Review: A Rebel’s Path (The Enchanted Isles Book 3) by I.L. Cruz

Author I.L. Cruz summons another tense chapter of the Enchanted Isles YA series with A Rebel’s Path, her third electrifying installment. Between paternal revelations, impending royal nuptials, a resurgence of magic, and an urban legend come to life, the life of Inez Garza and the realm of Canto is as strange and exciting as ever.

Inez’s predestined fate of bringing magic back to the Enchanted Isles is a tall order, particularly since she has no idea how to achieve that seemingly impossible goal. Her powers have proven to be impressive, but difficult to predict and keep hidden, training in secret when she can. Unfortunately, when an ancient enemy returns to wreak magical havoc on the land, she may need to unleash those nascent skills, whether she can control them or not. Her ability to hide in the shadows unnoticed has essentially disappeared, and everyone wants a piece of her access, including the Jabberwocky and other dangerous denizens of the Underworld.

The Cat is a fascinating villain in this installment, mysterious and grim, like a nightmare come to life, puppeteering people to his twisted will, and his narrative connection to Inez makes for some delicious twists. Inez’s half-engagement to Zavier means that she has moved from top smuggler in the hidden market to unexpected princess, betrothed to the future king. Having to lie to her royal boyfriend also takes a toll on Inez, as she knows that her magical destiny also means taking away his family’s birthright.

This feels like a classic third installment of a fantasy series, steeped in a sense of culmination, or at least the revelation of confidence in the hero’s inherent abilities. Cruz has slow-built this series, and this book certainly has the feel of a payoff, without being predictable or formulaic. The details of Inez’s magical studies interspersed throughout the story also help to further solidify the magical rules and boundaries of the world, even though exceptions and anomalies abound. The historical relationships between Mythos, Canto, Faery, and the Outer Isles are also expanded on, gradually giving readers a full picture of exposition, rather than presenting all of it from the start.

While YA fantasy writing tends to be more declarative, demanding slightly less from readers than full-on high-fantasy literature, there is a simplistic aspect to Cruz’s storytelling that can occasionally feel like talking down to the reader. By this point in the series, readers should fully understand the illegality of Inez’s abilities, yet this is reiterated far too many times in different forms. Additionally, the descriptive language varies from rich and creative to idiomatic and unsurprising, as though some sections were carefully edited, while others were thrown together.

Overall, while there are some weak points in the writing, the plot is delightfully complex, yet easy to follow. A fast-moving plot and a cast of nebulous characters who exist in the grey space between good and evil make for a thought-provoking read that hums with tension. When it comes to YA femme-led fantasy adventures, Cruz has crafted something that truly stands out within the genre.