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grexcarolinii's review against another edition
3.0
This book, much like the first, made for a nice and somewhat easy read. It is probably more of a 3.5 read than just 3!
The writing here and there felt a little bit simple? But it wasn't terrible by any means.
And overall, though the plot itself seemed slow, there was enough going on with Merry and Leo, but also with the introduction of new characters.
The writing here and there felt a little bit simple? But it wasn't terrible by any means.
And overall, though the plot itself seemed slow, there was enough going on with Merry and Leo, but also with the introduction of new characters.
odettebrethouwer's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely freaking loved this! I loved the first book, [b:The Witch's Kiss|29984535|The Witch's Kiss (The Witch's Kiss, #1)|Katharine Corr|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1461438941s/29984535.jpg|50384983], and I'm so glad the writers kept on doing their amazing job, no second book syndrome here!
The main character is just as kick-ass as in book 1, there is A LOT of girlpower in this book. But at the same time,it is very easy to relate to Merry because she does little stuff like tapping her leg with her phone while thinking about what to type in a text. And her whole attitude towards, well everything, is quite similar to what I think I'd feel in such a situation.
Oh, and there is a lot of action and cool stuff going on and GOSH I just love this series!
The writers are two amazing ladies as well, really sweet, and I highly recommend you to follow them on social media. They were also so lovely to send me a SIGNED COPY of this book, which surprised me a lot when it came in the mail ^^
I cannot wait for the third book, but Katherine told me it wouldn't be out until March 2018, so i have to be patient.. In the meantime, I can try to convince you all to read this series ;)
The main character is just as kick-ass as in book 1, there is A LOT of girlpower in this book. But at the same time,it is very easy to relate to Merry because she does little stuff like tapping her leg with her phone while thinking about what to type in a text. And her whole attitude towards, well everything, is quite similar to what I think I'd feel in such a situation.
Oh, and there is a lot of action and cool stuff going on and GOSH I just love this series!
The writers are two amazing ladies as well, really sweet, and I highly recommend you to follow them on social media. They were also so lovely to send me a SIGNED COPY of this book, which surprised me a lot when it came in the mail ^^
I cannot wait for the third book, but Katherine told me it wouldn't be out until March 2018, so i have to be patient.. In the meantime, I can try to convince you all to read this series ;)
emhromp's review against another edition
3.0
ik vind m echt super tof, stoer en met veel humor, maar voorspelbaar.
katrina26's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
whatischellereading's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Still reeling from losing Jack, Merry is having to get used to working with the coven, adopting their rules for magic as well as keep up with school. Meanwhile, big brother Leo is dealing with him own heartbreak of losing best friend Dan as well feeling cast out by his family of witches despite his part in defeating Gwydion in the spring. When witches from the coven begin to go missing Merry must once again put herself at risk to save those she loves.
I’m so glad we get to see more of Leo in the second part of the Witch’s Kiss series! My heart is breaking for him as he is already facing backlash regarding his sexuality, he lost his best friend and everyone around him is a witch except for him! I’d definitely be feeling it too! So when mystery man Ronan comes on the scene you can’t help but keep your fingers and toes crossed that Leo will find some happiness! I’m still warming to Merry, at times I find her infuriating that she doesn’t think along the same lines as me and feels like she misses some really obvious hints as to who is taking the witches! I mean, I clicked a few chapters before she did! Come on Merry, you’re smarter than this! I’m loving the introduction of wizard teen Finn who seems determined to help Merry despite the long standing dispute between witches and wizards – I feel like he will surprise us in book 3!
Still very much enjoying the series thus far and cannot wait to dive into the finale, The Witch’s Blood!
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Homophobia, Kidnapping, and Murder
novelbloglover's review against another edition
3.0
Book Review
Title: The Witch's Tears
Author: Katharine Corr & Elizabeth Corr
Genre: YA/Fantasy/Paranormal
Rating: ***
Review: So, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Witch’s Tears and the Witch’s Kiss ended smoothly with minimal loose ends so, I didn’t know what to expect from this book although there were a few things that I wanted to happen. This novel takes place almost three months after the events of the first book and it has had lasting effects on both Leo and Merry driving a huge wedge between the siblings as they both try and pretend they are moving on with their lives. However, a mysterious presence in their garden and a report on a new murder have Merry wondering whether she is going to stumble across something magical again. Merry is also part of the coven now and this comes with endless lessons, rules and regulations she must follow as a witch but Merry doesn’t seem to be able to conform to the way other witch’s practice magic making it incredibly difficult and slow for her to learn anything new.
It doesn’t take long for things to get interesting again especially when Merry’s grandmother tells her that witches and wizards across the world have been dying in strange circumstances lately but Merry doesn’t want to be involved until Leo is attacked by his old friend Simon for being gay. This literally infuriates Merry and she is out for blood but manages to reign it in at the last second, but she is intrigued by the boy who brought Leo home the night of the attack; Ronan. With a huge strain on their relationship, her distance from her friends and her new reluctance to be around her grandmother and the coven because of her new abilities, Merry feels more alone that ever before.
As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, we learn that Ronan is a wizard and has taken quite an interest in Leo, however, there is something else going on as everyone in the house especially Leo and his mother are being affected by something that makes them irritable by they chalk it up to too much magic and not enough sleep but Merry feels that there is something larger at work. Merry also is distrustful of Ronan because her grandmother warned her that wizards aren't trustworthy but considering she knows her gran has been lying to her, I wasn't sure myself who could be trusted. Despite being part of the sisterhood Merry has never felt more alone especially with Leo distancing himself from her and starting a relationship with Ronan. We also get perspectives from both Leo and Merry and we see them really struggling to accept what happened with Gwydion and how they fit or don't for into the magical community. Despite seeking like a nice guy something Ronan says gives me a really bad feeling and it is a mirror of the story her gran had told her earlier in the novel. The atmosphere isn't helped by insomnia and the nightmare that plague both siblings but, Leo seems to be coping better since he met Ronan, but this isn't the case for Merry. Merry also seems to be losing control of her magic again but not for the same reason as before. This time she hears a voice in her head which causes her to lose focus pouring her emotions into a spell which did more damage than good as it was intended to.
As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, Leo is content with his new relationship with Ronan and even begins to repair his relationship with Merry. However, things get bad when they turn up at their grandmother's house only to find it trashed and they also find blood. Despite their numerous efforts to contact Elinor turn up nothing but Merry knows she is alive and now she has to figure out who is behind the attacks and why her gran was targeted. During this time the coven turn Merry down at every opportunity because her gran isn't there to vouch for her, but it seems whenever something goes wrong Ronan seems to appear soon after like he knows where people are going.
When more wizards including Finn appear that are Merry and Leo's age the witches don't take kindly to them despite them being like royalty. As her grandmother who supposed to help and protect Finn, in her absence Leo's mother decides to look after him instead much to the irritation of Merry but he seems far too cocky for his own good. While a million different things buzz around Merry’s especially now she grabs the file containing all relevant information to the murders that have been happening from her gran’s safe, thinking it might all be connected. I really liked how the first book centred on Merry but in this one she takes a back seat to Leo allowing us to get to know him better. It also allows us to see how Leo a non-magical person has dealt with being thrown into situations he is qualified or prepared to be in. It also begins to highlight the jealousy of non-magical people and the way the magical people hoard the power they have, even Merry is guilty of this.
As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, we have seen hints at some actions but nothing significant apart from gran’s disappearance has happened. Things do get more dramatic when another witch goes missing and this time it is Flo. In order to find her and her gran Merry asks Finn to help her with a blood ritual and all he asks in return is a kiss and Merry agrees. When they present their evidence to the coven the temporary leader is furious but Merry felt like they weren't doing anything, and they weren't to be honest. In her rage Merry unleashes a burst of magic that injuries Finn and covers a surrounding tree in glass. When Finn investigates the tree, they find the mutilated body of Flo and in her grief Denise, Flo’s mother blames Merry and her unnatural way of performing magic for her daughter's death and this is the second death that Merry has experienced recently and they may be more as she can feel her grandmother is only barely holding onto life. Merry is desperate for the coven to do something to use the information she found to bring her gran home and restore the balance in the coven. Merry also feels isolated because she defeated a centuries old dark wizard and now the coven seeks to hide her away and shut her out of all the important decisions, but it is something that Merry won't stand for especially where family is concerned.
