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Witchbane #1
Witchbane
Seth Tanner and his brother Jesse's fun evening debunking local urban legends ends with Jesse's gruesome murder. Seth vows revenge on Jesse's killer - too bad the murderer has been dead for a hundred years. Seth uncovers a cycle of ritual killings that feed the power of a dark warlock's immortal witch-disciples, and he's hell bent on stopping Jackson Malone from becoming the next victim. He's used to risking his neck. He never intended to risk his heart.
248 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 19, 2018
151 people are currently reading
846 people want to read
About the author
Morgan Brice
51 books612 followersMorgan Brice writes Urban Fantasy M/M Paranormal Romance with lots of magic, spooky stuff, and sexy men.
Pen name of author Gail Z. Martin.
Pen name of author Gail Z. Martin.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 262 reviews
November 19, 2024
UGLY MF COVER (the cover on audible is even worse)
The men u-haul like lesbians
There are wizards and shit.
It was kinda confusing.
It was gay Supernatural vibes.
I had a fun time.
Now I need a nap.
God bless you 💖✨
The men u-haul like lesbians
There are wizards and shit.
It was kinda confusing.
It was gay Supernatural vibes.
I had a fun time.
Now I need a nap.
God bless you 💖✨
June 14, 2022
Witchbane by Morgan Brice
Book 1 of the Witchbane series. M - M fantasy paranormal romance. Dual POV. Open ended / cliffhanger.
Seth wants vengeance for the night his brother was killed at Hell Gate. There is a history of death that’s he’s investigating, hoping to find what he needs to stop the pattern. Meeting Evan, the two end up on the run fighting the monsters and while falling in love.
Chapters alternate between Seth and Evan and while they are dealing with monsters and ghosts, what started as a simple hookup has turned to deeper emotions. Aka lots of sex between the two. Danger expedites the heart?
Supernatural (tv show), horror vibes.
I have the next few books and will continue to see how this series expands.
Book 1 of the Witchbane series. M - M fantasy paranormal romance. Dual POV. Open ended / cliffhanger.
Seth wants vengeance for the night his brother was killed at Hell Gate. There is a history of death that’s he’s investigating, hoping to find what he needs to stop the pattern. Meeting Evan, the two end up on the run fighting the monsters and while falling in love.
Chapters alternate between Seth and Evan and while they are dealing with monsters and ghosts, what started as a simple hookup has turned to deeper emotions. Aka lots of sex between the two. Danger expedites the heart?
Supernatural (tv show), horror vibes.
I have the next few books and will continue to see how this series expands.
May 2, 2019
Morgan Brice lays the groundwork for a spectacular series in Witchbane. A fast-moving thriller with tons of magic, mystery, and steamy sex - it starts with a bang and never lets up. Even better, as an audiobook, Kale Williams adds intensity with his emotional performance and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here!
Fans of the TV show Supernatural are going to love this series. We get the best of both worlds with paranormal mysteries plus a crazy hot romance. There’s great chemistry between the main characters, and what starts as sizzling lust only gets hotter as their connection grows.
Morgan Brice writes some riveting descriptions in this story, and starts with a grisly murder scene which rivals some of the best horror I’ve read. I’m not spoiling anything by warning you of what the blurb describes as Seth’s brother’s 'gruesome murder' - it’s not for the faint of heart.
Between the supernatural events surrounding the murder, followed shortly by his parents’ fatal car crash and the destruction of his family home, Seth knows this is more than a run of bad luck. When he uncovers what a group of witch-disciples have been doing for the past hundred years, Seth is out for vengeance!
The trail to the next victim leads Seth to Richmond, Virginia where Evan is working as a bartender. Seth stops in for a meal, and when they make a date, he’s got no idea Evan is the next victim. Although neither man is looking to dive into a relationship, the sex is spectacular... and Evan does need a bodyguard, right?
I enjoy the way Morgan Brice writes the dual points-of-view, allowing some of the scenes to be retold from both characters. Seeing how each man reacts to the same situation, and how it impacts their actions, really helps to get to know them. These are two hot-headed alpha males and I see moments filled with lots of make-up sex in their futures.
Looking at where this series can go, I’m anxious to uncover the mystery behind Seth’s parents’ deaths, I want to know more about Evan’s stalker, and I’m hoping we’ll learn the history of the witch-disciples. The main thing nagging at me after listening to Witchbane? I’ve just got to watch that bodyguard movie!
Fans of the TV show Supernatural are going to love this series. We get the best of both worlds with paranormal mysteries plus a crazy hot romance. There’s great chemistry between the main characters, and what starts as sizzling lust only gets hotter as their connection grows.
Morgan Brice writes some riveting descriptions in this story, and starts with a grisly murder scene which rivals some of the best horror I’ve read. I’m not spoiling anything by warning you of what the blurb describes as Seth’s brother’s 'gruesome murder' - it’s not for the faint of heart.
Between the supernatural events surrounding the murder, followed shortly by his parents’ fatal car crash and the destruction of his family home, Seth knows this is more than a run of bad luck. When he uncovers what a group of witch-disciples have been doing for the past hundred years, Seth is out for vengeance!
The trail to the next victim leads Seth to Richmond, Virginia where Evan is working as a bartender. Seth stops in for a meal, and when they make a date, he’s got no idea Evan is the next victim. Although neither man is looking to dive into a relationship, the sex is spectacular... and Evan does need a bodyguard, right?
I enjoy the way Morgan Brice writes the dual points-of-view, allowing some of the scenes to be retold from both characters. Seeing how each man reacts to the same situation, and how it impacts their actions, really helps to get to know them. These are two hot-headed alpha males and I see moments filled with lots of make-up sex in their futures.
Looking at where this series can go, I’m anxious to uncover the mystery behind Seth’s parents’ deaths, I want to know more about Evan’s stalker, and I’m hoping we’ll learn the history of the witch-disciples. The main thing nagging at me after listening to Witchbane? I’ve just got to watch that bodyguard movie!
December 17, 2019
The prologue was excellent and I thought I was going to love this. It just all went downhill after that. The book got worse as it went on. I was over it by about 75%
Too much sex and too little character development. Too bad cuz the overall plot was pretty good. I got bored having to skim through all the sex to get to a few pages of plot and action.
*Review copy received through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
Too much sex and too little character development. Too bad cuz the overall plot was pretty good. I got bored having to skim through all the sex to get to a few pages of plot and action.
*Review copy received through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
September 20, 2021
I really like a good paranormal story and this book really delivered. From the very beginning it pulls you in with action and intrigue not to mention creatures that you would NEVER want to encounter anywhere. It’s a sad time in the life of one of the main characters...but it helps to build the story and gives an insight into the man Seth is now...as well as leading to making the storyline as believable as a story of this genre can be. The ending was open ended enough to let the reader know and look forward to a sequel. This may be one of the best series of this genre that I have ever read. I have managed to acquire the next two in the series and can't wait to start again with Seth and Evan.
August 28, 2024
I had high hopes for this story but, in my opinion, it was executed poorly. The plot skeleton was good and had potential, but the writing was clumsy. It had a distinct Supernatural feel, so not very original, but it could have been so much fun, had it been done right. Alas.
There was lot of telling us about how well they fit together, but little showing. All we were shown was that they had the same hobbies and the same taste in books and movies. It felt like sex was used to show intimacy, but there's (or should be) more to intimacy than sex, and it made the "i love yous" that came at the end feel shallow. That the whole story played out in the span of three days didn't help.
The constant repetition of the MCs inner dialogue - their fears, dreams, how well they fit together, and how horny for each other they are - distracted me from the story in a big way.
And the sex scenes, oh gods. Don't get me started on everything that could give them a boner - a gaze, a laugh, a slight breeze... They recover their boners within seconds of coming. And my personal pet peeve: anthropomorphized cocks. Talking about how their dicks had other thoughts, how they wouldn't listen... I know it's a fairly common thing in MM and I can usually ignore it, but with everything else that annoyed me about this book I think I was more sensitive.
The cherry on top was the TSTL moment from an otherwise fairly mentally capable MC. Did I ever mention how I hate a TSTL moment used to further the plot? Well, I do. I think it shows either lazy/unskilled writing/editing, or contempt for the reader. Either way it ruins the story for me.
Final verdict: So much potential for a fun read gone to waste. 2 stars.
There was lot of telling us about how well they fit together, but little showing. All we were shown was that they had the same hobbies and the same taste in books and movies. It felt like sex was used to show intimacy, but there's (or should be) more to intimacy than sex, and it made the "i love yous" that came at the end feel shallow. That the whole story played out in the span of three days didn't help.
The constant repetition of the MCs inner dialogue - their fears, dreams, how well they fit together, and how horny for each other they are - distracted me from the story in a big way.
And the sex scenes, oh gods. Don't get me started on everything that could give them a boner - a gaze, a laugh, a slight breeze... They recover their boners within seconds of coming. And my personal pet peeve: anthropomorphized cocks. Talking about how their dicks had other thoughts, how they wouldn't listen... I know it's a fairly common thing in MM and I can usually ignore it, but with everything else that annoyed me about this book I think I was more sensitive.
The cherry on top was the TSTL moment from an otherwise fairly mentally capable MC. Did I ever mention how I hate a TSTL moment used to further the plot? Well, I do. I think it shows either lazy/unskilled writing/editing, or contempt for the reader. Either way it ruins the story for me.
Final verdict: So much potential for a fun read gone to waste. 2 stars.
February 20, 2020
Rating: 3.0/5.0
Genre:
Fantasy + Romance
The prologue starts fantastically with two brothers talking about an urban legend and making fun of it. That gave me the vibe of Supernatural (TV Show). The legend turns out to be true and one of them gets killed (Jesse) so his brother (Seth) decides to take revenge and also help those he suspects will be the next victims. And that is how he meets his new love interest Sonny/Jackson/Evan! These are all the same person! No idea why the author wanted to name a character three different names!
The premise itself is fun but I felt the explicit steamy scenes were excessive. They do it, something happens and they have to run away then they will do it again, then something again happens and then they will get separated! Then they will reunite and do it of course :) and things then happen again. Those steamy scenes spoiled the pace of the movie. I don't mind those scenes when they are necessary to the story but when they are just there with no obvious reason they feel artificial and forced.
Character development was OK. A little deeper background about all the characters would have not hurt if it was there. The two main characters saying I love you to each other was not convincing to me. Since this is a series, the author should've kept that declaration for the future so that the whole thing would be believable to the readers.
To be honest, I don't know if I will continue with this series or not. I might or I might not.
May 1, 2018
Fun, sexy, and with an entertaining premise appealing to fans of Supernatural, like me. I did feel that there were editing issues that detracted somewhat. While the high-speed romance isn’t entirely implausible given the crazy circumstances, instalove is still not my favorite trope. I also found myself having to skim previous paragraphs on occasion because I had blinked and missed a barely-there clue that told me that the characters had gotten into a vehicle or arrived at a destination.
I forgave some issues in the sample, curious to see how it would unfold. I like the author’s ideas and would be interested to see how future books in this universe might further evolve.
I forgave some issues in the sample, curious to see how it would unfold. I like the author’s ideas and would be interested to see how future books in this universe might further evolve.
July 22, 2024
A fun, but kind of unremarkable, paranormal romance heavily inspired by Supernatural.
I feel like the tropes and dynamics used in this are not ones that tend to make me feral, insta-lust/love and miscommunication kind of just feel like low hanging fruit for interpersonal drama. The way both of these boys jump to conclusions should be an Olympic sport.
All that aside, I didn’t hate my time with this, I’ll probably read more in the series and the audiobook was well performed. But oh my god, I hate this cover. It completely escapes me why these sorts of covers keep getting made.
I feel like the tropes and dynamics used in this are not ones that tend to make me feral, insta-lust/love and miscommunication kind of just feel like low hanging fruit for interpersonal drama. The way both of these boys jump to conclusions should be an Olympic sport.
All that aside, I didn’t hate my time with this, I’ll probably read more in the series and the audiobook was well performed. But oh my god, I hate this cover. It completely escapes me why these sorts of covers keep getting made.
October 20, 2020
3.5 Stars
So, before writing my review I had to check to see if anyone else came to the same conclusion: A less Wincesty Supernatural. Thankfully, at least a few of my friends thought so, too.
That's not a bad thing, per se, because...well, Supernatural. But it didn't live up to my expectations. Could be because this is the series starter and all the groundwork has to be laid for the next one? The world-building was really good, but after an exceptional start the story fell flat for me. TBH, if it weren't for Kale Williams' narration I might have just put this one off for another day about half-way through. (And, well, I actually got halfway through and to start another book for my challenge would have been pointless. So, this is going on the re-read shelf.)
I've got lots of Morgan's books on my TBR shelf, so I'm not giving up. Yet.
So, before writing my review I had to check to see if anyone else came to the same conclusion: A less Wincesty Supernatural. Thankfully, at least a few of my friends thought so, too.
That's not a bad thing, per se, because...well, Supernatural. But it didn't live up to my expectations. Could be because this is the series starter and all the groundwork has to be laid for the next one? The world-building was really good, but after an exceptional start the story fell flat for me. TBH, if it weren't for Kale Williams' narration I might have just put this one off for another day about half-way through. (And, well, I actually got halfway through and to start another book for my challenge would have been pointless. So, this is going on the re-read shelf.)
I've got lots of Morgan's books on my TBR shelf, so I'm not giving up. Yet.
September 25, 2023
Dang family curse! It's one of those, "people are being savaged, send out the hunters, as witch burns a spell is cast". As per usual the event was so traumatic. The people relegated the horror to be forgotten. To the detriment of future generations.
But is there a way to stop it all?
But is there a way to stop it all?
May 7, 2018
Fresh Meat!
I haven't researched it, but I think we've got a debut author here my peeps. Could be a pseudonym or something, but if not, this is an author to keep an eagle eye on because if this is their first published work, it's really good.
It was paced well given the amount of action. There was some great tension of all varieties between the two MCs. The villain was believable given the setting straddled the contemporary/paranormal line. The characters were fairly well-developed, and the plot felt 'fresh'. No Groundhog Day here, at least not for me.
I enjoyed it immensely and I really liked the fact that it graduated from insta-lust to an HFN. An HEA would have been a few steps too far and would have robbed the book of well-earned credibility in the eleventh hour. The book leaves off in a really good place with nothing really hanging. Of course I want more, but even if another book with these characters isn't forthcoming (which I doubt) I can still see these guys together for the long haul in my mind's eye. So, success!
Debut author or not, I'm impressed. This fast-paced thriller of a romance put a huge smile on my face today. I love wading into the unknown and ending up with something this surprising. With this book, I got that exhilarating feeling you get when you run across something new and undiscovered. It's a bit like having a secret you can't wait to share. That fizzing in your belly, the thump-THUMP behind your sternum when your heart tries to hammer its way through your chest ...
Okay, I'm exaggerating a little but you get the idea. Read it. See what you think.
I haven't researched it, but I think we've got a debut author here my peeps. Could be a pseudonym or something, but if not, this is an author to keep an eagle eye on because if this is their first published work, it's really good.
It was paced well given the amount of action. There was some great tension of all varieties between the two MCs. The villain was believable given the setting straddled the contemporary/paranormal line. The characters were fairly well-developed, and the plot felt 'fresh'. No Groundhog Day here, at least not for me.
I enjoyed it immensely and I really liked the fact that it graduated from insta-lust to an HFN. An HEA would have been a few steps too far and would have robbed the book of well-earned credibility in the eleventh hour. The book leaves off in a really good place with nothing really hanging. Of course I want more, but even if another book with these characters isn't forthcoming (which I doubt) I can still see these guys together for the long haul in my mind's eye. So, success!
Debut author or not, I'm impressed. This fast-paced thriller of a romance put a huge smile on my face today. I love wading into the unknown and ending up with something this surprising. With this book, I got that exhilarating feeling you get when you run across something new and undiscovered. It's a bit like having a secret you can't wait to share. That fizzing in your belly, the thump-THUMP behind your sternum when your heart tries to hammer its way through your chest ...
Okay, I'm exaggerating a little but you get the idea. Read it. See what you think.
August 27, 2018
A decent story but I didn't fully become engaged. Maybe because it reminded me of Supernatural and I couldn't get that out of my head? It's not a bad thing, and it's not a copy. It's just where my brain goes when there's 2 brothers and the occult. Now in this one of the brothers isn't a main character (That's not a spoiler it's in the blurb) so it is different right away. I clued into who the Big Bad was pretty early, and his accomplice as well so that lead me to getting frustrated at the end with Jackson turning TSTL. I do appreciate some healthy skepticism and he had reason to doubt Seth so it's not as bad as it could've been but it was still annoying.
