Tag Archives: audiobook

Book Review – Witch Myth: Wildfire, by Alexandria Clarke

I picked up an Audible code for a free copy of Witch Myth: Wildfire, by Alexandria Clarke. The cover looks Christmasy, even if the blurb doesn’t. So, I’d meant to read it over the Christmas break but never got around to it. So, I listened to it on Twelfth Night as I took the Christmas decorations down.

When a 16-year-old girl disappears from her hometown without a trace, stumping the local police force, the only person who has any hope of finding her is her older sister, Kennedy. The siblings share an otherworldly bond, which leads Kennedy to the peculiar, deserted town of Yew Hollow. Kennedy soon uncovers a coven of witches, a tragic secret, and something that she never knew about herself. When her number one priority is her little sister’s safety, Kennedy’s decision to stay in or leave Yew Hollow is the hardest one she’ll ever make.

As I said, I picked this up because the cover made me think it was a Christmas story. But it isn’t. It’s set in October and ends long before December. I suspect that if I took the time to look, I’d find that this isn’t the cover the book always has, but that the author changed it to catch the seasonal readers. I feel a little manipulated by that, if I’m honest. (Of course, doing that would require figuring out the naming convention of having two books…maybe series…named Witch Myth and even Witch Myth: Wildfire, explicitly. I’m confused.)

I thought this was ok. Not fabulous, but not complete trash either. But I wouldn’t call it a cozy paranormal mystery. Paranormal, yes. Mystery, yes. But there is very little cozy to be had. So, don’t go in expecting anything the cover or subtitle leads you to expect. Yeah, still feeling a little manipulated over here.

All in all, I liked the characters, and the writing was mechanically fine. But the story feels like a spin-off, the characterization is on the simple side, and the book ends on a cliffhanger at exactly the point it feels like the actual story (as opposed to all the setup) looks to actually be starting.

Lastly, the audio production and narration were only OK. Several words were oddly pronounced. Let me rephrase; a lot of words are mispronounced. And there is the occasional noticeable blip in the smoothness of the narrative, where you could tell it has been spliced together. Both of these yanked me out of the story when they happened.

So, all in all, not a real winner for me. But mostly, it just didn’t catch and hold my attention. I think those who like the genre will enjoy it.

Other Reviews:

Book Review: Night in His Eyes, by Emma Alisyn

Leave a reply

Night in His Eyes (by Alisyn Fae/Emma Alisyn) was featured over on Sadie’s Spotlight some time back. So, when I saw a chance to nab an audio code for a copy, I took it.

A war of Fae Houses. A Prince waking from darkness. A woman drenched in his blood.

Prince Renaud, my mother’s killer, is waking. The Court has not felt the full weight of an Old One in centuries, and it’s my fault.

I am Aerinne Capulette, Lady of House Faronne, and I will have my vengeance against House Montague and Renaud. But despite the ground war I’ve led since I was a child, we remain locked in bloody stalemate.

If the Prince takes the field against us, he will rip from my mind the secret that will shred any hope for peace, or victory.

He will kill me if he discovers the truth. . .

. . .sweet, foolish child. Your death is not what I desire. I have not waited, watched, and planned for centuries to let something as petty as a halfling girl’s vengeance keep me from claiming what is mine.

To protect you, and to ensure my reign, I will bend you to my will. I will slake this obsession with your blood and tears, and I will yield you to no one.

Let your House protest. Let my Court look aghast. They are nothing.

And you—you are my anchor.

We may be enemies, but your hatred only seduces my darkness.

I’m torn about how I feel after listening to this book. On the one hand, it sets up an interesting world with interesting characters. I especially appreciate the mixture of Europeanesque fae lore with Kenyan culture and characteristics. Plus, the writing (and the narration) are perfectly functional.

On the other hand, the events of this book don’t seem to be anchored into any identifiable, over-arcing plot. I’ve finished it now, and other than the lust between the two characters, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE PLOT WAS OR WILL BE GOING FORWARD. And that’s a pretty big deterrent when thinking about continuing into the next book and beyond.

I also don’t particularly consider it a romance. The power imbalance prohibits it. I sense this might be addressed at some point. But as of the end of this book, one is powerless because the other holds all the power in all situations.

I am undecided if I will continue the series. Maybe if I come across a free copy of book two, I’ll read it, but I can’t see putting any effort or money into acquiring it.

Other Reviews:

Book Review: The Shadow Order, by J.S. Malcom

Leave a reply

Somewhere around the internet, I picked up an Audible code for a copy of J.S. Malcom‘s The Shadow Order.

Either I defeat the monster or I become the monster.

As if being locked up in the crazy house wasn’t bad enough, I wake up to discover that the person I trust most in the world just morphed into a bloodthirsty monster. My only chance for escape comes in the form of two women calling out from within a shimmering tunnel. So, it’s either stick around and get murdered or jump through some kind of portal.

I take the option that doesn’t involve dying and find myself ushered into an ancient society of witches. I’m given a choice: I can either go it alone and take my chances or join their magical training program. The problem being I didn’t even know I had magic, never mind the kind that can open a doorway between realms. But that’s exactly why I’m being hunted by a Fae demon looking to settle an old score. Now, I either find a way to defeat him or he’ll be using my magic to bring in the rest of his kind. If that happens, it won’t only mean the end for the world of witches. It’ll mean the end of the world.

This is very clearly a spin-off of something else. Because the reader is just as clearly expected to know some of the characters and the world. Plus, there comes a point where the story, from, what I assume is the previous books, is reported from one character to another. I did not know it is a spin-off.

I have not read the previous series. I did not know the characters. I did not know the world. That means I spent almost 9 hours listening to a story about people I didn’t know or care about in a world that had no limits or explanations. Further, I couldn’t even tell you with any certainty if Amaya or Cassie was supposed to be the main character!

It’s probably unnecessary to now say that this was a 100% flop for me. I think that even if I had read the previous series, I would have given this, at best, a 3-star rating. It’s just too based on a confused girl accidentally doing things and people reacting to it. Nothing felt as if it was moving toward any end-point. The ‘training’ was unbelievable, and…again…random. Which just makes the whole Shadow Order a joke. I do not think I would have enjoyed it, even if I hadn’t been uninvested. Amy Hall did a fine job with the narration.