Five Stars for Madonna Lacy

Chrysalis by Madonna Lacy


Chrysalis is the name given to a child or a youth that symbolizes growth that is vital between adolescence and adulthood. That growth is as vital as the cocoon is for the protection of a caterpillar. It is that important time of nurturing and transformation that helps to create a protection or barrier for the caterpillar or person from harm. Chrysalis means emergent or awakening from one form to another. In this groundbreaking novel by Madonna Lacy, she incorporates the true meaning of what a Chrysalis is and what is stands for in relation to her character, Bree. In order to save her clan and her people, she must enter into another dimension or world. Bree was born a human but her family and clan are called Magicals. Born, as they related to her the Chosen One, or the one who is the strongest and most powerful of their clan or family, she soon learns that those closest to her are not what they seem.


But, this book says a lot more than most readers might see or know. This book brings to light many social, political and moral issues that everyone faces in every walk of life on a daily basis. In the world created by our author there are many different kinds of people: Humans, Magicials and those that are about to cross over and become Magicals from the Human side. In each of these classes there are others that comprise the classes such as whites, blacks, and those from different ethnic and countries whose beliefs might not match ours and their physical attributes are different but are still considered HUMANS. In the world of Magicals that the author relates to us there are The Chosen Ones, the Vampires, the Werewolves and Elves and More. In her world there is a hierarchy or order of power. Within this hierarchy there are those that rule on what is called the Council and they decide your fate in life and whether you are allowed to cross over and become one of them or you die. They even use the same initiation, as does a fraternity or sorority to join. It is almost like having to pledge and do certain tasks in order to be allowed in. Within this council there are those that sit and pass judgment on others and provide the guidelines and restrictions to families when children are born and they meat out the punishments on those who fail to comply. Imagine, they even punish those who chose to marry or co-mingle with anyone who is not of their race or Magical. They feel that mixing classes will yield inferior beings. This gives the reader reason for pause and what makes this novel so thought provoking and outstanding above the rest. Through the main character, Bree who is about to transform into the Magical world we see a character or a leader who believes as our President does, that it is time for change and although change does not mean we do away with rules and guidelines to run an efficient government or council, it does mean allowing others to choose their paths in life.


Take a circle and make it’s circumference able to expand at will. In the center of this circle place a young girl who will emerge from the center into someone so powerful and forceful no one and nothing can harm her or stand in her way. Imagine having this circle and its circumference reinforced with so many barriers and so much protection that no matter how anyone tries to break the force field they cannot. This child is born human but will soon become the leader of a very strong clan called the Magicals. In order to form a strong ring of protection around her and prevent other clans from invading her mind, her thoughts and her desires her family, four guardians and more protected her. Restrictions were placed on her every move and her life, as a normal child was limited to her home and her room. She could not wander the property or the land that she lived on and she was not permitted to go into her barn to ride the horses. She became enslaved in her own life because of her destiny: TO BE THE CHOSEN ONE.

What does that mean? According to author Madonna Lacy, Bree or Aubrey Campbell was born to be the leader of a powerful clan of vampires, werewolves and more. She would enter in a battle with her archenemy from birth, Esmeralda whose goal and that of others would be her demise.






Friends that she has had since birth are really not humans, but vampires and guardians who have been protecting her from death, harm and more. Bree’s family in order to protect her had her thoughts and memories of her past erased and kept her in her own private Chrysalis of cocoon in order to be safe from harm from the many clans that would want her destroyed and worse.

Bradley, Madelyn, Rick, Sandy, Bill and Gina and her true love Steven will help her embark on a journey that will be both terrifying and enlightening in order to try and mend the tear between the human world in which she lives and the Magical One which she must enter into and transform in order to save the world and her family.

Remembering her past life is where the book begins with her family and her friends trying to help her recreate her past and forge ahead to a future that not only holds danger but a renewed love with her very own Chosen One: Steven.

