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Merissa (11800 KP) rated The Beginning in Books

Dec 17, 2018  
TB
The Beginning
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
For a prequel novella, this book packs in a lot of information in a relatively short amount of time. Cecily is a 'royal' Witch but she is royally fed up with her life. She wants to live like a human but is being hassled to be the one who gives birth the one long awaited, the one who will save the witches. Unfortunately, this means that she has suffered through nine miscarriages. I don't mean one or nine relationships though. She is there as a brood mare, along with the other royal witches, until the Tenth is born.

She meets up with her friend, only to find out that the meeting was just a ruse to try and get her to continue. Hurt by the betrayal, she leaves and finds her way to a bar where the music tempts her inside.

Like I said, there is a lot of information in here that will delight and tempt you, and definitely leave you wanting to know more - about Cecily, about James, about the situation they find themselves in, about their world in general.

With no spelling or grammatical errors that I found, this was an enjoyable and quick read, perfectly leading on to the next book in the series - A Late Summer Bloom. Definitely recommended.

* I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
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David McK (3245 KP) rated Mort in Books

Jan 28, 2019 (Updated May 23, 2021)  
Mort
Mort
Terry Pratchett | 2012 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.7 (19 Ratings)
Book Rating
'Death comes to us all. When he came to Mort, he offered him a job'

An extremely early entry (#4) in [a:Terry Pratchett|1654|Terry Pratchett|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1235562205p2/1654.jpg]'s now-complete Discworld series (which spans 41 full length-novels), and the first in which the character of DEATH - HE WHO TALKS LIKE THIS - takes centre stage.

As this is an early novel, this is even before the introduction of DEATH's grand-daughter Susan Sto-Helit, even before the City Watch and (possibly) even before the introduction of The Witches - I say possibly as, although Granny Weatherwax has already put in an appearance in [b:Equal Rites|34507|Equal Rites (Discworld, #3; Witches #1)|Terry Pratchett|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1407706800s/34507.jpg|583611] there's a strong argument to be made that she is not the 'real' Granny Weatherwax.

This one does, however, introduce us to DEATHs flesh-and-blood horse Binky ('He'd tried skeletal steeds, but had got tired of constantly having to stop to wire bits back together'), as well as to some of the more memorable ancillary characters who continue to appear in his later novels, such as Albert, with a large part of that character's back-story filled in here.

It may not yet be up to the standard of the mid-series Discworld novels, but you can definitely see Pratchett's style continuing to evolve, with this an improvement on those that had come before.
  
OMG!!! Colin and friends are back once again to entertain and captivate and I must say that though I loved the first book in this series I Loved, loved, loved this one. Full of werewolves, vampires, witches and an adorable; well, I think it's adorable, fire imp. This author immediately pulls you in and entangles you in the story line with his witty reportoire and characters that you'll quickly fall in love with. This is a book you'll want to read over and over again!!
 
A MUST read!!

(I requested a copy for review purposes and made no guarantee of a favorable review. The opinions expressed herein are unbiased and my ow.)
  
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Vol 1: The Crucible
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Vol 1: The Crucible
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Robert Hack | 2016 | Comics & Graphic Novels
8
8.4 (11 Ratings)
Book Rating
First, I need to say, I have a serious problem with how long it took for all of the issues contained in this book to come out. The first issues did so well, then there was a long hiatus. I love Archie Comics, but it was a serious misstep by them.
Anyway, Chilling Adventure of Sabrina is a horror comic, and nothing like the more recent Sabrina stories. It's more like the first years of Sabrina, where she would torture mortals and all of that. It's a darker comic, and yeah, some of it is disturbing, but it's worth a read. I love how Betty and Veronica make a cameo as witches.
  
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Tracy Letts recommended Rosemary's Baby (1968) in Movies (curated)

 
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
1968 | Classics, Horror, Mystery

"“He was in Luther and Nobody Loves an Albatross.” “Ectopic pregnancy.” “Chalky under-taste.” “Tannis root.” “All of them witches.” “What have done to his eyes?” “He has his father’s eyes!” “The Year is One!” And that’s just off the top of my head. Movies are rarely as quotable as Rosemary’s Baby, and no other horror movie comes close. Of course, those quotes come from a screenplay, written by Roman Polanski, who was faithful to the novel by Ira Levin. The whole enterprise is both hilarious and unnerving, a combination that is hard to pull off. It’s one of those movies, should you stumble upon it while flipping channels, you just can’t turn off."

