Spellcaster (Spellbound #2) by Cara Lynn Schultz
YA Paranormal
March 27, 2012
Harlequin Teen
Reviewed by Tori
Favorite Quote: “Bacon is the nectar of the Gods. It’s blasphemy what they did to it “
Reincarnation is the theme of Ms. Schultz’s modern day fairy tale series. Emma Conner and Brendan Salinger first met in Spellbound when Emma, the new girl, catches the eye of the super hot bad boy Brendan. As these two go from frenemies to soul mates, we learn that Emma and Brendan have a past together. A horrible past that will keep repeating unless they are strong enough to destroy the curse that surrounds them. Spellbound ends with Emma and Brendan defeating their enemy and learning more about the destiny that surrounds them.
Spellcaster picks up with Emma learning about her new powers and Brendan trying to be a better person then he was in the past. Our hottie was a horn dog. Brendan’s past comes back to haunt him though when a former Vince A student’s hatred for Emma and Brendan seems stronger then their love. Emma and Brendan find their inner most fears being used against them as they fight to hold onto their love against this new unknown and powerful enemy.
Spellcaster, second in Ms. Shultz’s, Spellbound series, is a paranormal romance YA that comes on stronger with the paranormal aspects then in book one. A lighthearted, fast paced story that brings the Romeo and Juliet theme into the modern day world. I liked the casual realism that Ms. Schultz injects into her characters emotions and relationships. These are high school students; resplendent in their bitchy, cliquey, instant gratification ways. Ms. Schultz does well with incorporating teen subjects such as drinking, bullying, and homosexuality in a non judgmental way.
Emma is a comfortable heroine with her sarcasm and normality. I found myself laughing as we get her insights on the students of the school and her home life. She’s smart enough to know when things are not right and seeks answers instead of just accepting. She also has a strong loyal streak which becomes evident as she seeks to learn her new powers in order to save herself and the one person she loves more then anyone-Brendan. She continues to grow and comes out of her shell beautifully in here.
Brendon is still every high school girl’s fantasy. Handsome, rich, sexy, and mysterious, Brendan evolves both emotionally and mentally in here as he deals with his love for Emma and the fear he feels as more of his past comes to light. He is convinced that she will leave him for the things he has done and his insecurities tug at your heartstrings. I like how protective he is of Emma without trying to smother her.
Brendan and Emma’s romance continues to evolve and deepen. There is a stronger sexual undertone in here then in book one that surprised me. There are times throughout, when the romantic dialogue and scenes between Emma and Brendan become repetitious. You can only have so many “I love you and this is why” scenes and there are a lot of them. Yet a small part of me understands that this are teenagers and I remember what it was like to be in love in high school. Everyday with intense. While they have an appealing chemistry and banter between them, their romance does overshadow the villain and the main plot though. I would have liked to have seen a better balancing of the multiple storylines.
The secondary characters blend into the story and our protagonist’s lives perfectly with no awkwardness. They add humor and continuity as they help keep the story’s main plot line fresh and flowing smoothly. I liked that our hero and heroine were able to be more honest in here with their friends and that in turn allows them to turn to them for help. Kristan still plays the mean girl well but I’m still not sure where her animosity stems from. There is something more there and I look forward to its revelation. Emma’s outgoing cousin still plays the perfect foil to Emma’s shyness and Angelique certainly steps up to the plate as Emma’s new bff. I enjoyed seeing her play a much more active role in the story this time around.
The main conflict is action packed and filled with surprises as Ms. Schultz reveals the villain and the reasons behind their hatred. We learn early on who the villain is but Ms. Schultz draws out the suspense as we watch Emma and her friends learn to defeat this evil. The increase of magic in here certainly made for a more paranormal story and not just another romantic YA.
Overall Rating: C+
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This one sounds like a cute YA series. Is there a love triangle? Because that’s a must in YA series and I hate it, so just to be safe I must ask. I think I’ll get the first one and see how it goes. Great review! :)
No. Surprisingly, there is no love triangle. Im enjoying the series so far.
I’m back to tell you that I bought book 1 yesterday and stayed up until 2am reading. It’s crazy because the book has some crappy, annoying things. Like the insta-love and cheesy love declarations. The plot is not as strong and even though I’m at 70% now, I can’t see how the author managed to stretch it into a two-book series (or is it 3?). But for some reason it’s quite addictive, can’t stop reading and I even teared up when the story of the original lovers was told, can you believe that? I can’t! LOL. Some of these books are inexplicably appealing and engaging. What I do know why I like, is that they sound like normal -slightly mature- teenagers, not enough as to be annoying, but not like Dawson’s Creek either. ;)
LOL I am right there with you. For some reason this book hooked me-even with it’s annoying teenager emo storyline.
Great review Tori, and I like the comments even more :)
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