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Witch World #2
Black Knight
The thrilling Witch World saga continues in this suspenseful sequel to Red Queen , from #1 New York Times bestselling author Christopher Pike.
Jessica Ralle thought the worst was over. The mindblowing revelations. The terrifying danger.
The heartbreaking loss.
Turns out, discovering Witch World was just the beginning.
The riveting Witch World saga continues in a sequel packed with even more shocking twists and sexy suspense than Book One…
Jessica Ralle thought the worst was over. The mindblowing revelations. The terrifying danger.
The heartbreaking loss.
Turns out, discovering Witch World was just the beginning.
The riveting Witch World saga continues in a sequel packed with even more shocking twists and sexy suspense than Book One…
464 pages, Paperback
First published December 2, 2014
63 people are currently reading
1507 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Pike
261 books5,468 followersChristopher Pike is the pseudonym of Kevin McFadden. He is a bestselling author of young adult and children's fiction who specializes in the thriller genre.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
McFadden was born in New York but grew up in California where he stills lives in today. A college drop-out, he did factory work, painted houses and programmed computers before becoming a recognized author. Initially unsuccessful when he set out to write science fiction and adult mystery, it was not until his work caught the attention of an editor who suggested he write a teen thriller that he became a hit. The result was Slumber Party (1985), a book about a group of teenagers who run into bizarre and violent events during a ski weekend. After that he wrote Weekend and Chain Letter. All three books went on to become bestsellers.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
McFadden was born in New York but grew up in California where he stills lives in today. A college drop-out, he did factory work, painted houses and programmed computers before becoming a recognized author. Initially unsuccessful when he set out to write science fiction and adult mystery, it was not until his work caught the attention of an editor who suggested he write a teen thriller that he became a hit. The result was Slumber Party (1985), a book about a group of teenagers who run into bizarre and violent events during a ski weekend. After that he wrote Weekend and Chain Letter. All three books went on to become bestsellers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
November 14, 2014
2.5 Stars
My teen years, like many, were filled with Pike's crazy and highly entertaining stories. How could I refuse a new release? Well it turns out I can't but maybe I should have.
Let me explain, I struggled with the first book, a lot. It was too detail oriented and felt very juvenile, yes I know these are for a younger audience than I happen to belong to but still, even for the characters being 18 and older it felt young, it read young.
Once again while this has classic Pike greatness, like the first book, it seemed to lack substance. Often falling into familiar overly used tropes such as insta-love, a love triangle and of course, lots of angst and drama.
While the whole concept of the book was fascinating with the parallel dimensions and the Witch World, this still lacked important details to the story and descriptions and details that didn't need to be there, making this almost 500 page story was too long.
The story lulled in spots and then in others went by so quickly you were left scratching your head wondering what in the heck just happened.
Don't get me wrong, this wasn't all bad, there were some great moments in the story, the arena especially but it just wasn't enough to truly wow me like I wanted to be wowed.
Sadly I think this is one series that just wasn't for me.
My teen years, like many, were filled with Pike's crazy and highly entertaining stories. How could I refuse a new release? Well it turns out I can't but maybe I should have.
Let me explain, I struggled with the first book, a lot. It was too detail oriented and felt very juvenile, yes I know these are for a younger audience than I happen to belong to but still, even for the characters being 18 and older it felt young, it read young.
Once again while this has classic Pike greatness, like the first book, it seemed to lack substance. Often falling into familiar overly used tropes such as insta-love, a love triangle and of course, lots of angst and drama.
While the whole concept of the book was fascinating with the parallel dimensions and the Witch World, this still lacked important details to the story and descriptions and details that didn't need to be there, making this almost 500 page story was too long.
The story lulled in spots and then in others went by so quickly you were left scratching your head wondering what in the heck just happened.
Don't get me wrong, this wasn't all bad, there were some great moments in the story, the arena especially but it just wasn't enough to truly wow me like I wanted to be wowed.
Sadly I think this is one series that just wasn't for me.
August 8, 2014
Ok, here's the deal with this book. So many tropes that should irritate me (and undoubtedly will irritate others), but it's Christopher Pike! This is an author I read religiously in the 80s and 90s. Every single book. I would buy a new one, and immediately flip to the back page where it stated the title of his next release and when it would be on sale. His plots were usually batshit (remember Gimme a Kiss? One of my favorites), but god if his books aren't fun. For that alone, I made many allowances and concessions I might not have otherwise.
When I requested this galley from Edelweiss and Simon Pulse (thank you!), I did not realize it was the second in a series. I worried that this would badly affect my reading experience. Thankfully, it didn't, at least not entirely. Pike interspersed details about the world and events from the previous book throughout this one, but there were definitely times when I felt as though those details should have come sooner.
See, our heroine, Jessie Ralle, is a witch, hence the series name, Witch World. The witches, however, aren't really traditional witches. There are no wands and no spells, so while I shelved it as paranormal/supernatural, it's really more like sci-fi. They call themselves witches, but in actuality they are genetically anomalous humans who have been born with a number of witch genes. There are ten total witch genes, and they grant abilities such as telepathy, strength, speed, intuition (which seems to operate with some level of compulsion) or other potential "superpowers." There's even a time control gene. Potential witches are not awakened until they go through the proper rites, which basically entail dying and being revived, at which point their special genes are basically activated and they become aware of witch world.
Because this book deals with parallel universes.
An awakened witch lives one day in the "normal" world. When they wake the next day, they are in witch world and live that day there. Now, this is one of those areas in which Pike should have doled out some details sooner than he did, because for half the book I was wondering what happens to their body, their job, what-have-you, for the day they are in witch world. See, when they wake in witch world, it's the same day - so they basically live the same day twice, only in a different, but parallel universe, so events do not remain the same necessarily, even though events in each world follow the other pretty closely. Also, people in the "real" world are not aware of witches, and non-witches in witch world only have a vague awareness of them - enough so that they know some people are part of a powerful group and they tend to give the proper deference to witches, even if they don't know why.
