In this fourth entry, angel Zachary and wolf-boy Kieren join forces with an eclectic group of students at Scholomance Academy to face down their demonic instructor and the very hounds of hell. Smith recalls her entire cast of uniquely imagined supernaturals and expertly weaves their stories into this installment, incorporating just enough details from previous books to bring readers up to speed.

Gr 9 Up-Lucifer is up to his evil tricks again. This time he is corrupting the souls of innocents under the guise of a reputable boarding school in Vermont. When Miranda, a redeemed vampire in Penultimate (limbo/weigh station for ascending souls) discovers that her friend Lucy has enrolled at the evil Scholomance Academy, she asks her love and former guardian angel, Zachary, to investigate. He enlists the help of his friend Kieren, a werewolf, and his girlfriend Quincie, a vampire. Along with the other students at the academy they quickly find themselves up against pure sadistic evil. Told from the alternating points of view of the four main characters, this captivating story combines action, suspense, and romance with just the right touch of humor to keep it entertaining. A great finish to an original and satisfying series. Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY

A werewolf, a guardian angel and a former vampire princess take turns narrating the fourth in this smart, playful series that began with Tantalize (2007). Miranda renounced her blood-sucking ways in 2009's Eternal and has since been stuck in limbo at a hotel called the Penultimate somewhere between Earth and Heaven. From there, she keeps tabs on her best friend, Lucy, and is dismayed to see her arrive at Scholomance Preparatory Academy, a boarding school in rural Vermont that may be a place of great evil. She sends word to her soul mate, the guardian angel Zachary, who sets out with werewolf/human hybrid Kieren and his girlfriend Quincie to investigate the matter. A blend of romance, action and horror, this distinguishes itself from the crowd of paranormal teen fare with the employ of plenty of camp and a healthy dose of dry humor, as in this passage where Zachary attempts to prove his angel status to Lucy: " 'Demons have scaly, dragonlike, clawed wings,' I counter. 'Not gleaming, white, eagle-like...pretty wings.' That sounded lame. Luminous is the word Quincie uses. I should have said that." However, the pacing of this installment drags in places, particularly in the sections narrated by Miranda, so far in remove from the main event. This flaw aside, fans of the first three will thrill to this latest. (Paranormal romance. 14 & up)