Book Review: A Discovery of Witches

A Discovery of Witches
By Deborah Harkness
A Discovery of Witches #1
Hardcover: 579 pages
Viking Penguin
February 2011
Categories: Fantasy, Witches, Historic
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My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩ |3/5|

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

This book started out with so much potential; Diana is a powerful witch that refuses to acknowledge her powers. She is a strong, take no nonsense female lead and I fell in love with her almost instantly. Let me tell you though-- my love sadly did not last long. As soon as Matthew comes into the picture, ugh. Let's back up a bit-- I'm getting a bit ahead of myself.

Diana was born to a family of witches dating back to Salem in the 17th century. She is full of magic, but she has chosen to shun her own abilities. After the death of her parents as a child, Diana has been scared of being a witch. In turn, she has chosen a life of historical research, leading her to Oxford and the Bodleian Library that houses thousands of ancient manuscripts. In the process of doing research for her alchemy paper, she comes across a book that is full of magic. After opening the book, she returns it to its proper place in the library. Little does she realize, she has unleashed a shit-show of magical creatures upon her small England town. Not only witches felt the magic that she released, but daemons and vampires as well. As they all begin to show up at the Bodleian, so does a powerful vampire that immediately draws her attention.

Matthew. Matthew is an ancient vampire, powerful and dangerous. At first, I liked his character; I honestly thought he was the typical cocky, sarcastic, lovable male. Well, let me tell you. I had SO many issues with his character, not to mention the ensuing relationship between him and Diana. He is pushy, bossy, and a complete asshole. When I say asshole guys-- I can take a lot when it comes to male characters. I thought Cardan from the Cruel Prince was kind of lovable next to Matthew. His complete dominance of Diana makes me want to vomit. The fact that she completely changes as soon as he comes into the picture left me baffled. One minute, she was all, "Vampires are dangerous. I hate magic. Leave me alone." The next moment, she was alone in a car with him, going to yoga. Her 180 left my head spinning. I really never understood their insta-love and where it came from.

The entire story was their relationship and the effects that it had on the supernatural population. That's it. Both of our main characters chose to be selfish and chaos ensues. Don't get me wrong here, I understand that people should be free to love whoever they want to love, no questions asked. That's really not the part I'm talking about when I make the statement, both characters chose to be selfish. There were multiple scenes, minus spoilers, that our leads chose themselves over family and friends. The safety of others involved never concerned them, and this pissed me off to no end. Not to mention the fact that Matthew made the decisions for a group of people that he obviously cared little for. If he was questioned about the choices he was making, he basically threw a toddler style temper tantrum and his show of dominance was nauseating. Ok, end rant.

Honestly, I really did enjoy the world and the array of supernatural creatures that we get to meet throughout the story. The plot-line itself, outside of the relationship, was rather intriguing. I liked the mystery of this secret manuscript and the implications it had on the entire supernatural community. The ending was written well enough to make me want to read the rest of the series. Will I rush on finishing them? Absolutely not!

Book Review: The Bone Witch

The Bone Witch
By Rin Chupeco
The Bone Witch #1
Hardcover: 432 pages
Sourcebooks Fire
March 7th 2017
Categories: Fantasy, Witches, Historic
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My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ |4/5|

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.

I really enjoyed this story, but I understand why it is not for everyone. There is a huge divide when reading reviews for The Bone Witch; people either love it or hate it. I am of the former category, but I am also a huge fan of world-building. My inner history nerd was all aquiver with the cultural knowledge bomb that is life as an asha. Asha are the magical equivalent of Geisha girls, and this world is rife with Japanese culture. The Asha are adopted into a house at a young age, taken care of and trained, and when they are old enough to make their 'debut', their debts to their house are paid back through performance fees. It is a strange concept, and one that I am not overly familiar with. I enjoyed learning more about the culture and their way of life.

Tea is our main character, and she is the youngest dark Asha in the kingdom. Dark Asha is the proper term for a bone witch, one dealing in death and darkness. A huge majority of the population is afraid of her abilities, but the other Asha revel in them. Her ability to call the Dark is the only way to defeat the daeva, a dragon-like creature that plagues the continent. There was once a great curse placed upon the land. Every ten years, seven daeva rise from the dead and wreak havoc across all eight kingdoms. They are powerful, destructive creatures and their rise can result in the ruination of the world. Tea is a flawed character; vulnerable to the darkness and the feeling of calling it into herself. The Asha have no choice but to begin her training; the only other bone witch in the land is dying.

"There is no greater strength than the ability to understand and accept your flaws."

I fell in love with the characters in this story; their flaws and weaknesses only making them more complex and developed. The twists and turns, especially that one at the end, had me questioning my own sanity! I enjoyed Tea's drive to want to change the world however she can. Her petition to allow male Asha, as well as her want to find a way for bone witches to call the Dark without destroying themselves in the process. The fact that she doesn't accept things that she thinks are wrong is one of my favorite traits of hers. She wants to find a way through problems, not just around them.

"Then perhaps we should carve a world one day where the strength lies in who you are rather than in what they expect you to be."

My greatest issue with this book was the way that women were treated as trained puppets. It made me nauseous at times, reading about the way women were treated by men. The Asha exist to entertain rich men; they are taught from a young age to sing and dance for them, and while they are paid well and taken care of to do so, ugh. It just frustrated me. I understand that was the author's point, but there were certain situations throughout the book that made me cringe.

"Our opinions do not matter, and if you have to swallow your pride to keep them happy, then so be it."

Whuuuut?! I feel like I absolutely would not have survived in this world! My filter-free mouth would have gotten myself into heaps of trouble, dealing with people that subscribed to these views. All in all, I really enjoyed this story. The world was fantastically written and described, the characters were beautiful and flawed, and the story line flowed smoothly. I'm happy I own the second book, The Heart Forger because that ending was INSANE though, Miss Chupeco! I wasn't ready!

