Moon Spell [Format Kindle]

Her future was set into motion long before Caia Ribeiro was born. Gaia, Mother of all the gods, had grown tired of the war that her children waged upon each other. In her infinite wisdom she set forth a plan that would eventually stop the war. And unbeknownst to Caia, she was at the very heart of it.

Hidden away from her pack for ten years after her family was killed by The Hunter, an enemy of Pack Errante and member of the Midnight Coven, Caia is finally allowed to return home. But her return is not exactly a welcome event.

The pack had already lost family members protecting her. And her absence from the pack for so long meant that she was an outsider. An outsider that couldn't necessarily be trusted and someone who didn't necessarily trust them.

She knew that she was different from all the other lykans in the pack, she just didn't know quite how different. She didn't resemble them in look, nor did she have their quick tempers and easy camaraderie. But spending much of her life in near isolation away from the pack was bound to make her different.

What she didn't understand were the dark looks she got from some of the other pack members. All she knew was that they were keeping secrets. Secrets about her family. Secrets about her past. And secrets about why she alone was the target of the Midnight Coven's wrath.

But when those secrets come to light, will Caia be able to accept what she learns about who she is and what she has the potential to become?

***

Moon Spell is an intoxicating and utterly entertaining story that is brilliantly written. The dramatic opening paragraph will entice readers in and once the story sinks its claws in it won't let go until the very last word in the epilogue.

The story centers around Caia, a lykan who has been living under special protection apart from her pack since her family was killed by The Hunter. She and her guardian, Irini, were allowed to return when it was deemed safe enough, after The Hunter was found and killed.

When Caia returns she is immediately drawn to the pack Alpha, Lucien, who is to be her protector. And much to the dismay of another female pack member, Lucien seems drawn to her. But Lucien and the rest of the pack are keeping things from her. And her discovery of those secrets may cause Caia to walk away from her friends, from her pack and from Lucien, not only for their betrayal but for their safety.

Author Samantha Young has done a sensational job in crafting this world of lykans, magiks and other supernaturals, and in creating a harmonious balance between light and dark, good and evil, and love and loss.

The dynamic she has created between her two main characters, Caia and Lucien, elevates this story above many of its peers. Each of them struggles with their feelings for each other, with the complicated relationship they have with one another, and with their responsibilities and what is necessary for the greater good.

Her secondary characters are not left out and play an integral role in this story that continues for two more books. Each of whom, from the plotting and manipulative Alexa to the cocky and overconfident Mal to the sweet and good-hearted Jaeden to the kind and loyal Sebastian, adds to the story's appeal.

Moon Spell is not a book to be missed. It is perfect for readers who love all things paranormal, who want to get a feel for what it is like to run with the wolves, who love dramatic tension between the female and male leads and who don't mind the tears that come when a beloved character is lost along the way.

My favorite passage is actually the first:

The war had been raging for centuries; a war that breathed beneath human reality, lost in the labyrinth of their legends and folklore. It was a silent war of soundless screaming and invisible bloodshed.

***

A note to readers: In its eBook format, the story has not been adapted for an American audience so readers should expect alternate spelling and punctuation as well as certain "Britishims."

A vulnerable and guilt-ridden weregirl moves in with her pack after ten years of absence and big-surprise: turns out she's super special and everyone wants her to either die or be their mate.

Alright so I don't usually factor in the author's age or the price of the book when I write reviews but...in this case I definitely rounded up. For once, this turned out to be one of those YA PNRs that was just too juvenile for me. Normally, I wouldn't factor that into my review either, but from some of the things that were going on in the book I was left with the distinct impression that it was actually supposed to be for the older teens, so I was confused.

The characters were sort of 2 dimensional and sometimes the story was confusing. Caia is supposed to be 18 but she's got the maturity level of a 13 year old. She is perpetually shy and unsure of herself--always ducking her head, biting her lip, etc--and she's just so ridiculously unaware of the fact that everyone's lusting after her, that I often found myself flipping through the book, over and over again (so annoying on a kindle), to check her age. I was like, really, this chick is supposed to be old enough to have sex?

I also found her love interest really disturbing. Lucien is written like a 30-40yr old man; he's the leader of the pack, with his own house and business and everything, so what's he doing lusting after this high school girl? Kinda gross if you ask me (it just seemed so wrong!).

On top of that, the story gets downright confusing at times (like in the beginning), though the storyline DID actually seem to get better as it went on, which is why I rounded up. I guess if I was 15 I might have thought it was awesome.

Forgive me as some of the frustration I feel is from other books I've recently read, but I don't think I can even finish this book as I simply hate the main character. She is timid, unintelligent, swoons hopelessly over someone who isn't even that nice to her at first...and I just can't do it. I can't read yet another book where the heroine acts like a seven year old. Aside from some spelling errors, the book is well written and has potential--but I just can't get emotionally invested with a story centered around someone I find exasperating.

**If anyone else who gets what I'm talking about and has read some awesome books with characters like those in the Vampire Academy series, and wants to give me some rec--I would very much appreciate that!