A Trace of Moonlight (Abby Sinclair, Book 3) (edition 2012)

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
allthingsuf.com

The Abby Sinclair series has been on my radar for quite some time and I couldn’t let one more book slip past me without jumping in to try it for myself. Starting with book three posed some predictable problems as far as emotional reactions and catching up with the plot, but from the first chapter I knew I was going to finish A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT and rush back to A BRUSH OF DARKNESS to catch up. I was drawn in by an intriguing world, hints of mysteries, and relationships that appeared complex without resorting to melodrama, a trifecta of urban fantasy fun.

“Complex relationships” barely covers this web of love, betrayal, infidelity, and children. Moira, Robert, and Charlie’s situation is particularly interesting to me, and Abby’s connection to both Ion and Talivar has me ready to go back and start at book one. Talivar seems like Abby’s true friend and Ion has that plus uncontrollable passion, I’m really looking forward to seeing where these three started out. The differences between Fae and Mortals are particularly heart wrenching in this book. From life-spans dividing lovers to Ion wasting away to hold on to his dearest dream, Pang manages to interweave delicate threads of human grief amongst the magical battles and political maneuverings that drive Abby and her friends forward.

I wouldn’t recommend new readers follow in my footsteps and try to start this series at book three. As much as I enjoyed A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT and was able to follow the current action, I was often distracted by hints of what I was missing from before. Pang’s world and relationships seem pretty well balanced between reality and melodrama, as characters react genuinely to the consequences of their actions without bogging the story down in too many regrets. I can’t wait to truly catch up with the series, I’ll definitely be re-reading A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT with new eyes once I do.

Sexual Content: Sex scenes. ( )

Reading A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT was bittersweet for me. I really enjoyed the two previous Abby Sinclair novels and so I was eager to see what Allison Pang was going to do with/to Abby and her band of friends and lovers. The author has created incredibly real and complex relationships in this trilogy and I've been on the edge of my proverbial seat waiting to find out how Abby would get herself out of the pickle she put herself in at the end of A SLIVER OF SHADOW (that whole Tithe thing in the cover copy) and if she'd settle down with Talivar or Ion. The good news? Most of the big questions are answered. The not-quite-as-good-but-definitely-not-bad news? I wasn't as hooked as I've been in previous instalments.

A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT has everything I've come to expect from an Abby Sinclair novel: an unpredictable plot, fantastically fleshed-out characters, magnificent snark, and steamy romance. (In fact, the book opens with some very steamy romance, making the excerpt below NSFW.) The cover copy actually gives away a lot of the plot points, though it doesn't hurt the reading of the story since there's so much going on in A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT. Thankfully, part of this "so much" is also a satisfying amount of resolution for a couple of the big arcs of the series: will Abby choose Ion or Talivar, and will she ever fully control her abilities as a Dreamer?

To address the first big question: I was thrilled with how Allison Pang dealt with this. I loved the way both Ion and Taliver are portrayed in A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT because they both get to shine and you can really understand why Abby has feelings for both guys. I've always been a sucker for Talivar and his tragic story (which we learn more about!!) but Ion makes some incredible gestures in this book and I felt for him in a way that I never had previously. Relationships are such a key feature of this trilogy and the author really knows how to put the reader and the characters through the ringer, not just with Abby and her men but with other folks as well. Melanie and Nobu's relationship exemplifies the word complicated and the Charlie-Robert-Moira-Benjamin situation is enough to break your heart, never mind Abby's unusual relationship with her father (and her father's with the Queen).

For the second question: I also really liked how Abby grows as a Dreamer in A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT. She's been a little afraid of her gifts for a while now but she really steps up her game this time around. It's always fun watching a favourite character come into his or her own and I feel like Abby grows immensely in A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT.

Despite this, I wasn't as invested this time around. I usually enjoy a well-written finale, which A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT definitely is, but I felt a little disconnected from the story and I'm not sure why. Allison Pang's writing remains outstanding and I truly did enjoy reading this book but it's probably my least favourite of the three Abby novels. At first I thought it might be because this book is darker than the rest and Phin is not his usual snarky self throughout but I generally enjoy dark (urban) fantasy so I don't think that this is the case. I think it might be information overload -- there's a lot of story and a ton of Big Events in A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT!

While I didn't love A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT as much as the two previous Abby novels, this book is still an excellent finale for the trilogy. I may not be shouting at the skies but I really did enjoy reading A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT and fully recommend the series to you. This novel offers closure on many of the main questions in the trilogy and leaves open the possibility of exploring the world further since there's definitely not a nice, neat bow for all of the characters. I follow Allison Pang on her blog and Twitter (some might say "stalk", but I'm sticking with "follow") and it looks like she's open to the idea of coming back to this world and telling another character's story, so I've got my fingers crossed. I believe she mentioned Melanie, who I've always been interested in, so here's hoping that passing comment comes true!

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A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT kicks off shortly after the cliffhanger ending of A SLIVER OF SHADOW. I have to admit that book 3 didn't play out as I had imagined it would. Without giving away spoilers its hard to elaborate on that but I was surprised at how thing played out. A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT takes place in both the Otherworld and the mortal world. All of our favorite characters are involved in this installment and the love triangle between Abby, Talivar and Brystion is still going strong. I really like both of them and was not rooting strongly for either of them. There is a great amount of action as well as twists that you wont expect.

The ending. I'm utterly confused. Are they not joined still? I thought that it was permanent now but then it says they aren't? I read the ending multiple times and still have no clue. And someone said this is the last book? Really? It seems way to up in the air to leave the ending like that. Like I said, I'm confused. Besides that one confusion I loved the book and I love the world that Allison has created with her Abby Sinclair series. Pick up books 1 and 2 before diving in or you might be pretty lost going into A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT. I seriously feel that the series cant end like this though so I really hope there is another book in the making, I must know what will happen next. ( )

I don't want this to be the end :( Please Allison tell me we will hear more from Abby, Ion, Taliver and Phin! I'm a tiny bit confused on the ending but I need more! The banter between Abby and Phin had me laughing my butt off all night. Please tell me we will get more! ( )