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Night World #3
Spellbinder
The series takes place in a world similar to our own but one where vampires, witches, werewolves and shape-shifters live among humans without their knowledge. These supernatural races make up a secret society known as the Night World, which enforces two fundamental laws to prevent discovery: 1) Never allow humans to gain knowledge of the Night World's existence and, 2) Never fall in love with one of them. In Spellbinder the plot centers on Thea and Blaise Harman, cousins who belong to the race of witches. Although they are as close as sisters, in temperament the girls are as different as day from night; Thea belongs to Circle Twilight, for the not-so-wicked-witches and Blaise belongs to Circle Midnight, for the darker ones. When the two cousins start fighting over Eric Ross there ensures an epic battle between black and white magic.
MP3 CD
First published October 1, 1996
101 people are currently reading
2827 people want to read
About the author
L.J. Smith
337 books112k followersSmith was born in Villa Park, Orange County, California. In interviews, she has said she realized she wanted to be a writer sometime between kindergarten and first grade, “when a teacher praised a horrible poem I’d written”, and began writing in earnest in elementary school. Smith received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1987, followed by teaching credentials in Elementary education and Special education from San Francisco State University.
She taught kindergarten and special education for several years before becoming a full-time writer. Her first book, The Night of the Solstice, was published by MacMillan in 1987, followed by, Heart of Valor in 1990, and the 4-volume Vampire Diaries series in 1991-2. Three trilogies followed: The Secret Circle (1992), The Forbidden Game (1994), and Dark Visions (1995). The first installment of her popular Night World series was published in 1996, followed by eight more over the next two years. In 1998, Smith began a decade-long hiatus from writing, returning in 2008 with a new Web site and a series of new short stories. The Vampire Diaries series was reissued in 2007, followed by re-printings of The Secret Circle trilogy and Night World series in 2008/2009. The Night of the Solstice and Heart of Valor was also reissued in 2008. Three new Vampire Diaries installments were published in 2009 and 2010.
Smith lived in the San Francisco Bay area “with one dog, three cats, and about ten thousand books.”
She passed away on March 8th, 2025, after a lengthy illness.
She taught kindergarten and special education for several years before becoming a full-time writer. Her first book, The Night of the Solstice, was published by MacMillan in 1987, followed by, Heart of Valor in 1990, and the 4-volume Vampire Diaries series in 1991-2. Three trilogies followed: The Secret Circle (1992), The Forbidden Game (1994), and Dark Visions (1995). The first installment of her popular Night World series was published in 1996, followed by eight more over the next two years. In 1998, Smith began a decade-long hiatus from writing, returning in 2008 with a new Web site and a series of new short stories. The Vampire Diaries series was reissued in 2007, followed by re-printings of The Secret Circle trilogy and Night World series in 2008/2009. The Night of the Solstice and Heart of Valor was also reissued in 2008. Three new Vampire Diaries installments were published in 2009 and 2010.
Smith lived in the San Francisco Bay area “with one dog, three cats, and about ten thousand books.”
She passed away on March 8th, 2025, after a lengthy illness.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 282 reviews
March 6, 2009
I ABSOLUTLEY LOVE HER BOOKS. THIS IS WAY BETTER THAN TWILIGHT AND NOT AS SEXUAL AND MORE INTO THE VAMPIRE STUFF AND IT HAS WEREWOLFS AND SUCH!! ILOVE THIS SERIES!!
August 4, 2018
Once again, I must have accidentally taken this book off my “Read” shelf. Had to add it back.
March 8, 2020
The third entry in L.J. Smith's Night World series, about a hidden society of vampires, witches and shape-shifters, Spellbinder shifts focus after the first two vampire-centered novels, concentrating instead on the witches of this secret world. When Thea and Blaise Harman - first cousins and witches - come to stay with their grandmother in Las Vegas, they soon find themselves involved in a love triangle with a human boy at their high school. Thea struggles with the knowledge that Eric is her soulmate, while reckless Blaise plots to separate the two, and put an end to such heretical notions...
Smith continues her world-building here, laying out the foundational myth of the Night World, in which the lamia (vampires) are descended from Maya, and the hearth-women (witches) from her sister Hellewise. The two main witch circles - Circle Midnight and Circle Twilight - are discussed, and brief mention is made of the mysterious Circle Daybreak, which will play so decisive a role in future stories. Like Daughters of Darkness before it, characters initially seen in Secret Vampire recur, while other characters introduced here turn up later in the series.
The Night World books are aimed at teenage girls, and nowhere is that more apparent than in their reliance on the "Romeo and Juliet" motif. But despite the melodramatic flourishes, the theme of forbidden love works very well in the context of each story. Smith understands the appeal of having a "soulmate," and the strength of young emotions: "The thing was, it was terrible and wonderful. She felt awkward and tremendously safe at once, scared to death and not scared of anything. And what she wanted was so simple. If he only felt the same, everything would be all right."
As mentioned in my review of Daughters of Darkness , I prefer this series to the more current (and more popular) Twilight saga. Smith's characters are a fairly complex mix of good and bad, and her girls are smart, strong-willed, and principled. The recurring feminist themes, and the emphasis on tolerance for other world views, make for exactly the kind of “neo-pagan” literature decried by the religious right. High praise, in my book...
Smith continues her world-building here, laying out the foundational myth of the Night World, in which the lamia (vampires) are descended from Maya, and the hearth-women (witches) from her sister Hellewise. The two main witch circles - Circle Midnight and Circle Twilight - are discussed, and brief mention is made of the mysterious Circle Daybreak, which will play so decisive a role in future stories. Like Daughters of Darkness before it, characters initially seen in Secret Vampire recur, while other characters introduced here turn up later in the series.
The Night World books are aimed at teenage girls, and nowhere is that more apparent than in their reliance on the "Romeo and Juliet" motif. But despite the melodramatic flourishes, the theme of forbidden love works very well in the context of each story. Smith understands the appeal of having a "soulmate," and the strength of young emotions: "The thing was, it was terrible and wonderful. She felt awkward and tremendously safe at once, scared to death and not scared of anything. And what she wanted was so simple. If he only felt the same, everything would be all right."
As mentioned in my review of Daughters of Darkness , I prefer this series to the more current (and more popular) Twilight saga. Smith's characters are a fairly complex mix of good and bad, and her girls are smart, strong-willed, and principled. The recurring feminist themes, and the emphasis on tolerance for other world views, make for exactly the kind of “neo-pagan” literature decried by the religious right. High praise, in my book...
