Witchling

Curse of Kin #1

by Ari Harper

Nera is a normal teenage girl living in Ireland, or so she thought until she discovers the family secret.. now her world is forever changed.

Descended from a long line of witches, she discovers she is the one who has to stop the curse that has taken the life of every girl before her.

And if that isn't enough, she must learn to use magic from the man called Bones. He is the son of Mari, Queen of the Witches...and a god. It is Bones who has been entrusted to teach her the skills she needs to stay alive, which wouldn't be so bad if he didn't have an uncanny knack for pushing her buttons.

Can Nera succeed and resist the charms of the man who gets under her skin at every opportunity?

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal

244 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 29, 2012

About the author

Ari Harper never wanted to grow up.
To offset the limitations of aging ungracefully, she created her own set of unique worlds where she can be and do whatever she wants.
Gods, witches and demons surround Ari while she spins her magic, doing mainly what they tell her to do. Given a chance, she prefers to work amongst chaos, which is good because she is constantly surrounded by children, all clamoring for attention. Some of them end up in her stories, some of them even get to die grisly deaths or be cast away to another realm.

Reviews

[Chiara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nera O’Malley is your average teenage girl, with realistic nightmares, and witches for ancestors. Okay, maybe she’s not so normal, after all. Descended from a long line of Irish witches, Nera is third generation female, which means it is up to her to break the 800 year old curse on her family.

But dealing with high school, family, and boy drama, will Nera be able to rise to the challenge, and save her family from an ancient curse?

I love the premise of Witchling. I’ve never before read a novel set in Ireland, so that was really fun to read about (even if I didn’t read their voices in an Irish accent – shameful, I know). I love books about gods, and all associated magical forms, so I knew I would like Witchling when I read the blurb.

Nera was a difficult character to love. At times, she was confident, and self-assured, ready to accept her fate, and the responsibility placed on her shoulders. While at other times, she lashed out unnecessarily, hurt the feelings of those around her, and refused to accept her role. I suppose, in a sense, this is realistic. I mean, what seventeen year old girl is just going easily accept the fact that the fate of their family rests on their shoulders? I probably wouldn’t have, had it been me three years ago. I really hope Nera comes into herself in the next book, as I can tell she would be an amazing person if she just matured a little bit.

I wish there had been more about Bones and Sully. These two were my favourite characters in the book, but I didn’t learn about them as much as I would have liked to. Quite a few things were alluded to regarding Sully, so hopefully we can have a deeper glimpse into his character in the next book. Bones was extremely mysterious, and his past is all but unknown. I would love to learn more about him, and his godling powers.

The fact that the three teenage characters in the novel learned how to swordfight was amazing. I wish I could learn! It was interesting to see how they chose their weapons, and how they eventually grew accustomed to the weight of the sword, and the movements required to wield it correctly. It ignited my desire to learn to fence all over again.

The writing style of this novel was more reminiscent of a younger teen novel, rather than a fully fledged young adult novel. The progression of events was fast paced, there was quite a lot of dialogue, and the descriptions were lacking a bit. To add to that, though, there was never a boring moment in Witchling, which is always a plus!

At times, it was a little confusing to understand all the aspects of the curse, as information was given out in little pieces throughout the novel. I would have loved it if the curse was explained clearly, so I could have wrapped my head around it, and made sure I understood all the intricacies. It was a cleverly thought out curse, and extremely interesting, which is why I wish I could have had a higher comprehension of what was required to break it.

I loved Jasper’s house, and it was pretty much my favourite aspect of this novel. I cannot imagine walking down the street and coming across a castle nestled into the cliff-side. The library of books sounded amazing, and the secret tunnels made me want to jump into the pages, and explore them. I really want to visit Ireland, and see if I can come across such a castle!

Another aspect of this novel that I enjoyed was the love, or should I say the lack of love. With insta-love and love triangles dominating the YA scene at the moment, it was so refreshing to come across a novel that didn’t touch on it at all. Sure, I have some suspicions regarding future relationships, but there was absolutely no quick formed loving relationships. It was awesome to have a book that focussed on the plot, rather than the love, but still had you shipping a couple, regardless.

Overall, Witchling was an enjoyable read, and I am interested to see how Nera’s story continues in the Curse of Kin series.

Oh, and can I quickly mention how I am in love with this cover? :D

[Crina | booktwist_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for a honest review and as a part of the tour! Thanks!:) Original post on: http://nervidetoamna.blogspot.ro/

The book was ok, fast read, light, sometimes I liked it more, sometimes not. If you don’t think to other series or books about witchies you’ll think the book is good, but if you think to other books, with kind of the same idea, you’ll think it’s not original, has nothing new, it’s the old story with the girl that finds out that is a witch, and she has powers, and she needs to train cause the evil is out there, and she needs to save the world.

Kind of the same with the characters, I mean we have the one who needs help, and the world, the friends who are supporting her, the guy who would teach her, and in the same they don’t get along no matter what, the secrets that shows up and who knew that her family is so messed up. In both ways, good and bad. What made me angry, passing the stereotypes of the story, is the main character.

Nera everytime is trying to be the best, to make everything good, without help, without listening, but she wants someone be behind her, protect her when things get f. up. She make some scenes, runing and crying and yelling when she has no right or when she doesn’t accept the situation. Even is the last thing that can be done, even everyone have something to lose too. I don’t know, she seemed so childish and I-don’t-care but I-want-to-be-the-hero, but leave-me-alone, but teach-me. She gave me headaches and made me sigh so many times. She has no right to be angry cause the story is fells to her and she can’t be a teenager and fall in love and bla bla. I mean the world needs you, so you need to do something, and not crying your eyes out like everytime the situation goes bad.

I can’t say that I liked the characters or not in a special way, but I think Bones is nice, I mean he’s serious and calm, and try to teach Nera and help her, even she is like a child. Sometimes I wish I’d be so calm when people make me angry. I would like to know more about him and his life.

The „big battle” was, I don’t know, like it seemed more big and important when they speaked about it, then when happened. And I’m telling this for varie motives.

I don’t want you to understand that this is a bad book, cause it isn’t, but for me it has nothing special, new or different. I read other books and series about witchies and the story is the same. I enjoyed it, is ok, but just that. If you want to read it then try. I wait the next book and maybe will be better.

[Ryan Snyder · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the story may just plow on into the paranormal aspect in the beginning, it adopts a steady pave throughout the rest of the book. I love how it had a little bit of witchery, friendships, mystery, suspense, curses and the like. I love, love, LOVE that it was set in Ireland with Irish characters. The only thing that could have made that aspect more awesome was if I could have continually read their voices in my head with an accent. But that is really hard to keep up with. :P I tried, though. It counts. I feel like this book is more for a.. I don't know.. younger audience? The minimal romance and writing style would make it ideal for an MG or lower YA reader. Don't get me wrong, though. It was a highly enjoyable read.

Characters
I liked all of the characters. Nera may have irked me with some of the things she said, but I forgive her. No one is perfect, least of all teenage girls. Trust me, I was one. O.O. We say and do things we regret later.

I expect to have some relationships developed and find out some secrets about other characters in the next book. (: Looking forward to learning more about their posts. *ahem* Bones, I am talking about you. *glares*

All in all, great read with action, mystery, and a dash of awesome Irish-folk and... swordplay? ;)

[Laura Jayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a decent enough and enjoyable read, it was a rather strange read though. The way it was written was very descriptive with a lot of information, which was very bulked together.

Some scenes seemed very rushed and the information and background was overly done and rushed too. I would of liked to see more of a storyline, but nevertheless I liked the story.

Nera is the definition of every teenage girl; wanting their own life, space and thinking they are the be all and end all. I loved the magic and God mythology aspect, but she really annoyed me that the majority of the book was her being told the same thing over and over again.

Despite in being a love story, there was barely anything on the male; Bones. It was like he was just there to help her and put up with her shit.

She seemed to have a closer relationship with her uncle and family. Though I do love the relationship she has with her little brother Roman and her Uncle Jasper.

I'm still debating on whether to read the second book now.

[Michelle Hofacker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the author and that in no way affects my opinion of the story.
I really did enjoy this story, it has what I love, witchcraft, mystery, thrills, adventure. It has a solid plot that carries through from beginning to end. It has the potential of becoming a series of interesting magical adventures.
My biggest struggle while reading was the confusion of figuring out the setting, in regards of the country they were in. It may not have been important to the story line, however, it affects the dialog. Which was my other issue, the dialog seems forced. Normal teenage conversation with parents, and then the "girl dear" of the Uncle Jasper became an irritant, is he Irish, Scottish?? There are several questions left unanswered which could mean another book, but clearer details in this one would have me giving 5 stars.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5 stars

Witchling is the first book in a series. It follows Nera in her adventures when she discovers her family's secrets. Finding out you're a witch can be intense enough, but finding out you're a witch and the only one to stop a 800 year old curse is another. Together with her uncle and friends, Nera must focus on training and enhancing her abilities to save not only the people she loves but the world.

