Something ghastly roams the halls of Clearwater Manor. During the Enchanted Trials, Vivilyn has learned two 1.) Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, even for those lucky enough to be involved with the Enchanted Trials. 2.) Despite the risk, she needs to learn to control her visions. As everyone is still grieving the loss of five of the Chosen and Vivilyn begins her training with Grisoli, an unknown, deadly disease has begun to ravage the kingdom. Prince Aiden has brought his brother and the fifteen remaining ladies to Clearwater Manor in the hopes of keeping them all safe, but danger may have followed them anyway. As they wait for news from home and abroad, Vivilyn is stalked by a malevolent presence in the manor and realizes that not all is as it seems. Have their enemies from Adalay found them? Or is something even more sinister going on here? Can Vivilyn and her friends figure out who it is before it’s too late?
It seems as though this story has finally found its groove. There’s drama and mystery and a steady pace. There are still a lot of situations happening at once and sometimes the world building can be a little confusing, but overall, it’s a fairly easy series to read. The plot lines felt a lot more intense here because of the darker themes of death and destruction, which really helped move things along. It finally feels like it’s more about protecting the kingdom than princesses. There’s a clear goal being laid out that I’m finally interested in seeing play out.