If you die in the real world, you can still live in witch world full time. But if you die in witch world, you will die, shortly thereafter, in the real world.
Jessie has a daughter - a super-special daughter who has all ten witch genes. No one has that many. No one. What does this mean? No clue. The daughter is mentioned only in passing a couple times during the book, as is Jessie's boyfriend, who takes care of their daughter when she's in the real world.
Sounds convoluted, right? Well, to some degree, it is. But I really didn't care. There was a great story going on here that rendered most of the world-building details irrelevant in the overall scheme of this particular story. How those details will play into future books (or even the first one), I couldn't say.
Anyway, Jessie starts having dreams about Marc, and during these dreams she is basically watching him live his life as a skilled thief. He intrigues her, and I will say the first chapter involving him was highly enjoyable (which is why I'm saying nothing of the content).
At some point, witch world politics become involved in the story (good versus bad, basically), and we learn that the "bad" witches need a new leader. They often choose this person based on a test involving "The Field." This is where things got really interesting, and why I didn't care about the somewhat shoddy world-building (I suspect a lot of the groundwork was laid in the first book, so I find I can't fault Pike for my not having read the first book).
The Field is basically the Hunger Games arena. Six witches, each with their own unique abilities, are set into an arena with a team of six humans. Jessie has a motley team, and among her humans is Marc, the guy she's been dreaming about. Only one shall survive.
Well, hell. yes.
This is where the book shined.
In between days in the field, Jessie returns to witch world, where she trains a bit and seeks help from her friends and advisors. Think if Katniss could take a day off from the arena to consult with her team about events occurring in the arena and you've got the idea.
Now look, did this book have problems? Oh yes. The writing wasn't the greatest - I noted several grammatical errors that may or may not be corrected before publication (multiple, multiple instances of using "there's" when the subject is plural - yes, I know it's debatable whether this is acceptable, but it bugs me nonetheless). Some sentences read in a very juvenile manner - like when Jessie's boyfriend was talking about their daughter being fussy and probably needing to "fart."
The characters' personalities left a little to be desired. There was a heavy dose of insta-love (that was actually endorsed by Jessie's boyfriend for some insane reason), and there was absolutely nothing in the story that gave me reason to believe these characters had fallen in love. No relationship growth and not enough personality in any of them for me to buy it. No fate, or anything, so even that wasn't an excuse. Just, BAM! I met you two days ago, but we're in love now. In fact, there wasn't a lot of character growth at all, since the entire book takes place over only a few days.
In addition, Jessie often makes terrible, TSTL choices, while simultaneously being an absolute Mary Sue - everyone loves her, she's special, she gave birth to super-speshul, and for some inane reason, despite being a witch for all of a month, she's being scouted as a potential leader for the bad witch contingent. She's kind of a terrible mother. I get that she's going through some heavy events in this book, but you'd think she would mention her daughter, or ask about her, a couple times, right? You'd think that when she's on the verge of death, she'd at least think about her. Yet, she rarely mentions, or thinks about, her daughter, she gives little thought to how her actions affect her boyfriend and daughter, and she's really selfish. Instead, in the key moments, she's thinking about Marc - the guy she just met.
So why the hell is this getting three stars? Because Marc's story, pre-field, was extremely entertaining, and the Field was even moreso.
At the end of the day, I picked up this book not because I wanted to read some literary work of art that would inspire me to contemplate our place in the universe. I wasn't looking for something new and different. I wasn't looking for a new take on YA/NA tropes. I picked it up because I wanted an entertaining, off-the-rails, pulpy Pike plot. And he delivered.
When I requested this galley from Edelweiss and Simon Pulse (thank you!), I did not realize it was the second in a series. I worried that this would badly affect my reading experience. Thankfully, it didn't, at least not entirely. Pike interspersed details about the world and events from the previous book throughout this one, but there were definitely times when I felt as though those details should have come sooner.
See, our heroine, Jessie Ralle, is a witch, hence the series name, Witch World. The witches, however, aren't really traditional witches. There are no wands and no spells, so while I shelved it as paranormal/supernatural, it's really more like sci-fi. They call themselves witches, but in actuality they are genetically anomalous humans who have been born with a number of witch genes. There are ten total witch genes, and they grant abilities such as telepathy, strength, speed, intuition (which seems to operate with some level of compulsion) or other potential "superpowers." There's even a time control gene. Potential witches are not awakened until they go through the proper rites, which basically entail dying and being revived, at which point their special genes are basically activated and they become aware of witch world.
Because this book deals with parallel universes.
An awakened witch lives one day in the "normal" world. When they wake the next day, they are in witch world and live that day there. Now, this is one of those areas in which Pike should have doled out some details sooner than he did, because for half the book I was wondering what happens to their body, their job, what-have-you, for the day they are in witch world. See, when they wake in witch world, it's the same day - so they basically live the same day twice, only in a different, but parallel universe, so events do not remain the same necessarily, even though events in each world follow the other pretty closely. Also, people in the "real" world are not aware of witches, and non-witches in witch world only have a vague awareness of them - enough so that they know some people are part of a powerful group and they tend to give the proper deference to witches, even if they don't know why.
If you die in the real world, you can still live in witch world full time. But if you die in witch world, you will die, shortly thereafter, in the real world.
Jessie has a daughter - a super-special daughter who has all ten witch genes. No one has that many. No one. What does this mean? No clue. The daughter is mentioned only in passing a couple times during the book, as is Jessie's boyfriend, who takes care of their daughter when she's in the real world.
Sounds convoluted, right? Well, to some degree, it is. But I really didn't care. There was a great story going on here that rendered most of the world-building details irrelevant in the overall scheme of this particular story. How those details will play into future books (or even the first one), I couldn't say.
Anyway, Jessie starts having dreams about Marc, and during these dreams she is basically watching him live his life as a skilled thief. He intrigues her, and I will say the first chapter involving him was highly enjoyable (which is why I'm saying nothing of the content).
At some point, witch world politics become involved in the story (good versus bad, basically), and we learn that the "bad" witches need a new leader. They often choose this person based on a test involving "The Field." This is where things got really interesting, and why I didn't care about the somewhat shoddy world-building (I suspect a lot of the groundwork was laid in the first book, so I find I can't fault Pike for my not having read the first book).
The Field is basically the Hunger Games arena. Six witches, each with their own unique abilities, are set into an arena with a team of six humans. Jessie has a motley team, and among her humans is Marc, the guy she's been dreaming about. Only one shall survive.
Well, hell. yes.
This is where the book shined.
In between days in the field, Jessie returns to witch world, where she trains a bit and seeks help from her friends and advisors. Think if Katniss could take a day off from the arena to consult with her team about events occurring in the arena and you've got the idea.
Now look, did this book have problems? Oh yes. The writing wasn't the greatest - I noted several grammatical errors that may or may not be corrected before publication (multiple, multiple instances of using "there's" when the subject is plural - yes, I know it's debatable whether this is acceptable, but it bugs me nonetheless). Some sentences read in a very juvenile manner - like when Jessie's boyfriend was talking about their daughter being fussy and probably needing to "fart."
The characters' personalities left a little to be desired. There was a heavy dose of insta-love (that was actually endorsed by Jessie's boyfriend for some insane reason), and there was absolutely nothing in the story that gave me reason to believe these characters had fallen in love. No relationship growth and not enough personality in any of them for me to buy it. No fate, or anything, so even that wasn't an excuse. Just, BAM! I met you two days ago, but we're in love now. In fact, there wasn't a lot of character growth at all, since the entire book takes place over only a few days.
In addition, Jessie often makes terrible, TSTL choices, while simultaneously being an absolute Mary Sue - everyone loves her, she's special, she gave birth to super-speshul, and for some inane reason, despite being a witch for all of a month, she's being scouted as a potential leader for the bad witch contingent. She's kind of a terrible mother. I get that she's going through some heavy events in this book, but you'd think she would mention her daughter, or ask about her, a couple times, right? You'd think that when she's on the verge of death, she'd at least think about her. Yet, she rarely mentions, or thinks about, her daughter, she gives little thought to how her actions affect her boyfriend and daughter, and she's really selfish. Instead, in the key moments, she's thinking about Marc - the guy she just met.
So why the hell is this getting three stars? Because Marc's story, pre-field, was extremely entertaining, and the Field was even moreso.
At the end of the day, I picked up this book not because I wanted to read some literary work of art that would inspire me to contemplate our place in the universe. I wasn't looking for something new and different. I wasn't looking for a new take on YA/NA tropes. I picked it up because I wanted an entertaining, off-the-rails, pulpy Pike plot. And he delivered.
January 2, 2015
This book is so much fun, I got a nerd-high.
After having my mind expanded and twisted in several directions by the parallel worlds in Red Queen (aka Witch World), I couldn’t begin to imagine where Black Knight would take our wickedly-good witch, Jessie. This time, she’s swept out of the human world and dropped, quite literally, into The Field, a wilderness filled with skilled opponents where she’s forced to fight for her life. There will be only one survivor.
Wait, you say, this sounds suspiciously like Hunger Games! And at a glance, you might be right. But Black Knight takes the concept of arena fighting (which, when you think about it, is actually an ancient practice) and elevates it to an entirely new level.
This is Witch World, remember? That alters the stakes. Jessie’s opponents aren’t picked out of a hat at random; they’re in The Field because they are the most powerful and highly evolved witches in existence. The last one standing won’t be a victor for victor’s sake—they’ll be crowned the next leader of Witch World. Their battlefield is a mysterious island with an active volcano (and several mind-and-physics-shattering secrets) and the battles they fight are fierce and nothing short of supernatural. But here’s where the story turns truly brilliant:
At the end of each day, when Jessie closes her eyes to rest after a hard fight in in The Field, she wakes up—you guessed it!—back home in Witch World! Here she’s able to safely research her opponents and prepare for the next battle with a wise entourage of magical trainers. True to Witch World form, these aren’t just any old magical trainers. Black Knight introduces us to a new and gripping witch gene: the time travel gene! I won’t spoil the surprise, except to say Jessie’s trainers arrive fresh from her past—and the pages of the first book!
In addition to reintroducing old characters, Black Knight is full of dynamic new personalities, most notably the other contestants on The Field. And out of these, the most striking is Marc. He’s a thief, and he’s also the man of Jessie’s dreams. Literally. Before she meets and joins forces with Marc in The Field, she dreams about his human life and comes to cherish him. He’s noble, funny, clever, sexy, and so completely intriguing that you might just find yourself dreaming about him long after the story is over…
And that, my magic-loving friends, is only the tip of this explosive book’s volcano.
If you’re a fan of Christopher Pike, Hunger Games, or mind-altering fiction, Black Knight is a must read. All in all, it’s a sci-fi paranormal fun-ride.
After having my mind expanded and twisted in several directions by the parallel worlds in Red Queen (aka Witch World), I couldn’t begin to imagine where Black Knight would take our wickedly-good witch, Jessie. This time, she’s swept out of the human world and dropped, quite literally, into The Field, a wilderness filled with skilled opponents where she’s forced to fight for her life. There will be only one survivor.
Wait, you say, this sounds suspiciously like Hunger Games! And at a glance, you might be right. But Black Knight takes the concept of arena fighting (which, when you think about it, is actually an ancient practice) and elevates it to an entirely new level.
