"Danger, dread, mystery, and romance" ( Booklist ) continue in the second book of The Pledge trilogy, as Charlie's reign is under siege from the most unusual of enemies. At the luminous conclusion of The Pledge , Charlaina defeated the tyrant Sabara and took her place as Queen of Ludania. But Charlie knows that Sabara has not disappeared: The evil queen's Essence is fused to Charlie's psyche, ready to arise at the first sign of weakness. Charlie is...