Charmed

Reviewed by: Brooke Faulkner - McArthur Public Library, Biddeford, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: July 14, 2015

Review

An enjoyable sequel about teen witch Indigo Blackwood, whose best friend, Paige, was abducted by The Priory (evil sorcerers pitted against The Family, the organization of witches and warlocks of which Indigo is a new member) at the end of the first novel, HEXED (2014). Beginning just days after those events, Indigo is hard at work practicing her new found magical skills under the tutelage of warlock Bishop, her boyfriend, so that she might embark on a rescue mission to save her friend. When she discovers that Paige is being held in a parallel universe - a sort of apocalyptic Los Angeles called Los Demonios, she vows to save her. Fans of paranormal romance will find plenty to like in Indigo and Bishop's sometimes steamy relationship, though its predictability, including repetitive descriptions of his cliched bad boy appearance, may feel stale to some. A romantic sub-plot involving Indigo's attraction to a new guy she meets feels underdeveloped. The novel's pace picks up when Indigo travels to Los Demonios; these action-packed sections will draw readers in and the full-scale battle taking place at the conclusion is frantic, unpredictable and Indigo's tough first-person narration is full of witty one-liners. Charmed is not a stand-alone - readers will definitely want to have read the first, but for teens looking for stories similar to Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series or Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey novels, this and its prequel should offer real appeal.

Overall Book Score: good