Author Amber Benson has a knack for a cliffhanger. THE LAST
DREAM KEEPER, second novel in the Echo Park Coven
series, is
filled with them, right up to the end.
For most of her life, Lyse MacAllister had no idea she was
born with witchly powers or that her grandmother was the
leader of a coven in California. After her grandmother's
death, Lyse was expected to fill that role. It's a lot more
difficult than she ever imagined, in part because a threat
is clouding over the world, threatening the destruction of
everything she now holds dear.
THE LAST DREAM KEEPER is a richly textured novel. Benson is
an extremely tactile storyteller, describing their world so
thoroughly that you can feel and see and taste what they
do—and sometimes, it's downright horrifying. Evil is
alive in
this world, and Lyse and her coven mates are among the few
who have the power to stop it.
I have not read the first book, and sometimes I found it
tough to keep track of all the characters. We have all the
members of her coven, their families and friends, some very
bad people, and a few folks we're left wondering
about—can
we trust them or not? Other than having to flip back a few
times and remind myself who this character is or where they
were when we last left them, I didn't have any trouble
catching up to the story and understanding each character's
magical gifts.
Lyse and all her friends find themselves in some terrifying
situations as they try to learn more about this seemingly
unstoppable evil that's infecting the world. They put their
lives at risk time and again to help each other and their
friends. They sometimes have to trust on faith
alone—and
even at the end, we don't know if that trust has been
misplaced or not.
I had a rare chance with this book to speak to the author
briefly at a convention. She says she's working on the
third
book in the series right now. I hope she works fast,
because
every character is in a dangerous situation by the end, and
I am eager to know what happens next.
I highly recommend THE LAST DREAM KEEPER to readers who
enjoy supernatural fiction and stories with strong and
varied female characters.
In the second Witches of Echo Park novel, one coven must
keep the world in balance and stand against a rising
darkness.
Lyse MacAllister did not step into an easy role when she
took over as master of the Echo Park coven of witches after
her great-aunt Eleanora’s death. As she begins to forge the
bonds that will help her lead her sisters, she struggles to
come to terms with her growing powers. And she soon faces a
deadly new threat. A group of fanatics intent on bringing
about the end of times has invaded the witches Council—but
the Council is turning a blind eye to the danger growing in
its midst.
Only one witch is prophesied to be able to stop the
encroaching darkness. And if Lyse and her blood sisters are
to have any chance at protecting all we know from being
lost
forever, they must keep her safe—no matter what the cost…