Accidental Witch

Dark Roads Trilogy #1

by Lydia Sherrer

"I never meant to become a witch. But when someone you love dies, logic and reason die with them."Sebastian Blackwell is your typical high school popular attractive, charming, and a little rebellious. At least he used to be. But when his parents are killed in a freak accident, he goes from cool kid to orphan outcast before the dirt even settles over their graves. Now a shell of his former self, Sebastian realizes what really matters in life and is determined to get it back, no matter the cost. To do it, he'll have to delve into his family's darkest secrets, secrets his parents tried to protect him from his whole life.With a ghost as his only friend, a goth girl his only ally, and a demon prince his only chance, Sebastian sets out on a desperate path of redemption that seems more likely to damn him than to save him. For all power has a price, and Sebastian must decide what he is willing to pay to defy death itself.For fans of paranormal series like Supernatural and Odd Thomas, this tale of loss and the struggle for redemption will keep you on the edge of your seat. Grab it today and discover what you would give to save those you love most.Suggested age range 15+ for mild language and violence. The Dark Roads Trilogy is a spinoff series of Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus - The Lily Singer Adventures. Either series can be read first.--Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus Universe LILY SINGER ADVENTURE SERIESBeginnings (#1)Revelations (#2)A Study In Mischief (#2.5) - FREE novella, can be read as a standaloneAllies (#3)Legends (#4)Cat Magic (#4.5) - novella, can be read as a standaloneBetrayal (#5)DARK ROADS TRILOGYAccidental Wtich (#1)More coming soon!

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Demons, Witches, Witchcraft, Speculative Fiction

294 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 7, 2017

Reviews

[Bella Doerres · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sebastian has lost both parents and feels trapped within his guilt and depression. His journey now is to try and ease that pain and when he meets a Goth witch girl he begins to see a light at the end of his tunnel. Will it be possible for her witch powers to bring back the dead? Sebastian may be willing to give everything including his soul to save them and his parents. What befalls Sebastian is a tale of mystery, intrigue and magic that you don’t want to miss. Will entering the darkness be his freedom or demise? The only way to find out is to read Accidental witch to find out.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was not sure at first but this book picked up pace really fast. I had a hard time putting it down to watch the shows that the family watched and talked about, Also at night losing track of time then finding out it 1or 2 am. But when taking my brother to his chemo and radiation appointments I dove right back in, THIS BOOK IS A VERY GOOD READ. Come on book 2 I'm waiting

[Caroline Doig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book and I gladly leave my review.
This is the 1st book I’ve read and reviewed for Lydia Sherrer and I loved it. This story is about Sebastian, he comes from a family of Magic users. I feel real sympathy for this kid he gets picked on and abused at school and he feels guilt over his parents deaths, they died in a crash and it’s him and his younger brother and his overbearing aunt that’s left. Sebastian gets into dark magic to summon a demon to bring his parents back but all magic has a price and will it be too much for Sebastian? I enjoyed reading this book immensely and you will too. I recommend this book it’s a must read.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting read! Dive into the life and mind of a teenage boy with an unusual family. When tragedy befalls Sebastian, he must make a choice that will change his life in ways he can't yet understand.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cover/Title: The title drew me in. Who doesn't like a book with a witch?

Characters: I didn't care for the characters too much. I just wanted to slap them and say "stop acting so dumb!" LOL

Plot: The story was interesting and showed why people shouldn't mess with things they don't understand. Especially when it comes to demons.

Overall: The book was interesting. Once I got past the fact that the characters took dumb to a new level, I enjoyed it.

[Camillea Camillea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taking a darker route than the Love, Lies and Hocus Pocus series, Accidental Witch takes us back to Sebastian Blackwell's teenage years. The story begins after the death of Sebastian's parents. Being used to the witty and light-hearted writing of LLHP, I was surprised to find Accidental Witch to be dark and sardonic. To be honest, I didn't quite like Sebastian's character. If I had not know him in LLHP I don't think I wouldn't have put up with him. Personally, I found this to be a good thing because you really see how different teen Seb is to adult Seb. Teen Seb is far more brash and not as empathetic as he is in LLHP. It was really sad to read how much Sebastian struggled with the confusion and loneliness he felt. The influence of some "bad" characters and his vulnerability tugged at my heart. I had hoped nothing bad would happen to our character and while we do know he lives to tell the tale, it is not a happy at all. Accidental Witch has themes of influential friendships, the power and vulnerability of grief, and the isolation of teenagers. Although Accidental Witch might seem like a typical paranormal read, it is far from it. The story was gripping; the characters are easy to dislike but at the same you hope for them to get out of the dark. A wonderful first book to a promising trilogy!