This is Witch World, remember? That alters the stakes. Jessie’s opponents aren’t picked out of a hat at random; they’re in The Field because they are the most powerful and highly evolved witches in existence. The last one standing won’t be a victor for victor’s sake—they’ll be crowned the next leader of Witch World. Their battlefield is a mysterious island with an active volcano (and several mind-and-physics-shattering secrets) and the battles they fight are fierce and nothing short of supernatural. But here’s where the story turns truly brilliant:
At the end of each day, when Jessie closes her eyes to rest after a hard fight in in The Field, she wakes up—you guessed it!—back home in Witch World! Here she’s able to safely research her opponents and prepare for the next battle with a wise entourage of magical trainers. True to Witch World form, these aren’t just any old magical trainers. Black Knight introduces us to a new and gripping witch gene: the time travel gene! I won’t spoil the surprise, except to say Jessie’s trainers arrive fresh from her past—and the pages of the first book!
In addition to reintroducing old characters, Black Knight is full of dynamic new personalities, most notably the other contestants on The Field. And out of these, the most striking is Marc. He’s a thief, and he’s also the man of Jessie’s dreams. Literally. Before she meets and joins forces with Marc in The Field, she dreams about his human life and comes to cherish him. He’s noble, funny, clever, sexy, and so completely intriguing that you might just find yourself dreaming about him long after the story is over…
And that, my magic-loving friends, is only the tip of this explosive book’s volcano.
If you’re a fan of Christopher Pike, Hunger Games, or mind-altering fiction, Black Knight is a must read. All in all, it’s a sci-fi paranormal fun-ride.
October 26, 2024
The ending of this book made it all worth it. My questions were all answered and yet the end leaves room for major interpretation as well as more stories. I wish there were more books in this series to find out what happens to everyone else...
January 18, 2015
"The sequel better step up its game." I wrote that after I finished reading Red Queen, the new title of the first book in the Witch World saga. Black Knight did just that!
But, let's back track a bit. I liked that they reformatted the series. The covers are vast improvements. Unfortunately, I don't think the publisher doesn't know how to quite market it, which is a shame because Christopher Pike was- is- a pioneer in the YA world.
Black Knight, although it's a sequel, can be read as a standalone. It's been quite a while since Red Queen came out so I had forgotten some of what had happened in the first book anyway. With that being said, readers will understand more of Witch World if they read the books in order.
Whereas Red Queen introduced readers to a mysterious new world, Black Knight goes even deeper and darker. Humans and witches are forced in an Arena style batter where only one can be victorious. Pike was clever enough to know there'll be comparisons with another book series with the same plot so he actually referenced it- Battle Royale by Koushun Takami! There's lot of action in this one!
Some of my nitpicks:
1) A few of the resolutions were handled too quickly. Lots of build up and then over with in a sentence or two. I actually had to flip back through some pages to make sure they actually referenced it.
2) This is obviously a series. Lots of things are mentioned with no payoff. Hopefully, there'll will be more books.
3) I'm sick of soul mates, true loves. The main character doesn't seem to know the difference between lust and love.
My next point is both good and bad. Pike writes strong female protagonists. But when you have two series with two superpowered ladies who both battle conspiracy groups, shifting loyalties and death itself, it gets kind of confusing to tell the two apart.
If you have a thirst for more books like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins with a heavy dose of the supernatural, check out the Witch World series!
But, let's back track a bit. I liked that they reformatted the series. The covers are vast improvements. Unfortunately, I don't think the publisher doesn't know how to quite market it, which is a shame because Christopher Pike was- is- a pioneer in the YA world.
Black Knight, although it's a sequel, can be read as a standalone. It's been quite a while since Red Queen came out so I had forgotten some of what had happened in the first book anyway. With that being said, readers will understand more of Witch World if they read the books in order.
Whereas Red Queen introduced readers to a mysterious new world, Black Knight goes even deeper and darker. Humans and witches are forced in an Arena style batter where only one can be victorious. Pike was clever enough to know there'll be comparisons with another book series with the same plot so he actually referenced it- Battle Royale by Koushun Takami! There's lot of action in this one!
Some of my nitpicks:
1) A few of the resolutions were handled too quickly. Lots of build up and then over with in a sentence or two. I actually had to flip back through some pages to make sure they actually referenced it.
2) This is obviously a series. Lots of things are mentioned with no payoff. Hopefully, there'll will be more books.
3) I'm sick of soul mates, true loves. The main character doesn't seem to know the difference between lust and love.
My next point is both good and bad. Pike writes strong female protagonists. But when you have two series with two superpowered ladies who both battle conspiracy groups, shifting loyalties and death itself, it gets kind of confusing to tell the two apart.
If you have a thirst for more books like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins with a heavy dose of the supernatural, check out the Witch World series!
January 28, 2015
Omg amazing!!!! Different fromThe first one but absolutely one of the best books I've read. They introduce new characters that you fall in love with the story is kind of hunger games meet something else that I'm not quite sure of but it hooks you in the first page and I honestly could not put it down. Jessica the main character is just hands-down the most kick ass lead character. I loved this book everyone needs to read it after they read the first one of course. I just hope it doesn't take as long for the third one to come out as it did for the second one to come out these books are amazing!!
May 18, 2018
Excerpt from my review - originally published at Offbeat YA.
Pros: Unique approach to witches and alternate universes. Faster pace and more cohesion than Book 1. Never a dull moment (with the possible exception of Ch. 1).
Cons: Heroine reads like a slightly different version of Sita (The Last Vampire/Thirst), this time with a penchant for being in love/lust with two men at a time. Most characters are unbelievably skilled for a bunch of newborn teen witches or witch wannabes. We don't get the explanations we need in the end (and it's unclear if we will, because there's no talk of a book 3 yet. I asked Pike himself and he said he wants to complete the series, but apparently his publishers have very little interest in it right now. Or - my take on the matter - maybe ever...).
WARNING! This one has blood and guts. Literally. Sex is mentioned/approached, but we don't really get to see it - only a would-be prelude.
Will appeal to: Those who like feisty female leads. Those who can tolerate some gore and suspend disbelief if a story draws them in. Those who don't necessarily need ALL the answers...
As my review of Red Queen testifies, I liked the first installment of this series, but didn't unconditionally love it. I've reread it prior to tackling this sequel, and despite enjoying some bits a lot, I still was annoyed at some others. The main problem for me - apart from the heroine Jessica reading too much like an alternate version of Sita without 5,000 years of living under her belt, but sometimes acting like she did - was that the book was all over the place. So I was pleasantly surprised by Black Knight being, on the whole, much more cohesive than its predecessor (which I admit it's not easy for a book set in two different universes, and sporting the addition of a second almost-main character). Also, this novel's got action, blood and guts (not that the first installment didn't, but it was still a crossover between such things and your average high-school aftermath), not to mention a bunch of mysteries of different kinds to keep you enthralled. And curveballed. (Can you say "curveballed"?). Of course, Jessica is still too good to be true - a 18 year old girl who can take care of anything under the sun while barely flinching, and a newborn witch who can fight with the best of them. Because go figure, there are others like her. But once removed from the post-high-school/normal life setting, the fact that six half-dozens of teenagers can be catapulted in the middle of a godforsaken place to be pitted against one another, and adjust to it, doesn't sound that far-fetched anymore...Yes, actually "catapulted" and "pitted". Because six groups of six witches and latent witches each find themselves stranded on an off-the-map island, where they are supposed to fight until only one of them remains. In typical Highlander fashion... [...]
Whole review here.
Pros: Unique approach to witches and alternate universes. Faster pace and more cohesion than Book 1. Never a dull moment (with the possible exception of Ch. 1).
Cons: Heroine reads like a slightly different version of Sita (The Last Vampire/Thirst), this time with a penchant for being in love/lust with two men at a time. Most characters are unbelievably skilled for a bunch of newborn teen witches or witch wannabes. We don't get the explanations we need in the end (and it's unclear if we will, because there's no talk of a book 3 yet. I asked Pike himself and he said he wants to complete the series, but apparently his publishers have very little interest in it right now. Or - my take on the matter - maybe ever...).
WARNING! This one has blood and guts. Literally. Sex is mentioned/approached, but we don't really get to see it - only a would-be prelude.
Will appeal to: Those who like feisty female leads. Those who can tolerate some gore and suspend disbelief if a story draws them in. Those who don't necessarily need ALL the answers...
As my review of Red Queen testifies, I liked the first installment of this series, but didn't unconditionally love it. I've reread it prior to tackling this sequel, and despite enjoying some bits a lot, I still was annoyed at some others. The main problem for me - apart from the heroine Jessica reading too much like an alternate version of Sita without 5,000 years of living under her belt, but sometimes acting like she did - was that the book was all over the place. So I was pleasantly surprised by Black Knight being, on the whole, much more cohesive than its predecessor (which I admit it's not easy for a book set in two different universes, and sporting the addition of a second almost-main character). Also, this novel's got action, blood and guts (not that the first installment didn't, but it was still a crossover between such things and your average high-school aftermath), not to mention a bunch of mysteries of different kinds to keep you enthralled. And curveballed. (Can you say "curveballed"?). Of course, Jessica is still too good to be true - a 18 year old girl who can take care of anything under the sun while barely flinching, and a newborn witch who can fight with the best of them. Because go figure, there are others like her. But once removed from the post-high-school/normal life setting, the fact that six half-dozens of teenagers can be catapulted in the middle of a godforsaken place to be pitted against one another, and adjust to it, doesn't sound that far-fetched anymore...Yes, actually "catapulted" and "pitted". Because six groups of six witches and latent witches each find themselves stranded on an off-the-map island, where they are supposed to fight until only one of them remains. In typical Highlander fashion... [...]
Whole review here.
January 20, 2015
I have loved the author for over 25 years and this is the first time I thought a book was truly terrible.
It has been two years since the first book came out, so my memory was rusty on the characters and exact scenarios, but I do remember loving the first book. I still have some trouble understanding how people live in both world consecutively, not simultaneously.
When I was 13 and reading about people falling in love instantly, I believed it. This time, I rolled my eyes and thought Jessie was a flaky, flighty woman who was not fit for motherhood/a serious relationship.
I can see how the popularity of the Hunger Games would cause an author to want to put his own spin on it, and this was was definitely unique. I loved the parts about the drawings on the cave wall and some of the actual battle scenes.
The love story was ridiculous and contrived. The sacrifice at the end was even more contrived. I love Mr. Pike and I will continue to read everything he writes, but I hope the next installment is much better.
It has been two years since the first book came out, so my memory was rusty on the characters and exact scenarios, but I do remember loving the first book. I still have some trouble understanding how people live in both world consecutively, not simultaneously.
When I was 13 and reading about people falling in love instantly, I believed it. This time, I rolled my eyes and thought Jessie was a flaky, flighty woman who was not fit for motherhood/a serious relationship.
I can see how the popularity of the Hunger Games would cause an author to want to put his own spin on it, and this was was definitely unique. I loved the parts about the drawings on the cave wall and some of the actual battle scenes.
The love story was ridiculous and contrived. The sacrifice at the end was even more contrived. I love Mr. Pike and I will continue to read everything he writes, but I hope the next installment is much better.
October 22, 2016
Bad Hunger Games parody. We don't even find out what the Field was for - whether for the Lapras or the Council. Marc is ok; romance is ok; BUT not at the expense of Jimmy who was built up so much in the first book. Ironic since I was more drawn to Russ and Kendor in Red Queen, but all the more reason to feel betrayed in this sequel, after all that Jimmy gave up for Jessie. The action in the Field was ok, I still have issues with the duality of worlds - and again, for that reason, feel short-changed when JessiCA disappears from both dimensions. The ending leaves much unanswered, re the Alchemist, the Lapras, the Council - Ora and the others. Not to mention Lara who is supposed to be "Special". Ugh. Very disappointing! Not pleased!!!
April 11, 2020
It has been awhile since I was in the ‘Witch World’ world, I must say I enjoyed this book much more than the first. There are strong similarities between Black Knight and The Hunger Games. There is a secluded island where everyone is meant to fight to the death until one sole victor remains. The differences are the competitors range from teens to early twenties, and instead of fighting individually they are divided into six groups, each containing six players.
We spend very little time in Witch World, and more time on the island, but the time that you do spend there has very little excitement. There are some surprise cameos here, but they were very short lived. I believe we never got to see the full scope of The Alchemist’s powers, and truly feel the threat that he had over Jessica and the Witch World in general as he was a very small voice in the book.
Jessica Ralle is still adjusting to her new life as a witch, and balancing her real world life with her witch world counter part. However it’s her relationship with Jimmy, Marc and even Lara that seem the most unreal. The interaction between Jessica and her family has a very small role, to the point where you don’t believe that Jessica is as committed to them has Jimmy is to her. As for her relationship with Marc, it was highly unrealistic and would have been far more believable should it have been passed off as a beautiful friendship, and not a romance.
My overall rating: 3/5 stars
You may be wondering, if I enjoyed this book much more than the first them wan such a low score? The main problems with Black Knight are with the main character Jessica Ralle. She is a strong Mary Sue. While she has had training sessions to improve her powers, there were moments where it was too fast. But is wasn’t her ability to have such control, but it seemed that a fair majority of male characters who were around Jessica, fell in love with her. It was never in friendship. So while the book as a whole was fun, and an entertaining read, I did find Jessica too perfect a character.
Would I recommend: I didn’t mind the second installment of this series. I actually preferred it over the first book. So yes, I would recommend this book. It was a fun read. I would say if you either enjoy visiting Witch World, or are a fan of The Hunger Games, you’ll find yourself more than happy with Black Knight.
We spend very little time in Witch World, and more time on the island, but the time that you do spend there has very little excitement. There are some surprise cameos here, but they were very short lived. I believe we never got to see the full scope of The Alchemist’s powers, and truly feel the threat that he had over Jessica and the Witch World in general as he was a very small voice in the book.
Jessica Ralle is still adjusting to her new life as a witch, and balancing her real world life with her witch world counter part. However it’s her relationship with Jimmy, Marc and even Lara that seem the most unreal. The interaction between Jessica and her family has a very small role, to the point where you don’t believe that Jessica is as committed to them has Jimmy is to her. As for her relationship with Marc, it was highly unrealistic and would have been far more believable should it have been passed off as a beautiful friendship, and not a romance.
My overall rating: 3/5 stars
You may be wondering, if I enjoyed this book much more than the first them wan such a low score? The main problems with Black Knight are with the main character Jessica Ralle. She is a strong Mary Sue. While she has had training sessions to improve her powers, there were moments where it was too fast. But is wasn’t her ability to have such control, but it seemed that a fair majority of male characters who were around Jessica, fell in love with her. It was never in friendship. So while the book as a whole was fun, and an entertaining read, I did find Jessica too perfect a character.
Would I recommend: I didn’t mind the second installment of this series. I actually preferred it over the first book. So yes, I would recommend this book. It was a fun read. I would say if you either enjoy visiting Witch World, or are a fan of The Hunger Games, you’ll find yourself more than happy with Black Knight.
April 16, 2020
While I speed through this book as quickly as the first one, I realized after I finished it that it was not as satisfying. For one, it left lits of my questions unanswered. While I had been reading I had come up with ideas about the plot, guesses about various things that had intrigued me and I had been looking forward to finding out if my ideas were correct. But now I'll never know as none of these things were mentioned at the end. Which is disappointing.
Second is that a large chunk of the plot was like the Hunger Games. You know, kids fighting each other on an island. I would have preferred something more original. There's tons of movies or books along those lines. I'm sure you can think of several very easily.. and why do problems have to be solved by fights? I would find a different type of plot more interesting.
I find the story ends with too much left hanging, too much unresolved. Is there a third book? I don't know.
It did keep my attention and kept me reading.
The main character, Jesse, is getting a bit too cold blooded for my tastes.
Second is that a large chunk of the plot was like the Hunger Games. You know, kids fighting each other on an island. I would have preferred something more original. There's tons of movies or books along those lines. I'm sure you can think of several very easily.. and why do problems have to be solved by fights? I would find a different type of plot more interesting.
I find the story ends with too much left hanging, too much unresolved. Is there a third book? I don't know.
It did keep my attention and kept me reading.
The main character, Jesse, is getting a bit too cold blooded for my tastes.
August 17, 2019
Never have a struggled this hard with a Christopher Pike book and I have no idea why. I love his stuff, but maybe it just wasn't the right time for me to read these.
Thoughts: Lara seemed a huge pivotal point in the story and nothing happened with her. Not sure if there's a book 3, but it seemed she was more important than what she played out. I was just expecting more.
I would really like to know where the Field was and what's the point of wasting countless powerful witches lives. It seems extremely wasteful.
I enjoyed the magic, just wish we saw it more. Definitely didn't expect Jessie to sacrifice herself and end it all, especially with Lara and Jimmy. Wish we knew if she came back at all, but without knowing where the Field was it's impossible to guess.
Overall I didn't expect the twist he always manages to throw into his ending. That hasn't changed. This one just left me expecting more and sad I didn't get it.
Thoughts: Lara seemed a huge pivotal point in the story and nothing happened with her. Not sure if there's a book 3, but it seemed she was more important than what she played out. I was just expecting more.
I would really like to know where the Field was and what's the point of wasting countless powerful witches lives. It seems extremely wasteful.
I enjoyed the magic, just wish we saw it more. Definitely didn't expect Jessie to sacrifice herself and end it all, especially with Lara and Jimmy. Wish we knew if she came back at all, but without knowing where the Field was it's impossible to guess.
Overall I didn't expect the twist he always manages to throw into his ending. That hasn't changed. This one just left me expecting more and sad I didn't get it.
October 17, 2017
Wow, I really liked this series. I gave up on it at first. I have always loved Christopher Pike. I read all his books when I was younger. I started thinking that his books are usually far out there and gave this series another chance. I am so glad I did. I only hope that book 3 will eventually come out. I really want to know what happens to Jessie. I believe that she is still alive and will come back. A few reviewers mentioned that he probably won't make a book 3. I REALLY hope he does.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2022
Black Knight doesn't read like a usual Christopher Pike book, especially if you're a fan of his YA from the 1990s. Once I got over that fact, I enjoyed the book a lot more. The book is less horror and more of a sci-fi read, in spite of being part of what's called the Witch World series. I thought the premise was great and there was enough action to hold my interest. I liked the parallel universe setting and the characters were well done. My only complaint was the book left me with more questions than answers.
February 28, 2020
The book was good but the story took a strange turn. For one Jessie was forced to fight on a field with other witch's and some people that were not witch's. The back and forth to witch world confused me a bit. And in the beginning when she was in or watching Marc steal the neckless from the actress. It was ok don't really get how both books are connected except for the characters were the same. Didn't really care for this book to much. The first one was better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2025
DNF. Page 161/441
I thought I wanted to know how the story ends. But I realized I don’t really care. I read the last page. And it appears to have been left open ended. I’m not interested enough to find out what happens between when I stopped and the end. In the first chapter we’re introduced to Marc. 19 pages in and I was bored and started skimming. I kept reading to see if it got better. It did not. I also found Jessie/Jessica to be annoying. I am moving on.
I thought I wanted to know how the story ends. But I realized I don’t really care. I read the last page. And it appears to have been left open ended. I’m not interested enough to find out what happens between when I stopped and the end. In the first chapter we’re introduced to Marc. 19 pages in and I was bored and started skimming. I kept reading to see if it got better. It did not. I also found Jessie/Jessica to be annoying. I am moving on.
November 29, 2020
I got through it!!! Book wasn’t book. If there was a book 3 currently available I’d read it. But there is not! And if one became available in the future I don’t think I’d pick it up. I’m sure this book and it’s characters will of left my mind by then. I feel this book was a time killer. Not a book to fall inlove with.
April 14, 2022
It was like he was writing this just to fulfill an obligation. Jessie was obsessed with jimmy in the last book but was like, oh I have to have sex with this random dude and then make sure he doesn’t die for some reason? What was the circle for?!? The leader of….the bad guys? Idk man. This was a rough read and I’m so obsessed with almost everything he writes, but this was disappointing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2023
The end of this one was fantastic, hoping for more of Jessica's story and what happens when she after the Field. Loved the action and fighting this one had, definitely kept me on the edge of my seat the last few chapters.
October 23, 2024
Interesting enough but still not a very satisfying story especially the ending. Reminded me very much of The Hunger Games but I was not nearly as invested. I have always enjoyed Pike’s work but unfortunately this series did not do it for me
March 24, 2017
Will update review later
February 2, 2018
defiantly liked the first book better. the ending threw me off and just didn't sit right.
December 30, 2019
Awesome book
June 9, 2020
I forgot that I had already read this book, and in fact, I own it. I didn't realize that because they had changes the title and the cover.
The book was okay, but the characters were under developed.
The book was okay, but the characters were under developed.
July 3, 2021
Unexpected beginnings
March 12, 2017
Definitely enjoyed this. Seemed kind of rushed towards the end but that could've been me wanting to read another book just as much.
April 21, 2014
Book Review- Black Knight by Christopher Pike
Jessica is coming to terms with her life after she becomes a witch. She is one of a kind with seven witch genes. After the incident in Las Vegas she gained new abilities and knowledge of the witch world. Her boyfriend Jimmy is trapped in Witch World but is able to care for Lara, Jessica’s infant daughter. Lara is extremely special as she has ten witch genes which is unheard of. Jessica is trying to regain all her memories from when she lived merely in the human world but isn’t having any luck. She is also having strange dreams of this boy named Marc. In these dreams she almost becomes him as he goes about his life. She isn’t sure what it means. Then when the council informs her that she may be the next leader of the Lapras, she is shocked. She is more so when she learns she also has to accept the help being offered by the infamous Alchemist. She hesitates with this information as the stories about the Alchemist are less than flattering.
To add to her worries, she meets Marc in person when she wakes up in a strange box with five other teens. They have been selected to fight to the death with six other groups. She has no idea why or who is behind this new event. She wonders if she will ever have control of her own life.
This is the first book I have read in the Witch World series and it was a bit confusing. I didn’t know the back story so some of the issues Jessica was dealing with didn’t make sense to me. It was also difficult for me to connect with the characters. I’m not sure if the confusion I had added to it. It was just hard for me to get into this story.
It was a unique storyline though. I liked how the group of teens had to learn to work together and capitalize on each of their strengths to be successful. I also liked how Jessica had to rise up and face things head on. I do, however, recommend reading the first book of the series before this one. I give this book a 3 out of 5.
Jessica is coming to terms with her life after she becomes a witch. She is one of a kind with seven witch genes. After the incident in Las Vegas she gained new abilities and knowledge of the witch world. Her boyfriend Jimmy is trapped in Witch World but is able to care for Lara, Jessica’s infant daughter. Lara is extremely special as she has ten witch genes which is unheard of. Jessica is trying to regain all her memories from when she lived merely in the human world but isn’t having any luck. She is also having strange dreams of this boy named Marc. In these dreams she almost becomes him as he goes about his life. She isn’t sure what it means. Then when the council informs her that she may be the next leader of the Lapras, she is shocked. She is more so when she learns she also has to accept the help being offered by the infamous Alchemist. She hesitates with this information as the stories about the Alchemist are less than flattering.
To add to her worries, she meets Marc in person when she wakes up in a strange box with five other teens. They have been selected to fight to the death with six other groups. She has no idea why or who is behind this new event. She wonders if she will ever have control of her own life.
This is the first book I have read in the Witch World series and it was a bit confusing. I didn’t know the back story so some of the issues Jessica was dealing with didn’t make sense to me. It was also difficult for me to connect with the characters. I’m not sure if the confusion I had added to it. It was just hard for me to get into this story.
It was a unique storyline though. I liked how the group of teens had to learn to work together and capitalize on each of their strengths to be successful. I also liked how Jessica had to rise up and face things head on. I do, however, recommend reading the first book of the series before this one. I give this book a 3 out of 5.
December 15, 2016
I have finally got round to reading this book. I first red with world two years ago and did not know there was a sequel and i absolutely loved the book. It was so clever and the writing was great as it always is with Christopher pike. Jessie wasn't the perfect heroine like in most books she did what she had to. I loved the ending of witch world because it felt right if not a little upsetting. When i re read witch world i loved it all over again.
I then moved on to Black knight and the first couple of chapter where a struggle but then you can see i have rated it five stars. This is because even though it was a struggle to get into the book once you did get into the book it was one i could not put down Jessie was the same girl who was not the perfect heroine and did not see everything coming, it was messy and realistic in the best way. Pike's writing is always a pleasure to read and with this story being clever you need his fantastic writing to keep you on track. I did not see some of the twists and turns coming which i loved. The characters were all realistic, they had flaws, they messed up and consequences happened. The villains were all different some where just using brute force overs where cunning and that's what i loved about the book. No two character where the same. I highly recommend that you read this book and do not give up on it if you find it hard to get into because once you do you will not be able to put it down. I really hope Pike comes out with a third instalment one day as i would love to see what has happened to Jessie and Syn and others...
I then moved on to Black knight and the first couple of chapter where a struggle but then you can see i have rated it five stars. This is because even though it was a struggle to get into the book once you did get into the book it was one i could not put down Jessie was the same girl who was not the perfect heroine and did not see everything coming, it was messy and realistic in the best way. Pike's writing is always a pleasure to read and with this story being clever you need his fantastic writing to keep you on track. I did not see some of the twists and turns coming which i loved. The characters were all realistic, they had flaws, they messed up and consequences happened. The villains were all different some where just using brute force overs where cunning and that's what i loved about the book. No two character where the same. I highly recommend that you read this book and do not give up on it if you find it hard to get into because once you do you will not be able to put it down. I really hope Pike comes out with a third instalment one day as i would love to see what has happened to Jessie and Syn and others...
February 22, 2024
People only imagine they fear death. Because they are afraid it will be painful. Pain is the sources of fear. Once you accept that you will suffer in life no matter how hard you try to avoid it, the fear vanishes.
Not even close to Pike’s best work, but I still loved rereading it anyway. The Hunger Games-esque setting is so different from the first book but for me significantly better.
Jessie isn’t the most likeable of Pike’s protagonists. She might not be the only one to cheat but it’s sad how quickly she ditches Jimmy. To be fair, he’s so spineless I kept forgetting he exists. But all Jessie would talk about in Witch World is how her entire teenage existence is about her love for Jimmy and look at her now. Can't say I blame her though, Marc has to be my favourite male love interest in any Pike novel. He's funny and his life story is one of the most interesting parts of this story.
I’ve never needed the next book in a series so badly. I just know whatever Pike has imagined for the other side of the wall is something mindbending and I feel like maybe one of his best ideas. This book delivered so much action, gore, and unique new characters. Yet, I fear we will never get another book to find out. All that death for nothing.
Not even close to Pike’s best work, but I still loved rereading it anyway. The Hunger Games-esque setting is so different from the first book but for me significantly better.
Jessie isn’t the most likeable of Pike’s protagonists. She might not be the only one to cheat but it’s sad how quickly she ditches Jimmy. To be fair, he’s so spineless I kept forgetting he exists. But all Jessie would talk about in Witch World is how her entire teenage existence is about her love for Jimmy and look at her now. Can't say I blame her though, Marc has to be my favourite male love interest in any Pike novel. He's funny and his life story is one of the most interesting parts of this story.
I’ve never needed the next book in a series so badly. I just know whatever Pike has imagined for the other side of the wall is something mindbending and I feel like maybe one of his best ideas. This book delivered so much action, gore, and unique new characters. Yet, I fear we will never get another book to find out. All that death for nothing.
August 18, 2016
I have a bad tendency to buy books and add them to my to-read pile, only to prioritize books from the library over them. Thus, it's been 2 years since I've owned this book and it's been sitting in my Kindle for *forever*, like an albatross hanging around my neck. But I've got a fat nonfiction book from the library checked out right now that is not as exciting, so I fired up the Kindle app on my phone and decided to finish this book once and for all.
I do like Pike's world-building for this series; the parallel worlds with witches and the rules and the red queen card game are all incredibly interesting. I really liked WITCH WORLD, the first volume of the series. And BLACK KNIGHT was an entertaining read. However, as with most cases of sequel books, it isn't as strong as the first book. Plus, the major flaw is that it does mimic the premise of 2 very big YA series, namely THE HUNGER GAMES and DIVERGENT.
I thought the ending was moving, and I honestly wish that Pike would revisit the series and write a conclusion to Jessie's story. However, I understand that WITCH WORLD didn't really take off in the YA world (see what I did there?) and I don't think BLACK KNIGHT was solid enough to set up a third novel. I'll miss the witch world, but it was pretty good while it lasted.
I do like Pike's world-building for this series; the parallel worlds with witches and the rules and the red queen card game are all incredibly interesting. I really liked WITCH WORLD, the first volume of the series. And BLACK KNIGHT was an entertaining read. However, as with most cases of sequel books, it isn't as strong as the first book. Plus, the major flaw is that it does mimic the premise of 2 very big YA series, namely THE HUNGER GAMES and DIVERGENT.
I thought the ending was moving, and I honestly wish that Pike would revisit the series and write a conclusion to Jessie's story. However, I understand that WITCH WORLD didn't really take off in the YA world (see what I did there?) and I don't think BLACK KNIGHT was solid enough to set up a third novel. I'll miss the witch world, but it was pretty good while it lasted.
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