UF Review: Trace of Moonlight by Allison Pang

Trace of Moonlight 
by Allison Pang 
Book #3 in the Abby Sinclair series
Publication: October 30th 2012 by Pocket
 ★★★★

Drinking from the waters of Lethe and offering herself up as Faerie’s sacrificial Tithe . . . these just might be the least of Abby Sinclair’s problems.

Abby’s pact with a daemon—whether or not she remembers making it—is binding, so she’d better count herself lucky that (in the words of a daemon who knows better) there’s nearly always a loophole. But her friends’ reckless attempts to free her, well intentioned though they may be, set off a disastrous chain of events. In no time at all, Abby turns her incubus lover mortal, then gets herself killed, cursed, and married to an elven prince whose mother wants her dead. On top of everything else, she’s lost the Key to the CrossRoads to her mortal enemy, who promptly uses his restored power to wreak havoc on the OtherWorld and put its very existence in jeopardy. Only one person can make things right again, but to find her, Abby must place her trust in allies of mixed loyalties, and conquer her nightmares once and for all.

REVIEW:

The story begins a few weeks after Abby drank the Lethe water and she is living in the Faery Court with no memory of herself other than what Talivar has shared with her: her name and their plan to marry. When she's contacted by Brystion in the Dreaming, he sets off a chain of events that have devastating results for just about everyone.

Abby doesn't get many breaks but continues to think her way through each challenge using her extraordinary instincts and heart. As with the first two books, the action is almost continuous, the fantasy is creative, the villains are diabolical and no one seems to be immune from potential harm. Abby still is torn between Tavilar and Brystion, loving both of them but in different ways. You'll be just as confused as they present their best and less attractive sides and her decision about them is unpredictable.

This final book in the trilogy doesn't disappoint and kept me in emotional turmoil through the end. It provides the answers we were hoping to find but also leaves many details unresolved (not in a bad way but left to our imaginations). I'm not ready to let go of these characters who are so complex, flawed and interesting. They have a certain nobility because of their quest to do the right thing but are far from perfect. They'll stay with me for quite some time and my hope is that we will see them again in a spinoff. If so, those stories will have a high bar to reach in meeting or surpassing the excitement of Abby's adventures in this series.

(ARC provided by Bewitching Book Tours)