What a surprise this book turned out to be... and not just because I liked it so much. I read "Urban Fantasy", but what I got was more of a crossover between Fantasy and Urban Fantasy. Confused? If you're a nerd like me, you know there's a big difference, and this one was a crossover. What a cool idea, and what a fabulous cast of characters!Birdie's opening scene is crazy...some random rich guy starts throwing around wads of cash, pleading for those fortunate people who scramble for the bills to do more than spend it. His hope is for the crowd to take care of those less fortunate than them. Can't get much less fortunate than the homeless and orphaned Birdie who hasn't had a meal in two days. He also has a special message for Birdie...a special message for a special person.Events unfold and alliances are forged! For real, an ancient curse is Birdie's destiny, and her destined Guardian must be found in order for her to be able to complete her task. But before she can go back to ancient times to fight evil, she must be prepared, both physically and mentally. Now, Birdie's only eighteen years old, but she's lived a lifetime since her parents died. She's already street smart. And yet she still retains a bit of innocence and faith in people's innate goodness. This was one of my favorite things about her. She had been through so much devastation in her young life, but she still sees goodness in people and beauty in life. She still wants to be a good person and do the right thing. Grey Matthews seems to come from a completely different world than Birdie. They seem to have an uncanny ability to keep running into each other, and a sexual tension ladened friendship is hesitantly made. I love how their relationship is slow to take hold. Grey and Birdie are perfectly matched, though hesitant to take their relationship to the next level. This book is definitely YA, and I was impressed with how much I liked a book that is so obviously written for teens. I never felt a lack of character development that I often feel books written for younger readers. I could still connect with them fully.There was a LOT going on in this story! Since the fantasy part stems from an ancient Viking curse, there are some crazy visions, a bit of time travel, and some shady characters that leave you guessing as to their real import in the story line. The biggest thing that I had problems with about the book is that I felt like everything happened so fast. Some of it needed more time to be fully fleshed out, maybe with some more details about what ended up happening to some of the lesser players. There were a couple of minor story lines that never got an ending, and I really wish I had some closure. There were another few scenes that were a bit oversimplified and ended up feeling a little stilted and abrupt. When all was said and done, though, this was an exciting, fast paced read full of twist and turns. The last 20% or so was awesome, and I loved how it ended. Not only do we get an epic battle scene, but we get a real life love that is believable and sweet.