Camillea Reads

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some tragedies happen for no apparent reason. Others are caused by accident. Whatever the cause, it is human nature to feel guilt and to wish we could change what happened. Sebastian was only a teenager when his parents died. But he was so consumed by guilt and grief he was willing to do anything to get them back. And so began his journey on a dark road, a road to black magic, demons, and unholy power, aided by a ghost, a goth girl, and his own determination.
I was pulled into Sebastian's story of how a mundane boy evolves into the powerful dark mage of the Lily Singer series. How easy it is for darkness to gain a hold. Sebastian is at first a typical teen, a popular jock, full of charm. The twists and turns, the strange encounters that goes against all his upbringing until he is isolated. Strong characterization and deep insight into human nature forms a gripping tale of the dangers of a little knowledge.

[Beth Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

[I recieved this ARC for free from the author via Voracious Readers Only]


If supernatural had a angsty teen version this would be it.

Sebastian is you're normal jock adjacent, until Sebastian's wizard parents die in a accident he and his brother survive, leaving him lost and seemingly alone.

He meets a ghost, that's actually family, a goth girl that's his new ally, and makes a plan to have a demon prince bring his parents back.
Sebastian finds himself going down a dark path and trys to correct it but all power has a price, and Sebastian must decide what he is willing to pay to defy death itself.

Lots of loss and sadness. Not your typical witch/wizard story.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stumbling upon witchcraft,Sebastian is on an adventure he swims through barely treading water.
His surprising sidekick, Peter (love him), seems to keep Sebastian afloat longer than he would’ve on his own. Their (mis)adventures are heart wrenching at times. Quite the enjoyable read!

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love paranormal books. I do have a hard time with some of the choices that the younger characters always seem to have to make and the drama they go though to get to the right decisions. But even so the story was well written and I will be looking for other books from this author.

[Ramona Plant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accidental Witch is a dark story by Lydia Sherrer. I didn't know what to expect when I started to read this book, but it sure was not what I got. The books definitely well written overall but has a pace that is on the slower side. There were a few spots I felt the story was dragging out a little bit and I wished something was happening. As I said the book was on the darker side and I was shocked to see that the author was not afraid to make some serious decisions in her book! There was definitely a scene or two I did not see coming at all that shocked me quite a bit. The plot was well developed, just a tad slow as I said already.

Sebastian was an interesting character. He definitely struggled with what life threw at him and I can't really blame him that he didn't know how to deal with it all. I also can't blame him that he made some really poor choices because of it all but he did need to stand up for them instead of blaming others for them. I was glad that eventually he did realize that he was his own person and only he himself was responsible for the decisions he made and what came of them.

All in all this was an interesting read. Because it was a bit slow and dark, it was a little bit more difficult to get through than your average go happy young adult book that you come across, but I think it was well worth it because it actually had more substance than the usual "Oh I am a witch look at me what I can do" book. The book was well executed and definitely worth the read, just stick with it when it is a bit slower!

[Kara's & · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I wrote earlier, I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over again. The book dragged through the first 2/3's of the book. Then I was rushed through the last 1/3. Some of the story has been told though out the books Love Lies and Hocus Pocus, another series written by Lydia Sherrer. Though one of the main characters in this one, Meg is not mentioned until book 5.
This is Sebastian's past story. What had happened to him as a teenager when his parents died and he had to go live with his great, great Aunt, Miss Barrington.
He thinks his life is over and he blames himself for their deaths because he was arguing with them when all the family, including his older brother, were in a major car accident.
He decides he must find a way to bring his parents back to life, whatever the cost. The problem is that he was born into a wizard family but he has no magic himself to do this.
I'll end my review here as I don't want to have to many spoilers in it. I will say that I would've given the book 4 stars if the last few chapters were more fully told (but I expect that will happen in coming books), and the beginning 2/3's wasn't drawn out so much.
If you are reading this book without reading Love Lies and Hocus Pocus series first, then you will need all of the explanations that are covered in the beginning, but even then you might think it still is repeatitive.
But this is just my opinion.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this first book of Sebastian's story, especially after having just finished Book 8 of Lydia Sherrer's 'Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus' series, for the second time in two years! Lol

This story has started filling in the gaps of Sebastian's early years, & the how, and why, he had got himself so involved in witchcraft.

