Synopsis: 'From the beginning the light was coming. Vega Jane thought her way out of the village where she was born, crossed a wilderness filled with vicious creatures, and raised a ragtag army behind her. But each triumph earned through grit and pain only brought her closer to him.
Necro. A sorcerer whose unspeakable evil is matched only by his magical power.
Vera and Necro are on a collision course. The clash between his awesome power and her iron will is going to shake the stars down. Their fight will seal their fates . . . and determine the future of their world.' From the book jacket.
Review: The ending of the fight reminded me of the ending of Harry Potter. Sadly, the dog was killed. ( )

*review of books 2-4 of the series*

Unfortunately, the rest of the series doesn’t live up to the excitement of the first book, but they were an enjoyable read and a satisfying enough conclusion. Loved the inclusion of Petra and the fact that she and Vega didn’t even get along, even though they were similar in character and purpose.

I tried to keep in mind that they were teenagers, and I probably would have acted the same, but it was SO annoying that Vega was so insecure over Petra, and that there was the cliche “oh they died but not really” at the end. ( )

Conclusion of a tetralogy: don't start with this one and know that it's fantasy, not one of Baldacci's usual thrillers.

Vega Jane and her magical army is beating the evil Maladons, led by the powerful sorcerer Necro, but is so outnumbered that they cannot win the war. Vega marshals her resources, seeking advice from ghosts and goddesses, while searching for her long lost family. In a daring raid on the Maladon Castle, Vega discovers that their primary assassin is someone long thought dead, who has been re-programmed by Necro. After returning to rescue him and many others from her village who have been trapped and subjected to endless torture, Vega finds she has been played, leaving her own home base open to attack. A duel between Vega and Necro is the final battle.

Much of the book was slow, and there was too much Vega, at the expense of her stalwart friends: Delph, Harry Two, and Petra, who were marginalized. Lots of convenient magic at critical junctures, but the ending got me back up to three stars, from two. ( )

Fiction