The Beacon (The Crystal Coast #3)

There can only be one queen…

Still reeling from the devastation wrought by Susan, Stevie struggles to find a way to retrieve the amulet from the dark witch who now calls herself queen. She develops a plan to amplify her powers, believing it will give her an edge, but the magic is untested and dangerous.

Susan will stop at nothing to complete her rise to power, including eliminating the last of Lucia’s descendants: Stevie and Charlie. She calls for a showdown, with all of the town’s witches present, leaving Stevie no choice but to comply.

Queens who came before her sacrificed their lives to protect the witches, and Stevie is prepared to join their ranks. In this life or death battle, she'll do whatever it takes to save her people.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Chrissy Lessey wraps up her Crystal Coast series with The Beacon in which the final battle between Stevie and Susan takes place. Stevie is the rightful heiress to the station of Queen because of her family's bloodline within the coven, yet Susan is a vengeful and power-hungry witch determined to kill Stevie and rule the coven. And as they say, it all comes down to this. 

Stevie is obviously the better character in terms of relatability and character connection so I think it's safe to say that most (if not all) readers will be rooting for her. She's a caring mother, a loyal friend, and a courageous leader. Though it may be a little risky, Stevie is determined to fight Susan and keep the other witches of Beaufort, NC safe, even if that means she'll die. Over the first two books, readers have seen Stevie suddenly have her magical powers show up, learn how to use them, watch Susan and Vanessa try to get their revenge, and witness the death of her mother. Through all of this, her character has grown so much. She's become a true leader who cares and has the sense of morality a leader needs. I think readers will be really impressed with Stevie's choices in this third book as she does something I would have never thought of in order to give her coven a chance to not only survive but to win the battle against Susan. 

In the second book, readers also saw a shift in personality with Vanessa's character. I'm happy to say that that continues in this third book as well. Vanessa, though terrified of her mother, knows that Susan is making malevolent and evil choices. She's worried for the safety of Charlie, who showed her extreme kindness in the second book. But Vanessa also knows that if she goes against her mother and Susan ends up winning... she'll make Vanessa's life a living hell. However, Vanessa isn't just going to stay out of it. She and Stevie end up making a little deal, a plan B if you will, which is both surprising and smart. 

Like previously mentioned, the plot of The Beacon revolves around the showdown between Stevie and Susan. The book follows the coven members helping Stevie prepare and figuring out how they will fight against Susan, who is all powerful thanks to her stealing of the amulet in the previous book. I think readers will be very happy with how this book turns out as it demonstrates a community of people coming together to fight against an evil threat. It's entertaining, easy to read, and engaging. I'd highly recommend the entire series to anyone who enjoys the supernatural genre with an empowered female main character and a little romance. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

Read the first two books in the series:

     

Teaser Tuesday (284)

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.




The Beacon (Kindle 45%)
    - Chrissy Lessey

"Think of it. I'll expose the coven's darkness and heal your wounds, with all of my subjects standing in witness. The witches of Beaufort will know, without a doubt, that I'm a mighty queen, and I'm generous to those who serve me well." 

What's Next, Wednesday (74)

•  To play along share a book you've been looking forward to reading, whether it's new or has been on your reading list for a while.

I'm looking forward to...

The Beacon by Chrissy Lessey. This is the third book in the Crystal Coast series. I'm really excited to witness the showdown between the heroine and the evil witch. After Susan claimed the Coven's amulet, she became the Queen, but Stevie isn't handing the title over so easily... She's prepared fight for the witches of Beaufort, but she'll need to find a way to win first. 

The Hunted (Crystal Coast #2)

A new queen rises…

When Stevie vanquished her family’s greatest threat, she thought they’d be safe. Unaware of the evil surrounding her, she trains with her coven and prepares to inherit her mother’s role as queen and protector of the amulet.

Chaplain Benjamin Parris, descendant of the notorious reverend behind the Salem Witch Trails, plots to resume his family’s mission and rid the world of witches. He joins forces with Susan Moore, who’s sought revenge against the coven for years, and together, they formulate a plan to destroy Stevie’s family.

Left weakened after the theft of their protective amulet, the coven confronts the unthinkable as a modern day witch hunt unfolds around them. And this time, Stevie might not be able to save the people she loves.

*May Contain Spoilers*

The Hunted by Chrissy Lessey, the second book in The Crystal Coast series, brings the villains back to Beaufort, NC with more power than the coven can handle. As the first book ended with the seeming defeat of Vanessa, this book picks up with her survival and Susan's unrelenting determination to see the coven decimated.

In this book, the main characters who share the narrator position all experience a change. Stevie, the daughter of the Beaufort Coven's Queen, is still trying to navigate her newly exposed powers. Within this installment readers see Stevie trying to keep the secret of being a witch while raising her autistic son, Charlie, whose powers were also revealed in the first book. However, with the new threat of Susan escaping from the mental health institution (though this is unknown to the coven members for most of the book) Stevie must focus on protecting her son while preparing to take a leadership role in the coven. With this new status, Stevie feels uncertainty in herself and in her powers, appealing to the emotional side of readers and building on the connection made in the first book.

