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The Books of Magic #6
The Books of Magic: Reckonings
Concerned that he might become evil and endanger his girlfriend in the future, thirteen-year-old Timothy Hunter returns to Faerie to get the truth about his parentage and his magic once and for all.
Library Binding
First published October 1, 2004
170 people want to read
About the author
Carla Jablonski
47 books63 followersCarla Jablonski is the author and editor of dozens of best-selling books for teenage and middle-grade readers. She grew up in New York City, where she attended public schools and the Bronx High School of Science. She has a BA in anthropology from Vassar College and an MA from NYU's Gallatin School, an interdisciplinary program for which she combined playwriting, the history of gender issues in 19th Century Circus, and arts administration. "I wanted to write the play, contextualize the play, and learn how to produce the play for my degree," she explains. "I think I may have been the happiest graduate student at NYU -- I SO loved working toward my thesis."
While still in graduate school she supported herself as the editor of The Hardy Boys Mysteries. "When I interviewed for the job they asked me if I'd ever read the Hardy Boys as a kid. 'No way,' I scoffed. 'Those are BOY books! It was Nancy Drew for me!' Luckily my future boss had a sense of humor. She hired me after I promised I'd read the books if I got the job."
She has participated in the renowned Breadloaf Writers' Conference as well as Zoetrope's All-Story highly competitive writing workshop held at Francis Ford Coppella's resort in Belize. She has taught writing for the children's market, as well as "cold-reading" skills for teachers as part of Project:Read. Several of her books have been selected as part of the Accelerated Reader's program.
She continues to work freelance as an editor for publishers and for private clients, even as she writes novels and creates new series. She also has another career (and identity!) as a playwright, an actress, and a trapeze performer. "I try to keep the worlds separate," she explains about her multiple identities. "The different work I do has different audiences, so I want to keep them apart. But they're all me -- they're all ways of expressing what I'm thinking and feeling -- just in different mediums."
While still in graduate school she supported herself as the editor of The Hardy Boys Mysteries. "When I interviewed for the job they asked me if I'd ever read the Hardy Boys as a kid. 'No way,' I scoffed. 'Those are BOY books! It was Nancy Drew for me!' Luckily my future boss had a sense of humor. She hired me after I promised I'd read the books if I got the job."
She has participated in the renowned Breadloaf Writers' Conference as well as Zoetrope's All-Story highly competitive writing workshop held at Francis Ford Coppella's resort in Belize. She has taught writing for the children's market, as well as "cold-reading" skills for teachers as part of Project:Read. Several of her books have been selected as part of the Accelerated Reader's program.
She continues to work freelance as an editor for publishers and for private clients, even as she writes novels and creates new series. She also has another career (and identity!) as a playwright, an actress, and a trapeze performer. "I try to keep the worlds separate," she explains about her multiple identities. "The different work I do has different audiences, so I want to keep them apart. But they're all me -- they're all ways of expressing what I'm thinking and feeling -- just in different mediums."
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June 23, 2024Reckoning (Books of Magic)
Tim tries to call Molly, but Mrs. O Reilly makes it crystal clear that she doesn’t ever want him to see Molly again after them not coming home all night. Tim’s “dad” has grounded him as well (but only after being pushed by Mrs. O Reilly). But Tim decides he *has* to see Molly so he uses magic to transform him into a cat. After all, his real dad could turn himself into an eagle. Only he’s a human-sized cat. He concentrates again and gets it right, But when he gets there she’s gone and he sees a rope. She’s climbed out the window and Tim thinks she’s probably gone to see him. Part of him is thinking with his human brain. Part of him is thinking with a cats brains (and wants to stay in out of the rain and eat). Molly tho isn’t at his house either. Tim thinks himself up a pair of wings. The cat isn’t pleased (the wings are bat like). But they’ll give him the view they need. Pretty son Tim is flying over the city.
Daniel sits on a rooftop wondering how he can make things right with Marya. He’s realized how wrong he’d been now that he’s been by himself for weeks. He wonders how Tim is and how he can ever face Marya again. He’s thinking of how good it would be to have some company on his own terms. But he looks up and sees a flying cat and is glad to see that Timothy isn’t dead after all. He might even tell him where Marya is.