August 27, 2025
"I didn’t get killed because the guy I brought home to fuck ended up being a stealth ninja. Yeah, that would go over well."
3.25⭐️
So it’s basically Supernatural if Sam’s girlfriend didn’t die, and it was Sam dead instead, and Dean found a cute man in a bar and they fell in love instantly and constantly want to dick each other down. Like, if that is your cup of tea sis, come sip it up.
Overall, it was a fun time, truly, but sadly for me, Jackson about had me throwing hands at him because he was so fucking stupid, and Seth deserves better than that in my opinion. So I don’t think I will continue the series, but if you can get over Jackson having 0 brain cells at the end, then girl, it’s all you. I’m sure it gets better, but I’m just not here for it — especially since Badlands is 10x better in my opinion.
But hey, shout out to Brazil, Indiana — that’s like an hour from where I live. Hoosiers rise up, or don’t, ’cause it fucking sucks here half the time.
Anyways, I tried, and well, it’s not for me babes, but it’s not a bad book, so check it out if you want some witch hunting, ghost hunting, monster hunting stuff up in your TBR.
3.25⭐️
So it’s basically Supernatural if Sam’s girlfriend didn’t die, and it was Sam dead instead, and Dean found a cute man in a bar and they fell in love instantly and constantly want to dick each other down. Like, if that is your cup of tea sis, come sip it up.
Overall, it was a fun time, truly, but sadly for me, Jackson about had me throwing hands at him because he was so fucking stupid, and Seth deserves better than that in my opinion. So I don’t think I will continue the series, but if you can get over Jackson having 0 brain cells at the end, then girl, it’s all you. I’m sure it gets better, but I’m just not here for it — especially since Badlands is 10x better in my opinion.
But hey, shout out to Brazil, Indiana — that’s like an hour from where I live. Hoosiers rise up, or don’t, ’cause it fucking sucks here half the time.
Anyways, I tried, and well, it’s not for me babes, but it’s not a bad book, so check it out if you want some witch hunting, ghost hunting, monster hunting stuff up in your TBR.
May 16, 2019
Meh. I just don't think this author's writing style is for me. I liked the paranormal aspects of the story but there was so much internal dialogue and boning and internal dialogue about boning or wanting to bone. I got bored fast. I would have DNF'd if I wasn't reading it for a challenge.
September 9, 2020
2.5 Stars. I wanted to like this so much more than I did. I've read another series by Morgan Brice that I really loved but this one just didn't work for me. It's sad because the first few chapters grabbed me and I was hooked. I thought this was going to be fantastic. Then it just flopped. There was way too much sex and not enough plot. No real mystery just a hunt for an enemy (and I thought the who was pretty obvious). My biggest problem besides too much sex was Jackson was just a bit TSTL. His disbelief would have been okay if he would have stuck with it but he went from believing to not believing and back and forth. Again this would have been okay except that he witnesses so many things that are unexplainable that in the end deciding it was "fake" and making the decisions he did was just dumb. I also thought the I love you's came out of the blue at the end. Since this book is the first in a series I think it would have been much better to have saved that for later in the series after the characters got to know each other better and had some time. Sex does not equal love and the characters didn't have much time for anything other than sex in this book.
May 1, 2022
This book did an amazingly good job at fleshing out details for further books in the series but as a book by itself I'm not sure if I liked it that much. Both Seth and Evan are interesting characters and I'm going to read the rest of the books in the series since the reviews are getting better for each book.
September 27, 2018
3.5 stars
A Scattered Thoughts and Roguew Words review
The blurb of “Witchbane” reminded me a bit of “Supernatural” and I had rather high hopes.
The idea behind the story has potential. I like urban legends, ghosts, witches and other supernatural elements like that. So I did definitely enjoy the plot itself. There was the occasional moment that made me break out in goosebumps.
The sex scenes were plentiful and hot. I liked that the author made a versatile couple, even if there wasn’t much variety otherwise.
