Covet is a refreshing twist on the girl meets vampire theme

Tracy Wolff has been doing some serious worldbuilding. Her paranormal fantasy YA series started with Crush and moved into Crave, and now with Covet the adventures continue before the action comes to an end with the fourth book, Court, in September 2021.

Wolff’s series is one you’ll come to know if you don’t know it already. The movie rights were optioned by Universal ahead of the first book’s release, and for good reason; Wolff’s complex and thrilling story could be the next big fantasy series to sweep fans off their feet. Unlike Harry Potter or The Hunger Games, though, this tale starts with an impossible love story and then builds into an epic and complicated adventure.

Covet is the third book in the series. To sum up the first two books, human Grace is sent to Katmere Academy in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness after the death of her parents. The school is tucked away from prying eyes for a reason, as it’s the top school for creatures. All of the students are either vampires, witches, werewolves or dragons. Grace’s uncle is the headmaster and he’s also a warlock. Her cousin Macy is a witch.

Though the school and the students go to great lengths to keep Grace from realizing that the school isn’t at all what it seems, she quickly learns that creatures exist and that there’s a complex hierarchy to their world. It doesn’t help that the children of several ruling families attend Katmere, and it doesn’t help when she falls for the vampire prince Jaxon Vega.

Through the first two books, Grace and Jaxon deal with challenges that are thrown their way as soon as their relationship starts to come together. In the second book, though, Grace discovers that she’s actually a gargoyle and she’s the only member of her kind left (so she thinks), and Jaxon’s evil brother Hudson has taken up residence inside her head until he is able to come back to a corporeal form. By the end of the book, Grace challenges the vampire king (Jaxon and Hudson’s father) and wins, setting off a complicated series of events. And Hudson turns out to be her true mate, not Jaxon.

Still with me? (Yeah, imagine trying to summarize Harry Potter in three paragraphs or less)

Upon arriving in the third book of the series, everything is up in the air as Grace tries to sort out her relationship status while trying to figure out how she finishes high school and becomes a member of the Court. It’s a lot to process, and it doesn’t help that both Jaxon and Hudson have become very broody.

Covet has so many twists and turns you need a roadmap for this thrilling adventure

Wolff manages to take a school full of powerful creatures – something that’s been done again and again – and make it into something that’s wholly original. In her world, the balance of power between the creatures is on thin ice because there are age-old rivalries and hidden agendas and nothing is as it seems. There’s no reason any of the creatures should be getting along, but Grace and her friends seem to be a refreshing exception to the archaic rule.

As Grace and her close-knit circle of friends navigate this complex world, every mission ends up with some kind of side quest that must be completed because nothing is ever easy.

Covet highlights the bonds between Grace and her friends. Their friendship has been forged in the heat of great adversity, and even though they’re not of the same species they would protect each other with their lives.

Grace isn’t Bella Swan, and that’s important to note because Twilight comparisons abound with Wolff’s series when there’s really no comparison at all. Yes, they both start out with a human girl and a vampire guy, but Grace isn’t human – she’s a powerful gargoyle – and she has been thrown headfirst into a world she had no idea existed. That said, she’s not running away from it and shirking the knowledge that she has. Grace embraces her abilities and doesn’t turn away from anything. She’s strong and independent, and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to help the people around her.

Covet leads into another story that will be released later this year. It’s no secret that it’s the third book of the four-book series, so don’t be surprised when the ending arrives and there’s much more story to tell. That said, Wolff has demonstrated that she’s keeping track of the loose ends and how they tie into the greater narrative, so it’s safe to say the conclusion will be worthwhile.

Covet is available now.