Connie struggles against the thrill of power that the dark side of her gifts gives her.

Connie has immense power. The trouble is, she doesn't really know how to use it, and nobody in the Society for the Protection of Mythical Beasts has enough knowledge to train her. Only one being understands Connie's potential - the evil shapeshifter Kullervo. Unknown to Connie, he has started infiltrating her dreams, causing her to raise devastating storms in her sleep. Now, when she's awake, the dark side of Connie's power increasingly feels more attractive than the good side. When Connie's best friend Col discovers what is happening, he begs Connie to seek help. She turns to the Society, the group meant to protect her. But they are terrified by what she tells them and expel her. Feeling abandoned and scared, Connie hides in an old mine - and finds she is not alone. The mine is full of sick mythical creatures that the Society has forgotten. They are led by the once-proud Minotaur who, having been blinded in a fight, is now a broken soul. The Minotaur gives Connie the courage to face her demons, and in doing so begins to heal himself. Could it be that Connie and the Minotaur, along with Col and the sick creatures, have the strength to battle Kullervo, while the Society for the Protection of Mythical Beasts stands ineffectually by?

Connie has immense power. The trouble is, she doesn't really know how to use it, and nobody in the Society for the Protection of Mythical Beasts has enough knowledge to train her. Only one being understands Connie's potential - the evil shapeshifter Kullervo. Unknown to Connie, he has started infiltrating her dreams, causing her to raise devastating storms in her sleep. Now, when she's awake, the dark side of Connie's power increasingly feels more attractive than the good side. When Connie's best friend Col discovers what is happening, he begs Connie to seek help. She turns to the Society, the group meant to protect her. But they are terrified by what she tells them and expel her. Feeling abandoned and scared, Connie hides in an old mine - and finds she is not alone. The mine is full of sick mythical creatures that the Society has forgotten. They are led by the once-proud Minotaur who, having been blinded in a fight, is now a broken soul. The Minotaur gives Connie the courage to face her demons, and in doing so begins to heal himself.Could it be that Connie and the Minotaur, along with Col and the sick creatures, have the strength to battle Kullervo, while the Society for the Protection of Mythical Beasts stands ineffectually by?

2007-10-02 Control and power

This story is all about power. Connie has a lot of power as a universal. She can talk to any mythical creature, unlike most companions who can only communicate with one, or a certain niche, of creatures. This makes her envied, feared and coveted. She has fought Kullervo and won before, he still wants the control of her powers so he can subdugate humanity and allow mythical creatures the ascendance.

Connie's power is going out of control, or is is, this story is the unravelling of why and how. Connie has to face up to the other members of the Society for the Protection of Mythical Creatures, and their fears as well as her own.

Book 1 was great, book 2 faltered a bit but this made me want to find book 4 and finish the series. I thought it was an interesting look at responsibility and standing up for yourself.