Captivate

Captivate by Carrie Jones

Need #2

Zara and her friends knew they hadn’t solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king’s needs grow deeper every day he’s stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It’s made him vulnerable. And now there’s a new king in town.

A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he’s one of the good guys. Nick isn’t buying it, though Zara isn’t as sure — despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it’s a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It’s her life — and his.

Zara and her friends thought they were mostly in the clear when they locked up the pixies. At the very least they expected to have time to figure out a more permanent situation. Then more and more pixies show up and Nick nearly kills the new king, Astley. Zara stumbles into him and saves him. Astley of course wants Zara for his own but also insists he isn't evil. This sparks off some major tension between Zara and Nick. However, there is more danger than just the risk of broken hearts here. Astley isn't the only one who has set his sights on the territory, and it's up to Zara and friends to stop the pixies once again and protect their town.

Astley's character is a nice addition to this series. He adds a lot of tension that otherwise would not have been there. Despite the fact that he is a pixie, I think he genuinely cares for Zara. If he didn't he wouldn't have helped her time and time again all the while waiting for her to really show any gratitude. While I really like Nick and think he and Zara belong together, I couldn't help but feel bad for Astley. Zara really treats him like crap for most of the book, and I don't think he deserved it at all. Yes, of course she has well earned prejudices, but come on, what more does the guy have to do to prove he isn't like Zara's father. I have a feeling I might just soften even more towards him in the future.

I was really surprised at the path this series is now taking based on the events of this book. There is an event in this book that is a major catalyst for a lot of change. Some of that change was bound to happen based on the circumstances of the characters, but I just wasn't expecting the reason behind it to be what it was. I was really impressed with the author's ability to take something expected and actually make it surprising as well. I am still holding out for some happiness, but I have a feeling that will be a long time coming as there should be some pretty big obstacles in the way.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me just as enthralled as the first one, but with some added emotion as well. This series is full of really great characters and plenty of action. If you enjoyed the first one, then this one won't disappoint. The ending left off on pretty big cliffhanger that makes me very eager to read the next installment.

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Captivate