Cold Burn of Magic

Gr 7 Up—Estep delivers an action-oriented urban fantasy that sticks close to genre conventions. Seventeen-year-old Lila is content to make a living stealing from the rich Families that control the magical town of Cloudburst Falls. She doesn't have much choice, since her mom was murdered four years earlier after defending the leaders of the powerful Sinclairs. Lila's life changes, when she witnesses an attack on sexy Devon Sinclair and risks her life to save him. The head of Devon's clan coerces Lila into becoming his bodyguard, even though he's the one her mom died defending. Estep's premise features a number of stock components (e.g., teenagers with talents, family feuds, an urban setting filled with real-life monsters), without adding any unique twists. Some minor characters, like the "redneck pixie with a heart of gold," add a touch of humor and whimsy. The villain, when finally revealed, speaks in stilted language, which diminishes the potential scare factor. Repetitive phrasing distracts from the story, and certain plot elements don't add up.