Beast by Bill Bennett

Palace of Fires, book 3. Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9780143783824.
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Beast is the third instalment in the Palace of Fires series and follows the empowerment of a previously average girl to the leader of Cygnet, an organisation of white witches trying to keep the dark forces of the Two Evil at bay.
Doomed by a distant relations' pact with the Two Evil more than two hundred years before, Lily's life, like that of all those who came before her, is tormented with the knowledge that someone is coming for her and her line. After unsuccessfully interrupting Lily's initiation in the previous book, Baphomet is turning their focus inwards as they try to apprehend Kritta, the vicious witch now in possession of Lily's Book of Light. Without the book and Angela, Cygnet is significantly weakened and it is almost time to strike. With agents poised to bring chaos to more than half of the US with Ganglia, it's up to Lily and her agents to stop them, but first, Lily must got to Japan to complete her training and realise her full power.
While slow in places, Beast picks up towards the end when the mystery of the Baphomet witch who killed Lily's mother starts to unravel. With a whole host of characters, this book presents a diverse range of characters inhabiting the space between good and evil. KJ's true nature shines through and despite having committed patricide in the previous novel, he risks everything to do make things right.
I would recommend Beast for readers of the previous novels, Initiate and Unholy, and those interested in the fantastical battle between good and evil.
Kayla Gaskell