The author’s style of writing is unique in that she relates the events between the characters using interesting an colorful dialogue, dream sequences that allow the reader to enter the mind of the characters, and a Bree’s first person narratives that tell what she feels, is doing and remembers as her past life and memories come back to her. She is born human but must eventually turn into another being and form in a world of Magicals. She is to be the most powerful and have to share her body and soul with many. Imagine being able to fall for one man and being his true mate and yet having to mate with another man who is your other mate because you must lead your clan with him. Bradley, although mated with Madelyn must share her with Steven during certain times of the year, and Bree must share herself with Bradley. Even though she is totally in love with Steven, she has no choice but to be with Bradley too. The draw and pull between them is intense and what happens will totally mystify the reader. Being allowed to have, relations with another man, and not calling it cheating, would entice others in our society to think that was great and eliminate jealousy, angry wives and maybe crimes of passion.

Bree is beginning to chance and many transformations are happening to her. She has been listening to Odessa and she hears her words telling her the tests she must endure and what she must do in order to defeat her enemies and Esmeralda and the traditional who want her dead. Knowing that within her new clan many still resent her and want her not to succeed, Bree learns the true strength of her powers when on a hunt with the others and learns of Stacy’s encounter with a vampire. Without her help she would die and without being able to convince the others to allow her to try, she would surely loose more than face within herself and her clan.


As the meeting for the council and her final test comes near, she is placed in many dangerous situations that cause her harm. Just joining her family or clan for dinner proved poisoning. Just listening to the thoughts and entering the minds of others, as she is able to do, proved enlightening and dangerous. Just being close to certain people could cause her death, as Thomas demonstrated on many occasions since he is the one doing Esmeralda’s bidding and more.


Her test at the Council proved her loyalty not only to her family but her inner strength. Not about to adhere to the rules set out by the council at the start of the meeting, nor succumb to their devious plan for her demise, she shows, courage, fortitude, and intelligence and is quite diligent in her pursuit to defeat them and their true reason for bringing her there. Pretending to want to take her into their custody to help her transformation go smoothly and wanting to help protect her, Bree realizes that they have an entirely other agenda-one that would not only be catastrophic to her but to her clan as well.

Everyone belongs to a Clan or family. Everyone has the right to want to join a clan or family but must be accepted and must be of the right breed to belong. They must have crossed over or are going to want to cross over to become a part of their world. But, there are those that would prefer to still co-habit or marry a human who has accepted their ways and beliefs and understands their differences and how they must live in order to survive. They might even benefit from their longevity. These Magicals live much longer than be we and perhaps we need to find out their formula for long life and use it.

Choices: We all have choices and as Bree states:” Everyone has a choice and I will not let mine be taken from me. All my life, others have decided what would be best. I was not given a choice. I am now in control of my life and I do have a choice. My enemies dictated to my family how I must live. My family followed their directions, there was no choice.” Her family was afraid she would not be protected that they imposed restrictions on her that were unfair and often cruel.

Choices and the way a person lives should be left up to them. But, as we see in this book that is not always possible and the ending of this novel is really just the beginning for Bree, her clan and many others. We see her as the new leader of the Council, the true Chosen One. But, we do not see her transform or know what the rest of the council, Thomas or Esmeralda have in store for her future. The author leaves us definitely wanted more. Can Bree finally repair the cosmic tear that binds the mortal world she has know and the Magical one she is about to enter to prevent the demons from destroying it. She has to find those other demons that tempt the leaders of both worlds to the darker side and obliterate them.

Will she do this? Will she ever know peace? With the guidance of her grandmother’s friend Odessa, the love of the guardians, her future husband Steven, her other mates and her dreams into the minds of the evil characters and those against her, we can only hope she will rise above and win. But, her true metamorphosis has not taken place and she is still at this point in the cocoon or the chrysalis and had not truly awakened. It is time for change. CAN SHE DELIVER?

I give this book FIVE EMERGING CHYRSALIS AND FIVE RED STARS


Fran Lewis: reviewer