Liviania’s review of Dragon Wytch (Sisters of the Moon, Book 4) by Yasmine Galenorn
Paranormal romance released by Berkley 1 Jul 08

I know a bunch of people who like Yasmine Galenorn’s Sisters of the Moon series, so I gave Witchling a try.  It didn’t really impress me as it threw together mythologies in a hodge-podge fashion but most mythology wasn’t true.  It felt like it might be easier for Galenorn to simply make up new creatures wholesale.  I found Dragon Wytch (the second in the series through Camille’s POV) more compelling.

Camille is a half-human, half-Fae witch working for the Otherworld Investigation Agency and running her own bookstore.  Her and her sisters’ halfling nature causes their powers to backfire often, and Earth was supposed to be an out of the way place to put them.  Instead, the evil Shadow Wing plots to escape his prison and take over everything – and will, unless the sisters collect the spirit seals first.

In Dragon Wytch, Camille learns of a powerful weapon she could wield and furthers her relationships with Smoky, Morio, and Trillian.  I admire the way Galenorn handles the polyamory.  Camille doesn’t waste her time angsting about liking three guys at once because she was raised in a non-monogamous society.  Smoky and Morio definitely develop their own limits with each other to make things run smoother.  Yes, they’re Camille’s relationships but the other people involved get a say.  I like it.

The only time Galenorn truly disappoints me is with her handling of a character with a mental illness.  His family put him in a posh home that will keep his condition secret.  Yes, it’s terrible that they don’t visit and feel ashamed of his condition.  But it’s good of them to find a place that obviously cares about how he’s doing, encourages family visits, and allows him to walk outside.  Camille speaks as if the Otherworld’s system is much better – madmen are allowed to wander, unless they’re a danger to others, at which point they’re put down.  Yeah, that would make her informant dead instead of in a care facility.

Galenorn came across to me as moralistic.  I also felt like she’d never been involved in the sudden mental illness of a family member, one that goes beyond what can be cared for at home.  It’s a rough situation and it’s tough to know what’s best.  Since Camille knows nothing about his family, she can shut up about how horrible they were to him.

The quest to collect all the MacGuffins seems like it could get old, but I like that Galenorn is weaving it against a larger plot.  In Dragon Wytch, Morgana seeks to unseat Titania and raise the Earthside fae court.  Trillian leaves on a spying mission to find the D’Artigo sisters’ father.  Camille, Delilah, and Menolly’s troubles are merely part of what’s going on in their world.  It’s nice to see how the girls fit into the larger picture.

This series is growing on me.  So much so, I’ve already read the next book – and it’s my favorite so far.  It’s not my favorite paranormal romance series, but the books deliver a nice dose of romance and action without getting heavy.

Grade: B-

Summary:

We’re the D’Artigo sisters: savvy–and sexy–operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. But being half-human, half-Fae short-circuits our talents at all the wrong times. My sister Delilah shapeshifts into a tabby cat whenever she’s stressed. Menolly’s a vampire who’s still getting the hang of being undead. And me? I’m Camille, a wicked-good witch, trying to juggle faulty magic, gorgeous men, and the demonic war in which we’re embroiled. Sometimes, it’s hard to know just who we can trust…

“The Equinox is coming, and mayhem rules. A crown-prince unicorn offers us a legendary gift, but it vanishes. Goblins and trolls swarm the streets of Seattle. And now Smoky, the sexiest dragon alive, decides to stake his claim–on me. Overshadowing it all, the third spirit seal surfaces and Shadow Wing’s after it. But I’ve discovered a secret that could change everything. A new power is rising–a dangerous force from the past–one that intends to restore balance to the worlds…whether we like it or not…”

No excerpt found on author’s or publisher’s site.

Other books in the series: