Author: Elise Stokes
Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult
Published on: March 5, 2017 by JACE Publishing LLC
Some boundaries should never be crossed…
The diabolic Metal Woman takes three people hostage. Her ransom demand: the location of a mysterious and unprecedented weapon, rumored to have been a gift to the Third Reich from Vulcan, the Roman god of fire.
When a rescue attempt goes sideways, Cassidy Jones seeks justice. Her quest leads her to the Seattle Underground, where she falls into the grip of an inexplicable evil. Cassidy learns too late that her desire for revenge may cost the life of someone she loves.
Another mystery to solve emerges in Cassidy Jones’s latest adventure. She’s a fifteen-year-old superhero who has an array of great powers. Helping in her exploits is Emery Phillips, a teen genius. He’s the son of Serena, the scientist who accidentally gave Cassidy her powers. Cassidy is also now dating Jared Wells, a guy she’s had a crush on for a long time. Their relationship is going well, especially as Jared knows about Cassidy’s powers and her nightly activities. But Jared may be keeping a secret that could drive them apart.
Lily White/Metal Woman is back. She’s a supervillain who first showed up in Vulcan’s Gift. Lily’s body fused with her (mystical?) metallic suit of armor after Cassidy kicked her into a fire. Now, Lily has kidnapped a trio of people who she suspects know the location of something she’s after. Cassidy and Emery catch wind of this not long afterward. The two resolve to find a way to locate Lily and stop her for good. Cassidy can’t wait for another showdown with her. She’s pretty sure she can take the Metal Woman.
A new character shows up at the start of the book. He’s Seth Walker, a handsome (and vain) British teen from a rich family. They just moved into the grandest house on Cassidy’s block. The latter’s best friend, Miriam Cohen, immediately falls for Seth. She’s an impetuous, audacious, and romantic girl. Miriam used to like Emery, but he never returned her feelings. Seth doesn’t turn down Miriam’s advances, though. I’m wondering where things are going with Seth, series-wise. As for Miriam, she plays a more significant role in this book than usual. Same goes for Cassidy's family, especially Nate, her same-age brother. There's a revelation about him I didn't see coming.
Jared isn’t the only character with a secret in Eternal Flame. Emery is also keeping something from everyone, even his father Gavin, a CIA agent. It turns out that Emery may not be as regular a human as he seems to be. Even with his intelligence, which is saying something. The guy is one of those kids who earned a master’s degree before most other people even finished high school. Whatever Emery’s secret is, I doubted it would be as grave as Jared’s. I did not anticipate Cassidy’s reaction, though. That scene was fun.
Speaking of fun, this book has a bit more action. Cassidy goes on several missions, including one in which she must wear full tactical gear. Gavin and Emery are part of that mission, in which they hope to capture Lily. The fight scenes in those chapters were thrilling. There was one scene that I didn’t like much, though. It involves Miriam. I know Cassidy has near Wolverine-level healing powers, but did the author have to damage her that much? Cassidy’s died before (she believes immortality might be one of her powers), but this instance was a little…ghastly. It also raises the question whether Cassidy is really immortal, or if her actual power is multiple (hence limited) lives.
Lily White has remained at large for a span of four books now. It was about time Cassidy got to face her original supervillain once again. Their strength level is about evenly matched, but Cassidy’s a determined girl. By the final chapters, Cassidy is also not alone either. She, Jared, and Emery manage to solve the mystery of what Lily was after. Keeping it safe from her is imperative, or she could become even more powerful. Will Cassidy finally defeat the Metal Woman for good? Whatever happens, I’m eager for more adventures. I don’t think this series is anywhere near its end. There are still a bunch of loose threads to resolve.
My rating: ★★★★ 1/2
4.5 stars - A fantastic page-turner!
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