Annette's Book Spot: witches

Showing posts with label witches. Show all posts

Monday, October 19, 2020

Book Review: Practical Magic, by Alice Hoffman

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman book cover and review

I love the movie version of Practical Magic and have always wanted to read the book. I'm so glad I finally did.

I don't usually do this, but I'm just going to include the blurb, in case you don't know the premise: For more than two hundred years, the Owens women have been blamed for everything that has gone wrong in their Massachusetts town. Gillian and Sally have endured that fate as well: as children, the sisters were forever outsiders, taunted, talked about, pointed at. Their elderly aunts almost seemed to encourage the whispers of witchery, with their musty house and their exotic concoctions and their crowd of black cats. But all Gillian and Sally wanted was to escape. One will do so by marrying, the other by running away. But the bonds they share will bring them back—almost as if by magic...

The book has very much the same tone as the movie, and it was easy to picture Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as I read the story. The aunts were my favorite in the movie though, and I was a bit disappointed that, although they were introduced at the beginning of the book, they didn't appear again until the very end. In the movie, they were around most of the time.

It is a light-hearted feel-good story with a happy ending. Not your typical Halloween chiller/thriller, but I would still recommend Practical Magic as perfect for this time of year.

Published by Putnam, 1995
eBook purchased
244 pages

Rating: 4/5

Thursday, March 28, 2019

Book Review: Stain by A. G. Howard @aghowardwrites @jennybent @ABRAMSbooks

Stain by A. G. Howard book cover and review

I am pleasantly surprised by Stain. It is one of the best fairytale retellings I've ever read.

I'm getting tired of fantasy. Especially dark, ominous stories. So I had misgivings when I picked up Stain. But I had never read anything by Howard, and I wanted to.

Stain is its own story; a mashup of fairytales retold, which made it even more appealing. Even though you know the prince and the princess will eventually get together, you aren't sure how that's all going to play out. Howard includes The Princess and the Pea story at the end of the book, but I saw elements of Cinderella too. (Evil stepmother and stepsisters -- aunt and cousins in this case.) Although there is the bed of nails thing, and the prince needs to find her before he dies. Doesn't really matter. Just don't worry about what story this is supposed to be.

And about the Prince and Princess--Stain is full of peril and pain, but because it is written like a fairytale, you know there is a "Happily Ever After" (or, Hopefully, as Howard writes) in store for the ending. The characterizations are great--the evil characters are vile. And the heroes are...well, heroic! The writing is uplifting and compelling. At over 500 pages, I flew through Stain.

If I have to say anything negative about Stain, it would probably be that there are a lot of characters to keep track of. I did get confused once or twice, like, "now wait, who is that again??" But that's my own thing and might not apply to other readers.

Maybe Stain was just the right book at the right time for me, but I found it refreshing and fun. I'll be donating this to my high school library and can't wait to recommend it.

Published by Harry N. Abrams, January 15, 2019
Copy obtained from a freebie!
512 pages

Rating: 5/5

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Rowling, Tiffany, & Thorne

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child book cover and review

We are all desperate for more Harry Potter and the story of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was great but left me wanting...

Harry and Draco Malfoy's kids, Albus and Scorpius, are going to Hogwarts. Surprisingly, they become friends. When they decide to steal a time turner and go back in time to save the life of an old character, all hell breaks loose. Well, of course it does. Everyone knows you can't go back and change a huge event without serious consequences in the present. And Albus and Scorpius find this out very quickly. And then they try to undo what they've done.

You can probably guess this is a very exciting story. Fit for Harry Potter. But the writing, that of a play script, just didn't do it for me. I so wanted J. K. to just tell the story. Give me the descriptions of setting and characters. I wanted to feel immersed as I did with the other Harry Potter novels. But Harry Potter and the Cursed Child felt very superficial. Like I was being told a story instead of living in it.

I want more. I feel cheated. But I would still recommend Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to Potter fans. After all, it's the only game in town.

