Dark Winter: The Wicca Circle

Dark Winter #1

by John Hennessy

Romilly Winter is no ordinary heroine, just a reluctant one.

She has a gift. She can see the future. But can she see far enough? The world in which she lives is under attack – the dead are rising, and evil follows her at every turn.

Will she be able to save herself – and the world?”

From the Diary of Romilly Winter, October 14th.

"I’ve had two years to prepare for this. In that time, I have never told a soul. Of course, my Nan knew. She’d bequeathed me the mirror, after all. Now, maybe tonight, tomorrow, in a few days, the event that I don’t want to happen with all my heart, will come to pass. I’m not ready. I know I’m not ready, and yet, it will happen nonetheless.

Nan had this thing in her possession for nearly seventy years. She had told me I simply had to be at Rosewinter, prior to my sixteenth birthday no matter what objections my parents raised. She said I was ‘special’, and was the only one equipped to deal with what was coming.

The problem is, I don’t feel special, I just feel…different, and in all probability, that isn't going to be good enough.

In just two days time, I will be sixteen years old, and if anything my Nan said is remotely true, I will be lucky to survive that long…."

AUTHOR NOTES: Not for the very youngest of readers.

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, Zombies, New Adult, Fiction, Young Adult

456 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 9, 2013

About the author

John Hennessy is the British author of paranormal fantasy horror for YA, psychological horror and murder mysteries, plus his own unique take on vampire lore. He has also written ghost stories and delved into high epic fantasy with a hint of romance.

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John is an international best selling author. The Ghost of Normandy Road reached Number One for British Horror Fiction in July 2020 on Amazon.com, Children of the Dark Light also topped the charts for the same category in August 2020.

His 2015 YA Horror novel, The Ghost of Normandy Road: Haunted Minds I won the Silver Award for its category at the 2016 Readers Favourite International Book Contest.

His 2018 Non-fiction work, The Mastery of Martial Arts: End Fights in Seconds, had a featured review in the prestigious and highly respected Wing Chun Illustrated magazine (Issue 53 April 2020 edition)

A TALE OF VAMPIRES: SERIES - for anyone new to the author's series, this is the sugested reading order:-

Prequel: Dawn of the New Breed
I: Murderous Little Darlings
Murderous Little Christmas Darlings (2022)
II: The Blood and the Raven (Free to subscribers)
III: Innocent While She Sleeps
IV: Dream the Crow's Black Dream
V: Reunion of the Blood
VI: Our Hearts Go to Their Graves

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Five Star Seal Awarded to The Ghost of Normandy Road by Readers' Favourite

Reviews

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List

3.5 Stars



This book really does have a creep factor that I love. Creepy books are the best. They only reason this didn't get a higher star rating is because of the story being all over the place and that is hard for little brains like mine. I need it to be written out in order. So this review probably won't make much sense.

Romilly Winter is given a Mirror of Souls by her Nan on her fourteenth birthday to help her fight evil when she turns sixteen. This mirror can supposedly trap good and bad souls in it and if you break it then they all leak out. I think some leaked out anyway.

So Romilly goes to stay in the family cabin.. creepy cabin in the woods. This cabin is called Rosewinter and it's in the Gorswood Forest, which is said to be haunted. Oh yay! Run now!





There seem to be evil ghosts, zombies, devil men and what not and so forth wandering around in these woods. Oh and sometimes the random stupid kid! But the vibe of the cabin and the woods is just creepy! Creepy good!



I won't go to much into the story with Romilly and the mirror or it will give too much away. Romilly does have some special powers to take out some bad peeps and good peeps too if they get too close to her. She has these friends Beth, Toril, Jacinta, Troy (she has a crush on) and Alix. Well, Alix isn't really a friend and he gets in trouble for it. But I digress.

Then there is the creepy dude from the school named Curie that they all end up having to try to take out because he is evil and not necessarily by choice.

Oh and then... lets not forget the creepy doll. It's funny how they always end up in scary stories. Nothing like a creepy doll.



Said "creepy doll" just appears in Romilly's room and one of the girls takes a liking to it because she knows what it is and the story that is linked to it has something to do with Romilly's Nan. And of course you can summon a killer ghost with it. Gets better and better for these kids right?

There is a lot of scary stuff going on, I can't mention it all to you, read it for yourself. There is a good bit of scares, blood and guts, evil evil evil and that's not all. There are two more books about the story so I'm not sure how much more creepy and gory it's going to get but I'm going to read them and find out.

[Rachel Maniacup · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before anything else, I would like to thank my very good friend JOHN HENNESSY for once again, giving me the opportunity to read his first fiction book he had published.

I'm just so sorry that it took me two weeks before I finally had the time to read and finish this book. But during my hectic days, I found myself peering at every page for as long as I have little time to do so. And once I'd finally got hold of this amazing book this afternoon without anymore destructions, I was totally engrossed by it.

This book probably has the most interesting cast of characters I have ever encountered of all J.H.'s books I've read. Each character has each own unique characteristics such as the following:

Romilly (the main character)- has a gift of seeing the future(sort of premonition).
Toril- who knows something about witch crafts.
Beth- who developed the ability to cure and heal wounds.
And of course,their friends who are also unique in some kind of ways.

What made me enjoyed reading this book more is because there's a lot of action in it and quite a lot of violence too(not that I like violence,oh God,no!),but because the ones involved here are zombies and ghost versus the main characters. The action really kept the story exciting! It's like you're watching a real fantasy,horror-action movie.

And honestly, this book's the one I can't predict of where the story might end. So I guess that JOHN HENNESSY did a fantastic job of giving the reader just the right amount of information they needed.

I am inspired by the fine art of the book cover's wonderful illustration. Such a creative talent of imagination this author has!

