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Red Magic #1
Daughter of Chaos
“You must choose, child. Choose now, and choose once, for once taken, the path becomes your fate.”
Magic is supposed to be easy; there’s Black, White, and Green Magic, and once a Witch picks a path, that’s really all she has to worry about. But for Darlena Agara, things just keep getting harder. She’s torn between her best friend’s choice of the Black path, and her on-again, off-again boyfriend’s choice of the White path, so she tries to stall, waiting for divine inspiration. Darlena isn’t expecting the form it takes, though. Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft, shows up in her living room and pressures her to choose her path, and Lena does something stupid; she declares that she’ll be a Red Witch, something that doesn’t exist…or does it?
Now Lena’s on the run, struggling to master the forces of chaos she now controls while at the same time staying out of the way of the crazy gods and goddesses who want her to use Red Magic to cause chaos. Turns out, Red Magic is real…and deadly. Will Lena learn enough about her power before it’s too late, or will she become a walking disaster?
Magic is supposed to be easy; there’s Black, White, and Green Magic, and once a Witch picks a path, that’s really all she has to worry about. But for Darlena Agara, things just keep getting harder. She’s torn between her best friend’s choice of the Black path, and her on-again, off-again boyfriend’s choice of the White path, so she tries to stall, waiting for divine inspiration. Darlena isn’t expecting the form it takes, though. Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft, shows up in her living room and pressures her to choose her path, and Lena does something stupid; she declares that she’ll be a Red Witch, something that doesn’t exist…or does it?
Now Lena’s on the run, struggling to master the forces of chaos she now controls while at the same time staying out of the way of the crazy gods and goddesses who want her to use Red Magic to cause chaos. Turns out, Red Magic is real…and deadly. Will Lena learn enough about her power before it’s too late, or will she become a walking disaster?
345 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 25, 2014
129 people are currently reading
3815 people want to read
About the author
Jen McConnel
26 books270 followersJen McConnel is an award winning author. She writes Young Adult and New Adult fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. When she isn’t writing, she can be found on her yoga mat, teaching, or wandering off on another adventure.
Follow Jen on Twitter @Jen_McConnel, and visit www.jenmcconnel.com to learn more.
Follow Jen on Twitter @Jen_McConnel, and visit www.jenmcconnel.com to learn more.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
April 9, 2014
Have you EVER tried to get a life-altering commitment out of a teen? How can they know what path they want to take, especially if it is what type of witch path they should follow? When forced into a corner, unsure and feeling the pressure to answer the question of her “forever” witchhood, Darlena reacts much as many others would in her place, she throws out a sarcastic, off the wall answer. To her horror, discovers she has made a commitment to being a type of witch that dabbles in chaos, very rare, and potentially very dangerous. Once again, Darlena’s snark and her headstrong ways have gotten her in world of trouble. Expelled from her school of fellow witches, she is adrift and afraid, with no real guidance to help her along. Who can she turn to when almost everyone shuns her? Darlena doesn't eve nknow what a Red witch is! Are the gods and goddesses there to guide her or harass her? Will her emotions get the better of her and cause more chaos and pain in the world? What of the boy she lost long ago, Justin? Will his path of the white witch cause him to turn his back on her or will they re-kindle a flame that never quite died out? Who can Darlena trust? Her best friend is changing,is it jealousy gone wild? The best advice Darlena received came from the god of the underworld of all places, but should she listen? Darlena must learn to stand on her own and believe in herself, but who else will believe in her?
Daughter of Chaos by Jen McConnel is a refreshing twist to the YA paranormal genre! She brings her main character to full color life with brilliant mental dialogue as well as verbal, while allowing the reader to feel Darlena’s fear, insecurity and sense of being lost in an overwhelming situation. Adding in visits from goddesses, splashed with colors of mythology, Ms. McConnel has twisted her own version of why there is chaos in the world and made it completely believable! She even delves into love, hate, and death, all part of things that we call “life.”
The main focus is the tension between Darlena and, well, almost EVERYONE else, making Darlena’s character the central focus throughout while not actually coloring in too many of the supporting characters with anything but a dull marker. I connected so well with Darlena, I felt terrible for her, even with Justin’s support, as he did not come across as a strong ally to me, but maybe that was part of the coming of age, no matter what, one must deal with their own problems themselves.
Lots of twists, lots of subplots, tons of tension and some well-deserved teen angst, all coming at the reader at top speed, I do look forward to the future installments of this series!
I received this copy as part of the Daughter of Chaos Tour and Giveaway stopping at Tome Tender April 10, 2014
Series: Red Magic - Book 1
Publication Date: March 25, 2014
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC
ISBN: 0988340968
Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal
Print Length: 309 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Daughter of Chaos by Jen McConnel is a refreshing twist to the YA paranormal genre! She brings her main character to full color life with brilliant mental dialogue as well as verbal, while allowing the reader to feel Darlena’s fear, insecurity and sense of being lost in an overwhelming situation. Adding in visits from goddesses, splashed with colors of mythology, Ms. McConnel has twisted her own version of why there is chaos in the world and made it completely believable! She even delves into love, hate, and death, all part of things that we call “life.”
The main focus is the tension between Darlena and, well, almost EVERYONE else, making Darlena’s character the central focus throughout while not actually coloring in too many of the supporting characters with anything but a dull marker. I connected so well with Darlena, I felt terrible for her, even with Justin’s support, as he did not come across as a strong ally to me, but maybe that was part of the coming of age, no matter what, one must deal with their own problems themselves.
Lots of twists, lots of subplots, tons of tension and some well-deserved teen angst, all coming at the reader at top speed, I do look forward to the future installments of this series!
I received this copy as part of the Daughter of Chaos Tour and Giveaway stopping at Tome Tender April 10, 2014
Series: Red Magic - Book 1
Publication Date: March 25, 2014
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC
ISBN: 0988340968
Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal
Print Length: 309 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
August 26, 2014
There was a little Witch, who didn't belong to entire world. She had a perfect family, that consisted of two powerfull Green Witches. But all changed, when the Queen of all Witches - Hecate - came to Lena and asked her to choose magic path. Lena have chosen a Red magic. That's a beginning of this story.
So, my reaction to the whole book:
and this:
If you've already read this book and you liked it, please do not read this review. It may contain spoilers.
Let's get started.
Okay, Darlena is 16 years old witch, who studies at Trinity - school for Witches. She hasn't chosen her path yet. She has a best friend Rochelle, who is a Black Witch and an ex-boyfriend/friend/love-of-her-life Justin. Who is a White Witch. Nice company, I should say. Except, Rochelle is not as good of a friend as Lena might think.
One day Hecate appears in Lena's room and forces her to choose her path. Being afraid of the Queen of Witches, Lena choses Red magic, without even knowing what kind of magic is it. Or if it even exists. After being expelled from school, she begins studying at home.
Red magic is a kind of magic, that controls chaos. I mean it. Chaos all over the world. After I found out about it, I thought Lena would become a powerful witch, that she will be learning too fast and maybe kill a lot of people. But NOOO. She vows to serve Aphrodite to learn LOVE MAGIC. Excuse me, but what the hell? How can love magic control chaos? Okay, maybe Aphrodite is a really powerful witch, but Lena don't need love. And why? It's all because of Hecate, who wants to kill Lena, because of her strength. I don't really think, that she is afraid of her, but still.
The thing I liked about Lena is her temper. She's so baddas, and a little annoying. I also liked how she speaks with Witches and how she thinking about them:
"I am getting so tired of these melodramatic exits!" I muttered. "Don't goddesses ever use the door?"
And that's it. But what I really don't like is that she's so SO stupid. She was given a lot of information, but the girl hardly understood what did it mean. You better think twice before choosing. I won't say anything about other characters, just add some quote that I think is ridiculous:
"You could choose to swear yourself to me again," Aphrodie begun, "but I doubt that you will."
I shrugged, uncomfortable. "I learned a lot from you, And I'm really grateful."
For what? Because she tought you how to make a love spell, so Justin would love you again?
So all I thinks about this book - this is a disaster. 2 stars of 5. 2 because of Persephone and her husband. I liked them.
So, my reaction to the whole book:
and this:
If you've already read this book and you liked it, please do not read this review. It may contain spoilers.
