Captivate by Carrie Jones - Review

Remember Zara and her phobias? Well she's back in Captivate a few months after Need ends with Zara, Nick, Devyn, and Issie (why do they remind me so much of Buffy's friends?) continuing to keep the pixies locked up, watching for any new pixies to appear. They know it's only a quick fix but Zara hates what they've done to her father and his pixies -- after all she's a keen writer of letters to Amnesty International. How can she do this and live with herself

She's weakened her father by keeping him needy and captive and now he's in real trouble, especially when a new king, Astley, arrives to challenge her father for his territory. He's young and good-looking, seems kind, and thinks that Zara is destined to be his queen. And as war looms on the horizon, he leads Zara to question everything she's ever thought about pixies and how they're treated. Are they really just like humans - some good and some evil? Or is he just another pixie tricking Zara to believe what he wants her to believe? And when it comes down to it, can she really trust him? He really is a wonderful addition to this world. (Although I'm getting tired of these love triangles, really I am.)

With a pixie war looming, and the arrival of a third king, Zara realizes it's mostly her decisions that have led them here - and she is guilt-ridden, conflicted, trapped, heartbroken. And in her most difficult moment, reaches out to Astley to help her save the people she loves, despite the incredibly high price.

I liked the new characters, the twists, the top-ten-things-to-remember-when-dealing-with-pixies, and the way Carrie Jones wove Norse mythology into the plot line. And that cliffhanger ending - no, I hadn't seen it coming.

And remember, you can meet Carrie Jones February 12 at 5.30 at Kepler's. AND my competition to win a copy of Captivate is still open!