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A review by ruthelibrarian
Hexed by Michelle Krys
4.0
"Hexed" is Michelle Krys' debut book. "Hexed" follows the life of Indigo Blackwood as she discovers she is a witch and that she must help her new mentor Bishop find a mysterious bible that holds the key to witch genocide.
There is a lot going on in this book including two distinct plot lines. One plot line is the premise as mentioned. A powerful tome was placed in her family's care which contains the ability to allow sorcerers to kill witches. Sorcerers/Sorceresses and witches/warlocks are two factions of magic users that apparently hate each other. A good reason was not really given nor a back story of the feud, which I assume may be explored in the second book. The bible has been stolen from Indigo's family, later her mother kidnapped for leverage, and Indigo learns she is a witch. There are quite a lot more details to this story line, but I will credit the author for being able to craft a complex story line that does make sense.
My one problem with the story in the book is with the other plot line, which feels like a completely different genre altogether. This other plot is mostly about Indigo realizing her best friend is really just not a friend at all, that her boyfriend is a complete jerk, and learning how to deal with a friendship fallout. While this part of the book was interesting, I felt like it took away time that could have been spent developing the world and teaching us, the reader, why things are so caustic between the two magic factions. In this respect, I feel the book was trying to fit too many things into its narrative.
That being said, the writing for "Hexed" is an engaging first book from Krys. The characters are all lively and feel like real people with only one exception. There is one particular character that appears about halfway through the book that seems to be mean toward Indigo for no clear reason. This character more or less directly causes the death of one of the other characters due to her inaction. For the rest of the book, there are no repercussions that this character faces and in felt like a cheap way to get Indigo motivated to learn magic -- for revenge. There is also a sequel bait right at the end, which I personally dislike in books.
This book was a fun read nonetheless. The urban fantasy world Krys has set up is intriguing and I believe this book is in good hands with any older teen. There is violence, action, and some sexual themes though no outright sex.
Literary Merit: Good
Characterization: Great
Recommended: Recommended
Level: Ages 16 and up
There is a lot going on in this book including two distinct plot lines. One plot line is the premise as mentioned. A powerful tome was placed in her family's care which contains the ability to allow sorcerers to kill witches. Sorcerers/Sorceresses and witches/warlocks are two factions of magic users that apparently hate each other. A good reason was not really given nor a back story of the feud, which I assume may be explored in the second book. The bible has been stolen from Indigo's family, later her mother kidnapped for leverage, and Indigo learns she is a witch. There are quite a lot more details to this story line, but I will credit the author for being able to craft a complex story line that does make sense.
My one problem with the story in the book is with the other plot line, which feels like a completely different genre altogether. This other plot is mostly about Indigo realizing her best friend is really just not a friend at all, that her boyfriend is a complete jerk, and learning how to deal with a friendship fallout. While this part of the book was interesting, I felt like it took away time that could have been spent developing the world and teaching us, the reader, why things are so caustic between the two magic factions. In this respect, I feel the book was trying to fit too many things into its narrative.
That being said, the writing for "Hexed" is an engaging first book from Krys. The characters are all lively and feel like real people with only one exception. There is one particular character that appears about halfway through the book that seems to be mean toward Indigo for no clear reason. This character more or less directly causes the death of one of the other characters due to her inaction. For the rest of the book, there are no repercussions that this character faces and in felt like a cheap way to get Indigo motivated to learn magic -- for revenge. There is also a sequel bait right at the end, which I personally dislike in books.
This book was a fun read nonetheless. The urban fantasy world Krys has set up is intriguing and I believe this book is in good hands with any older teen. There is violence, action, and some sexual themes though no outright sex.
Literary Merit: Good
Characterization: Great
Recommended: Recommended
Level: Ages 16 and up