The Water Witch

Fairwick Chronicles #2

by Juliet Dark

Perfect for fans of Deborah Harkness and Elizabeth Kostova, "The Water Watch" is a breathtakingly sexy and atmospheric new novel of ancient folklore, passionate love, and thrilling magic.
After casting out a dark spirit, Callie McFay, a professor of gothic literature, has at last restored a semblance of calm to her rambling Victorian house. But in the nearby thicket of the honeysuckle forest, and in the currents of the rushing Undine stream, more trouble is stirring. . . .
The enchanted town of Fairwick's dazzling mix of mythical creatures has come under siege from the Grove: a sinister group of witches determined to banish the fey back to their ancestral land. With factions turning on one another, all are cruelly forced to take sides. Callie's grandmother, a prominent Grove member, demands her granddaughter's compliance, but half-witch/half-fey Callie can hardly betray her friends and colleagues at the college. To stave off disaster, Callie enlists Duncan Laird, an alluring seductive academic who cultivates her vast magical potential, but to what end? Deeply conflicted, Callie struggles to save her beloved Fairwick, dangerously pushing her extraordinary powers to the limit-risking all, even the needs of her own passionate heart.
Includes a preview of Book Three of The Fairwick Trilogy: "The Angel Stone
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Praise for "The Water Witch"
"A lighthearted, fast moving fantasy . . . "The Water Witch" should appeal to readers of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse novels."-New York Journal of Books
"Dark has an exquisite and clear voice. . . . One is aware of being in the hands of a mistress of the fine arts of storytelling and characterization. . . . It's all just great fun."-Albany "Chronogram"
"An intriguing story that will keep readers guessing."-Romance Reviews Today
"These novels are a heady mix of the supernatural, academic and erotic, and readers are sure to enjoy being back in the atmospheric Fairwick. The cliffhanger ending will only leave readers clamoring for the last installment in this interesting trilogy."-SheKnows
Praise for Book One of The Fairwick Trilogy: "The Demon Lover"
"Dark's letter-perfect gothic style is a satisfying tribute to previous gothic novels, and the paranormal elements, including incubi, fae, vampires, and witches, make this a stellar romance."-"Booklist, " included in its list of the year's "Top 10 SF/Fantasy Titles"
"Steamy and nuanced."-"Kirkus Reviews" "From the Trade Paperback edition."

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Witches, Paranormal Romance, Magic, Urban Fantasy

278 pages, ebook

First published September 13, 2012

About the author

Pen Name for Carol Goodman

Reviews

[AH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Demon Lover made me a fan of Juliet Dark (Carol Goodman). I really enjoyed the dark, gothic romance of that book and I eagerly picked up a copy of The Water Witch. I was glad to be back in the Catskill town of Fairwick, back with Callie and her eccentric circle of friends.

The author sets the mood so well in the prologue. The writing is both beautiful and descriptive and it is easy to imagine yourself in that town watching all of the magic and action. The previous book is recapped well, without feeling repetitive.

In The Water Witch, Callie is trying to get over the loss of her incubus lover Liam however, he still appears to her in her dreams. And oh, what dreams…If she loves him, he’ll become a real man. In the meantime, the mysterious Bill the handyman appears as does Duncan, a visiting professor sent to train Callie to use her powers.

Callie is the doorkeeper to Faerie and as doorkeeper she must escort a group of undines back to Faerie. Something goes awry and the undine Lorelei wreaks havoc on the town of Fairwick. Meanwhile, Callie’s grandmother and The Grove with the help of IMP(Institute of Magical Professionals) campaign to close the doors to Faerie permanently. This action would have an immediate consequence for the town of Fairwick and its citizens as half the town would need to leave.

This was an action packed book, yet it had a laid back relaxing feel to it. Callie’s character is stronger in this book. She is coming into her powers and she has a lot of support from her neighbors and friends.

Callie’s grandmother is one scary lady. Almost as scary as the zombie beavers. (Yes! There are zombie beavers in this book! Really!)

If you haven’t tried Juliet Dark/Carol Goodman’s books yet, I recommend that you do. Especially if you enjoy dark, gothic books full of intriguing characters with all sorts of magical powers.

There is another book planned in the series: The Angel Stone. I can’t wait!

Thank you to Edelweiss and Random House for a review copy of this book.

Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Water Witch
4 Stars

The enchanting town of Fairwick, New York is not as tranquil as it seems. Home to the last door to Faerie, the town is being threatened by the Grove, a secret and sinister coven of witches determined to seal the door and banish the fae from the human world forever. Half-witch-half-fae professor, Callie MacFay, is caught in the middle while still struggling in the aftermath of banishing her demon lover. In an attempt to release her bound powers in order to help her friends, Callie agrees to accept the aid of Duncan Laird, a seductive academic who might have his own agenda. Will Callie be able to save the people she has come to love like family?

So often the second book in a series fails to live up to expectations, but this is not the case for The Water Witch for this sequel is equally as rich in atmosphere, faerie-lore and romance as the original.

It should be noted that readers eager for action-packed urban fantasy or a thrilling paranormal romance might be disappointed. Yes, there is fascinating world building, smexy love scenes and exciting moments, but these are not the focus. Rather the story revolves around Callie learning more about her magical past, discovering her powers and trying to move on from the loss of her incubus.

The plot is comprised of several parallel threads involving a vindictive undine, a an injured Norse demi-god, a secretive cult with a menacing agenda and a dangerous faerie drug. Each is well-developed and all ultimately coalesce into a satisfying climax and resolution.

The events of the previous book are seamlessly interwoven within the new narrative and the reader is never lost or inundated with repetitive detail.

All in all, a beautifully written and captivating story with an appealing heroine and charming secondary characters. The book does end on a minor cliffhanger so be sure to have the final installment handy. Highly recommended for fans of Deborah Harkness's All Souls trilogy.

[Amber J (Thereadingwitch) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I try to express only my most honest opinion in a spoiler-free way. Unfortunately, there is still always a risk of slight spoilers despite my best efforts. If you feel something in my review is a spoiler please let me know. Thank you.

This is my third time reading this book. I still love it. This series is amazing, I ran across it by chance when I was browsing shelves at my library the first time I ever read it and has made as one of my favorites still.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, and Netgalley.)
This is the second book in the ‘Fairwick Chronicles’ series, and picks up 4 months after the end of book 1.) **Warning – some unavoidable spoilers for book 1 ‘The Demon Lover’**
At the end of book 1 Callie banished her boyfriend Liam, (who turned out to be incubus) to the borderlands of Faerie, and is now getting on with her life.

The problem in Fairwick this time is that the ‘Grove’ are trying to permanently close the last door to faerie, which means that those faeries still in this world would die, and those in faerie would be unable to come back.

Obviously the faeries are in uproar, and the witches are in uproar, and everyone is generally pretty hacked off.
….

