RETURN FIRE

Cassie Arroyo returns in the sequel to Moving Target (2015).

In the previous book, the 12-year-old white Cuban-American was studying in Rome and found her life abruptly changed when someone tried to kill her. Now she’s bound to the Spear of Destiny (in the first book introduced as the Holy Lance of Longinus), and with that comes the possibility of shaping the future. Cassie used this power to save her father’s life but lost the spear when her best friend betrayed her. This duology closer picks up where Moving Target left off. Cassie is still running for her life, but she must recover the spear in order to undo the unintended chain of events that will take place as a consequence of saving her father’s life. Yet there is another way to undo those events. Rather than having someone choose the future, the doors of destiny can be opened, “allowing all possibilities to exist and for free will to once again roar like a fire.” Unfortunately, a death is required to release destiny. How far will Cassie go to release destiny? And, will she figure out the right thing to do? Gonzalez balances these weighty questions against action effectively, keeping the pace from flagging. Readers will root for Cassie and stay with her to the nail-biting end.

A satisfying end to this plot-driven adventure.