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Something Wicked
Born into Power, they become what the darkness fears!
Three brothers are born into a line of witches that extends back to Salem, Massachusetts and beyond that to Ancient Egypt. But being a witch in a mortal world does not come without consequence and there is always the deadly risk of exposure.
The beautiful contemporary and gothic sprawling metropolis of Treadwell Deane County is a place of mystical energy and power, and it's mortal inhabitants are ignorant of their supernatural neighbours. Aaron, Noah and Perry Pogue, along with Pilar and her Romani Coven are Treadwell's guardians, fighting for the forces of evil against Rafaela, the sinister Avatarian Demigoddess.
When the Pogue brothers' power is compromised and they struggle to put their differences aside, the city's last line of defence rest with Pilar and the Romani Triad - whose congregation is not without its own machiavellian problems.
Three brothers are born into a line of witches that extends back to Salem, Massachusetts and beyond that to Ancient Egypt. But being a witch in a mortal world does not come without consequence and there is always the deadly risk of exposure.
The beautiful contemporary and gothic sprawling metropolis of Treadwell Deane County is a place of mystical energy and power, and it's mortal inhabitants are ignorant of their supernatural neighbours. Aaron, Noah and Perry Pogue, along with Pilar and her Romani Coven are Treadwell's guardians, fighting for the forces of evil against Rafaela, the sinister Avatarian Demigoddess.
When the Pogue brothers' power is compromised and they struggle to put their differences aside, the city's last line of defence rest with Pilar and the Romani Triad - whose congregation is not without its own machiavellian problems.
282 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2015
3 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 10, 2024
Mystical, magical, in a modern setting
I went into this book with a faint idea of what it entails. But boy was I surprised! Pleasantly, of course.
The premise is modern weaving in mythology and theology with a unique flair. The plotline gets denser with the introduction of characters. Author T. R. Kester has a fertile imagination, infusing it brilliantly in this book. It happens to be part of a series, so there is more to savor. And that makes me happy as I love diving into series more than standalones.
Let's talk about the author's writing style a bit. It certainly suits this magical plotline and can be easily consumed. The tone is simplistic with no unnecessary flamboyance.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a YA fantasy. This has a good dose of mythos, thrill, mystery and adventure. A sure shot young adult reader pleaser!
I went into this book with a faint idea of what it entails. But boy was I surprised! Pleasantly, of course.
The premise is modern weaving in mythology and theology with a unique flair. The plotline gets denser with the introduction of characters. Author T. R. Kester has a fertile imagination, infusing it brilliantly in this book. It happens to be part of a series, so there is more to savor. And that makes me happy as I love diving into series more than standalones.
Let's talk about the author's writing style a bit. It certainly suits this magical plotline and can be easily consumed. The tone is simplistic with no unnecessary flamboyance.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a YA fantasy. This has a good dose of mythos, thrill, mystery and adventure. A sure shot young adult reader pleaser!
December 16, 2017
Magical, Mysterious, and completely captivating. I absolutely loved this book! I love the setting, plot, and most of all the intriguing and adventurous characters. If you haven't read this series you definitely should give it a try. 😊💚💚
June 12, 2017
Note: I was sent an ebook copy of this book to review from the author
Something Wicked is a perfect read for all lovers of early 2000 tv shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed.
If I had to pin point the book's biggest strength it is definitely the world. It is vast-I am sure what we see in Something Wicked barely scratches the surface of it-it is complex and very detailed. The main storyline was not very easy to grasp but it is because this is only the first book in a rather long series, so I am positive that the main storyline will have more spotlight in the future. As an introduction to the world and its players, this was a very good start.
If I had to pin point its weakest trait though, it would be the characters. The first reason for that is because there are so many characters that it is hard to keep track of them all. Especially in the beginning, so many characters are being introduced that it's hard to follow who is speaking and acting. The second reason, and perhaps the most important, is because the characters suffer from the lack of introspection that could have really made this story great.
When reading this book, the impression that is had is that of watching a very well done tv show. In a screen adaption, we love watching the scenes play out, the characters interact, but what we really love about books is being able to dive into the characters' minds and secret hearts. That aspect was lacking in this book. The characters are always in motion, always doing something and there never really is a moment where you see the world through one character's eyes and feel his inner turmoils. The reader is, in fact, a spectator in the story. This was perhaps the one aspect I did not enjoy, because I personally love to feel a deep attachment to characters and see what lies beneath the surface.
Overall, it was a book I enjoyed. There was no lack of action, from the very first pages of the book and from vocabulary, settings, descriptions of creatures and powers, you can easily tell the amount of research and passion the author put behind every word. It isn't the most perfect of books, but for lovers of the supernatural genre, it is a book I would recommend.
Something Wicked is a perfect read for all lovers of early 2000 tv shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed.
If I had to pin point the book's biggest strength it is definitely the world. It is vast-I am sure what we see in Something Wicked barely scratches the surface of it-it is complex and very detailed. The main storyline was not very easy to grasp but it is because this is only the first book in a rather long series, so I am positive that the main storyline will have more spotlight in the future. As an introduction to the world and its players, this was a very good start.
If I had to pin point its weakest trait though, it would be the characters. The first reason for that is because there are so many characters that it is hard to keep track of them all. Especially in the beginning, so many characters are being introduced that it's hard to follow who is speaking and acting. The second reason, and perhaps the most important, is because the characters suffer from the lack of introspection that could have really made this story great.
When reading this book, the impression that is had is that of watching a very well done tv show. In a screen adaption, we love watching the scenes play out, the characters interact, but what we really love about books is being able to dive into the characters' minds and secret hearts. That aspect was lacking in this book. The characters are always in motion, always doing something and there never really is a moment where you see the world through one character's eyes and feel his inner turmoils. The reader is, in fact, a spectator in the story. This was perhaps the one aspect I did not enjoy, because I personally love to feel a deep attachment to characters and see what lies beneath the surface.
Overall, it was a book I enjoyed. There was no lack of action, from the very first pages of the book and from vocabulary, settings, descriptions of creatures and powers, you can easily tell the amount of research and passion the author put behind every word. It isn't the most perfect of books, but for lovers of the supernatural genre, it is a book I would recommend.
June 13, 2017
All those of you who were around when Buffy and Charmed were popular, you'll surely recognize their influence on this book. These two universes merged together (with the emphasis on the witch part, sadly for us vampire lovers) and added even more creatures, making it a unique mix.
Tha's what I saw potential in - the plethora of cool creatures with awesome abilities making the book interesting. However, too many can be a bad thing. Unfortunately, the author kept adding so many characters throughout the book that neither of them got enough story into their background and thus their appearance in the book felt shallow and artificial. For a long time I couldn't wrap my mind around them all and felt confused by the constant addition of more characters and then I realised that I couldn't develop any feelings toward any of them (be it negative or positive) and because of that I couldn't care less who won at the end. Which is sad because when I read a book about the battle of two sides I want to be able to choose and cheer for one of them. Here I couldn't.
Speaking of battles - that's something the author does well. Pretty much in every chapter there is a fight between two parties including a lot of effects and moves. Those of you who are into this kind of thing, you'll be happy. To me, it felt like a script for a movie or the said TV shows. The action was great but sometimes it felt like the plot was on vacation and the purpose of the book's existence was mainly for these scenes (those of you familiar with Greek drama imagine this: exposition, rising action, rising action, rising action,...oh wait, did we just jump right to the catastrophe?!).
You know how I hate trilogies and other -logies because I feel like the publishers just want to squeeze more money out of people and force the authors to artificially prolong a story which would be wonderful in one book but comes out too diluted in a series? Here, it was the exact opposite. If the author focused more on fewer characters and developed the story by putting in more background info, it would be a very adventurous series. But in just one book it felt rushed and not consistent.
Tha's what I saw potential in - the plethora of cool creatures with awesome abilities making the book interesting. However, too many can be a bad thing. Unfortunately, the author kept adding so many characters throughout the book that neither of them got enough story into their background and thus their appearance in the book felt shallow and artificial. For a long time I couldn't wrap my mind around them all and felt confused by the constant addition of more characters and then I realised that I couldn't develop any feelings toward any of them (be it negative or positive) and because of that I couldn't care less who won at the end. Which is sad because when I read a book about the battle of two sides I want to be able to choose and cheer for one of them. Here I couldn't.
Speaking of battles - that's something the author does well. Pretty much in every chapter there is a fight between two parties including a lot of effects and moves. Those of you who are into this kind of thing, you'll be happy. To me, it felt like a script for a movie or the said TV shows. The action was great but sometimes it felt like the plot was on vacation and the purpose of the book's existence was mainly for these scenes (those of you familiar with Greek drama imagine this: exposition, rising action, rising action, rising action,...oh wait, did we just jump right to the catastrophe?!).
You know how I hate trilogies and other -logies because I feel like the publishers just want to squeeze more money out of people and force the authors to artificially prolong a story which would be wonderful in one book but comes out too diluted in a series? Here, it was the exact opposite. If the author focused more on fewer characters and developed the story by putting in more background info, it would be a very adventurous series. But in just one book it felt rushed and not consistent.
June 24, 2019
Something Wicked by T R Kester was a wonderfully written book about witches, demons and magic! I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was hooked by the quirky characters and detailed storyline. I am a big fan of TV shows like 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and 'Charmed' and this book definitely has that same feel. Looking forward to reading the second book and excited to see what else T R Kester releases in the future!
May 5, 2022
Something Wicked is the beginning of a series that promises to be epic. Three brothers born into a powerful line of witches stretching back to Salem, and Ancient Egypt, have fallen out of touch and they have to find a way back to one another to strengthen their power to face the challenges ahead.
There are a lot of characters in this novel, with more to be added in each book. There is an invaluable guide to keep track of who’s who in the very involved story included in the front of the book. Some of the characters are known by more than one name so it does get a little convoluted and confusing at times but once you get it all straight you should be alright.
Something Wicked is set in the gothic, fictional Treadwell, Deane County. I found the world building difficult to grasp, possibly because of where I live. Deane County seems to be somewhere close to Los Angeles but there were lots of familiar places names used from close to home. This may have only stuck out to me because of where I live and that they are familiar. People living in other areas will probably not give it a second thought.
Witches, vampires, sirens, mermaids, demigoddesses and demons – Something Wicked has them all and at times it all seems a bit fluid. The mythology seems to be both well researched and utilising poetic license. All of which ties together for an intense read requiring concentration. Much of this may be down to my headspace at the moment and the amount of time I have spent away from the genre.
The story behind the book is almost as intriguing as the story inside the book, and hopefully we will be able to bring you some of that in an upcoming interview.
Much of Something Wicked revolves around family, and the importance of that connection. The Pogue family power is compromised by the rift between the brothers but there is also great power in the Romani family, who may need to come to the rescue of Treadwell while the Pogue brothers struggle to put their differences aside.
Fantasy lovers will get a real kick out of the melding of mythologies and the belief that nothing is irreversible, except vampirism. Whether you choose the light side or the dark you can always change your mind.
My head is all over the place and with everything going on in the real world it’s been days between finishing the book and starting the review…. never a helpful mix.
Something Wicked demonstrates that having a disability doesn’t make you lesser, it only makes you different and that gives you different strengths even though you may have a weakness or two. One of the characters is deaf and the fact that he is the youngest of the family doesn’t really help his cause, his parents forever want to protect him and cushion him from what happens in the world which only makes him more determined to prove his independence.
Having said that Something Wicked is very involved and takes concentration, it was still an engrossing read that I managed to get through in a weekend which was quite a surprise. I thought it was going to take much longer.
Something Wicked is a convincing debut with a strong storyline that I look forward to following through the series. Kester will be a fantasy author to watch as he hones his craft.
Review originally appeared on Beauty and Lace
There are a lot of characters in this novel, with more to be added in each book. There is an invaluable guide to keep track of who’s who in the very involved story included in the front of the book. Some of the characters are known by more than one name so it does get a little convoluted and confusing at times but once you get it all straight you should be alright.
Something Wicked is set in the gothic, fictional Treadwell, Deane County. I found the world building difficult to grasp, possibly because of where I live. Deane County seems to be somewhere close to Los Angeles but there were lots of familiar places names used from close to home. This may have only stuck out to me because of where I live and that they are familiar. People living in other areas will probably not give it a second thought.
Witches, vampires, sirens, mermaids, demigoddesses and demons – Something Wicked has them all and at times it all seems a bit fluid. The mythology seems to be both well researched and utilising poetic license. All of which ties together for an intense read requiring concentration. Much of this may be down to my headspace at the moment and the amount of time I have spent away from the genre.
The story behind the book is almost as intriguing as the story inside the book, and hopefully we will be able to bring you some of that in an upcoming interview.
Much of Something Wicked revolves around family, and the importance of that connection. The Pogue family power is compromised by the rift between the brothers but there is also great power in the Romani family, who may need to come to the rescue of Treadwell while the Pogue brothers struggle to put their differences aside.
Fantasy lovers will get a real kick out of the melding of mythologies and the belief that nothing is irreversible, except vampirism. Whether you choose the light side or the dark you can always change your mind.
My head is all over the place and with everything going on in the real world it’s been days between finishing the book and starting the review…. never a helpful mix.
Something Wicked demonstrates that having a disability doesn’t make you lesser, it only makes you different and that gives you different strengths even though you may have a weakness or two. One of the characters is deaf and the fact that he is the youngest of the family doesn’t really help his cause, his parents forever want to protect him and cushion him from what happens in the world which only makes him more determined to prove his independence.
Having said that Something Wicked is very involved and takes concentration, it was still an engrossing read that I managed to get through in a weekend which was quite a surprise. I thought it was going to take much longer.
Something Wicked is a convincing debut with a strong storyline that I look forward to following through the series. Kester will be a fantasy author to watch as he hones his craft.
Review originally appeared on Beauty and Lace
December 13, 2016
Note: I was given this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Something Wicked is the first book by T.R. (Troy) Kester and I believe that he is an self-published author. The story revolves around two strong magical families the Pogues and the Romani, the Pogues are witches while the Romani are a witch/gypsie hybrid. They protect the world from evil magical beings and their main location is in the fictional town of Treadwell, Deane County. Treadwell is a magic haven and there is something else special about it and your gonna have to read to find out.
You guys I really liked this book, it is chock-filled with the supernatural. Also let it be know that I am a bit of a geek. I love all the geeky stuff like Star Wars (original trilogy), Harry Potter, anime, manga, Star Trek (new stuff), comics and graphic novels (because they are two different things), magic and so much more. I am also a big fan of action movies so imagine my delight that this book has so many battle scenes.
I really enjoyed the story so much and I hated to give Something Wicked the rating 3.75 stars. Unfortunately I had to give it a lower rating because I had some issues with this book. Some of the facts about the characters got mixed up and there was repeating in parts where I feel it was unneeded. The main work was goo it's just that the writing needs to be fine tuned and it needs editing a little more. I know that Troy will improve and I am looking forward to that.
I love that Something Wicked reminded me of Charmed (American TV series about witches) and had all of these pop-culture references, stuff I actually knew. The characters were multilingual and Troy put the word mean in the paragraph, loved that. There were so many supernatural creatures mentioned and the different levels of witches and demons. The huge family trees of these two clans was amazing and I wish Troy would put it in the book because you wouldn't believe who is related to who.
Overall 3.75 stars - I really liked it!
Something Wicked had magic, family issues, betrayal, magical powers, loads of supernaturals, other realms, kidnappings, Buffy references and other pop-culture, "romance", evil plots, high level fighting skills, flashbacks, assassins and so much more. This book was like an tribute to the stuff I love. Something Wicked ended on a cliff-hanger, so many things were left unfinished and the questions I have need to be answered. I look forward to the next book in this series is Something Secret.
Something Wicked is the first book by T.R. (Troy) Kester and I believe that he is an self-published author. The story revolves around two strong magical families the Pogues and the Romani, the Pogues are witches while the Romani are a witch/gypsie hybrid. They protect the world from evil magical beings and their main location is in the fictional town of Treadwell, Deane County. Treadwell is a magic haven and there is something else special about it and your gonna have to read to find out.
You guys I really liked this book, it is chock-filled with the supernatural. Also let it be know that I am a bit of a geek. I love all the geeky stuff like Star Wars (original trilogy), Harry Potter, anime, manga, Star Trek (new stuff), comics and graphic novels (because they are two different things), magic and so much more. I am also a big fan of action movies so imagine my delight that this book has so many battle scenes.
I really enjoyed the story so much and I hated to give Something Wicked the rating 3.75 stars. Unfortunately I had to give it a lower rating because I had some issues with this book. Some of the facts about the characters got mixed up and there was repeating in parts where I feel it was unneeded. The main work was goo it's just that the writing needs to be fine tuned and it needs editing a little more. I know that Troy will improve and I am looking forward to that.
I love that Something Wicked reminded me of Charmed (American TV series about witches) and had all of these pop-culture references, stuff I actually knew. The characters were multilingual and Troy put the word mean in the paragraph, loved that. There were so many supernatural creatures mentioned and the different levels of witches and demons. The huge family trees of these two clans was amazing and I wish Troy would put it in the book because you wouldn't believe who is related to who.
Overall 3.75 stars - I really liked it!
Something Wicked had magic, family issues, betrayal, magical powers, loads of supernaturals, other realms, kidnappings, Buffy references and other pop-culture, "romance", evil plots, high level fighting skills, flashbacks, assassins and so much more. This book was like an tribute to the stuff I love. Something Wicked ended on a cliff-hanger, so many things were left unfinished and the questions I have need to be answered. I look forward to the next book in this series is Something Secret.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews