Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Tuesday, October 15, 2013 - , , No comments

Witches and Wizards:


Rating: 3 Stars
Version: Hardback
Authors: Anton and Mina Adams

 The full title is "The Learned Arts of Witches & Wizards: History and Traditions of White Magic", but I've shortened it to "Witches and Wizards" for convenience. 


GoodReads:
For most of us the practice of witchcraft and the terms 'witch' and 'wizard' are shrouded in myths and mystic rites. Here is a visual almanac that lifts the veil on the story of witchery. This elegant book offers a concise, accessible history of witches and sorcery and also provides a fascinating insight into the world of magic - sacred places, power spots, magic sites, and ways to reconnect with nature through rituals and practices. Lushly illustrated with pictures drawn from medieval to contemporary sources, this beautiful compendium is an informative guide to the history, traditions, and ways of witches and wizards.

Review:
I decided to pick this nifty little book up at my local bookstore, to provide a “nonfiction” perspective on the Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge. I didn’t go looking for a book on magic… it just caught my eye as I was perusing the stacks. Not to mention, it was hard to miss with the reflective lettering and colorful design. Seriously, if you’re ever in a bookstore, look for this book. When you find it, check out the pages and layout. I think you’ll see what I’m talking about.

As for the book, it was both very brief and informative, but at times I thought it was trying to test my impartiality. This is the particularly reason I placed nonfiction in quotations, because some sections seemed overly fantastical. Please keep in mind that I’m in no way trying to discredit the authors or their beliefs, just simply stating my honest opinion. Also, I noticed the reviews on GoodReads and Amazon were both lacking in numbers and slightly low on ratings. For example,
GoodReads: 38 Ratings, 3 Reviews
Amazon 6 Ratings, 6 Reviews
This combination of low ratings and reviews, coupled with the first review I saw entitled “The first book on the Craft I ever read, but not very accurate is some areas” did not help enforce this book’s credentials.

One thing I found particularly interesting was the connection between chapters of this book and topics from some of my favorite YA books. For example, “Witches and Wizards” provided a brief run-through of ley lines and ley centers, which can be found in “The Raven Cycle” by Maggie Stieffvater. It also provided an overview of the Egyptian gods that’s key in Michael Scott’s “The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel” series. Other topics of this book touched on real world applications such as breathing exercises and meditation techniques, a few of which I’ve seen in fitness training sessions.

Overall, this book helped quench my curiosity, but I couldn’t take it too seriously.  I think it was a timely selection seeing that Halloween is nearing!



Monday, October 14, 2013

Monday, October 14, 2013 - , , , No comments

Witch Eyes


Rating: 3.5 Stars
Version: Paperback
Author: Scott Tracey

GoodReads:
 Braden was born with witch eyes: the ability to see the world as it truly is: a blinding explosion of memories, darkness, and magic. The power enables Braden to see through spells and lies, but at the cost of horrible pain.

After a terrifying vision reveals imminent danger for the uncle who raised and instructed him, Braden retreats to Belle Dam, an old city divided by two feuding witch dynasties. As rival family heads Catherine Lansing and Jason Thorpe desperately try to use Braden's powers to unlock Belle Dam's secrets, Braden vows never to become their sacrificial pawn. But everything changes when Braden learns that Jason is his father--and Trey, the enigmatic guy he's falling for, is Catherine's son.

To stop an insidious dark magic from consuming the town, Braden must master his gift—and risk losing the one he loves.
Review:
Have you ever had a book that’s call to you, one that would beckon you to pick it up while browsing a library or a bookstore? Well, that’s exactly what happened to me. At the time, I was in the middle of another book, but I kept finding myself yearning to read Witch Eyes. Perhaps, this is why I found the book so…  disappointing. I had put so much hype on the story that it ultimately let me down. There was just so much potential and I feel that the book didn't come close to matching it.