Tim finds Molly at the park with Marya. He listens in for a bit, Then he finds out Molly has a secret that she’s scared to tell him. The secret is the dragon in the cave was him, that he made hundreds of copies of her, and he wanted to train her to be his perfect wife. Tim feels guted but listens some more. She wonders what would be worse to tell him or not tell him and should she break up with him over something that may or may not happen. The Dragon did tell her the future could be changed. Besides Tim did promise her he wouldn’t make deals with demons. A lady shows up and reminds her that teenage boys always keep their promises. She has a bird cage. Tim wonders who she is and why she’s trying to interfere. The woman changes the weather by keeping the rain from falling on the park. She says she’s the Body Artist. She’s the princess that saves herself and doesn’t need a prince. She says she lives by a code and doesn’t fool with demons (or those that do). The lady listens to the issue Then there’s the issue that if she does break up with him it might be the thing that turns him pyscho.
Daniel then pops out of the bushes. Molly tells him to back off. He continues talking and says if she doesn’t take him back he’ll kill himself. Molly tells him to get over himself. Tim is about to leap in to defend him but the Body Artist snatches him up and shoves him into the bird cage. The Body Artist uses her magic to lift Daniel and then transforms him into a puppy. She says she gave him a body to match his needs. She says once he experiances the love he lost it’ll be safe for him to be human again. Molly is now mad and tells her to stay out of her life. The Body Artist says she gets it. She’ll go her way and Molly will go hers. She tells Tim he’s got quite a girlfriend. Maybe one day he’ll deserve her.
She takes Tim to her shop and gives him back his speech, but the cat part is starting to override his human brain. Tim is starting to think she reminds him of someone tho. She says she probably won’t get another chance to open him up. He demands to know what she means but she doesn’t answer his thoughts. She shocked to find out he didn’t borrow the body. He made it. She now says she’s never seen this kind of power and she plans to treat him like the enemy, But then she wishes him good night and puts him to sleep (temporily). And I’m thinking because it says she purrs this might be a real cat that can transform itself into a woman.
She cuts into Tim and pulls out his ghostly shape. Then she lays it on another table. She doesn’t see any darkness but she keeps going. But she never sees any darkness. She looks into his heart. When Tim comes too hoe’s human again and the woman is looking at him. She tells him she brought him there because Molly said he might grow up to do bad things and she planned to stop that from happening. But because she has morals she’d never alter the code of a non demon. Tim relizes he reminds him of John Constitine. She thought that if she could find his inner beast she could tame it. Many peoples animals sides have cosumed their human sides but she says Tim doesn’t seem to have one. So she says look around , find some clothes, and she’ll give him cab fare to get home. But Tim tells her even if it’s unpleasant do what she has to do to make sure he never hurts Molly. The Body Artists says it might be painful. Then she smiles and says he might be good enough for Molly after all.
After the procedure, Tim doesn’t feel any different. She seemed pretty cool tho, but his dad won’t be. He stayed out all night again. The Body Artist has iked Tim’s chest with a scorpion and butterfly tatoo (magical tailismen), Before going to Molly’s he decides to give himself a test. When he tries to do magic on the garbage cans, his chest sears. SUCCESS! Now Tim won’t want to do magic again. Now Tim has mixed emotions. He’s happy on one hand that he can’t harm Molly but he misses magic already. Tim goes to Mollys and sees her cousin (Bridgett) and asks her if she’ll give her a message. Bridgett says her parents took her to the country. They might even take her out of school. So, what was the point of getting the tatoos. He leaves with Bridgett calling after him. He slumps down to the floor of an ally. The tatooos start to sear. Tim realizes the tatoos won’t let him feel anything either so he promises he’ll stop feeling. Atleast he won’t harm the rest of humanity. He heads for home and gets chewed out and kicked out by his father.
Mr. Hunter now is worried that Tim might be on drugs. Although he doesn’t think it’s drugs. He wonders if it’s finding out he’s not his biological parent. He wants to talk to Tim and help him through whatever it is but by the time he’s calmed down and opens the door the street is empty. Meanwhile Tim is just running with no destination. He almost gets run down by a car but can’t stop it. Even tho he pleads his case the tattoos set his chest on FIRE until he says he won’t have any more big emotions. The puppy (that is Daniel) finds him (Marya with him). Tim isn’t up to talking so he sends Marya away. He’s exhausted and starts to dream about the Wobbly (that’s grown). He says if Tim is usueless now he’ll find a way to recycle him. He’s about to take him, but a man (that looks like a scavenger) stops him. The man says he’s just lost his way not discarded himself. The man picks Tim up and leaves the ally.
