(not sure I read this)

Best in the series by a mile...for me. And, I thought I was going to hate it as soon as I found out who was back. So, pleasant surprise!! ( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: It’s time for the final showdown between Cady and her mother in this satisfying conclusion to the Arcadia Bell series.

Opening Sentence: Jupe crouched in the shadows, watching a pair of nurses stroll down the hall.

The Review:

Arcadia Bells wakes up in the hospital after surviving a brutal attack to find that her mother is still trying to reach her in the Aethyr in order to take possession of her body. Obviously, Arcadia and Lon are determined to do whatever it takes to ensure that doesn’t happen. Unfortunately, that “whatever it takes” includes a memory spell that goes very awry and takes away pretty much all of Cady’s memories of her relationship with Lon. Now, Lon and Cady have to figure out a way to stop Cady’s mother, while Lon simultaneously works to jog Cady’s memory of him, so that he can ask her a very important question. Will Cady remember that Lon is the love of her life? Will they be able to stop Cady’s mom from wiping Cady out entirely?

I have found this series to be very addicting, so I was completely stoked to have a chance to read and review this final book in the series. And, while it often felt like not much was at stake, this book was very entertaining and fast-paced and left me feeling utterly satisfied with how everything was resolved.

As I mentioned, it often felt as if there wasn’t a whole lot at stake throughout the course of the book, which is surprising considering it’s the last book in the series, and we are after all talking about Cady’s mom trying to take possession of her body. Most of the book though focused on Cady’s memory loss, and the stuff surrounding her mother all faded to the background. It was still interesting and entertaining, but I wasn’t on the edge of my seat like I expected to be. When the showdown with Cady’s mother finally did occur, it seemed to end rather abruptly, and I was left wishing it had lasted just a bit longer.

As far as the characters go, Lon really stole the show for me. I can only imagine what he was going through internally as he dealt with Cady’s memory loss. He handled it so bravely, but you could tell (even without having any chapters from his point of view) that it was killing him inside. I really wish we could have gotten some of his inner monologue in some scenes, but even without it, he really stood out. Cady is her usual charming and witty self. I greatly enjoy her voice as a narrator. Her personality really comes leaping off the page. She made the ride through this book a fun one even when it felt like nothing was happening.

All in all, while I was surprised at the lack of action in this final book in the series, I still very much enjoyed my time saying goodbye to Cady, Lon, and Jupe. Fans of the series should really pick this one up! I’m looking forward to the next offering from Jenn Bennett!

Notable Scene:

“Buck up,” I said. “It’ll be okay.”

He gave me a unnervingly grave look. “Will it?”

I stared into his bright green eyes, with all those dark, fanning lashes. His uncertainty and worry were almost palpable – almost something I could hear as clear as his voice – and it had nothing to do with whatever punishment he feared from his dad. He was scared for me. Me. And for us, and the future. And I wanted more than anything to assure him that he was worried for no reason, that everything was fine, and nothing ever went so horribly wrong that it couldn’t be fixed. That life was easy, and if you worked hard enough, you’d get everything you wanted. If you did right by others, they’d do right by you. That both humankind and demonkind were intrinsically good, and people you respected didn’t disappoint you, and no one would ever break your heart.

None of that was true.

But unlike him, I was an excellent liar.

“Trust. Me,” I enunciated firmly, pressing my forehead to his. “Everything will be fine.”

FTC Advisory: Simon and Schuster/Pocket provided me with a copy of Banishing the Dark. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )

Cady's mother wants to take over her body. In order to save herself, Cady has to rush to find the spell that created her and find a way to reverse it. She also has to keep a secret from her mother that is so big that she and Lon agree to do a memory spell so that even Cady doesn't remember it. Unfortunately, the spell has wiped away her memory of her whole relationship with Lon.

So, here and Cady and Lon rushing to find out more about Cady's past and the spell that created her when Cady thinks that they are little more than strangers and Lon is hiding his deep love for her. And, since Cady is cycling through all the demon Knacks, he is worried that she will learn the secret they are hiding when she gets to the mind reading one. It was fun watching Cady fall in love with Lon all over again as they travel together.

