Thursday, September 17, 2015

Fire Walker by Josephine Angelini (Worldwalker trilogy book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the trilogy, Trial by Fire, Stop! I don’t want to ruin Lily’s story for you.

“Two versions of the same world. Two versions of the same girl. Love took them home. Now evil wants them back.”

After being missing for three months, Lily's mother Samantha knew exactly where to find her and Rowan on a snow covered road two towns away from Salem. Her sister Juliet is horrified to see how badly Lily is burned. Juliet seems to be the only one who doesn't know what is going on. When Samantha takes charge, it's the first time in years that Juliet had seen her mother look and act sane. Back at the Proctor house, Rowan has Juliet help him save Lily’s life. Juliet is mystified that her mother seems to know and trust Rowan. Watching him use his magic, she is impressed at the lengths at which he goes to safe her sister’s life. While she is being treated, Lily floats on the edge of reality. With her guard down, Lillian is able to reach her through mindspeak and attempts to plead her case. Everything she has done, she did for Rowan. If she can find a way to rectify the mistake of the Woven, everything will have been worth it. Lillian shares some of her memories with Lily on the promise that she doesn’t tell Rowan. Lily agrees.

When she is sufficiently healed, Lily wakes up and finds that she has been back in her world for over a week. A lot has happened while she was gone, including the FBI becoming involved in what they saw as a missing person case. Everyone, including her father and Tristan were questioned. Her mother came up with a cover story stating that she had forgotten her daughter had gone for radical subcutaneous exposure therapy for her life threatening allergies. It would also explain her appearance except Agent Simms from the FBI isn’t buying Lily’s story. Forced to go back to school, Lily finally comes face to face with Tristan. Having already met Rowan at her house when he tried to come see her, Rowan warns her that Tristan is just like the Tristan from his world. He will be drawn to her because of her magic and willstones. And he is in love with her. Lily begins to block Lillian’s attempts at mindspeak. She still believes that Lillian’s actions are evil and in no way are for Rowan’s benefit.

At school, Lily meets with Tristan before the day begins. He is furious that she has been avoiding him but wraps her in a tight hug. She promises to work for his forgiveness. Breakfast walks by and joins the conversation. The three of them, along with Breakfast’s girlfriend Una, hang out a lunch, amidst all of the stares Lily continues to receive. She has already survived the inquisition the superintendent, principal and school nurse put her through before she could go to class. Tristan asks her who Rowan is and her answer is her holistic life coach. The three of them are interested to meet him but Lily puts them off. She is unable to keep them from meeting when they show up on a Saturday morning with bagels. Rowan and Breakfast hit it off immediately, which annoys Tristan. Lily tells them that Rowan is Native American and Una is interested in his abilities. He comments that she has the same talent that both he and Tristan have. Tristan explodes, saying they are nothing alike. Rowan thought that he wanted to become a doctor. Tristan tells them that his dream died when he was thought to be involved in Lily’s disappearance. He now has a police record and Lily is devastated. Rowan begins dropping hints about the group’s abilities but Lily eventually gets him to stop. The five spend the day together.

Lily converses in mindspeak with Rowan and slips up by saying something she shouldn’t know. She is saved from further questioning when Samantha comes down the stairs. Rowan offers to make everyone dinner. Lily and Juliet each offer to take their mother for a walk to keep her away from their friends. Breakfast suggests they all go after dinner and has Samantha sit next to him. Lily is grateful to Breakfast but he tells her that he has an uncle like her mom. Rowan picks up on the fact that spirit walking runs in his family. The group goes out for a walk. Rowan mindspeaks with Lily and tells her that Tristan loves her but not to push him away. He suddenly stops and pulls Lily behind him. He tells everyone to go home. Lily sees Carrick (Lillian has sent him after Lily to bring her back to their world) and she gives Rowan what energy she has to chase him down. Everyone sees what is happening including her willstones flaring to life. Tristan wants to know where Lily has really been for the past three months.

When Rowan returns after losing Carrick, he and Lily explain to Tristan, Breakfast and Una what is really going on. Rowan knows that Carrick is there for Lily and she will need a coven in her world to help her fight. Her three friends have the ability to become her mechanics and they readily agree. Rowan already has grown willstones for them to bond with and will train everyone to the best of their abilities. The three each bond with a stone and are claimed by Lily.

Will Lillian be able to lure Lily back to her world? Why does she need Lily? What happened when she met with the shaman and began spiritwalking? Can Lily and Rowan be safe in her world? What role will Samantha play in all of this? What happened to Lillian’s Samantha? Will Agent Simms continue to hound Lily about her disappearance? What happens when Tristan finds out about his other self from Rowan’s world? Will Rowan discover Lily’s “betrayal” over mindspeaking with Lillian? Does Lily see why Lillian has done off of the “evil” things that she has done? Can the two of them make a life in Lily’s world or will they be driven apart?

The Worldwalker trilogy will conclude in the fall of 2016 with Traitor’s Pyre.

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