Monday #Review - The End of Magic by Amber Benson (Urban Fantasy)

Series: The Witches of Echo Park # 3
Format: E-Galley, 320 pages
Release Date: May 16, 2017
Publisher: Ace Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Witches


In the third in the spellbinding series from the author of the Calliope Reaper-Jones novels, magic has been loosed upon the world and the consequences could destroy all of humanity, magical and non-magical alike... 

Lyse MacAllister used to be like everyone else blissfully ignorant of magic, of the dire battles being fought in shadows and secrecy. But that was before her Aunt Eleanora died, leaving her in control of the Echo Park coven; before she found herself in the middle of the witches clash with the anti-magic zealots known as the Flood; before her blood sisters turned against her... 

As the Flood begins turning humans across the globe against the witches, Lyse must find a way to regain the trust of her former magical family and once again unify them. Because the final battle between good and evil is looming and if the witches don t stand against it together, all of humankind could be lost..

The End of Magic is the third installment in author Amber Benson's The Witches of Echo Park series. This story picks up right where The Last Dream Keeper left off. Lyse MacAllister unwittingly became the leader of the Echo Park Coven when her great-aunt Eleanora died. Lyse is a character who has had issues with becoming the leader her coven needs to face the darkness that has threatened their very existence. Others in her group are much more in-tuned with their magic. There is also the question as to who key characters are: Who is the Magician? The Hierophant? The Devil? and The Fool?

The Echo Park Coven stands between the world remaining as it is, and being destroyed by an evil known as The Flood. The Flood, a group of anti-magic users, is a manifestation of darkness that has swept the world, and covens around the globe have found themselves being hunted down and eliminated. Even though Lyse is the most likely candidate to be primary, fellow coven mates Arrabelle, Daniela, Devondra, and Lizbeth all get their fair chance at shining. In fact, Lizbeth is the character who brought magic back to the world in the previous installment.

Each character has major baggage to deal with in this installment. None as much as Devondra who was put through the wringer and spit out. Lyse must try to hold her coven together despite all the losses, despite the discovery of a horrific underground bunker where the Flood experimented on Witches, and despite the fact that police and military are now freely hunting down witches without worrying about Constitutional rights. Witches are considered guilty without any recourse of fighting back. Unless, that is, Lyse finds a way to use her own veritable arsenal of magic that has only been hinted over the course of this series.

I'm going to finish off this review by saying that I was all in with the way this story flows and events happened. That is until the ending. I am not sure what to think honestly. I know that key issues took place before Lyse was even born. I know that these issues drove certain characters into being part of the Flood. I am curious though if that is all we will see of this series? I am not a fan of open ended endings. I like my stories wrapped up and all questions answers. When all is said and done, if you change one thing, don't you pretty much change everything you've written?

Previous Installments

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#Saturday Review - The Last Dream Keeper by Amber Benson (Urban Fantasy)

Series: The Witches of Echo Park 2
Format: E-ARC, 320 pages
Release Date: January 5, 2015
Publisher: Ace
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Genre: Urban Fantasy

In the second Witches of Echo Park novel, one coven must keep the world in balance and stand against a rising darkness.

Lyse MacAllister did not step into an easy role when she took over as master of the Echo Park coven of witches after her great-aunt Eleanora’s death. As she begins to forge the bonds that will help her lead her sisters, she struggles to come to terms with her growing powers. And she soon faces a deadly new threat. A group of fanatics intent on bringing about the end of times has invaded the witches Council—but the Council is turning a blind eye to the danger growing in its midst.

Only one witch is prophesied to be able to stop the encroaching darkness. And if Lyse and her blood sisters are to have any chance at protecting all we know from being lost forever, they must keep her safe—no matter what the cost…

The Last Dream Keeper is the second installment in The Witches of Echo Park series. This is a series that doesn't feature just one main character, but FIVE witches who make their homes in Echo Park. The women of the Echo Park coven are currently facing off against a group known as The Flood. The Flood are willing to bring back the Salem Witch trials in order to rid the world of the covens since they are responsible for maintaining balance in the world. The Flood has gone to extreme lengths to destroy the covens including torturing, hanging, burning at the stake, and experimenting on witches to create even more disturbing creatures. 

Benson's characters are women that have a variety of different magical skills from clairvoyance, tarot card reader, herbalist, empathy and Dream weaver. But, it is Lyse who may or may not have the cumulative ability of all of them. It is Lyse who now has the leadership of the coven after pretty much having everything dropped into her lap during the previous novel. While I would definitely say that Lyse is the most prominent character in this book, I would not discount, ignore, or dismiss the rest of the coven members for fear of missing out on something important. And, lots and lots of twisted and shocking things happen to our Echo Park Coven in this installment.

Elyse (Lyse) MacAllister - grew up in Echo Park with Eleanor then moved to Georgia where she made her own life. Lyse discovered that the former now deceased coven leader is actually her Grandmother and that she is expected to step up and take her place. Lyse has a long way to go in order to be as powerful as her grandmother was. But, a surprising revelation in this story may give her just the power to stand up to evil. She has found a group of women who are much more knowledgeable, and in reality, one of the others should have been chosen as leader. Lyse has some major issues to deal with in this book. If she can't, her coven may not last much longer. 

Daniela is the empath of the coven. She wears gloves, and hates to be touched because she can see things she doesn't want to see. She's got a special fondness for Lyse because she sees how much Lyse is struggling with what has been put on her shoulders. Daniela is the character I feel the most for because with her empathy abilities, you never know when they might strike and disable her forever. Alas, I would be more than acceptable to a Daniela/Lyse romance if Benson so chooses.

Lizbeth is the youngest member of the group, and half sister to Weir, who had a momentarily relationship with Lyse. Lizbeth has the most important job of all the coven witches this time around. She is the Last Dream Keeper. Now that she can actually speak, it is her job to get the world out about what the Flood is doing so that they can be stopped. But, Lizbeth falls into the lure of a character named Temistocles who history says is a real life character. Not sure where that story line is heading, but will be watching for the third installment to find out.

Arrabelle (Bell) is the oldest member of the coven now that Eleanor has died. She should have been the heir to Eleanor, but Lyse was chosen for the job instead. I don't necessarily see any outright anger towards Lyse, but she is perhaps a bit disappointed that a rookie has taken the reigns of the coven. Bell, as she is called, is also the coven's herbalist. I feel as though Bell is probably the mother figure that Lyse needs to hold herself together.

Devandra (Dev) is the final member of the coven, and the deepest one in the book. She has two daughters, one of which is probably as powerful as Lyse can be once she understands her powers. Dev is the diviner/tarot card reader of the group, and her family is more than put through the ringer by a character I am going to call Doubting Thomas. Like, the rest of her coven, Dev's experiences in this book are downright brutal and heart breaking. I can't even tell you how much my heart hurt after finishing this book.

I look forward to seeing if the publisher picks up book # 3 in this series so that readers will be able to follow what happens to the Echo Park coven after their most difficult challenge yet. 

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