When Tim wakes up he sees he’s with Kenny (the homeless man Tamlin introduced him too). Kenny tells him what happened. He’s at the Full Moon Hotel. He tells them its run by friends of his and he’s safe there. Tim then drifts off. Kenny lights a candle and tells him they’ll find a way to end the battle. The scorpion and the butterfly are fighting for control over him. Kenny wonders what drove him to this. (He notices his tee shirt flutter and then the images become 3D). Tim awakens to see the scorpion and butterfly teering up to fight. He says that by having these creatures eched into his chest he’s thrown away his potentional. But Tim asks if magic is all he is. Kenny says he’s given them permission to be in charged and they’ve now formed a link. Kenny said he could have done that by killing him. Kenny makes him see that these are a false security and he’ll still have to face things on his own.
Kenny is no help so Tim tries to use the candle’s flame to scare away the scorpion. This only makes it angrier. Finally he burns the thing to a crisp. The tightness in his chest subsides. Kenny advises in the future if he needs help just ask for it. But while distracted the butterly flies back into his skin. Kenny says he wasn’t ready to let it go, but at least it didn’t return to his heart. Tim wonders Kenny was able to remove the tattoos. Kenny says he showed them the light so they could hunt each other. Tim did the res by way of his dreams that had no room for them. Kenny also tells to rid himself of the tatoo he must be honest and accept what he discovers. The scorpion restrained his magic. The butterfly trains him to keep his magic in check. Tim doesn’t think that sounds so bad but Kenny points out that’s why it hasn’t left him. Tim decides the best course of action is to go back and find out where he came from and to do that he’ll have to talk to Titania. Molly is on her grandmother’s farm angrily doing chores to take her mind off her siuation. Her Grandmother shows up and suggests she takes one of the horses for a ride. Molly doesn’t feel like it but her grandmother insists. She gives her a basket (for her and the fairies) and sends her on her way. In the basket is a letter from Marya telling Molly what’s happened. Molly now realizes Tim was there and heard everything. She worries about how Tim will take the things he overheard. Molly thinks of how her grandmother told her she could make wishes up here on the hill She sees a fairy ring and knows where she should put the offering if she can find one. She searches the basket and finds a miniture teapot (shaped like a flower) with tea in it. There’s also a miniture tea set (that Molly admits is charming). Molly remembers a rhyme and a chant and starts to walk around the circle. The air parts and Obertion steps out.
Oberion says he came because he wanted to not because she summonded. Its where he comes when he wants to escape. He asks her why she was trying to summon faries. She said someone she knows needs help. Molly asks if he can grant wishes. He says he can. But Molly knows there’always a price. He says the price is she’ll have to stay where he brings her. So she agrees to the terms (despite knowing she’ll get in trouble for leaving).
Tim finds himself at the fairy market. Titainia already sees him coming and isn’t happy about it. In face she’s angry. He killed her lover and almost killed her husband. Adadon points out that he did save her kingdom and return her husband. Tamlin made his own choice. Still, the nurse she’d given him to was supposed to kill him. Titania wonders why Amadon is taking Tim’s side. Amadin says until he moves they won’t know if he’s ally or enemy. All Titania sees is danger. Molly realizes she’s in Faerie and now she’ll have to stay there as promised. Titania manipulates the path so that Tim will never reach her castle but she decides to give him a companion. Tim then sees Tamlin emerge from the woods. Tamlin asks him what he seeks continuously. Then he blames him and tells him he never should have sought him out. Tim realizes he’s not acting the same. Tamlin then shatters into a pieces. It’s then he realizes he wasn’t real. Mr. Hunter then finds Tim, but by now Tim knows the game. Then he’s reacquainted with Molly. But she’s a fake too. The good thing is he’s made it to the castle.
Tim starts to ask his questions but Titania says she has to see if he’s worthy. So she says she’ll give him a challenge. She says she’ll send him on a quest. She sends him after a jewel encrusted goblet that was plunded during the war and is not in the hands of the greken. She says she’ll work a binding on him so they’ll have a link so she can guide him. But it doesn’t add up. He realizes it’s a trap but if doesn’t do it he won’t get his answers. Molly is now standing there (the real one) with Oberion. Molly helps him get rid of the butterfly by wishing it away. With the tatoo gone he can think clearly. He tells Titania he won’t be going on any quests for him. He tries to get Molly to leave with him, but she tells him about the deal she made. He offers to stay but she says she has to face the consequences. Oberion then says he’ll send them home. They belong together and he releases Molly from the deal. He then grants them both free passage to Faerie. He gives them two tokens that was grant them his protection and they can come and go there as they please. This way they can see each other without their parents knowing. Oberion tells him there are other ways to find the truth and suggest Tim seek it elsewhere.