While the coven is trying to track down Elinor’s location Merry begins looking for who or what took her and in her gran’s file she finds a description of a creature that takes human form but in order to survive it has to steal magic from witches and wizards. From the description of the magic stealing process in the file Merry discovers it is the same way Flo and the others were killed. As she has been isolated from the coven she asks Finn for help if she finds out where the creature is hiding, and he agrees. We also get to see a romance developing between the pair, but we know relationships between witches and wizards are prohibited so this might not work out for them. I also had the sinking feeling that the creature might be Ronan and that would be devastating for Leo as Ronan has helped him move on from Dan's death in the previous book.
When her gran is found Merry is more determined than ever to find out what happened to her, but she has to wait for her gran to wake up. However, one of the other coven members let's slip that there was a body found with her gran of an ordinary boy that could be Ethan from earlier on the novel. She also gets numerous warnings to stay away from Finn despite not seeing a reason for doing so with the exception of one incident he has been kind and caring towards her even when she tried to push him away he stayed by her side with neither Leo or the coven has done.
In the final pages of the Witch’s tear we are treated to some proper action which this book has lacked for the majority, but it presents us with a new conflict for the Witch’s blood, I believe the 3rd book is called and it also sets up a rather nice love triangle but not in the way everyone thinks of it. However, I do worry what the events of this book is going to do to Leo given how much he has gone through will he snap or will he by some miracle be able to pull through it all. While this book did feel a bit like a filler book I do highly recommend the first book and can’t wait to get into the final book when I can.
Title: The Witch's Tears
Author: Katharine Corr & Elizabeth Corr
Genre: YA/Fantasy/Paranormal
Rating: ***
Review: So, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Witch’s Tears and the Witch’s Kiss ended smoothly with minimal loose ends so, I didn’t know what to expect from this book although there were a few things that I wanted to happen. This novel takes place almost three months after the events of the first book and it has had lasting effects on both Leo and Merry driving a huge wedge between the siblings as they both try and pretend they are moving on with their lives. However, a mysterious presence in their garden and a report on a new murder have Merry wondering whether she is going to stumble across something magical again. Merry is also part of the coven now and this comes with endless lessons, rules and regulations she must follow as a witch but Merry doesn’t seem to be able to conform to the way other witch’s practice magic making it incredibly difficult and slow for her to learn anything new.
It doesn’t take long for things to get interesting again especially when Merry’s grandmother tells her that witches and wizards across the world have been dying in strange circumstances lately but Merry doesn’t want to be involved until Leo is attacked by his old friend Simon for being gay. This literally infuriates Merry and she is out for blood but manages to reign it in at the last second, but she is intrigued by the boy who brought Leo home the night of the attack; Ronan. With a huge strain on their relationship, her distance from her friends and her new reluctance to be around her grandmother and the coven because of her new abilities, Merry feels more alone that ever before.
As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, we learn that Ronan is a wizard and has taken quite an interest in Leo, however, there is something else going on as everyone in the house especially Leo and his mother are being affected by something that makes them irritable by they chalk it up to too much magic and not enough sleep but Merry feels that there is something larger at work. Merry also is distrustful of Ronan because her grandmother warned her that wizards aren't trustworthy but considering she knows her gran has been lying to her, I wasn't sure myself who could be trusted. Despite being part of the sisterhood Merry has never felt more alone especially with Leo distancing himself from her and starting a relationship with Ronan. We also get perspectives from both Leo and Merry and we see them really struggling to accept what happened with Gwydion and how they fit or don't for into the magical community. Despite seeking like a nice guy something Ronan says gives me a really bad feeling and it is a mirror of the story her gran had told her earlier in the novel. The atmosphere isn't helped by insomnia and the nightmare that plague both siblings but, Leo seems to be coping better since he met Ronan, but this isn't the case for Merry. Merry also seems to be losing control of her magic again but not for the same reason as before. This time she hears a voice in her head which causes her to lose focus pouring her emotions into a spell which did more damage than good as it was intended to.
As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, Leo is content with his new relationship with Ronan and even begins to repair his relationship with Merry. However, things get bad when they turn up at their grandmother's house only to find it trashed and they also find blood. Despite their numerous efforts to contact Elinor turn up nothing but Merry knows she is alive and now she has to figure out who is behind the attacks and why her gran was targeted. During this time the coven turn Merry down at every opportunity because her gran isn't there to vouch for her, but it seems whenever something goes wrong Ronan seems to appear soon after like he knows where people are going.
When more wizards including Finn appear that are Merry and Leo's age the witches don't take kindly to them despite them being like royalty. As her grandmother who supposed to help and protect Finn, in her absence Leo's mother decides to look after him instead much to the irritation of Merry but he seems far too cocky for his own good. While a million different things buzz around Merry’s especially now she grabs the file containing all relevant information to the murders that have been happening from her gran’s safe, thinking it might all be connected. I really liked how the first book centred on Merry but in this one she takes a back seat to Leo allowing us to get to know him better. It also allows us to see how Leo a non-magical person has dealt with being thrown into situations he is qualified or prepared to be in. It also begins to highlight the jealousy of non-magical people and the way the magical people hoard the power they have, even Merry is guilty of this.
As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, we have seen hints at some actions but nothing significant apart from gran’s disappearance has happened. Things do get more dramatic when another witch goes missing and this time it is Flo. In order to find her and her gran Merry asks Finn to help her with a blood ritual and all he asks in return is a kiss and Merry agrees. When they present their evidence to the coven the temporary leader is furious but Merry felt like they weren't doing anything, and they weren't to be honest. In her rage Merry unleashes a burst of magic that injuries Finn and covers a surrounding tree in glass. When Finn investigates the tree, they find the mutilated body of Flo and in her grief Denise, Flo’s mother blames Merry and her unnatural way of performing magic for her daughter's death and this is the second death that Merry has experienced recently and they may be more as she can feel her grandmother is only barely holding onto life. Merry is desperate for the coven to do something to use the information she found to bring her gran home and restore the balance in the coven. Merry also feels isolated because she defeated a centuries old dark wizard and now the coven seeks to hide her away and shut her out of all the important decisions, but it is something that Merry won't stand for especially where family is concerned.
While the coven is trying to track down Elinor’s location Merry begins looking for who or what took her and in her gran’s file she finds a description of a creature that takes human form but in order to survive it has to steal magic from witches and wizards. From the description of the magic stealing process in the file Merry discovers it is the same way Flo and the others were killed. As she has been isolated from the coven she asks Finn for help if she finds out where the creature is hiding, and he agrees. We also get to see a romance developing between the pair, but we know relationships between witches and wizards are prohibited so this might not work out for them. I also had the sinking feeling that the creature might be Ronan and that would be devastating for Leo as Ronan has helped him move on from Dan's death in the previous book.
When her gran is found Merry is more determined than ever to find out what happened to her, but she has to wait for her gran to wake up. However, one of the other coven members let's slip that there was a body found with her gran of an ordinary boy that could be Ethan from earlier on the novel. She also gets numerous warnings to stay away from Finn despite not seeing a reason for doing so with the exception of one incident he has been kind and caring towards her even when she tried to push him away he stayed by her side with neither Leo or the coven has done.
In the final pages of the Witch’s tear we are treated to some proper action which this book has lacked for the majority, but it presents us with a new conflict for the Witch’s blood, I believe the 3rd book is called and it also sets up a rather nice love triangle but not in the way everyone thinks of it. However, I do worry what the events of this book is going to do to Leo given how much he has gone through will he snap or will he by some miracle be able to pull through it all. While this book did feel a bit like a filler book I do highly recommend the first book and can’t wait to get into the final book when I can.
iheartya311's review against another edition
3.0
Dragged on a bit but good overall. On to the third book!
goldenbooksgirl's review against another edition
4.0
In this excellent sequel to the Witch`s Kiss, we see Merry on a new adventure when her gran goes missing and odd, dangerous events begin to take place, and she has to work out what`s going on, while also trying to fit into a coven and deal with other issues. I found it very different in tone to the first book, and if anything I actually preferred it as it read more as a mystery with fantasy/contemporary subplots to me, and I adore mystery books. I also liked how much the characters, especially Merry`s wonderful big brother Leo, changed and developed, and that even though this was mainly a different story we still saw the effects of book one on their lives. I enjoyed getting to see new characters too, and I love Finn in particular. After THAT ending, I`m dying to get my hands on book 3, and if you love any of the genres I`ve mentioned that I think this books fits into, I strongly recommend you pick them up. 4.5/5
deadgoodbookreviews's review against another edition
3.0
Full (series) review up on my blog: https://chaininteraction.wordpress.com/2018/03/04/the-witchs-kiss-trilogy-katharine-and-elizabeth-corr-book-review/
Second novels are hard, especially when you’re building on quite a solid ending, by which I mean The Witch’s Kiss has quite a finite ending, this could easily have been a standalone rather than a trilogy. So it takes this book a little while to build momentum, you have to re-establish what ‘normal’ is for Merry and Leo at this point in order to shake things up again.