Meanwhile, Jupe isn't going to be left out of finding a way to defeat Cady's mother and getting Cady to become a permanent part of their family. He begins exploring her Magician past and meets a girl who is part of that world who becomes his first girlfriend. He also uncovers substantial clues to help Cady.

Cady and Lon are also trying to track down her past and run into quite a bit of danger when they meet Parson Payne who has a religion based on snakes - big, scary, exotic snakes!

I was very satisfied with the ending of this series. It is definitely going on my keeper shelf. ( )

Originally posted at The Bookaholic Cat

Banishing the Dark is the fourth book in the Arcadia Bell series by Jenn Bennett.

It’s always hard to say goodbye, especially to those you love, I’m not only talking about people, but books and characters alike. When I learned Jenn Bennett was writing the last book in her Arcadia Bell series I wanted to beg her to keep writing more books, but at the end I couldn’t do that. I admire an author who knows when is the right time to say goodbye to her characters and Jenn is a master at her craft, if she thought is was the right time even though I wanted more books I’m sure she was right, and now after finishing Banishing the Dark I’m glad she went that route and finished one of my all time favorite series in a very high note. Kudos to Jenn Bennett for doing this.

Banishing the Dark starts couple of weeks after the events in Binding The Shadows (book #3), Cady is recovering from what happened to her in that book, but she knows her respite won’t last long, sooner or later she will have to confront her mother, but to have the upper hand she needs to learn more about the Moonchild spell her parents used during her conception.
Cady and Lon know the answers won’t come to them, they will need to look for them, but before starting their search they take some precautions, precautions that if they are not careful enough could backfire and end everything they care for.
Jupe is not idle while Cady and Lon are away, he wants to help, and with that in mind he takes matters into his hands and embarks on his own investigation with the help of Priya and a new character.

Cady has come a long way since first book. She was used to hide and be alone, but now she not only has friends she can count on, she also has a family to call her own. Seeing her flourish into the woman she has become has been a treat; seeing her fight for her family and for what she wants in this book was not only very emotional, but pleasing as well.

Lon is one of those characters you need to know to love and the more you know the more you love. That was the case in previous books and that was the case in this book. His love for Cady has been tested over and over; Banishing the Dark was not an exception to this, if something it was one of the hardest tests for him, but as always he passes with flying colors. I love him as a father, I love him as Cady’s boyfriend and I love him as a man. Jenn Bennett gave us in him the almost-perfect man with imperfections easy to overlook.

Now I have to talk about one of my favorite teenager characters ever, Jupe. I have loved Jupe since the moment he was introduced in first book and book-by-book my love for him has only grown. Jupe is not perfect, but he has a heart so pure and innocent that is impossible not to love him. Despite having a wonderful father, Jupe’s life has had some hardships, but now that Cady is in his life he finally feels like his family is complete.
For the first time, Banishing the Dark is written with a dual POV, this time around Jenn Bennett gives us Jupe voice and as I was expecting, he was a joy to read. Being in his head only made me love him more and wish for a spinoff series based on him. Please Mrs. Bennett, pretty please with sugar on top.

Banishing the Dark has everything we loved from previous books, non-stop action, unexpected twists and turns, a strong plot, and the character we love. Banishing the Dark wraps all loose ends tightly and ends with a satisfying epilogue.

As I said before, even though I’m sad to see one of my all time favorite series come to an end, I’m glad Jenn Bennett went the smart way that not many authors take and ended her series on the highest note possible. Luckily for us we won’t be deprived of Jenn Bennett talent, she has a new series on the market, The Roaring Twenties, although a very different series from the Arcadia Bell series it’s also an excellent one that will keep us entertained until Jupe’s spin-off in the months to come.

Would I recommend Banishing the Dark? Hell yes!! But I also recommend you to read it as part the Arcadia Bell series to get the full effect of the wonderful world Jenn Bennett created with her words.
If you haven’t read this series can I ask what are you waiting for? You are missing one of the best urban fantasy series to have ever been published. Go read these books now!! You can thank me later. ( )