Review: Firespell (Dark Enchantment) by Louise Cooper

[Pwyrdan]

I found this short (128 page) 1996 YA supernatural romance in a box of free books at my library.

Fifteen year old Lianne and her older sister Gretala both receive gifts of jewelry from their creepy dying Grandmother, but neither of them likes what they got. Willful Lianne talks timid Gretala into trading gifts secretly, because Lianne is entranced by the mysterious legend attached to her sister's topaz necklace. Convinced it will show her the love of her life, Lianne gazes into the stone and sees a handsome but angry boy. She is instantly in love. When he inexplicably starts showing up outside at night, she meets with him. This is where the story starts to get rushed and vague.

Renard doesn't seem to have a personality and I'm not sure why Lianne loves him. She knows nothing about him, won't listen to her own fears or questions, and when the legend is revealed she cares nothing for her family. She shamelessly manipulates her sister to get her way. And the legend is confusing. Is the family doomed to be rich but depressed? I'm not really sure why all the terror. In the end, Lianne gets her way and I'm not really sure if she's even alive. Oh well!
This is a quick read, 115 pages and a preview of another book in the series (I like the writing in the other one, The Lost Brides, better). The writing in this one is okay, but the time period is sketchy, the mood is modern, and it almost slips into present tense a few times. Despite being a story about eternal love, it is surprisingly unromantic. The boy is never anything but a mystery. And Lianne isn't really relatable in her complete disregard for others. There are also some horrible lines, like, "I have another kind of power. The power of love," and "Nothing matters but you." Someone slap her! But I gave it 3 stars on Amazon because Lianne and Gretala were well developed. They both did exactly as you knew they would, though I would have liked to see at least some character growth in both. There's lots of potential in this story, but not the length or skill to explore it.