This is an amazing series! (And this isn’t something I saw very often). The author has created a gripping world with characters who are easy to connect with and soon find a place on the reader’s side. There’s never a dull moment as Aurella and Mavic face tense situations ranging from bullying, lies to action packed hand-to-hand combat. Layers of intrigue keep ever twist and turn bringing an unexpected surprise, and each and every character carries a personality and past of their own. It’s a book to get lost in and wish it never ends.

Aurella is an terrific heroine. She packs a punch when necessary but is by no means perfect. Her powers are strong, but she has a lot to learn. Sometimes she wins, often it’s a close call and more than once, she can’t make it through. This makes every confrontation exciting, especially since it’s not about her defeating all foes on her own. She has a true-to-the-end friend at her side…which doesn’t mean that they don’t get into each other’s hair at times. And she discovers others who help her along the way.

There is a lot of heart in the tale, not only through messages or Aurella’s good sense of wrong and right, but rather through the interaction of the characters themselves. The characters bicker, laugh, joke around, grow frustrated, panic, tire, get on each other’s nerves and love each other to the end. And it’s this which makes it so easy to connect to and dive in.

Summed up, this is a fantastic read for fantasy friends who love magic, political intrigue, difficult quests, horrible evil opponents, and exciting worlds. Especially readers ages ten to fourteen will feel at home in this book.