The End of Magic

March 20, 2017
Untrained witch Lyse MacAllister and her coven gather their remaining powers to take on the evil antimagical organization known as the Flood in the somewhat muddled conclusion to Benson’s contemporary paranormal Witches of Echo Park trilogy. The coven was able to shut down the Flood’s secret subterranean laboratory in Nevada, where torturous experiments were inflicted on captured witches, but they’ll need bigger magic to stop the Flood’s worldwide witch hunts. With the assistance of the ghosts of the coven’s former leaders, Lyse must gather her courage, ignore her own self-doubt, and dig deeply into the Dream Lands and her own family history to find the key to defeating the Flood. Even fans may have trouble keeping track of the large cast and multiple side plots. When things do eventually come together, the swift resolution feels a bit disappointing. But some readers will be more than satisfied to see that everything depends on family ties, a recurring theme throughout.

May 15, 2017

Magic has been loosed upon the planet, and the world's witches struggle to survive when the Flood, the antimagic group that has destroyed so many of their blood sisters, turns humans against them. Lyse MacAllister, who was left in charge of the Echo Park coven after her great-aunt Eleanora's death, knows that her choices have led to this moment. Lyse must find a way to unify her estranged coven to engage in the final battle of good vs. evil. If Lyse does not make the right decision, humanity will be lost. VERDICT Benson's final entry (after The Last Dream Keeper) in her trilogy keeps readers zipping along on a roller-coaster ride of magic and emotion. Those who lamented the end of her Calliope Reaper-Jones fantasies should pick these books up.--KC

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