The sequel to Carrier Of The Mark (HarperTeen, 2011/Voya October 2011) continues just weeks after the first book's dramatic ending and does well bringing readers up to speed on the characters' supernatural powers and romance. Earlier it was discovered that Megan, along with her boyfriend Adam and his siblings, are Marked ones, the four earthly elements in human form. Though their love is forbidden, Megan and Adam continue to seek a way to defy the prophecy and avert destruction of the world. When a suspiciously friendly new girl latches onto the group, powerful and complicated desires confuse all involved. In a desperate attempt to find answers, the four Marked race off to Sweden to track down the mysterious Knights. Tension mounts as Megan and Adam move closer to consummating their love, until the power of their colliding elements causes Adam to fall into a coma. Once again, it is up to Megan to save the day. Short, fast chapters and realistic high school banter make this an easy read for lovers of supernatural romance; however (annoyingly), the characters keep doing stuff they have been warned against, like wearing the powerful amulet or taking their relationship to the next level. Megan's actions cause all sorts of disasters until she realizes that her powers must be kept away from Adam. Although arranged marriages have ensured the line of Marked ones continues through the centuries, Megan vows that the line will end with her, leaving readers hungry for the final installment. Reviewer: Ann McDuffie

10/01/2013
Gr 8 Up—In this sequel to Carrier of the Mark (HarperCollins, 2011), the Marked Ones-siblings Adam (Water), Áine (Earth), and Rían (Fire), along with Adam's girlfriend, Megan (Air)-are preparing for the alignment of their elemental powers. Megan and Adam are struggling with their heady forbidden romance (a prophesied, potentially catastrophic union). Meg's powers are reacting with everyone else's in new and dangerous ways thanks to a pivotal role she's meant to play. Rían is hooking up with mysterious newcomer Chloe, yet he and Meg are troublingly drawn to each other. There are several threads and varying agendas in this supernatural romance. An overabundance of almost indistinguishable Mark-related factions and various conspirators complicate matters and make it difficult for the Marked to trust anyone (yet sometimes they do to their detriment). Though peppered with backstory, new readers likely won't be as invested as returning fans. Characters are fairly stock and setting description is spare (a shame as the brunt of the story is set in Ireland). This title relies more on "tell" than "show," with dialogue (internal and spoken) tending toward the melodramatic. While the premise is intriguing and the plot is action driven (pacing really picks up in the last two-thirds), this is strictly an additional purchase for libraries in which supernatural tales still fly off the shelves or the first installment is popular.—Danielle Serra, Cliffside Park Public Library, NJ

In this sequel to her debut, Carrier of the Mark (2011), Fallon assumes readers have nearly complete knowledge of her previous book, but if new readers can figure out its basic premise, they'll muddle through. Four teens gathered in a small town in Ireland have control of the elements: earth, air, fire and water. Druids and knights who protect the elements, but not necessarily their human carriers, help when they're not fighting with one another, and members of the evil Knox family try to thwart everything. Protagonist Megan, the carrier of air, is permanently and completely in love with handsome Adam, the carrier of water, except when she's almost irresistibly attracted to Rían, the carrier of fire. However, whenever Megan and Adam kiss, she inadvertently draws his element from him, coming close to killing him, except for the times that doesn't happen. It's quite a dilemma for poor Megan, who only wants to be young and in love. Young she certainly is. Whenever someone tells Megan not to do something, be sure that she will do it as soon as the whim strikes. As thin as the air Megan controls, the book's major entertainment value lies in various suspenseful episodes, and the author handles these fairly well. Characterizations, emotional encounters and dialogue plumb all the depths of the common TV soap opera. Light--very light--entertainment for the Twilight crowd. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)