BALEFIRE AND MOONSTONE
CYNTHIA GAEL
ISBN #: 978-1-4524-3775-0
September 2010
Gypsy Shadow Publishing
www.gypsyshadow.com
eBook
$4.99
211 Pages
Teen Paranormal Romance
Rating: 3 Cups
Anya Blanchette has been an outcast her whole life. She does not feel like she belongs in the coven with her aunt, Evie, and her mother, Ivy. She does not believe in the use of witchcraft for personal gain plus she does not think she has abilities. Her fellow high school students go out of their way to torment her, and even the adults in her small town treat her like a pariah. She is alone and beyond that, she is lonely.
Tommy Hopkins lives a privileged life with servants and material possessions but the most important things in his life are not things, they are the people he loves. He is used to moving around the globe following his father who runs the family business and travels to desolate cities to restore communities by setting up clinics and such and then moves to the next needy town.
The original Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins, betrayed his young lover and before her death, she cursed him and his descendants. They are destined to love witches and lose them. Tommy’s father has kept the secrets behind WFG Ltd.’s existence from him but a turn of unfortunate events force Tommy to learn of his family’s secret missions. It would seem that the company does more than provide non-polluting power. On his first day in his new town, Tommy meets Anya and as preordained, they fall in love. But can they overcome the curse and find lasting happiness?
Cynthia Gael gives her readers a poignant teen story of belonging and believing in yourself. Young Anya Blanchett is an outcast, and my heart ached for the fact that she felt excluded from her family and rejected by her peers. Her case is extreme but I think almost anyone can feel an affinity with her because who has not felt isolated? Tommy is a great hero, so earnest and sincere and almost as much of an interloper as Anya. He eased his way into my heart, and I found myself wishing for his happiness. I love how this story started, so full of adventure and letting us live the basis of the curse rather than just telling us about it. I wish the action had continued throughout the story. I was disappointed that when it did pick up again at the end, it was over much too soon. This promises to be an intricate new series and while I enjoyed the book, I felt as if it stopped before coming to a conclusion. The premise of this book is strong and the characters well developed. I look forward to seeing what happens and if Tommy and Anya really do have a chance at happiness.
Venus
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
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