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illusie's review
2.0
This feels like it was written for younger readers (teenagers) and wasn't for me. The premise is good though.
tmleblanc's review against another edition
3.0
My mind is reeling after reading The Witching Elm by C.N. Crawford. This novel is jammed packed with creepy supernatural creatures, a mysterious world that sits parallel to Boston and a coven of down-on-their-luck kids trying to save TWO worlds. It's a page turner to say the least! A page-turner that ends on a cliff hanger!
As you can tell, I really enjoyed The Witching Elm. My heart aches for Toby as he is forced to flee his home, Maremount, and make it in Boston, which bears some resemblance to his hometown. He's a true gentleman worrying about his family and his friends (new and old). He has a mission and is determined to save those he can. It's somewhat painful as he realizes that it may not be possible to save everyone.
There's a lot of fantasy and folklore woven into this story. There's a bit of Native American legends, the Salem Witch Trials and the Puritans, some stuff about The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne plus the world of Maremount has its own brand of magic. I often felt a bit overwhelmed trying to keep track of it all. The one character, Thomas, a professor at the local college, that I felt could have explained it all came and went from the story. I wanted the kids to spend more time with him or at least go to history class and learn more! However, an adult spewing information isn't the most exciting thing to read (or listen to) so I can understand why the kids kind of flew by the seat of their pants.
Can I just take a minute and state how creepy Rawhed and his band of supernatural creatures were? Holy smokes, my skin is just crawling thinking about it. Whenever the bone wardens were mentioned, I thought of the Antler Room from season 1 of Hannibal.
And that Redcap Toby and Celia raised from the dead looked nothing like the Redcaps I encountered while fighting crime in City of Heroes. Let's just say the author did a great job of creating some nightmarish creatures that sent shivers up my spine.
In short, I am giving The Witching Elm by C.N. Crawford a thumbs up. The book weaves a known history and known world with a new world in a fashion that compels the reader to keep reading until the end.
This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews.
As you can tell, I really enjoyed The Witching Elm. My heart aches for Toby as he is forced to flee his home, Maremount, and make it in Boston, which bears some resemblance to his hometown. He's a true gentleman worrying about his family and his friends (new and old). He has a mission and is determined to save those he can. It's somewhat painful as he realizes that it may not be possible to save everyone.
There's a lot of fantasy and folklore woven into this story. There's a bit of Native American legends, the Salem Witch Trials and the Puritans, some stuff about The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne plus the world of Maremount has its own brand of magic. I often felt a bit overwhelmed trying to keep track of it all. The one character, Thomas, a professor at the local college, that I felt could have explained it all came and went from the story. I wanted the kids to spend more time with him or at least go to history class and learn more! However, an adult spewing information isn't the most exciting thing to read (or listen to) so I can understand why the kids kind of flew by the seat of their pants.
Can I just take a minute and state how creepy Rawhed and his band of supernatural creatures were? Holy smokes, my skin is just crawling thinking about it. Whenever the bone wardens were mentioned, I thought of the Antler Room from season 1 of Hannibal.
And that Redcap Toby and Celia raised from the dead looked nothing like the Redcaps I encountered while fighting crime in City of Heroes. Let's just say the author did a great job of creating some nightmarish creatures that sent shivers up my spine.In short, I am giving The Witching Elm by C.N. Crawford a thumbs up. The book weaves a known history and known world with a new world in a fashion that compels the reader to keep reading until the end.
This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews.
raetracer's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really fun read. I loved the Boston setting, and the unexpected ways in which the characters used magic. I wish the ending was given a little more time because I felt like everything was happening so fast and I wanted resolution! Just have to wait for #2 I guess. :)
4tticb's review against another edition
3.25
It felt sooooo loooong. Even the last five minutes went on and on.
bigotterbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I was blown away by The Witching Elm!!! It is dark fantasy but so so good! The writing is tight and the characters almost leap off the page-they are very well done. C. N. Crawford is actually two people (see farther down this page for AUTHOR INFO) writing a book is hard enough but throw in collaborating with another person! This team of Christine & Nick really nail every aspect of the book: setting, characters, plot. It all works together seamlessly so well done on that.
As far as the book itself-the twist is the character of Toby Corvin is only hidden out in our world because he's fleeing from the dangerous magical war in his world. Maremount has evil, spells, talking ravens and a bunch of trouble from various vicious monsters. Toby wants to go home to be with his girlfriend; but the war in Maremount comes to Boston in a big, scary, deadly way. The race is on to save both worlds.
The basic plot of the book is fantastic and never stops. I enjoyed it very much-fans of the Sleepy Hollow TV show and Harry Potter will LOVE this book. 4 stars-obviously I was given a copy of the book but this is my own opinion of the work.
As far as the book itself-the twist is the character of Toby Corvin is only hidden out in our world because he's fleeing from the dangerous magical war in his world. Maremount has evil, spells, talking ravens and a bunch of trouble from various vicious monsters. Toby wants to go home to be with his girlfriend; but the war in Maremount comes to Boston in a big, scary, deadly way. The race is on to save both worlds.
The basic plot of the book is fantastic and never stops. I enjoyed it very much-fans of the Sleepy Hollow TV show and Harry Potter will LOVE this book. 4 stars-obviously I was given a copy of the book but this is my own opinion of the work.
maureensbooks89's review against another edition
4.0
In ‘The Witching Elm’ we meet Toby, a seventeen year old sorcerer. Toby has fled his own world Maremount after a dark and evil men tried to burn down his city. Toby finds himself in Boston where he soon meets new friends. But all Toby really wants to is going back home to his father, friends and girlfriend. But soon evil seems to follow him to Boston and together with his new friends he tries to survive.
‘The Witching Elm’ is a totally different book than I first expected it to be. There are a lot of dark and terrible things happening in this book and it’s definitely not a book for the faint hearted. But I really enjoyed it. This story is from the beginning very original and intriguing. We meet Toby in his world Maremount and soon he needs to run for his life. There is no slow intro in this book. From the very first page there is action and I found myself intrigued with the magic, the powers, the ghosts and the legends. Not only is this book filled with action and magic, it almost feels like you’re getting a history lesson.
The characters are very enjoyable but somehow I feel like they are just a little extra. The powder on a cake! They are nice to read about, but the world and the magic in this book feel somehow way more important to me. I even felt myself hoping that there would be more talk about the history of King Philip and less about what the characters where up to.
Don’t get me wrong, Toby is a nice main character and his relationship with Fiona is really nice to read but the world C.N. Crawford created is just even more interesting.
What I meant in the beginning of this review about this book not being for the faint hearted, was the way this book has a lot of details about terrible deaths and I can imagine people being spooked about reading them. Not for me though. Because this book was not so soft and a little dark I liked it even more. I was definitely fascinated by all the different beings and magic.
I can definitely conclude that I really enjoyed this book. I was a wonderful read and never got boring. And the ending just makes you want to read more and more.
‘The Witching Elm’ is a totally different book than I first expected it to be. There are a lot of dark and terrible things happening in this book and it’s definitely not a book for the faint hearted. But I really enjoyed it. This story is from the beginning very original and intriguing. We meet Toby in his world Maremount and soon he needs to run for his life. There is no slow intro in this book. From the very first page there is action and I found myself intrigued with the magic, the powers, the ghosts and the legends. Not only is this book filled with action and magic, it almost feels like you’re getting a history lesson.
The characters are very enjoyable but somehow I feel like they are just a little extra. The powder on a cake! They are nice to read about, but the world and the magic in this book feel somehow way more important to me. I even felt myself hoping that there would be more talk about the history of King Philip and less about what the characters where up to.
Don’t get me wrong, Toby is a nice main character and his relationship with Fiona is really nice to read but the world C.N. Crawford created is just even more interesting.
What I meant in the beginning of this review about this book not being for the faint hearted, was the way this book has a lot of details about terrible deaths and I can imagine people being spooked about reading them. Not for me though. Because this book was not so soft and a little dark I liked it even more. I was definitely fascinated by all the different beings and magic.
I can definitely conclude that I really enjoyed this book. I was a wonderful read and never got boring. And the ending just makes you want to read more and more.
hobbes199's review against another edition
4.0
A fabulous start to a highly imaginative, eerie, and humorous new fantasy saga.
