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Conjure #2
A Gathering of Weapons
Nearly four years have passed since the events of Rootwork (the first book in The Conjure Series), and the youngest Conway sister, Pee Wee, is now thirteen years old and on the cusp of magical greatness. Ever since the tragedy of 1889, she’s worked tirelessly to practice her Hoodoo and hone her conjure skills so as to right the wrongs done to her family. But as a young Black girl living in the post-Reconstruction era of the segregated South, her growing powers do not go unnoticed. Strange and malevolent forces have descended upon the small Louisiana parish Pee Wee calls home, and she must use her newly acquired conjure skills to fight back. Will she use them for good? Or will she pledge herself to the ghost of a dead Voodoo priestess and the darkness the woman serves in exchange for unlimited power and the promise of generational revenge?
- GenresHorror
Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2024
13 people are currently reading
137 people want to read
About the author
Tracy Cross
8 books116 followersTracy Cross's second book, "A Gathering of Weapons" was published in October, 2024. Currently, she is working on a novel about the town of Oscarville. She has had work appear in several horror anthologies, blogs and podcasts. You can find out more about her at tracycrossonline.com or on Instagram at tracycrosswrites.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 29, 2024
Second book in the series; Tracy Cross does it again!
This picked up just after the flooding; focusing more on Pee Wee and her Aunt Teddy. Lone Wolf also remains, as well as Bump and Tiny.
This was as equally as good as the first book. Pee Wee is digging more into "rootwork" and finding herself. She is also more comfortable with the Spirits. Cousin Skeet is still around too, living in Pee Wee's old house. But just across the way... Viola materializes.. Voodoo, who knew!
She also receives a letter from her Ma; definitely some unexpected surprises!
Definitely engaging with several twists and turns along the way. Loved the ending... a cliff hanger! Hoping and waiting for BOOK THREE!
I received an advance review copy for free from Book Sirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This picked up just after the flooding; focusing more on Pee Wee and her Aunt Teddy. Lone Wolf also remains, as well as Bump and Tiny.
This was as equally as good as the first book. Pee Wee is digging more into "rootwork" and finding herself. She is also more comfortable with the Spirits. Cousin Skeet is still around too, living in Pee Wee's old house. But just across the way... Viola materializes.. Voodoo, who knew!
She also receives a letter from her Ma; definitely some unexpected surprises!
Definitely engaging with several twists and turns along the way. Loved the ending... a cliff hanger! Hoping and waiting for BOOK THREE!
I received an advance review copy for free from Book Sirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 17, 2024
Having really enjoyed Rootwork, I couldn't wait to get right to the sequel. This installment in the Conjure series focuses on youngest sister Pee Wee who is now, years after the events of the first book, living with her aunty Teddy and learning rootwork. Pee Wee has several adventures in this novella, and everything I loved about the first book -- the vibrant world-building, memorable characters, and explorations of justice, spirituality, and relationships/family -- is here too.
While A Gathering of Weapons is self-contained and can be read as a standalone, I'd really strongly recommend reading its predecessor first as the characters' backstories are very relevant to fully grasping the developments here. There is definite room left open for a third installment, and I look forward to finding out where Tracy Cross takes this series next. Definitely recommend.
Content warnings: racism, racial slurs, violence, murder, death, vomit, blood, medical content, pregnancy/childbirth, child abuse
While A Gathering of Weapons is self-contained and can be read as a standalone, I'd really strongly recommend reading its predecessor first as the characters' backstories are very relevant to fully grasping the developments here. There is definite room left open for a third installment, and I look forward to finding out where Tracy Cross takes this series next. Definitely recommend.
Content warnings: racism, racial slurs, violence, murder, death, vomit, blood, medical content, pregnancy/childbirth, child abuse
August 29, 2025
Good
Really enjoyed this read both books were just as good as the other one and I'm grateful for the many mixed and raw emotions that I carried through out until the end > Really excited to see what she does next 😀 😁 ☺️ 😉
Really enjoyed this read both books were just as good as the other one and I'm grateful for the many mixed and raw emotions that I carried through out until the end > Really excited to see what she does next 😀 😁 ☺️ 😉
December 2, 2024
Book two in the Conjure Series takes us further into Pee Wee’s journey as a conjure woman. Exploring other types of magic, lessons being learned, funny incidences, and emotional experiences.
