Review: A Trace of Moonlight

Reviewed by Jen

I have mixed feeling about this book. After the massive cliffhanger on A Sliver of Shadow, I was practically foaming at the mouth to see what would happen to Abby once she lost her memory.  But I was put on edge from the very beginning.  I felt like Abby developed real feelings for Talivar in the last book, but here it seemed like he was set up to lose from the very start.

As the story begins, Abby doesn't remember anything, but she is betrothed to Talivar.  She views him warmly, but when she overhears him talking with Moira about her memory loss and her true identity, she feels betrayed. She runs... straight into Maurice... who does Something Really Bad to her and steals her amulet. She tries to leave the Fairy Court, but the Queen stops her, putting a geas on her that keeps her away from the Crossroads.  To escape her, Abby agrees to marry Talivar on the spot and escape with him.

In the meantime, Brystion has visited her in her dreams, leaving her with a special gift that makes her more powerful. It's also a massive sacrifice on his part. Abby can't get to him, though. She remains with Talivar as he takes over the Unseelie Court and continues his pursuit of Maurice who is now using Abby's amulet to further his nefarious schemes.  When an attack from his mercenaries clears the way for Brystion to pull Abby through the veil, it also nearly kills the Tree of Life that feeds the Crossroads.  And from then on out, it's a race to both track down Maurice and save the tree before it is gone forever.

I liked the action arc of the story. The part with the Fae and the scheming. The fighting, the tree, the subsequent search for Melanie.  All of that is very cool. But the love triangle is a different story. I felt like Abby strung me these two men along for virtually the entire book.  She says she loves Talivar. She sleeps with Talivar.  She sleeps with Brystion. She loves Brystion.  At first, it seems like Ion has it in the bag, due to the nature of his sacrifice. Then those circumstances change and we go round and round. She "can't" choose between them. Poor Talivar even offers to share.  And then, it feels like an external factor solidifies her choice. Is that why she picked who she did? She did pick someone, right?

Oh, and don't get me started on the ending!! Not the resolution to the Maurice/ tree/ Fairy thing. That was good.  But the relationship ending... I really didn't like it.  I'm not going to spoil it, but it felt so out of place in the story.  Not to mention, I was left with so many questions. What really happened to the character who returns at the very end?  Will they have a future together? What kind of future will it be?  I can't even list all the questions without spoiling the plot, but if this is the end of the series, I want clear resolution.  Don't ask me to draw my own conclusions. Especially since Abby's heart was so hard to read throughout.

It felt... unfinished.  I understand that Allison Pang could end up with more books in the series. And if she gets them, I will keep reading.  But if this ends up being the end of Abby Sinclair, I am just not satisfied with how she left things.

I would, however, love a book on Melanie and Nobu.

*ARC provided by author for review

Click to purchase: Amazon

A Trace of Moonlight

by Allison Pang

Release Date: October 30, 2012

Publisher: Pocket Books