Characters:
The story is written in first person following Nera. Nera is a spunky girl who is not afraid to tell you what is on her mind. This has the tendency to get her into some trouble – especially with her protector, Bones. She's not your typical girly girl, but loves to run and be athletic. This gives her edge when she trains to help break a 800 year old curse that plagues her family. Although she is a strong character, she still has some growing up to do. At times, I felt that her five year old brother was more mature than her. Perhaps, it is the teenage hormones, but her bickering was a little much at times in the book. Jasper, her uncle that is cursed, lives in an old castle – his family home. He is a loveable character who is also like a father figure to Nera and her friends. He has some magic and helps train Nera for the upcoming battle, but it is Bones (real name Brian) who is the main trainer. Brian is not only Nera's trainer but protector. They are destined to be together forever – part of the job requirement of a protector. This doesn't bode too well with Nera who starts a fight with him at any opportunity she can. She doesn't like being bossed around, and Bones does just that. I think my favorite character out the book was Roman, Nera's brother. He's a smart little boy and very mature for his age. He also plays a small part in this whole story. The characters in the book are eclectic – human, gods/goddesses, witches, demons, and even a dog. You never know who has powers in this book.

Plot:
The plot mainly focuses on the prep work for defeating Edrith (which will break the curse.) Training does not always go so well and there are attacks that stop their progress. They only have a short amount of time before Edrith attacks Nera, and that puts some strain on relationships. The story itself moved along well – there is always something happening – although I found the main components of the story a little repetitive. What I mean is the scenarios might be different but the underlining current was the same. The climax of the book does hold the battle that they have been training for; the story does not cut off at a cliffhanger before that. The story was entertaining, but I would have liked to see a little more background explained with some of the characters. There were also a few things that were not tied up at the end that I thought should have been. (I can't really go into details about that because they would be spoilers, so I will leave the comment like it is.) One loose end that could have been addressed in the book (that is not really a spoiler) is how Jasper could live all that time in his castle without anyone questioning it. I understand that it is a little remote, but the man drinks a ton of tea (and obviously eats.) Surely, people would notice if a man came into shop and never changed, right?

The Bottom Line:
Overall, I like the book. If you like young adult books with a paranormal twist, then you might want to try this book out.

[Ivie Isler · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! Review originally published on Mind-Ventures


I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've read stories about magic. I've read stories about witches. I've even read stories about curses. Ari Harper does a fantastic job mixing these elements to create a satisfying and very fulfilling story that will have readers eager to pick up the sequel, Changeling, whenever it is released.

I loved that Harper elaborated on the different aspects that Nera and her friends were trained in. Between swordplay, spells, telepathy, telekinesis, and healing powers, there was a lot for Nera (and readers) to learn about. Harper did a good job giving details about the different subjects and how they work. I especially enjoyed learning about the sword fighting.

One thing that makes this book stand out is the romance, or lack there of. There's definitely chemistry between Nera and Bones, but both characters seem to push the other one away. Instead of a love/hate relationship, it is more of a put-up-with-each-other/hate relationship. I liked that Harper didn't rush this relationship, and I would like to see how the relationship unfolds in the next book.

The many details of the curse were a bit difficult to figure out because they were gradually introduced to Nera and the readers. Probably a good thing, because one of the final aspects of the curse that Nera learns about would have had her saying "Hell No" to helping out with breaking the curse. (And I wouldn't blame her!) Give it to Nera to be strong when she had to be, even though she constantly whined about the situation.

The only minor issue I had with the story is that everyone was "dear"--as in dear mom, girl dear, or dear dad. It might be an Irish thing, and I'm completely overreacting, but I could have made a drinking game out of it. That was the only repetitive word/aspect, and as I said, it was a minor thing. Overall, the story was well thought out and written.

For readers who love a good paranormal adventure, Witchling is a must read. Perfect for teens or adults. Put it on your To Be Read list asap!

[Laurie Treacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nera wants to believe she's a normal teen living and going to school in Ireland. The reader knows from the opening scene when she suffers a peculiar attack that normal may not be the best word to associate with this girl. Along with her best friends Brie and Sully, they seek help from Nera's Uncle Jasper. Her Uncle has some very interesting news to share with his niece about the family and Nera discovers she has never been normal.

Decades of family secrets, gods and goddesses, Wiccan, telekinesis, sword play, and more can be found within the pages of Ari Harper's Witchling, the first book of the Curse of Kin YA series. Nera is a likable character, strong, opinionated and yet realistically immature when suddenly faced with an unknown paranormal truth about herself and secretive family history. Her Uncle Jasper is a patient man, always soothing her and trying to help. Her parents are supportive and present which is always refreshing in YA. Her younger brother Roman is a cute five year old and he's very aware for his age. It took a while to like Brian "Bones" as Nera's 'protector' and teacher.

