The Secret of Spellshadow Manor 3: The Chain

ABSOLUTELY SPELLBINDING !!!
Title: The Chain
Series: The Secret of Spellshadow Manor
Author: Bella Forrest
Designation: Book Three of Series, Full-Length Novel (Approx 400 pages), NOT A Standalone, Cliffhanger Ahead
Genre: #fantasy #sciencefiction #actionadventure #mystery #comingofage #romance
Reading Platform: Kindle Edition
My Rating: Five Spellbinding Stars*****
Oh my! Oh my! Oh my! Bella Forrest rocked my world AGAIN with The Chain, the third riveting release in her captivating new magical fantasy series, The Secret of Spellshadow Manor! And great balls of fire, it just gets better and better! Forrest has been a busy little beaver! After publishing a new season of the international bestselling A Shade of Vampire series in the past twelve months as well as introducing two other new blockbuster series, The Gender Game and the Detective Erin Bond mystery thriller series, you’d think Forrest would be ready to sit back and take a breather. Nope, just the opposite! I honestly don’t think Forrest ever sleeps. Not that I’m complaining… not one little bit! Like thousands of my fellow Bella Forrest fans around the world, I’ve been hooked since the first book of Forrest’s megahit A Shade of Vampire series and now 43 books later, I still eagerly await each new release. I don’t even care what genre it is. If Forrest writes it, I’ll read it! And it comes as no surprise, Forrest has delivered another new installment in this gripping fantasy adventure that curls our toes, makes our hearts pound and keeps us begging for more! The Secret of Spellshadow Manor is a beautifully written young adult saga unlike any I’ve ever read. If you loved Harry Potter or Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Secret of SPellshadow Manor is definitely for you. Quite simply, it’s an irresistibly delicious all-you-can-eat buffet of magic, fantasy, action, adventure, mystery, danger, suspense, angst, and blossoming coming of age romance. But never fear, my friends, it’s also a deliciously tasty treat for us older adults who remain young at heart! The story is well crafted, imaginative, thrilling, fast paced, action packed, suspenseful, sweet, romantic and at times, also dark and mysterious. Whew, what a mouthful, but these are only a few of the words that come to mind after reading The Secret of Spellshadow Manor. The narrative is exceptionally well written in the third person with a primary perspective from seventeen-year-old high school senior Alex Webber of Middledale, Iowa. The dialogue is smart, well executed and flows effortlessly. Although the premise and storyline for this series is beyond intriguing, and the vividly depicted world of Spellshadow Manor is nothing short of extraordinary, it’s truly the cast of complex characters that truly steals the show. They are well developed, fascinating, engaging, endearing, and most importantly, memorable. They literally explode from the pages, grab your imagination, capture your heart and hold you completely enthralled from beginning to end. Forrest skillfully combines every single one of these elements to craft a beautifully written coming of age fantasy filled to the brim with magic, danger, action, adventure, fantasy, mystery, suspense, magic, loyalty, and heartbreak, lies, deceit, secrets, angst, young love, and plot twists that will blow your mind. After reading every single one Forrest’s books, there are two things I’ve learned beyond a shadow of a doubt. First, when reading anything written by Bella Forrest, always expect the unexpected and two, absolutely nothing is ever impossible as any of her readers have witnessed time and time again. In each book Forrest pens, she takes her readers on an emotionally thrilling roller coaster ride, unlike any other, one that keeps us on the edge of our seat and riveted to each page while screaming, “OMG – that didn’t just happen!” And the icing on the cake, Forrest’s books are always exceptionally well-crafted, edited, formatted and have gorgeous covers! Did I like this book? No, I LOVED it! Would I recommend it? You bet, and I am, for ages 12 to 112. Will I read this author again? Of course, just as soon as Forrest publishes her next book. Forrest has the most extraordinary imagination of any author I’ve ever read, one which knows no bounds! And finally, was I entertained? OMG, YES! Completely! I was glued to my seat, completely enthralled, white-knuckling my ereader with my heart beating wildly in my chest as the pages flew as quickly as the time, and all the while screaming, “Don’t do it!” OMG! I was a nervous wreck! lol… I can hardly wait to see what’s in store for Alex, Natalie and their friends in Book 4, The Keep! Fabulous entertainment and an awesome read!
Book One:
Unlike his friends, seventeen-year-old Middledale, Iowa high school senior Alex Webber spends all his free time learning to write computer code and building websites. He’s becoming quite the young entrepreneur. Unfortunately, his efforts are born from necessity rather than pleasure. Since Alex’s mother was diagnosed with a debilitating long-term illness leaving her unable to work, he desperately needs to earn enough money to supplement their meager monthly income. Hosting a foreign exchange student was supposed to be just another way to add much-needed funds to their dwindling monthly budget… until Alex meets the student…a lovely young seventeen-year-old female student from France named Natalie Chevalier. Oh my! What normal red-blooded seventeen-year-old young man wouldn’t appreciate the beauty of a charming French girl, right? When the two teenagers meet, they instantly become fast friends with each looking forward to the upcoming new school year. They’re just a couple of normal teenagers who want to enjoy their senior year, right? Hmm… But Alex and Natalie may not be quite so normal after all. What happens when these two seemingly unremarkable young people, brought together by fate, realize they may not be as ordinary as they thought? In fact, they may be quite extraordinary. After seeing a strange and very frightening ghostly figure following Natalie, which apparently one no one else could see, Alex is faced with a life-altering decision that may interrupt his well-laid plans and change his life forever. But there is only one choice for the pragmatic yet sensitive young Alex – no matter the risk, he must protect his new friend Natalie. But at what cost?
The Breaker: Book 2
It’s been several months since Natalie was abducted by the ghostly phantom known as Finder, and Alex was mistaken to also be a new recruit for the magical school located within the walls of Spellshadow Manor. No matter their efforts, Alex and Natalie find themselves still imprisoned behind the ivy-covered walls of the mysterious manor. There’s only one little problem and it gets worse with each passing day. Unlike the other students at the school, including Natalie, Alex has no magical ability at all. In fact, his problem is just the opposite. Alex discovers he is a Spellbreaker and possesses an inherited genetic trait enabling him to wield a power called anti-magic, an anomalous force which counteracts magic when used correctly. But according to the limited information available, it appears Alex may be the sole surviving Spellbreaker. And why is he the last? Because the other spellbreakers have been hunted to extinction and destroyed by Finder and his predecessors, which means his unnatural new ability is very dangerous to his continued well-being at Spellshadow Manor and must be kept a secret. Of course, we all know seventeen-year-olds are never good at keeping secrets, especially not when he needs the help of his friends Natalie, Aamir, and Jari to cover for his lack of magic. Unfortunately, Aamir may no longer be an ally. Alex’s friend and former roommate, Aamir Nagi, is now Professor Nagi. To avoid the impending questionable fate of ‘graduation’, two weeks ago Aamir challenged and defeated the now missing Professor Derhin in a magical duel. Alex and his friends had hoped this would give them an advantage, possibly helping them to escape, but by all outward appearances, Aamir now seems to be controlled by a magical golden band placed around his wrist by the headmaster of the school, The Head. Yup, you read that correctly; the headmaster is named The Head and he is one scary dude! Nothing is as it seems but Alex is still determined to rescue Natalie and orchestrate their escape. Join our brave, young heroes as they continue their perilous adventure where they must learn to navigate the ever-changing hallways of the mysterious, magical, and very dangerous new world of Spellshadow Manor, where nothing is as it seems, and where one mistake could cost them their lives. For lurking in the shadows at every twist and turn, Alex discovers even more treacherous forces, laden with dark magic and murky secrets, all waiting to make an appearance. But are they friend or foe? We’ll see!
The Chain: Book 3
After almost a year of continuing the ruse as a student at Spellshadow Manor, Alex orchestrates a daring escape, unexpectedly aided by a student uprising, two of his professors, and crucial information from the strange, shadowy Elias. Our brave, young heroes travel through a magical portal in search of safe haven, but rather than the human world, they find themselves at Stillwater House, another school for magical students, which at first glance appears to be the antithesis of Spellshadow. But appearances can be deceiving and all is not what it seems. In his search for a way home to his mother and a normal teenage life, Alex finds only dark secrets leading to more questions about his abilities and heritage. With new enemies and perilous danger at every turn, Alex desperately attempts to protect his friends, but the cost is high – maybe too high. This time, the price may be his life. Not all will survive. Who will live and who will die? We’ll see!