Though Susan's character doesn't change much in this book -- she's evil and expressly focused on destroying the coven -- readers do see just what she's capable of when she has her magic back. Readers will undoubtedly dislike, perhaps even hate, her while learning more about how far she'll go to get her revenge.

The biggest character evolution comes with Vanessa Moore. Though she tried to destroy the coven in the first book, her perception of right and wrong is shifting. Vanessa is finally seeing just how evil her mother is. More importantly, Vanessa is learning that her mother does not care about her -- or anyone for that matter -- if they don't help her cause. As a reader, Vanessa's villain status is wearing off and it causes a change in perception. Vanessa becomes a character that could end up being the key to defeating Susan. The way that her character is written shows her changing emotions and viewpoint on the battle between Susan and the coven, making her a more likeable character. I think the little girl who would do anything to gain her mother's approval will soon be history, leaving the coven with a secret weapon and an important ally in the next book.

The plot of this book focuses on Susan's escape from the mental institution, her retrieval of the amulet, and the fear this incites within the coven. The amulet allows Susan to be all powerful, and the Queen of the coven (Patricia) wants to run like her ancestors have done. Yet, unfortunate events leave the coven broken and Stevie focused on fighting back by the end of the book. This leaves readers with the sense that even though the coven were the ones being hunted in this book, the third installment will be a battle to the bitter end.

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

Teaser Tuesday (281)

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.




The Hunted (Kindle 62%)
    - Chrissy Lessey

She blinked back frustrated tears and thought of the queens who had come before her, those fierce hidden warriors who'd kept the amulet secure across the millennia. A lump grew in her throat. She'd failed them and her loyal coven. 

What's Next, Wednesday (71)

•  To play along share a book you've been looking forward to reading, whether it's new or has been on your reading list for a while.

I'm looking forward to...

The Hunted by Chrissy Lessey. As the sequel to The Coven, this book promises more magic and more thrill. I'm really excited to start this one. I always feel lucky when I get to read the sequel so close to finishing the first book in a series. I feel like now that I have a foundation for the characters, I'll like this book even more than the first. 

The Coven

The future queen awakens…

Newly single mother Stevie Lewis divides her time between raising Charlie, running a store with her best friend, and avoiding the meetings of her mother’s Beaufort Historic Society. Although her life has its challenges, it’s altogether average. Just the way she likes it.

When Vanessa, a ruthless dark witch, launches an attack against young Charlie, Stevie’s simple life derails, and her long-dormant powers awaken. A 300-year-old secret is exposed, revealing her destiny to one day rule the clandestine community of witches who hide in plain sight.

Now she must master her own magical powers before it’s too late. Because Vanessa’s on the warpath, and only Stevie can stop her.

*May Contain Spoilers*

After years of being locked up in a mental institution, without magic, Susan finally sees a path forward. With the help of her daughter Vanessa, she can get her powers back and her revenge as she takes on The Coven, by Chrissy Lessey. 

Stevie is about to realize very soon that she is a witch, in a family with a very long line of witches. She's also about to learn that with the discovery of Blackbeard's long lost treasure, she and her son are in danger. Stevie is the main character of this novel as well as a single mom (recently divorced) and the daughter of Beaufort, North Carolina's coven Queen. Stevie is an incredibly caring person who enjoys the peaceful nature of photography and would do anything for her son. Readers will connect with Stevie through her friendly personality and the love she has for her son, who was recently diagnosed as autistic. With the plot moving forward at a pretty quick pace, readers will continue to feel a connection with Stevie as her father suffers a physical ailment and Vanessa reappears to help her mother get revenge. 

The story begins with Vanessa's return to Beaufort, NC at the beck and call of her mother. More of Blackbeard's treasure has been discovered and Susan thinks that includes a very powerful necklace - a necklace that could break the binding the coven put on her magic. Vanessa is tasked with doing whatever it takes to get the necklace, including murder. With this new threat, Dylan, a love interest for Stevie, also returns to Beaufort from London. In a matter of days, Stevie learns that she has magical powers and is inducted into the Historic Society and the Coven. But she has to learn how to harness her energy and control it if she plans on taking down Vanessa and protecting her son. Because the stakes are so high right off the bat, this book feels fast paced. It's really enjoyable because not only is it thrilling, but there are also multiple relationship dynamics that play off of each other, lending the book humor, love, and annoyance. After I started this, it didn't take me long to finish. It's easy to read and I didn't want to put it down. I would definitely recommend this book to lovers of fantasy and romance and I hope I get the chance to read the next book in the series. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

Teaser Tuesday (279)

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.




The Coven (Kindle 67%)
    - Chrissy Lessey

But then again, anything was possible at this point. She now lived in a world where even the laws of physics had been reduced to mere suggestions. 

Magic, witches, and secrets.

What's Next, Wednesday (69)

•  To play along share a book you've been looking forward to reading, whether it's new or has been on your reading list for a while.

I'm looking forward to...

The Coven by Chrissy Lessey. This book promises to be full of supernatural spice as a woman realizes, the hard way, that her daughter has inherited the right to rule a coven. Needless to say, one witch, in particular, isn't happy with this occurrence and is on the offense. Really excited to get to this one.