This review was written by: C
Received: Digital ARC from Author
Date of Publication: July 2018
Pages: 193
Stars: 3.5/5
Official Summary:
Returning to Wielders Academy of Magical Arts as a 5th year student, Abby continues to dance with the Mystic Dancers. Soon her life as the ‘Unofficial Mystic’ and Wielder begins to overlap. After the death of her friend, her life spirals downward as Dancers are suddenly coming down with mysterious illnesses that affect each Dancer differently.
Staying on top of her classes, practicing protective dances, and caring for her fallen Dancers, finds Abby fighting to keep her life together. Discovering the cause of their illnesses, Abby and her friends race to save them before Abby succumbs to the illness herself.
My Thoughts:
The story immediately picks up with Abby and her friends as she navigates her life as both a Mystic and Wielder. In terms of important events, Abby is practicing for the Emblem Ceremony, where she'll be able to pick an emblem of her own accord for the first time. This vital item will give Abby a new spirit of a former dancer who will serve as a guide in training.
When the Emblem Ceremony begins, Abby neither feels drawn to any of the spirits nor hears voices coming from any of the objects. Consequently, she picks an emblem at random, hoping it's the right choice. After a few weeks have passed, terrible events in the form of a mysterious illness and a catastrophic death take place.
By "catastrophic death," I'm directly referring to the death that's explicitly mentioned in the book's summary: After the death of her friend, her life spirals downward as Dancers are suddenly coming down with mysterious illnesses.... I'll admit that once I read that detail, I immediately began speculating as to which character this would be. Who could hold enough emotional weight to the story that their death would greatly impact Abby? As I was pondering and eventually chose one character, the event came to pass and I had guessed correctly. However, my attempt to mentally prepare still didn't help matters.
I usually try to not spoil any major plot points, but I'll just add that once Marcella denies the proper funeral rites to Abby's friend, she takes it upon herself to complete them. Additionally, the sickness continues to spread throughout the Mystic population. Once this occurs, everyone tries to determine the source of the mysterious illness and prevent it from harming any other Mystics.
I believe that Abby and the Cursed Emblem was a wonderful addition to the series. You get to see more of Abby's school life and, most importantly, you're able to see how Abby overcomes a tragic death and continues to fight against intolerance. Overall, it's a worthy continuation and read.
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