There is an expansive family legacy involving a goddess, an evil witch, an old curse and the hope of someone strong enough to break the curse. I can't go into specifics and spoil the fun for readers. While reading I did have questions about the fantastical aspect of the tale and couldn't help noting why there was no mention of the towns people noticing a very long-time resident in their midst. Perhaps there was some spell cast which will be explained in the series. The story keeps the reader involved and Nera's narration always keeps us informed. For a paranormal I did think the pacing might move a bit quicker but since this is the first book in a series I figured a foundation had to be set, especially when much of the story centered around Nera accepting and then learning about her new self and role.

Witchling is a fun, involved YA novel and fans of the paranormal genre looking for a new story featuring witches may want to look into this title.
(http://www.readergirlsblog.com/2013/0...)

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.com/bo...

Nera has always had strange terrifying dreams, but now she is having them during the day. She is awakening to her power as a witch, without any knowledge of her family history. Turning to her Uncle Jasper for help and answers, she discovers that she is supposed to stop an eight hundred year old curse.

Ari Harper does a good job of telling a compelling and intriguing story. Nera is a strong heroine and her character is well portrayed. She has two close friends, Brie and Sully, who stand by her as she is faced with the challenges of learning strong magic, and learning it quickly.

Harper’s writing is overall strong and effective, with just a few editing flaws, or times when there is too much telling rather than showing. However, I feel that Harper could have given the reader more help with the family history. I like a book which makes the reader think, but there were missing details which even at the end, I couldn’t figure out. We are told in the beginning, for instance, that Jasper is eight hundred years old and has always lived in his current home. I couldn’t help but wonder why the villagers never noticed this. I’m sure there is an explanation, and I think Harper could deepen her story with more details about the family history.

Nevertheless, this was a very enjoyable read. I was quickly drawn into the story and Nera’s journey from typical teen to powerful witch was intriguing to watch. The interactions with her family and best friends were believable and her fights with Bones, her protector and instructor, as well as Bones’ reactions to a teenage girl, were very realistic.

This is the first novel in a series, and it ends at a good point, but with plot lines yet to be explored. I look forward to reading more in this series.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received for tour http://www.nobentspines.blogspot.com/
Final rating: 3.5

I love this book. 3.5? Yeah, that seems like a reasonable rating. Nera is a girl who is used to getting what she wants. She lives a pretty average high school life-one where that chemistry test is the thing you fear the most. So when her uncle tells her she's gonna have to save the world or everything is going to go horribly wrong, oh yeah, and that she's a witch, she might have freaked out. And be in denial. Just a little. Hey, but she's got Bones, a really hot and powerful protector. If only he wasn't just so annoying...

Now if she can just make it to finals....

She has great friends, the embrace the witch and deal with the word that rhymes with witch in her. Yes that one. Nera has a tempter, is a bit childish and sometimes she is just plain mean. Some things you just don't say. She says all of them.

One of my majorrr complaints is she doesn't grow at all in this book. At all. Bones really isn't that bad. He's super helpful and wants to keep her safe. I mean it's his job. Nera, is indeed, a brat. BUT HER BABY BROTHER IS SO ADORABLE.

I mean he comes to her.......from the future.

Plus, the ending is amazing.

Okay, so the whole book is about preparing for the ultimate fight. (and then that other thing I can't tell you about) But when they do actually 'fight' is like 2 pages on my Kindle. What is this?

So do I recommend it? Uhm, yes. More Bones, please.

[D.F. Krieger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really hooked me. The cast of characters had me taking notice right away, and I'm glad this is a series as I'm looking forward to seeing how each of them develops and fleshes out. It helps that I'm majorly crushing on Bones and Jasper.



My only issue was that the main character seemed really bratty...that was, until I started looking at how girls this characters age act this day and age. Nera also got me to thinking about myself, and if I had the hardships of the world thrown on my shoulders, just how stable would I be. Basically, I realized this character acted far more human than many stories I've read, and it was one of the things that hooked me. I'm really, really looking forward to the next in the series, which is due out this summer.

[Sarah Saunders · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story and a pleasant read. Young Adult is a guilty pleasure of mine, even though I am much older then the chosen demographic I enjoy the nostalgia associated with reading books that are neither wholly for children or for grown ups. The Witchling was perhaps a little too young for me to fully enjoy however and at time I found the dialogue (both from the adults and youngsters)strange and jarring and not quite how I would imagine people of that age to speak.

Even with the moments of being displaced from the story by the dialogue it was easy to read and I enjoyed the story and for the most part the characters.I will definitely be looking at more of Ari Harper's work.