Those who find no YA fantasy complete without a steamy romance will be thrilled by Elisa's growing passion for her best friend and closest adviser-who is, of course, completely off-limits. The lush details of this magical world are thoroughly intertwined with the profound religious faith of both heroes and villains, where each revelation leads to a crack in Elisa's worldview. Elisa, deeply pragmatic and deeply religious, is required repeatedly to make intelligent, unselfish choices for the good of her nation. Elisa must fight everything from assassination attempts to rioting mobs, all while defending her country against the terrifying foreign sorcerers with 'pale peach' skin and 'hair the syrupy gold of honey,' who only recently brought fiery destruction on her nation's capital. Keeping her kingdom, on the other hand, will require diplomacy, political acumen, mercy-and deception. Her Majesty Queen Lucero-Elisa became sole ruler of Joya d'Arena through luck (both good and bad), wise strategic decisions and the holy magic of the Godstone embedded in her navel ( The Girl of Fire and Thorns, 2011). Intelligent and thoughtful Elisa must negotiate diplomacy, religion and personal desire. Coben deftly weaves these multiple plot threads into a compelling whole.Īn involving thriller that moves like lightning. He and outcast pals Ema and Spoon try to unravel both mysteries, too busy to even note the arrival of movie star Angelica Wyatt, who's managed by Mickey's Uncle Myron, with whom he lives (and around whom Coben has spun a successful series for adults). Since Troy's dad is the police chief, Mickey finds himself treated like a suspect. The mutual attraction of Mickey and Rachel is a thorn in the side of her boyfriend, basketball star Troy Taylor, who also happens to be threatened by Mickey's mad court skills. This troubling issue is shoved onto a back burner with the news that Mickey's friend Rachel was shot by an intruder, who also killed her mother. As implausible as this sounds, the Bat Lady's violent reaction seems a validation of his claim. She freaks him out by telling him that his father is not dead, and Mickey responds with a revelation of his own: that the paramedic who whisked his father away on the day of his death is a notorious Nazi war criminal. In a spooky house, Mickey squares off with a gnarled crone he knows only as the Bat Lady. High school sleuth Mickey Bolitar continues to find trouble.or maybe it finds him ( Shelter, 2011).

Seconds away by harlan coben