publisher: Harlequin Teen
date of publication: March 27, 2012
format: eGalley
pages: 376
source: Netgalley
Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository
From Goodreads:
Finding your eternal soulmate - easy.
Stopping a true-love-hungry evil - not so much…
After breaking a centuries-old romantic curse, Emma Connor is (almost) glad to get back to normal problems. Although...it's not easy dealing with the jealous cliques and gossip that rule her exclusive Upper East Side prep, even for a sixteen-year-old newbie witch. Having the most-wanted boy in school as her eternal soul mate sure helps ease the pain-especially since wealthy, rocker-hot Brendan Salinger is very good at staying irresistibly close....
But something dark and hungry is using Emma and Brendan's deepest fears to reveal damaging secrets and destroy their trust in each other. And Emma's crash course in über-spells may not be enough to keep them safe…or to stop an inhuman force bent on making their unsuspected power its own.
What I Thought
It's a little hard to believe that just a year ago Spellbound was one of my first ever Netgalley review books. That was my introduction to the awesomeness that is Cara Lynn Shultz. I adored Spellbound with every fiber of my being, so imagine my excitement when Spellcaster popped up on Netgalley. Though I had to wait to read it, I was still just as excited to begin as the day I received it. Now that I've read it, I find myself in a bit of a quandary. You will soon see why.
Emma and Brendon are back in all their witty, sarcastic glory. After surviving the violent attack of their former classmate, Anthony, the happy couple are ready for rest, relaxation, and lots of kissing. Little do they know, however, that things are about to get dangerous once more. As Emma and Brendon face this new enemy, they remind us about who they are and how they operate. As Emma develops magically, she also begins to grow stronger as a person. She learns much more about herself than she could have bargained for, which adds even more interest to the story. Brendon, however, is thrown into unfamiliar territory when he learns just what fear is. He, too, must learn more about himself in order to grow in strength and perseverance. All of these character developments combined with loads of witty banter that kept me giggling throughout the book makes for a really fun, engrossing read that I simply couldn't get enough of.
Spellcaster improves upon all that I enjoyed about Spellbound, in that the threat is so much more insidious and spine-chilling. Ms. Shultz has really ramped up the effectiveness of Emma and Brendon's opponent this time. I found myself beyond creeped out by all that is thrown at the two this time. The amount of magic involved is also much more, which definitely made me very happy with the plot. The pacing of the story was all the more stimulating because of these factors. I had to know what was going to happen next, making it very hard to put the book down. I couldn't have asked for a better storyline.
Now we arrive at the dilemma. What do you do when you're so pleased with a book that you don't feel your top rating is enough? Spellcaster has definitely made me reconsider my rating system to the point that I am contemplating an addition. In any case, Spellcaster is one of those books that will have you reading all through the night or, in my case, until the battery in the ereader is depleted. If you're looking for a read with both humor and chills, Spellcaster is the way to go.
Obligatory legal statement: This eGalley was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Netgalley. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.
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