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Witch Hunt #1
Witch Hunt
Mike thought he could escape his past. He renounced his crown as High Mage of The Council, had the Bands of Binding placed on him, and tried to start over as a normal human.
It didn’t work. And now a part of that past wants him dead, and Mike is running for his life.
With his best friend, Andrew, and Andrew’s soulbound partner along for the ride, Mike can’t help but feel lonely until he meets Rick, an all-around gorgeous man who might just be the wrong guy—again—especially since Mike can’t shake an ex-lover who’s hoping for a second chance. It’s a lot to deal with as demonic forces pursue him from Mongolia to Brazil, but Mike has to make it to the safety of The Council if he doesn’t want to be the prize trophy at the end of this witch hunt.
It didn’t work. And now a part of that past wants him dead, and Mike is running for his life.
With his best friend, Andrew, and Andrew’s soulbound partner along for the ride, Mike can’t help but feel lonely until he meets Rick, an all-around gorgeous man who might just be the wrong guy—again—especially since Mike can’t shake an ex-lover who’s hoping for a second chance. It’s a lot to deal with as demonic forces pursue him from Mongolia to Brazil, but Mike has to make it to the safety of The Council if he doesn’t want to be the prize trophy at the end of this witch hunt.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 30, 2011
1 person is currently reading
103 people want to read
About the author
Nick Chivers
5 books10 followersNick Chivers grew up in a small, corn-fed town in central Illinois. From there he went to a soy-centric town for college where he majored in accounting. A recent graduate of Millikin University, he has given up the small town life for the busy, hustle and bustle of Chicago. Nick’s hobbies include reading, exploring the wonderful city he now calls home, drinking large amounts of coffee, and dancing around his apartment like no one is watching.
Being unlucky in love for many years, Nick still clings to the hope that someday his prince will come. It is from this hope that he finds the inspiration for his stories. With a vivid imagination and a personal touch, Nick puts a bit of himself in everything he writes.
You can e-mail Nick at nick.m.chivers@gmail.com or find him on Facebook at http://facebook.com/nick.m.chivers
Being unlucky in love for many years, Nick still clings to the hope that someday his prince will come. It is from this hope that he finds the inspiration for his stories. With a vivid imagination and a personal touch, Nick puts a bit of himself in everything he writes.
You can e-mail Nick at nick.m.chivers@gmail.com or find him on Facebook at http://facebook.com/nick.m.chivers
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 7, 2011
2.5 stars
The first thing I want to say is don't let the cover fool you, this is not a menage and in fact does not have much romance until the very end.
This book had a lot of potential. The world itself is interesting with everything that happened in it or could happen. The biggest problem with this story, however, was the delivery. It could not stand up to the world that was built or the concept it was aiming for. It, in fact, lacked so much detail I was confused so much in the beginning I considered not finishing the book. On top of that, the story was all over the place. I wasn't sure which direction it was going to go in and was flabbergasted more than once when I figured it out because the situation was complicated but then there was a very simple, convenient resolution to the problem.
As I said, I was confused a lot throughout this book because something would be introduced (such as the Bands of Binding or soul bound) but then no details were given on it until well into the story or not at all. It frustrated me because I was left with question after question that was never answered and by the time some of them were answered I just did not care at that point. There was a lot of things that happened like that. None of the witches powers were explained (such as phasing or psionic) so I had no idea what they meant until a good friend of mine (Bubbles) explained to me what they were (because he's a superhero nerd) and I was still confused because there was a lot of technical words for the powers and very vague explanations on only being able to have one Natural power but Mike being the exception. Really, I was just confused.
I wouldn't generally call this book a romance. There's a brief, very brief, meet of the two MCs about a third of the way in but then one MC, Rick, just disappears and leaves the other MC, Mike, for the rest of the book. It is not until the very end when they see each other again and by that point their romance was not believable at all because they barely saw each other or knew each other but yet they confess their love for one another. The only thing I would consider a romance in this story is Mike and his ex, Alec, because at least there was something given on them and their relationship. You actually saw them together and what they were like with one another. I, in fact, was rooting more for the ex than the future guy. I didn't get my wish, though .
I couldn't relate with Mike at all. He had a very inconsistent attitude, nice and sweet one minute but a complete asshole and snappy the next. I never understood why he wanted to be bound or what exactly happened in his past for him to be wary of future relationships . Like I said, there are no details. Mike, in my opinion, is a very shallow character. I felt as if the secondary characters had more depth than he did. Simply put, I did not like Mike.
I felt like there were a lot of holes within this story. A character would bring up someone's name (such as James) but then nothing else. Who is James? Why does it matter that his Natural power is cyrokinesis? That actually happened more than once which only fueled my confusion more.
With that said, I did find this book amusing. Mike had one endearing quality and that was how much of a klutz he was. He was graceful when it came to magic but anything that had to do with non-magic he would drop, trip or fall over. There was also this very interesting twist in the story that had to do with Alec. That grabbed my attention and held it for a little bit.
While the book frustrated me, I did like it and it was very easy to finish. It was a roller-coaster but it was still interesting in it's own right. I just wished there had been much, much more details. Certain things could have been cut out of the story because they had no relevance to the overall conclusion and only seemed as unneeded fillers. I felt as if the conflict with Alek, the bad guy, was an interesting one but again the delivery made it not as appealing. Then Alec (who is actually different from Alek) was the most interesting character but Mike obviously did not end up with him which lessened my enjoyment of the book even more.
Overall, I did like the book. The concept is interesting but again the delivery is lacking. The main characters were flat to me but the secondary characters were enjoyable. There was a cliffhanger, which I was not happy about, and when or if the sequel comes out, I will read it but I'm hoping it's much more detailed otherwise I'll probably be just as frustrated with the next one as with this one. With all of that said, please don't base the decision to read Witch Hunt solely on my review. Look at others and if you're still not sure give it a try because while I might have only liked it, someone else will love it and that might be you.
The first thing I want to say is don't let the cover fool you, this is not a menage and in fact does not have much romance until the very end.
This book had a lot of potential. The world itself is interesting with everything that happened in it or could happen. The biggest problem with this story, however, was the delivery. It could not stand up to the world that was built or the concept it was aiming for. It, in fact, lacked so much detail I was confused so much in the beginning I considered not finishing the book. On top of that, the story was all over the place. I wasn't sure which direction it was going to go in and was flabbergasted more than once when I figured it out because the situation was complicated but then there was a very simple, convenient resolution to the problem.
As I said, I was confused a lot throughout this book because something would be introduced (such as the Bands of Binding or soul bound) but then no details were given on it until well into the story or not at all. It frustrated me because I was left with question after question that was never answered and by the time some of them were answered I just did not care at that point. There was a lot of things that happened like that. None of the witches powers were explained (such as phasing or psionic) so I had no idea what they meant until a good friend of mine (Bubbles) explained to me what they were (because he's a superhero nerd) and I was still confused because there was a lot of technical words for the powers and very vague explanations on only being able to have one Natural power but Mike being the exception. Really, I was just confused.
I wouldn't generally call this book a romance. There's a brief, very brief, meet of the two MCs about a third of the way in but then one MC, Rick, just disappears and leaves the other MC, Mike, for the rest of the book. It is not until the very end when they see each other again and by that point their romance was not believable at all because they barely saw each other or knew each other but yet they confess their love for one another. The only thing I would consider a romance in this story is Mike and his ex, Alec, because at least there was something given on them and their relationship. You actually saw them together and what they were like with one another. I, in fact, was rooting more for the ex than the future guy. I didn't get my wish, though .
I couldn't relate with Mike at all. He had a very inconsistent attitude, nice and sweet one minute but a complete asshole and snappy the next. I never understood why he wanted to be bound or what exactly happened in his past for him to be wary of future relationships . Like I said, there are no details. Mike, in my opinion, is a very shallow character. I felt as if the secondary characters had more depth than he did. Simply put, I did not like Mike.
I felt like there were a lot of holes within this story. A character would bring up someone's name (such as James) but then nothing else. Who is James? Why does it matter that his Natural power is cyrokinesis? That actually happened more than once which only fueled my confusion more.
With that said, I did find this book amusing. Mike had one endearing quality and that was how much of a klutz he was. He was graceful when it came to magic but anything that had to do with non-magic he would drop, trip or fall over. There was also this very interesting twist in the story that had to do with Alec. That grabbed my attention and held it for a little bit.
While the book frustrated me, I did like it and it was very easy to finish. It was a roller-coaster but it was still interesting in it's own right. I just wished there had been much, much more details. Certain things could have been cut out of the story because they had no relevance to the overall conclusion and only seemed as unneeded fillers. I felt as if the conflict with Alek, the bad guy, was an interesting one but again the delivery made it not as appealing. Then Alec (who is actually different from Alek) was the most interesting character but Mike obviously did not end up with him which lessened my enjoyment of the book even more.
Overall, I did like the book. The concept is interesting but again the delivery is lacking. The main characters were flat to me but the secondary characters were enjoyable. There was a cliffhanger, which I was not happy about, and when or if the sequel comes out, I will read it but I'm hoping it's much more detailed otherwise I'll probably be just as frustrated with the next one as with this one. With all of that said, please don't base the decision to read Witch Hunt solely on my review. Look at others and if you're still not sure give it a try because while I might have only liked it, someone else will love it and that might be you.
December 23, 2011
In my humble opinion, this has all the hallmarks of and should be labeled as Young Adult GBLT.
Once you adjust to that expectation then you aren't going to be disappointed on the light romance or the "fade to black" sex. It is not explicit, doesn't use foul language or have nekked body descriptions with obessive oggling or day dreaming.
It is Fantasy and Adventure novel.
I wished there was a little more of an emotional explanation for the characters so that I could be more connected with them. When Mike cried, I wanted to know why he was crying, what he was thinking and feeling.
For me the writing style of this was very reminiscent of a couple of books in James Patterson's Maximum Ride series. And I had the same disgruntlement with those, the characters acted like kids (well yeah, YA) and I want a more emotional connection.
This is the first book by Mr. Chivers and I look forward to seeing him grow.
Once you adjust to that expectation then you aren't going to be disappointed on the light romance or the "fade to black" sex. It is not explicit, doesn't use foul language or have nekked body descriptions with obessive oggling or day dreaming.
It is Fantasy and Adventure novel.
I wished there was a little more of an emotional explanation for the characters so that I could be more connected with them. When Mike cried, I wanted to know why he was crying, what he was thinking and feeling.
For me the writing style of this was very reminiscent of a couple of books in James Patterson's Maximum Ride series. And I had the same disgruntlement with those, the characters acted like kids (well yeah, YA) and I want a more emotional connection.
This is the first book by Mr. Chivers and I look forward to seeing him grow.
November 9, 2011
I would probably rate this book 2.5 but went with 3 as it does deserve more then a two star rating.
This book fell short on a few things, not much of a romance, no hot m/m sex scenes.
There were times I felt the story moved to fast and then some times I found it dragged on a bit to much.
But I did like the concept of the story and I think there is room for a sequel. I would just prefer to see more around the actual love between two men.
I am not a writer, just a reader so I will give Nick credit for writing this story and I will continue to read anything he writes in the future because like I said I think the idea of the story is a good one, it was just lacking substance.
So good luck in your writing and I will keep my eye out for his next book.
This book fell short on a few things, not much of a romance, no hot m/m sex scenes.
There were times I felt the story moved to fast and then some times I found it dragged on a bit to much.
But I did like the concept of the story and I think there is room for a sequel. I would just prefer to see more around the actual love between two men.
I am not a writer, just a reader so I will give Nick credit for writing this story and I will continue to read anything he writes in the future because like I said I think the idea of the story is a good one, it was just lacking substance.
So good luck in your writing and I will keep my eye out for his next book.
September 27, 2015
Mike was an incredibly powerful witch who was nearly influenced into destroying the world by a past lover. To ensure it could never happen again, he had Bands of Binding placed on himself to dampen his abilities. When his best friend Andrew shows up along with a new partner and lets Mike know he's been summoned to a meeting of The Council, he knows the situation must be dire. But he certainly has no way of expecting everything that's in store.
I'd never ready anything by Nick Chivers before this and I must say I am a fan of his storytelling. The world he created here was a rich one with a storied history and it was easy to find myself immersed in it. The only drawback was that the ending seemed a bit anticlimactic and convenient, but it was overall a good read.
