The Gleaning (The Spellspinners of Melas County, #2)

by Heidi R Kling

[Kim Deister]

This is such a fun series to read! The story surrounds the Spellspinners, witches and warlocks that have been separated into two communities and cursed. They have been given 100 years to fulfill a destiny of change or their magic is lost forever. Magic and curses are not a new premise, but the mythology that the author has built around them is very different.

I also love the active fiction format of this series. It is so much fun to make choices for the path that your experience takes. It also makes it fun to reread the book and make different choices. They begin and end the same ways but the path to get there changes with every choice.

There is much more mystery and intrigue in this book, a lot more darkness. There are twists and turns galore in this one, too, bringing in all new and disturbing aspects to the story line. The past truly comes back to haunt the current generation and there are so many secrets that are revealed.

This book is active fiction, like the others, but is almost two novellas in one. The first section is Lily's version of events, with choices for you as the reader to make. The second section is Logan's story, with more choices to make. There is also a third section that is called "Bonus Materials" and it tells Daisy's story of that fateful night and changes the story entirely so READ THAT, too!

Things to love...

--The characters. The characters are more fully developed this time and we learn so much more of the mythology and back story through them.
--The darkness and the secrets. The intrigue level is so intense in this book!

Some Quotastic Goodness

--More than anything I wanted Logan to bear the mark. To be the Chosen (Loc.15).
--I inched along the slick walls in the dark, my palms slipping against the smooth concrete. Then suddenly the surface wasn't cool and hard anymore. I felt my hands squish wet indentations into the wall that smelled of fresh blood (Loc. 211).

My Recommendation: A fantastically fun read!

This review originally appeared on my blog, http://thecaffeinateddivareads.multifacetedmama.com/?p=9965.