5 Stars

Maeve Rhodes and her brother Finley have been shuffled around between foster and group homes since their parents died.  One night, after sneaking out of their current group home, Maeve finds an elderly woman lying on the ground, clearly the victim of an attack.  When she stops to help the woman, she is giving more than she could have ever imagined: magical powers.  With this new gift, she is invited to attend the Spellcrest Academy, a prestigious school for magic users.  However, if she goes, she would be forced to leave her brother behind, something that she is not willing to do.

This book was a pleasant surprise.  Maeve has the snarky, rough-and-tumble survivor personality you would find with someone who was shuffled from home to home throughout her childhood.  Her brother Finley is clearly the innocent as he is dragged into Maeve’s adventures and then tempted to the “dark side” by some not-so-innocent characters.  It was well written and had enough plot twists to keep this interesting.  Very rarely do I find young adult books that I cannot put down.  I am truly looking forward to the second book in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.