Review Wednesday: The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco (#1)

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The Bone Witch #1 (trilogy)

Blurb:
"In the captivating start to a new, darkly lyrical fantasy series for readers of Leigh Bardugo and Sabaa Tahir, Tea can raise the dead, but resurrection comes at a price...Let me be clear: I never intended to raise my brother from his grave, though he may claim otherwise. If there's anything I've learned from him in the years since, it's that the dead hide truths as well as the living.

When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she's a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.

In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha-one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles...and make a powerful choice."

R&R Review Wednesday: The Witch Within Her by Nick Iuppa

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Taken By Witches #2

Blurb:

"SEXY, STUNNING, RELENTLESS HORROR
A possessed child is caught in a war between witches!

Spanning centuries of horror and witchcraft, the powerful sequel to Taken By Witches tells how Babcia Czarownica, the greatest of all witches, does battle with far more seductive members of her craft. She must confront a lustful priest, a predatory lover, a vengeful undead beauty, and the unspeakable evil hiding at the top of Rapunzel’s Tower... all to save her beloved grandson and his family from utter annihilation. And she must accomplish all this while sharing the body of an eight-year-old girl."

R&R Review Sunday: Taken by Witches by Nick Iuppa

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Stand alone to date

Goodreads Blurb:

"When he was a child, Niko Madonie was terrified of his over-protective grandmother. Somehow he know she was a witch possessed of overwhelming supernatural powers and determined to save him from the real and imagined dangers of the modern world. Now a successful writer in Hollywood, Niko is helping create and animated version of Hansel and Gretel while he struggles to protect his beautiful young wife from sexy, New Age witches who hope to sacrifice her to please the ancient crone.
This is an epic horror romance set against a background of legends, with complex villains, a magical young couple, and a storyline straight from the darkest pages of the Brothers Grimm."

R&R Review Thursday: Escape From Witchwood Hollow by Jordan Elizabeth Mierek (creepily intriguing)

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Goodreads Blurb:

"Everyone in Arnn - a small farming town with more legends than residents - knows the story of Witchwood Hollow: if you venture into the whispering forest, the witch will trap your soul among the shadowed trees.

After losing her parents in a horrific terrorist attack on the Twin Towers, fifteen-year-old Honoria and her older brother escape New York City to Arnn. In the lure of that perpetual darkness, Honoria finds hope, when she should be afraid.

Perhaps the witch can reunite her with her lost parents. Awakening the witch, however, brings more than salvation from mourning, for Honoria discovers a past of missing children and broken promises.

To save the citizens of Arnn from becoming the witch’s next victims, she must find the truth behind the woman’s madness.

How deep into Witchwood Hollow does Honoria dare venture?"

R&R Review Monday: The Novice's Journal by Lillian Nyato

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The Zoe Brown Trilogy #2

Goodreads Blurb:

"When the pentagram chain was presented into Zoe's world, it changed her overall perspective completely. She became a witch, which was the first of many journeys that she was forced to travel.
But now, the discovery of an old journal raises havoc. It triggers her to revisit her past, confront her darkest fears and deal with a difficult future.
Doomsberg is far from being safe and her family and friends are not spared from the heat.
As if that is not enough, matters of the heart betray her collected composure. She is torn between two suitors who affect her at different intervals. Both of whom are fighting to win her heart.
The Novices Journal is a journey that tests her patience, her courage, her willpower and her emotional stance.

In the process, tough choices must be made, ones that make her grow and others that make her suffer."

 

Review Tuesday: Trial By Fire by Josephine Angelini

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The Worldwalker Trilogy #1

Goodreads Blurb:

"This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying experiences that others in her hometown of Salem take for granted, which is why she is determined to enjoy her first high school party with her best friend and longtime crush, Tristan. But after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class, Lily wishes she could just disappear.

Suddenly, Lily is in a different Salem—one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruelest of them all is Lillian . . . Lily's other self in this alternate universe.

What makes Lily weak at home is what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. In this confusing world, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can't hope to shoulder alone and a love she never expected."

R&R Review Friday: Goodbye Normal by Lily N. Anderson

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Goodreads Blurb:

"Being a daughter, sister, friend and crush-sick with an ex-schoolmate, Zoe Brown is just another ordinary high school graduate. In defiance of coming from Doomsberg, a town that was once in history abandoned for witchcraft, Zoe has never believed in the craft. 

But when a magical pentagram chain defines her fate, the Never theory is put to rest. In the midst of Doomsberg Association of witchery, she witnesses a prophesy that has failed for 186 years pick her responsible for safeguarding her town against black magic witches. 

This fight is waged against the wrath of a vicious untraceable black magic humeleon (human chameleon) and his master, a powerless but immortal witch. Her chances of attaining victory are only viable by forming an alliance with the association's confined, ruthless and dangerous humeleons (the same ones that had caused massacre and abandonment upon her town)

Terrifying revelations, secrets and tough decisions succumb her small world. With that, her normal life is bid farewell."

Review:

Thank you so much to the author, Lily N. Anderson, for gifting me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I've been going through all of the books I've ever read and I don't think I've read one about witches.  At least, none that I recall - if you know one, let me know!  So because of that, I was going into this not knowing what to expect.  I really liked the plot overall.  Ms. Anderson did a very nice job introducing us to the world of witches.

Oh wait I HAVE read a witches series before!  How could I forget the Everwild series by Kayla Jo??  Hehe don't mind me...

Anyway, when I was reading the first couple of pages, it seemed like Ms. Anderson didn't really have her footing in the story and hadn't quite decided what exactly was going to play out and how to introduce that.  However, after the first 30 or so pages, it got so much better and cleaner and smoother.  The same goes for the dialogue.  In the beginning, it was pretty stiff and only improved slightly throughout the book.  Adding a few contractions would do wonders.

I also would like more explanations about the Humeleons (for some reason that confused me but it's probably just me).  Just in general, it seemed like events blurred together for me.

Other than all that jazz, I really liked the characters and the betrayal was an amazing part of the plot!  I absolutely loved the ending!  Not a cliffhanger, but not totally softened off either.

Final Verdict:

Goodbye Normal is a pretty compelling read with a nice plotline and well-developed characters.  Someitmes, I was unsure if the author was sure of herself and it showed in some stiff dialogue and a somewhat awkward beginning.  After the first few pages though, it all smoothed out into an amazing story with just the right plot points and twists to keep me interested.

3.5 stars

Deadlands by Kayla Jo

I'm sitting pretty between a 3 and 4 star on this.  I suppose I'll start with how I discovered this series.

*mind cloud* It all started a few months ago when I was cruising Amazon's free books.  I came upon a book by the name of Everwild written by the one and only Kayla Jo.  Because it was free I was like "what the heck" and bought it.  I was impressed by the storyline and such and decided to get the next one (Deadlands) and read it!  And here's where we collide with the present!  See my review of Everwild HERE.

This book was saved by the plot.  Without the amazing plot, I probably would have given it a solid 3 star, possibly even 2.5.  The writing was just so stiff!  I never got lost in the story, having to focus too much on making sense of the dialogue that sometimes didn't use contractions when appropriate.

Also, it seemed to me that the author kept forgetting how mature she wanted all the characters to be.  Especially Willow.  One minute, she'd be so deep and philosophical and the next, she'd be screaming and panicking because a bunch of birds blocked her way.  It was like she's incapable of thinking without Declan and even with him, she's pretty hopeless.  She was just so weak and squeamish!  EVERY LITTLE THING had her screaming and squealing and whatever else.  It got so annoying after a while.  Also, there were such obvious things that she couldn't reason out by herself!  Like how the Elves referenced "The Three" and Willow couldn't possibly fathom what THAT meant.

With all the aside, the rest was pretty good.  The plot was just excellent.  There were so many plot twists and adventure.  The ending was perfect as well.  Not necessarily a cliffhanger but it still made me want to read the next one!

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