3.47 AVERAGE


It was a decent, sweet book. But I saw the ending coming a mile away. Characters are quite relatable and it's easily followed.

Very heavy and stalker based than what I thought, but still a wonderful journey of one witch revealving herself wholly to her appretice in a wonderful family intimacy.

4.5 stars
First thing is totally random, but I just want to say I love the skirt, tights and boots on the cover and I want them! (Like I said, random).

The book is wonderful! I thought Brackston did a really good job with the flashbacks because they all felt cohesive, but at the same time they all felt distinct and of their respective time periods (does that make sense?). Bess’ character was great and strong and I enjoyed getting to know her.

As for the writing itself, it is amazing and beautiful! Brackston was so descriptive and there were a number of passages that I marked because I loved the way she worded certain ideas/thoughts. I also really enjoyed the magic/Wiccan elements because these are different from other magic-themed books I’ve read.

I know Brackston’s written other books about witches so I plan on reading ALL OF THEM. :D I highly recommend this book!

I really liked this book and the way it was written. It was catchy and engaging.
The portrayal of magic was at times odd, it felt like different ways of it were put together without explanation of their dynamic. I couldn't get past this feeling that some part of the story was missing, but it wasn't so important that I couldn't enjoy the book. I just wish I could read more about it.
I also missed that sense of nemesis and never-escaping-your-fate. It is more told than shown, differently from the grief and love for Bess's family that is perfectly portrayed at the beginning of the book. My mind went spontaneously to The Invisibile Life of Addie LaRue, where, in my opinion, the relationship was built better. I usually don't like comparing books, but the similarities in this specific character dynamic felt worth noting.
I'd give the book 3.5 stars.

Another book with an interesting premise heavily damaged by mediocre characterization and predictable plots. The narrative was quite promising right up until magic became something practiced overtly.

Not my favorite genre but I enjoyed the book.

It is a tale of Elizabeth and Gideon, good vs. evil. In current time Elizabeth lives in a quaint English village, working in her garden, selling herbs, lotions, and tinctures at the Market, keeps to herself. Along comes Tegan, a teenage girl who seems to an outsider. Elizabeth likes the girl and they become friends and she chooses to tell her about her family. Each story about Elizabeth’s past takes up a good chunk of the book and reveals a lot.

First is about her childhood. The town is hit by the plague and it is then that we first see magic. Second is in Victorian London and she works as a nurse in a hospital as well as she runs a clinic out of her home to treat prostitutes. It was neat seeing her tie in the story of Jack the Ripper here. Third is during WWI, again she is a nurse, at the battlefront this time.

Then there is Gideon. He crosses her path across time as well. He is both her teacher and her nemesis. Tegan becomes a student of Elizabeth and she learns the ways of a healing witch. All of the stories are leading toward a big showdown between Elizabeth and Gideon. There is a lot of buildup and then I was quite disappointed in the ending. I don’t want to give it away but it isn’t as detailed and the voice is very different than the rest of the book. There is another book in this series and maybe if I read that I will get more information that I am wanting right now, or maybe it continues on in this voice and it could be disappointing.

Slow in parts, but a magical romp through some interesting and terrifying places in history. Looking forward to reading the next book.

Poorly written, big disappointment.

This book kept me captivated. I enjoyed the mystery of who Gideon was going to transform into. I thought that the ending was brilliant. The book couldn't have ended any other way. Can't hear Greensleeves without getting a chill.

In Wessex, England in 1628, Bess Hawksmith's mother is tried and hung as a witch. Poor and alone in the world, the only hope Bess has of surviving the lynch mob that will focus on her next is to become a witch herself. That means making a bargain with the mysterious and dangerous warlock, Gideon Masters. The price of that bargain and the choice to accept a witch's powers come to haunt Bess through the decades, all the way to modern times where Bess finds an unexpected apprentice. The story alternates between first-person journal entries in the present day, and focused third-person memories from the past, and for the most part is well-written. Bess herself is likable, and as a reader I was sympathetic to her situation. And overall, it was an enjoyable read. I did have two beefs with this book, though. The first was the antagonist, aforementioned Gideon Masters. He was very one-dimensional. He seemed to have been written only to give Bess something to strive against, and it's never clear exactly what he wants from her. Sex? Her life? Her soul? It's very murky. The second beef I had with this book is how quickly things wrapped up at the end and how out of nowhere the method of that wrapping up was. It was neither satisfying nor entirely believable given that there had been no mention at all of this method & accompanying details until the end. I have no idea if this is meant to be the start of a series, but I almost hope there's at least one more book just to give that ending a bit more resolution. But again, overall, not a terrible read. Entertaining and well-paced.