I'd never ready anything by Nick Chivers before this and I must say I am a fan of his storytelling. The world he created here was a rich one with a storied history and it was easy to find myself immersed in it. The only drawback was that the ending seemed a bit anticlimactic and convenient, but it was overall a good read.
dnf
November 6, 2011DNF (11/6/2011) - Maybe I'm in a really picky mood right now, but sadly the writing just isn't very good. I couldn't read more than a couple chapters.
November 12, 2011
Why do het women believe that gay men only engage in orgies?
November 30, 2011
Mike appears to be the average twenty-something gay twink. He’s obsessed with shopping, having a good hair day, and overcoming his perpetual streak of being unlucky in love. In reality, Mike is over 150 years old. He’s one of the most powerful witches alive, but he has voluntarily submitted to a form of bondage in which his powers are diminished and controlled by three wrist bands which he cannot remove.
Mike’s best friend Drew shows up one day with his new boyfriend Jerome. They inform Mike that they’ll be escorting him to the worldwide council meeting where Mike’s fate will be decided. The ruling members of the witch community have decided that it is time to remove Mike’s bands. The entire magical world is currently under attack by renegade demons, and they need Mike’s power to defeat them.
Thus begins a quest. The threesome starts a journey around the world that leads them to several continents, and finally there is a climactic showdown in Egypt where at last Mike must battle his arch enemy, the evil Alekrion. This demon nemesis tries to tempt Mike by offering him unlimited power and urges Mike to join him in his quest to take over the world. Mike must decide if he will use his newly re-acquired power for good or for evil and in the process determine if it is not too late for him to find love.
I enjoyed the characterization in this story. Mike was a reluctant hero. He was quirky and cute and at times self-effacing. At other points in the story he came across as being rather cocky and arrogant. In other words, he was much like the typical gay guy you’d meet in a club--very sweet at heart, but with a bitchy side. His sidekicks were new boyfriends, head over heels in love. I found it endearing the way they fawned all over each other as if on an extended honeymoon.
What I found jarring was the fact that the story had no setup. I was confused in the beginning, not understanding what the heck was going on. Details about the magical powers were revealed during the story, but they were presented in such an extensive and mechanical manner that it seemed I was getting a lot of information I did not really need to know (or care about). So it just seemed odd. Where I could have used a little “info dumping” the story rushed forward, and when I wanted the story to progress, it got bogged down unnecessarily.
Overall I liked the story. I did think the MCs were at times dramatic and overly emotional, but I could buy that. A lot of gay guys in real life are exactly like that. The villain was also a tad on the outrageous side, but this too was befitting. I didn’t get the impression that the author was going for a really serious plot or message, at least not in the sense that it was heavy. It was good entertainment. I think that was the goal here, and in my opinion it was a mission accomplished.
The story ends on a cliffhanger, and I will most definitely pick up the sequel. This debut novel is great first effort, and this new author deserves our support. Please give the book a try, and I’m sure you won’t regret it.
Mike’s best friend Drew shows up one day with his new boyfriend Jerome. They inform Mike that they’ll be escorting him to the worldwide council meeting where Mike’s fate will be decided. The ruling members of the witch community have decided that it is time to remove Mike’s bands. The entire magical world is currently under attack by renegade demons, and they need Mike’s power to defeat them.
Thus begins a quest. The threesome starts a journey around the world that leads them to several continents, and finally there is a climactic showdown in Egypt where at last Mike must battle his arch enemy, the evil Alekrion. This demon nemesis tries to tempt Mike by offering him unlimited power and urges Mike to join him in his quest to take over the world. Mike must decide if he will use his newly re-acquired power for good or for evil and in the process determine if it is not too late for him to find love.
I enjoyed the characterization in this story. Mike was a reluctant hero. He was quirky and cute and at times self-effacing. At other points in the story he came across as being rather cocky and arrogant. In other words, he was much like the typical gay guy you’d meet in a club--very sweet at heart, but with a bitchy side. His sidekicks were new boyfriends, head over heels in love. I found it endearing the way they fawned all over each other as if on an extended honeymoon.
What I found jarring was the fact that the story had no setup. I was confused in the beginning, not understanding what the heck was going on. Details about the magical powers were revealed during the story, but they were presented in such an extensive and mechanical manner that it seemed I was getting a lot of information I did not really need to know (or care about). So it just seemed odd. Where I could have used a little “info dumping” the story rushed forward, and when I wanted the story to progress, it got bogged down unnecessarily.
