Friday, February 8, 2013

Review: Luathara by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

**Spoiler Alert: If you haven't read the other books in the Otherworld trilogy, then you'll want to wait on this review.**

"Meghan Elam knows that she belongs in the Otherworld, but she doesn't know if she's quite ready to take that leap. With Cade on the mend and her mortal family aware of their daughter's true identity, everything seems lined up for her to make a smooth transition into her new life. Unfortunately, Meghan has a mortal enemy, an angry goddess who has not yet given up on her chance for revenge.

As Meghan struggles to find her place in Eile, secrets from a past she knows nothing about well up and threaten to tip the scales even further. And when the Morrigan vows to bring a war down upon the Otherworld, she finds herself stuck in the middle of an epic battle, one that promises to destroy all that she holds dear. In order to save the ones she loves the most, Meghan must be prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice and hope that she will be strong enough to vanquish her enemy once and for all."
Now that she's graduated high school, Meghan is free to live in Eile, the realm of the Otherworld where she was born. It's where she belongs, where she can learn more about her magic and how to use it. Unfortunately, it's also where a powerful goddess lives and wants to kill Meghan so that she can harness her magic and become more powerful than any other Otherworld god or goddess. Thankfully, Meghan's got a few friends - and even some family - who are willing to help protect her from the Morrigan. But will they be enough to rid the Otherworld of the Morrigan's evil once and for all? Luathara is the third and final installment in the Otherworld trilogy by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson.

Like the other two books in this series, I really enjoyed this book. I felt like it was a perfect way to wrap up the trilogy. Something that I fell in love with from the very beginning of the series was the relationship between Cade and Meghan. And this book didn't disappoint in that area at all. I loved how real the relationship felt while I was reading and I'm really glad that my favorite characters got a good ending.

 While I still really enjoyed the way that Johnson incorporated ancient Celtic figures into her story, I think what I loved most about this book was the world that she built for this series. The Otherworld is meant to be this beautiful and magical place in the series. And, while I was reading, I could picture it in my head, thanks to the immense details that the author used to describe the scenery.

One thing I didn't really care for while reading this book is actually a problem I've had with the series from the beginning. That is the overabundance of internal dialogue that we are shown from Meghan. I'm all for seeing inside a character's head, but there comes a point where it begins to hinder my enjoyment of the book. Luckily, this wasn't enough to keep me from loving the book overall, it was a little annoying.

I rate this book: 


If you haven't checked this series out, you have no idea what you're missing. The Otherworld trilogy is full of magic and romance, with a little bit of myth thrown in, too. You guys should definitely check it out. And, if you've already read Faelorehn and Dolmarehn, then it goes without saying that you should pick up Luathara as soon as you can. You won't be disappointed in this ending to the series. 

Jenna Elizabeth Johnson grew up and still resides on the Central Coast of California, a place she finds as magical and enchanting as the worlds she creates. She received a BA in Art Practice with a minor in Celtic Studies from the University of California at Berkeley. It was during her time in college that she decided to begin her first novel, The Legend of Oescienne - The Finding. Reading such works as Beowulf, The Mabinogi, and The Second Battle of Maige Tuired in her Scandinavian and Celtic Studies courses finally inspired her to start writing down her own tales of adventure and fantasy. She also enjoys creating the many images and maps for her various worlds. Besides writing and drawing, she is often found reading, gardening, camping, hiking and bird watching. For more on the author and her books, and for contact information, visit www.oescienne.com or her blog www.jennaelizabethjohnson.com.

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