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Jun 30, 2014forbesrachel rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
In the first volume, Curses! Foiled, Aliera caught a glimpse of another world, and a life more dangerous, and purposeful, than the estranged one she lives in. Her classmate and many others turned out to be magical creatures, many of whom seek to cause trouble. Now, it is up to her to use her fencing skills to foil their plans again. Reluctantly, she takes up her magical sword, one that only the Defender of Faerie can use. On top of the troubles caused by her duties, Aliera continues to struggle with the normal teen ones. Unfortunately, to the world, she has become even stranger, and she desperately wishes this was otherwise. Trust becomes a particularly difficult issue, as some friends turn out to be foes, and some foes are actually friends. If she is to have any hope, she will need to overcome this, especially in regards to Avery. A wry sense of humour, along with the sarcastic dialogue between these two keeps the tone lively. At the moment they may clash, but clearly they compliment one another. Each character's face "says it all", and is a vital contributor to this tone. The style's defining signature continues to be in the lack of colour. The colourblind Aliera can only see it when magic gets involved, so the same applies to us. Curses! Foiled Again expands on the already brilliant first volume. Teen girls will find Aliera a girl they can relate to. She is no hero, but she has the fortitude to see things through.