I did figure out the bad guy’s identity pretty soon, there wasn’t all that much suspense for me on that front and I actually found it a bit hard to believe that the two MCs didn’t realize it much sooner.
What didn’t quite convince me was the romance part. Our MCs fell for each other pretty fast and pretty hard. Not quite insta-love and I can see how extreme situations can make awaken extreme feelings. Still, I found it a bit baffling that the of them were just about ready to spend the rest of eternity with each other after only four days.
There’s a backstory of an abusive stalker ex that didn’t get enough screen time in my opinion. It comes up every now and then, when it’s convenient for the plot, but it just didn’t feel fully resolved.
Toward the end, Jackson got on my nerves. He had reason to mistrust Seth’s motives but he was blinded by it and turned into a bit of a “too stupid to live” character, which made me really mad. There’s a bunch of relationship drama as well caused by it, which never gets properly resolved.
Another thing that really bothered me was the somewhat sloppy editing. There were quite a few spelling mistakes that drove me to distraction. Like the final sex scene, where we get a “wonton” invitation. Instead of getting all hot and bothered, I broke out into hysterical giggles. Way to destroy the mood!
Overall, “Witchbane” was an alright book. It had its ups and downs but overall it was enjoyable. I’ll read the next short story but I’m not sure yet if I’ll continue with the series after that.
I quite like the cover. It’s nice and spooky.
A Scattered Thoughts and Roguew Words review
The blurb of “Witchbane” reminded me a bit of “Supernatural” and I had rather high hopes.
The idea behind the story has potential. I like urban legends, ghosts, witches and other supernatural elements like that. So I did definitely enjoy the plot itself. There was the occasional moment that made me break out in goosebumps.
The sex scenes were plentiful and hot. I liked that the author made a versatile couple, even if there wasn’t much variety otherwise.
I did figure out the bad guy’s identity pretty soon, there wasn’t all that much suspense for me on that front and I actually found it a bit hard to believe that the two MCs didn’t realize it much sooner.
What didn’t quite convince me was the romance part. Our MCs fell for each other pretty fast and pretty hard. Not quite insta-love and I can see how extreme situations can make awaken extreme feelings. Still, I found it a bit baffling that the of them were just about ready to spend the rest of eternity with each other after only four days.
There’s a backstory of an abusive stalker ex that didn’t get enough screen time in my opinion. It comes up every now and then, when it’s convenient for the plot, but it just didn’t feel fully resolved.
Toward the end, Jackson got on my nerves. He had reason to mistrust Seth’s motives but he was blinded by it and turned into a bit of a “too stupid to live” character, which made me really mad. There’s a bunch of relationship drama as well caused by it, which never gets properly resolved.
Another thing that really bothered me was the somewhat sloppy editing. There were quite a few spelling mistakes that drove me to distraction. Like the final sex scene, where we get a “wonton” invitation. Instead of getting all hot and bothered, I broke out into hysterical giggles. Way to destroy the mood!
Overall, “Witchbane” was an alright book. It had its ups and downs but overall it was enjoyable. I’ll read the next short story but I’m not sure yet if I’ll continue with the series after that.
I quite like the cover. It’s nice and spooky.
August 9, 2020
Book Reaction: https://neverhollowed.com/2019/04/11/...
Rating: 2.5 Stars – far from hate but not quite a like
I received a copy of Witchbane from Dark Wind Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 2.5 Stars – far from hate but not quite a like
I received a copy of Witchbane from Dark Wind Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
dnf
March 22, 2018I couldn’t even finish the sample. Simplistic writing, juvenile dialogue, lack of proper editing.
July 2, 2023
I have difficulties rating this book. I listened to the audio and it was very well read by Kale Williams - so well in fact that I suspect his reading improved the story for me. I have the suspicion that I would have liked the actual "book" less.
That being said I thought the initial plot idea pretty good, but the way the suspense plot developed was rather hare-brained at times and the romance moved way too fast. The characters were okay, I didn't feel strongly about them in any way apart from a mild annoyance that Evan doubts everything even after he actually saw it. The sex scenes didn't captivate me - they felt overdone. Actually the whole book was something I didn't feel strongly about. It was okay but I doubt I will remember it in a year ... or a week...
Still - bravo to Kale Williams as narrator.
