Friday, October 7, 2011

Nightspell - Leah Cypress - 2011

Nightspell (Mistwood #2) by Leah Cypress

Published: 2011 - HarperCollins
Age Group: Young Adult
Read: October 3, 2011
3 out of 5 Stars: I liked it, but...

Reason for Reading: I really loved Cypress's first novel, Mistwood, and I was excited for her second book, especially since it is a companion novel to the first (though they are both stand-alones).

On GoodReads: "A stand-alone companion novel to the much-acclaimed MISTWOOD. When Darri rides into Ghostland, a country where the living walk with the dead, she has only one goal: to rescue her younger sister Callie, who was sent to Ghostland as a hostage four years ago. But Callie has changed in those four years, and now has secrets of her own. In her quest to save her sister from herself, Darri will be forced to outmaneuver a handsome ghost prince, an ancient sorcerer, and a manipulative tribal warrior (who happens to be her brother). When Darri discovers the source of the spell that has kept the dead in Ghostland chained to this earth, she faces a decision that will force her to reexamine beliefs she has never before questioned - and lead her into the heart of a conspiracy that threatens the very balance of power between the living and the dead."

My Thoughts: I really liked the plot of this fantasy story. I also really liked the three main characters, siblings Darri, Varis, and Callie. I thought those three really made the story work. I also enjoyed Prince Kestin, because I just can't resist a good dead prince. I thought the history behind Ghsotland and the spell was really interesting and rather different, too. The problems I had with the story were that it felt rushed, and I couldn't really put my finger on why. Like, the story was well thought out, but maybe the inner workings were pushed too much. I'm still not sure, but it just didn't feel very polished, especially compared to Mistwood. I still really enjoyed it though, and I am looking forward to more stories from Leah Cypress.

Recommended To: Lovers of YA fantasy, those who read & enjoyed Mistwood, and Kristin Cashore's books Graceling and Fire.

Books Read This Year: 79 of 100

No comments: