The Thirteen by Susie Moloney

Thirteen are needed to maintain power and control. Izzy will get her thirteen whatever the consequences. This is a novel in the tradition of Thomas Tryon or V.C. Andrews.

Women are often scary with out including witchcraft. Hmm, perhaps scary isn’t the right word. If women fought the wars there would be one and done. No holds barred when someone threatens a mother’s child. This book is about controlling women or the women who control.

Chick might be someone you know. Audra is trying to protect her daughter Paula who ends up trying to protect Rowan, her daughter. Where her daughter came from provides some of the tension of the book. If you enjoy intricate plots with deep characterizations you will enjoy this book.

There are no bubbling cauldrons or flying brooms. It is a character study with in depth looks at people’s motivations.

I recommend the book.

Body of work of Body of work of Susie Moloney

Web Site: http://www.susiemoloney.com/

Once A Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

“Once A Witch” is a delightful coming of age story. Tamsin perceives herself as an outsider in her own family. The family universally displays “talent”. Tamsin shows no signs of following the hereditary skill set of her family of witches. How she works through this problem and the relationships she establishes are the gist of the book.

MacCullough captured the essence of teenage angst. As a counselor, I saw many teens searching for personal identity and MacCullough portrayed this search with accuracy and sensitivity. The story line was good, it recognized that even good people may find themselves doing bad things for the “greater” good. The relationships and the soul searching were believable. I suspect this will be a very successful series.

I highly recommend it.

Body of work of Carolyn MacCullough

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Bitter Night by Diana Pharaoh Francis

A young woman is given extraordinary powers by her friend, a witch. In exchange for these powers she must serve the witch for eternity. Her struggle with her identity and her ethics while immersed in a violence prone culture defines the story. A war among immortals plays second chair to Max’s search for self.

Frankly when I requested this book for review I did it with skepticism. I wasn’t sure it was my cup of java. Once again I am glad I pushed aside my cynical bent and tried someone new. I am now a fan. I truly enjoyed the emotional interplay between the characters. Francis imbues realism into her fantasy world. Max’s self destructive urges are sublimated by her loyalty to those dependent on her strength. Honor and loyalty are sure fire captivators of my literary interest and Francis illustrates them quite graphically. I will do my best to follow up on this review by reviewing the next in the series. There is plenty of action and good solid character development. I heartily enjoyed the book.

I recommend the book.

Body of work of Diana Pharaoh Francis

Review

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