The Immortal Realm by Frewin Jones

This is a continuation of The Faerie Path series.

In this fourth book, Tania has finally started to make peace with her magical heritage and has shown the world of Faerie to her mortal parents. Life finally seems to be setting down, except that not all is well in Faerie; first children start to get sick and die. Then the illness spreads. In a place where disease is unheard of and death rarely happens, panic grips the entire realm. Soon Tania is on a quest to find the cause - and cure - before the Plague destroys her family, friends, and the place she has grown to love.

This book continues the series very well, bringing in some new characters while maintaining the ones from the previous volumes. Some of the plot felt overly complicated, but it may just be that it's been too long since I read the first three books. In fact, I was a little surprised to discover that there was a fourth book - the end of the third was a bit abrupt, but all of the loose ends that had carried through the first three books were pretty much tied up - and this book introduces another plot that will span at least one additional book. I would recommend this book to readers who really enjoyed the first three and are looking for more.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: The Two Princesses of Bamarre, Wicked Lovely, or The Elemental Masters series

The Magic and the Healing by Nick O'Donohoe

BJ Vaughan is having a rough time - her mother's recent suicide has disrupted her concentration and, even though she's almost done with vet school, she isn't sure that she'll be able to finish. Her perspectives begin to change when one of the professors invites her to join a selective large animal rotation. In the class, she and her fellow students are introduced to Crossroads, a parallel world that intersects the 'real world' where the veterinary students encounter challenges that they had never imagined. They must learn to practice medicine with little access to information on the physiology or treatment of unicorns, griffins, or centaurs, among others. As each of the students discovers that the world is a bit larger than they believed, BJ must face her fears and discover whether or not she is willing to accept a new view on her own reality.

Unlike most fantasy books, this one is very strongly rooted in reality - the experiences of the students are told with explicit description of veterinary examinations and procedures. At the same time, the book is about the people as much as it is about the medicine. The story focuses primarily on BJ and her struggle to make difficult decisions in her life, although, personally I didn't feel all that sympathetic even though her character is well developed. Perhaps this is partly because some elements of the story seemed predictable, even from the start. The narration of the story actually switches between the students and the king of Crossroads (Brandal) which is a little confusing at times and is never entirely resolved even at the end of the book. Overall, even though the book had some issues, they were relatively minor and didn't detract from the story. I would still recommend this book to readers, especially those who enjoy 'real world' fantasy books.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Dragonhaven, Dark Lord of Derkholm, or The Wish List