Published by Arthur A. Levine Books, 2016
Copy obtained from the library
327 pages

Rating: 3/5

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Book Review: The Hawkweed Prophecy by Irena Brignull

The Hawkweed Prophecy by Irena Brignull book cover and review

The Hawkweed Prophecy is a book about witches. If you like witch stories, this is a good one, even if a bit long.

The 100-year-old prophecy says that one of the Hawkweed sisters will give birth to the next queen. Raven Hawkweed is bound and determined that her daughter will be the queen, so she uses all her witchly powers to make sure her sister, Charlock, does not give birth to a baby girl. When she finds out that Charlock is pregnant with a baby girl, she switches the baby with another newborn. So Ember Hawkweed is a witch with no powers.

Poppy is a misfit. Weird things are always happening around her, and she feels responsible, but she doesn't know why these things happen. She and her father have had to move to new schools several times because of things that happen around Poppy.

When Ember and Poppy meet, an unlikely and serendipitous friendship occurs. And, we couldn't have a story without a boy. Poppy meets Leo, and for some reason he gets her. He doesn't think she's weird, and the attraction is strong. Then Poppy takes Leo to meet Ember, and Ember falls hard for Leo.

The Hawkweed Prophecy rambles a bit, especially in the middle. Poppy and Ember are building a relationship but it seemed like it took a long time, and things could have moved a bit more quickly. There really wasn't a need for Leo, but what's a teen book without a romance? The lore was interesting and the way the coven lived intrigued me. I felt sorry for both Poppy and Ember - both were obviously not happy living their lives.

The ending was exciting and sad too. At times the writing seemed like this one was more appropriate for younger teens, but I think fans of fantasy, especially involving witches will love The Hawkweed Prophecy.

Published by Weinstein Books, September 6, 2016
ARCobtained from the publisher
363 pages

Rating: 3/5

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Book Review: Seriously Wicked by Tina Connolly

Seriously Wicked by Tina Connolly book cover and review

Seriously Wicked is supposed to be light-hearted fun. And it is....but maybe a bit too light hearted.

Camellia is being raised by a witch that stole her from her parents when she was a baby. The witch is trying to make Camellia into a witch by teaching her spells. Camellia does NOT want to be a witch. And she doesn't want anyone to know that her "aunt" is a witch.

Her aunt is constantly giving Camellia chores to do, and most of them involve procuring bizarre ingredients for her spells. The latest spell is one that will summon a demon and allow her aunt to take control of the town. Camellia thinks this is dangerous, and although she tries to thwart her aunt's efforts, things turn out even worse than expected. The demon has possessed the guy who Camellia was just getting interested in.

One problem I had with the book is the repetition of "hells" which is Camellia's preferred curse word. I'm sorry -- but I got so tired of her saying this on almost every page. Really? Usually these things don't annoy me, but this went way to far. How could an editor let this be? (I am reading an ARC, so there's hope for the final copy!)

Seriously Wicked is silly. It's over the top. It is billed as "hilarious." A better term, at least for me, is "eye-rolling." You have to go into Seriously Wicked with a mindset that there's going to be totally crazy magic things happen that don't really make sense and aren't explained. This book is about the relationships between the characters, and the surprises are about those characters and who they really turn out to be.

Seriously Wicked is short and easy. I think that if you don't really expect to take things to seriously, and you want a little fun with witches, you may enjoy it.

Published by Tor Teen, May 5, 2015
ARC obtained from Library Media Connection Magazine
208pages

Rating: 2.5/5

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

DNF Book Review: A New Darkness by Joseph Delaney

I gave A New Darkness a good chance, but after reading 45% of the book, I was ready for the story to start, and it still had not.

Tom Ward is the main character, and I understand this is a character from Delaney's The Last Apprentice series. I haven't read those books, but everything I've read says it isn't necessary in order to enjoy A New Darkness.

Tom, a Spook, hunts ghosts and boggarts and other evil creatures and keeps the world (or at least his county) safe. A girl name Jenny convinces Tom to take her on as an apprentice, since she is a 7th daughter of a 7th daughter. It isn't customary for girls to be a Spook, but Tom agrees to give her a chance.

The first half of the book that I read isn't boring. There are some dangerous situations, and we get to know Jenny pretty well. But after reading that much, I think the main plot should be moving along a bit more. It seems the story is supposed to be about these evil creatures from the north called the Kobalos are taking over. Some young girls have disappeared and Tom and Jenny encounter one of the Kobalos mages and have quite a dangerous and almost deadly encounter.

Tom enlists the help of Grimalkin, who I understand is also a character from the previous series, to help figure out what's going on.

That's it. The rest is all background and character development. I also understand this book ends in a big cliffhanger, so obviously it must get more exciting at the end. But I just couldn't wait. You have to grab me and keep my attention better than Delaney did in the first half of A New Darkness. Please feel free to link your more positive reviews in the comments.

Published by Greenwillow Books, September 2, 2014
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
155 (of 352) pages

Rating: DNF

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Book Review: The House of Ivy & Sorrow by Natalie Whipple

What a fun book! I have mixed feelings about books about witches, but House of Ivy & Sorrow was delightful.

Maybe the author won't appreciate my adjectives (fun and delightful.) Yes, there's some tension and near-death danger, but still, the overall feel is fun. I hope that's what Whipple was going for.

Jo, our main character, lives with her grandmother. They are the remaining two members of the Hemlock family of witches. Someone cursed Jo's mother, and she died. Now, it appears that someone is after Jo and her grandmother. This someone has to be another witch -- a very dark witch.

I liked the take on how magic works. If you're going to cast a spell to get something, a payment is required. This might be losing one of your senses for awhile, or losing a fingernail -- depending on how much you are asking for.

Now, there is some gore. Because of the losing the fingernail stuff. And sometimes a hunk of skin. This was pretty much glossed over. The victim is in excruciating pain and in the next sentence we are moving on. I didn't think that aspect was quite dramatic enough. I really don't know if I could pull out my fingernail -- but it seemed relatively easy for these characters to do.

The magic is supposed to be kept a secret, but inevitably some mortals must find out. They are just way too accepting. It's like, "Really? You've got to be kidding!" Then it's, "OK. What do you want me to do?" Or, "What? I almost died?" Then, "OK. What's next?" But, I guess all that just adds to the lighthearted feeling of The House of Ivy & Sorrow.

I loved the characters, especially Jo. She makes some questionable decisions, but in character for a teen. Jo is strong, smart, and determined. A great heroine. The theme of friendship and "friends as family" is powerful.

Ultimately, The House of Ivy & Sorrow is a classic Good Against Evil story, but it's done well, and I enjoyed every minute with these characters. I think many of my teen readers, and even younger teens, will too.

Published by HarperTeen, April 15, 2014
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
368 pages

Rating: 4/5

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Book Review: Half Bad, by Sally Green @Sa11eGreen

Half Bad is an interesting take on witches and kept me rapt.

There are White Witches, which are the good ones, and there are Black Witches, which...well, you get the idea. These aren't Harry Potter witches. There are no wands and few spells. Well, there are some potions, I guess. Each witch is given a gift on their seventeenth birthday which can be powerful or weak.

Nathan, our narrator, is a Half Code. His mother was White, his father, Black. His mother is dead, and Nathan lives with his grandma and three half-siblings, who are all White. The council of the White Witches is afraid of Nathan. He's constantly being tested, and eventually his movements are restricted, and he loses his freedom. Since Nathan is the only Half Code, they have special plans for him.

Nathan is conflicted. He's never met his father who has a very violent reputation, but he wants to. Nathan doesn't feel like a bad witch, but he also doesn't want to commit to being White. There is a Romeo & Juliet aspect to Half Blood also. Nathan and Annalise are strongly attracted to each other, and of course Annalise is the daughter of one of the most influential White families. This gets Nathan into a lot of trouble.

Eventually Nathan is taken into custody by the Whites. I don't really want to say too much about the plot, but it's exciting. Nathan is constantly in danger and put into many situations in which his survival skills are tested. He is told to trust no one, but he meets a couple of friends who help him along the way, and also is assisted by some who really are not to be trusted. The ending of the book is definitely open -- Nathan is given an impossible task. So we must wait to see what he does about this in the next book. I'm eagerly anticipating it.

