megant713's reviews
705 reviews

Witchcraft by Jessica Hundley, Pam Grossman

dark informative inspiring mysterious fast-paced

5.0

A stunning, beautiful addition to my collection!  I will keep this for many years to come.  As a practicing witch myself, most of the information contained within was not new to me.  I loved the included photos and images of the various works of art that bring witchcraft to light from early through modern times.  10/10 recommend! 

Pirates of Venus by Edgar Rice Burroughs

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

Eh, this book was another product of its time.  Another classic sci-fi with instalove, male must save female, and racial superiority complex while exploring new lands. It was ok for what it was.

The People That Time Forgot, Large-Print Edition by Edgar Rice Burroughs

adventurous challenging tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This older sci-fi is a product of its time.  I enjoyed the story for what it was but cringed through the sexist and racial superiority comments throughout.  In general, this was an interesting concept and I imagine was quite a trailblazing tale for its time!  

Water Witchcraft: Magic and Lore from the Celtic Tradition by Annwyn Avalon, Skye Alexander

informative mysterious reflective fast-paced

4.75

Beautiful and informative.

Loved diving into (aha-see what I did there??) European and Celtic folklore and traditions around watery places and creatures. This was an enjoyable read from cover to cover, and I feel as though I learned quite a lot.  

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel

adventurous challenging hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

A beautiful retelling. This novel was incredible!  

For those nervous about remembering the full cast of characters listed in the beginning, do not worry.  They are introduced slowly and are given memorable personalities and distinct character arcs throughout the book.  

Highly recommend this one!  :) 

The Haunting of Ashburn House by Darcy Coates

challenging dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

 This was such a great read! Most horror novels do not phase me but I found this one actually very creepy and mysterious until the end! 10/10. Also, would die for Wolf. 

The Call by Peadar Ó Guilín

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

 This was an interesting concept! I found myself struggling to stick with the story from start to finish, though. If you like folklore, boarding school settings, and fae (Sidhe), this might be the book for you! 

The Uninvited by Tim Wynne-Jones

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This is not my typical genre but I really enjoyed this suspenseful novel!  Mysterious happenings at a secluded house in the woods?  Dangerous exes?  Unknown stalkers?  Check, check, and check.

One man ties our plot lines together into one messy bow.  4/5 stars.  :) 

Magical House Protection: The Archaeology of Counter-Witchcraft by Brian Hoggard

informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

Super interesting read!  Loved all the evidence provided in this text via the Finds Gazetteer.  I was also excited to see Vermont represented with a few finds that had been reported to Apotropaios.

Highly recommend if you are a history buff and/or interested in learning more about folklore and counter-witchcraft measures taken throughout the years! 

Barbarous Words: A Compendium of Conjurations, British Folk Magic, and other Popish Charms by George Hares

informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

3.0

This was an interesting read!  I didn't find much that I would like to pull from this to incorporate into my own practice but loved reading more of the context and some of the spells, charms, and rituals from those who practiced British folk Magic. 

Also I don't mean to be too nitpicky, but there were lots of spelling and grammatical errors throughout this novel which should have been picked up in editing (beyond the old English spelling variants and format).  I believe this was a self-published work so I'm trying to be forgiving, but an editor should have been paid to run through this manuscript at least once prior to printing and publishing.