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Dark Heart of Magic by Jennifer Estep

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Brief synopsis (no spoilers)
The magical Families of the town all host a yearly competition, and this year Lila is part of it. The best fighters of each family all compete for a gold cup. And there's a party each day of the event. In the meantime, Lila and the Sinclair family still need to figure out what Victor Draconi is planning.

 Category
YA Fiction, fantasy

 Why I chose this book
Next in series

 My personal opinion (the review)
The story is great, the competition is vivid, the antagonists are rotten to the core, the romantic aspect peaks at just the right moment, and there are even some surprises along the way.

 Warnings
Language: mild
Violence: more frequent and graphic than the first book, but still moderate
"Adult" situations: none, just romance
Death: some, including major characters

 Movie rating equivalent
PG-13

 Protagonist description
Lila is a fighter, to the core.

 Point of view of story
First, from Lila

 Book length
Medium

 Story flow
Excellent

 Grammar and spelling issues
None

 Character connection (no spoilers)
No one new

 For series:
Independent or integral (stand-alone or back story dependent)
Integral

 Series review as a whole
Excellent, worth buying!

 If you only have time for one, read: (which one)
Cold Burn of Magic

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