Leo was always my favourite character (and I think he remains as such) so it was good to see him get a bit more page time (is that the correct term for the bookish equivalent of screen time? I’m not sure…). Anyway, I’m all for queer characters getting more representation in books and while the treatment of Leo is not always perfect I’m pleased that he was there as it elevates the story somewhat.
The plot in this book is slow going, I would almost have preferred it if this had been a duology and had books two and three merged into one. There are a lot of new characters and concepts introduced which I understand takes time, but there’s also a lot of time spent dwelling on the plot of the first novel. I appreciate a lot of this plot was to do with Merry coping with the grief of losing Jack but I ended up feeling quite frustrated with her.
It does start to feel, after a time, that most of the characters in this book’s lives revolve around romantic relationships in one way or another, which, given that this trilogy is called The Witch’s Kiss, is unsurprising. Personally, I end up a little frustrated, especially since the other things that are happening in this book are brutal murders, but I know some people like books that have this focus so if that’s you, then this might be right up your alley.
Second novels are hard, especially when you’re building on quite a solid ending, by which I mean The Witch’s Kiss has quite a finite ending, this could easily have been a standalone rather than a trilogy. So it takes this book a little while to build momentum, you have to re-establish what ‘normal’ is for Merry and Leo at this point in order to shake things up again.
Leo was always my favourite character (and I think he remains as such) so it was good to see him get a bit more page time (is that the correct term for the bookish equivalent of screen time? I’m not sure…). Anyway, I’m all for queer characters getting more representation in books and while the treatment of Leo is not always perfect I’m pleased that he was there as it elevates the story somewhat.
The plot in this book is slow going, I would almost have preferred it if this had been a duology and had books two and three merged into one. There are a lot of new characters and concepts introduced which I understand takes time, but there’s also a lot of time spent dwelling on the plot of the first novel. I appreciate a lot of this plot was to do with Merry coping with the grief of losing Jack but I ended up feeling quite frustrated with her.
It does start to feel, after a time, that most of the characters in this book’s lives revolve around romantic relationships in one way or another, which, given that this trilogy is called The Witch’s Kiss, is unsurprising. Personally, I end up a little frustrated, especially since the other things that are happening in this book are brutal murders, but I know some people like books that have this focus so if that’s you, then this might be right up your alley.
joareads's review against another edition
4.0
A brilliant sequel to The Witch's Kiss, we see Merry and Leo deal with the after effects of what happened at the lake, and there are some new wizards in town.
I wasn't sure where the story would go since some major characters weren't featuring in this book but with the addition of some new ones, it made for a great sequel. Lots of little hints were dropped throughout to keep you guessing with who's good and who's bad and what will happen, coming together at the end for a thrilling finale and a bit of a cliff hanger for the next and last book.
One thing that I didn't like about this book compared to the first was the relationship between Merry and Leo sort of broke down which was sad to see. There's some romance for both of them though, and some seriously shocking things happened near the end. One thing I can say about this trilogy, they don't shy on killing characters off!
It was a great sequel but I did miss some of the characters from the first book and we didn't really get to find out what was going on until the very end in this, but it did make for more of a build-up and tense atmosphere! I can't wait to see what happens in the finale.
I wasn't sure where the story would go since some major characters weren't featuring in this book but with the addition of some new ones, it made for a great sequel. Lots of little hints were dropped throughout to keep you guessing with who's good and who's bad and what will happen, coming together at the end for a thrilling finale and a bit of a cliff hanger for the next and last book.
One thing that I didn't like about this book compared to the first was the relationship between Merry and Leo sort of broke down which was sad to see. There's some romance for both of them though, and some seriously shocking things happened near the end. One thing I can say about this trilogy, they don't shy on killing characters off!
It was a great sequel but I did miss some of the characters from the first book and we didn't really get to find out what was going on until the very end in this, but it did make for more of a build-up and tense atmosphere! I can't wait to see what happens in the finale.