Spellcaster Series Book #2: Steadfast by Claudia Gray

So the last book ended with Nadia and Mateo destroying Elizabeth and thinking that everything was okay. Except the reader knew differently. Elizabeth still lived and her plan had succeeded. Instead of ripping away the spells keeping Captive’s Sound standing, she was trying to take down one of the seals on The One Beneath’s tomb. This book picks up right after the last one, and Mateo and Nadia’s happiness is short lived when they realize that Elizabeth is still alive.

Add in Verlaine’s spell that keeps everyone from noticing that she’s there, Mateo’s visions getting worse, Nadia’s father being seduced by Elizabeth, and a mysterious illness that causes people to go into comas and you’ve got one crazy and twisted book on your hands. Nadia’s weaknesses are also revealed in this book, her half-trained powers become more of a problem and she wonders what she can do to stop Elizabeth when she can’t even control simple spells.

That’s when Elizabeth approaches her with a proposition. The One Beneath wants Nadia and Nadia needs a teacher to complete her training. Nadia refuses because she knows that if she becomes Elizabeth’s apprentice she will swear herself to the darkness and there is no coming back from that. But as the odds keep stacking up against her and the people who end up sick keeps climbing, she starts to realize that there may not be a choice.

This book was absolutely nuts. I felt bad for Nadia and company because they didn’t get a break from what happened in the last book. The twists were insane! Like the true reason why Nadia’s mom walked away, blew my mind. The only thing I didn’t like about this book was the little conflicts that appeared between Mateo, Nadia, and Verlaine. There was something lacking there, or maybe it was just because I knew that it was all made up drama put into their heads by the demon Asa.

Final Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Now that Nadia has ‘turned’ to the dark side, what’s going to happen now? Will Mateo and Faye Walsh team up to destroy her powers? Will the curse on Verlaine be done? And what about her relationship with Asa? Can he be saved? I’m curious to know, and can’t wait for the next book.

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