A review of: The Mudpie (Elemental Superpowers 3)

In the realm of superpowers, things are seldom what they seem and this is certainly true when it comes to Mitchell's and Whip's experiences in 'The Mudpie' by A.J. Llewellyn and Serena Yates. Brought together by work, these two couldn't seem more opposite, but as I said, looks are deceiving. As it turns out they complement each other very well and both have secrets which help but also complicate their lives. Their goals are to nurture a fledgling relationship, unravel dark secrets from Mitchell's past, combat monsters, family, untangle mysteries about malfunctioning superpowers, and learn to wrestle without killing each other and much more. It sounds like a picnic, right? No it's not. It's a life and death struggle. Mitchel and Whip try to stay together, but the odds are against it.

Mitchell is my favorite character in this story. He's very responsible and obviously stronger emotionally than he thinks he is. Even though he is constantly fighting flashbacks from abuse caused by his mother, he's cared for his younger, invalid sister whose condition was also caused by his abusive mother. With some encouragement, he decides to visit a fortune teller, for a soul retrieval, to try and rid himself of the emotional turmoil he's in. This starts him on an emotional roller coaster both in real life and in an alternate world. His new job as a PR person for a wrestling company propels him even deeper into this other world, where he finds out that things, including his idea of who he is, are drastically altered. Almost everything he's believed to be true is, in fact, not, or at least not as he's always perceived them to be; everything also seems to have more than one side to it. The contradiction between both worlds has him reeling, but, considering the circumstances, Mitchell manages quite well. In my opinion, Mitchell is a hero who is able to put aside his doubts, step up to the challenge, and succeed in his mission.

Whip 'Mudshark' is quite a guy! He's a star wrestler and plays the part well. He's strong, self-confident, and his favorite desert is mudpie, no surprise there. When he meets Mitchell, he is charmed right away. His fear is that he will frighten Mitchell away with his secret identity. Whip is an Earth Mage. He's a powerful member of the Earth House of superpowers, in charge of all things earthly, especially mud. When things start to go haywire, Whip suspects foul play, but even with his powers, he is having trouble keeping Mitchell safe. It gets particularly confusing when Whip's alter ego appears seemingly hell-bent on destroying Mitchell. Whip is determined to find out why and calls in some old friends, to help: Daine and his partner, Phillip, Finn and his partner Ty, plus other personalities from the first two books in the series, all of whom play a part in resolving the mysteries and deceit and set things right.

'The Mudpie' is an amusing, tongue-in-cheek, but sometimes quite serious fantasy love story. Whip and Mitchell are loving, hard to handle, handsome, and dedicated young men, whose characters mesh extremely well. The story, although multilayered is well-written and the characters, as absurd as they may seem to be, jump out at you. Even though they are fantastical, they seem like genuine people. They are complicated, as any good mage would be. Even the villains are interesting in a twisted sort of way. And, as in all the other stories, my stomach growled with the mention of all the delectable goodies offered by Daine and his bakery. This story can be read alone, but will be so much enjoyable and less confusing, if you read the first two books before reading this one. I recommend this book to anyone who appreciates a good mystery story, full of magic and adventure, handsome, talented men, and marvelous mud pies. Thanks, A.J. and Serena, for another wonderful supernatural adventure.