Title: Entice
Author: Carrie Jones
Pages: 264
 

I’ve been counting the days for its release, and I’m so hyped to actually read the book. Everything was good, ok that was an understatement, everything is just awesome. Carrie Jones didn’t fail me (again), I love every aspect of this book, once I started reading it, I couldn’t let go.

I’ve been snooping around goodreads for spoilers (excitement gets the better of me, I cave in) and I find out it was supposed to be a trilogy but how the book three ended, I don’t think that would be the case. So I check Carrie Jones blog and I found two things; a good news and bad news. The good news first, yep everyone is right, there’s another installment. The ending of the third book is pretty much open ended (and open ended is my least favorite ending, like ‘huh?-that’s-it?’ reaction). And because I’m clinging to the possibility of more Zara/Astley (a lot of Astley actually) moment, so knowing that the series will continue makes me a happy panda. For the bad news, the expected release is 2012. Yes, one year waiting, damn that’s long. I was expecting like late next year but not next (next) year, wow, just wow. It will literally test my patience. I will wait, if that’s what it takes to see another glimpse of Astley (and of course Zara).

Now for the plot. It picks up where the book two left. Zara is now a pixie, not just a pixie – a pixie queen. Now that she has, for the lack of better term, powers, she helped protecting the people of Bedford from ironically, her own species. The bad pixies. But her main reason why she decided to become a pixie herself is to save Nick from Valhalla and Astley helped her to retrieve “her wolf.” But every time they tried, they failed. It turned out, Astley’s mother; the former queen is sabotaging them in order to regain her position.

This is my favorite book from the series, less Nick more Astley. The second book just gave us a quick look of Astley’s character but in this installment, we’ve got a better (much better) look. Astley is more than the calm, collective king. He is too, have vulnerabilities, and he is trying his best to project the perfect image (especially for Zara). But like he said, he is not perfect and admitting that, I consider him a strong character (I already did consider him, but with all these things happen, his image sure jump a big leap in my radar). I like how he always tells Zara that goodness is not restricted to what species they belong. They are pixie (she is now, isn’t she) and because they are it doesn’t mean they’re bad. I love the time when they went to Ireland and Astely telling her about his father; sacrificing himself for Astley – that his father kindness is an attest that pixie is capable of compassion.

The kiss (just kiss, not pixie-kiss, just freaking awesome kiss) is worth a million squee. (sorry, just a rabid fangirl). That’s my favorite part (haha, how superficial can I be). It isn’t just the kiss that struck me, it was what Astely told Zara after that. He is not contended that Zara might fall for him just because Nick is gone. He will bring him back (how noble he is, omg) and next time when they kiss again, it’s not because she is lonely, and definitely not because she needed to but because she wanted to kiss him. Nothing gonna beat that dialogue, I memorized it, I know it by heart. Which is, obviously, all things considered, I’m Team Astley all the way. Sorry Nick, I really wish you were really dead. But where’s the challenge? Right? Right.

Another highlight of the book (for me) is the big revelation about his past, that Astley have… a former queen and he killed her. Believe me, I have the same reaction like Zara when I find out too. But you know what, although it is obvious that Zara still have strong feelings for Nick, she is starting to fully trust Astley, and she doubted that he didn’t intentionally (which is in fact, the truth) kill her. And her speech to the pixies, very strong – a gesture of a true queen.

Everything I anticipated (sans the kiss, I wasn’t expecting it, being she is too oblivious with Nick) happened and much more. The drama, the humor, and the Astley (yeah, I couldn’t get enough, sorry) and everything I love with the series just hit the mark, and molded perfectly. Everything for me developed flawlessly. I have no big complains, except Nick is alive, I meant, people dying just to get him. Zara’s mother was right, it wasn’t worth it and it was selfish of Zara to continue pursuing him despite all the lost lives, not cool Zara. That aside, I love it, definitely much captivating. This may sound cliché (but I don’t care) the book is enticing in every way. And oh, the cover is gorgeous.