RETURN OF THE BLOODLINE

Webb’s Everglenn fantasy trilogy concludes with a final showdown between a magical family and a ruthless tyrant.

Having unraveled centuries of mysterious family secrets, Freya O’Neill’s priority is the safety of her two daughters, Nora and Carra, and the rest of her family at the Everglenn estate in British Columbia. Months after escaping brutal captivity at the hands of Tyrell clan patriarch Cashel Tyrell, Freya (who has the supernatural ability to “to heal, to protect [her]self and to help protect those around [her]”) and a few family members sneak back into Ireland so her twins can be born there and be connected to the land through an ancient ritual. She spends the next 18 years concealing them at Everglenn and educating them about their heritage, knowing that Cashel intends to use them to fulfill an ancient prophecy that would cement his power in Ireland as it moves toward independence. When the girls turn 18, the family returns to Ireland to perform a handfasting ceremony on their birthday. Carra’s handfasting goes horribly awry and leads to her abduction by the Tyrells. Now, Carra must navigate her imprisonment using her own unique powers while Freya struggles to fight for her family without giving in to her pent-up rage. This novel provides a satisfying conclusion to the author’s trilogy as Freya’s entire family comes together to protect Carra and Everglenn. Freya is a much more active agent in this novel than in the last, and Carra comes into her own (with her magic) as well, though Nora doesn’t get much of a role. The final confrontation provides a welcome payoff for the intricate plotting of the first books, with every narrative thread neatly tied off. Though the novel shifts to Carra’s point of view when she’s taken, it wisely returns to Freya’s at the end; doing so allows her final plan to face Cashel to remain a surprise while keeping readers in her head during her most emotional moments. She has always been the heart of this rich and diverting story.

Fans of the first two books will cheer the way everything comes together in this gratifying conclusion.