Now the bush he planted by his mother’s grave has purple berries. Tim eats one and finds himself in a rose garden. He is now his mother. He sees the scene of how his mother (Mary) had meet Tamlin. That answered one question how they knew each other. He eats another berry. This one is about Tamlin telling her the truth about where he’s from. Then he tells her about how he meet Titania and how he’s bound to the fairy realm. But she says she loves him and they’ll just make the most of the time they have. She asks if there’s a way to break the spell. He says he’s heard things but he’s not sure. On Hallowee there’s a rumor that one can escape through the trials of a true love. She must pull him down from a horse at midnight and hold him down. She’d transform him into all kinds of beasts but if she doesn’t let go he’s hers. Tim eats another berry. The first animal is a snake. Then a lion. WHAAA Mary’s from Birmingham? Then fire (Tamlin in flames). She drags him to the river and when she gets him in the current pulls them apart. The bell chimes twelve and Mary realizes she’s lost. Titania takes him through the portal.But Amadon was there and had triced her by distracting her.
The next memory is of Mary (now pregnant) turning to William Hunter. Her parents have thrown her out at 25. He asks her to be his wife and tells her he’s always loved her. She says she loves him but not that way. Be he tells her she’s made it clear he’s not coming back. She should take a chance. She doesn’t know if it’s the right thing but agrees and says they should go where someone will know the child isn’t his. Tim then sees a series of images that sop with his dad naming him. So, Titania isn’t his mother after all and what his father told him was true. He also realizes he might have a half brother out there somewhere. Staring at the grave, he realizes there’s something he needs to do. He looks at Bill and Mary’s wrecked car. He summons the Wobbly and offers him the car. As he s about to leave he sees Mr. Hunter. Not knowing how to explain he says nothing. Mr. Hunter asks if he’s ok and then sees the car is gone. Tim says he got rid of it. He says it only dragged him down. Mr. Hunters eyes watered. He says he’ll just have to get another one for him when he’s sixteen. Mr. Hunter says if he’s not grounded by then then asks him if he’s ready to come home. He says ready as he’ll ever be.
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this series! It was worth the wait to find all the books in it years (and years) later! Had it gone on a few more books I wouldn’t have minded at all. At first, I thought ooo so that’s how she did it. I thought that Titania had shape shifted into Mary and hadn’t told Tamlin. Knowing there’s another half-brother out there I don’t know how they could have not continued *that* story line. Unless there’s a following series that I don’t know about. If so, I’d really like to read that one. Reckoning just made me think we never know what paths our lives are going to take and what events we face in life that will alter who we are. I can definitely see where some things in my past have changed who I am (good and bad). That’s why it’s so important to hold on to who you are (if you can) and not let life and it’s bs turn you cold and heart. It’s a tricky thing to do sometimes. Again, I enjoyed the creativeness of the imagery with the tattoos and what they symbolized. I think that I’ll try the graphic novels for these books. I’d already started those also a while back and it looked like they went in another direction.
Rating 8 Not just for this book, but for the overall series in it’s entirety.
Tim tries to call Molly, but Mrs. O Reilly makes it crystal clear that she doesn’t ever want him to see Molly again after them not coming home all night. Tim’s “dad” has grounded him as well (but only after being pushed by Mrs. O Reilly). But Tim decides he *has* to see Molly so he uses magic to transform him into a cat. After all, his real dad could turn himself into an eagle. Only he’s a human-sized cat. He concentrates again and gets it right, But when he gets there she’s gone and he sees a rope. She’s climbed out the window and Tim thinks she’s probably gone to see him. Part of him is thinking with his human brain. Part of him is thinking with a cats brains (and wants to stay in out of the rain and eat). Molly tho isn’t at his house either. Tim thinks himself up a pair of wings. The cat isn’t pleased (the wings are bat like). But they’ll give him the view they need. Pretty son Tim is flying over the city.
Daniel sits on a rooftop wondering how he can make things right with Marya. He’s realized how wrong he’d been now that he’s been by himself for weeks. He wonders how Tim is and how he can ever face Marya again. He’s thinking of how good it would be to have some company on his own terms. But he looks up and sees a flying cat and is glad to see that Timothy isn’t dead after all. He might even tell him where Marya is.
Tim finds Molly at the park with Marya. He listens in for a bit, Then he finds out Molly has a secret that she’s scared to tell him. The secret is the dragon in the cave was him, that he made hundreds of copies of her, and he wanted to train her to be his perfect wife. Tim feels guted but listens some more. She wonders what would be worse to tell him or not tell him and should she break up with him over something that may or may not happen. The Dragon did tell her the future could be changed. Besides Tim did promise her he wouldn’t make deals with demons. A lady shows up and reminds her that teenage boys always keep their promises. She has a bird cage. Tim wonders who she is and why she’s trying to interfere. The woman changes the weather by keeping the rain from falling on the park. She says she’s the Body Artist. She’s the princess that saves herself and doesn’t need a prince. She says she lives by a code and doesn’t fool with demons (or those that do). The lady listens to the issue Then there’s the issue that if she does break up with him it might be the thing that turns him pyscho.
Daniel then pops out of the bushes. Molly tells him to back off. He continues talking and says if she doesn’t take him back he’ll kill himself. Molly tells him to get over himself. Tim is about to leap in to defend him but the Body Artist snatches him up and shoves him into the bird cage. The Body Artist uses her magic to lift Daniel and then transforms him into a puppy. She says she gave him a body to match his needs. She says once he experiances the love he lost it’ll be safe for him to be human again. Molly is now mad and tells her to stay out of her life. The Body Artist says she gets it. She’ll go her way and Molly will go hers. She tells Tim he’s got quite a girlfriend. Maybe one day he’ll deserve her.
She takes Tim to her shop and gives him back his speech, but the cat part is starting to override his human brain. Tim is starting to think she reminds him of someone tho. She says she probably won’t get another chance to open him up. He demands to know what she means but she doesn’t answer his thoughts. She shocked to find out he didn’t borrow the body. He made it. She now says she’s never seen this kind of power and she plans to treat him like the enemy, But then she wishes him good night and puts him to sleep (temporily). And I’m thinking because it says she purrs this might be a real cat that can transform itself into a woman.
She cuts into Tim and pulls out his ghostly shape. Then she lays it on another table. She doesn’t see any darkness but she keeps going. But she never sees any darkness. She looks into his heart. When Tim comes too hoe’s human again and the woman is looking at him. She tells him she brought him there because Molly said he might grow up to do bad things and she planned to stop that from happening. But because she has morals she’d never alter the code of a non demon. Tim relizes he reminds him of John Constitine. She thought that if she could find his inner beast she could tame it. Many peoples animals sides have cosumed their human sides but she says Tim doesn’t seem to have one. So she says look around , find some clothes, and she’ll give him cab fare to get home. But Tim tells her even if it’s unpleasant do what she has to do to make sure he never hurts Molly. The Body Artists says it might be painful. Then she smiles and says he might be good enough for Molly after all.
After the procedure, Tim doesn’t feel any different. She seemed pretty cool tho, but his dad won’t be. He stayed out all night again. The Body Artist has iked Tim’s chest with a scorpion and butterfly tatoo (magical tailismen), Before going to Molly’s he decides to give himself a test. When he tries to do magic on the garbage cans, his chest sears. SUCCESS! Now Tim won’t want to do magic again. Now Tim has mixed emotions. He’s happy on one hand that he can’t harm Molly but he misses magic already. Tim goes to Mollys and sees her cousin (Bridgett) and asks her if she’ll give her a message. Bridgett says her parents took her to the country. They might even take her out of school. So, what was the point of getting the tatoos. He leaves with Bridgett calling after him. He slumps down to the floor of an ally. The tatooos start to sear. Tim realizes the tatoos won’t let him feel anything either so he promises he’ll stop feeling. Atleast he won’t harm the rest of humanity. He heads for home and gets chewed out and kicked out by his father.
Mr. Hunter now is worried that Tim might be on drugs. Although he doesn’t think it’s drugs. He wonders if it’s finding out he’s not his biological parent. He wants to talk to Tim and help him through whatever it is but by the time he’s calmed down and opens the door the street is empty. Meanwhile Tim is just running with no destination. He almost gets run down by a car but can’t stop it. Even tho he pleads his case the tattoos set his chest on FIRE until he says he won’t have any more big emotions. The puppy (that is Daniel) finds him (Marya with him). Tim isn’t up to talking so he sends Marya away. He’s exhausted and starts to dream about the Wobbly (that’s grown). He says if Tim is usueless now he’ll find a way to recycle him. He’s about to take him, but a man (that looks like a scavenger) stops him. The man says he’s just lost his way not discarded himself. The man picks Tim up and leaves the ally.
When Tim wakes up he sees he’s with Kenny (the homeless man Tamlin introduced him too). Kenny tells him what happened. He’s at the Full Moon Hotel. He tells them its run by friends of his and he’s safe there. Tim then drifts off. Kenny lights a candle and tells him they’ll find a way to end the battle. The scorpion and the butterfly are fighting for control over him. Kenny wonders what drove him to this. (He notices his tee shirt flutter and then the images become 3D). Tim awakens to see the scorpion and butterfly teering up to fight. He says that by having these creatures eched into his chest he’s thrown away his potentional. But Tim asks if magic is all he is. Kenny says he’s given them permission to be in charged and they’ve now formed a link. Kenny said he could have done that by killing him. Kenny makes him see that these are a false security and he’ll still have to face things on his own.
Kenny is no help so Tim tries to use the candle’s flame to scare away the scorpion. This only makes it angrier. Finally he burns the thing to a crisp. The tightness in his chest subsides. Kenny advises in the future if he needs help just ask for it. But while distracted the butterly flies back into his skin. Kenny says he wasn’t ready to let it go, but at least it didn’t return to his heart. Tim wonders Kenny was able to remove the tattoos. Kenny says he showed them the light so they could hunt each other. Tim did the res by way of his dreams that had no room for them. Kenny also tells to rid himself of the tatoo he must be honest and accept what he discovers. The scorpion restrained his magic. The butterfly trains him to keep his magic in check. Tim doesn’t think that sounds so bad but Kenny points out that’s why it hasn’t left him. Tim decides the best course of action is to go back and find out where he came from and to do that he’ll have to talk to Titania. Molly is on her grandmother’s farm angrily doing chores to take her mind off her siuation. Her Grandmother shows up and suggests she takes one of the horses for a ride. Molly doesn’t feel like it but her grandmother insists. She gives her a basket (for her and the fairies) and sends her on her way. In the basket is a letter from Marya telling Molly what’s happened. Molly now realizes Tim was there and heard everything. She worries about how Tim will take the things he overheard. Molly thinks of how her grandmother told her she could make wishes up here on the hill She sees a fairy ring and knows where she should put the offering if she can find one. She searches the basket and finds a miniture teapot (shaped like a flower) with tea in it. There’s also a miniture tea set (that Molly admits is charming). Molly remembers a rhyme and a chant and starts to walk around the circle. The air parts and Obertion steps out.
Oberion says he came because he wanted to not because she summonded. Its where he comes when he wants to escape. He asks her why she was trying to summon faries. She said someone she knows needs help. Molly asks if he can grant wishes. He says he can. But Molly knows there’always a price. He says the price is she’ll have to stay where he brings her. So she agrees to the terms (despite knowing she’ll get in trouble for leaving).
Tim finds himself at the fairy market. Titainia already sees him coming and isn’t happy about it. In face she’s angry. He killed her lover and almost killed her husband. Adadon points out that he did save her kingdom and return her husband. Tamlin made his own choice. Still, the nurse she’d given him to was supposed to kill him. Titania wonders why Amadon is taking Tim’s side. Amadin says until he moves they won’t know if he’s ally or enemy. All Titania sees is danger. Molly realizes she’s in Faerie and now she’ll have to stay there as promised. Titania manipulates the path so that Tim will never reach her castle but she decides to give him a companion. Tim then sees Tamlin emerge from the woods. Tamlin asks him what he seeks continuously. Then he blames him and tells him he never should have sought him out. Tim realizes he’s not acting the same. Tamlin then shatters into a pieces. It’s then he realizes he wasn’t real. Mr. Hunter then finds Tim, but by now Tim knows the game. Then he’s reacquainted with Molly. But she’s a fake too. The good thing is he’s made it to the castle.
