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:
