The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea

Sparks concludes her Embraced by Magic series (after How to Love Your Elf) with a tidy if uninspired fifth volume focused on stubborn selkie Maeve, the last of the five Embraced sisters to fulfill her destiny and find true love. While Maeve’s sisters—now all queens of the lands of Aerthlan—focus on their spouses and families, 20-year-old Maeve embarks on a quest to the island kingdom of Moon and Mist. She hopes to reunite with fellow shape-shifter and love interest Brody—who, due to a curse, can only maintain his human form for two hours each day—and to investigate rumors of a magical army being raised by the remaining members of the mysterious and deadly Circle of Five. A visit to the Seer, the hermetic old man who raised Brody, offers new insights into the players in the struggle for power over Aerthlan. Brody and Maeve spend too much time separated tying up the series’ loose ends to convince readers of their compatibility. This indifferent love story is best suited for series completists. Agent: Michelle Grajkowski, 3 Seas Literary. (Sept.)