Title: Bane (Coven Trilogy #2)
Author: Trish Milburn
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books
Release Date: 05/31/2012
ISBN: 1611941342
If I were to say that Trish Milburn's Coven Trilogy is one of the great undiscovered gems of young adult urban fantasy, I wouldn't be lying. It's such a satisfying read, filled with all of the stuff I love in my "fun" reads that I'm honestly shocked that it isn't more well known than it is.
To protect those she loves from herself, Jax will leave them all behind. She'll risk everything in a desperate search for answers.
Jax Pherson fled the darkest of covens and from her own father's evil. For a brief moment, her courage was rewarded. She found everything she'd ever wanted. A normal life. An amazing boyfriend. An envy-worthy best friend.
But her past put them all in danger, forcing a confrontation with the dark covens. In a life-and-death battle to save those she loved from the covens, Jax gained staggering power. Power so intense, so dangerous, she fears the darkness that now dwells inside her like a living thing.
If she can't control the power, she may yet become as evil as the witches she conquered.
With her friend Egan, Jax leaves all she's built and heads for the one place that might hold the answers she desperately needs to hold back the darkness-Salem, Massachusetts. Her research unearths a shocking discovery: the Bane, a secret group of witches dedicated to thwarting the covens.
Jax desperately needs their help in her fight against the covens, but finding the Bane is easier said than done and takes all her skills and courage. As Jax gets closer, her dark powers begin to rise and control her actions. If she succumbs to the darkness, Jax may have as much to fear from the Bane as the evil covens and the determined hunter on her trail.
Where to start? I loved every page of this book. I'll be honest and say that you can see where the plot is going with this read. The twists and turns are a little predictable, but Milburn's writing is so incredibly addicting that it's like slipping into your favorite pair of comfy sneakers. You know what to expect, but it's so enjoyable that you really don't care. I loved the interactions between the characters, although I wish that Barrow (the hunter that's almost insanely devoted to exterminating witches) had more screen time. He shows up closer to the end and he makes such a good threat that I can't help but want to have seen him arrive a little earlier.
What made this really intriguing was seeing our main characters dive into the background of Salem. Their inevitable trek to this infamous town was a good touch and the horrifying and sad history of the witch hunts makes for a nice backdrop to the larger plotline. And then there's the romance. This is Milburn's strongest suit and she knows it. I won't specify more due to spoiler reasons, but I liked the way this progressed and what the revelations in this book might mean for the future.
Now if you're a parent worried about the series, don't be. This is pretty squeaky clean as far as YA books go. There's mentions of making out and "sizzling" kisses, but it's pretty chaste in comparison to some of the stuff that I've read in the YA section. There is some violence here, but it's not gratuitous and it is important to the plot line.
Overall this was just a fun book to read and one that I finished all too soon. For the faster readers I'll recommend having a second book nearby to finish, as you'll finish this rather quickly. For how much I love the Coven Trilogy, the books are rather short reads. I'm already jonesing for the next book in the series and it's agonizing to realize that I'll have to wait until fall to get my mitts on it.
4 out of 5 stars
(ARC provided by NetGalley)
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