Keeper of the Lost Cities #6: Nightfall by Shannon Messenger

My name is Sophie, and my human sister seems to be adjusting to my elvin world better than I expected. However, my human parents were kidnapped by the Neverseen and are being held in a place called Nightfall. I keep thinking there must be a bigger reason why the rebels spread Everblaze throughout California, but I wasn't ready for the truth. The Neverseen helped a mysterious criminal escape from prison, and the rebel leaders have horrifying plans for humans. All of this has led the Black Swan to create a trial alliance with the ogre king. Who would have ever believed elves could cooperate with their enemies? Ro, the king's daughter, has been a formidable ally, and I'm starting to realize we may have misunderstood the ogres. Who knows if it will be enough to stop the Neverseen's devastating plans?

You need to read this series from the beginning. Much of it reads like a mystery, as Sophie and her friends try to thwart the Neverseen's evil schemes. Even though Sophie is the leader, it's fun to see how all of her friends are able to coordinate their talents as a team. The rebels have always been one step ahead of the group in past books, but this time Sophie's team starts to anticipate what's going to happen. The mysterious convict adds more uncertainty to the plot, since her identity, ability, and motivations are unknown. Her twisted thinking is the platform for all of the Neverseen's plans. However, her vision has been twisted by recent leadership, so a new conflict develops. If you've read my posts about other books in the series, you're aware of my annoyance with Sophie's obliviousness to potential love interests. Three characters have clearly displayed affection toward her, and she finally eliminates one of them. I'm not sure how many books will eventually be in this series, but I'm on a waiting list for the recently-released seventh installment Flashback. Overall, I'm really enjoying the journey and recommend you give it a shot.