Name: Maria Elena Vitale Zelaia's review of The Evil Within by Kimberly Marraffino
Item: The Evil Within
Rating: 4
Author: Maria Elena Vitale Zelaia

Kimberly Marraffino

A Prophecy Predicted Them . . . Magic Created Them . . . Evil Wants Them . . . Destiny Awaits ThemThe story continues in The Evil Within, the second book in the Magic of the Realm series, as mysteries and magical events unravel around James and Rhiannon after their return to Kiluemar. Reunited with his family, James is determined to protect them. However, he learns having magical abilities is not as easy as he thought. With many powers still dormant, and controlling the ones he has is proving to be difficult, he propels himself into training, focusing on mastering his magic and learning to fight. With Merrick determined to sacrifice him and his family to steal their magic, James's only hope is to master his abilities before it is too late. After sustaining an injury from a brutal attack, Rhiannon wants nothing more than to stay hidden within the protective barrier of the village. She avoids the outside world, sheltered but separated from her family. As her fears push her further away from her magical destiny, she learns the educational side of magic while questioning why Merrick and the others have grown quiet. Without her powers under control, and with her fears of the unknown holding her back, Rhiannon is overwhelmed by her future, making her question if she is capable of saving magic and her family from the evils lurking inside the realm. Continue the journey with James and Rhiannon as they discover more about themselves, magic, and the events following that fateful night eight years ago, all the while uncovering more about Merrick, his curses, and the truth behind his absence.

The Evil Within

Maria Elena Vitale Zelaia

I was so excited to dive back into this story after reading the first book a couple of months ago! The progress and world building was definitely captivating, I loved how the author put together the story and continued right where it left off. You guys, we got dragons! I’m a sucker for those..

I loved seeing the dynamic between the characters and the growth amongst each other. One of my favorite aspects about books is learning the history of the world/characters and we get a lot more of that in this book. We see a plot line that is intense but at the same time easy to follow. And the villain… yes I love the villains of the story!!

I am super excited to read the 3rd installment in this series!

I was so excited to dive back into this story after reading the first book a couple of months ago! The progress and world building was definitely captivating, I loved how the author put together the story and continued right where it left off. You guys, we got dragons! I’m a sucker for those..

I loved seeing the dynamic between the characters and the growth amongst each other. One of my favorite aspects about books is learning the history of the world/characters and we get a lot more of that in this book. We see a plot line that is intense but at the same time easy to follow. And the villain… yes I love the villains of the story!!

I am super excited to read the 3rd installment in this series!

Shelby Goodwin

First off, I want to thank author Kimberly Marraffino for sending me a copy of this sequel to Return to Kiluemar, (which I read and reviewed earlier this year and really enjoyed)!! All thoughts and opinions expressed below belong entirely to me.

While so many fantasy series tend to suffer from second book syndrome, this was certainly not the case with The Evil Within! This story starts with a downright unsettling attack by a sinister gang of evildoers, including a creepy vampire and a nasty ogre, on a protective witch and her twin children whom she fights to protect. These children of course, are James and Rhiannon, the protagonists we have come to love after the first installment and I found this beginning to be extremely compelling and immediately gripping! I was totally sucked back into this world.

Throughout the book, I was so ecstatic to touch base with all the familiar faces I adored in book 1; it was especially awesome to see all the world building of book 1 come to full blown life in the land of Kiluemar, with even more stories of this magical realm introduced as well. I was particularly enthralled with the dragon lore explored in this story! My Scotland-obsessed heart adored the story of Margaret and her telepathic connection with Terramina!! Once again, Marraffino beautifully blends flashbacks and folklore and fast-paced storytelling in order create a rich depiction of the world or Kiluemar and its fascinating cast of characters!

I think my favorite aspect of this book was getting to see the whole family reunited once and for all—so heartwarming, and also so interesting to see how the twins’ magical abilities join together and complement each other. I also strangely loved the mysterious tension between my faves Kavana and Aidan because it left me absolutely desperate to keep reading to discover what went down between them, and finally witness these two rekindle their passion for one another!

I was delighted to find that this story has definite potential to take on a much darker side with the demonic Merrick. I absolutely devoured the pages focusing on Cillian and vampire lore! I am altogether super excited to see where book 3 takes us—I’m willing to bet there’s more darkness in store and I’m so here for it!

Tatiana Alvarez 

Actual rating: 3.5

After the ending to book 1, I was eager to see where book 2 lead us. This YA book is filled with adventure, magic, and mythical creatures, a great read for young and old fantasy readers!

Book one made magic seem like this wonderful and spectacular thing, which it is. But the reality of magic really settles in place in book two. The twins are both dealing with the change in their life and dealing with it in different ways. James accepts his abilities, but knows that he has a long way to go before he comes into his full magic. Rhiannon is definitely more hesitant and for good reason. Too many unknows and fears are holding her back and she doesn't know how to properly navigate this new world she was thrown into.

I enjoy seeing author's grow in their craft from book one to the next book. Although book one was enjoyable, I can tell that Marraffino's writing has matured and the plotline is drawing her readers in even more.

If you are a fan of YA fantasy and enjoy reading about sibling/family bonds, then this is definitely a good read for you!

The Evil Within starts by showing us how the events that led to the ending of the previous book unfolded. The story is so intricate because of the characters’ feelings and motivations, and so very clever, too. The author had already proved she could spin a good, detailed story, but I felt that she’s grown in the time between writing the first book and this one.

What I enjoyed most about this second installment in this series is that we got to live and breathe Kiluemar beside the characters, who have reached their destination and are reunited with their loved ones, rather than seeing this beautiful place through stories and world-building, which however was something that I found really fascinating from the first book. But the fact that Kiluemar seemed like such an interesting place made me curious to see it firsthand through the characters, especially the twins, James and Rhiannon, so I was very happy while reading this. 

I also adored the interactions between the twins. Sibling dynamics are among my favorite things to read about, perhaps because I too have a brother and a sister I love with my whole heart. Rhiannon is the calm to James’s impulsiveness. He is brave where she is guarded. The twins complement each other perfectly! Their approach to magic is different yet balanced as well. James is very confident with his newfound life in Kiluemar, while Rhiannon takes a little more time to adapt to her powers that no one fully understands yet. 

We also got a more in depth glimse of Merrick, the villain. I’m almost always team hero and this time is no exception, but wow, I loved those chapters! The dynamic within the group is interesting, and Merrick is perhaps one of the scariest and most unpredictable villains I’ve ever read about.

Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy. Opinions are my own!

Maria Elena Vitale Zelaia &
The Evil Within by Kimberly Marraffino

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Maria Elena Vitale Zelaia &The Evil Within by Kimberly Marraffino

Reviews

Join the club

Maria Elena Vitale Zelaia &
The Evil Within by Kimberly Marraffino