Tim starts to ask his questions but Titania says she has to see if he’s worthy. So she says she’ll give him a challenge. She says she’ll send him on a quest. She sends him after a jewel encrusted goblet that was plunded during the war and is not in the hands of the greken. She says she’ll work a binding on him so they’ll have a link so she can guide him. But it doesn’t add up. He realizes it’s a trap but if doesn’t do it he won’t get his answers. Molly is now standing there (the real one) with Oberion. Molly helps him get rid of the butterfly by wishing it away. With the tatoo gone he can think clearly. He tells Titania he won’t be going on any quests for him. He tries to get Molly to leave with him, but she tells him about the deal she made. He offers to stay but she says she has to face the consequences. Oberion then says he’ll send them home. They belong together and he releases Molly from the deal. He then grants them both free passage to Faerie. He gives them two tokens that was grant them his protection and they can come and go there as they please. This way they can see each other without their parents knowing. Oberion tells him there are other ways to find the truth and suggest Tim seek it elsewhere.
Now the bush he planted by his mother’s grave has purple berries. Tim eats one and finds himself in a rose garden. He is now his mother. He sees the scene of how his mother (Mary) had meet Tamlin. That answered one question how they knew each other. He eats another berry. This one is about Tamlin telling her the truth about where he’s from. Then he tells her about how he meet Titania and how he’s bound to the fairy realm. But she says she loves him and they’ll just make the most of the time they have. She asks if there’s a way to break the spell. He says he’s heard things but he’s not sure. On Hallowee there’s a rumor that one can escape through the trials of a true love. She must pull him down from a horse at midnight and hold him down. She’d transform him into all kinds of beasts but if she doesn’t let go he’s hers. Tim eats another berry. The first animal is a snake. Then a lion. WHAAA Mary’s from Birmingham? Then fire (Tamlin in flames). She drags him to the river and when she gets him in the current pulls them apart. The bell chimes twelve and Mary realizes she’s lost. Titania takes him through the portal.But Amadon was there and had triced her by distracting her.
The next memory is of Mary (now pregnant) turning to William Hunter. Her parents have thrown her out at 25. He asks her to be his wife and tells her he’s always loved her. She says she loves him but not that way. Be he tells her she’s made it clear he’s not coming back. She should take a chance. She doesn’t know if it’s the right thing but agrees and says they should go where someone will know the child isn’t his. Tim then sees a series of images that sop with his dad naming him. So, Titania isn’t his mother after all and what his father told him was true. He also realizes he might have a half brother out there somewhere. Staring at the grave, he realizes there’s something he needs to do. He looks at Bill and Mary’s wrecked car. He summons the Wobbly and offers him the car. As he s about to leave he sees Mr. Hunter. Not knowing how to explain he says nothing. Mr. Hunter asks if he’s ok and then sees the car is gone. Tim says he got rid of it. He says it only dragged him down. Mr. Hunters eyes watered. He says he’ll just have to get another one for him when he’s sixteen. Mr. Hunter says if he’s not grounded by then then asks him if he’s ready to come home. He says ready as he’ll ever be.
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this series! It was worth the wait to find all the books in it years (and years) later! Had it gone on a few more books I wouldn’t have minded at all. At first, I thought ooo so that’s how she did it. I thought that Titania had shape shifted into Mary and hadn’t told Tamlin. Knowing there’s another half-brother out there I don’t know how they could have not continued *that* story line. Unless there’s a following series that I don’t know about. If so, I’d really like to read that one. Reckoning just made me think we never know what paths our lives are going to take and what events we face in life that will alter who we are. I can definitely see where some things in my past have changed who I am (good and bad). That’s why it’s so important to hold on to who you are (if you can) and not let life and it’s bs turn you cold and heart. It’s a tricky thing to do sometimes. Again, I enjoyed the creativeness of the imagery with the tattoos and what they symbolized. I think that I’ll try the graphic novels for these books. I’d already started those also a while back and it looked like they went in another direction.
Rating 8 Not just for this book, but for the overall series in it’s entirety.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2017
Celá série je jednoduchá a milá. Osciluje mezi třemi a čtyřmi hvězdami.
March 11, 2016
Tim discovers that he might turn out to be an evil magician in the future. He tries to find a way to make that possibility go away. The consequences of that action ultimately leads him back to fairy for answers to his questions. Molly follows him under the protection of the fairy king. Great story and I hope more stories will be written. Tim's adventures are only just beginning.
December 10, 2015
This took me forever to finish. I have such a hard time finishing the last book to any series.
August 17, 2016
i don't like how the book ended with a cliff hanger.. There so many unanswered questions
January 5, 2013
Excellent.
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