As a huge American History buff, I jumped at the chance to be part of this tour for ‘The Witching Elm’ by C.N.Crawford. Set between the town of Boston and it’s ‘mirror’ Maremount, this opening book of new fantasy series ‘Momento Mori’, and it’s a doozy!
First off, there’s absolutely no way of telling that this is written by two authors. I’m dubious of co-written novels as I’ve fallen foul of them in the past; it’s often obvious that there are two different voices and the narrative fails to gel properly. Thankfully, in ‘The Witching Elm’, that’s not the case, and it’s clear that Christine (C) and Nick (N) write beautifully as one.
Full review here:http://ifthesebookscouldtalk.com/2015/02/05/the-witching-elm/
As a huge American History buff, I jumped at the chance to be part of this tour for ‘The Witching Elm’ by C.N.Crawford. Set between the town of Boston and it’s ‘mirror’ Maremount, this opening book of new fantasy series ‘Momento Mori’, and it’s a doozy!
First off, there’s absolutely no way of telling that this is written by two authors. I’m dubious of co-written novels as I’ve fallen foul of them in the past; it’s often obvious that there are two different voices and the narrative fails to gel properly. Thankfully, in ‘The Witching Elm’, that’s not the case, and it’s clear that Christine (C) and Nick (N) write beautifully as one.
Full review here:http://ifthesebookscouldtalk.com/2015/02/05/the-witching-elm/
hazel_reads's review against another edition
3.0
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review (Lovers of Paranormal). Tobias is from a parallel world where only the wealthy can learn to read and do magic. Tobias was taught these things in private so he could defend himself against the harvesters. Sent to our world to escape, Tobias is trying to find a way home, and a way to stop the harvesters once and for all. But, he's running out of time, because the harvesters are here. I would've given this 4 stars, except for the fact that the kids didn't even question that magic was real. I get that they are teens, but there was no disbelief or anything. It just wasn't believable to me. That said, I did enjoy the book. I will probably read the next in the series.
kmalexander's review against another edition
4.0
There are two Bostons. One exists in our world, the other is call Maremount a duplicate city created by Algonquian and English philosophers during an event referred to as the Great Schism. For generations these realities have existed separately, but when the violence of a Maremount civil war bleeds into our realm the people of Boston are forced reckon with these strangers from another place.
The Witching Elm is an incredibly detailed and well researched dark YA academy fantasy. The book follows a group of classmates attending the prestigious Mather Academy who are thrust into the center of the conflict when a mysterious young man suddenly appears at their school overnight.
I appreciated the variety of characters (my favorite is Thomas) and as a history fan I loved the depth and detail given to Boston and New England history. It’s the little particulars that help The Witching Elm shine. With an epic ending, and a lot of surprises along the way, I’m not only a fan, I’m looking forward to the next installment.
The Witching Elm is an incredibly detailed and well researched dark YA academy fantasy. The book follows a group of classmates attending the prestigious Mather Academy who are thrust into the center of the conflict when a mysterious young man suddenly appears at their school overnight.
I appreciated the variety of characters (my favorite is Thomas) and as a history fan I loved the depth and detail given to Boston and New England history. It’s the little particulars that help The Witching Elm shine. With an epic ending, and a lot of surprises along the way, I’m not only a fan, I’m looking forward to the next installment.
kcrosswriting's review against another edition
4.0
This was really a lovely book. I'm actually pretty excited to read more about it, since it's pretty obvious by the end of this book that this will be a series, or at least have one more book. There were two definable twists that I really didn't see coming, and I really enjoyed that aspect.
I've never been to Boston, but loved all the history that was part of it. It was really well put together and written. My only complaint (and it's literally my only one because I loved the story) is that the ending was a bit disappointing, just because it bopped around a lot and I never got a good grip on what was really happening. I felt like a lot was missed, and happened way too fast, to really feel oriented in the moment.
But the fast ending didn't really pull away from my overall impression that it was just a great story.
I've never been to Boston, but loved all the history that was part of it. It was really well put together and written. My only complaint (and it's literally my only one because I loved the story) is that the ending was a bit disappointing, just because it bopped around a lot and I never got a good grip on what was really happening. I felt like a lot was missed, and happened way too fast, to really feel oriented in the moment.
But the fast ending didn't really pull away from my overall impression that it was just a great story.