This story takes us through different vignettes of her life which shape her future with each different path that she takes. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
This story takes us through different vignettes of her life which shape her future with each different path that she takes. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
August 31, 2025
4 🌟 Well, this was definitely a fun and engaging expansion of the first book focusing mostly on Pee Wee and her journey to becoming the most powerful conjure woman. And it was a nice setup for a third book (and maybe a fourth and fifth one too) in the series, which I'm hopeful that we will get sooner than later with that cliffhanger we were left at at the end of this book.
There were so many new and interesting characters introduced in this story / to this series that I hope we see more of, because if not, some of this story is for not; just a bunch of short stories about Pee Wee's daily Hoodoo / Voodoo adventures, which is what this book felt like at times, but I still enjoyed it, although there were quite a few plot holes with storylines that were never concluded and kinda just left to interpretation. And there are some heavy topics and graphic scenes in this book that aren't for the faint of heart, so please check trigger warnings!
Also I wanted to know more about Eliza and her magical abilities / form of witchcraft as well as dive deeper into the Voodoo elements introduced in this book. I look forward to continuing this series whenever the next book is released because there's so much potential for this original / unique story to be amazing! Still definitely my kind of historical fiction / folk horror / magical realism read!
There were so many new and interesting characters introduced in this story / to this series that I hope we see more of, because if not, some of this story is for not; just a bunch of short stories about Pee Wee's daily Hoodoo / Voodoo adventures, which is what this book felt like at times, but I still enjoyed it, although there were quite a few plot holes with storylines that were never concluded and kinda just left to interpretation. And there are some heavy topics and graphic scenes in this book that aren't for the faint of heart, so please check trigger warnings!
Also I wanted to know more about Eliza and her magical abilities / form of witchcraft as well as dive deeper into the Voodoo elements introduced in this book. I look forward to continuing this series whenever the next book is released because there's so much potential for this original / unique story to be amazing! Still definitely my kind of historical fiction / folk horror / magical realism read!
February 17, 2025
Even though I’m ill and in a bit of a fog, I blew through this book! Tracy Cross brings a continuation of one of my favorite characters ever, PeeWee from one of my favorite books Rootwork!! I love how ornery she is and even though she’s becoming incredibly powerful she still has that childish streak in her. This story held me captive all day yesterday so much I couldn’t put it down! So much packed in here and so many great characters. Make sure you check this series out!!
December 28, 2024
4.25/5 ⭐️ New Orleans Historical Fiction-YES!
The second installment of Little House on the Hoodoo Prairie did not disappoint! These Conjure Series novellas read like an episode of a much darker version of Little House on the Prairie. This is real storytelling that does not rely on tricks and tropes. This series is based on tradition and generational stories that have been passed down. Our young main character, Pee Wee, has gained confidence in her abilities after she is separated from her family and is being trained in Rootwork by her Aunt Teddy. Two years later, she sees herself as being the greatest Conjure Woman. She struggles with maintaining her moral compass when faced with an opportunity to become more powerful. Will she be tempted by darker magic? Read the Conjure Series and find out.
I highly recommend the Conjure series by Tracey Cross.
Book one- Rootwork
Book two-A Gathering of Weapons
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The second installment of Little House on the Hoodoo Prairie did not disappoint! These Conjure Series novellas read like an episode of a much darker version of Little House on the Prairie. This is real storytelling that does not rely on tricks and tropes. This series is based on tradition and generational stories that have been passed down. Our young main character, Pee Wee, has gained confidence in her abilities after she is separated from her family and is being trained in Rootwork by her Aunt Teddy. Two years later, she sees herself as being the greatest Conjure Woman. She struggles with maintaining her moral compass when faced with an opportunity to become more powerful. Will she be tempted by darker magic? Read the Conjure Series and find out.
I highly recommend the Conjure series by Tracey Cross.
Book one- Rootwork
Book two-A Gathering of Weapons
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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December 28, 20244.25/5 ⭐️ New Orleans Historical Fiction-YES!
The second installment of Little House on the Hoodoo Prairie did not disappoint! These Conjure Series novellas read like an episode of a much darker version of Little House on the Prairie. This is real story telling that does not rely on tricks and tropes. This series is based on tradition and generational stories that have been passed down. Our young main character, Pee Wee has gained confidence in her abilities after she is seperated from her family and is being trained in Rootwork by her Aunt Teddy. Two years later she sees herself as being the greatest Conjure Woman. She struggles with maintaining her moral compass when faced with an opportunity to become more powerful. Will she be tempted by darker magic? Read the Conjure Series and find out.
