Charmfall

Charmfall by Chloe Neill 

New York: New American Library, 2012

272 pages

3.5 out of 5

Protecting Chicago from the dark side can be an exhausting job, especially when you're a sophomore. So when the girls of St. Sophia's start gearing up for Sneak, their fall formal, Lily decides to join in on some good old-fashioned party prep--even if it means not giving demons, vampires, and the twisted magic users known as Reapers her undivided attention.

But when a Reaper infiltrates the school Lily doesn't forget what she's sworn to protect. She reaches deep inside herself to draw out her magic--and finds that it's gone. And it turns out that she's not alone. A magic blackout has slammed through paranormal Chicago, and no one knows what--or who--caused it. But for Lily, getting back her magic is worth the risk of going behind enemy lines....

The Dark Elite series fall into my "guilty pleasure" category. Even though I really do enjoy these books, there's not a whole lot of substance. That's not a knock against the series or the author at all. My brain needs a break sometimes, and I'd much rather get that break reading something fun and interesting instead of numbing myself out with TV.

Lily is still trying to figure out the connection between her parents the boarding school she's now attending. And in the meantime, she's fighting Reapers and destroying their evil plans. This installment explores the magical worlds a little more by introducing new characters and further developing existing characters like the Reapers. The real world is already known to me, so seeing more of Neil's created world is nice.

The three novels are absolutely connected and it is highly recommended that you read them in order: Firespell, Hexbound, and Charmfall. The way this one ends requires that there be a fourth and perhaps more. I'm looking forward to it.

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Disclosure: Borrowed from the library.