January 13, 2020
Trečioji serijos knyga yra apie raganas. Dvi pusseseres: viena gera, kita bloga. Apie Tėją ir Blezę jau buvo užsiminta pirmoje knygoje „Slaptoji vampyrė“, o šitoje knygoje pasakojama jų istorija. Kaip ir visos šios serijos knygos: yra apie uždraustą meilę tarp žmogaus ir Nakties Pasaulio asmens bei jų lenktynes su laiku bandant išvengti mirties nuosprendžio, kuris kaip visuomet baigiasi laiminga pabaiga.
Blezės tikrai nekenčiau daugiau nei pusę knygos, nors ji mano svajonių moteris: juodaplaukė... *drooling* Tad buvau nustebintas knygos pabaigos, kuri buvo tokia nuostabiai And They Lived Happily Ever After. Tikrai pakėlė nuotaiką ir suteikė malonią šilumą širdyje.
Na... ir vienas MILŽINIŠKAS skundas VERTĖJAI.... SAMHAINAS , o ne „sauinas“, dūra tu!... *facepalm* Matosi, jog vertėja visiškai nė bum bum apie raganas, jų šventes ir ritualus. Pats būdamas raganiumi LABAI įsižeidžiau už tokią nedovanotiną klaidą. Tai mums šventa šventė, kuri švenčiama naktį iš Spalio 31 į Lapkričio 1 kuomet vartai tarp gyvųjų ir mirusių pasaulio yra atviri. Tai mūsų Naujieji Metai. Bet knygos vertinimo nemažinsiu, nes autorė originaliame tekste viską surašė gerai ir ji nekalta- tai netikėlių lietuvių vertėjų klaida. (Net nekalbu apie tai, kad tie nevykėliai nesugebėjo IKI ŠIOL, (VELNIAI RAUTŲ JAU 2020-ieji), iki šiol išversti likusių trijų knygų serijoje... *rolling eyes* Teks skaityti anglų kalboje, nes šioje šalyje nėra nei normalių leidyklų, nei normalių vertėjų. O kas geriau darbą atliks, jei ne pats? *rolls eyes* )
APIBENDRINIMAS: lengvai skaitoma, trumpi skyriai, greitas veiksmas, raganos ir romantika. Kas gali būti geriau? <3
Blezės tikrai nekenčiau daugiau nei pusę knygos, nors ji mano svajonių moteris: juodaplaukė... *drooling* Tad buvau nustebintas knygos pabaigos, kuri buvo tokia nuostabiai And They Lived Happily Ever After. Tikrai pakėlė nuotaiką ir suteikė malonią šilumą širdyje.
Na... ir vienas MILŽINIŠKAS skundas VERTĖJAI.... SAMHAINAS , o ne „sauinas“, dūra tu!... *facepalm* Matosi, jog vertėja visiškai nė bum bum apie raganas, jų šventes ir ritualus. Pats būdamas raganiumi LABAI įsižeidžiau už tokią nedovanotiną klaidą. Tai mums šventa šventė, kuri švenčiama naktį iš Spalio 31 į Lapkričio 1 kuomet vartai tarp gyvųjų ir mirusių pasaulio yra atviri. Tai mūsų Naujieji Metai. Bet knygos vertinimo nemažinsiu, nes autorė originaliame tekste viską surašė gerai ir ji nekalta- tai netikėlių lietuvių vertėjų klaida. (Net nekalbu apie tai, kad tie nevykėliai nesugebėjo IKI ŠIOL, (VELNIAI RAUTŲ JAU 2020-ieji), iki šiol išversti likusių trijų knygų serijoje... *rolling eyes* Teks skaityti anglų kalboje, nes šioje šalyje nėra nei normalių leidyklų, nei normalių vertėjų. O kas geriau darbą atliks, jei ne pats? *rolls eyes* )
APIBENDRINIMAS: lengvai skaitoma, trumpi skyriai, greitas veiksmas, raganos ir romantika. Kas gali būti geriau? <3
Read
April 5, 2025i think the Elders should have an exception to the rule of “don’t let humans know about Night World” since the human/Night world Soulmate pairings are gonna happen … just saying 🤷🏻♀️
August 12, 2007
Again characters mentioned for a moment in a previous book end up as the main characters in this book.
This book is about witches instead of vampires, which threw me off for a little bit, but I found that I liked it very much as more lore was added to the Night World series with this installation and more characters for future books were introduced as well.
This book is about witches instead of vampires, which threw me off for a little bit, but I found that I liked it very much as more lore was added to the Night World series with this installation and more characters for future books were introduced as well.
November 7, 2020
22 May 2019
Enchantress is book 3 in the Night World series.
It isn't one of my favourites but we do start to realise that something big is going to happen. We are also introduced to Circle Daybreak.
Enchantress is book 3 in the Night World series.
It isn't one of my favourites but we do start to realise that something big is going to happen. We are also introduced to Circle Daybreak.
March 23, 2019
It was okay, I would've loved to see a couple chapters from Blaise' s POV but I thought the plot of this book was better than the previous night world stories. I really enjoyed the contrast between good and bad, white and black, Thea and Blaise. I think these books would be really good for an eleven or twelve year old maybe just starting to get into paranormal fiction or young adult.
August 15, 2020
This is my favorite one so far. I liked how the humans were seen as the toys rather then them becoming instant friends or lovers. I liked the idea of the of the spirit and the whole backstory of her and how they caught her. i also liked the way the coven set it up so that Thea could have her happy ending. Blaze was a great character you never knew what side she was on.
January 6, 2026
Too much going on here. The story takes awhile to figure out what exactly it's going for and by then you just want it to be over - all the really interesting bits are glossed over, and the tone shifts are so wild you wonder what it is exactly Smith was trying to do. More engaging than Vampire Diaries but that's not exactly hard. Will be reading more of these
January 31, 2013
The female protagonist, Thea, is a witch who has been orphaned and kicked out of a few schools due to the trouble caused by her cousin, also a witch and also an orphan. The story begins with them going to a new school. On the first day of school Thea saves a guy from a snake bite by using her cousin's bloodstone. During the exchange she feels a strange 'connection' with him. She starts to fall in love with him, which naturally is forbiddon, and things are only made worse when Thea's cousin decides to get involved, and when a summoning spell goes wrong and a vengeful spirit is unleashed.
