Witchmark

Daughters of Hecate #0.5

by Meredith Medina

Daughters of Hecate ~ Prequel Everyone has to start somewhere, unfortunately for me, my story starts in England, and a witchfinder has come to town. Usually when accusations of witchcraft fly around, the accused are just regular women, but sometimes they get it right... and this time we can't run away. They've taken everything away from me, and now I'm all alone with nothing but my memories to keep me company, and my thirst for revenge to keep me warm. Witchmark is a prequel novella in the "Daughters of Hecate" series. Follow Ophelia Turner's quest for revenge through modern day New York City in "Sticks & Stones." *DAUGHTERS OF HECATE SERIES* PROLOGUE ~ Witchmark BOOK 1 ~ Sticks & Stones BOOK 2 ~ Moonlight Burns BOOK 3 ~ Power of Three COMPANION NOVELLA ~ Vampire Punk BOOK 4 ~ Haven BOOK 5 ~ Sands of Time

Genres: Supernatural, Witches, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Magic

41 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 29, 2017

About the author

Meredith Medina is a new author of Urban Fantasy and Supernatural Thriller novels. She loves writing (and reading!) about badass heroines using mind-bending magic to make the world a better place, or at least one that has more pumpkin spice lattes. She currently lives in New Zealand in a little witchy cottage with her husband and three cats, including a little Suki of her own <3


AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT ~ Get to know a little bit more about me & my books here (Thank you, Myriam!): https://iramyriam.wordpress.com/2018/...

Reviews

[angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

7/25/2018 WITCHMARK DAUGHTERS OF HECATE ~ PREQUEL by MEREDITH MEDINA 5 stars. (Ophelia)

A quick prequel that is a great short story that left me wanting more. It's sad what this little girl Hannah, goes through. It's something most adults would struggle with and have everlasting effects. Although, she is very much having a hard time, she seems to be a good girl that just wants to get by and feel safe. If the other books are half this good, it'll be a treat to read.

I received this ARC from the Author, the review is my own opinion.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witchmark is a short prequel to the Daighters of Hecate series and was a quick read but really hit the mark.
Ophelia is a young witch who lives with her mother, aunt, and older sister - all witches that are descendants of Hecate. When her mother gets involved with the wrong man, everything Ophelia has is taken away from her, including her beloved family. Set at the height of the witch trials, this short prequel gives a quick background into Ophelias past and the heartbreak, struggles, and danger she has faced ever since. I'm now starting book one as this was an amazing prequel to the series and really hooked my interest.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great start to a new series. A young witch on the run from a witch executioner brings this short story to life; filled with survival and suspense I wasn't able to put this book down.

I decided to go ahead and read this novella to decide if I would purchase the other 2 books in the series, and I was not disappointed and immediatly purchased the next 2 books.

This is one of those short stories that does a great job of building a back story to the upcoming books to give an understanding of where the story all started. Despite this being only 5 chapters long I was surprised by just how well written this back story was. It gives the perfect amount of detail and action all in one and yet doesn't feel rushed at all.

[Melanie S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ophelia Turner is someone I really want to know

My thanks to Candid Book Reviews for the ARC, and this review is voluntary, independent, and uncompensated. Meredith Medina is a new-to-me author, and I'm most grateful for the introduction. Witchmark is the prequel to the Daughters of Hecate series, which makes it kind like a book with an ulterior motive - to get you hooked on reading the series. Author Medina is to be complimented on making it much more. It's a creative opportunity to expand/explain backstory, and Medina also uses it to introduce her series protagonist, Ophelia Turner. Ophelia is a true witch, a daughter of Hecate, whose long life began back in the 1690s. The blurb is an excellent description of the plot, so I needn't go into that. What's so enticing about this story is the storyteller's voice. Medina lets Ophelia narrate her own story - calmly letting the dramas of horrific events, close calls, and supernatural interventions stand for themselves. She comes across as modern urban 20-something with an old old soul and a gutsy attitude about her life. She's a character i definitely want more of. So, well done, Ms. Medina; mission accomplished. Five stars, and I definitely want to read the whole Daughters of Hecate series!

[Melissa Levine · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a free short story I found on Amazon. When will I learn? Just because the story is free doesn't mean it's going to be good. While I love paranormal/supernatural stories, this one didn't have anything new to it. There was no originality at least not that I came across. The fact the author chose to use names of people that were alive back in the Salem witch trial days, well that didn't help her originality case.

I couldn't help but notice all the high ratings on Goodreads by other reviewers. Usually, I'll get a book based on good reviews, hence, I went with this one. I don't get it. Was this the first witch-related story they read before? Either way, the series itself might be a good one (as the ratings suggest), but there was nothing about this novella that made me want to continue with the series.

Questions/Comments:

Right on the first page, I came across the first issue. The author liked to repeat herself.

For example:

"She was a healer, a MIDWIFE, a comforter and confidante who also happened to bring babies into the world." It was already stated that she was a midwife, so unless the reader doesn't know what that means, there was no need to basically explain it.

Or the very next sentence:

"Turner women had been midwives and healers for as long as anyone could remember...My grandmother had been a healer, and her mother before her." Again, unless the reader decided to skip the first sentence above, they would already know/assume that.

There were several grammatical errors throughout this short story as well. Usually involving a forgotten word, a word that shouldn't have been included, or simply using the wrong word.

Given the time period and the fact witches were being killed, how did Ophelia mother not care if those in their town knew she was sleeping with a married man? Especially when said married man's wife has an important father in town? That made no sense to me.

Mrs. Askew figured that Ophelia had a "plain and common" name. So she decided to call her Sarah Smith? I know Sarah was a very common name back then, I'd assume Smith was as well. Again, no sense there.

Whereas the author had previously liked to restate the obvious, here's an example of her contradicting herself. One moment Ophelia states that "The journey was a long one," then on the next page, "The voyage passed quicker than I had expected."

When Ophelia sees Ann tied to her bed, why did it seem like she only had one arm tied? "...one arm secured to the bedpost with a length of fabric." Where was her other arm?

[Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

READY FOR AN ADVENTURE???
Care to take a wild ride. Hop on! Wonderfully written, fast paced, easy to follow, smooth flowing read that captivated me from the start. With all its twists, turns and surprises, I was frozen to my seat. The scenes so realistic with all the details and description it was believable. A fantastic storyline that grabs your attention and holds it. The characters are so life like and true to form I really loved the way Meredith added color to her work. It was at times a nail biting frenzy with all the danger surrounding the main character. Meredith did an awesome job bringing this read to life.

[The Endless Unread · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolutely incredible start to a series. I could not imagine what was going to happen in my wildest dreams. The author is not only a fabulous author who has created a fantastic story they are also an artist as the descriptions of the characters and the world that they have built are truly remarkable!!

[Saundra Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follow the life of nine year old daughter of Hecate, Ophelia, a genuine witch, in the era of the Salem witch hunt. Though short this is an exciting and heart wrenching tale that spans two continents!

[Beverly Laude · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ophelia Turner is a young girl in England who happens to be a witch. She has the Witchmark which marks her as a Daughter of Hecate. When her entire family is accused as witches and burned at the stake, Ophelia runs for her life.

She ends up on a ship bound for America and is taken in by a woman named Mrs. Askew, who gives her the name of Sarah Smith. Although the ship is ultimately going to NYC, it first makes a stop in Salem. It just happens that this is during the height of the Salem witch hysteria and Ophelia again sees the witchfinder that killed her family.

This story is obviously the lead-in to a series about Ophelia/Sarah. I found it to be fairly enjoyable, but there were some glaring grammatical and punctuation errors that detracted from the book. There wasn't really anything new in the book as far as the history of the witch hunts, but I liked the perspective of a nine-year old girl on the whole thing.

I enjoyed the story enough that I plan to read more in the series. I just hope that the author has a better editor for the above mentioned errors.

[Rachel Carrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating novella that starts the Daughters of Hecate series, Witchmark caught me from the first page. It's short so I read it one day, but it made me want to continue reading the series. I felt the sorrow from the 9-year-old main character as she ran before she was captured by the witchhunters, forced to leave knowing her family wouldn't be waiting for her when she returned. Meredith perfectly captured the feeling of the time when witches were outcasts, and the novella even had my heart pounding a few times. Do yourself a favor and pick up this quick read! I guarantee you'll want to continue reading!

[Mom2three · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick introduction to what is an amazing series. It isn't a prequel you can skip, however, because even though it is short it has a lot of info that will explain things to come.

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hooked

I loved it, but it was very short. :p I was instantly hooked, but it ended abruptly. Excited for the next one, though!

[Sadie Forsythe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. It's a pretty middle-of-the-road prequel to a larger story. Nothing particularly grabbed my attention. But nothing really put me off, either.

[Barbara Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice little read that can be done in one sitting. People with power have never been easy with those who are different.

[Leo, Lori Blyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short back story

..........................Short short back story on Ophelia Turner I I I I I I I I I I I I i

[Chrys Minter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my

Great read. Very interesting story with a strong storyline. I can't wait to read the rest of this story and learn about each character.

[Levia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slight grammatical errors

This was a heartbreaking story of the characters origin and background. I'm glad I read it first. There were some slight grammatical errors in the book that I noticed but not the worst. It was just noticeable.

[Barb VanderWel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this & I can't wait for more.
I will be also leaving a review on Goodreads @ Amazon.
And letting everyone know about it.
So i gave it a 5 Stars.

[S.K. Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ophelia's family are burned at the stake for being witches but she manages to escape. A good introduction to the series.

[Margaret White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story of a young girl who escapes a witch trial and flees. It's the Prequel to an even better book.

[Caroline Doig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the prequel to the Daughters of Hecate Sticks and Stones, even though this is a short story it starts at the beginning where Fee loses her parents to the witch hunters who destroyed her life. No wonder she doesn’t want to get close to anyone. This book broke my heart but gave me a better understanding of Ophelia Turner. Fantastic read and I can’t brag about this book enough, I highly recommend this book and once you get it you will understand, this book deserves more than 5⭐️.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice start to a new series by an author who is brand new to me. Ms. Medina has a good handle on her craft. The story is told from Ophelia Turner's POV and starts when she is all of 9 years old. The story starts in Merrie Olde England at the time of the Witchfinders and then follows Ophelia to the New World where she ends up in Salem and then New York. Nice intro to a series.

[Myriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this is listed as a prequel, it should be considered as the first book in the series Daughter of Hecate. It describes life changing series of events in Ophelia's life, when she was a child. It is a powerful story and it occurs centuries before the first book.
I made a mistake by not reading it first because most of the Ophelia's character development occurs in this book. It is not a typical prequel, it is more of a book in itself. I realised after reading this book, that it was essential for understanding some of the events, Ophelia's decisions, attitudes, actions and emotions in  the first book, or next book in this case.
In normal circumstances, I read the prequel after I have familiarised myself with the characters, after the first or second book in the series, in this case, this did not work well. However, I corrected that by re-reading some of the parts of the first book, which I understood much better, and liked much better.
It is a great series, if read in proper order. It is well written, and Ophelia is a great character, strong and compassionate, albeit a bit lonely. I love the author's approach to medieval witch hunts and the unfairness, envy, jealousy and greed that accompanied them.
The reading order is: Witchmark (Daughters of Hecate 0.5), Sticks & Stones (Daughters of Hecate, #1), Moonlight Burns (Daughters of Hecate Book 2), and upcoming Power of Three (Daughters of Hecate Book 3) and Vampire Punk (Daughters of Hecate Book 4)

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like that this story immediately takes care of the expected sad/tragic part of this revenge themed series. I like Ophelia and I am curious as to how she not only learns more about her paranormal heritage but I am also curious to see how she matures in a new world/time period. I think this prequel is a good start and has enough intrigue to leave the reader wanting to know what will happen next for Ophelia and answer a few questions about her powers and the mysterious characters from her past.

[Karen Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though it was a very short prequel, I can't wait to get started on the rest of the series.

[Linda Levine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read for those who have already discovered the series and want to know more about Fee. This short story covers her early years when she lost her family. It explains how she ended up in NYC. It gave me a better understanding of how damaging those early years were and why she preferred to keep her distance from others to avoid the pain and danger of caring about others. I highly recommend you read the series if you have not had a chance yet.

[The Mysterious Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve just read the first book in the Sticks & Stones series and really loved it (and will be reviewing it separately). This is the prequel that tells how Ophelia Turner lost her family and ended up in New York 330 years later. It’s a great back story, and a great story in its own right. A fun read, this is most definitely recommended.

[Anniken Haga · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book up for free on Kindle without really reading the blurb. It was named something to do with witches, so I ''bought'' it.
That made so i didn't really have any thoughts or expectations of it.

Because of that, I was pleasently surprised. The writing was mostly good and the setting was interesting. Through most of the story, I actually considered reading the rest of the series - this doesn't happen for me often. I seem to have trouble actually finding stories I want to read - but, it was just most of the part. That last paragraph, the epilogue, ruined it for me.

Why?
First, because the main story is set in this day and age, which I'm not all that interested in.
Second, and this is the biggest one, the way the MC talked down about the modern day witches. All the women and men trying to get back to nature and taking on the jobs and roles that got women burned during the trials, the people that want to help and heal everything. The MC talked down about them. Sure, it seemed she mostly talked down about the ''I'm cool because I'm an edgy witch''-witches, but she still talked down about something I believe in.

[Petra Sando · Rating 4 out of 5]

You might want to buy the whole series! :D

This was a great read (magical realism with historical context), especially as it builds up from the historical background of the Salem, Mass. witch trials. The author's writing style is perfectly enjoyable, the MC is both relatable and likable, I easily immersed myself into the story, and this entire prequel was emotionally satisfying (from humorous, over heart-wrenching, to a little suspense, apprehension, and foreboding. Nevertheless, it still leaves enough clues to make me want to buy the next book in the series to find out what happens next, who the MC meets, and whether she manages to retrieve some of the things she had no choice but to leave behind. Well done!

[Arie Antonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peaked my interest

This was enough of a short story to peak my interest in the rest of the series.. The beginning of the prequel caught my attention and held it but I feel like the ending of it fell a little flat. I'm hoping the first installment in the series will fill in the gaps as to what happened wit the MC from her departure of Salem to where she was when the book ends. I will be reading the first book and I'm hoping to follow the series