I’m not even sure I can bring myself to finish writing the summary for this book. I just had so many issues with it, not least of all that it was so dull! And Callie just made some stupid decisions. I gave the first book the benefit of the doubt – it wasn’t a favourite, but it was okay. This one was definitely not better. In fact, I had trouble finishing it. I was actually finding other things to do instead of reading it! It was totally one of those sort of books!

So what didn’t I like? Anybody who saw my status updates on Goodreads, will have caught a few of these already, but here goes.

Firstly; Callie is off to open another gate (yes – there is only 1 gate to faerie (the one in book 1), but conveniently there is also a second gate – just for the undines in the water to pass through) - Why say that there is only 1 gate to faerie, and then go and invent another one! Check your own story here for heaven’s sake!

Secondly – Callie goes to open said second gate, gets dragged into the water by the undines, and goes for an underwater swim through to fairie. Hang on a minute – Callie is human-ish –surely she needs to breathe? How many people can ride underground streams without drowning? Come on!

Thirdly; once Callie makes it through to fairy, she bumps into said ex-boyfriend – Liam the incubus who was killing her, and who she banished to the boarder-lands of faerie for good. So what does Callie do? Obviously, she unchains him, and has sex with him on the river bank. Exactly what every girl in their right mind would do. NOT. Why go to the trouble of banishing him, to then immediately unshackle him and have sex with him. Give me a break.

Fourthly; when Callie gets back from Faerie, she finds that the storm created by one of the undines knocked her handy man off her roof and killed him. Do they arrange a burial? A cremation? No, they decide that his spirit is hovering nearby, and they’ll try and put it back in his body. So do they get to it? No, they decide to wait 24 hours, just because. Sorry, but either let the bloke die or do something now. Can you say brain damage????

Fifthly, god this is getting old. When they then decide to put said spirit back in its body, they decide to let Callie join the circle, even though her magic is ‘untrained and volatile’. Great idea when you’re trying to un-kill somebody. And then, when everything goes wrong (I wasn’t surprised), they decide to hire someone to teach Callie, so hire someone they’ve never met, who tries to teach her to shapeshift. I mean seriously, that’s where every witch in training should start eh? Shapeshifting? What happened to lighting sticks on fire, and taking petals off a flower or something. I mean, Callie is enough trouble as it is without adding shapeshifting to the pot!

Okay, that was the first 35%-ish of the book. After that, it was just dull. So dull, and the decisions didn’t get any better! By 50% the dusting was looking like something more interesting to do (which is not a good thing).

Overall; somebody else might enjoy this book, but after this book and the first in the series, you are going to have to put a gun to my head to get me to read anything else this author writes. Save yourselves now and steer clear of this one.
3.5 out of 10.

[Patrice Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start by saying I really enjoyed this book. The Water Witch is the second novel in the Fairwick Chronicles and by far the most exciting. Given how well written The Demon Lover is, I had high hopes for The Water Witch as well. Dark/Goodman does not skip out on any opportunity to paint a vivid picture of the enchanted town of Fairwick. The imajery and attention to even minor details just enhances the experience of reading this book. I find my self lost in Fairwick as well as Faerie with every turning page.

The town of Fairwick is being threatened by the Grove. A group of powerful witches that Callie and her grandmother belong to. This group of witches are hellbent on closing the door to Faerie. The dangers of closing the door will be a loss of Aelvesgold which is a necessary source for the fey and witches of Fairwick. So the fey of Fairwick are faced with deciding whether or not to stay in Fairwick or return to their home in Faerie. For many of the fey, this depletion of Aelvesgold means their race. Callie, being a doorkeeper is in the position of being able to help her friends in Fairwick by keeping the door open.

When the novel begins, it's a few months later from where The Demon Lover left off. It's becoming apparent to Callie that if she wants to go up against the Grove, she needs to enlist the help of someone who can help her summon her magical powers. Enter Duncan Laird. Of course he's handsome, dreamy, and whenever he's around things get a little hot between the two. And now we find my major issue with this novel.

understand that this book is primarily a romance novel and a lot of the romantic preludes help in tying together some loose ends in the climax. I felt that our little sex-kitten Callie is doing/getting WAY too much. I'm no prude but this girl gets luckier than Hugh Hefner. It is almost distracting where and when Dark decides to place the sex or sexual innuendos in this novel. Don't get me wrong, the sexy scenes are vivid and all too well described. I just didn't think there would be so many. I thought once she banished her incubus Liam, she wouldn't have so many... um... hookups.

In conclusion, this novel leaves us with a great cliffhanger and I can't wait to continue this journey with The Angel Stone I must advise that anyone reading this novel before reading The Demon Lover should stop. I can appreciate The Water Witch so much more because I get to see the growth in strength and resolve in our heroine Callie. The Water Witch is a must-read for lovers of paranormal romance and fantasy enthusiasts. Dark/Goodman is extremely gifted and I can say I am a fan.

[Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies · Rating 3 out of 5]

SO MANY THINGS GOING ON. MY BRAIN.

Callie is possibly the dumbest literary character with a Ph.D I've ever read, with a sexual attention span of a gnat. I have no problem that she sleeps around. I am not up for slut shaming. I enjoy it when it's done right, and the rate at which she falls in and out of love and lust during this series is just stupid.

I really don't know why I keep on reading these series that I know are going to be bad. I really don't. My masochistic tendencies are a mile long, apparently.

[Ephemera Pie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first book, The Demon Lover, a great deal. I thought the author's use of the Gothic genre was excellent. These books are, admittedly, about the sex with a magical background, and little else, in my opinion.

This book, The Water Witch, didn't enthrall me like the first book. My biggest gripe is that the Gothic elements are gone. This book is mostly sunny woodland. Nothing scared me, put me on edge. In fact, I seriously couldn't care about the undines at all. Dark tells us we are supposed to care without giving us cause to. Callie cares, so we are supposed to as well. There is so much going on with the Aelvesgold but I agree with the initial sentiments of the Grove. Aelvesgold gives extra perks that they can live without, with the exception of one character who uses it to help her daughter. I found too much emphasis was placed on the Aelvesgold and I seriously got sick of hearing about it.

My second biggest gripe happens too much in any work of media geared towards. Everybody is in love with Callie. Everybody wants to have sex with Callie. And they basically do. Let's face it: Callie just isn't that interesting. She has zero personality (albeit more than Bella Swan) and I suppose she is supposed to be gorgeous. She can probably be a reader stand-in to live vicariously through, but it doesn't do anything for me. If I wanted to read about a girl getting it on with many men for no reason other than they can, I'll go read a different kind of book.

Like the first book, I felt that this one is also too bloody long for the story it is trying to tell. Considering that there is far less racy bits in this book, how did this book get so long? It was long and boring. There are way too many characters, too many plots, and too many subplots going on. There's IMP, the Grove, her issues with her house, her pet mouse, the wards on her, her power, her learning how to use magic, her issues with Liam, her sex dreams, her co-workers, other people getting hurt, and...so much more. It's too much. You know how Harry Potter did a fantastic job of giving us many vibrant characters, issues, and concepts? JK Rowling did it in a way that was ordered and clear. The Water Witch was so jumbled I sincerely doubt the author had a clear vision of what the story was going to be about before going in. Remember, your story can't be about everything in your head.

The reason why I gave this book three out of four stars is because as I read, I still hoped that Callie might go back to her demon lover. Will she say his name and bring him back? Will she love him and make him flesh. Or is he actually evil like everyone keeps telling her? I was actually mildly interested in whether or not the last door to Faerie would be closed or remain opened. I was invested. Unfortunately, the ride to the answers we receive (or not) is slow, long, and sometimes boring. I am not sure if I will ever read the last book in this trilogy.

[Fani *loves angst* · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Well, there's something about this series that make me want to read them like crazy, when there are so many better written books out there! I mean, the writing can be a bit convoluted sometimes, the explanations more complicated than the initial questions, and still I couldn't put the book down if the house was on fire:) The plot itself, with the complex world building, the feud between the two organizations and the romance between Liam and Cailleagh, is one of the best crafted and interesting I've read and I'm looking forward to the next book, though I'm a bit angry about the huge cliffhanger ending.

[Lucy Saint-smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really terrible book, but I sort of liked it... It is a paranormal romance/urban fantasy in the style of the Southern Vampire series. The main character Cailleach (pronounced Kay-lex, as we are constantly reminded) McFay (McFay - really?) is a half faery half witch professor in a rural American university situated in Fairwick - a town with the sole remaining door into Faerie.
The story follows her trying to resolve her romance with an incubus from the last novel, help out some undines and keep the door to Faery open. At the centre of this is an exceptionally flimsy love triangle, the outcome of which is obvious to anyone with a brain. This leads into the main problem with the book: Callie does not appear to possess a brain. There were several times when I was mentally screaming at my Kindle "oh for goodness sake you stupid woman!" She is incredibly irritating, and I laughed out loud through the portions where she discussed her inability to love anyone due to the tragedy of her parents death. It was incredibly cheesy and over-dramatic. There is also quite a bit of terribly-written sex.
I also have a personal hatred of stories where different mythologies are haphazardly blended together unless it's done very well (see Neil Gaiman's work for good examples). I also dislike people who describe themselves as "spiritual" and subscribe to an assorted melange of overlapping beliefs. This books features angels, fairies, Reiki, Norse gods and Wicca amongst other things, with no convincing explanation about why all these things exist together. It's just silly.
I did wonder if this book was intended as a parody, or pastiche of the genre, but it appears not. In terms of story, setting and characters it is dire.
Having said all this, the writing style is good, I did find myself drawn into the book and keen to read to the end, and I would read another one, although I can't quite pin down why. Conclusion: terribly trashy but readable.
Score: 6/10

EDIT:
I have subsequently read the first book in this serious The Demon Lover which is a vast improvement on The Water Witch, much less schmaltzy although with even more dodgy sex scenes. I think that it would have improved The Water Witch if I had read this one first, so if you want to read this series read them in order.

[Deb Omnivorous Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok
I had just finished a few pretty heavy books and felt in the mood for something light and easy. So this one kind of jumped off the shelf at me.

It is very much representative of it's genera; I tend to think of them as American Rom-Soup, since they are romance supernatural with the emphasis on the romance and inclined to be sloppy with certain aspects of plot and writing.

Set in 'this' world but with denizens of fairy are here too, where here is America, and the denizens are so thick on the ground one tends to doubt if there are any humans in town untouched by the fairies.

Our hero Callie may be the only chance of stopping the bad guys from closing the last gate to Fairy-land but she is hampered by her powers being undeveloped and even locked down, she must gain control or risk the gate closing forever and most of her friends returning to Fairy-Land. Also there is a evil water sprite to contend with.

That part of the plot was not bad, I quite enjoyed it. The actual plot however was often secondary since way to many of the 339 pages were Callie agonising over her ex boyfriend the Incubus. Does she love him or does she not? Is she even capable of loving at all *key in violins wailing* How come she keeps getting laid by the Incubus in her dreams? This part was ok, though it was repetitive and there was way too much of it. The real thing that annoyed me down from three stars to two was a spoiler:

The Liam/Duncan/Bill plot development was silly and transparent beyond belief. Is there anyone who from the first sentence did not know Duncan was a bad guy? I think not. Callie spilling her guts about every aspect of her personal life in the first minute she meets him is also idiotic; NO ONE does that, especially not someone like Callie who is meant to have trust issues from Liam.

Hands up who did not realise Bill was Liam the second the gnome let him in... No hands up? colour me not surprised.

So, yes, an ok American romance for the uncritical with very sanitized LoCal supernatural background.

The ending nearly downgraded it to a one star. The final line could just as well read "I'm writing another book in this series, please buy it" I HATE this tactic from authors, this is not an ending it is pure professional laziness.

[Nafiza · Rating 2 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed Demon Lover, the first in the series so I expected to like The Water Witch just as much. Unfortunately, some elements in the novel prevented me from immersing myself into the world as fully as I wanted to and this in turn affected my enjoyment of it.

I think there were too many things occurring in the novel and not enough attention given to all of them. There are a lot more supernatural beings added to the mix, the Nordic (I think) handyman gets badly hurt and is stuck somewhere in the ever after, Callie gets dangerously addicted to a faery drug (or not, I wasn’t quite sure), there is another supremely hot male who has ambivalent plans for Callie, Callie’s grandmother waltzes into town, there are Elves who call themselves Seraphim and oh, Liam makes another appearance in the form of someone I won’t tell you who and there’s a handyman called Bill (I am not making this up).

For all the events populating the plot, the story itself seems to lack tension. It’s not gripping and I found it difficult to find myself caring. Even though the odds are high, the door to faery could close, Callie assures the reader she has it under control when that is the last thing she does. I wished the author had chosen one thing out of all the things happening and worked to develop it as much as was possible before introducing something else.

The ending is just too simplistic and not in a good way. I didn’t like the ending and I didn’t like the way the romance angle played out. It seemed a bit too cliché. I don’t know, you guys, the book wasn’t for me. I may still read the third one because I am curious but I certainly didn’t think much of the sequel to the Demon Lover – especially when I think about what the demon lover ended up as.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book two in the Fairwick Chronicles Series has built on book one, The Demon Lover, and created a much more in-depth, detailed story! I was immediately drawn in, knowing the characters already, I connected and saw how much the main character, Callie McFay, the part witch/part fey college professor has grown into her budding powers, also discovering that, as a child, these powers were bound to hide them from her grandmother, an accomplished and overbearing witch. Finally, I can say I like Callie! She is fighting back, trying to unbind her powers any way she can! The changes in her character seem real, her insecurities are still there, just not so 'in-your-face' and overpowering. I felt like she was finally learning to actually LIVE.

Supernaturals again abound, throughout the book, but they are far more 'human' and fleshed out, working together to save their way of life when caught in the middle of two factions fighting over the gateway to the other realm where the fey are from. Should the gate be destroyed? Is it worth the costs to all involved? Is there a sinister agenda behind those who want to destroy the last link to a long and rich history?

Meanwhile, Callie is still finding herself attracted to mysterious men who seem a little dark, still choosing poorly...until Bill comes along. He seems almost too good to be real. Who/what is he?

I found this book to be the best so far and hope to see more like it! Four well-earned stars for a great plot!

This ARC edition was given to me by Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an honest review.

[Amy Ingalls · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book at a library sale because the cover was beautiful. I hadn't read the first book in the series, but was able to follow along just fine, although I do think reading them in order would have been better. Mostly because my understanding is that the outcome of the first book is the banishing and binding of Liam, the same Liam she immediately frees at the start of this book. So I don't really get the point of the first book or how bad he really was.

I liked the setting of Fairwick and the idea of a door between the worlds and am interested in reading the 3rd book. I may also have to go back and read number one-- maybe then I will understand Callie's actions better.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Firstly carol you are my roman empire i think about you daily and your mental state, Hope all is well, secondly stop writing books. I love this book for all the wrong reasons.
Cons:
1-book 1 was better
2-the whole book takes place over the span of a week.. I couldn’t keep up, amazingly alot and nothing happened simultaneously.
3-I hate callie and every side character ..except moondance she is the only person in this book with actual common sense and valid arguments.
4-why does she constantly body shame the other character (arthritic “broken stick” hands, flabby double shin on moondance, acne scarred faces) carol do you have some unresolved problems.
5-surface level villian Adelaide
6-Bill just kindof suddenly appeared after fixing her roof for 2 days then they have sex and start dating… you might ask how was the romantic tension leading up to this point .. there was none. She had barely spoken 2 sentences to him about her broken water heater.
7- poor brock, man is a norse god and gets killed by a storm falling from callies roof because of her actions. Stays in supine halve of the book only to be replaced by a new handyman within 2 hours.
8-deer nuzzling and owl hoots felt oddly sexual and wrong is this bestiality.

Pros: only because i died laughing and not in a good way
1-plaid is rad. join the plaid clan today. plaid power!
2-supine.
3-owl princess Angelina Jolene.. enough said
4-sex with her bath water
5-norn mist keeping brock from decomposing
6-DMA what does it stand for well.. doctorate of magical studies. where is the A!
7-justice for the bag pipers ! Have they recovered will they make an appearance in book 3 stay tuned
8-callie is a middle aged woman trapped in a late twenties body.. carol wrote about herself you can not tell me otherwise who in their twenties wears a brooch!

I wanted to dnf, and would like to give praise and thanks to my friend for reading it to me during the tough scenes all in all carol you have brought us together and made us closer and i thank you. It is with love that i give you these 2 stars but you should never have added your real name Juliet dark suits beter and would have done wonders for your reputation. Looking forward to wanting to bulge my eyes out during book 3.

[#ReadAllTheBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pretty excited to read this once I finally got around to cracking it open and for the most part, Water Witch delivers. There are a few downfalls to this that will probably push some readers away, notably that the book's plot isn't really all that streamlined- it sort of gently ping-pongs its way through the book. Not enough to where I really thought it detracted, but at times it did seem a little distracted, as if there were too many things to include in this second volume.

The good thing is that Dark still manages to weave a pretty interesting world. I like that there are so many strange things, such as being able to heal wounds by way of knitting and spellbooks that reveal their contents only after you push a magical disclaimer button. The characters aren't bad either and while I admit that the secondary characters are sometimes more intriguing than our main character Callie, she's still a likable enough person in her own right.

What sort of threw me sometimes was that while the plot lines are more something you'd find in an UF or PNR novel, the writing style felt more like a Sophie Kinsella-esque chick-lit book. I love Ms Kinsella to tatters, but this did lead to some of the more serious elements of the book feeling a little less serious than they needed to be. This won't keep some from really enjoying the book, at least it didn't in my personal case, but I can see where this would frustrate other readers. Water Witch is like the junk food equivalent of a cupcake or cotton candy. Mouthwateringly delicious, but afterwards you still feel like you're hungry.

That said, I'm still looking eagerly towards the final book in the trilogy. Water Witch might have been a little scattered at times and the writing a little too light feeling for its content, but I'm still raring to go for book three.

[Melissa ♥ Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Juliet dark drew me right back into the world of Fairwick with The Water Witch. I daresay that Dark's command of the written word and her amazing ability to paint a picture and create a world both gothic and beautiful, dark and charming at the same time is a large part of why I am so in love with this series.

The setting once again pulled me right in...who wouldn't want to live in a large somewhat ramshackle Victorian and the edge of a woods called Honeysuckle Forest? I know that I certainly do! There are so many small details buried within this story that it and the setting simply come alive in the imagination.

Ihad no difficulty at all feeling as if I was right there with Callie as she works to fix up her new home, exorcize her memories of Liam and make new friends all while exploring her newfound powers and dealing with all of the politics that surrounds her. And once gain the secondary characters breathe extra life into each scene and help create the feeling of a true small town and witches coven.

The pacing of the novel did seem a bit slow to me during certain sections...luckily the lyricism and beauty of each scene kept me intrigued until the action picked up yet again. The quasi love triangle (or quadrangle as it were) also frustrated me a little bit. I just wish that Cassie were a little more decisive or better able to know her own mind. Every man that crosses her threshold seems to hold some attraction for her...but perhaps that is simply becaue she is desperately searching for Liam in each one.

Although I didn't love The Water Witch as much as The Demon Lover, it was an immensly enjoyable read and, on the whole, I was quite pleased with the developments in this edition of the Fairwick Chronicles. And once again Dark leaves us astonished and desperate for more. I can't wait until I can dig in to her next book.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Goodreads – “After casting out a dark spirit, Callie McFay, a professor of gothic literature, has at last restored a semblance of calm to her rambling Victorian house. But in the nearby thicket of the Honeysuckle Forest, and in the currents of the rushing Undine River, more trouble is stirring. . . .”

The Water Witch was an enjoyable and fun read. When I requested it from Netgalley, I didn’t realize that it was the 2nd book in a series. But, it was easy enough to read as a stand alone and I will probably go back and read book one to find out more of the backstory.

My favorite part of the story involved Callie learning to unlock her powers. How frustrating to know you have something inside you but you can’t get to it.

The love story was ultimately sweet and sad but I will admit that there were times that I was a little confused about who was who. The political factions, including the Grove, were all too familiar and probably a little too true to real life. Even witches want to eliminate others who are different and may be, therefore, a threat.

Almost every sort of mystical creature is represented – witch, troll, fairy, succubus, incubus, etc. I would prefer to have had fewer creatures with more development of each and their powers.

4/5 stars. Thanks to Random House- Ballantine for providing a copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Melissapalmer404 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book #41 Read in 2014
The Water Witch by Juliet Dark

Juliet Dark is a pen name for author Carol Goodman. This book is the second in a paranormal trilogy. It is a really good read, as was book #1. Callie is a doorkeeper...a witch who can open and close doors between the human world and the fairy world. She is also a college professor....along with several other paranormal beings. Her small town is magical and has become her home...but it is being threatened by the Grove, an organization in which her grandmother is involved. The Grove wants to close the door between the worlds, after all the paranormal beings they deem lesser than them go back to the fairy world. Callie's friends are hoping that she can keep that from happening. Add to that Callie's conflicting feeling about her somewhat demonic boyfriend who was banished, and that means she has a pretty full plate.

The writing style is nicely gothic. The characters are interesting and the setting is great...I love the small town, college campus atmosphere. This book has a great plot of twists and turns, romance, sex and of course ends in such a way that book #3 will be the next book I start. I highly recommend this series.

http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I came back to this series more than a decade after I read the first book, I found it easy enough to slip back into the world the author created of a small university town filled with all kinds of otherworldly folk. That said, the book started very slowly, the female main character remained annoyingly impetuous and naive, and the writing felt awkward at times. The attempts at making this erotic throughout felt clunky, too, and the depictions of romance and erotic tension often felt hollow without any build to them. There were also some plot points in this second novel that are uncannily similar to those in A Discovery of Witches that published more than 18 months before this did, which had me raising an eyebrow. I'll read the third book because it's been sitting on my shelves for ten years, but I'll only be expecting so much.

[Anthi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

I hate HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE cliffhangers!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I loved the book!

[Erin Tanner · Rating 5 out of 5]

How am I going to survive until the next book comes out?

[Anastasia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first book with its wit. This one felt much more juvenile. I will read the next one in the series but will not be rushing to do so.

[ᑭᑌᑎƳᗩ [Punya Reviews...] · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review contains spoilers and they're are mostly my thoughts as I went with the book...

The Water Witch, for me, was a bit disappointing. Romance was still quite lacking and Callie was pretty clumsy throughout the story, missing obvious clues about things and being attracted to whichever guy made a move on her. I still couldn’t connect to her. But the story overall was enthralling as usual. JD kept me hooked till the end, because now I just need to know what’s gonna happen next!

If you haven’t read Demon Lover, you should since this series is very intertwined and you’d probably feel lost not knowing what happened to Callie and how she has found herself in the midst of all these supernatural hullaballoo.

In a short recap: Callie always was attracted to the lore and mythologies, and she thought it was only because her now deceased parents made her addicted to fairy tales and other stories. She even dreamt of a Prince charming, not knowing that prince charming was actually an Incubus. As Callie grew up, she never felt that she can love anyone. Then, she graduated doing a paper on the sex lives of Demon Lovers. In reality, Callie was having nightly visits from an Incubus which would leave her... umm, let’s just say that in the morning, she felt as if she’s had real sex. Later, Callie takes up teaching at the small town of Fairwick, at their college. There she finds one trouble after another; all are supernatural kinds. But she also gains some supernatural friends; Dean of the college, Ms. Book (a witch), her partner Diana, the owner of Hart Brake Inn (a deer fairy), Soheila Lily, a professor at the college who is also a succubae but doesn’t feed on human anymore and Franck Delmarco, who is a professor too, and later we learn, also a witch. There is Brock, her handyman, an ancient Norse divinity and his brothers. There are more supernatural creatures, such as some vampires, more witches and fey, even a lederc! She met Fairy Queen (whom I called The Queen B*tch for her rude and snotty behavior), Fiona Eldritch. This queen is the one who took the Incubus from the realm of human to the Fairy. Callie gradually learns of her inheritance; her mother being a witch and father, a fey. Her blood is considered tainted by some uppity witches since these two races aren’t supposed to intermarry. Anyway, all of them are ancient beings, have been on earth almost since the beginning of... everything. Callie gets to learn that she’s a doorkeeper to the Fairy and Human world and that, the house she bought so impulsively, the Honeysuckle House, and its honeysuckle thickets is the last remaining door. The house enchanted and attracted Callie since the beginning. She got to learn more about the Incubus and the fact that he is obsessed with her. He simply wants her to love him back because he loves her already… if only she’d love him back, he can become human again.

But Callie couldn’t. She tried to banish him once, but that didn’t work out. Callie wants more and the Incubus is determined to win her. He returns later as a professor of poetry, an adorable man in my estimation, Liam. He thought this way he can win her. They even struck up an affair as soon as Callie’s long-term relationship ends. I didn’t like Callie for many reasons in the first book. One definitely was her inability to love Liam back. Call me crazy, and knowing that a human and Incubus love doesn’t have any middle ground (either love back or die since he’d suck up your essence), I still wanted her to love him. Liam was sweet and super sexy, as was the Incubus. Even though I guessed, Callie had no clue to that. And when the students of the college became ill, and she found out the Incubus was back, Callie blames him for it and becomes determined to banish him to the Borderlands. It was just horrible for me to read. I cried for Liam, and his pain, even though everyone kept telling Callie that he knows how to manipulate his victims for his own gains. There were other mysteries; some of it was solved, some obviously wasn’t and we’re left with a cliffhanger. But the Incubus does save Callie from certain death at the end, proving his love (or obsession) for her.

This story, told from Callie’s POV again, picks up 4 months after Liam’s banishment. Callie is missing Liam but trying to move on too. One day, he’s back in her dreams. He always told Callie that only because she wanted, is why he could take up a human form. And now, in the dream, he tempts her; she can have him back, only she has to will it to be so. Callie is ever in confusion about her feelings that at times it just grated on my nerves. After everything, she still doesn’t know what to do. Super hot Incubus sex is all good, but love? *crickets*

More *crickets*

Don’t ask!

The Water Witch starts with Callie, Dean Book, Diana and Soheila going for a rescue effort through the woods of Honeysuckle House. Being a doorkeeper, only Callie can open and close things and there are some young undines in the river Undine who need to be saved. Now, Undines lay eggs that hatch in every 100 yrs. Due to the dwindling undine male population, they need human male to accomplish the fertilization process (yes they can have sex like human female though don’t ask me about the process, since I don’t know and don’t want to know lol). So when it’s mating time, some undine female venture towards human world. One such occurrence happened 100 yrs ago, when a fisherman fell in love with an undine. They married and later, she laid some eggs that hatched recently to young undine females (there are mostly females). Of course, Dean Book, Soheila and other supernatural peeps know about this incident, but not the normal humans of the town. Now they need Callie to lead them to the Fairy world for their survival.

Callie agrees to this because she knew it’s her job and she’s eager to do it. But, she’s so new into it all, it was equal to a journey unknown. Also, it came as a surprise that there is another door to the fairy. I’m still a bit confused about this watery door since it was said there was only one remaining door. Anyway, I liked the way JD portrayed the undines, so vulnerable and trusting, as one of the ladies said that they don’t possess a mind of their own. They copy you like a kid. When Callie is led to the place where she can do her job and open the portal through the water, one of the undines yanks her into the water. Callie is scared but soon she finds she can breathe like them. The undines take her as something akin to a foster mother and start following her blindly. Callie’s instincts lead her to the Fairy after battling with darkness and some creepy things on the way… Trust Liam to come to her rescue, yet again. When they’re finally in the Fairy, Callie finds that she had bound Liam to this watery grave. She dreamt of water and drowning, feeling that this must’ve what Liam is feeling there. As the undines run into the green meadows of the beautiful Fairy land (and forgetting Callie altogether), Callie finds Liam. His suffering and the bruises his bracelets gave him makes her sad. She unlocks the the bracelets for Liam (or did he manipulate her?) because Callie kept the keys with her on a chain.

Afterwards, they meet some of the occupants there; mostly undines that came to greet the new arrivals. One thing that caught Callie was that some aged looking undines finding back their coloring and youth by touching the new ones. Liam explains, it’s all due to Aelvesgold, a kind of fairy mana that is addictive, can give you great strength, youth, beauty but can also be quite bad like any drug. Every supernatural being feed on Aelvesgold. Since the undine eggs are laid on Aelvesgold, the new undines have it in them. But the undines who lived in the Fairy for so long, are losing their touch. They need to mate and have Aelvesgold too. The new ones can’t provide forever, and so, they have to return to the human world, at least to mate. Callie also learns that the mature undines can’t mate, the reason I’ve explained earlier. She notices some humans, one particularly sad-looking dark haired man, not interested in any undines.

Callie and Liam fall into each-other’s arms again and have sex somewhere in the Fairy. Liam was still trying to convince her about their relationship. Callie finds that she had knots like Celtic knots forming on her body when Liam tries to touch her. And sometimes they yank at her heart too. I can see why she’d be so confused, not knowing what’s happening to her. Liam explains that they’re true lovers and that’s why they are bound together. Callie is still hovering somewhere between wanting to believe Liam and not doing it particularly well. She becomes mad that Liam has done this to her without her consent. Hot Incubus sex is all well, but love?? *crickets*

Callie meets this crazy older undine called Lorelei, who is rude and vicious. She needs to mate and she’ll venture into human world anyhow. Callie gains her utter disfavor by telling her the truth; that she’s not fit to be with the humans. Lorelei goes mad, twisting up a storm and throwing Callie away. Liam comes to her rescue again but can’t help her entirely. When she’s back in the human world, Callie finds she’s badly injured, her spinal cord broken. But it’s no trouble for Dean Book or Elizabeth, Diana and Soheila. There is a cure for everything, and Diana uses a spell to knit back her spine! Callie feels weird about the whole thing.

Back at home, she finds that the storm Lorelei created has reached her house too. Things were looking bad when suddenly, Callie finds Brock unconscious. Later they learn that Brock has died or his spirit has left his human body to wonder into the borderland. His brothers and family would have to work on him to bring him back. It’s a very dangerous process and more often than not, doesn’t work. Brock might as well be called dead. Callie feels very guilty and no less sad than Brock’s family. As she meets this circle of witches and 3 Norns, Norse equivalent of fate, Callie learns more about them. There is also a family called the Stuarts who later are found to be the guards of the woods or something like that. Either way, Brock’s family has been keeping the people of Fairwick and the world at large from harm by weaving a net of spells that keep various creature venturing out of the woods through the door. The first meeting doesn’t go well. Callie wanted to help, but ends up messing things, which led Elizabeth and the others decide that she needs training to work on her magic.

In comes Duncan Laird, someone having highest degree in magic and all that concerns magic and supernatural. Callie is instantly attracted to the handsome and intelligent Duncan. He’s the same. With Duncan’s help, Callie begins to train. She learns to shape shift into different animals, runs with magical deer and owls, Duncan alongside her. It was a bit odd for me to imagine exactly what Callie was feeling while shape-shifting, but the description of her POV was very engaging. In between, Duncan would try to make moves on her, more than once, when those bonds would wound up. Callie would feel pissed at Liam, since according to her, she can’t ‘move on’ for those. I simply wanted to kick her for these thoughts about Liam. I mean still, after everything? WTF??

Then there was her new handyman, Bill, who was replacing Brock for the moment and took care of the problems of Honeysuckle house. Bill is a big guy, yet soft spoken and seems a bit on the shy side. Trust me when I say that the more I read about Bill, his enthusiasm to help Callie and make her happy, his looks towards her etc., the more I was convinced he was THE ONE, and NOT Duncan. Duncan just never seemed to me as enigmatic as Callie seemed to find him. He was easy going and all, but I didn’t feel anything for him the way I did for Bill. Well, just a hunch, which obviously Callie missed throughout the whole book.

At times I found these descriptions of places and views that were very confusing and yet, very intriguing too, since those got me into the story even more. After those shape-shifting scenes, there were some just before Callie meets someone named Lura. One day, she comes across this shabby little cottage, but in her mind’s eyes, Callie thought she saw how the cottage must’ve looked liked once upon a time; beautiful and neat. She meets Lura soon thereafter. The river Undine flows near the cottage and Callie finds something winking in the water; turns out it’s a chunk of Aelvesgold. Then she finds this woman holding a rifle at her and asking her to leave that alone. Now Lura is the human daughter of the undine and the fisherman. Those undines Callie helped migrate to the Fairy, are Lura’s sisters. Lura is very old and lives the life of a hermit. It was a very sad existence IMO. Rumor has it, she was to be married 80 or so yrs. ago but her betrothed, Quincy jilted her on the wedding day. Some says he vanished in the woods, never to be seen again. This incident sort of broke Lura mentally and she has been living alone ever since. The other supernatural entities do look after her in their own way since Lura herself won’t let them. Later we find that inside that cranky, old body, there’s a soft heart which has gone numb in the years of misery. She and Callie struck an odd kind of friendship.

Lura gives Callie the Aelvesgold after all. It was necessary for the process of bringing Brock back, and the circle was thinking where to find some. Callie is very excited to be of help. It’s said that she needs to guide Brock back to the world of living, and that it’s a very dangerous task since if something goes wrong, she’ll probably be wandering in the Borderlands all eternity. But Callie wants to help no matter what, which she does. The narrative of this whole process was also as engaging as it was mysterious. I was really engrossed by Callie’s views of the places and things she was seeing here. She even saw her mother, alive and talking to her about her powers, which kind of made me emotional. She explains to Callie the reasons why she can’t love, and why her powers are so imbalanced that makes her a Water Witch. Callie finds Brock in a place of his imagination, sitting there. He tells her that Dahlia (the Gothic writer who owned the Honeysuckle House before her death… story in book 1) told him about this place. Callie leads Brock back to the human world successfully.

Soon, bad news arrives fast. One was, Lorelei on the loose! Another was, the Grove is trying to close the door, citing it’s too dangerous for everyone to keep it open. But this is going to bring a lot of trouble. Callie’s friends and other supernatural entities who are living here for centuries, would either have to return to the Fairy or wither away here. There is no middle ground. Also, there would be no supply of Aelvesgold. They would probably have to leave the human world for good. There were other problems too. Callie knows she has to break the news of what she promised to her Grandmother. She knows it’d hurt her friends but Callie hasn’t yet done anything to betray them. Indeed, Elizabeth is a bit shocked but understood her wish to help Nicky out of the curse. Callie now needs to find a way to keep the door open and she knows she will do anything for it. When she finds this spell to bind the door to her heart, Callie takes a risk on her life yet again. Brock returns healthy, but it seems like Callie’s power isn’t really improving. They all, by now, realize that Callie is much more powerful than they initially thought. But Duncan isn’t helping much. He has tried a few times to seduce her but was unsuccessful here too. How lame!

The Lorelei problem was solved pretty easily IMO, after all the trouble she caused, attacking Callie a few times and harming Brock, creating storms etc. Callie and the others find her in Lura’s house. She has never been a mother to Lura as I’ve already mentioned and my heart just went out to Lura when she decided to return SO FREAKIN’ EASILY, never even bothering to care say goodbye to Lura. I could see a hurt girl, a hurt woman. It made me wanna slap Lorelei hard. She already managed to, umm, fertilize her eggs with some guy and when Callie gives her reassurance that her eggs will be under Undine’s water soon, she just leaves. Later Lura and Lorelei returns to the site to deposit the eggs. Lura was washing her face with the water when she begins to look really young with the magical water. Callie could see that she was a pretty girl. Then suddenly Callie notices someone in the water… a dark head and a pair of soulful eyes. Callie immediately recognizes the sad guy from the Fairy. She helps him out of the water, and then, OMG, Lura sees him and is shocked. For me, this was one of the best scenes of this book. I had such happy tears! I simply felt happy that they found each-other and decide to return to Fairy together. I liked that Callie took the responsibility of the eggs, however long she can.

Then the suspicions begin, that the Incubus has probably returned, again. But who is he? Callie, of course, thinks it’s Duncan. She learns a spell from one of the spell-books she had in her house, which reveals the true identity of someone masquerading. Callie dresses herself up the way Liam loved to see her, and when Duncan is there, she uses it. That was some scene! Duncan is a... nephilim! Oook, loved these twists because I wasn’t expecting that! But Callie never gets to see his face then because he attacks and wounds her beforehand. Bill comes to her rescue and takes her inside. He takes care of her wounds too. He stays the night too, and they end up having sex. I wasn’t amused BTW. Her whole relationship with Liam/Incubus was so weird that it gave me a lot of headache. Next day, Elizabeth and the others are here for that meeting with the Grove.

Callie tries her best to help when her b*tch of a Granny did everything to stall her. By now, Callie was sure of Duncan’s true identity; perfectly angelic, good-looking men, and yet, they aren’t what they seem. The meeting doesn’t go well though and the result is- the door will close. Callie runs to the door... everyone is there and the climax ensues. It became clear that the nephilims are working with the Grove to rule over the other supernatural beings. Worse, they think they’re entitled to it! The lack of Aelvesgold when the door closes will force these entities to come to them, begging for it. The Grove isn’t scared of running out since the nephilims make Aelvesgold in their body.

Ook, need something for that headache I was talking about!!

I did like the ending, though it ends in another cliffhanger; this time, a big one. I felt for Bill when he dies under Duncan’s attack to save Callie. But was Bill really the Incubus? It wasnt really clarified. This leads to a revelation too; Callie finally begins to feel that she loves Liam/Bill/Incubus, the knot in her heart giving away. She’s saddened for losing him again (that was entirely your fault woman!), saddened because her friends had to leave too. Callie has a bigger fight coming in the next installment. And I hope the book is out soon enough because I really need to know what happens! 4 stars.


This ARC was provided to me by Ballantine Books via edelweiss which didn’t influence my review and rating in any way.

[Dana Al-Basha | دانة الباشا]

I just finished reading book 1 and rushed into book 2. These books are addictive!

[HaleyJo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This one really caught me off guard. I thought I knew who Bill and Duncan both were but I was way off. I also love the connection between Callie and Laura.

[Leticia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes all you need is a very entertaining book that you can't put down, and this was one of those. Great romantic fantasy series!

[Drennan Spitzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Juliet Dark, pen name for author Carol Goodman, tells the story of Callie McFey and her attempt to keep open the threshold to the supernatural world of Faerie while battling a murderous Undine, or water spirit, in the stunning novel The Water Witch. Callie is an academic, a professor at Fairwick College in the Catskills of New York. But she is also a half-witch, half-fey young woman who has yet to come into her powers. As Callie confronts those witches who would close the door to Faerie, the world of the fey, she must also confront an incubus from her past. This incubus attempts to woo Callie, but it is unclear whether his wooing springs from genuine love for Callie of whether it is part of his attempt to somehow feed off of Callie and become human by devouring her. Clearly a fantasy, The Water Witch is definitely not for young readers, as some of the sex scenes are graphic.

Like many good fantasies, The Water Witch suggests the possibility that Faerie, the world of the supernatural is somehow just around the corner. The village of Fairwick, where Callie resides, is populated by a number of supernatural creatures, borrowed from folk traditions from all over the world. Here, we encounter Norse myth and Indian legend, as well as the more familiar character types from English folklore. Because these characters are borrowed from world myth and folklore, they feel somehow familiar. And placing them in the quiet, sleepy corner of the Catskills that houses the college suggests that these beings could also reside in our own backyards. This is certainly part of the appeal of The Water Witch.

Callie’s struggle to come to terms with the incubus from her past, with her perceived inability to love, and with relationships generally speaks to the anxieties many women, particularly feminists, may have about relationships, particularly with men. The presence of Liam, the incubus who attempts to seduce Callie, reflects the all-too-common fear of being devoured by a lover. Callie fears that if she loves him, she will somehow lose herself, but she also fears what will happen if she is unwilling or simply unable to love. Callie both desires and fears intimate relationships in ways that are particularly authentic, especially for her character. Callie’s sense of powerlessness is brought to the fore by the fact that as both witch and fey, she is yet to come into her power. This “binding” of her supernatural power is, for Callie, wrapped up in her feeling bound to the incubus. This further illustrates the theme of the female feeling powerless when she considers loving a male. This is a theme that should certainly resonate in our culture.

The Water Witch is particularly well written. Goodman’s writing style—word choice, syntax, sentence structure—mark the novel as literary without being overwrought. There’s something elegant about the writing, a kind of grace that lacks the heavy self-consciousness too often found in literary fiction. In this regard, as in so many others, this book is simply delightful.


The Water Witch is the second book in The Fairwick Chronicles trilogy. Reading it has made me motivated to pick up the first in the series, as I’m waiting for the final installment, The Hallowed Door. While The Water Witch may not appeal to all readers—some certainly don’t like fantasy—it is a lovely example from the genre. Well written, thoughtful, and engaging, The Water Witch is a win for readers who appreciate this kind of work.

This review originally published at Luxury Reading, www.luxuryreading.com and at Speaking of Books, www.drennanspitzer.com

A review copy was provided by the publisher. No monetary or other compensation was received.

[Vivian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Callie (Cailleach) McFay is still feeling guilty about exiling her lover Liam, an incubus, to the Borderlands (a Faerie no-man's land). She's also trying to learn more about her magical gifts as a Doorkeeper. All she knows is that she's able to open and close the doors into Faerie, but she doesn't quite know how that works. Worse still are the rumors that the Grove and the Institute of Magical Professionals (IMP) are meeting to decide to close the door to Faerie forever. If this happens all of the fey in Fairview and surrounding areas will need to decide whether to stay in our world or return to Faerie for good? The only problem with closing the door to Faerie is that all magical beings will be without the source of "aelves gold," the original substance of Faerie and the main component of all magic. This substance is used to heal magical beings, remove signs of aging as well as slow down the aging process. How will the witches survive? Have they found an alternative source of aelves gold? If so, where is it coming from?

Callie and her friends only have days to try and answer all of these questions before the meeting between the Grove and IMP. Before the meeting, Callie must gain control over her abilities. She also must gain control over her feelings for Liam. After escorting the undine young (the undine are magical creatures that must mate with humans once every 100 years) back to Faerie, she barely escapes from the Borderlands. In payment for Liam helping her to escape the Borderlands, she releases him and takes him to Faerie. She also unknowingly releases an undine, Lorelei, who’s desperate to mate with a human. Upon Callie’s return to her home she's informed that she'll be tutored by Duncan Laird, a ninth degree wizard. Callie learns from Duncan and is even attracted to him but she senses that something isn't quite right. Will she learn to trust her instincts before it's too late? Will she be able to capture Lorelei and return her to Faerie before she does harm to any human?

I found The Water Witch to be a fast read. Unfortunately since I hadn't read the first book in this series, Demon Lover, there were references that I didn't quite understand. I didn't connect with this story and I'm not quite sure why. Perhaps it was because Callie felt attracted to almost every man she came into contact with, Liam the incubus, Duncan the wizard, and then Bill the handyman. Or it could have been due to the difficulty in keeping track of all the magical creatures introduced in the story: the undine, witches and wizards, brownies, satyrs, Norse Gods, Norse demigods, incubi, succubi, deer fairies, sprites, goblins, zombie beavers (yes . . . zombie beavers), and the mythical elves. Whatever the reason, I didn't enjoy The Water Witch as there was a lot going on, there were too many magical characters to try and remember, and perhaps my prudish nature just couldn’t appreciate Callie’s sexual attraction to so many men. Although I didn't connect with The Water Witch, if you enjoy fantasy and the paranormal then this may be a book for you.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

This tantalizingly tempting dark, gothic fantasy will have you lost within a character-driven tale that is truly magical!

From the author of Incubus comes the second installment within the fairwick chronicles, as you Callie’s quest to save Liam from his watery prison continues. Character-driven, full of suspense and tension this exciting, original and inspired tale will delight many fans of the Young Adult genre. Intensely gripping and absorbing I was left screaming out after reading this book, as I was left desperately wanting to read on, distraught that the story had come to an end! Once you have read Incubus I would warn you that you will not rest until you have devoured the entire series, and so I am now waiting in anticipation as to the next book. The world building is clever, the characters are distinctive and whom you can really connect to and the storyline as a whole concept is utterly spellbinding hence I cannot praise Carol Goodman enough. I was hypnotized by this tale that caught my imagination so that I lost myself within a world of danger, supernatural surprises, demons and magic. If you love YA fantasy, gothic romance, magic, Vampires and adventure then this is a book that will delight, entertain and which you will loose yourself within for hours.

You have only to call my name to bring me back," he whispered, his breath hot in my ear. "You have only to love me to make me human."



Seduced by a powerful incubus demon, Callie has succeeded in banishing him to the Borderlands but Liam still haunts her dreams, tempting her with the knowledge of how to bring him back. But loving an incubus usually ends in death for a human. For her own sake, Callie must learn to control her desires and ensure Liam remains trapped for all eternity in his watery prison. Only there is a more dangerous creature than Liam in the Borderlands. The Water Witch is looking for a way back…

As a huge fan of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight saga, I absolutely LOVED this book and so I would highly recommend it as a spectacular read as well as Incubus - that is a brilliant Vampire thriller. Sucked into this story almost instantly I struggled to put the book down, for the strong narrative and substantial plot grabs hold of its reader after only a few pages. Atmospheric and full of such beautiful, detailed description one is able to visualize Callie’s world that is totally believable and compelling. This has to be my guilty pleasure for I can honestly say that ‘Water Witch’ is so addictive, and truly magical, enchanting and containing such exquisite imagery. Contemporary and modern the world that Carol Goodman has created is utterly believable, and the surprising, shocking ending is optimistic with a dash of bittersweet romance to make it a fitting end to a breathtaking triumph.

This brilliant book is a must-read and one that I highly praise!

[Zezee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much as I enjoyed reading The Water Witch, I didn’t like it as much as I did The Demon Lover. I was excited to read The Water Witch because I wanted the story to continue and wanted to revisit the charming town of Fairwick filled with fairy tale and supernatural creatures parading as humans. I even wanted to read more about Callie’s mysterious house and catch up on how Callie’s getting on learning about magic.

Though I got all that and more, I was largely underwhelmed by the story. It was just okay. There were some things I liked — mainly the description of the library at Callie’s home (it’s huge with floor-to-ceiling built-in bookcases and brass nameplates on each shelf to indicate the shelf’s subject (so cool!!)) and the textbooks on magic that Callie uses to study and how they function:

“When the blank section filled, the pages automatically flipped back to the beginning of the section. Cool, I thought. Who needs a Kindle?”

But for the most part, I was annoyed by Callie’s cluelessness in face of the obvious, especially since she is suppose to have some knowledge of the supernatural since she wrote a book on demon lovers, and how quickly the her romantic relationships developed. It didn’t make sense to me that the men would quickly become so possessive of her or that she wouldn’t question such possessiveness in a dude she just met and, in some cases, hadn’t agreed to being a relationship with. The same thing occurred in The Demon Lover, but I was too hooked on other elements of the story to pay much attention to that fault.

The aspects of The Demon Lover that I liked weren’t as strong in this, so I noticed the romance more and was annoyed by it. The story’s faults were more glaring to me in this book. I wanted more magic, more descriptions of the town, and more interactions with characters I like, such as Dory. But the magic was faulty and highly convenient when the story needed it to be, and it made no sense that the characters trust untrained Callie to do advanced magic simply because she’s more powerful. I didn’t see much of the town and though the characters were interesting, the ones focused on weren’t as delightful as before.

All that makes it seem as if I had a horrible time reading the story, but I didn’t. I liked the mystery, though it was obvious, and liked the conflict between the Grove and Fairwick and the impending close of the doors to Faerie. That last bit added a nice tension to the story.

Those are the things that kept be reading, but otherwise things were either too obvious, too convenient, or questionable. And because of that, the end didn’t have the impact on me that it was intended to.

Overall: ★★☆☆☆ 1/2

It was entertaining, but I had some issues with it and didn’t like it as much as the first book.

As posted on Zezee with Books.