POISON

When three cowen—nonmagical—girls at the Ainsworth School fall prey to a mysterious illness and Katy takes the blame, it’s clear that evil forces have returned to Whitfield (Legacy, 2011).

To clear her name, she embarks on a dangerous mission, using her powers to journey between worlds to stop them from claiming any more innocent lives. Little does she know that it will mean facing some of witchcraft’s greatest legends. It’s a lonely quest, as Katy’s boyfriend, Peter, is wrapped up in his own family drama, her friends have written her off, and the close family of witches she came to know in the previous book is almost completely missing in action. Her isolation only worsens as the story progresses, and Katy discovers that even if her loved ones were around, her very presence might kill them. While Katy is a likable-enough heroine, the noticeable lack of meaningful interactions with other characters will frustrate readers attempting to connect to the story on an emotional level. This is especially problematic when it comes to Peter and Katy. Their professions of undying love for each other feel shallow, given they are hardly ever in the same room at the same time. Fortunately, the introduction of Arthurian legend is intriguing, and the last few chapters are real nail-biters.

Whether that’s enough to keep fans reading the series remains to be seen.