Publisher: Del Rey

Author: Lucy A. Snyder

Release Date: 12/27/2011

MSRP: $7.99 (Paperback, Digital)

Pages: 338

Recommended Audience: Adult

The final chapter in the Jessie Shimmer Spellbent series is here, and this is probably the most fun of the three. The first one was down-to-earth and serious; the second was just plain weird; and this one is extremely dark and even more graphic than the last two books. Jessie, Cooper, Pal, Warlock, and Randal are in Cuchillo, Texas still trying to fight off the evil Japanese goddess Miko from consuming every soul in town. The Regus is after Jessie for crimes she didn’t commit, and she so desperately wants to just live with Cooper and Pal and finally meet her father.

The book is full of suspense and action, with Miko trying to trap Jessie into letting her take her soul. Jessie has a lot of battles with her in her element, and we finally get some backstory as to why Miko is the evil witch that she is. She tortures Jessie, makes her do more things she doesn’t want to, and never gives up. We meet a few new friendly faces, and the story finally has a happy ending—to an extent. There’s an opening at the end for another series, but this one is finally closed off and sealed, and Miko is no more. I actually found the final battle between Miko and Jessie pretty disappointing. When you read this book, you will see how weak that battle is. It just feels slightly rushed.

Secondly, I still can’t stand Lucy throwing random branding in here. It really just throws the whole fantasy thing off. I understand this is based on current times, but don’t throw random brand names. It’s jolting, and it just makes you roll your eyes. My other complaints about the series seem washed away in this book. She seems to have found a happy medium; the pacing is great, and the characters are now fully developed. The book still has a lot of gore and sex, but it is darker this time around. There’s not much happy sex or loving here; it comes in the form of torture.

Switchblade Goddess is the culmination of magic in modern times. Lucy can really connect to younger readers this way, and it fits with the story. The Spellbent trilogy may not be memorable years from now, but it is very entertaining and something you will talk about with friends for quite a while. I can’t wait to see Jessie and her friends in a story.