Light and Shadow by @PattiLarsen (HCN#11)

 Come the Brotherhood. 

You must be careful. I turn toward the voice, see a shape floating next to me in the dark, glowing softly iridescent, all the colors of the rainbow and others for which I have no names.

Of what?

The sound and feel of the shape is feminine. She lifts her arm and points. I see them then, below and before me, two vast armies stretching out over an empty gray plane, facing each other. But they've not yet begun to fight. I recognize witches and vampires, Sidhe and demons, other creatures I've never laid eyes on, crowding one side. On the other side are humans, feeling empty and cold, though their power crackles around them like electric fire.

You must be ready. My companion's voice is very sad, makes tears rise in my eyes. The war is coming and you only have a little time left to prepare.

When Syd dreams of a terrible battle between sorcerers and all other magical races, she is tasked by a mysterious maji with protecting the Light and the Shadow, a pair of teenagers she rescues from the veil. Forced to track down the Chosen of the Light for assistance against this new threat, Syd teams with an unlikely foe turned ally in a stand against the rise of the sorcerer’s Brotherhood. 

Light and Shadow Review

Once again I'm lost to Wilding Springs until the small hours of the morning and left bereft when I'm finished. What am I supposed to do until the next installment? Syd and her family are so familiar now that it's like catching up with an old friend. :-)

Although, I do not have any friends with a life as quite as exciting as part sidhe, part demon, part vampire, and all over super witch Sydlynn Hayle. She's already been through the typical coming to age teenage angst stuff. She's pushed everyone away and rejected the world around her. But this time the fate of the all magical planes rest on her helping someone else through theirs. A brother and sister whose destinies are greater than Syd's. One to save the world from destruction. The other to destroy it. Did you just get chills?

Once again were treated to Syd against the rest of the world with her usual tenacity and style. But she's also realizing the limitations of those around her, like her mom, her dad, the lack of willingness to act in matters which do not affect them, and she's seeking ways of protecting the coven rather than her reckless old ways.

It was nice to see her outgrow her predetermined destiny with Quaid, let him go and be happy. And I have to admit I'm definitely on board with vampire clan Sebastian as a love interest. If this is where the developments within Light and Shadow are going. What with Meira's Kidnapping and Syd's retrieval of the vampire essence she now carries inside to save him from it in past Hayle Coven Novels, they've had a long dramatic history and unlike Quaid, yummy Sebastian isn't bored with the action in Syd's life.

Love Syd! LOVE The Hayle Coven Novels. Excited about the pending release of the Queen of Darkness. :-)


Erin

Posts You May Have Missed

First Plane - by Patti Larsen - Hayle Coven Novels #10

OH.

MY.

GOD.

Stop everything you are doing right now

GO READ THIS BOOK!

I know I only posted on book 9 of the HCN series, Divided Heart, last week but I was holding out until I'd finished my uni work and eventually caved in to read it. And even though I didn't love it, it was still an excellent read.

And after reading First Plane I've a million more questions and speculations about what is to come but this time I'm not sharing. I don't want to spoil First Plane for you.

We left a broken hearted Syd at the beginning of her first semester at college, with best friend Liam pinning for her to feel for him the way he feels for her. She has the vampire essence playing nice and the rest of the witch community running scared because she defeated a blood magic user. But she's got a new gang of witch friends and alls going good in her life. Even the relationship with her crazy busy high council leader mom is settling down.

Princess of the second plane?

Its Christmas and Syd has returned to Wilding Springs when her Dad crosses over from the demon plane and tells Syd and Meems he wants them to cross to the demon plane they have a whole family they dont know anything about, including their Grandmother who is the ruler of Demonicon and she would like to meet them.

Upon arriving in Demonicon Syd and Meems are assigned their ranks within the demonic world. They are now at risk of attack from other demons wanting their status and power. If they are to survive this world they most learn the ways of their demonic heritage and fast. 

Syd and Meems tag teaming and kicking demon ass is a book not to be missed! 

Excerpt - Life's A Ball?

I began writing Life's A Ball? way back in 2007. Finished the first draft in 2009 and Thought I was finally finished with it in 2011. But I'm not a 100% happy with it. I've not posted for a while I've been busy with my uni work and I'm currently writing the 2nd in the Valentina Secrets Series, Behind Closed Doors, but I thought I'd thought I'd introduce you to Elle and Adam.

Life's A Ball

There were some days when, with very little effort, her smaller than average figure, usually untameable blonde curls and soap and water maintained complexion surprised Elle.

   There were times when being in front of the floor length mirror in her walk in closet was like standing behind the iron railings at a blockbuster movie premiere in Leicester Square. Watching the hottest movie starlets strut their stuff on the red carpet. Unfortunately, today was not one of those days.

   Elle had done everything she possibly could in the last two hours. Yet, the hateful glass still reflected the monstrosity of a bruised plum rather than a stunning Hollywood starlet swathed in Byzantium satin. The gown had promised her lies as it hung ever-so elegantly on the hanger only moments ago.

   The hidden foam cups holding up her generous female assets felt too small. The gorgeous silver embellishment decorating underneath her bosom felt too loose. The panel it was hiding, like a Grecian crown, was strangling her rib cage. Hollywood royalty could wear silken second skins without reprisal. But, for Elle, the delicate material clung too close to every telltale sign that she was not someone who was on first name terms with the body builders in the gym.

   She felt like she was about to audition for a satellite infomercial to advertise the latest US exercise equipment. One with the tag line ‘You can go from this embarrassingly-exaggerated-before picture to this potentially-same-head-on-a-different-body image in just twenty eight days.’ Except, her audition picture would not be selected for the cleaned up after shot.

   What had she done to deserve this humiliation?

   On cue, Adam Lacey’s agitated voice bellowed from the foot of the stairwell “Elle, will you get your arse down here already!”