I really have nothing negative to say about Half Bad. I found it unique, which always helps. The writing is easy and the excitement builds as the plot moves briskly. I care about Nathan and want him to prevail. What more can you ask?

Published by Viking Juvenile, March 4, 2014
ARC obtained from Library Media Connection Magazine
386 pages

Rating: 5/5

Monday, October 14, 2013

Book Review: Witchstruck, by Victoria Lamb

I love stories about the Tudors. And when you add a little witchcraft, that can only make things better. Witchstruck adhered to the basic story of Elizabeth, the exiled princess, and her sister, Queen Mary, but added a supernatural element by making Elizabeth's friend and confidant a witch.

Meg is our first person narrator, and she's been asked to help assist Elizabeth during her imprisonment (by Queen Mary) in Woodstock Castle. Elizabeth has been accused of treason. She knows of Meg's special powers, and also uses Elizabeth's Aunt Jane to assist her to see the future and influence it if possible. Jane has been like a mother to Meg, and has also helped train her to use her powers.

A Spanish priest and his assistant, Alejandro, arrive at Woodstock to see that Elizabeth has changed her Protestant ways and is being a good Catholic. Queen Mary is going to marry a Spanish prince, thus making England a Catholic nation. Alejandro takes a special interest in Meg, and a very subtle, slow burning romance seems to be kindling.

Meg gets herself in trouble and is accused of being a witch because she refuses to marry Marcus Dent, who is a witch finder. Dent vows to have Meg tried and executed for being a witch.

There's a lot going on. I found Witchstruck to be constantly entertaining. There was always something new happening, and even though we know some of the historical story, it was just so much fun seeing things unfold paired with the witchcraft and the romance. There is danger too, but I never felt much tension. The atmosphere always seemed more light, maybe because I knew the witchcraft could always save the day.

Anyone who likes a good witch story should enjoy Witchstruck. And if you like your Tudors to include some magic, then Witchstruck is perfect. I'll be happy to point some of my teens to this story and the series. The second title, Witchfall will be available in March and it's going on my list for sure.

Published by Harlequin Teen, September 24, 2013
eARC obtained from Netgalley
320 pages

Rating: 4/5

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Book Review: Crown of Midnight, by Sarah J. Maas @SJMaas

Love, love, love. That's the first thing I can think of when trying to review Crown of Midnight. See that cover? Yea, it's perfect.

Celaena just goes after it in Crown of Midnight. She's the royal assassin, so she's at the king's mercy, but she's very clever, and tries very hard to do what is right. Crown of Midnight is all about her struggle to do that. She's out to save the kingdom, and possibly the world.

I read a review that said they didn't like Celaena because she never killed anyone. Did you read the same book? Yes, there were times when she didn't kill when she was supposed to, but she definitely killed to defend herself and her loved ones several times. There is no better way to describe Celaena but to say "kick ass." I loved the description of the fight scenes. I'd love to see Celaena on the big screen with her knives and swords!

There's some progression of the story too. We find out some pretty important things about the king, Dorian, and Celaena. There's more than just fighting -- there's a story here. And I can't wait to find out how it all is resolved.

And the romance -- ohhhhh -- that's not to be missed either. I loved the ebb and flow of the relationships and am happy about how things are going, even if all is not resolved.

I guess if I had to come up with something negative, I'd have to say that there's quite a bit of magic in this one, and since fantasy elements are my least favorite, it was a bit much. But that's only if I HAVE to come up with something negative. Otherwise, I wouldn't have mentioned it because it's really a personal thing.

Not only would I recommend Throne of Glass, I would highly recommend the 4 novellas that are prequels to that one. Then, you must continue with Crown of Midnight. This is definitely a must read series -- and I can't wait to continue to shove these books at my teens!

Published by Bloomsbury USA, August 27, 2013
eBook obtained from NetGalley
432 pages

Rating: 5/5