Let's get started.
Okay, Darlena is 16 years old witch, who studies at Trinity - school for Witches. She hasn't chosen her path yet. She has a best friend Rochelle, who is a Black Witch and an ex-boyfriend/friend/love-of-her-life Justin. Who is a White Witch. Nice company, I should say. Except, Rochelle is not as good of a friend as Lena might think.
One day Hecate appears in Lena's room and forces her to choose her path. Being afraid of the Queen of Witches, Lena choses Red magic, without even knowing what kind of magic is it. Or if it even exists. After being expelled from school, she begins studying at home.
Red magic is a kind of magic, that controls chaos. I mean it. Chaos all over the world. After I found out about it, I thought Lena would become a powerful witch, that she will be learning too fast and maybe kill a lot of people. But NOOO. She vows to serve Aphrodite to learn LOVE MAGIC. Excuse me, but what the hell? How can love magic control chaos? Okay, maybe Aphrodite is a really powerful witch, but Lena don't need love. And why? It's all because of Hecate, who wants to kill Lena, because of her strength. I don't really think, that she is afraid of her, but still.
The thing I liked about Lena is her temper. She's so baddas, and a little annoying. I also liked how she speaks with Witches and how she thinking about them:
"I am getting so tired of these melodramatic exits!" I muttered. "Don't goddesses ever use the door?"
And that's it. But what I really don't like is that she's so SO stupid. She was given a lot of information, but the girl hardly understood what did it mean. You better think twice before choosing. I won't say anything about other characters, just add some quote that I think is ridiculous:
"You could choose to swear yourself to me again," Aphrodie begun, "but I doubt that you will."
I shrugged, uncomfortable. "I learned a lot from you, And I'm really grateful."
For what? Because she tought you how to make a love spell, so Justin would love you again?
So all I thinks about this book - this is a disaster. 2 stars of 5. 2 because of Persephone and her husband. I liked them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2014
So different from everything else I've read recently. McConnel weaves a madly unique web of mythology, goddesses, love, death, the underworld, and even Shakespeare. Such a creative twist to explain the chaos and horrors of the world.
Favorite line: "Energy is never good or evil; it just is."
Refreshing read.
Favorite line: "Energy is never good or evil; it just is."
Refreshing read.
March 11, 2016
Review originally posted on The Book Adventures of Annelise Lestrange :)
I received this copy from Chapter by Chapter in exchange for an honest review. Let's go :D
The Story
Darlena Agara is one of those people that have deep authority issues, but other than that, she’s your typical teenage witch: problems with the hot ex-boyfriend, a weird best friend, unsure of the path that she will choose to follow with her magic.
Or she was, until no one less than Hecate, the Queen of the Witches, showed up on Lena’s living room and forced her to choose her path there and now. Without a moment lost, Lena chooses the Red path. Okay? Okay.
Except there wasn’t supposed to be a Red path. At Trinity’s school, Lena was taught the three big paths: White Magic, Black Magic and Green Magic. Not a single word about Red in all those years of learning.
To make things worse, everyone starts to panic when Lena’s choice becomes public: she’s graciously expelled from her school, her parents are afraid of her, her best friend is envious of her apparently big power (which Lena is still questioning) and her house becomes a point for Goddesses to appear out of the blue. Okay? Okay.
There is just one little thing that Darlena would really like to know now: what the hell is going on with her life.
The Analysis
Just remembering that those were my thoughts and opinion as a reader :)
I’m a goner for paranormal/fantasy romances, Mythologies (especially the Greek’s one), witches and a good rebel character. Daughter of Chaos accomplished almost all things, expect that I couldn’t connect with Lena not one single time. I don’t know if I’m getting old to read YA (PLEASE, DON’T BE IT, I LOVE YA) or if we just didn’t hit it off, but I couldn’t. The fact that the book was first person narrated from her point of view just made matters worse and I caught myself rolling my eyes all the time :( On the other hand, this book had it’s magical world really well constructed and I loved the way that McConnel portrayed the Gods in general (I even liked Hecate!!), so I had a great time on every scene that Lena was snapping at a God. Overall, it was a good start for a trilogy and kept my interest high enough at the end for me to anticipate reading the next volume, so three stars :)
As I said, the narrative was first person styled from Lena’s point of view only. After a good wave of really nice first person narrated books that made me bite my tongue, I was sharply remembered by McConnel why I don’t really like this kind of narrative style. Lena and I just weren’t meant to be and I couldn’t have a break from her. I can’t deny that she grows up during the book, but she didn’t manage to convince me to like her until the end of this volume. Let’s see if she will keep growing on Gods of Chaos, haha! Before I write a whole paragraph for Lena, let’s talk about the plot.
The plot on this book is disguised as simple, but surprised me deeply. On the moment that Lena’s life exploded into chaos [haha], I couldn’t see where the story was going. I won’t say that everything got me by surprise, especially when it involved the character’s destiny, but the directions of the plot always made me widen my eyes and that felt very good! McConnel’s writing style isn’t remarkable and there are a few edit issues, but nothing compromising. Lena made the book lose two stars all by herself, haha!
And speaking of Lena.
We started the book with the wrong foot. As soon as I learned why she broke up with her boyfriend, Justin, I rolled my eyes and knew I was dealing with a spoiled child. It was amazing how Lena could be dense, ungrateful and a bitch. It was a good thing that I wasn’t inside the book with her or she would have permanent purple eyes. I can’t deny, she got better towards the end, as she grows up, but Lena still has a long journey until she impresses me.
As a matter of fact, all human characters on this book annoyed me. Well, except Dennis, I guess, but I can’t talk much about the poor kid. Spoilers and everything, sorry. It was too obvious what was going to happen with Justin and then with Rochelle, the best friend. On the other hand, I loved every single God mentioned and presented on this book. My favorites? Hades and Persephone. Hades was the coolest and cutest (yes, you read it right) God ever. I really hope he gets to appear more, I’m in love <3Never mind that this is the third time that I fall in love with a Hades representation in a book. Hades alone won a star for Daughter of Chaos, haha!
Also, can we please praise this cover? I’m in love.
Overall, this is a nice read to pass the time and I can’t wait to see what comes next in the Red Magic series. If you like awesome Gods, good hot guys, badass witches and mysteries, give this book a go!
That’s it, thank you for reading! Also, thanks to Chapter by Chapter team for providing me this series, I had a good time with the first and am already reading the second volume :D
I received this copy from Chapter by Chapter in exchange for an honest review. Let's go :D
The Story
Darlena Agara is one of those people that have deep authority issues, but other than that, she’s your typical teenage witch: problems with the hot ex-boyfriend, a weird best friend, unsure of the path that she will choose to follow with her magic.
Or she was, until no one less than Hecate, the Queen of the Witches, showed up on Lena’s living room and forced her to choose her path there and now. Without a moment lost, Lena chooses the Red path. Okay? Okay.
Except there wasn’t supposed to be a Red path. At Trinity’s school, Lena was taught the three big paths: White Magic, Black Magic and Green Magic. Not a single word about Red in all those years of learning.
To make things worse, everyone starts to panic when Lena’s choice becomes public: she’s graciously expelled from her school, her parents are afraid of her, her best friend is envious of her apparently big power (which Lena is still questioning) and her house becomes a point for Goddesses to appear out of the blue. Okay? Okay.
There is just one little thing that Darlena would really like to know now: what the hell is going on with her life.
The Analysis
Just remembering that those were my thoughts and opinion as a reader :)
I’m a goner for paranormal/fantasy romances, Mythologies (especially the Greek’s one), witches and a good rebel character. Daughter of Chaos accomplished almost all things, expect that I couldn’t connect with Lena not one single time. I don’t know if I’m getting old to read YA (PLEASE, DON’T BE IT, I LOVE YA) or if we just didn’t hit it off, but I couldn’t. The fact that the book was first person narrated from her point of view just made matters worse and I caught myself rolling my eyes all the time :( On the other hand, this book had it’s magical world really well constructed and I loved the way that McConnel portrayed the Gods in general (I even liked Hecate!!), so I had a great time on every scene that Lena was snapping at a God. Overall, it was a good start for a trilogy and kept my interest high enough at the end for me to anticipate reading the next volume, so three stars :)
As I said, the narrative was first person styled from Lena’s point of view only. After a good wave of really nice first person narrated books that made me bite my tongue, I was sharply remembered by McConnel why I don’t really like this kind of narrative style. Lena and I just weren’t meant to be and I couldn’t have a break from her. I can’t deny that she grows up during the book, but she didn’t manage to convince me to like her until the end of this volume. Let’s see if she will keep growing on Gods of Chaos, haha! Before I write a whole paragraph for Lena, let’s talk about the plot.
The plot on this book is disguised as simple, but surprised me deeply. On the moment that Lena’s life exploded into chaos [haha], I couldn’t see where the story was going. I won’t say that everything got me by surprise, especially when it involved the character’s destiny, but the directions of the plot always made me widen my eyes and that felt very good! McConnel’s writing style isn’t remarkable and there are a few edit issues, but nothing compromising. Lena made the book lose two stars all by herself, haha!
And speaking of Lena.
We started the book with the wrong foot. As soon as I learned why she broke up with her boyfriend, Justin, I rolled my eyes and knew I was dealing with a spoiled child. It was amazing how Lena could be dense, ungrateful and a bitch. It was a good thing that I wasn’t inside the book with her or she would have permanent purple eyes. I can’t deny, she got better towards the end, as she grows up, but Lena still has a long journey until she impresses me.
As a matter of fact, all human characters on this book annoyed me. Well, except Dennis, I guess, but I can’t talk much about the poor kid. Spoilers and everything, sorry. It was too obvious what was going to happen with Justin and then with Rochelle, the best friend. On the other hand, I loved every single God mentioned and presented on this book. My favorites? Hades and Persephone. Hades was the coolest and cutest (yes, you read it right) God ever. I really hope he gets to appear more, I’m in love <3
Also, can we please praise this cover? I’m in love.
Overall, this is a nice read to pass the time and I can’t wait to see what comes next in the Red Magic series. If you like awesome Gods, good hot guys, badass witches and mysteries, give this book a go!
That’s it, thank you for reading! Also, thanks to Chapter by Chapter team for providing me this series, I had a good time with the first and am already reading the second volume :D
September 12, 2014
Another poorly executed work with a lot of potential if given to the right person.
This book frustrated me as hell. I picked it up because I thought the blurb was interesting and I was expecting something more from the story itself, but even that came up short.
In this world, witches exist and they have to follow one of three paths - white, green or black - in order to develop their powers.
This is a really big deal, since one can't get back on their choice. The moment someone chooses a path, they become bound to it and the same happens with their power.
Darlena, our heroine, is tired of being pressured by everyone into taking a path, so when Hecate, the Queen of the Witches herself, appears in her house demanding that she choose, she says the first thing that comes to mind - Red - thinking that, as that path doesn't exist, she will be given more time to decide.
The problem is, it turns out that path exists. The Red path is very dangerous, since it is part of chaos, so it is connected to all sorts of bad stuff like blood, death and destruction and Darlena is now bound to it.
From that moment on, our heroine's life turns upside down. She is kicked out of school, because she is now considered too dangerous, her parents are afraid of her, she starts feeling weird things like an incredible fascination with blood and crazy, bloodthirsty goddesses start following her around, vying for her attention and trying to make her do their bidding.
Plus, let's not forget she doesn't have a clue about what red magic is. She must learn it, in order to know what she is really dealing with.
Things were all fine and dandy up to this point, sort of. I mean, who is the person that, faced with a life-changing decision, tries to screw with the rules of the game and hope for the best? I know for sure I wouldn't leave something like that to fate.
But what really didn't make sense is that no one was supposed to know about Red magic. People only knew about the trinity white-green-black and they chose one of those three. Darlena gets herself bound to the red and suddenly folks know it exists and that it's dangerous and only bad people follow it. What the what?
But that doesn't really matter, since nothing was really explained. We were thrown into this mess, with the red path existing, and then all these rules and mythology going on, but we weren't told what the big picture was. What does it all mean anyway? I need some facts, please!
And there's the fact all the characters sucked, especially Darlena, the heroine, and Justin, the love interest.
Darlena was a stupid, selfish, immature bitch. All she ever did was running around with that woe-me attitude.
'Boo-hoo, I don't want to choose a path. Boo-hoo, now I have a path and I don't know what the heck it means. Boo-hoo, I love Justin, but he doesn't feel the same, since he didn't jump me when I threw myself at him. Boo-hoo, I can't talk to anyone.' Just shut the fuck up!
Justin wasn't much better, with that holier-than-thou crap.
'Darlena, there is more than sex. Darlena, I'm a white witch, therefore I am the embodiment of purity and all that is good in the world. Darlena, you can't use your powers for evil. Darlena, I will never help you again.'
Blah, blah, blah. You're perfect for each other, mate. Both of you are damn annoying.
So, all in all, this was a DISASTER!
December 14, 2014
Thanks to the author and Nikki from Fiction Freak for the giveaway of a signed copy of this book!
I'm a bit surprised at how easily I gave this book four stars--I didn't go through what I liked and didn't like, neither did I spend an hour analyzing the plot--I automatically decided to give Daughter of Chaos an applaudable four stars right after finishing the story. Why? It awakened my love for this genre by weaving mythology throughout while managing to bring a creative twist to the story that was equal parts innovative and simplistic. It was unadulterated fun and was reminiscent of the tongue-in-cheek tone of The Percy Jackson series. Which I loved.
That said, if you have low tolerance for characters who make not-so-smart decisions on an almost chapter-ly basis, you probably won't be the protagonist's biggest fan. But I was able to ignore this minor annoyance due to the colorful mythology and engaging writing. I am eagerly anticipating the second installment in this refreshing take on mythology.
I'm a bit surprised at how easily I gave this book four stars--I didn't go through what I liked and didn't like, neither did I spend an hour analyzing the plot--I automatically decided to give Daughter of Chaos an applaudable four stars right after finishing the story. Why? It awakened my love for this genre by weaving mythology throughout while managing to bring a creative twist to the story that was equal parts innovative and simplistic. It was unadulterated fun and was reminiscent of the tongue-in-cheek tone of The Percy Jackson series. Which I loved.
That said, if you have low tolerance for characters who make not-so-smart decisions on an almost chapter-ly basis, you probably won't be the protagonist's biggest fan. But I was able to ignore this minor annoyance due to the colorful mythology and engaging writing. I am eagerly anticipating the second installment in this refreshing take on mythology.
May 12, 2014
I can't take this book anymore. I don't know what it is about alot of the books that I've been dying to read this year but most of them aren't that good. This one was just too boring for me. It took my 5 days just to get to 36% and I don't think I can take anymore. I usually try not to rate books I don't finish ... but I didn't even like this a little bit.
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Blurb:
“You must choose, child. Choose now, and choose once, for once taken, the path becomes your fate.”
Magic is supposed to be easy; there’s Black, White, and Green Magic, and once a Witch picks a path, that’s really all she has to worry about. But for Darlena Agara, things just keep getting harder. She’s torn between her best friend’s choice of the Black path, and her on-again, off-again boyfriend’s choice of the White path, so she tries to stall, waiting for divine inspiration. Darlena isn’t expecting the form it takes, though. Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft, shows up in her living room and pressures her to choose her path, and Lena does something stupid; she declares that she’ll be a Red Witch, something that doesn’t exist…or does it?
Now Lena’s on the run, struggling to master the forces of chaos she now controls while at the same time staying out of the way of the crazy gods and goddesses who want her to use Red Magic to cause chaos. Turns out, Red Magic is real…and deadly. Will Lena learn enough about her power before it’s too late, or will she become a walking disaster?
Blurb:
“You must choose, child. Choose now, and choose once, for once taken, the path becomes your fate.”
Magic is supposed to be easy; there’s Black, White, and Green Magic, and once a Witch picks a path, that’s really all she has to worry about. But for Darlena Agara, things just keep getting harder. She’s torn between her best friend’s choice of the Black path, and her on-again, off-again boyfriend’s choice of the White path, so she tries to stall, waiting for divine inspiration. Darlena isn’t expecting the form it takes, though. Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft, shows up in her living room and pressures her to choose her path, and Lena does something stupid; she declares that she’ll be a Red Witch, something that doesn’t exist…or does it?
Now Lena’s on the run, struggling to master the forces of chaos she now controls while at the same time staying out of the way of the crazy gods and goddesses who want her to use Red Magic to cause chaos. Turns out, Red Magic is real…and deadly. Will Lena learn enough about her power before it’s too late, or will she become a walking disaster?
April 8, 2014
Tour Stop: Daughter of Chaos by Jen McConnel
Title: Daughter of ChaosSeries: Red Magic #1 Author: Jen McConnelPublisher: Month9BooksGenre/Age Range: Young Adult, ParanormalRelease Date: March 25, 2014
Purchase Links: Goodreads / Amazon Paperback / Amazon Kindle / B&N / itunes / Bookdepository / Kobo
Blurb
Witches must choose the path they will follow, and Darlena Agara is no exception. She’s been putting it off long enough, and in her case, ignoring it has not made it go away. In a moment of frustration, Darlena chooses to follow Red Magic, figuring she had outsmarted the powers that be, since there’s no such thing as Red Magic. But alas, Darlena’s wrong (again) and she becomes a newly declared Red Witch.Her friends are shocked and her parents horrified by the choice Darlena has made. As a Red Witch, she now governs one third of the world’s chaos. She is the walking personification of pandemonium, turmoil, and bedlam, just as the patrons of Red Magic would have it to be.But Darlena believes there must be more to Red Magic than chaos and destruction, and she sets out on a journey to achieve balance. Only doing so puts her at odds with the dark goddess Hecate, who simply will not allow Darlena to quit. She encourages Darlena to embrace who and what she is and to leave good magic to the good witches. If only Darlena could, life would be simple, and she would not be the Daughter of Chaos.DAUGHTER OF CHAOS is the first in the RED MAGIC paranormal YA trilogy.
5-Star Review
Wow! this book is AMAZING! I loved it and I think its one of a kind, refreshingly original story about a witch who chooses a path she doesn't even know exists. When the Queen of Witches- Hecate appears in Darlena's house and demands that she chooses her path, Darlena does exactly that but wait. what has she chosen? Why is everyone freaking out over her choice?
"Will you walk the White, the Black, or the Green?"
But she doesn't choose any of these. She chooses Red. She wasn't ready to make her choice but now that she has, she must live with it. And as it turned out it was not an easy path, which she had chosen. Red magic is the magic of chaos, destruction and disaster. Darlena is now one of the only three Red Witches in the world. And suddenly she is the center of attention. all goddesses want to control her, and through her the power of Blood magic. But what does Darlena wants? she doesn't even know what the Red magic exactly is or how it will affect her and people around her. Anyhow she is going to find out soon. And....
"......there is more to it,"
"Red Magic had changed me in ways I wasn't prepared to deal with."
But it was her burden now and she must deal with it because it was her choice. She can complain all she likes but the truth remains, she chose it with her own free will. After meeting Hecate, Presephone, Pele and Kali she end up vowing to Aphrodite. Who only wants to teach her Love magic. But was that the right path for her? That remained to be seen...
"Energy is never good or evil: it just is."
After facing many difficulties in the end she finds her purpose and she knew that she had made the right choice. Being a Red Witch was one thing she will never regret. She may not be able to find love, as she couldn't possibly put Justine into harm's way but she will find a way to balance the forces of Chaos. She will learn to minimize tragedy even though she can never eradicate it completely.
A beautifully written book which will leave you craving for more....more magic. For the fans of mythology this book is a must read. As you learn more about Red Magic and Darlene, you'll meet many goddesses and know little about them along the way. Although part of a trilogy, this book can be read as stand alone as there was no cliffhanger (thankfully, otherwise I may not have been able to wait for the next book. Its going to be difficult enough now ;)). One thing I have noticed and loved about Jen's work is that, in a very subtle way, she always touches the hard truths of life and our world. While talking about chaos and mayhem, she tries to portray a bigger and clearer picture of the way the world works How we don't need good or evil, dark or light, but a perfect balance between the two. This, more than anything, makes her books timeless. Although its a young adult novel but I think that it can be enjoyed by people of any age who like paranormal and myths. Its definitely a 5-star book.
About the Author
Jen McConnel first began writing poetry as a child. Since then, her words have appeared in a variety of magazines and journals, including Sagewoman, PanGaia, and The Storyteller (where she won the people’s choice 3rd place award for her poem, “Luna”).She is also a former reviewer for Voices of Youth Advocates (VOYA), and a proud member of SCBWI, NCWN, and SCWW.A Michigander by birth, she now lives and writes in the beautiful state of North Carolina. She's a graduate of Western Michigan University, and she also earned her MS in Library Science at Clarion University of Pennsylvania. When she isn't crafting worlds of fiction, she teaches writing composition at a community college. Once upon a time, she was a middle school teacher, a librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another time.Follow Jen on Twitter @Jen_McConnel, and visit www.jenmcconnel.com to learn more.
Author Links: Website / Goodreads / Blog / Twitter / Pinterest / Facebook
Giveaway (INT)
There is a giveaway on source site
To see detail about other Tour Stops click the photo below;
Title: Daughter of ChaosSeries: Red Magic #1 Author: Jen McConnelPublisher: Month9BooksGenre/Age Range: Young Adult, ParanormalRelease Date: March 25, 2014
Purchase Links: Goodreads / Amazon Paperback / Amazon Kindle / B&N / itunes / Bookdepository / Kobo
Blurb
Witches must choose the path they will follow, and Darlena Agara is no exception. She’s been putting it off long enough, and in her case, ignoring it has not made it go away. In a moment of frustration, Darlena chooses to follow Red Magic, figuring she had outsmarted the powers that be, since there’s no such thing as Red Magic. But alas, Darlena’s wrong (again) and she becomes a newly declared Red Witch.Her friends are shocked and her parents horrified by the choice Darlena has made. As a Red Witch, she now governs one third of the world’s chaos. She is the walking personification of pandemonium, turmoil, and bedlam, just as the patrons of Red Magic would have it to be.But Darlena believes there must be more to Red Magic than chaos and destruction, and she sets out on a journey to achieve balance. Only doing so puts her at odds with the dark goddess Hecate, who simply will not allow Darlena to quit. She encourages Darlena to embrace who and what she is and to leave good magic to the good witches. If only Darlena could, life would be simple, and she would not be the Daughter of Chaos.DAUGHTER OF CHAOS is the first in the RED MAGIC paranormal YA trilogy.
5-Star Review
Wow! this book is AMAZING! I loved it and I think its one of a kind, refreshingly original story about a witch who chooses a path she doesn't even know exists. When the Queen of Witches- Hecate appears in Darlena's house and demands that she chooses her path, Darlena does exactly that but wait. what has she chosen? Why is everyone freaking out over her choice?
"Will you walk the White, the Black, or the Green?"
But she doesn't choose any of these. She chooses Red. She wasn't ready to make her choice but now that she has, she must live with it. And as it turned out it was not an easy path, which she had chosen. Red magic is the magic of chaos, destruction and disaster. Darlena is now one of the only three Red Witches in the world. And suddenly she is the center of attention. all goddesses want to control her, and through her the power of Blood magic. But what does Darlena wants? she doesn't even know what the Red magic exactly is or how it will affect her and people around her. Anyhow she is going to find out soon. And....
"......there is more to it,"
"Red Magic had changed me in ways I wasn't prepared to deal with."
But it was her burden now and she must deal with it because it was her choice. She can complain all she likes but the truth remains, she chose it with her own free will. After meeting Hecate, Presephone, Pele and Kali she end up vowing to Aphrodite. Who only wants to teach her Love magic. But was that the right path for her? That remained to be seen...
"Energy is never good or evil: it just is."
After facing many difficulties in the end she finds her purpose and she knew that she had made the right choice. Being a Red Witch was one thing she will never regret. She may not be able to find love, as she couldn't possibly put Justine into harm's way but she will find a way to balance the forces of Chaos. She will learn to minimize tragedy even though she can never eradicate it completely.
A beautifully written book which will leave you craving for more....more magic. For the fans of mythology this book is a must read. As you learn more about Red Magic and Darlene, you'll meet many goddesses and know little about them along the way. Although part of a trilogy, this book can be read as stand alone as there was no cliffhanger (thankfully, otherwise I may not have been able to wait for the next book. Its going to be difficult enough now ;)). One thing I have noticed and loved about Jen's work is that, in a very subtle way, she always touches the hard truths of life and our world. While talking about chaos and mayhem, she tries to portray a bigger and clearer picture of the way the world works How we don't need good or evil, dark or light, but a perfect balance between the two. This, more than anything, makes her books timeless. Although its a young adult novel but I think that it can be enjoyed by people of any age who like paranormal and myths. Its definitely a 5-star book.
About the Author
Jen McConnel first began writing poetry as a child. Since then, her words have appeared in a variety of magazines and journals, including Sagewoman, PanGaia, and The Storyteller (where she won the people’s choice 3rd place award for her poem, “Luna”).She is also a former reviewer for Voices of Youth Advocates (VOYA), and a proud member of SCBWI, NCWN, and SCWW.A Michigander by birth, she now lives and writes in the beautiful state of North Carolina. She's a graduate of Western Michigan University, and she also earned her MS in Library Science at Clarion University of Pennsylvania. When she isn't crafting worlds of fiction, she teaches writing composition at a community college. Once upon a time, she was a middle school teacher, a librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another time.Follow Jen on Twitter @Jen_McConnel, and visit www.jenmcconnel.com to learn more.
Author Links: Website / Goodreads / Blog / Twitter / Pinterest / Facebook
Giveaway (INT)
There is a giveaway on source site
To see detail about other Tour Stops click the photo below;
![Profile Image for Lala_Loopsie [fire breathing B!tch Queen].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1477498129i%2F41378358._UX200_CR0%2C77%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
August 30, 2015
Just thinking about it, if I were a Red Witch, I'd glamour you into reading this book. Yes, it is THAT awesome.
Wow, I just didn't expect Persephone, Aphrodite, Demeter, Pele (who the heck is that?) ..... In fact, I didn't expect mythology at all.
Wow, I just didn't expect Persephone, Aphrodite, Demeter, Pele (who the heck is that?) ..... In fact, I didn't expect mythology at all.
March 10, 2022
I attempted to read this some time ago. I just couldn't get into the first chapter. Then, I decided to try again, and I'm glad I did!
Daughter of Chaos is a page turner. I love the mix of fantasy magic with modern day aspects of spellcraft. Additionally, I enjoyed the different gods and goddesses that made an appearance throughout the book. I hope to learn more about them in the second novel as Darlena continues her journey as a Red Witch.
Daughter of Chaos is a page turner. I love the mix of fantasy magic with modern day aspects of spellcraft. Additionally, I enjoyed the different gods and goddesses that made an appearance throughout the book. I hope to learn more about them in the second novel as Darlena continues her journey as a Red Witch.
March 21, 2020
well this was a great start. I loved the goddess and how they were portrayed in the book. I like the classes of magic and how it can affect you and your life. The story line was okay and so were the characters. It'll be interesting to see what happens next.....I do want more Hades lol.
March 25, 2014
This is the first installment in a new series, that is centered around witches. And follows Darlena, a young girl who comes from a family of witches. When the children reach a certain age, they have to decide which path it is they want to take, meaning they choose the type of witch they want to study and become. Darlena doesn’t want to make a decision, and has no idea what she lies ahead of her with the path she chose.
Darlena is just like most girl, she goes to school, has friends that seemed to be good ones. She attends a school where there are other witches so she isn’t alone with some the struggles she goes through. Her fiesty personality combined with her stubbornness made her the kinda girl I would certainly be friends with. I think the fact that her parents were a big part of her life was a fantastic, and so the level of support they gave her was something that I really thought was I wish we saw more of in YA books. The side characters were are so interesting, and learning a little about some of them was a treat. Some didn’t stay secondary characters for long, and played a large part towards the end.
This moves a steady pace, and kept my attention. Blending the witches culture with mythology they way McConnel did was brilliant, gods and goddesses who practice witchcraft, um yes please. The were different kinds of magic, each having their own strengths. The path of magic that Darlena chose is one the has a say in the chaos that take place, and Darlena is learning to control her magic, her emotions play in that and it was clear that she struggles. But she grows a lot and learns from a few of the goddesses. But, Hecate was a piece of work though, definitely made for a good villain but she wasn’t alone. There was betrayals, and even a small but sweet romance. I think this is a great start the series, I am looking forward to seeing where Darlena’s path takes her next.
For more review, check out Visit Book Live Forever
Darlena is just like most girl, she goes to school, has friends that seemed to be good ones. She attends a school where there are other witches so she isn’t alone with some the struggles she goes through. Her fiesty personality combined with her stubbornness made her the kinda girl I would certainly be friends with. I think the fact that her parents were a big part of her life was a fantastic, and so the level of support they gave her was something that I really thought was I wish we saw more of in YA books. The side characters were are so interesting, and learning a little about some of them was a treat. Some didn’t stay secondary characters for long, and played a large part towards the end.
This moves a steady pace, and kept my attention. Blending the witches culture with mythology they way McConnel did was brilliant, gods and goddesses who practice witchcraft, um yes please. The were different kinds of magic, each having their own strengths. The path of magic that Darlena chose is one the has a say in the chaos that take place, and Darlena is learning to control her magic, her emotions play in that and it was clear that she struggles. But she grows a lot and learns from a few of the goddesses. But, Hecate was a piece of work though, definitely made for a good villain but she wasn’t alone. There was betrayals, and even a small but sweet romance. I think this is a great start the series, I am looking forward to seeing where Darlena’s path takes her next.
For more review, check out Visit Book Live Forever
June 6, 2014
I liked Darlena from the start. She thinks she can outsmart Hecate, and for me that just spelled guts right there. Of course it backfires and she winds up pledging herself to Red Magic, which she didn't even know existed. Still, Darlena seems suited for Red Magic and the fact that Hecate wants her means she has a lot of power. Unfortunately, that power makes her a very sought after witch. Darlena doesn't know who to trust or how to use her Red Magic for good, and she winds up on a journey she never could have imagined.
Witches and Greek gods! This seriously couldn't get any better. I have a weird obsession with Hades, and he was awesome in this story. I tore through this book, loving every second and being totally invested in Darlena and her future. McConnel has a winner with Daughter of Chaos and in my opinion, book two can't get here fast enough. If you enjoy witch books, go get Daughter of Chaos now!
Witches and Greek gods! This seriously couldn't get any better. I have a weird obsession with Hades, and he was awesome in this story. I tore through this book, loving every second and being totally invested in Darlena and her future. McConnel has a winner with Daughter of Chaos and in my opinion, book two can't get here fast enough. If you enjoy witch books, go get Daughter of Chaos now!
February 10, 2014
I love this story of how red magic made its way into one young witch's life. Magical, adventure-packed, and never boring - I loved this book!
October 9, 2022
Great idea, beautiful cover. Wonky pacing, flat characters, randomly turned into “chosen one” when it was established that the witches chose their color path.
May 25, 2014
Read this review on my blog! http://roseshadowink.wordpress.com/20...
I had incredibly high expectations for this book and I am happy to report that it surpassed all of them. Here is well-written witchy fiction jam-packed full of accurate mythology, but with its own intriguing twists. As a Wiccan myself, I adored how magic, gods and goddesses, seasonal rituals, etc. were woven in with everyday life. It all just felt so normal but at the same time…well, magical. Witches are portrayed as real people, with lives and jobs and families, who just happen to have awesome powers.
The main character, Darlena, experiences tons of growth. She is slightly frustrating at first (I imagine that was intentional). A bit of a rebel without a cause, perhaps. But she handles the obstacles her declaration of red magic throws at her with more strength than she knew she had, and it is highly satisfying to watch her come into her own. I liked that Darlena’s best friend, the Black Witch Rochelle, and Darlena’s ex-boyfriend, the White Witch Justin, feel like authentic characters, but at the same time represent the struggle Darlena feels within herself. The romance between Darlena and Justin was sweet and never overpowering. It made sense, and though Darlena’s reactions were frustrating at times, I still felt for her, and could see why she cared for Justin, since he was so supportive and really non-judgemental for a White Witch (which to me is how a White Witch should be).
Darlena’s parents play an active role in her life! It is clear that once a witch declares, she is essentially an adult, so while Darlena’s parents give her space, they are still involved and invested in her, something we don’t always see in YA. Darlena’s mother especially feels like the mortal embodiment of her patron, the mother-goddesses Demeter, swearing to help her daughter no matter what.
Gods and Goddesses abound in this book. I loved it. Their portrayal is at once very human and accurate to their existing mythologies. Hats off to the author for that! I was disappointed that once again, my own patron goddess, Hecate, was cast in a negative light, but it worked for the story and since it’s s trilogy, who knows, she may yet be redeemed. It didn’t stop me from enjoying the book. We do get a sympathetic portrayal of Hades that I found incredibly touching. We even see the vulnerable side of Aphrodite. The gods and goddesses were definitely one of the things I loved best about this book, especially when they were helping teach Darlena magic. The magic itself was excellently done. Much of it felt authentic to the way magic is practiced today, but with the author’s own unique flourishes.
The other thing I loved was the way magic, even red magic, chaotic as it may be, was portrayed as neither good nor evil. Darlena is determined to use red magic for good and watching her go about achieving that propels the story forward and makes for a great journey. I would have liked a bit more information on Black Magic – it is said to not be evil, per se, but I’d still like to know more about it. Just to sate my curiosity. Much more magic in general, please! I need more.
This is by far my favorite read this year and I suggest you go pick it up and then, like me, eagerly await the sequel.
“Slowly, I raised my eyes, sweeping my gaze up her inky black robes that shimmered like water, past the blood-red stone dangling from her throat, and up to her golden eyes. They weren’t human, but from what I remembered of the myths we studied at school, Hecate had never valued humanity. Her eyes were the eyes of a night predator—an owl or fox—and they held me spellbound.
“Darlena. Darlena, I have been aware of you for some time now.” Her words came slowly, creaking into existence and lingering. I was frozen with fear. “Child, you stand at the brink. A choice must be made.”
I had incredibly high expectations for this book and I am happy to report that it surpassed all of them. Here is well-written witchy fiction jam-packed full of accurate mythology, but with its own intriguing twists. As a Wiccan myself, I adored how magic, gods and goddesses, seasonal rituals, etc. were woven in with everyday life. It all just felt so normal but at the same time…well, magical. Witches are portrayed as real people, with lives and jobs and families, who just happen to have awesome powers.
The main character, Darlena, experiences tons of growth. She is slightly frustrating at first (I imagine that was intentional). A bit of a rebel without a cause, perhaps. But she handles the obstacles her declaration of red magic throws at her with more strength than she knew she had, and it is highly satisfying to watch her come into her own. I liked that Darlena’s best friend, the Black Witch Rochelle, and Darlena’s ex-boyfriend, the White Witch Justin, feel like authentic characters, but at the same time represent the struggle Darlena feels within herself. The romance between Darlena and Justin was sweet and never overpowering. It made sense, and though Darlena’s reactions were frustrating at times, I still felt for her, and could see why she cared for Justin, since he was so supportive and really non-judgemental for a White Witch (which to me is how a White Witch should be).
Darlena’s parents play an active role in her life! It is clear that once a witch declares, she is essentially an adult, so while Darlena’s parents give her space, they are still involved and invested in her, something we don’t always see in YA. Darlena’s mother especially feels like the mortal embodiment of her patron, the mother-goddesses Demeter, swearing to help her daughter no matter what.
Gods and Goddesses abound in this book. I loved it. Their portrayal is at once very human and accurate to their existing mythologies. Hats off to the author for that! I was disappointed that once again, my own patron goddess, Hecate, was cast in a negative light, but it worked for the story and since it’s s trilogy, who knows, she may yet be redeemed. It didn’t stop me from enjoying the book. We do get a sympathetic portrayal of Hades that I found incredibly touching. We even see the vulnerable side of Aphrodite. The gods and goddesses were definitely one of the things I loved best about this book, especially when they were helping teach Darlena magic. The magic itself was excellently done. Much of it felt authentic to the way magic is practiced today, but with the author’s own unique flourishes.
The other thing I loved was the way magic, even red magic, chaotic as it may be, was portrayed as neither good nor evil. Darlena is determined to use red magic for good and watching her go about achieving that propels the story forward and makes for a great journey. I would have liked a bit more information on Black Magic – it is said to not be evil, per se, but I’d still like to know more about it. Just to sate my curiosity. Much more magic in general, please! I need more.
This is by far my favorite read this year and I suggest you go pick it up and then, like me, eagerly await the sequel.
March 31, 2014
This is the first installment in a new series, that is centered around witches.
We meet our main character Darlena, a 16 year old witch. She is basically a regular teenager -- She does goto a school where there are other witches she is not alone in her struggles, and she has good friends, and loving parents. In the witch community, at 16 they have to decide which path of magic to continue forward and become an expert in -- White, Black, or Green (i.e. kinda like choosing your degree). All of Darlena's friends have chosen and there is an enormous of pressure of Darlena to choose her path. Unfortunately for Darlena she is equally good at all three paths and therefore can't and doesn't want to choose. In a rash moment during a confrontation with Hecate, the Queen of all witches Darlena chooses RED. (this is one point I was confused on as where did RED come from...it didn't seem like a choice --my assumption is that the choice came from somewhere in Darlena's subconscious -- but I didn't feel it was explained well enough for me -- I moved past this pretty quickly b/c in the grand scheme of things -- it was not important)
I really liked Darlena's personality -- she was kind hearted, feisty, strong, and stood up for what she believe.
Another key item I liked -- was Darlena's relationship with her parents (especially her mom) -- a quality I think we should see more often in YA books. It was refreshing and sets a good example for the kids out there today. Darlena and her parents had a fierce love and support for each-other.
The plot was very well executed, the book moved at a good pace and kept my attention. I happen to love Mythology and Jen did a great job of blending that into the witches culture which I really liked - to me that was a fairly new concept (the combo) and one that I really enjoyed. I loved how she introduces us to all different Gods and Goddess's (and not just Greek one). The were different kinds of magic, each having their own strengths and those who yield them having different personalities. Darlena choice - RED is essentially the control or lack of control of chaos. There is a romance element but instead of two people coming together for the first time. The book kicks off with the couple already broken up. Not the norm in books today so I thought it was interesting.
Lastly I can say that I am NOT a book cover person. I personally read everything on the kindle now so I think the covers lose something for me now than when I used to goto the book store trying to find my next read. But I really liked the cover of Jen's book. I found it that it really grabbed my attention!
I think this is a great start the series, and I am looking forward to seeing where Darlena’s path takes her next.
We meet our main character Darlena, a 16 year old witch. She is basically a regular teenager -- She does goto a school where there are other witches she is not alone in her struggles, and she has good friends, and loving parents. In the witch community, at 16 they have to decide which path of magic to continue forward and become an expert in -- White, Black, or Green (i.e. kinda like choosing your degree). All of Darlena's friends have chosen and there is an enormous of pressure of Darlena to choose her path. Unfortunately for Darlena she is equally good at all three paths and therefore can't and doesn't want to choose. In a rash moment during a confrontation with Hecate, the Queen of all witches Darlena chooses RED. (this is one point I was confused on as where did RED come from...it didn't seem like a choice --my assumption is that the choice came from somewhere in Darlena's subconscious -- but I didn't feel it was explained well enough for me -- I moved past this pretty quickly b/c in the grand scheme of things -- it was not important)
I really liked Darlena's personality -- she was kind hearted, feisty, strong, and stood up for what she believe.
Another key item I liked -- was Darlena's relationship with her parents (especially her mom) -- a quality I think we should see more often in YA books. It was refreshing and sets a good example for the kids out there today. Darlena and her parents had a fierce love and support for each-other.
The plot was very well executed, the book moved at a good pace and kept my attention. I happen to love Mythology and Jen did a great job of blending that into the witches culture which I really liked - to me that was a fairly new concept (the combo) and one that I really enjoyed. I loved how she introduces us to all different Gods and Goddess's (and not just Greek one). The were different kinds of magic, each having their own strengths and those who yield them having different personalities. Darlena choice - RED is essentially the control or lack of control of chaos. There is a romance element but instead of two people coming together for the first time. The book kicks off with the couple already broken up. Not the norm in books today so I thought it was interesting.
Lastly I can say that I am NOT a book cover person. I personally read everything on the kindle now so I think the covers lose something for me now than when I used to goto the book store trying to find my next read. But I really liked the cover of Jen's book. I found it that it really grabbed my attention!
I think this is a great start the series, and I am looking forward to seeing where Darlena’s path takes her next.
April 28, 2014
Stories about witches have been in my life since I started Harry Potter at the age of 6. From then on, I've always been interested in magic.
The idea of having Gods and Goddesses being intertwined in the magic was what I loved about this book. I just loved how fresh and unique this idea was. With being a Greek God and Goddess fan, I really loved their incorporation into the story.
I enjoyed the fact that Darlena just picked the first color that came to her mind. Not going to lie, I definitely almost giggled a bit. It's like "Gurl, do you know what you just did?"
For the first book in a trilogy, there isn't much movement in the story. I mean stuff happens, but in the grand scheme of things, it's not a whole lot. For some, this may be a turn off, but for me, I actually kind of liked it.
We meet a few Greek Gods and Goddesses in this book. Persephone, Hades, Aphrodite, Demeter; just to name a few. Everyone we meet is trying to either help or hinder Darlena. Now in the book you learn that once you've chosen your path, you also choose a God or Goddess to choose as your patron. From which you use as guidance for your magic and such. This I found so cool! I'd slowly research through my life so that when the time came to choose, I'd have a solid idea of who I'd want to pick.
What's a book without a romance. Now this isn't your typical, girl falls for boy romance. In fact, you discover that they're exes. But it's not that they didn't connect, it was a matter of their paths were affecting the relationship. So, they still remained friends. But I learned to not get Aphrodite involved if you want a real relationship. But never fret, she doesn't ruin them. For me, as one who reads about a romance in most YA, this was a great twist to see.
Onto the chaos! The idea of creating chaos is slightly overwhelming. It messes with the balance of life and death. The chaos that Darlena creates is scary, for lack of a better term. Why? Because she's technically killing people, but you know, kind of on purpose. But it's the fact that she wants to balance the chaos, so there is less harm done in the long run is what makes you love her.
I really can't wait to read the next book, with the hint of Shakespeare that was brought up throughout the book, I have a feeling that it will play a bigger part in the sequel. So for all you lovers of magic and Greek mythology, check this one out.
The idea of having Gods and Goddesses being intertwined in the magic was what I loved about this book. I just loved how fresh and unique this idea was. With being a Greek God and Goddess fan, I really loved their incorporation into the story.
I enjoyed the fact that Darlena just picked the first color that came to her mind. Not going to lie, I definitely almost giggled a bit. It's like "Gurl, do you know what you just did?"
For the first book in a trilogy, there isn't much movement in the story. I mean stuff happens, but in the grand scheme of things, it's not a whole lot. For some, this may be a turn off, but for me, I actually kind of liked it.
We meet a few Greek Gods and Goddesses in this book. Persephone, Hades, Aphrodite, Demeter; just to name a few. Everyone we meet is trying to either help or hinder Darlena. Now in the book you learn that once you've chosen your path, you also choose a God or Goddess to choose as your patron. From which you use as guidance for your magic and such. This I found so cool! I'd slowly research through my life so that when the time came to choose, I'd have a solid idea of who I'd want to pick.
What's a book without a romance. Now this isn't your typical, girl falls for boy romance. In fact, you discover that they're exes. But it's not that they didn't connect, it was a matter of their paths were affecting the relationship. So, they still remained friends. But I learned to not get Aphrodite involved if you want a real relationship. But never fret, she doesn't ruin them. For me, as one who reads about a romance in most YA, this was a great twist to see.
Onto the chaos! The idea of creating chaos is slightly overwhelming. It messes with the balance of life and death. The chaos that Darlena creates is scary, for lack of a better term. Why? Because she's technically killing people, but you know, kind of on purpose. But it's the fact that she wants to balance the chaos, so there is less harm done in the long run is what makes you love her.
I really can't wait to read the next book, with the hint of Shakespeare that was brought up throughout the book, I have a feeling that it will play a bigger part in the sequel. So for all you lovers of magic and Greek mythology, check this one out.
April 12, 2014
Darlena is normal girl… well, witch. She doesn't know what path to follow yet: White, Green or Black. The Withe's the good one, the Black is the kind of bad one (not actually bad but not very loved by all witches) and the Green that's a balance between the previous two.
When Hecate, Queen of Witches, appears at her place and demands her to chose a path, Darlena panics and choose a path that she thought didn't exist: Red.
At the beginning she's freaked out because she gets expelled from her school and her parents treat her like she was a bomb. But the she begins to learn a little bit about what Red magic really is: Chaos.
Darlena has to face the decisions she made and choose a patron that will be her teacher and will help her along the way, but that's a bit difficult when all the gods are fighting for her attention and some of them are even willing to harm her in order to be her patron.
Let's begin this saying that I liked Darlena, she's a little impulsive and sometimes she doesn't think well the decisions she make but I liked her character.
I kind of expected some of the plot twists this book has, but it was still good, with a lot of action and that.
I really like Justin but he confuses me a little with his moods. Rochelle's pretty cool with all her dark magic and so.
Darlena's mother plays an important role and I like her character too.
My favorite godess were Aphrodite (even though she's a little bit too obsessed with love) and Persephone, I've liked her even before I read the book, I think she's pretty cool. I also loved Hades, he's cute.
Anyway, the book is fast to read because it's intriguing and keeps you wanting more, it's not that long and has a fair end. I like that it doesn't leave you incomplete like others do even though it doesn't answer many of my questions.
I gave it a 4 because I didn't like the final end, it was quick and without a lot of harm or action. I hoped there would be more blood and more disaster since she's the Daughter of Chaos, but well…
I really recommend it if you like books with action, a little bit of romance and that talk about these different kind of witches that have gods as patrons, that's a new idea and it's definitely awesome, I think that was my favorite part: the originality with the gods.
When Hecate, Queen of Witches, appears at her place and demands her to chose a path, Darlena panics and choose a path that she thought didn't exist: Red.
At the beginning she's freaked out because she gets expelled from her school and her parents treat her like she was a bomb. But the she begins to learn a little bit about what Red magic really is: Chaos.
Darlena has to face the decisions she made and choose a patron that will be her teacher and will help her along the way, but that's a bit difficult when all the gods are fighting for her attention and some of them are even willing to harm her in order to be her patron.
Let's begin this saying that I liked Darlena, she's a little impulsive and sometimes she doesn't think well the decisions she make but I liked her character.
I kind of expected some of the plot twists this book has, but it was still good, with a lot of action and that.
I really like Justin but he confuses me a little with his moods. Rochelle's pretty cool with all her dark magic and so.
Darlena's mother plays an important role and I like her character too.
My favorite godess were Aphrodite (even though she's a little bit too obsessed with love) and Persephone, I've liked her even before I read the book, I think she's pretty cool. I also loved Hades, he's cute.
Anyway, the book is fast to read because it's intriguing and keeps you wanting more, it's not that long and has a fair end. I like that it doesn't leave you incomplete like others do even though it doesn't answer many of my questions.
I gave it a 4 because I didn't like the final end, it was quick and without a lot of harm or action. I hoped there would be more blood and more disaster since she's the Daughter of Chaos, but well…
I really recommend it if you like books with action, a little bit of romance and that talk about these different kind of witches that have gods as patrons, that's a new idea and it's definitely awesome, I think that was my favorite part: the originality with the gods.
October 3, 2014
So I took longer on this than I normally do because of personal issues, but considering one of the reasons I binge read is it's hard to me to remember details of a story too long after sitting it down and I was able to pick this one back up without rereading the first half, I think that says something about how well written and memorable it was.
The story is extremely fast paced, something is pretty much happening on every page of the book which makes it easy to read. However I think it could have benefited from a tiny bit slower pacing and a bit more description. I adore a fast paced story don't get me wrong, but McConnel doesn't offer a lot of opportunity to get to know the characters as well as I would have liked because there's just so much going on in poor Darlena's life. I sometimes had trouble picturing scenes just because I didn't feel enough detail in the descriptions was offered. Despite this what the author has a true talent for doing is evoking emotion from the reader for her character. Even not knowing her as well as I would have liked it was impossible not to feel for this girl, to feel her confusion, her fear, her isolation and her pain. She's an engaging character just for the emotion she draws as she tells her story. The plot is engaging and exciting and I literally can't wait to read more.
The chapters are short which is nice for when you don't have a lot of time to read and like I previously stated there's constantly something happening in Darlena's life. Highly recommended.
The story is extremely fast paced, something is pretty much happening on every page of the book which makes it easy to read. However I think it could have benefited from a tiny bit slower pacing and a bit more description. I adore a fast paced story don't get me wrong, but McConnel doesn't offer a lot of opportunity to get to know the characters as well as I would have liked because there's just so much going on in poor Darlena's life. I sometimes had trouble picturing scenes just because I didn't feel enough detail in the descriptions was offered. Despite this what the author has a true talent for doing is evoking emotion from the reader for her character. Even not knowing her as well as I would have liked it was impossible not to feel for this girl, to feel her confusion, her fear, her isolation and her pain. She's an engaging character just for the emotion she draws as she tells her story. The plot is engaging and exciting and I literally can't wait to read more.
The chapters are short which is nice for when you don't have a lot of time to read and like I previously stated there's constantly something happening in Darlena's life. Highly recommended.
June 22, 2014
I was pleasantly surprised by this book.
Lena is one conflicted teenager. She is a Witch who has declared to follow the way of Red Magic. Red Magic is the magic of chaos and Lena has found that she has the power to control chaos. She could cause countless thousands to die. Or she could use her magic to bring balance to chaos, ensuring as few people die as possible. And this causes complications. All of a sudden ancient Goddesses are coming for Lena and they all want her to use her Red Magic for them.
The plot was good. The characters were good, I especially liked Persephone and Hades, but if you don't know your ancient myths, legends and deities it might be a little hard to follow.
I hope the second book improves on the first as I feel that there is a lot more Ms McConnel could have done with the characters and plot (but then I'm not a writer).
Lena is one conflicted teenager. She is a Witch who has declared to follow the way of Red Magic. Red Magic is the magic of chaos and Lena has found that she has the power to control chaos. She could cause countless thousands to die. Or she could use her magic to bring balance to chaos, ensuring as few people die as possible. And this causes complications. All of a sudden ancient Goddesses are coming for Lena and they all want her to use her Red Magic for them.
The plot was good. The characters were good, I especially liked Persephone and Hades, but if you don't know your ancient myths, legends and deities it might be a little hard to follow.
I hope the second book improves on the first as I feel that there is a lot more Ms McConnel could have done with the characters and plot (but then I'm not a writer).
March 14, 2015
I really enjoyed this book, and I thought Darlena was a pretty solid character. She wasn't perfect, and pretty immature, but she was also 16 and she acted like it. I really loved the way that this story had different types of magic that were determined based on the personality of the witch. It was also interesting how gods/goddesses were incorporated and how some of them could be perceived as a Red God/Goddess. I definitely don't think of Aphrodite when I think of chaos and confusion, although the justification was absolutely spot on. Rochelle was bad news from the beginning, and I was pretty confused on how Darlena couldn't see through that. I understand wanting to give people a chance, but Rochelle was doing shady things all along. I've got the next book as an ARC copy so I'm off to read it!
July 27, 2016
Jen McConnel's DOC quickly pulled me into the story by forcing the MC Darlena to make a serious choice in the first pages of the book. Darlena chooses rashly and, like many impulsive MCs before her, is then forced to take responsibility for the consequences of her actions.
I liked the mix of contemporary and paranormal in this one, as well as the frequent appearances of goddesses. You can tell Jen has done her mythology homework. The book brought up some really interesting ethical dilemmas as well. Is it "okay" to kill two people if your actions end up saving more than 2 people down the line? What if the people saved are "better people" than the ones who die? I was impressed by how much thinking this book inspired and am eagerly looking forward to Jen's next book!
I liked the mix of contemporary and paranormal in this one, as well as the frequent appearances of goddesses. You can tell Jen has done her mythology homework. The book brought up some really interesting ethical dilemmas as well. Is it "okay" to kill two people if your actions end up saving more than 2 people down the line? What if the people saved are "better people" than the ones who die? I was impressed by how much thinking this book inspired and am eagerly looking forward to Jen's next book!
March 31, 2014
Daughter of Chaos by Jen McConnel was one busy read with so many aspects of the book to follow. Witchcraft mixed with Gods and Goddesses and how magic can be used in situations with both good and dishonourable intentions. After choosing the colour Red as her choice of magic, Darlena's character follows some hard lines with ultimate sacrifices in learning what Red magic is all about. Her friendships and family relationships are tested to the extreme and unlikely foes become allies and some menacing villains that have Darlena in more than one hair-raising scenario. The momentum of the book is on par with the story and flows well. A good start to the Red Magic series which as a whole should be a phenomenal read.
4 stars
*ARC received from Publisher for an honest review
4 stars
*ARC received from Publisher for an honest review
July 3, 2014
You know a book kicks ass when you find yourself incorporating it into your regular life. For example, like many other readers, I loved the mix of a contemporary & paranormal world DOC has to offer. McConnel did such a bang-up job at meshing these two worlds that I find myself looking at people a little differently now. I swear the lady in front of me at the grocery store on Saturday was a witch. HAD TO HAVE BEEN. And when I heard about the latest hurricane on the news this morning, all I could think was, WHERE IS DARLENA?!
This is an exciting, unpredictable, beautifully-crafted book. Even non-paranormal readers will devour it.
This is an exciting, unpredictable, beautifully-crafted book. Even non-paranormal readers will devour it.
December 15, 2014
Sharp-tongued Darlena is a witch-in-training who's frustrated by her schooling because her education seems to only point her toward a future in a limited number of fairly tame magical paths. But an impulsive act of rebellion has unintended consequences, for her life, her parents' lives, and the magical world to which she belongs. She's soon trying to control a new-found power that doesn't want to be controlled, dealing with the fall-out of a painful, seemingly ill-fated love, and a betrayal that she never sees coming. Action, romance, and magic, all in one. This is the perfect blend of witchy fun and Greek myth!
April 8, 2014
Overall, a very good book. When I first started reading this, I was concerned that the plot was going to focus too much into the typical school, friends and love plot-lines so common in young adult fantasy novel's these days.
I was pleasantly surprised, however, to find an intriguing story. With a touch of the typical mixed in with a lot of decent plot and - my favorite! - Greek mythology, this novel certainly appealed to my tastes.
I was a little annoyed at some of the cliches that still did pop up in the plot, as well as the whiny-ness of the protagonist at times, however the novel ended with me wanting more, which is definitely a good sign.
Definitely would recommend!
I was pleasantly surprised, however, to find an intriguing story. With a touch of the typical mixed in with a lot of decent plot and - my favorite! - Greek mythology, this novel certainly appealed to my tastes.
I was a little annoyed at some of the cliches that still did pop up in the plot, as well as the whiny-ness of the protagonist at times, however the novel ended with me wanting more, which is definitely a good sign.
Definitely would recommend!
March 25, 2014
Although I had a bit of trouble getting into the book at first, since I hadn’t accessed my inner teenager in more than a few years, I had trouble putting it down once I got going! Several twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and a whole lot of magical fun! McConnel did a wonderful job taking me back to that time of first love and wonder at the magic the world has to offer in every teenager’s life. Only wish my mom had been that cool!
I can’t wait to read the next book!
I can’t wait to read the next book!
August 12, 2016
I was so excited to read this and then I basically had to force myself to finish it. I just couldn't connect with the MC and I just saw through so many things that she didn't. I completely lost my interest in the story, probably because the plot also didn't work for me. I would say that this book just wasn't for me. Would I read another book by this author? Yes. Her writing (wording, descriptions, world-building, and characters) was well done.
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