This book is a must have for anyone who is a fan of fantasy and horror. You will cherish this book, I promise you!^^

[Aditi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arthur William "Art" Bell, an American broadcaster and author, who was one of the founders and the original host of the paranormal-themed radio program, Coast to Coast AM, has once said,

"I do believe in the paranormal, and that there are things our brains just can't understand."

Till date I've read quite a few paranormal genre books, but I never got scared this much. And surprisingly, even though it was fiction, just like Art Bell, I believed the story, that my dear friend and a very talented author, John Hennessy, has crafted out in his new book called, Dark Winter: The Wicca Circle (Dark Winter #1). And remarkably, John has invented a whole new paranormal world, which sounded quite genuine and real to me. I loved every bit of it.

Thank you John for giving me an opportunity to read your book.

The story is not that so unusual or unique, a simple normal teenager, who wakes up one day to find out that she's not normal and that she has a very special power within herself and as well as the mirror that she inherited from her Nan, and as usual we know that with great power comes great responsibility, so she, along with her few close friends, buckle up to save their world from the evil forces, simultaneously, fighting with her inner demons.

Such a simple story, but John has made it so noteworthy and very impressive. His writing style proves that indeed he is a master with good words and certainly has a natural flair to concoct his tales. This book is certainly going to be one of your favorite since once you start reading it; you'll not be able to stop till the very end. Well it might be quite long, but still John has made sure that his readers will remain at their edges while reading the book, by making the book so gripping and quite compelling, well it was highly compelling enough for me to fall for this tale and the book has got a very good pace. And the best part of the book is that it doesn't end with a cliffhanger. And also John has able to bring out each type of emotions in his book, from pain to hatred to danger to love to joy and even humor! Even John has given us some set of Rosewinter superstitions that are really quite believable in nature. Providing with enough twists and turns, making the book quite a page-turner and John doesn't leave any stone unturned in his book. He slowly unfolded the mystery like layer-by-layer, thus making the book more engrossing.

Coming to the characters of the book, John has a way with his imagination! They are all brave and very notable. Romilly is a strong, brave and determined character yet sometimes she doubts her own abilities. Romilly is my favorite character since I felt Romilly with my heart; I felt each of her emotions. Romilly was quite relatable and makes a very good heroine for this book, justifies with the story. There are other significant characters like Toril, Beth, a bad guy named Curie. Then there are those zombies and witches. Watch out for the evil ones, they are quite unique, never came across something so unusual.
And certainly, I'm looking forward in knowing what happens of Romilly in John's next book!
So guys read this YA Horror book, and you'll be surprised to see that you will actually get scared of this story.

[Vani Kaushal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Family heirlooms are cherished by most. They remind us of those who aren’t there with us, but what if that’s not the case. What if your legacy becomes your biggest curse and what’s been bequeathed to you becomes your nemesis? Romilly Winter receives a strange gift from her Nan on her fourteenth birthday: a Mirror, only, it’s no ordinary piece of glass. Far from it, the mirror holds a secret that Romilly must work hard to decipher. It’s a treacherous journey and she can little trust anyone, not even her friends for who knows what devil they behold inside them? – Beth who was once close to Romilly hasn't spoken to her for two years. Toril is a witch. Jacinta is strange. Troy is lost in his own world and Alix doesn’t seem to care. Romilly’s friends will however be the last of her worries in her face off with her school caretaker, Curie, who some say is the devil incarnated. That’s not the end of her challenges, though and Romilly must watch out for the Zombies and the Zerythra who seem to have taken a fancy to her Mirror? Why? What's the secret of this family heirloom? Will the Mirror protect her or be the cause of her perish when the time comes? Will Romilly survive in the end?


The narrative is wonderfully paced and the author has created characters that are chirpy even in the face of danger. It’s quite a change from other YA novels I have read. Hunger Games. Divergent. John's writing has verve and lightness to it that sways the reader and makes this book a page turner. There were moments in the book when I could feel my pulse racing, especially when Beth finds herself alone in the school with the school caretaker, Curie. The vivid imagery makes you believe in those moments of fear and trepidation as Beth runs about the school, trying to escape Curie. In that way, the author comes close to Stephen King and I suggest he should consider writing for adults. Honestly, I wanted to kill Curie and there wasn’t another moment when I could agree more with the author: We always destroy what we fear, what we don’t understand. I didn’t understand Curie and I wanted him killed. Aside this, the novel has four females in the lead and kudos to the author for making the characters so believable. The plot is impeccably executed and the ending is terrific. I found myself missing one of the key characters. Overall, I loved this story and I can’t wait to read book two of the Dark Winter Series.

[John Hennessy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Winter: The Wicca Circle was the first fiction book I wrote that made its way into the outside world. It is told in a non-linear style which will appeal to certain readers but not others. For the second story in the trilogy, I wrote Dark Winter: Crescent Moon as a 'straight-through' story to see what readers preferred. Needless to say, I have enjoyed writing this paranormal horror, and enjoy the interaction I get from many of you. Thanks for being a part of this journey.

[Merril Anil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Come to the Dark Side..... We have Cookies

First of all a huge thanks to the author for giving me an opportunity to read his books and Dark Winter is the very first of his works that I have read and must say that it has left a pretty good impression.

Dark Winter is spooky and adorned with chills and thrills. The book has got a very wicked and spine chilling plot.

I am going to start with what bothered me in the book.

Dark Winter suffers from what i call a "Zig-Zag" narration. This is where the author starts with narrating one thing diverts to other realms and then comes back and this is throughout the entire book.Also the book goes from present to past frequently and the transition is not smooth .it requires perspiration and a whole lot of effort to keep track of it.

Now Let's get on with the star attraction of the book, which is definitely the plot. The plot is absolutely a killer one both symbolically and literally. The book from the get go grabs you by the throat and keeps you jolting with the things that is happening in the story. Along with the wholesome plot, the characters are strong, interesting and perfect match.

I love how the author had maintained them very real and not larger than life personas. I felt, making them show their weaker sides helps in readers to understand and relate to them smoothly

Its one of those books whose plot itself uplifts the whole book, rather than having to spice it up with anything else.

Dark Winter is a good spine chiller with a very spooky plot as its base and interesting even with an erratic narration flow, this book grows on you and keeps you intrigued. Language is smooth and simple but the flow of the book & narration is a bit weakened.

how was it ?

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrid. Absolutely horrid! I had such high hopes based on the other reviews, now I wonder if we were reading the same book!


Issue 1: Errors. Spelling errors ("I'll start cutting and gauging..." Er, you mean GOUGING?), point of view errors (the whole thing is supposedly from Romily's point of view, but several times the author uses "me" when referring to another character), and grammatical errors abound.


Issue 2: Rambling. Basically, it feels like someone came up with a bunch of creepy scenes, wrote them, then tried to come up with a story to fit. They didn't want to worry too much about consistency or bother to read over what they had previously written, so they contradict or repeat themselves constantly.


Issue 3: Romilly. The main character is totally unrelatable. We learn about her past through haphazard tangents in the story. She makes decisions that are totally incomprehensible for anyone over the age of 8, with no explanation of her motivation to justify it (eg: your best friend is bleeding out on the floor, you were just drugged, so of course when her oh-so-Irish-Catholic grandparents arrive you make them go away). Last but not least, the chocolate and the fainting! Hear a scary story? Faint. See a spider? Faint. Get stressed? Faint. And then of course chocolate solves everything (not just "it makes me feel better" but it literally jumps her from hysteria to completely fine).


Overall, if you're looking for a good paranormal read, look elsewhere.

[Sharon Brownlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Hennessy had me hooked with his short vampire stories. So I thought Dark Winter would be a great read too, especially as it is a first début novel. I was truly amazed by the versatility in his writing. Hennessy can spin a yarn about vampires, but he can also do it brilliantly with paranormal stories.

Dark Winter - The Wicca Circle has all the right ingredients to make this a super paranormal horror read. I would gladly have a witch, a Christian girl, and an atheist as a friend, but you can keep the mirror!. When you get into the story you will be astonished at the depth of suspense that the author has created. It doesn't hit you all of a sudden, it creeps up on you as you read. Before you know it, you are looking over your shoulder.

The dialogue is very good, the little quips dotted throughout brought a smile to my face....not for long though because the terror and creepiness is never far away.

I loved the uniqueness of his writing and narrative. John Hennessy doesn't quite use third person omniscient, but a semblance of it. Mostly written in first person through the protagonist, this perspective changes when he takes us through time and thought. It is cleverly done and works for Dark Winter -The Wicca Circle.

Dark Winter is a well written novel,nicely planned and brilliantly told. Since I first read Murderous Little Darlings I can see how Hennessy can turn his mind and talent to any genre. His writing continues to impress. He seems to be forever, nurturing a talent that gives him the right to call him self an author. His books are for YA, I am well past those years and I will continue to read John Hennessy's novels.

[Adriana Girolami · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't usually read books of this genre, but Dark Winter is a gripping tale of good versus evil that will fascinate and hold your interest until the very last page. The cast of characters are tridimensional, exciting, lending to the unexpected evolvement of the chilling storyline. The visual style of the talented author enhances the scope and feelings of dread that permeates effectively in the narrative. Twilight comes to mind as a fair comparison to this exceptional YA horror fantasy.
The heroine Romilly Winter although appears to be a typical teen in many ways, who had received a very special mirror by her grandmother, in reality possesses amazing gifts that will come handy and indispensible as she is faced terrifying perils, among demons, witches and zombies. The ambiance gives so much spice, humor and also a good dose of terror to this imaginative story, as Romilly finally discovers the ominous truths about her heritage and family.
The style of the author John Hennessy makes the novel an easy read, despite the many twists and holds your interest throughout. I highly recommend this book and look forward of reading more riveting, exciting tales from this talented author.

[Poet Gentleness · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to start this review saying I don't like horror stories, I really don't like the genre that involves death, aliens or the devil. Don't try to persuade me to see Chuck, Alien (whatever number it is) or even Gremlin. I don't like scary books or movies. I haven't even read Stephen King, because... Don't laugh at me: I'm afraid of these things... Wraiths, bad spirits and the devil. It's not that I believe in them... but because there is something, I'm sure, and I don't like to mess with it, whatever it is. Non creo en las bruxas, pero que las ai, las ai.

So, why have I read this book?

First, I usually read everything my daughter does. (Just to check, you know?!) And, yes, I like nice teenage witches and their harmless wicca stories. I thought Dark Winter was one of those.
Well, you can say it is. A nice, teenage girl in possession of a special object, and her friends, trying to save the world from a brutal end in the devil's hands, an evil never seen before; all of them with their doubts and misfortunes; with their strangeness and bullied, orphaned or about to be, alone and afraid. It kept me reading, even though at only 7% I was already scared; the suspense kept me turning the pages, at the same time that I was dreading to turn them.

The author, John Hennessy, is English and he dominates the language and the words with an easiness that astonishes, making the book very easy to read; the plot is extremely well-crafted and it builds up very nicely and with a pace that sometimes it lets you breathe and at others it robs you of all air - expect twist and turns galore; the characters are three-dimensional and real, their feelings are all over the place and you feel them - their anguish, pain, hurt, aches, doubts, friendship, loyalty... - It is there in the pages, but it was inside me. - The descriptions are very well done and they transport the reader to the place without being OTT; The author shows us how a characteristic, or a setting, can be ever so different if seen from another's (or another) perspective.
All together, it contributed to make me felt sucked into the story.

I loved Romilly and Nan; Bethany, Toril and Jacinta, Troy; I hated Curie, I pitied (and hated, too) Dana - and I was petrified by the man, Diabhal. Ah... Who is he? You'll have to read the book to know.

I was afraid, scared; It was draining, yes, but in a good way. This rough diamond is a gem that can't be missed.
I recommend for those who like this kind of story. You'll regale yourself!!

[Raphaela Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it this in a seating.
It's a YA horror novel, about good versus evil, where the evil ones are forces and zombies (but a special kind, I've not seen before, so nice touch).

Demons are within and around the heroine Romilly. In spite of being a teenager, she's strong, independent, but also a bit unsure of herself, and that makes her more real. As the book progresses, she discovers her strength and weaknesses. She clashes with so many other characters that you wonder how the end can be but with the death of them all.

This is the perfect halloween read, but you can read it anytime of the year and enjoy it. I hope there is a second book. It doesn't have a cliffhanging, but it would be nice to see where Rom would do with her special powers to save the world from evil.

Believable characters, crosses genres like horror, fantasy, paranormal.
Great story hook that quickens, slows (I know some will mind that) but that's to build up and describe stuff with different points of view, what I can deal with (maybe others can't).

It really scared me at many parts, but then it was supposed to.

It's also has its emotional punch. I was in tears in a few points.

It's not as dark a story as it may seem - I read somewhere about it being like hope, and you can read it as such, because all the characters hope to survive, even the bad ones!

Five stars, because I just get carried away by the story.

[Deborah Mitton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opened a Pandora box of buried nightmares
Y/A Horror
This is John Hennessy’s first novel. He has since published numerous others in fiction & nonfiction.
I don’t normally read Y/A, action-dialogue novels but I wanted to see what young people are interested in reading.
In typical form, I had expected the novel to be centered on a small group of teenagers with little or no intervention by adults. What I did not expect was the book would give me nightmares. Now I have read just about every form of horror novels you can think of but this book triggered long buried horrors of childhood.
Trying not to give too much away but having the devil sitting at the foot of your bed when you first wake up did it for me. In addition, a crazy grandmother that passes on a possessed mirror, a caretaker who performs evil actions to please his master, a doll that can call forth a demon and not to mention a banshee – zombie –legless-acid dripping whatyamacallit and you have the elements of a few sleepless nights. Thank you – John.
The writing style wasn’t perfect; however, there was smoothness to the writing and the dialogue was brilliant. A young person would feel comfortable in the chatter. The author warned that there would be many POV and I did get lost in the dialogue half way through.
This being said, it was the very stuff of horror and I still think of pieces of the novels days after reading it, thus I gave him a well-earned 5 stars.

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

i found this book through goodreads. i love to read about paranormal stuff and i find that a lot of these types of books aren't really that scary or they are borderline "unbelievable". This storyline really has a lot of weight to it which makes this whole tale much more like-able. It is written so well and distinctly that it was easy trying to picture the scene in my head. I think that the author has created an authentic and workable world with characters that you will like and a main character that you will love.

This story is unique and very interesting. It was well written and obviously very planned and thought out. Most of the elements fit well and make sense.

i have not read the next book in this series though i will be looking forward to it now!

I gave this book 4 stars and i think that if i was younger then i would definately have given this book 5 stars.

[I-Lanaa Twine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so let me start off by saying that horror is NOT my genre. Although I do enjoy a good scary movie or two, I have always found that I am ten times more terrified reading scary tales, than watching them play out on the big screen. I guess when you’re at the movies, little is left to the imagination, but when you’re sitting at home all alone your mind can go to very frightening places. And that is one of the things I loved about Dark Winter: The Wicca Circle. The story is so vividly descriptive it evokes a wide array of emotions…most of which are petrifying. The entire book was such a visual masterpiece it was like watching a movie…only better. The ghouls are ghastly. The villains are pure evil. I could even hear the bloody apple slopping against the wooden floorboards as it bounced down the steps, and rolled across the floor!
Dark Winter: The Wicca Circle tells the tale of Romilly, a young soon to be 16 year old girl whose grandma Nan one day entrusts her with a dark secret. She is the keeper of a magical mirror that locks souls, both good and bad, within it. Immediately Romilly is thrust into a supernatural world of horror and violence as she strives to fulfill her duties as the mirror’s caretaker.
First let me simply say, the author’s prose throughout the entire novel is potent and powerful. I cannot praise him enough for his brilliant syntax and wording choices. The story had so much depth that it became more than just a gory, paranormal, slasher tale. There was sharp, biting wit. Spine chilling thrills. And descriptions so juicy you can savor the taste long after the story has been devoured. There were far too many brilliant lines to mention them all, but here are a few of my favorites:

“A simple sigh from me, releasing vapour into the air, and it would have been visible to all that something not of this world had made the temperature plummet.”
“As I turn the tap water on, it croaks into life. The pipes rattle like bones of a skeleton, being dragged from a grave without its permission.”
“Her eyes bulged in her head, and the veins on her temple stood out like tree branches, angry that they had been awoken.”

I tend to dislike books that merely tell you what’s going on. Don’t tell me. Show me. Use your words to paint a picture. In the case of Dark Winter, the author does this so well that the picture is often jumping off the page trying to chop your head off with an axe!
Yet another thing done well in Dark Winter is the characterization. I must say one of the biggest reasons I enjoyed these character is because they were so…different. Toril for example, isn’t just your average highschool beauty queen. She’s a Wiccan who is intuitive and intelligent and truly cares about her friends. Beth is far from the classic Christian, she is good at heart but still flawed, and her faith is tested constantly by everything she experiences in Gorswood Forest. Troy isn’t just your average dim wit heartthrob either, he has heart and courage. And Curie, well Curie is just pure, unadulterated evil. I really enjoyed the fact that none of the characters (other than him) were all “good” or all “bad”, instead they were human. Which means oftentimes they were thrown into situations that they were not prepared to handle and sometimes they made mistakes. Just in the way I wondered why Nan would pass such a burden onto her granddaughter Romilly, I simultaneously empathized with the traumatizing way the mirror fell into her possession.
Now I will say this, reading Dark Winter is no easy task. The narraration jumps from past to present, and there is so much zig zagging back and forth that if you don’t pay close attention it can leave you feeling quite befuddled, but I actually didn’t mind this at all. There are so many stories to tell, why must they all be told in the very same way? One thing I did find quite masterful about the narration was Romilly’s birds-eye-view of the events that transpire throughout the book. She is the narrator, and yet the author finds a very creative way to get you into the minds of the other characters. I was also impressed with how seamlessly all the different plot lines and supporting details, from the story of Dana and Nan, to Curie’s childhood were tied together into one neat and horrifying package.
The only aspect of the novel I felt hindered the reader was the length. While I thoroughly enjoyed the colorful detail, at times it seemed endless, repetitive, and there were definitely parts of the story that could use an editor’s fine toothed comb. I also felt that at times the characters were a bit too nonchalant about the circumstances they found themselves in. Without giving anything away, I think the gravity of what befalls Romilly’s parents for example, was not adequately expressed and at times I expected more emotion from her and other characters when faced with death and loss.
All in all, this alluring young adult horror/thriller will leave you utterly terrified and begging for more, with one hand flipping page after page and the other attempting to shield your eyes. Action. Adventure. Thrills. Chills. This story has a little bit of everything and I can wait to read the next book in the series.

[Chené Tuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first paranormal horror type scary book I have read in a while. John does a really great job with the creepy factor and I really enjoyed the little superstitions quirks he brings into the story like the cracked window and 13 steps at Rosewinter.

Characters: 4/5
John definitely creates interesting and lovable characters as well as scary creepy ones!

Romilly - I connected with Romilly and liked her quite quickly. She is the reluctant heroine and has her 'flaws' but this only makes her more interesting. Who wants a perfect heroine right? I understood her reluctance about the mirror and her Nan's approaching prophecy, I could feel her innocence in the whole scenario. I found it funny the ghost stories would freak her out yet she would always go back for more - Typical kids. Romilly handled the Zombie girl showing up in her room, much better than I would! She is so brave, yet she doesn't even realise her own strength and bravery. The POV jumps between past and present but it is easy to follow and I enjoyed learning about Rom. Romilly is definitely my favourite character.

Nan - the lovable Grandma. I felt her sadness in passing on this legacy but her strength as well which truely helped Romilly. Her grooming was subtle but I wish she left Romilly with a little bit more to go on. I could see the point of why Rom knew so little, but while rooting for her I wished Gran could of helped her a little bit more before she passed away.

An added extra - I loved the her Grandad's superstitions, he doesn't feature much in the story but I would have loved to know him a little bit better.

Romilly & Nan - I enjoyed the love and respect between these 2 characters. You could feel their bond through the pages.

Beth - Beth is a good character but not such a great friend to Romilly. I did grow to like her a bit during the story as she became more involved.

Toril - I loved her Wiccan ways and her love for Sherlock. She is nonplussed and nice/accepting. I didn't take to her immediately due to Romilly's POV of her, but as the story moved on and you got to know Toril, she became my second favourite character!

Curie - Curie is a strong character in this book. You don't really realise his place in the story until about halfway through. He is creepy and makes a really good 'bad' guy. I didn't like him that much (which is probably the point) and definitely don't want to be around him or on his radar!!

Plot, Pace, Writing style: 4/5
John has an easy writing style. He describes in fine detail and beautifully. There were one or two editing errors but nothing that took away from the story. I really enjoy John's humor (See favourite quotes below).

Sometimes I would get a bit lost as to where Romilly was in the house. One scene she'd be in the room combing her hair, the next scene making some tea in the kitchen, next scene sliding back into bed. There was no indication of movement between the scenes.

The story jumps around a bit from the present to the past and back again, and it feels like there are holes in the story line initially but John ties everything up really nicely in the last few chapters.

The plot is interesting and keeps your attention, John also throws in quite a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming. The story has a great pace. The story has a rounded ending without a cliffhanger but definitely with more to be explored in the next book of this series!

Cover talk: 5/5
I loved the cover. Its so beautiful and creepy at the same time!!

~ Favourite Quotes ~


"You have to conquer your demons, right? Otherwise you live your whole life in fear. I won't live my life like that."

~
"All what Nan? This is show and tell. You show me things and tell me nothing."

~
"I had forgotten to ask the instructor what to do if a zombie-girl ends up in your house uninvited. I'm sure the response would have been 'Oh. Zombie self defense class. You must have missed that one.'"

~
Other children's words can only hurt you, Romilly, if you let them. You can't control what they say, but you can control your reactions to them.

~
Toril wanted to spit back a retort, but she knew Beth was hurting, just as bad as she was. "Beth, I need you more than ever. Please just be a friend. Be a support, okay?"

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

The overall storyline was good with interesting characters for the most part. The last third of this novel seemed to drag out a bit with me thinking well the end is coming when it did not happen. The formatting of the kindle edition is not the best and sometimes the flow of reading is interrupted by glaring errors and pauses to figure out which character was speaking or being referred to in a particular paragraph. I am curious to see where this story will take me in book #2.

[Donna O'neill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific paranormal horror.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. I read it in one sitting, and it's about.....many things. The main character is Romilly, and she 'inherits' a normal looking Mirror which is a actually (duh duh dahhhh) a weapon of power. Through flashbacks and premonitions, we learn that young Romilly really ain't prepared for the bad things coming her way. There are ghosts, very very very bad humans, zombies that are some suped-up grosser and much nastier version (with a twist, yessss!) but it's also about the demons within her own head that Romilly contennds with.

She's not on her own, even though through reading it feels like she is.