I highly recommend the Conjure series by Tracey Cross.
Book one- Rootwork
Book two-A Gathering of Weapons
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The second installment of Little House on the Hoodoo Prairie did not disappoint! These Conjure Series novellas read like an episode of a much darker version of Little House on the Prairie. This is real story telling that does not rely on tricks and tropes. This series is based on tradition and generational stories that have been passed down. Our young main character, Pee Wee has gained confidence in her abilities after she is seperated from her family and is being trained in Rootwork by her Aunt Teddy. Two years later she sees herself as being the greatest Conjure Woman. She struggles with maintaining her moral compass when faced with an opportunity to become more powerful. Will she be tempted by darker magic? Read the Conjure Series and find out.
I highly recommend the Conjure series by Tracey Cross.
Book one- Rootwork
Book two-A Gathering of Weapons
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 8, 2025
I read and reviewed the first book, Rootwork, back at the end of 2022. I was clamoring for more stories about the younger of the three sisters as well as her Hoodoo-practitioner aunt Teddy and Teddy’s indigenous boyfriend Lone Wolf. Well, Tracy Cross delivers here and more.
Three years have passed since the flooding of the Louisiana bayou village young Pee Wee, her sisters, and mother called home after the horrific killing of their father. Pee Wee has moved in with Aunt Teddy while the rest of the family has left the area and the story. Pee Wee had already shown promise with the art of Hoodoo, and now after three years of training she has grown quite powerful at it.
The story is told in a series of vignettes, each resulting in Pee Wee gaining a new item for her Hoodoo toolkit, a new skill to practice, or something new learned about the world around her as she transitions from a 13 year old child into a more worldly 14 year old. I really enjoyed the vignette format, with the situations changing sometimes pretty drastically between each. It’s an interesting way to show parts of her interesting day to day life mixed with exciting or scary situations and the progression of time and wisdom.
The building of skills and tools is leading somewhere, though it’s not quite clear until the end of the book what may come next. Looking back, it’s a book of transitions leading to the third book in the series, but it still feels like a satisfying story on its own.
Highly recommend this one, but make sure to start with Rootwork first!
Three years have passed since the flooding of the Louisiana bayou village young Pee Wee, her sisters, and mother called home after the horrific killing of their father. Pee Wee has moved in with Aunt Teddy while the rest of the family has left the area and the story. Pee Wee had already shown promise with the art of Hoodoo, and now after three years of training she has grown quite powerful at it.
The story is told in a series of vignettes, each resulting in Pee Wee gaining a new item for her Hoodoo toolkit, a new skill to practice, or something new learned about the world around her as she transitions from a 13 year old child into a more worldly 14 year old. I really enjoyed the vignette format, with the situations changing sometimes pretty drastically between each. It’s an interesting way to show parts of her interesting day to day life mixed with exciting or scary situations and the progression of time and wisdom.
The building of skills and tools is leading somewhere, though it’s not quite clear until the end of the book what may come next. Looking back, it’s a book of transitions leading to the third book in the series, but it still feels like a satisfying story on its own.
Highly recommend this one, but make sure to start with Rootwork first!
October 1, 2024
I enjoyed this book!! It took a bit of a darker turn from the first book, and I liked being able to see the characters older and more developed as people. Pee Wee is still such a delightful character!!
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
February 6, 2025
Glorious
I absolutely love this series!!! Tracy Cross has done it again, I can't wait for the next installment of this series.
I absolutely love this series!!! Tracy Cross has done it again, I can't wait for the next installment of this series.
October 28, 2025
Whew, my girl Pee Wee is standing on business at only 14! I got a bad feeling Aunt Teddy might pass from childbirth or maybe she just knew Pee Wee had to go. That part had my mind spinning. And I can’t believe Betty had a baby, even though I kinda saw it coming. Hopefully she’s happy now. But whew, I’m real curious to see what Ann got herself into. I didn’t even realize this was a series until midway through part one, and now I see it’s not complete lawd, let me go stalk Ms. Cross’s social media! Overall, 10/10. Loved it!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews