HEXBOUND by Chloe Neill

They say absolute power corrupts absolutely. But it turns out even a little bit of magic can turn you to the dark side. That's why Lily has to learn how to control her newly discovered abilities and quickly, on top of avoiding the snobs who think they run her school, nursing a crush on a cute sophomore with a big, werewolfy secret and fighting the good fight with her best friend Scout as they take on Chicago's nastiest nightlife - including the tainted magic users known as the Reapers.

All that's even before Lily's invited to a private meeting with Sebastian. He's hot, he's powerful and he's offering to help her harness the magic flowing through her veins in a way that no one else can. He's also a Reaper. Lily can't help but be suspicious of his offer. But she also needs his help. It seems that the line between good and evil isn't quite so clear as she thought...

This is the second book in the Dark Elite YA series.

Lily Parker attends St. Sophia's. She's also an Adept, which is a teenager with magic. Hers is called firespell and was triggered by one of the 'bad guys'. She hangs out with other kids who can perform magic, and together, go up against the Reapers. Reapers are teenagers who refuse to give up their magic when the time comes.

She happens to have a crush on one of her fellow Adepts, though he has a furry problem that poses a bunch of complications for them. Still, their romance blooms a little more. And we get another dose of cool and sarcastic conversations between Scout and Lily.

In this installment, Lily also starts to figure out that her parents probably know about what she is. While Sebastian (a Reaper) starts to make her realise that not everything is black and white.

Hexbound is an interesting addition to this series. Although, I have to admit that I didn't enjoy it as much as Firespell, it still expands on Lily's talent, her life, poses some new challenges, and still manages to be fun.

Hexbound: A Novel of the Dark Elite, March 2011, ISBN 9780575095458, Gollancz Paperback