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btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition
4.0
A thrilling sequel to 'Once a Witch'. Tamsin travels back in time to warn her family about the Knights, all while trying to find a way to perfect the Domani. Tamsin explores a whole different world: New York in the late 1800s. Lost and clueless, Tamsin must find a way to contact her family and penetrate the rich walls of the Knight household. Introduced to a wide variety of new and old characters, this tale is truly thrilling and full of surprises. This was definitely a great novel that I'm sure MacCullough fans would love as much as 'Once a Witch'!
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
World Building: 5/5
Cover: 3/5
Overall: 4.5/5
GoodReads Rating: 3.97/5
-review by Between Printed Pages
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
World Building: 5/5
Cover: 3/5
Overall: 4.5/5
GoodReads Rating: 3.97/5
-review by Between Printed Pages
sarahsparklenose's review against another edition
3.0
First and second books together made a nice little story for October when I'm in the mood for witches. Thankfully I could check both out digitally from the library.
endlessreader's review against another edition
4.0
I loved Once A Witch. Seriously, it was one of my favorite books read last year (or was it the year before?) and not only was it the PERFECT Halloween read, but it was also a fairly unique read. You don't see many YA novels written about witches (or at least many that have been done well...or at least I haven't). Therefore, I have been anxiously awaiting the sequel, Always A Witch. While I didn't think the sequel was as good as Once a Witch, it was still a really entertaining novel.
Always a Witch had more thrills, adventures, wit, and sarcasm then it's predecessor, Once A Witch. And I loved the whole Elizabeth Bathory type of storyline that it used. Tamsin is still a strong heroine that never grates. In fact, NONE of the characters in Always a Witch grate (and that has to be an absolute first for me). In fact, Always a Witch is as much fun as Once A Witch was. It might even be more fun as Tamsin stays in the past more than a matter of minutes (like she did in Once A Witch). The sense of danger was also more prevalent in this novel, so that made it that much more intriguing to me.
So why the four stars while Once a Witch got five full stars? I felt that Always a Witch was a bit...rushed. While I did feel that sense of urgency as Tamsin did in wanting to accomplish her goals and destroy the Knight family, I felt like we got to that point extremely quick. I didn't feel that there was enough development in the first few chapters for Tamsin to decide that she has to go right at that particular moment. I would have liked more build up to that. Also, a huge reason why I loved Once A Witch is because I loved Tamsin's wacky, zany, and endlessly entertaining family. Unfortunately, in Always a Witch, Tamsin's family is barely a footnote. They are there for a few pages in the beginning and a bit in the end. That really wasn't enough for me.
So, in the end, I really did like Always a Witch. I just didn't think it surpassed the awesomeness that is Once a Witch. I am, however, still saddened that this seems to be the last in this series. While some authors take their series to the extreme and keep churning one novel after the other even though it's clear to everyone that the series should have came to a close some novels ago, I feel Carolyn MacCullough should at least write one more novel to wrap the series up. Anyway, I recommend Always a Witch. Like it's predecessor, it is an amazing, light read.
Always a Witch had more thrills, adventures, wit, and sarcasm then it's predecessor, Once A Witch. And I loved the whole Elizabeth Bathory type of storyline that it used. Tamsin is still a strong heroine that never grates. In fact, NONE of the characters in Always a Witch grate (and that has to be an absolute first for me). In fact, Always a Witch is as much fun as Once A Witch was. It might even be more fun as Tamsin stays in the past more than a matter of minutes (like she did in Once A Witch). The sense of danger was also more prevalent in this novel, so that made it that much more intriguing to me.
So why the four stars while Once a Witch got five full stars? I felt that Always a Witch was a bit...rushed. While I did feel that sense of urgency as Tamsin did in wanting to accomplish her goals and destroy the Knight family, I felt like we got to that point extremely quick. I didn't feel that there was enough development in the first few chapters for Tamsin to decide that she has to go right at that particular moment. I would have liked more build up to that. Also, a huge reason why I loved Once A Witch is because I loved Tamsin's wacky, zany, and endlessly entertaining family. Unfortunately, in Always a Witch, Tamsin's family is barely a footnote. They are there for a few pages in the beginning and a bit in the end. That really wasn't enough for me.
So, in the end, I really did like Always a Witch. I just didn't think it surpassed the awesomeness that is Once a Witch. I am, however, still saddened that this seems to be the last in this series. While some authors take their series to the extreme and keep churning one novel after the other even though it's clear to everyone that the series should have came to a close some novels ago, I feel Carolyn MacCullough should at least write one more novel to wrap the series up. Anyway, I recommend Always a Witch. Like it's predecessor, it is an amazing, light read.
loveleareads's review against another edition
3.0
Once a Witch was such a fun surprise for me. I wasn't expecting to like it so much, but I did. So of course I was looking forward to more adventures in Always a Witch.
And there was more adventures. Always a Witch, too, was full of magic, mischief and time traveling. Unfortunately, I didn't get into this book as I did Once a Witch.
The book jumps right into the story. The majority of this book is spend in the past. I both liked this and didn't. I would have liked to see more of the characters from the present. Also, it was a little slow right after Tam arrived in the past. But it quickly sped up.
I still really liked Tamsin. Even with her Talent, she still had a good heard on her shoulders. She was a little too independent at times, but that's okay.
I was a tad sad with the ending. I don't know if there will be another book or not, but I hope there will be.
I love witches and magic, which it part of why I like these books so much. I didn't like Always a Witch as much as its predecessor, but it is still an enjoyable read.
And there was more adventures. Always a Witch, too, was full of magic, mischief and time traveling. Unfortunately, I didn't get into this book as I did Once a Witch.
The book jumps right into the story. The majority of this book is spend in the past. I both liked this and didn't. I would have liked to see more of the characters from the present. Also, it was a little slow right after Tam arrived in the past. But it quickly sped up.
I still really liked Tamsin. Even with her Talent, she still had a good heard on her shoulders. She was a little too independent at times, but that's okay.
I was a tad sad with the ending. I don't know if there will be another book or not, but I hope there will be.
I love witches and magic, which it part of why I like these books so much. I didn't like Always a Witch as much as its predecessor, but it is still an enjoyable read.
wheems01's review against another edition
4.0
Tamsin Greene, who believed for so long that she was the only member of her Talented family without a Talent, learned at the end of Once a Witch that she has the incredible ability to copy the abilities of other witches. Always a Witch starts where Once a Witch left off. Still worried about her grandmother’s prophecy, and the fact that Alistair Knight got away from them, Tam waits for his next move. When one of the Knight family shows up in the Greene living room, Tam is left with only one option, to go back in time and stop Alistair and save her family. Once in the past Tam is employed by the Knight family, and she watches and waits for an opportunity to find her family in the past. But time is moving quickly and soon Tamsin will have to make a terrible choice to save her family in the future.
I loved the first book Once a Witch and couldn’t wait to read the sequel, unfortunately it got buried under my extensive TBR pile. This past week I haven’t felt much like reading, so I decided that now might be the time to try this book on audio, and see how it did in that format.
I love Tamsin and her quirky family, and I really would have liked more of Gabriel in this book—he is definitely one hot ticket! It was nice though to see Tam on her own, away from her family and navigating the shark infested waters of the evil Knight family. While some of her choices made me more than a little nervous, it did keep me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen and if she would get caught.
While the Knights, except for Jessica, came across as your stereotypical bad guys, and could have used some more definition of character, they were suitably creepy enough to keep you interested. Jessica was the anomaly, a character you weren’t sure whether to be wary of her, or to trust her.
The story was intriguing and definitely kept you on the edge of your seat, and the pacing was spot on. McCullough knows how to keep a story interesting and I loved the time travel motif, though I think more could have been said about the adjustments Tamsin had to make to the time period.
The audio was produced by Brilliance Audio and read by Hannah Friedman. This book was well suited to audio, although there were times I wanted to get through the book more quickly than listening to it. While the production is good and free of flaws, I found the reading to be a bit over acted or overly exaggerated at times. It would throw me out of the story a bit. It wasn’t a bad way to experience the story, and Friedman has a nice voice, it just didn’t have the polish of other readings. When the dialogue was internal, the reading was fine, conversations, and parts that were more dramatic, felt a bit overacted.
Overall, this book was an entertaining read. I had predicted the ending long before I got there, but still the journey was worth it. I love the characters, and it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat.
Cautions for sensitive readers: Some violence.
storyofmylife90's review against another edition
4.0
LOVED IT! Absolutely loved it! I so wish this was a trilogy and not a 2 book sequel. But sadly its only a 2 book saga. Which (like i said before breaks my heart) is sad, but i thought it was better than the first. It has a sad ending so prepare yourself! I'm also glad that the author didn't choose to make everything perfect at the end, sometimes i find it irksome that no one dies, just a little struggle and BAM! perfect ending in that everything is perfect.
mariakazantzi's review against another edition
4.0
Those who loved “Once a Witch” are gonna love “Always a Witch” even more!
This time, Tasmin travels in New York of the 19th century, all alone. And you know what is scarier? That she ends up working as a lady’s maid in the house of her family’s rivals. Ah! And another little detail- the previous maids have disappeared off the face of the earth!
So how can you not read this book breathless?
Once again, the writer manages to capture the reader’s interest immediately, while her descriptions are so vivid that you feel that you’ve visited those places. Even now, almost a month since I’ve read Always a witch, I have before my eyes the image of the Knight’s mansion.
In this book, Tasmin has really grown up, she no longer feels isolated from her family- on the contrary she risks everything to help her family. Gabriel, even if he is absent quite a long time, appears at the right time to save the day. Of course, the most interesting characters of the book are the Knights family members… despotic La Spider, charming but dangerous Liam Knight and their greedy relatives who scare us with their viciousness and their intelligence.
As for the end… it will leave you speechless!
This time, Tasmin travels in New York of the 19th century, all alone. And you know what is scarier? That she ends up working as a lady’s maid in the house of her family’s rivals. Ah! And another little detail- the previous maids have disappeared off the face of the earth!
So how can you not read this book breathless?
Once again, the writer manages to capture the reader’s interest immediately, while her descriptions are so vivid that you feel that you’ve visited those places. Even now, almost a month since I’ve read Always a witch, I have before my eyes the image of the Knight’s mansion.
In this book, Tasmin has really grown up, she no longer feels isolated from her family- on the contrary she risks everything to help her family. Gabriel, even if he is absent quite a long time, appears at the right time to save the day. Of course, the most interesting characters of the book are the Knights family members… despotic La Spider, charming but dangerous Liam Knight and their greedy relatives who scare us with their viciousness and their intelligence.
As for the end… it will leave you speechless!
theliterarysewist's review against another edition
4.0
Another light hearted read. The writing is much better than the first but I felt the storyline was weaker and grasping at straws.