Braden is the story’s main character. His mother died when he was born and his father left –abandoned- him with his uncle. Braden has a special ability, not only is he a witch, but he also has “witch eyes”. This trait is extremely rare and only one other person is credited with possessing the same ability. However, as with most things, his abilities come with a price. Braden must always wear sunglasses, not only to hide his eyes, but to also filter out the influx of incoming information. He doesn’t know the precise limits of his ability, but he knows that he can instantly unravel and comprehend spells; see past memories of locations; trace magic; and get an occasional visions. When Braden decides to use the witch eyes, he must always keep in mind the consequences, because the longer he uses them, the more sever the pain. For example, a few minutes can lead to a migraine, but any longer can lead to unconsciousness. A turn of events leads Braden to Belle Dam, a city where a centries old magical war - not un-similar to a modern Hatfields versus the McCoys – is brewing. Due to his extreme ability, both sides desire him. Yet, extreme circumstances inhibit him from choosing – It would spoil the story to explain what these are.

In my opinion, the ending was horrible. You would think the concluding battle between a witch and a demon would be climatic, but it wasn’t. Skip the power struggle, there was none; it ended with a gunshot, albeit a very unusual gunshot.

I decided to give it week, read another book, and then look into purchasing the sequel: Demon Eyes. However, the summary didn’t seem to continue on from book one. For instance, the summary states: “After destroying the demon …”, but wait… did he? After a bit of thought, I realized I had literally forgotten the ending. I guess the thought of a witch “destroying” a demon by gunshot didn’t register. The reason I included my lapse of memory is to provide a gage of how unremarkable the ending was for me. Ultimately, I feel this book did provided entertainment, but failed miserably with living up to its potential. 

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Wednesday, October 9, 2013 - , 1 comment

Witches and Witchcraft Reading Challenge:


The Challenge: Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
Host: Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf 
Duration: 1/1/2013 – 12/31/2013
Basics: Read as many books as you can that contain either a witch (main character) and/or witchcraft elements.
Levels: Initiate:  Read 1 – 5 Witchy Books  (my target level)
   Maiden:  Read 6 – 10 Witchy Books
   Mother:  Read 11 – 15 Witchy Books
   Crone:  Read 16 – 20 Witchy Books
Why: I really enjoy magical themed books and Halloween is approaching! So, despite the late entry, I’m ready to start the challenge!
Finished Books:
  1.  Witch Eyes: Scott Tracey
  2.  Witches and Wizards: Anton and Mina Adams
  3.  Paradox Child: Jane Yates
  4.  



Books I’m Considering/Reading:
  1. Witch Eyes
  2. Paradox Child
  3. A Discovery of Witches
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge



Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Tuesday, October 8, 2013 - , , , 1 comment

Where the Dead Talk:


Rating: 4.5 Stars
Version: eBook
Author: Ken Davis

GoodReads:
Out past the towns and villages of Colonial Massachusetts lies a lake, black and icy and deep.When night settles on the deep woods, when the wind sings a mournful song through the trees, voices can sometimes be heard, rising from its still surface: voices of the lost, voices of the damned, voices of the dead.
When tragedy unlocks the terrifying secret of the lake, when revolution explodes across the countryside, the doorway to Hell opens a crack and the dead begin to rise.

Review:
Where the Dead talk is not a genre that I generally gravitate towards. However, my interest spiked after reading the summary and I decide to give it a shot. The combination between my love of Halloween and the fact that it's slowly approaching probably aided in my decision… just a bit :).

Though I did enjoy the story, it seemed like it took an eternity to finish. My honest guess was that the book was somewhere around 500-600 pages long, so imagine my shock when I learned it was only 264 pages in length (GoodReads). I guess when you read intermittently... on the bus... on your phone… you don't make as much progress as you think you do. Also, the storyline seemed to build a little slow, which in my case didn't help matters.

Yet, when the zombies came out, I was hooked. I got chills when a character would look up and see a zombie staring back or see a zombie scrambling on the ceiling of a dark house.  I’ve really never understood the fascination with zombies; much less zombie themed books, but “Where the Dead Talk” gave me a little glimpse of understanding.  Let me say again, this is NOT my genre, but I really enjoyed this book! Other than what I’ve already said, I really don’t have much more to add, but if you have questions/comments please feel free to post below.

Give it a shot and get in the Halloween mood!

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