Source
  
Haunting the Deep (How to Hang a Witch #2)
Haunting the Deep (How to Hang a Witch #2)
Adriana Mather | 2019 | Young Adult (YA)
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Witches (4 more)
Magic
History
The Titanic
Girl Power
Welcome back to Salem and the Titanic
Contains spoilers, click to show
When Samantha Mather first moved to salem, she was the main suspect in a list of mysterious deaths of the original descendants. She thought it was over. And its true the death of the descendants were over, she had saved the coven, she had joined them and her dad had finally woke up.

But things can't stay good forever, elijah left, her dad wanted to move, and someone was trying to drag her and her friends to thr bottom of the ocean and keep them trapped on the titanic forever, can she stop the second horror before she gets trapped in the deep.
  
The Line (Witching Savannah, #1)
The Line (Witching Savannah, #1)
J.D. Horn | 2014
9
8.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Savannah is considered a Southern treasure, a city of beauty with a rich, colorful past. Some might even call it magical…

To the uninitiated, Savannah shows only her bright face and genteel manner. Those who know her well, though, can see beyond her colonial trappings and small-city charm to a world where witchcraft is respected, Hoodoo is feared, and spirits linger. Mercy Taylor is all too familiar with the supernatural side of Savannah, being a member of the most powerful family of witches in the South.

Despite being powerless herself, of course.

Having grown up without magic of her own, in the shadow of her talented and charismatic twin sister, Mercy has always thought herself content. But when a series of mishaps—culminating in the death of the Taylor matriarch—leaves a vacuum in the mystical underpinnings of Savannah, she finds herself thrust into a mystery that could shake her family apart…and unleash a darkness the line of Taylor witches has been keeping at bay for generations.



Ok so I have read a few books lately where a male is writing a lead female and have been so disappointed with them, not this time I loved the way Mercy is written I enjoyed the mix of supernatural and murder mystery plus the twists and turns. It was very well written and kept you wanting to read more even late into the night as it is now.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and really looking forward to book 2!
  
Rise (Spelldrift: Coven of Fire #1)
Rise (Spelldrift: Coven of Fire #1)
Sierra Cross | 2017 | Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
6
6.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
135 of 200
Kindle
Rise ( Spellsrift coven of fire book 1)
By Sierra Cross

I closed the door on magic long ago...the day it made me an orphan.

Ten years ago, the Coven of Fire sacrificed their lives--my mother among them--to hold off an overwhelming demonic force. Now it's back.

As a poorly-paid bartender, how can any of this be my problem? But Callie, another orphan of that battle, swears I'm the key to reviving the coven. And there's an incredibly sexy guardian stranded on my couch who's promising to help me stop the demons and keep the veil between the realms standing.

One problem: I've never been able to use magic. Our local bad boy warlock assures me I have the talent, but even if I did, we don't have enough witches to complete a coven. The only way to survive is to pull together this pack of magicborn misfits, who have more secrets than spells, into a makeshift coven.

Can we--three untrained witches, a sarcastic warlock, and an overly intense guardian--take back the city...before the Demongate falls and the forces that killed my mother destroy us too?




I found it ok! There were a few little annoyances like her constantly reminding you that Eric was the bad guy but overall it was ok. It had an interesting concept but not one that gripped you.
A little weak in places and a few times I got a little bored of reading the same kind of scene.
  
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
J.K. Rowling | 2014 | Children, Fiction & Poetry
10
9.1 (271 Ratings)
Book Rating
A great book for the start out bookworm and it's a classic for pretty much about anyone who's interested in witches, wizards, sorcerers and (most importantly) magic. A book with twists and turns that you can't put down. A fantastic novel. (0 more)
A whirlwind of mystery...
This book was one of my first ever books to join in my collection. An absolute delight to read and a fantastic fire starter to anyone who wishes to indulge in books more. J.K. Rowling makes sure to immerse you in a world which is parallel to our own and describes it so perfectly that it's been fuelling people's imaginations for years. A definite read for just about anyone, whether you're a bookworm or not you'll enjoy this!
  
The Witch (2015)
The Witch (2015)
2015 | History, Horror
7
6.3 (28 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Some genuinely chilling moments (2 more)
Authentic historical setting
Excellent acting
Period language can be a little hard to follow occasionally (0 more)
The most chilling thing about this film is knowing that it is based on historical records - that many of the things that happened were things that people of the time genuinely believed to have happened. Whether or not the witches or satanism was genuine is kind of irrelevant, as the true horror came from the consequences of believing in this stuff. The story follows a family who are torn apart by their own internal struggles of morality. It's an interesting piece that I don't think will appeal to everyone, but horror fans with an interest in history, or the occult may enjoys this.