It's not a bad book. But for me, there's no reason to like it. Characters are really important to me, and I just didn't find anything particularly interesting about this book's characters. Moreover, I don't really go for the 'soulmate' thing, or the fact that Thea thinks she's totally in love with this guy when she's known him for less than a week. I also don't go for forbidden romances. Actually, paranormal romances in general aren't my thing, the reason why I'm reading this is only because I had to give a book talk on a supernatural book in my Young Adult Literature class. I could have done a book I've read before... the problem is that I haven't really read any supernatural books before- so I had to find one on short notice. At least the content was clean, and that's something that's really important to me. So over all, not a bad book (although again, I had a hard time connecting with the characters and their emotions). Not what I'd go for, but if you're the type who does like paranormal romances and that kind of thing, it's a good, light read.
It's not a bad book. But for me, there's no reason to like it. Characters are really important to me, and I just didn't find anything particularly interesting about this book's characters. Moreover, I don't really go for the 'soulmate' thing, or the fact that Thea thinks she's totally in love with this guy when she's known him for less than a week. I also don't go for forbidden romances. Actually, paranormal romances in general aren't my thing, the reason why I'm reading this is only because I had to give a book talk on a supernatural book in my Young Adult Literature class. I could have done a book I've read before... the problem is that I haven't really read any supernatural books before- so I had to find one on short notice. At least the content was clean, and that's something that's really important to me. So over all, not a bad book (although again, I had a hard time connecting with the characters and their emotions). Not what I'd go for, but if you're the type who does like paranormal romances and that kind of thing, it's a good, light read.
July 26, 2017
4 Stars:
All in all this book was just really great, just enough romance and just enough adventure, the way she describes the witchcraft and makes u feel part of the powerful magic that takes place.
Among some of my favorites. Outstanding literary work. The characters are well developed, interesting. The liked characters are likable and the hated are unlikable. The writing is captivating enough to keep you interested until the end and leave you wanting more. It has a fairly original or uniquely well-developed plot. The pretense and romance were well balanced and done with properly distributed amounts of hints, behaviors, and chemistry. Not so much predictable if at all. Overall, loved it, I recommend reading!!
Full Disclosure : I participate in reviews with NetGalley, Author Review Requests, Publisher Requests, and Book Tours. An e-copy was provided to me by NetGalley and/or the Author, and/or the publishers. No payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was not any obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely mine and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist, or the readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
All in all this book was just really great, just enough romance and just enough adventure, the way she describes the witchcraft and makes u feel part of the powerful magic that takes place.
Among some of my favorites. Outstanding literary work. The characters are well developed, interesting. The liked characters are likable and the hated are unlikable. The writing is captivating enough to keep you interested until the end and leave you wanting more. It has a fairly original or uniquely well-developed plot. The pretense and romance were well balanced and done with properly distributed amounts of hints, behaviors, and chemistry. Not so much predictable if at all. Overall, loved it, I recommend reading!!
Full Disclosure : I participate in reviews with NetGalley, Author Review Requests, Publisher Requests, and Book Tours. An e-copy was provided to me by NetGalley and/or the Author, and/or the publishers. No payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was not any obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely mine and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist, or the readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
March 6, 2009
I LOVE THIS BOOK
June 29, 2012
A good book, not as spellbilding as the two before, but still a must read!
March 5, 2019
Night World
Enchantress
L. J. Smith
Expelled.
It was one of the scariest words a high school senior could think of, and it kept ringing in Thea Harman’s mind as her grandmother’s car approached the school building.
Plot.
In the Night World there are only two rules:
1. Never let them find out the Night World exists.
2. Never fall in love with one of them.
These stories are about what happens when the rules are broken.
The third instalment of the Night World series is Enchantress; about two young cousins, Thea and Blaise, who are witches,
After moving to yet another new school after Thea’s cousin Blaise gets them kicked out, and with strict instructions not to get into trouble by their grandmother.
This gets broken as soon as they turn up at school; when Thea spots a rattlesnake and tries to get rid of it when Eric turns up.
Eric a popular, sporty, smart, yet shy boy turns up to protect Thea; but gets bitten, thus Thea uses magic to heal him only to find out their soulmates.
This then leads to Thea trying multiple this to stop Eric from loving her, so he wont get killed... or her. While trying to stop Blaise from killing him too.
But in one of her attempts she lets out an angry sprite of a witch who wants revenge.
Thea has to rectify her mistakes, while protecting Eric, and hoping her Grandmother/Elders don’t find out. She is a her wits end.
What I Liked.
It was meaty. It had a lot going on at once, and a lot of suspension.
Eric is so adorable too. Thea is relatable.
What I Didn’t Like.
It had the same instant love like Secret Vampire, I can forgive it for the great story, but it could have been slower.
Overall.
It was enjoyable, I liked it much more that Daughters Of Darkness, and Secret Vampire.
4/5*
Enchantress
L. J. Smith
Expelled.
It was one of the scariest words a high school senior could think of, and it kept ringing in Thea Harman’s mind as her grandmother’s car approached the school building.
Plot.
In the Night World there are only two rules:
1. Never let them find out the Night World exists.
2. Never fall in love with one of them.
These stories are about what happens when the rules are broken.
The third instalment of the Night World series is Enchantress; about two young cousins, Thea and Blaise, who are witches,
After moving to yet another new school after Thea’s cousin Blaise gets them kicked out, and with strict instructions not to get into trouble by their grandmother.
This gets broken as soon as they turn up at school; when Thea spots a rattlesnake and tries to get rid of it when Eric turns up.
Eric a popular, sporty, smart, yet shy boy turns up to protect Thea; but gets bitten, thus Thea uses magic to heal him only to find out their soulmates.
This then leads to Thea trying multiple this to stop Eric from loving her, so he wont get killed... or her. While trying to stop Blaise from killing him too.
But in one of her attempts she lets out an angry sprite of a witch who wants revenge.
Thea has to rectify her mistakes, while protecting Eric, and hoping her Grandmother/Elders don’t find out. She is a her wits end.
What I Liked.
It was meaty. It had a lot going on at once, and a lot of suspension.
Eric is so adorable too. Thea is relatable.
What I Didn’t Like.
It had the same instant love like Secret Vampire, I can forgive it for the great story, but it could have been slower.
Overall.
It was enjoyable, I liked it much more that Daughters Of Darkness, and Secret Vampire.
4/5*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2017
Fazem algumas horas que terminei de ler Spellbinder, de LJ Smith, e não sei bem o que pensar.
Não sei o que pensar pois esta foi uma experiência totalmente nova para mim. Eu sempre espero que os livros da autora sejam fluidos e dinâmicos, mas lineares. Aceito totalmente o clima New Age do seu sobrenatural, pois sei que ela vai saber me levar por caminhos "seguros" para mim... Mas mão foi isto que aconteceu desta vez.
Desta vez, o passeio foi selvagem.
Ao dar um descanso nos seus Vampiros, LJ Smith pôde explorar todo um universo novo e interessante: As Bruxas. E isto não foi apenas um novo fôlego para a série Night World. Na verdade, ela pôde explorar muito mais a dualidade de seus personagens - nem sempre certos, mas nunca vilões - como também conseguiu falar de forma bem moderna assuntos ainda super atuais, e que ela já mostrava conhecimento de causa em um livro de 1996.
Como disse antes, esta foi uma leitura que me deixou em êxtase do começo ao fim. Não sei bem precisar em que momento percebi que está seria uma viagem diferente, mas quando dei por mim, virava páginas e capítulos com medo do que estava por vir.
Foi empolgante e totalmente novo para mim. Com Spellbinder, LJ Smith mostra que sabe como contar uma história eletrizante, com elementos novos e cativantes. Este não foi apenas uma expansão de universo. Foi um passeio completamente novo. E isto é maravilhoso.
Não sei o que pensar pois esta foi uma experiência totalmente nova para mim. Eu sempre espero que os livros da autora sejam fluidos e dinâmicos, mas lineares. Aceito totalmente o clima New Age do seu sobrenatural, pois sei que ela vai saber me levar por caminhos "seguros" para mim... Mas mão foi isto que aconteceu desta vez.
Desta vez, o passeio foi selvagem.
Ao dar um descanso nos seus Vampiros, LJ Smith pôde explorar todo um universo novo e interessante: As Bruxas. E isto não foi apenas um novo fôlego para a série Night World. Na verdade, ela pôde explorar muito mais a dualidade de seus personagens - nem sempre certos, mas nunca vilões - como também conseguiu falar de forma bem moderna assuntos ainda super atuais, e que ela já mostrava conhecimento de causa em um livro de 1996.
Como disse antes, esta foi uma leitura que me deixou em êxtase do começo ao fim. Não sei bem precisar em que momento percebi que está seria uma viagem diferente, mas quando dei por mim, virava páginas e capítulos com medo do que estava por vir.
Foi empolgante e totalmente novo para mim. Com Spellbinder, LJ Smith mostra que sabe como contar uma história eletrizante, com elementos novos e cativantes. Este não foi apenas uma expansão de universo. Foi um passeio completamente novo. E isto é maravilhoso.
June 3, 2021
So far, I think this was my least favorite of the Night World Series.
This focused on two witches, Thea and Blaise. They've been kicked out of nearly every school they've attended because Blaise can't seem to stop ruining the boys she dates. Thea can't stand the thought of being kicked out again and begs Blaise to behave at their new school. Of course, on the first day there's a snake attack. Thea reaches out with her mind to the little rattlesnake, only to find that he's absolutely terrified by the group of teens surrounding him. As she's coaxing him into relaxation, Eric comes to the rescue, and by rescue I mean ruins Thea's entire plan and gets bitten by the rattler.
In typical Night World fashion, Thea falls for a human. She can't seem to shake Eric. She can't even get the spells or potions to work on him. Obviously it's because they're soulmates. But what makes their relationship so much better is that it sets us up for a renegade group, Circle Daybreak, which is home to a coven of Night People and Humans living outside of the strict Night World rules.
I'll be posting a full series review on A Reader's Diary!
This focused on two witches, Thea and Blaise. They've been kicked out of nearly every school they've attended because Blaise can't seem to stop ruining the boys she dates. Thea can't stand the thought of being kicked out again and begs Blaise to behave at their new school. Of course, on the first day there's a snake attack. Thea reaches out with her mind to the little rattlesnake, only to find that he's absolutely terrified by the group of teens surrounding him. As she's coaxing him into relaxation, Eric comes to the rescue, and by rescue I mean ruins Thea's entire plan and gets bitten by the rattler.
In typical Night World fashion, Thea falls for a human. She can't seem to shake Eric. She can't even get the spells or potions to work on him. Obviously it's because they're soulmates. But what makes their relationship so much better is that it sets us up for a renegade group, Circle Daybreak, which is home to a coven of Night People and Humans living outside of the strict Night World rules.
I'll be posting a full series review on A Reader's Diary!
August 31, 2020
One of the problems with reading a series like this for a challenge comes with not having a break in-between the stories. Third one in and though the story is different and features different characters, it still felt rather 'samey'.
This time round we focus on sisters Blaise and Thea, and their battle (I can't help but see it that way for the majority of the story) for human Eric.
These two witches do - as we might come to expect - have powers at their disposal and we come to learn a little more about the life of the witches in the Night World. Both are prepared to break the rules, and - of course - we have Thea realising that Eric is her soulmate and she has to decide if she's willing to risk everything for love. I was surprised that the people around them seemed so oblivious to what was going on, because they were hardly subtle and the effects of their actions were hard to overlook.
Gripes aside, this is pretty good fun and entertaining reading though I'm not sure I'll feel the need to read any more of the series.
This time round we focus on sisters Blaise and Thea, and their battle (I can't help but see it that way for the majority of the story) for human Eric.
These two witches do - as we might come to expect - have powers at their disposal and we come to learn a little more about the life of the witches in the Night World. Both are prepared to break the rules, and - of course - we have Thea realising that Eric is her soulmate and she has to decide if she's willing to risk everything for love. I was surprised that the people around them seemed so oblivious to what was going on, because they were hardly subtle and the effects of their actions were hard to overlook.
Gripes aside, this is pretty good fun and entertaining reading though I'm not sure I'll feel the need to read any more of the series.
January 16, 2016
Review originally posted on The Book Adventures of Annelise Lestrange :)
The Story
Thea and Blaise grew up like sisters, but the girls were different as day and night. While Thea was peaceful and an animal healer, Blaise was a first’class trouble maker and boys killer. Almost literally.
After being expelled five times from different schools, Thea is determinated to make Blaise behave and allow both of them to finish their studies. The problem is that Blaise is not cooperating and can’t wait to play with her new human toys, as she seems the non-magical people.
Things get worse when she targets Eric, the only boy that ever made Thea’s heart beat in a different rhythm. In order to protect Eric, Thea must pretend that she is interested in charming him and make him fall in love with her, just like Blaise would do. No harm done, no witch laws broke.
The only problem was that Thea had already fallen for him.
The Analysis
Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as a reader :)
I’m still flabbergasted that it took me so long to grab this series to read. It has been sitting on my TBR shelf for at least four years now, I’m so ashamed. AND IT IS SO DARN GOOD, OMG! I thought I wouldn’t enjoy this book as much as I did the others because I had hatted Blaise from her quick cameo from Secret Vampire, haha! But, as almost all of Smith’s villains, I fell in love with her spirit and wicked ways, oops! Another big 5 stars book <3
The narrative was third person type once again, but differently from the other two books, the only point of view we get is Thea’s. I like best when we can switch POVs, despite loving Thea with all my heart – something quite unusual for me, but I shall get there, haha! I would have loved to see a bit of the story through Blaise’s or Eric’s eyes, but I guess both would lose a little of their essential mysterious natures, haha! And Thea sees both characters as enigmatics, each on their own way, so I understand the decision of making this only about how Thea saw things. Still, one can dream, right? ;)
Anyway, to the plot we go. This is the most elaborated one in the series so far and I honestly didn’t know how things would end until they got there. I read 2/3 of the book in one night because of my state of anxiety over what could happen next, haha! I still don’t think that it was something out of this world and the first climax was quite obvious, but oh, I swear that the second made it up for everything! I was bouncing in my chair as I read, almost biting all my nails and pulling my hair, lol. It involved me and worked for me <3
The characters were a blast. I dare say that character’s building is Smith’s speciallity, as she makes us to fall in love even with the most awful types! =O
It happened with Ash in both Secret Vampire and Daughters of Darkness, Kestrel in DoD, Blaise in Spellbinder, Damon Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries… OMG, woman! I already usually love the villains, no need to support my obssessions, haha! LOL
But as it went in Spellbinder, I was spechless when realized that I loved Thea, the sweet and naïve young adult protagonist of the story. I usually get bored with good girls, but she was so real and nice that I just felt like being her friend. Just like Blaise and Dani, Thea’s friend from the school and witch sister. My heart was tore, as I didn’t know if I cheered for Thea or Blaise to get what they wanted. I had never felt like this towards a protagonist and an antagonist: I always pick a side. I was a mess while reading, as the only thing that I knew for certain was that Eric made the cut for my infamous bookish boyfriend list, haha!
And there is Blaise. She was awesome, I wish I could grow up and be just like her, seriously. She’s fearless and wild, beautiful to the point of pain (literally if you are a boy, be prepared) and very mature despite her bad taste for plays and tricks. Besides, she can craft anything like no one in the world. I would have loved to see myself her jewelry <3 And the most amazing thing in all of this is that her craft is a human ability – the itens that she made could have magic powers thanks to the pieces that she used, but the designs weren’t humanly impossible.
Now let’s talk about Eric. At first, I thought him too sweet, too much. But them, as Thea (cof and us cof) realizes that he feels confortable around her to be himself, a self that he displays to no one else, it makes sense the sweetness and all things that a seventeen year old boy usually is not. The weird thing is that I feel like Thea, Blaise and Eric are more suited to college life than high school life, in a matter of scenarios, haha! I don’t know, I can’t imagine them so young. I guess it’s because of their maturity, which is not at all a bad thing :)
A point that I noticed in the Night World series is the lack of romantic interactions between characters despite their love for each other. In this matter, Secret Vampire was the book with more romantic scenes, in the sense of the flesh. And still, we had no sheets action (which is not necessary a bad thing). I guess I’m just amazed how Smith was able to create and maintein a fantastic book series without resourcing to sex to involve her readers. Even on a supernatural romantic focused series. She proves my point that you DON’T NEED SEX to tell a beautiful love story. Hell, you barely need a kiss, as it was the case with Daughters of Darkness. Astonishing! *—–*
Overall, this is another perfect young adult book with a supernatural romance and witches. If you like at least one of these elements, you just need to read this book. No, I’m lying. YOU HAVE TO READ THIS SERIES BECAUSE IT IS PERFECT!
That’s it, haha! Thanks for reading and bearing with my fangirling, haha!
The Story
Thea and Blaise grew up like sisters, but the girls were different as day and night. While Thea was peaceful and an animal healer, Blaise was a first’class trouble maker and boys killer. Almost literally.
After being expelled five times from different schools, Thea is determinated to make Blaise behave and allow both of them to finish their studies. The problem is that Blaise is not cooperating and can’t wait to play with her new human toys, as she seems the non-magical people.
Things get worse when she targets Eric, the only boy that ever made Thea’s heart beat in a different rhythm. In order to protect Eric, Thea must pretend that she is interested in charming him and make him fall in love with her, just like Blaise would do. No harm done, no witch laws broke.
The only problem was that Thea had already fallen for him.
The Analysis
Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as a reader :)
I’m still flabbergasted that it took me so long to grab this series to read. It has been sitting on my TBR shelf for at least four years now, I’m so ashamed. AND IT IS SO DARN GOOD, OMG! I thought I wouldn’t enjoy this book as much as I did the others because I had hatted Blaise from her quick cameo from Secret Vampire, haha! But, as almost all of Smith’s villains, I fell in love with her spirit and wicked ways, oops! Another big 5 stars book <3
The narrative was third person type once again, but differently from the other two books, the only point of view we get is Thea’s. I like best when we can switch POVs, despite loving Thea with all my heart – something quite unusual for me, but I shall get there, haha! I would have loved to see a bit of the story through Blaise’s or Eric’s eyes, but I guess both would lose a little of their essential mysterious natures, haha! And Thea sees both characters as enigmatics, each on their own way, so I understand the decision of making this only about how Thea saw things. Still, one can dream, right? ;)
Anyway, to the plot we go. This is the most elaborated one in the series so far and I honestly didn’t know how things would end until they got there. I read 2/3 of the book in one night because of my state of anxiety over what could happen next, haha! I still don’t think that it was something out of this world and the first climax was quite obvious, but oh, I swear that the second made it up for everything! I was bouncing in my chair as I read, almost biting all my nails and pulling my hair, lol. It involved me and worked for me <3
The characters were a blast. I dare say that character’s building is Smith’s speciallity, as she makes us to fall in love even with the most awful types! =O
It happened with Ash in both Secret Vampire and Daughters of Darkness, Kestrel in DoD, Blaise in Spellbinder, Damon Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries… OMG, woman! I already usually love the villains, no need to support my obssessions, haha! LOL
But as it went in Spellbinder, I was spechless when realized that I loved Thea, the sweet and naïve young adult protagonist of the story. I usually get bored with good girls, but she was so real and nice that I just felt like being her friend. Just like Blaise and Dani, Thea’s friend from the school and witch sister. My heart was tore, as I didn’t know if I cheered for Thea or Blaise to get what they wanted. I had never felt like this towards a protagonist and an antagonist: I always pick a side. I was a mess while reading, as the only thing that I knew for certain was that Eric made the cut for my infamous bookish boyfriend list, haha!
And there is Blaise. She was awesome, I wish I could grow up and be just like her, seriously. She’s fearless and wild, beautiful to the point of pain (literally if you are a boy, be prepared) and very mature despite her bad taste for plays and tricks. Besides, she can craft anything like no one in the world. I would have loved to see myself her jewelry <3 And the most amazing thing in all of this is that her craft is a human ability – the itens that she made could have magic powers thanks to the pieces that she used, but the designs weren’t humanly impossible.
Now let’s talk about Eric. At first, I thought him too sweet, too much. But them, as Thea (cof and us cof) realizes that he feels confortable around her to be himself, a self that he displays to no one else, it makes sense the sweetness and all things that a seventeen year old boy usually is not. The weird thing is that I feel like Thea, Blaise and Eric are more suited to college life than high school life, in a matter of scenarios, haha! I don’t know, I can’t imagine them so young. I guess it’s because of their maturity, which is not at all a bad thing :)
A point that I noticed in the Night World series is the lack of romantic interactions between characters despite their love for each other. In this matter, Secret Vampire was the book with more romantic scenes, in the sense of the flesh. And still, we had no sheets action (which is not necessary a bad thing). I guess I’m just amazed how Smith was able to create and maintein a fantastic book series without resourcing to sex to involve her readers. Even on a supernatural romantic focused series. She proves my point that you DON’T NEED SEX to tell a beautiful love story. Hell, you barely need a kiss, as it was the case with Daughters of Darkness. Astonishing! *—–*
Overall, this is another perfect young adult book with a supernatural romance and witches. If you like at least one of these elements, you just need to read this book. No, I’m lying. YOU HAVE TO READ THIS SERIES BECAUSE IT IS PERFECT!
That’s it, haha! Thanks for reading and bearing with my fangirling, haha!
January 31, 2018
I wasn't as much of a fan of this story. It feels like they're getting a bit repetitive, which is okay but I'm not even halfway through the series, and that worries me some. I also didn't care as much about the characters.
I did find the backstory on the witches of the Night World really interesting, and I liked the bits with any kind of spell work. I just wish there was more of that, and more of the coven.
Overall I'm still enjoying these, and I am intrigued by the synopsis of the next one but I am slightly worried they'll end up all repeating the same story over and over.
I did find the backstory on the witches of the Night World really interesting, and I liked the bits with any kind of spell work. I just wish there was more of that, and more of the coven.
Overall I'm still enjoying these, and I am intrigued by the synopsis of the next one but I am slightly worried they'll end up all repeating the same story over and over.
November 4, 2017
3.5 stars.
Wouldn’t it be nice to get that electric feeling, knowing that that person is your soulmate? Is that what it really feels like? I obviously haven’t found my soulmate, but hey who knows those who have may know the feeling.
Not my favorite book in the series. It started out slow in my opinion, but somehow got much better towards the end. As usual, it came with somewhat uneventful story building, and quick, sort of simple and easy solutions and conclusion. Like always, still a fun read. So great for teenagers and young adults to enjoy, and just all around fun for older YA lovers.
The series is amazing.
Who believes in soul mates?
-Anne // Insta: @bookbuddyAnne
Wouldn’t it be nice to get that electric feeling, knowing that that person is your soulmate? Is that what it really feels like? I obviously haven’t found my soulmate, but hey who knows those who have may know the feeling.
Not my favorite book in the series. It started out slow in my opinion, but somehow got much better towards the end. As usual, it came with somewhat uneventful story building, and quick, sort of simple and easy solutions and conclusion. Like always, still a fun read. So great for teenagers and young adults to enjoy, and just all around fun for older YA lovers.
The series is amazing.
Who believes in soul mates?
-Anne // Insta: @bookbuddyAnne
September 13, 2020
Well I started this a couple of night ago. I read two chapters before bed then again. Then my day off and I read it all day. Went to McD then finished the book at 3 am. I like this book. It was about another couple and it is like, we are going to be meeting everyone again. Sometime soon. I can not wait till I read book 4.
September 29, 2021
-Enemies to lovers? Pues aquí los tienes y te van a encantar!
-Cuando mencionaron a Rashel simplemente: 🥲❤️🔥🥺😭🥰😫
-Me ha encantado y es una pena que solo 5 sean los publicados en español cuando tengo entendido que son como 12, pero en fin, enamorada de estos libros 💖
-Cuando mencionaron a Rashel simplemente: 🥲❤️🔥🥺😭🥰😫
-Me ha encantado y es una pena que solo 5 sean los publicados en español cuando tengo entendido que son como 12, pero en fin, enamorada de estos libros 💖
January 1, 2019
Blaise could kill me with a Look and I’d thank her for it. Whew, what an icon.
October 22, 2022
I physically remembered nothing about this book, it was like reading it for the first time. I love this series it’s so fun
October 9, 2023
LJS was a good writer at one time, but all of her characters were the same.
February 16, 2024
Of course I was going to enjoy the third book in this Night World series...it is about witches.
Not only that but two witches going after the same guy...certainly in my wheelhouse of horror and romance. Nothing too original but yet also with Smith's flair to make it interesting.
I see elements that are truthful to other witchcraft and Wicca lore I've researched in my own writing and I see some things that could be fabricated to fit this whole Night World universe. What is fact and what is fiction? I guess it is up to you.
Also before we get into the plot...how cool a title is Spellbinder BTW? It's a Foreigner song and a horror film about witches too so of course awesome!
If you have read Secret Vampire we got a brief introduction to our main characters there but now this story is all about them and I think slightly set in the same time frame?
Thea and Blaise Harman are cousins but their parents had their birth mothers as twin sisters yet now they are all deceased and these witch cousins are basically sisters, born a minute before midnight and a minute after midnight.
Thea is blonde and would be considered the "good" witch and Blaise has dark smoky hair and would be considered the "bad" witch. Thea is very skilled at communicating with animals and Blaise is skilled at controlling boys...so much that Thea compares her to Aphrodite, the goddess of love.
Irresistible to men and not concerned with breaking hearts of mortal men because after all...humans are vermin to those of the Night World anyway. Except that when Blaise plays with boys like toys...their minds end up with a screw or two loose, broken and then on to the next one.
So much so that the girls have been expelled from four different high schools in five years!!
Thea and Blaise have been raised by their grandmother but have been shipped off to any other living relative they have to try and be a positive influence on rebellious Blaise. Now they are back in Las Vegas, Nevada for one more chance before their grandmother has no choice but to send the girls to their Aunt Ursula and a place that is basically a "convent".
First day at school, Thea comes upon some of the students who have found a rattlesnake on the grounds. Not wanting the creature to be killed, Thea tries to communicate with the snake to calm it but another student arrives, a boy named Eric.
His arrival breaks the connection Thea had with the snake and in trying to keep Thea from being bitten, Eric pushes her out of the way as the snake strikes. Thea is sure that he was bitten but Eric is more concerned about getting the snake away so Thea grabs a chain off a nearby Blaise's neck and uses it to wrap up the snake as a muzzle.
Once a little closer to the desert, the snake is released and Thea discovers that Eric was bitten on his leg through the fabric of his jeans. The stone on Blaise's chain happens to have healing properties so Thea secretly uses it to heal the bite while Eric isn't closely watching her.
When Eric does sit up, his eyes meet Thea's and her eyes meet his and there are those sparks instantly. Thea is not use to boys being smitten over her so she leaves Eric with words that basically tell him she isn't interested before he can get out anymore words.
Thea ends up accidentally picking up on of Eric's books by mistake and learns that his last name is Ross. Not wanting to see him again, Thea has words with Blaise and she decides to bring the book to Eric, apparently wanting another admirer. From a distance, Thea witnesses Blaise finding Eric and furiously flirting with him.
Part of Thea is a little wounded but why should she care anyway? It becomes real surprise when Eric finds out that Blaise is related to Thea and all he can do is ask Blaise about her. Blaise does not take this rejection very positively.
Later in the day, Thea meets a girl in one of her classes named Dani. Having noticed a black dahlia doodled in her notebook, Thea recognizes Dani as a witch and they silently speak before talking properly.
Dani tells Thea that there are three more witches at the school. An underclassmen male witch and two other girls in their own grade: Selene and Vivienne. Blaise is eating lunch with the two other girls when Thea and Dani arrive and Thea isn't pleased to learn that Selene and Vivienne are just like Blaise...they like to use their "wiles" on human teenage boys as well.
It seems that Eric Ross turning down Blaise has spurred her on to try and pursue him despite almost every other male panting after like a pack of dogs. Thea can't help but have her hackles up about this news and tries to persuade herself that she needs to protect Eric to keep the girls from getting in trouble again.
Thea convinces Blaise that she is interested in Eric and wants to sort of bewitch him and Blaise is actually impressed that her sweet cousin wants to be such a bad girl now. Thea gets some ingredients in her grandmother's shop to work a love spell without any problems but she also gets some news from her grandmother.
It is close to Halloween for us in the mortal world but for witches, it is Samhain. The most powerful witches will be coming to Las Vegas to celebrate and it is clearly stated that Grandmother wants Thea and Blaise to behave and not embarrass her.
Thea now has even more pressure.
Thea goes after Eric to ask him to the Homecoming dance and he is thrilled to have her talking to him after her avoiding him. Thea goes to the dance with Eric and it seems to be going okay but then an old conquest of Blaise's shows up at the dance. It is a guy named Ricky who is completely out of his gourd and he happens to have a straight razor handy.
Eric is able to help when Ricky attacks a boy named Kevin and Thea is impressed, so is Blaise despite putting on an indifferent front. Thea leaves with Eric because he has to go and help out at the animal hospital where he works to relieve the other employee, Pilar, who is keeping an eye out on some animals needing 24 hour care while the doctor is out of town for a conference.
Thea notices some other things that just keep turning her world upside down. First, Pilar has a crush on Eric but is in the friend zone. Second, Eric has a love of animals and is planning on going to school to become a veterinary doctor and lastly, that he has a younger sister.
Rosamund Ross comes to the clinic with her Guinea pig, Madame Curie, and is upset that she is sick and acting lethargic. Eric does an examination but can't determine a singulary cause until Thea is able to mindmeld with the animal and figure out that she has scurvy and needs some cabbage loaded with Vitamin C. Her diagnosis impresses Eric, not knowing the real reason she knew, and "Roz" is thrilled about her pet making a recovery.
The warm and fuzzy vibes vanish when Blaise arrives to crash the scene. The dance having been ruined in her eyes, Blaise informs Thea that she is still going to try and get Eric after observing how amazing he is...despite Thea having already worked a spell.
Tending to a bite that the Guinea pig gave Eric, Thea now has a tissue with Eric's blood on it and she can work an even more powerful spell using it. Blaise, however, tears off a piece big enough that she can use Eric's blood as well.
Thea is trying to convince herself that she is only using magic to protect Eric from Blaise putting a spell on him to keep their Night World secret safe. Knowing that Blaise has more knowledge about the darker side of the arts to get Eric under her powers, Thea finds that she is going to have to turn to magic that is forbidden for a witch as young as herself to perform.
Her bloodline dates back to the ancient world and Thea is about to risk everything that is important to her family for the life of a human boy? Is she truly trying to save his soul or is Thea in love with Eric because he is her soulmate?
It is good versus evil but is Blaise the one who is truly evil or is it just her role to play in the long line of Harman witches? Everything isn't always only black and white even in the Night World...
There is a lot of tension and the love triangle presented against the backdrop of Las Vegas and the world of the supernatural is particularly resonating with passion and danger.
The climax and ending of Spellbinder are on level with the first two books of wanting a happy ending but knowing that it isn't just that cut and dry. There is still some sacrifice on someone's part and wondering if eventually all of these paths may cross in future books is enough to drive you crazy!
To say anything else of what I enjoyed about Spellbinder would be a major spoiler so what else could I possibly have to say?
Only that this is probably the favorite out of the ones I have read so far but I still have seven books to go...
Not only that but two witches going after the same guy...certainly in my wheelhouse of horror and romance. Nothing too original but yet also with Smith's flair to make it interesting.
I see elements that are truthful to other witchcraft and Wicca lore I've researched in my own writing and I see some things that could be fabricated to fit this whole Night World universe. What is fact and what is fiction? I guess it is up to you.
Also before we get into the plot...how cool a title is Spellbinder BTW? It's a Foreigner song and a horror film about witches too so of course awesome!
If you have read Secret Vampire we got a brief introduction to our main characters there but now this story is all about them and I think slightly set in the same time frame?
Thea and Blaise Harman are cousins but their parents had their birth mothers as twin sisters yet now they are all deceased and these witch cousins are basically sisters, born a minute before midnight and a minute after midnight.
Thea is blonde and would be considered the "good" witch and Blaise has dark smoky hair and would be considered the "bad" witch. Thea is very skilled at communicating with animals and Blaise is skilled at controlling boys...so much that Thea compares her to Aphrodite, the goddess of love.
Irresistible to men and not concerned with breaking hearts of mortal men because after all...humans are vermin to those of the Night World anyway. Except that when Blaise plays with boys like toys...their minds end up with a screw or two loose, broken and then on to the next one.
So much so that the girls have been expelled from four different high schools in five years!!
Thea and Blaise have been raised by their grandmother but have been shipped off to any other living relative they have to try and be a positive influence on rebellious Blaise. Now they are back in Las Vegas, Nevada for one more chance before their grandmother has no choice but to send the girls to their Aunt Ursula and a place that is basically a "convent".
First day at school, Thea comes upon some of the students who have found a rattlesnake on the grounds. Not wanting the creature to be killed, Thea tries to communicate with the snake to calm it but another student arrives, a boy named Eric.
His arrival breaks the connection Thea had with the snake and in trying to keep Thea from being bitten, Eric pushes her out of the way as the snake strikes. Thea is sure that he was bitten but Eric is more concerned about getting the snake away so Thea grabs a chain off a nearby Blaise's neck and uses it to wrap up the snake as a muzzle.
Once a little closer to the desert, the snake is released and Thea discovers that Eric was bitten on his leg through the fabric of his jeans. The stone on Blaise's chain happens to have healing properties so Thea secretly uses it to heal the bite while Eric isn't closely watching her.
When Eric does sit up, his eyes meet Thea's and her eyes meet his and there are those sparks instantly. Thea is not use to boys being smitten over her so she leaves Eric with words that basically tell him she isn't interested before he can get out anymore words.
Thea ends up accidentally picking up on of Eric's books by mistake and learns that his last name is Ross. Not wanting to see him again, Thea has words with Blaise and she decides to bring the book to Eric, apparently wanting another admirer. From a distance, Thea witnesses Blaise finding Eric and furiously flirting with him.
Part of Thea is a little wounded but why should she care anyway? It becomes real surprise when Eric finds out that Blaise is related to Thea and all he can do is ask Blaise about her. Blaise does not take this rejection very positively.
Later in the day, Thea meets a girl in one of her classes named Dani. Having noticed a black dahlia doodled in her notebook, Thea recognizes Dani as a witch and they silently speak before talking properly.
Dani tells Thea that there are three more witches at the school. An underclassmen male witch and two other girls in their own grade: Selene and Vivienne. Blaise is eating lunch with the two other girls when Thea and Dani arrive and Thea isn't pleased to learn that Selene and Vivienne are just like Blaise...they like to use their "wiles" on human teenage boys as well.
It seems that Eric Ross turning down Blaise has spurred her on to try and pursue him despite almost every other male panting after like a pack of dogs. Thea can't help but have her hackles up about this news and tries to persuade herself that she needs to protect Eric to keep the girls from getting in trouble again.
Thea convinces Blaise that she is interested in Eric and wants to sort of bewitch him and Blaise is actually impressed that her sweet cousin wants to be such a bad girl now. Thea gets some ingredients in her grandmother's shop to work a love spell without any problems but she also gets some news from her grandmother.
It is close to Halloween for us in the mortal world but for witches, it is Samhain. The most powerful witches will be coming to Las Vegas to celebrate and it is clearly stated that Grandmother wants Thea and Blaise to behave and not embarrass her.
Thea now has even more pressure.
Thea goes after Eric to ask him to the Homecoming dance and he is thrilled to have her talking to him after her avoiding him. Thea goes to the dance with Eric and it seems to be going okay but then an old conquest of Blaise's shows up at the dance. It is a guy named Ricky who is completely out of his gourd and he happens to have a straight razor handy.
Eric is able to help when Ricky attacks a boy named Kevin and Thea is impressed, so is Blaise despite putting on an indifferent front. Thea leaves with Eric because he has to go and help out at the animal hospital where he works to relieve the other employee, Pilar, who is keeping an eye out on some animals needing 24 hour care while the doctor is out of town for a conference.
Thea notices some other things that just keep turning her world upside down. First, Pilar has a crush on Eric but is in the friend zone. Second, Eric has a love of animals and is planning on going to school to become a veterinary doctor and lastly, that he has a younger sister.
Rosamund Ross comes to the clinic with her Guinea pig, Madame Curie, and is upset that she is sick and acting lethargic. Eric does an examination but can't determine a singulary cause until Thea is able to mindmeld with the animal and figure out that she has scurvy and needs some cabbage loaded with Vitamin C. Her diagnosis impresses Eric, not knowing the real reason she knew, and "Roz" is thrilled about her pet making a recovery.
The warm and fuzzy vibes vanish when Blaise arrives to crash the scene. The dance having been ruined in her eyes, Blaise informs Thea that she is still going to try and get Eric after observing how amazing he is...despite Thea having already worked a spell.
Tending to a bite that the Guinea pig gave Eric, Thea now has a tissue with Eric's blood on it and she can work an even more powerful spell using it. Blaise, however, tears off a piece big enough that she can use Eric's blood as well.
Thea is trying to convince herself that she is only using magic to protect Eric from Blaise putting a spell on him to keep their Night World secret safe. Knowing that Blaise has more knowledge about the darker side of the arts to get Eric under her powers, Thea finds that she is going to have to turn to magic that is forbidden for a witch as young as herself to perform.
Her bloodline dates back to the ancient world and Thea is about to risk everything that is important to her family for the life of a human boy? Is she truly trying to save his soul or is Thea in love with Eric because he is her soulmate?
It is good versus evil but is Blaise the one who is truly evil or is it just her role to play in the long line of Harman witches? Everything isn't always only black and white even in the Night World...
There is a lot of tension and the love triangle presented against the backdrop of Las Vegas and the world of the supernatural is particularly resonating with passion and danger.
The climax and ending of Spellbinder are on level with the first two books of wanting a happy ending but knowing that it isn't just that cut and dry. There is still some sacrifice on someone's part and wondering if eventually all of these paths may cross in future books is enough to drive you crazy!
To say anything else of what I enjoyed about Spellbinder would be a major spoiler so what else could I possibly have to say?
Only that this is probably the favorite out of the ones I have read so far but I still have seven books to go...
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