Review of A Trace of Moonlight by Allison Pang & A Giveaway

Publisher: Pocket Books
Series: Abby Sinclair #3
Format Read: paperback
Release Date: October 30, 2012
Buying Links:  Amazon   Barnes & Noble   The Book Depository


Book Blurb (from goodreads):

*Contains spoilers for the previous books*

Drinking from the waters of lethe and offering herself up as Faerie’s sacrificial Tithe . . . these just might be the least of Abby Sinclair’s problems.
Abby’s pact with a daemon—whether or not she remembers making it—is binding, so she’d better count herself lucky that (in the words of a daemon who knows better) there’s nearly always a loophole. But her friends’ reckless attempts to free her, well intentioned though they may be, set off a disastrous chain of events. In no time at all, Abby turns her incubus lover mortal, then gets herself killed, cursed, and married to an elven prince whose mother wants her dead. On top of everything else, she’s lost the Key to the CrossRoads to her mortal enemy, who promptly uses his restored power to wreak havoc on the OtherWorld and put its very existence in jeopardy. Only one person can make things right again, but to find her, Abby must place her trust in allies of mixed loyalties, and conquer her nightmares once and for all.

Reviewed By: Bea

Quote:

He stood up abruptly, the overcoat snapping to attention as he bowed formally, the motion almost masking the hurt in his gaze. "Of course, I will see to making the arrangements immediately." Before I could say anything else, he turned on his heel and disappeared, the door shutting quietly behind him.

 "That's not what I meant," I whispered into the nearly empty room, but I knew the words were hollow even as I said them. I did want to go home. The fairy tale was getting old and if I wasn't going to have a happily ever after, that was fine by me, but I wasn't going to sit here for the rest of my life either. What was left of it. 

*May contain spoilers for the previous books*

 

Bea's Thoughts:

I love Pang's world building, her updates to the fairy tale mythos, and her snarkiness. Her books are a mix of humor, action, romance and politics. The characters are vivid and in this book Melanie and Nobu are developed further. Unfortunately, Abby is not; from the first book to the second, she developed maturity and confidence but in this book, there's less growth. She is also very reactive; she frequently complains about wanting to go back home but does little to actually make that happen and she still has a tendency to act first and think later. She is still intensely loyal and honorable, and those characteristics, along with her impulsiveness, lead to a variety of events in the story. What growth we do has to do with her developing her abilities as a Dream Walker, with help from both Sonja and Bristion and, related, getting better control of her fears. Abby's relationships, familial and personal, are still complicated and there's still a love triangle. The love story takes twists and turns but at the end, there's only a partial resolution.

I'd have liked Phineas to have a bigger role but events early on slow him down for much of the book. Robert and Charlie make brief appearances as does Benjamin. The angelic host makes an appearance at one point and there's a wonderful violin dueling scene between Melanie and one of Satan's minions, complete with the oh so appropriate song, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia".

Politics take center stage in this story and I often felt as if I needed a score card to keep straight what was happening and why. I found myself wishing I'd reread the second book before picking up this one. There are twists and turns and layer upon layer of machinations. I don't recommend reading in fits and starts but trying to do it in just a couple sittings so you're better able to keep up. I didn't love this book but I did enjoy it and it's a solid, well written story.

This is the last contracted book in the series so Pang ties up some story lines but also leaves a few loose threads in case she has to the opportunity to come back to this world. Personally, I prefer a more definitive ending but with the knowledge that she may come back to the series some day, it doesn't bother me as much as it might otherwise.

I received this paperback from the publisher for review.

I have paperback copies of the first two books to giveaway. Enter using the rafflecopter widget below. US only. Please read my Giveaway Policy. Please leave a way for me to contact you - email, twitter, Google+, etc. If I can't contact you, you can't receive the prize if you win.

ETA 1/7/13: Folks, PLEASE read the directions. Many of you are not leaving a way for me to contact you. So, even if your name comes up on Rafflecopter as the winner, you won't be able to receive your prize.

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