Overall I liked the story. I did think the MCs were at times dramatic and overly emotional, but I could buy that. A lot of gay guys in real life are exactly like that. The villain was also a tad on the outrageous side, but this too was befitting. I didn’t get the impression that the author was going for a really serious plot or message, at least not in the sense that it was heavy. It was good entertainment. I think that was the goal here, and in my opinion it was a mission accomplished.
The story ends on a cliffhanger, and I will most definitely pick up the sequel. This debut novel is great first effort, and this new author deserves our support. Please give the book a try, and I’m sure you won’t regret it.
June 9, 2014
I wanted to like this one, but I just couldn’t get into it. I persevered through it all and made it to the end though. I suppose it follows the title, with the three witches constantly on the run from whoever is chasing them, but personally, I don’t think adventure books are my thing. I did enjoy some of the scenes in the beginning as we were introduced to the boys and their magical heritage, but the second half was a mess with way too many supernatural abilities brought in, sudden (and unbelievable) love proclamations and resolutions that came too easily.
Read the full review at my blog, Demons Read Too
Read the full review at my blog, Demons Read Too
April 23, 2017
I wanted to like this; I grew up reading fantasy novels so an m/m romance with witches and magic sounded like just my thing. And I did like some of the author's ideas.
Unfortunately there were a lot more things that I didn't like. The main characters are meant to be well over a hundred years old, but came across as bratty teenagers. Mike has had his powers bound but despite this the group always have enough magic to save them from the pursuing demons.
I hope the author continues writing - I think this would have been a better book given different/stronger editing. There were some good ideas in there. And despite all the flaws it wasn't a chore to finish the book. If he does write anything else I will consider reading it.
Unfortunately there were a lot more things that I didn't like. The main characters are meant to be well over a hundred years old, but came across as bratty teenagers. Mike has had his powers bound but despite this the group always have enough magic to save them from the pursuing demons.
I hope the author continues writing - I think this would have been a better book given different/stronger editing. There were some good ideas in there. And despite all the flaws it wasn't a chore to finish the book. If he does write anything else I will consider reading it.
December 10, 2012
I found this to be an enjoyable Young Adult, Paranormal, Gay Romance story.
While the characters and story line are at times predictable, it did not take away from the thrills of the chase, emotional waves of the relationships, or my satisfaction with the ending.
While the main characters in this story are gay, there are no sex scenes in this story making it easy for me to recommend this one for ages 14+.
I recommend this novella to those who like Gay Romance, Young Adult, Paranormal with witches and magical beings.
I will look for more stories by this young author throughout the years.
While the characters and story line are at times predictable, it did not take away from the thrills of the chase, emotional waves of the relationships, or my satisfaction with the ending.
While the main characters in this story are gay, there are no sex scenes in this story making it easy for me to recommend this one for ages 14+.
I recommend this novella to those who like Gay Romance, Young Adult, Paranormal with witches and magical beings.
I will look for more stories by this young author throughout the years.
never-never-never
November 9, 2011Nikyta was unlucky enough for me! :)
No rom, no menage.
No rom, no menage.
dnf
March 7, 2015DNF'd at 8%. The writing was just too awful.
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December 3, 2011**Review coming soon for Rarely Dusty Books **
October 24, 2012
This book's hard to rate. It was okay, with some very intersting ideas. But I can't say I liked it all the way through... Maybe 2.75 stars, rounded up to 3 stars.
Read
December 15, 2011one confusing book that I didnt finish. it didnt hold my attention and i didnt care.
April 22, 2012
I only got past a couple of chapters before I had to give up. The writing style and the dialogue was too stilted for me, the story a little too far fetched.
Sadly I couldn't finish it.
Sadly I couldn't finish it.
October 28, 2012
4 Hearts
Review to follow
Review to follow
March 29, 2018
I'm afraid I couldn't finish this book, it irritated me too much.
November 4, 2011
See my review here: http://thetoweringpile.blogspot.com/2...
Read
August 20, 2012Didn't finish. I tried for quite a while, but just couldn't get into it.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews