The Alchemy of Forever

Gr 9 Up—In 1340s London, 14-year-old Seraphina Ames is attending her first masquerade ball. She sneaks off with a handsome boy and is subsequently stabbed in a backstreet robbery. But her soul is saved by Cyrus, the apothecary's son, who gives her a magic elixir that helps her change bodies. Fast forward to present-day San Francisco, where Sera is poised to inhabit yet another new body. But this time, she plans to leave behind the monster that Cyrus has become. In a rather miraculous chain of events, she accidentally transfers her soul and now has to live as bubbly 16-year-old Kailey Morgan. In her centuries on Earth, Sera seems to have matured little, making many typical teen mistakes. When she falls for the boy next door and Cyrus tracks her down, things really heat up. This is a new twist on the supernatural romance, and one that fans of the genre, especially those who are tired of vampires and angels, will enjoy. The characters and plot are intriguing, and there are plenty of loose ends that allow for the series to continue. A menacing ending will leave fans ready for the next installment, and fans there will be.—Angela J. Reynolds, Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Bridgetown, NS, Canada