The Aquamarine Prophecy (Alessia in Atlantis 3) by Nathalie Laine

What worked:

Alessia’s mother is majorly evil, and Alessia does all she can to not follow in her mother’s footsteps. Alessia took Cariesa’s powers, but she’s frightened to use her mind-control ability. She’ll become obsessed with it if she uses it too much, and controlling others is immoral and wicked. The author complicates the problem throughout the book by having the Sensate power speak to Alessia in her mind. The italicized lines constantly try to convince Alessia to use her ability, because it thinks she’s the Sensate Supreme, ruler of land and sea. It takes all of her willpower to win these mental battles and keep herself from becoming malevolent. And her empathic Sensate constantly bombards her with the emotions of others.

The cast of supporting characters offers several different subplots. Vulcor is the new emperor after he succeeded his evil father, and he may be more than a friend to Alessia (boyfriend?). Only six people in the world are Sensates, and Vulcor has a telekinesis ability. He also hears an internal voice telling him to use his power, and he uses it more often than Alessia. She fears Vulcor is succumbing to the Sensate voice, which will make him as bad as his father. Herior and Kella are two of Alessia’s friends, and they’re tiptoeing through budding emotions for each other. Herior is still dealing with fallout from a previous breakup, but Kella is excited when he asks her to the school dance. Things don’t go smoothly after that. Rak is a new character who happens to be a crab. Crabs have a reputation as sneaky spies who supported Vulcor’s father, but Alessia trusts Rak with a huge secret. Her other friends aren’t as quick to accept him.

Cariesa is the primary antagonist when the book opens, but the author adds plenty of twists. Alessia is reluctant to harm any of her mother’s followers, since her mother tricked them into helping her. This handicaps Alessia and her friends when they try to thwart Cariesa’s plans. In addition, Cariesa usually speaks to her daughter with motherly love, though the other characters question her sincerity. Other character relationships go through dramatic changes that alter the plot’s path. Friends become foes, foes become possible allies, and a character makes a surprising reappearance. The role reversals of friends and enemies will keep readers guessing.

What didn’t work as well:

This book concludes the series. It can be read independently, but I recommend you read the previous books first. Understanding the background relationships helps to fully grasp and appreciate the challenges in this book. Readers will miss the nuances of the characters if they don't fully know the backstories.

The final verdict:

The author inserts significant twists to keep readers thinking and to create an exciting climax. All of the characters’ issues and problems that have been building throughout the series are resolved. This book will appeal to readers who love characters with special abilities, and I recommend you give the whole series a shot.