But I've yet to hear when Books 2 and 3 will be published - so I'm REALLY hoping I won't have to wait too long to continue his story!

Talking of which, Book 9 of Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Avalon, will be published on the 1st June of this year, with a special pre-order to be released a month earlier, for an extra charge - I'm afraid I'll have to wait that extra month, but I'm sure it'll be well worth the wait!

I find myself particularly loving Lydia's writing, so will be happy to read anything else she writes - and, talking of which, I had forgotten to read the extra side stories that Lydia had added to the Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus series, so I'm going to treat myself right now, and start reading her 'Cat Magic' book, first - which, I believe, was meant to be read as a precursor to the whole series, thus I'll number it as Book 0.5!

Once I've read this, I'll catch you on the flip side, to let you know what I think of it!

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Teenage coming-of-age story, with a supernatural slant, though it was refreshing that the protagonist was a boy dealing with (or at least trying to) the curve balls life threw at him. The tone and first person perspective narration was typical and almost cliche of an angst-ridden boy who acts on impulse instead of considering the context and consequences of his actions. Other characters are are typical archetypes almost bordering cliche - "ugly" goth girl who becomes "beautiful" when stripped of her armor, severe parental figure who keeps vital information from the protagonist, and football players as bullies.

While this is not the genre I normally read, the blurb seemed interesting, and the (apparent) conflict between wizards and witches was intriguing. I'm more interested in learning more about the history between these two rivals, and its impact (if any) on the "mundanes" (i.e. non magical beings).

I received an ARC copy of this book for a honest review.

[Gillian Paulus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not like the Lily Singer series

After reading six books and two novellas of the Lily Singer series, I had high expectations for this book,despite knowing that it wouldn't include a talking cat. I was disappointed. It was nice to learn how Sebastian became a witch, and I liked the ghost character. However, Madam Barrington's character is awful in this book, and the plot was not enjoyable to me. I may be biased against it because Sebastian is so very depressed in this book, and I read it during a depressing pandemic. I gotta say,though, I can see why his aunt Barrington apologizes to him in the main series for not doing a better job raising him. I mean, wow. Her answer to a depressed and grieving teen was to leave him totally isolated with nothing to do but chores. She should've gotten that boy a counselor,at the least!

[Grant Barber · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a disturbing book

About 1/3 of the way I realized 2 things. 1. This is dark, not the reversal that jhappens when the MC reaches some life changing enlightenment or abilities manifested in face of the dire. Instead each character has their own special annoying qualities. I have a hard time hanging in with any book of any genre if I can't root for someone. In terms of the metaphors here, it's more like everyone avoids hell, no one though attains heaven. 2. So oddly enough the author chooses this bleak narrative to introduce Christian scripture. "And if your right hand offends you, cut it off and throw it away. It is better to enter heaven without all your members than to enter hell whole." There aren't any 1 handed Biblical literalists walking around. Meanwhile the only Holy here are glyphs. Pretty weak tea.

[Rhonda Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Story

The storyline in this book was extremely good. I have been wanting to hear the story of Sebastian's witch beginnings and issues with his great great aunt. I was not disappointed. The story was more dramatic and a little dark in places but it sure got its point across. I would rather read about people being hurt, not animals as I am a true animal lover. Just saying. The 2 scenes in the book were quick and not too graphic, but still, not something I would choose to read if I had known about it in advance. It probably would not bother most people, just being fiction and brief, but it is one of my personal triggers. Other than those 3 pages in the whole book, it was an awesome read.

[Flora Viggiano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's of mystery, story of loss and how not to deal with it

This is the story of a teenage boy who's parents die in a terrible car crash. He is sent to stay with his aunt, who happened to be wizard. Unfortunately, he was not and that is how the story takes shape. I mean what would you do if you could bring your parents back to life?
The storyline is bold and filled with real emotions and raw with grief and betrayal and a sprinkle of snarkiness. The story can be read as a stand alone or as a prelude to the action filled world that is this series. I wanted to read it all in one night but I paused because I really didn't want to get to the end. I love these characters and can't wait to read the next book in the series.

[Lisa Eiff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. This novel is written from Sebastian's point of view as he is forced to deal with the loss of both his parents, and is thrust into a new living situation. Through a series of events he never saw coming, he discovers his family has roots in magic.

I found this book was a gripping read from beginning to finish, and I would recommend it to any readers that are fans of fantasy/magical tales. I look forward to reading the next book in this secondary series, and will probably invest myself in reading other books from this author while I wait for it's publication date to arrive.

[Erwin Jantz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really enjoyable look at the history of a central character of the LL&HP series. Strip away the magic and myth and there is an honest and emotional exploration of grief and loss and the way we can sometimes internalize self-blame for things that are often beyond our control. In those raw times when we feel like our whole world has been shattered, there can be a dichotomy between our tendency to push everyone away so we can wallow in solitude, and the desperate need for connection that can lead to healing. Lydia somehow manages to convey all of this while interweaving it with an exciting and adventurous origin story. I can't wait for the next installment.

[Cleocutie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great coming of age story. It is darker than most, but then the circumstances of the main character are too. You can see him going from a shallow teenager only interested in his popularity to a much deeper person through the book. The circumstances that cause his growth are well written, deep, and complex. I can’t wait for the next one to see how he continues to grow. I received a free copy and am voluntarily reviewing it.

[Lita · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good prequel type book. This covers Sebastian's life from the time of the accident that killed his parents through his first encounter with a greater demon. While I'm actually more interested in his time with the fae, this was a good read. It fills in any blanks readers may have after reading the series that preceeds this one. I suppose the next one in this series will cover his time with the fae.

[Sue Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good to know the back story

Having read the Hocus Pocus books already, I had my opinions of Sebastion and his Aunt B . This gave me more information about the reasons for the strained relationship. The teenage angst plus horrible things happening was expected. If you are going to read the series, better to begin with Seb as a teenager. I just didn't enjoy it as much after reading about the adult Web.

[Kathleen Hendricks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written!!

I love Lydia’s writing. I hadn’t read this one yet but decided it was time while I wait for her to do another book in the series. It’s Sebastians back story. I was a bit concerned that I had read it was darker. I really didn’t find it so. I still found plenty to smile over, Lydia has a great sense of humor and although Sir Kipling wasn’t in this one it was still funny.
One of the things about Lydia’s books is I find it hard to put them down once I get started.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Accidental Witch follows the path our loveable Sebastian took to go from initiate to black sheep witch. And it's HARD. The first few chapters are very hard to get through, because the tone is heavy and you can almost feel the despair, loneliness, and desperation when Sebastian's world is turned upside down.

This is not the light-hearted jaunt of Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus, but a dark, foreboding trek through depression and loss.

[Ashley Martinez (ilovebooksandstuffblog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young adult dark fantasy about witches, Demons, ghosts and wizards. I enjoyed the story it was intriguing and relatable.
It was fast-paced and full of dark mystery. The main character Seb was frustrating and flawed making him feel more real and lifelike. I’m definitely curious as to what will happen next.
I voluntarily reviewed an arc from the author.

[John-Torleif Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was much more intense than I was expecting it to be, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Sebastian's introduction to bring a witch. It was heartbreaking to read of the accident that took his parents' lives and the resultant despair that he succumbed to.

I will definitely be reading the rest of this trilogy!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

So glad to have found this book. I read all 7 in Love, hocus, Pocus and wondered why Sebastian was such a withdrawn guy. this book tells us his background, how his parents died and why he feels guilty. I love the writing style of the author and plan to read more of her books. Wizardry and witchcraft are fascinating.

[Judy Chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Previous books in the Love. Lies Hocus Pocus speak of Sebastians life before Lily. Accidental Witch takes us back to his earlier years revealing the events that led to who he is as a young adult. If you've read hocus pocus books you know what is going to happen to him generally but Accidental Witch fills in the gaps and gives us a peak into his basic character. Enjoyable read!

[Deborah Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Read if…

If you’re reading the Love, Lies and Hocus Pocus series, this is a good read. It looks like it was originally supposed to be a three book series but got left behind. I was really looking forward to the author’s story of Sebastian’s time in Melthalin, the mythical, magical world of the Fae. But, it wasn’t here and that’s really a huge disappointment. Oh well