Olivia Shepherd is many things. Chiefly, though, she is two things. One, she is political consultant to Diana, who is on track to become the first woman president of the United States. Two, she is a witch: the latest in a long line of witches who oversee the Council, an organization that oversees world affairs and keeps evil at bay with their magic. But her two jobs intersect irrevocably when Diana’s political opponent is revealed to be wielding dark magic in his pursuit of the Oval Office.
With existence itself on the line, Olivia must end Stoner Halbert’s reign of terror before it destroys everything. Fortunately, she’s not alone. William and Josef, her two vampire lovers, are equally devoted to supporting her as she fights off werewolves and religious zealots. As the political race heats up, Olivia must also consider her place in the council, as her father encourages her to step up and take over.
THE CAMPAIGN is the third book in a series written by Evette Davis, and coming in late to any series can be a bit confusing. Fortunately, this novel stands alone well. It’s clear that there’s more to Olivia’s story—her discovery of her powers late in life, her complicated relationship with her father, and a string of old foes and battles—but what’s contained in these pages can work on its own. Davis blends open-door romance with political intrigue, balancing the two without Olivia and her two lovers’ romps getting in the way of the actual drama of the story. If anything, the romance creates a stable foundation amidst a turbulent plot.
While the story is well-told overall, it occasionally feels oddly paced. At times, something as big as a werewolf attack can nearly slip by entirely, tucked away in the middle of a paragraph. At other times, it appears that big things have happened offscreen that would have been exciting to witness firsthand. The final battle feels somewhat anticlimactic, and the last 50 pages of the book or so feel strangely leaden, even taking into account how many loose threads need tying up for the central characters. But even so, THE CAMPAIGN is a good read: an unflinching look at political extremism and the courage it takes to protect others during turbulent times.
In THE CAMPAIGN, Evette Davis brings a satisfying close to The Council Trilogy. Witchcraft, politics, and romance mingle in an exciting modern fantasy.
~Kara Dennison for IndieReader