I absolutely loved Witch's Brew, the first installment of the Spellspinners of Melas County, so I was extremely excited to get the chance to read The Gleaning, and I was not disappointed!Witch's Brew left off at a crazy cliffhanger...so I was definitely looking forward to jumping right into The Gleaning, and it takes off right where the first part left off. The reviewers copy I received wasn't interactive yet, so I got to read both of the main paths for the book, and I have to say that they were both pretty great...although I definitely had one that I preferred. I won't tell you which though because that might influence your decision...but no matter what decision you make for Lily and Logan...you won't be disappointed! I do suggest that you try them both out though...just to see what you might have missed. ;)As for the story itself, it was awesome! In this one we finally get the the Gleaning itself where the Daughters of the Light and the Sons of Darkness face off...and boy is it intense! We see what finally happens during the Gleaning, and before that we get some moments between Logan and Lily! :D I could definitely do with more of those, but I was satisfied with the ones I got...especially in my preferred version of the story. ;DWe get to learn more about Logan's past in this one, and we get to read some more of Lily's great-great grandmother Rose's Diary. Slowly, the mysteries of the Rognaithe prophecy are coming into place, and we're starting to get to see how Logan and Lily fit into it all. I love how Heidi R. Kling has started to reveal everything while also maintaining a lot of mystery for us...we know as much as Logan and Lily do, so we have to slowly piece it all together as they do. I've also definitely enjoyed getting to see Lily and Logan together...I just love them. I'm a total sucker for forbidden romances, and these two definitely have one.I just have to mention interactive stories themselves in this review, and I have to say that I love them! I'm so glad that Coliloquy and their fabulous authors are putting these together for us. I don't think I ever read any Choose Your Path books, but I remember playing games that had it...mostly Oregon Trail. I always loved the whole decision part, and I think it's fantastic that we get to experience it through these books. :D We get to help choose how Lily and Logan's story turns out, and if you want, you get to see how things could've been different. I just think it's a fantastic idea, and I like that it gives us readers a little bit of power in the story. :DI absolutely loved this book, and I can't wait to see what will happen with Lily and Logan next! I recommend The Gleaning and this series to anyone who loves magic, and to anyone who loves a forbidden romance. I'd also definitely suggest it to anyone who wants to try out an interactive story, and you can always check out each option and see how the story differs with the choice you make. :D
