The Lovely and the Lost, by Page Morgan

Page Morgan's The Lovely and the Lost is the second novel in her Dispossessed series. I found her first installment, The Beautiful and the Cursed, a little over-ambitious, but fans of Morgan's elaborate mythology and huge cast will be pleased to hear that her second book is just as jam-packed as the first.

Both novels are set in early 20th century Paris, where aristocratic siblings Ingrid, Gabby, and Grayson Waverly are attempting to make sense of their new lives. Twins Ingrid and Grayson are struggling to control the powers they've inherited from their mixed demonic-angelic blood, while fully-human Gabby is hoping to use her talent for swordplay to join the secretive group known as the Alliance. Meanwhile, poor, overworked Luc, the family's magical, shape-changing gargoyle (...no, really) is doing his best to protect them all—and keep his forbidden love for Ingrid hidden.

Once again, Morgan's imagination outpaces her storytelling. This series features six main characters, a huge supporting cast, and a complicated, made-from-scratch mythology. That's a lot to squeeze into 353 pages, and too much is lost in the shuffle: the historical setting is an afterthought, Gabby and Grayson's respective love affairs are given short shrift, and intriguing minor characters (including a half-spider demon boy who accidentally kills his parents by spinning them into cocoons) disappear for most of the story. The only characters who are depicted with depth are Ingrid and Luc, but I found it tough to sympathize with either one of them. (Ingrid irritated me by alternately pining for Luc and throwing herself into the arms of her backup love interest, and Luc irritated me by being in love with stupid Ingrid.) On the upside, Morgan's stuffed-to-the-gills writing style ensures that her story is never boring, and I'm sure supernatural romance fans with a higher tolerance for tortured love triangles will enjoy Ingrid and Luc's mutual soppiness.

Review based on publisher-provided copy.