced at times). And while we're on the topic of characters, let me just say that there is such a thing as too perfect. Malachi (aka The White Knight In Shining Armor) was perfect to the point of being completely unrealistic and nauseatingly lame. He said & did all the right things at exactly the right times and seemed to exist for the sole purpose of protecting & loving Lela despite having his world turned upside down and torn to shreds because of her constant meddling. The instant he laid eyes on her, Lela became the center of his universe for absolutely no apparent reason. He knew very little about her and repeatedly had to clean up her mess, and yet he was willing to sacrifice and throw away everything for her like none of it mattered anymore now that she was in his life. Ugh. So yeah, if you haven't already realized it, I was definitely not a fan of the romance in this book. In fact, if asked to describe it, I'd say it was like a glob of Cheez Whiz on top of a Cheez-It cracker sprinkled with shredded double cheddar cheese. It was also extremely heavy-handed & unbelievable. And much to my disappointment, a half-decent story about the power of friendship & self-sacrifice was smothered by all the cheesiness and forced to take a backseat to lots of teen melodrama. Le sigh.