Hexbound by Chloe Neill
The second in Chloe Neill’s Dark Elite series, Hexbound follows the continued adventures of Lily and her friend Scout at St. Sophia’s School for Girls, as they face both teen drama and evil magicians. I’ve had a bit of trouble getting into this series from the beginning, but couldn’t initially put my finger on why. I got a little over halfway through Hexbound and encountered a scene that made the issue clear to me — and sapped my interest in the book. Neill tells us that the conflict between the Adepts and the Reapers is a matter of life and death, but the way these scenes are written, they don’t feel any more tense than the scenes of ordinary teenage conflict between cliques or romantic rivals. There’s not a sense of high stakes… It feels like they’re playing magical Capture the Flag, rather than fighting a secret, deadly war… Neill’s portrayal of Chicago remains one of her strengths, however, and I think I’ll give her adult Chicagoland Vampires series a shot. I have a hunch it may feature more danger and less drama. Read the rest.