Toril is a fantastic character, who almost gets equal billing with Romilly.

Beth - whose stand out chapter 'The Fifth Floor' is really creepy and scary, Jacinta - who plays foil to Toril, and of course Troy and Alix.

We need a love interest to break things up, but these aren't your 'insert lughead jock here' like in Twilight or something. Their story leaves all the characters very much interconnected with each other, and it's all too easy to read a story where it's all written in order. This story moves around with a purpose, and I really liked that. The characters are not installed to fit a stereotype, and that can only be a good thing, because I bore easily otherwise.

SPOILER

The school caretaker seems an easy pick until you know his back story. I didn't know whether to hate him or feel sorry for him. The mexican type stand off with Dana (she's terrifying unless i haven't read enough horror, she really got under my skin) and two zombies, known as zeryths, is really well written.

END

The story doesn't try and put quirky lines in, although there is humour at certain points.

BIG SPOILER AHEAD SO DON'T READ :D:D::D

My fave line is when Dana and Curie are having an almost normal conversation about her saving him from the scariest demon of all, but even though the zombie demons are on their way to attack Dana, instead of worrying about it, she taunts Curie about the first kills he made, and whilst he tries to say something about not being crazy at all..Dana quips 'maybe your definition of crazy differs from mine' lmao.

END SPOILERS

Although the book is quite long, it's important to let its pace build up. The first chapter sets it all nicely, how Romilly gets the Mirror in the first place. Later you learn Dana's role in the mirrors' back story, and I like how that unfolds. The 'urban legend' of Dana is told from one viewpoint of a main character, then from another. Both are unsettling for different reasons. It's like hearing a story for the second time and you think 'nah, not scary the second time' but it is. That's the mark of a good writer.

This isn't a case of everyone gets along. But they don't have fights for no reason. Only Beth shows a bit of petty behaviour early on, but you kind of understand why. I can honestly say I didn't see the ending coming the way it did, but it's left open for a follow up, even though no-one is safe in the story. I really got behind Romilly's plight and I hope readers do as well.

It's not exactly for the youngest of readers, but I think anyone 13+ should be able to handle it.

It's a well written book with great atmosphere and a heady last third. Someone talked about Goodfellas being like that in the last part. There's so much going on at that point, you would feel overwhelmed as a reader if the back story hadn't been built up as well as it has been here.

I'm not totally into horror but I found this a strong debut. If there is a follow up, mark me down first in the queue.

[A.J. Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I want to mention that I am NOT a horror story kind of reader. I'm a naturally visual type of person, so when I read books I really paint a picture in my head. One thing that the author did really well was that he was very specific with his gory descriptions. If you have a weak stomach, it might not be the book for you. There were scenes in the book that were eerie and definitely gave me the chills. The author did a really good job of setting the atmosphere and tone throughout the story.

I also want to mention that in the beginning I was kind of lost, because the perspective and point-of-view jumped around. If you don't commit and read through the book, and stop at the first few chapters you will be left feeling very unsatisfied. But, if you continue to read through the chapters, the story begins to make sense. My experience while reading the book was similar to when I am doing a puzzle. I have little pieces, bits and pieces of information, that slowly begin to connect together, leaving me with a larger image. By the end of the book, all the puzzle pieces fit together and the blanks in the timeline were filled. So, my main advice if you're planning on reading this book, then stick through it until the end. Don't get frustrated if you feel lost in the beginning, because things will begin to make more sense as you continue to read. What's the fun with knowing everything in the beginning anyways, am I right?

I found myself a little bit maddened with the main character though. All the characters had some sort of growth and evolution through the book, but I felt that the main character remained a bit weak and unlikable. I wanted to root for her success and was waiting to see her power grow, but the change was minute in my opinion. On the other hand, I loved Toril as a character and found myself cheering for her the entire time. In my opinion, she was the most likeable character, although it could be because she was the most reliable as well. Also, I felt like the author really got into her story and represented her personality consistently well through the book.

Overall, the book was really well written. There was an undeniable flow throughout it and sometimes I thought it sounded like poetry, which was nice. It was an easy read once I got used to the jumping timeline. It is the first book of the series and I do plan to read the second one.

[Katerina Sestakova novotna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not just an ordinary paranormal horror for young adults. The author’s way of describing things going on both inside the main character’s head and around her is exceptional.

Romilly is an ordinary teenage girl with a special gift from her Nan, a magical mirror. It’s a powerful weapon against evil things such as Zerythra, a special kind of zombies that are described in vivid details. First Romilly seems to be alone in her mission to protect herself and her close ones -- her special gifts evoked by the mirror even estrange her from her only friend. The formation of friendship among girls with such diverse backgrounds as Wicca, Christianity and Atheism are one of the most interesting themes of this book. They are all learning while fighting evil forces both within and without.

The witches of this book are not born with their special skills, but they are developing them on their difficult journey. They make mistakes and do not always know what to do. One of the girls has read a lot about witchcraft, and considers herself to be a witch, but her theoretical knowledge is still to be tested in practice. The Christian girl is forced to get involved in witchcraft by strange circumstances beyond her control. Romilly feels rather unprepared for her role, too. But they are all growing and learning while some awful things are happening.

There are also a few boys in the book, but the interaction between the girls and boys is still rather clumsy, as it is often in real life. I am wondering how their relationships will develop in the sequel.

I won’t comment on the most evil things because I don’t want to reveal too much to potential readers. The author is merciless when describing gory scenes, but surprisingly sensitive when revealing the subtlest fears and insecurities of a teenage girl. This is an excellent combination which makes the horror more realistic and therefore frightening. The brilliant psychology of the characters also makes the book interesting to older and more demanding readers such as parents of young adults.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This young adult fantasy/horror novel is an excellent debut book. It's the story of teenager Romilly Winter who is bequeathed a very special mirror by her Nan. Romilly is a reluctant heroine who appears a typical teen with typical teen angst. She also has a special gift but she worries that when the time comes she won't be strong enough to cope. Yet only when the terrifying truth is revealed and her family, her friends and her life are threatened does she find out what she's truly capable of.

Dark Winter is a gripping tale of good versus evil, featuring zombies, demons, mysterious caretakers, Wicca witches, the undead and much much more. Despite it being outside my usual reading genres, I found myself swept along by its riveting mix of fantasy, reality and horror and also pleased that Romilly remained at the core of the action because she is unique and very strongly drawn. You really get inside her head! Alongside the fantasy sequences there are some lovely touches which flesh out her character, such as her feelings on being an outsider, on her parents and her friends and even unrequited love. However its ultimately her relationship with the mirror of souls and her Nan that inform the overall story arc and drive the action forward.

The scope and scale of the story are breathtaking yet it also has that claustrophobic feeling necessary for a chilling horror story. It has a good cast of characters and the dramatic scenes are well written. Given this is a fantasy horror, there is plenty of frightening graphic detail but the descriptions and action sequences are probably on a par with those found in Twilight and many other young adult fantasy novels.

I hope there is much more to come from John Hennessy whose writing voice is fresh, exciting and accessible! A recommended read for young adults and adults who enjoy fantasy horror and creepy paranormal stories!

[Charlotte Marie Henley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was totally entertained by this paranormal horror tale. So okay, review. It's about good versus evil, and has zombies but a special kind, not seen before, so nice touch. A girl, a mirror, a demon. And then the really crazy stuff starts.

Demons within and around Romilly, the main character and I like her, she's strong, independent, but also a bit unsure of herself and that to me makes her more real. What I mean by strong is, I think she gets more stronger as the book gets to the end but she clashes with so many other characters you wonder how the end can only be the death of the lot of them.

I see some people don;t want the book spoiled, so here are my Spoiler ALERTS >>>

It really scared me at parts like Beth going up the stairs in the school, Romilly tied to that table in the evil wood house. Any talk of spiders creeps me out and the gore is quite a lot but its okay, I think I managed it.

Like the bad ones. Dana is super creepy and also I think cool. She is at her worst in the hospital, and the clash with Toril is great, loved it and the result.

I could go on but will END SPOILERS HERE.

This is the perfect halloween read. You can read it anytime of the year and enjoy it. I'm reading it again and hope there is a printed book of this and a second book. It doesn't have to have that, but if it did I would buy it.

Believable characters, crosses genres like horror, fantasy, paranormal.
Great story hook that quickens, slows (I know some will mind that) but that's to build up and describe stuff. I can deal with that, maybe others can't.

SPOILER

Emotional punch. I was in tears at some points.

END of the SPOILER

Five stars, because you just get carried away by the story. So easy to pick it up and read it again.

[Bryan Nowak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently read Dark Winter: The Wicca Circle by John Hennessey. Anyone who knows me for any length of time knows I love character building. To me that is the most important aspect of any book. John Hennessey sort of threw me for a loop in this book because I really felt it was his world building which dominated the narrative. He is a master at it.

The woods are used as a frequent location for much of the action and in my head I can see the woods, feel the cold of winter, see the cliff at the end of the woods. I can see the two cabins in the woods. When the girls go into the antagonist’s house, I can see the house. It is really well done. There is a decrepit church and cemetery in the story which I could see in my mind’s eye. He took me on a journey of the senses that’s what any good author should do.

John is good at what I hope to be good at. He makes you feel creepy in parts of the story where you need to feel that way. When the main character is in the antagonist’s house and she feels the rats biting at her, it did creep me out considerably and delightfully. This is, in my humble opinion, what good writers should be able to do in horror. The reason we read such stories is because we want to feel uncomfortable!

Now, if there was one thing that I will deduct points on it was that I got a little lost in the narrative once or twice. It can be frustrating when you aren’t entirely sure where you are in the story line. But I never got so lost that I felt like giving up on the book. The end of the story is well worth the rides occasional bumps.

So, the million-dollar question. Will I read the second book in the series? Absolutely I will!

[Mariana D'Inzeo · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Evil can be found in the most innocent of things"

It's been a few days since I've finished this novel and this sentence has not left my mind, keeps making me question things everyday, making me go back and think of this book at random times, and i believe that's just proof of how intriguing John's writing can be.

I started this novel thinking it would be another one of those "teenager girl finds herself facing new world upon discovering hidden powers", let me tell you how wrong i was. I mean yes, it's a story about a girl,
Romilly, that faces change upon given a powerful mirror, honestly that much you can find on the synopsis, what you cant find is all that comes along with this new power, the burden and the horror, the latter one was something that, to me, made this novel out of the ordinary. I have to say that even though i haven't read that many horror stories, i was fully entertained and definitely scared.

Some reviews mention the fact that even though the book's being told from Romilly's point of view it can get a bit confusing at times, and i agree, in the beginning of the book i did get sort of lost, but once i kept going it wasn't something that compromised my understanding and enjoyment.

I want this review to be spoiler free so I wont go deeply into the storylines, but I'll say that it's definitely recommended to the ones that like demons and zombies stories, and that also like a good scare.

The fact that I'd totally recommend this book to a friend, and also that I'll probably read it again, I'm giving this book 5 stars!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won book 2 of this series on the giveaways on here, and the author sent me a message stating that the first in the series (this one) was free on amazon e-book. So I downloaded it, as I hoped it would make book 2 make sense.

Firstly the bad points - the book seems to flit back and forth and this came across in places as confusing. There were a few spelling mistakes that should have been picked up before final publishing. Lastly there was quite a lot of repetiition when describing the characters and when they next came back etc. This is why I have given the book only a 3* rating.

The idea of tthe whole book being based around a magical mirror is not 1 that I have read before and for this it was a great idea. The story idea worked well and in most was well written. There were a few places that could have done with abit more information, including how the magical mirror worked (for Romilly's sake if not the readers) and others that could have done with abit less.

It was a shame that there was so many deaths in the story, and I feel that some of them could have been avoided. There was a lot of references to wicca and witch craft, which show that the author has done some background research (or may have a personal interest it). This did make things more believeable as I have read some books with these in and they seemed very shallow.

Overall I did enjoy the book and I am looking forward to reading book 2.

[Dino Costi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel by British author John Hennessy has to go down as not only one of the best Pagan-themes books I've read, but also one of the scariest. I picked it up expecting something similar to Twilight (with a touch of darkness, but ultimately light and fluffy); instead I discovered a genuinely creepy and suspenseful story, which had me on the edge of my seat all the way through.
If I could compare it to any other author's work it would be Stephen King's, with its slow and intense build up of truly frightening scenes, leading to shocking and unexpected moments. The style of writing however is completely unique, often using stream of consciousness and seamless shifts in time to carry the narrative along. I've never seen this used in horror books before, and was pleasantly surprised to see how well it works and how much it adds to the fear factor - we never quite know where we're going to end up next in the complex narrative.
Another thing worthy of note is the portrayal of the characters. While it's quite usual to find two-dimensional characters in teen horror, all four of the girls here - Milly, Beth, Toril and Jacinta - are given depth and personality, and seeing them transition from naïve girls to strong and heroic figures is absolutely captivating.
Although this is targeted at lovers of YA paranormal novels and all things Pagan, I would also thoroughly recommend it to anyone who appreciates good quality horror and high suspense. It certainly had me on the edge of my seat!

[SheReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crazy! That's what this book is! There's so much happening that each chapter leaves you with that feeling like WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!? People are dying left and right and some are coming back to life. There are zombie like things and witches and just so much evil that you can't imagine how these characters are going to come through it - until they do.

Romilly Winter is just like your normal teenage girl - awkward, self-conscious, and in love with a boy she doesn't think will ever feel the same way. All normality flies out the window when her nan passes down a mystical heirloom. It's just a mirror right? Wrong. It's a mirror that carries around some pretty dark baggage but it's also the only thing that can defeat the things that are now after Romilly.

Two will die. Two will die. Two will die. It's the creepy refrain that keeps the new-found friends going. But, who is it going to be?

The most intriguing thing about this book was the point of view. It was first person, even in the scenes that the main character wasn't it. I've never read a POV like that but found that I really really liked it. It's only something that can be pulled off by a talented writer and this book pulled it off.

I love Romilly and can't wait to read the next book to see what she can accomplish next!

[J. Kahele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thud-Thud-Thud-Thud-Thud!

Lock your doors, check your window and draw your drapes and make sure your lights are on when you read this tale!

The story is about sixteen year old Romilly(Milly) Winter who is handed down a mirror by her Nan, that possesses the power to hold souls. Milly is your normal every day teenager, smart mouthed, awkward and at times she tends to be a little withdrawn.
Milly, has a few incidents with shadows, ghosts and blows it off to her imagination, until one of the ghosts appear before her eyes, after it pushes her down the stairs, knocking her tooth out. But she still questions her imagination.
Surprisingly, it is her Nan that informs her that the ghosts are real, not a figment of her imagination. That like her Nan, she was handed down the gift to stop these bloody, distorted, disgusting zombie like creatures, called the Zeryth, that are the persona of true evil.
Like any normal teenager, she rebels against the notion of being a fighter against evil, not having enough confidence in herself to step up to the deed, nor really wanting to. But when, her family, friends and her life are threatened, she finds deep inside her the courage to fight the Zeryth, to fight the evil.

[Brenda Mohammed · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading “Stormling” and “Murderous Little Darlings” I got hooked on John Hennessy’s writings. I bought his new release “Dark Winter: Last rites” and then realized that I needed to read the first two books in the Dark Winter series before reading that one, so I bought the other two.
This review is for Dark Winter :The Wicca Circle. I was not at all disappointed. Once again he has produced a great story centered on a Mirror. A young girl named Romily was bequeathed a Mirror by her Nan and was only told that her abilities to use it would become realized after her sixteenth birthday.
The Mirror gave her the ability to trap demonic entities, predict the future, and to kill those same entities with a touch of her bare hands.
It was a perilous time for Romily and her friends, and as I read the book I felt as if I was just as involved in the story as the main characters.
A good author has that effect on his readers and John Hennessy is one such author.
I am looking forward to reading the other two books in the series.

[Patrick Hodges · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished Wicca Circle, the first book in John Hennessy's Dark Winter series, and my mind is still reeling. Zombies and demons and serial killers, oh my!

The story centers, for the most part, around Romilly "Milly" Winter, a teenage girl who was given a mirror with the power to trap evil spirits by her grandmother. Over the course of several months, and heavily involving her friends Beth, Toril and Jacinta, all hell (literally) breaks loose.

There is a lot to keep track of in this story, especially as the time-line jumps around with numerous flashbacks. Many people die but don't stay dead (!), and there were times when I thought my brain would literally explode.

However, the story was quite intriguing, with lots of scares and graphic depictions of horror that Wes Craven would have loved to bring to life had he lived to read this book.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book has a great start to expand its story line, and the things that will caught your attention are present in this one. Im talking about superstitions, urban legends, ancestral house, mysterious things, ouija board, etc. you know when you here these things it really set your curiousity. now, im one of those people who easily get scared so reading this book is like a sweet punishment for me as there were really times that i had goosbumps already because it really felt like it's also happening to me, but i can't seem to stop my reading because it's very interesting!

i recommend this book especially for all the people who are looking for an out of this world adventure, who likes to ghost hunt, and those who are brave. i am sure that you'll enjoy this book!