by Zoe Daniels

YA Fantasy, 1995 by Berkley, 256 Pages 

Note: This trilogy (of which this is the final book) came out in 1995 and was INCREDIBLY hard to track down today. I have vivid memories of LOVING this series, so I had to see if it held up! The review is honest … but so is this warning: if this sounds like something you might like, it’s NOT going to be easy to find a copy.

What I Didn’t Like:

• I like similes and metaphors but this book may have found my line for “too many”. 
• There are 6 total shapeshifters not counting Holly. But I can only name 2 others. Honestly, why have 6? They’re not powerful enough to worry anyone, they’re not featured, and they don’t matter to the story. They could’ve been better utilized. 
• The ending is rushed. Does it work? Yes. But I would’ve liked a bit more struggle or a few more pages after this entire journey. 

What I Did Like:

• Ah, yes, an Egypt connection in a YA book from the 90s … this didn’t help my obsession, I’m sure! Honestly, it’s used decently and fits the story. Loved to see it.
• Past life flashback scenes that work. Sometimes these can be overly cheesy or heavy handed but in this book, they work! They’re obvious connections to what’s happening NOW but in a fun way. 
• The major characters all work and are well written. Holly, Jason, and Alex have clear motivations and their actions match those. They pull the story forward to its conclusion at all times.

Who Should Read This One:

• This is REALLY hard to find but if you’re a fan of paranormal shape shifting fantasy stories and you see this trilogy somewhere … get it! 

My Rating: 4 Stars

• The conclusion might be the best book in the series.