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THE LOWDOWN: Witches and princesses, warlocks and princes are no longer enemies. New bonds are forming; old bonds are being shattered. But underneath this uneasy arrangement, a war is brewing and a dangerous enemy rises. As Agatha and Sophie battle to restore peace, an unexpected threat could destroy everything, and everyone, they love—and this time, it comes from within. FIRST IMPRESSION: But as Agatha gazed out at her and Sophie’s golden statues, towering over the sun-speckled square, she swallowed it away. —ARC paperback edition SNAPSHOT: Agatha and Sophie share narration, bouncing back and forth between them as plot revelations and tension demand. Beautiful golden-haired Sophie is such a sad young lady, desperate for the attention and love she has not fully experienced since her mother’s early death. Since escaping the School Master’s School for Good & Evil, Sophie has been trying her best to be Good, and Agatha is her rock. For her part, graveyard-loving Agatha feels trapped in her choices—she chose Sophie to save her best friend’s life, but part of her still wonders about what could have been with her prince, Tedros. Despite that most of Agatha’s plot revolves around the love-triangle of her, Tedros and Sophie, she still manages to be an independent, determined, courageous protagonist. The hidden truths of the generation before this one have a Harry Potter ring to them. The question of Agatha’s mother’s connection to Sophie’s father and possibly even Tedros’ mother to Sophie’s mother whisper at a legacy of past romantic drama and friendship tensions. Readers who have not read the first in the series should be able to quickly catch up, as recaps are gently given throughout as knowledge becomes necessary. Secondary cast members are given plenty of time to shine; even though they have all changed since the first book, they live with the consequences of their changes attitudes, fashion, and friendships. The ending, however, can be taken as either the cliff-hanger it is or—if reading this book without the follow-up—a very grim close to Sophie and Agatha’s fairy tale. Veiled LGBT themes abound. Gender bending, same-sex kisses and near kisses, and love beyond erotic love or with only one gender or one person, will certainly intrigue casual readers but likely be positive for LGBT teens and those who question monogamy. No one is ever shamed for kissing another girl or for enjoying being a different gender. It could only be more positive if, in book three, love in many forms (erotic, storgic, filial) will be allowed to co-exist for the girls without one type banishing another. Appropriate for ages 14+. Realistic and fantasy violence, intense situations, sexual situations. Deals with love, friendship, relationships, gender, sexuality, good and evil, grey morality, and the questions of What is Masculinity and What is Femininity.
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(Review copy provided by Megan Beatie at Goldberg McDuffie.) |