Creepy Hollow #4: Masquerade by Rachel Morgan
Source: Purchase
4/5 stars

Nate is a rat bastard!!!! Masquerade opens with Violet having discovered Nate is a wretched, awful, rat bastard, traitor!! Oh, and Violet is seriously wounded from her encounter with Scarlett’s newly identified boss, Zell. The cherries on top of this fantastically awful sundae:

1)Zell is no ordinary faerie but a prince of the Unseelie Court
2)Not only is the rat bastard a Halfling, he is a Halfling with the power to control the weather
3)Ryn is the one to find Violet lying passed out and bleeding and . . . well, you’ll just have to wait for the and.

At this point, you just have to think Violet’s life can’t get any worse than it already is. But it can  Once Violet is firmly on the mend thanks to Ryn (what???) and his family, Violet is called into action by Ryn for a secret, non-Guild-approved mission. Ryn’s little sister Calla is missing and he needs Violet and her super power to help him find and retrieve her. Although Violet agrees to help she can’t quite figure out if Ryn’s new and improved attitude is because he needs help or if there is something else behind his mood swing.
The really nice thing about this installment is the backstory of Ryn and Violet and how they went from being virtually inseparable to enemies. The cause of the rift is a shared tragedy that has torn the two apart and has caused years of anger and animosity. But, the shared mission to save Calla allows time for Violet and Ryn to discuss their pas and their anger and begin to find a way back to the friendship they once had. This mini-plot is being played out within the context of the larger plot which includes everyone and their dog! The majority of this novella takes place within Zell’s mansion where Calla is being kept. After sneaking in to the mansion as masquerade guests, Violet and Ryn discover that Clla is not the only captive of the clearly deranged Zell and his minions. The plot the two guardians-to-be uncover is evil, cruel, and something that can no longer be kept from the Council.
Overall, I have very much enjoyed the first four installments of the Creepy Hollow series and am certainly looking forward to the continuation of the series. I like Violet, am starting to like Ryn, and am hoping that Nate is not truly as wretched as he appears to be at this point. Morgan has filled her pages with just enough description to be satisfying, lots of snarky conversation, and characters that are easy to become invested in. This series has a little bit of romance, quite a bit of action, and good strong plot line that is apparently going to continue for some time. YAY for readers on this last bit  Creepy Hollow is young adult friendly and would satisfy most adults who are looking for a quick, light paranormal read. ( )