<3 Morrighan

Book Review: The Wicked Deep

The Wicked Deep
By Shea Ernshaw
Standalone
Hardcover: 308 pages
SimonPulse
March 6, 2018
My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ✰ |4.5/5|
Categories: Fantasy, Urban Legend, Paranormal
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Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow… Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town. Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under. Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into. Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters. But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.

This story begins the telling of a legend of three sisters, accused of witchcraft and being drowned by an entire town in the 19th century. The urban legend feel to the tale drags the reader right into the town of Sparrow from page one and refuses to release its hold.

"The townspeople of Sparrow found the sisters to be much more; they believed them to be witches, casting spells on the men to make them unfaithful. And so at the end of June, when the moon was nothing but a thin shard in the overcast sky, stones were tied to the sisters' ankles, and they were dropped into the ocean just beyond the cape, where they sank to the bottom and drowned. Just like the ship they arrived on."

The town of Sparrow reminds me of these backwards towns that still exist throughout America-- small minded folk that think that anything different is dangerous. Every year, the three Swan sisters return from the depths of the ocean to exact their revenge. Their vengeance comes in the form of drowning young, teenage boys. It almost feels like the town of Sparrow celebrates them-- maybe that is their way of accepting the crimes of their ancestors? The 'Swan Season' seemed peculiar-- throwing parties and hosting parades during this three week long time of death.

"The knowing of what's coming, the death that creeps up over the town like fate clawing at the door of every shop and home. I can feel it in the air, in the spray of the sea, in the hollow spaces between raindrops. The sisters are coming.

Each sister takes over the body of a young girl, and no one but our main character seems to know who is possessed. Tourists pour into the town and watch morbidly as boys' bodies are pulled from the water, lifeless and bloated, yet with smiles on their faces. Thus begins yet another witch hunt for the possessed girls, because the first one obviously worked so well.

This book was so strange, yet I found myself sucked into the world. The darkness rippling from the pages held my attention to the point that I finished it in one sitting. Penny is our main character-- she lives on an isolated island right off the coast of Sparrow, Oregon. Her family life is falling apart; her father disappeared during a Swan season three years prior, and her mother has gone mad in his absence. Penny knows that she will never have a future; how could she leave her mother alone on the island to seek out her own dreams of college?

At the annual Swan party to kick off the season, Penny meets Bo. She is drawn to him and trusts him instantly. Bo is looking for work and Penny needs help on the island. She offers him somewhere to stay and food in exchange for his help manning the lighthouse. What she doesn't know is why this outsider is here in Sparrow at the time of the Swan season. It seems an odd coincidence. The story follows Penny and Bo, their strange relationship, and the insane killings that occur during the Swan season. I loved it. Every twist and turn, every morbid detail that surrounds this insane town and its even more insane reactions to this yearly season of murder.

Magic is a tricky thing. Not easily measured or metered or weighed.

The only reason I cannot bring myself to give this book the full five stars it may deserve is the massive amount of prejudice throughout the story. It made me grind my teeth more times that I can count. I understand that was the point of the author but it got to be a bit much at times. Other than that, I HIGHLY recommend giving this book a read! It is a highly atmospheric tale of vengeance, love, and loss that will leave the reader questioning their sanity.

<3Morrighan

Trial by Fire - Josephine Angelini

Trial by Fire
By: Josephine Angelini
Series: The Worldwalker Trilogy
Hardcover: 374 pages
Published: September 2, 2014
By: Feiwel & Friends
Rated: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

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.

I forgot how great an author Miss Josephine Angelini really is. I fell in love with her Starcrossed Series, but I haven't read anything from her since. This book was wonderful in all of the ways that count. The world building was phenomenal, especially the alternate worlds where witchcraft is more accepted than science. The alternate world that Lily finds herself in is so backwards in their views, yet the perfect mixture of modern and old world. I felt connected to Lily almost instantly; after reading only the synopsis, I had a haunting inclination that she would be one of those whiny protagonists that are full of self pity. That was not the case at all, thankfully. Lily is a strong, stubborn female character. Tristan's character is more complex, and I thought at the beginning of the story that he would be much more than he turned out to be. I wasn't a big fan of him, but his friendship with Lily always came first, and for that, I don't completely despise him. And then there is Rowan. Sigh. Rowan is my book boyfriend for the week..(: He is a strong character, willing to sacrifice himself and everything he loves to keep Lily safe. This story really did hook me from the beginning and I put off sleep far longer than I should have to read one more chapter. I'm sure all of my readers know exactly what I mean when I say that. The plot line is rather twisted, and there were more than a few surprises thrown in. The underlying meaning behind the story is also something that is important to me. It is not just a tale of witchcraft and alternate worlds, there is a point behind the story that shines through and I found myself falling in love with Miss Angelini's writing style more and more as the story progressed. I recommend this read to everyone and anyone- definitely one of my favorites of the year!

“The people who love you will guide you like bright lights into the other worlds.” -Josephine Angelini

"She didn't have many options. She could pretend to be Lillian and try to escape later, or tell the truth and hope they would let her go. If they knew she wasn't the girl they all seemed to hate, then maybe they would realize that they had no reason to keep her locked up in the first place. 'I'm not Lillian. Please, you have to believe me', Lily begged. She heard Rowan make a scoffing noise and desperately raised her voice to be heard over him. 'I'm a version of Lillian'."- Josephine Angelini

Connect with Josephine Angelini: JosephineAngelini.com; Twitter; Goodreads

Tags: Josephine Angelini, witches, paranormal urban fantasy, book reviews