That being said I thought the initial plot idea pretty good, but the way the suspense plot developed was rather hare-brained at times and the romance moved way too fast. The characters were okay, I didn't feel strongly about them in any way apart from a mild annoyance that Evan doubts everything even after he actually saw it. The sex scenes didn't captivate me - they felt overdone. Actually the whole book was something I didn't feel strongly about. It was okay but I doubt I will remember it in a year ... or a week...
Still - bravo to Kale Williams as narrator.
January 29, 2020
This was a book that started with a great idea and quite good. Unfortunately for me it went downhill from there. I assume if you are not reading as much books as I do, it probably won't be that repetetive as it was for me but I need to explain that:
The sex - this book has many sex scenes. If you are in it for them and you haven't read that much sex before, it might hold your interest. After over 1500 books in that genre - sex scenes are only interesting if they are special, have a good vibe and attribute to the story line, are neccessary for the character development. This was not so much the case. There was plenty of sex, sometimes even when it would have been the last thing on my mind...but, well, to say something positive, it was okay written sex. But I really started skipping ...
Then - there is Evan. I liked him in the beginning but he didn't developed into a stronger character throughout the book, quite the opposite, I wanted to hit him for being to stupid to live. I mean - the library - Seth tells him Valec is in the library and he doesn't connects the dots to the person he was juuuuust talking to? Especially because it was obvious that Valec already must have had an eye on him so it was likely a person he knew?
Now to the MAJOR plothole of the tracking spell. So - Seth can find someone by using a spell when he has something that belongs to that person (it should be a bit personal, a house doesn't count but old documents do). In the end he has the personal things of CV and of Evan - and doesn't know where they are. What is he doing? He blows up Valec's element (no, he didn't even think to track Valec with it) and he finds Evan's backpack with the clothes (again - not even thinking of tracking) and then he doesn't know where to find Evan and ....decides by thinking about it where to look for Evan - not that there would be any hurry to find Evan (sorry, I'll stop with the sarcasm).
This major mistake was so annoying, I still wonder if anybody has even read the book before it was published. If so - the betas weren't worth their money.
The only reason I still give it 2 stars is that it really started good and I finished it (admittetly with skipping a lot of the sex).
The sex - this book has many sex scenes. If you are in it for them and you haven't read that much sex before, it might hold your interest. After over 1500 books in that genre - sex scenes are only interesting if they are special, have a good vibe and attribute to the story line, are neccessary for the character development. This was not so much the case. There was plenty of sex, sometimes even when it would have been the last thing on my mind...but, well, to say something positive, it was okay written sex. But I really started skipping ...
Then - there is Evan. I liked him in the beginning but he didn't developed into a stronger character throughout the book, quite the opposite, I wanted to hit him for being to stupid to live. I mean - the library - Seth tells him Valec is in the library and he doesn't connects the dots to the person he was juuuuust talking to? Especially because it was obvious that Valec already must have had an eye on him so it was likely a person he knew?
Now to the MAJOR plothole of the tracking spell. So - Seth can find someone by using a spell when he has something that belongs to that person (it should be a bit personal, a house doesn't count but old documents do). In the end he has the personal things of CV and of Evan - and doesn't know where they are. What is he doing? He blows up Valec's element (no, he didn't even think to track Valec with it) and he finds Evan's backpack with the clothes (again - not even thinking of tracking) and then he doesn't know where to find Evan and ....decides by thinking about it where to look for Evan - not that there would be any hurry to find Evan (sorry, I'll stop with the sarcasm).
This major mistake was so annoying, I still wonder if anybody has even read the book before it was published. If so - the betas weren't worth their money.
The only reason I still give it 2 stars is that it really started good and I finished it (admittetly with skipping a lot of the sex).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2019
This book - gah. Ms. Brice is not for me. The characters spent as much time contemplating about each other's bodies and how good in bed they'd be together as they did actually dealing with the problems at hand. While I don't mind a little sex between characters (this is a genre dedicated to that sort of thing after all), I found the amount in this story a bit excessive and the ending scene to be a wee bit too over-the-top.
March 24, 2019
I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley
Really enjoyed this one! I actually realized a few chapters in that I had actually read another book by this author [Badlands] when a character from that book was mentioned in passing. So far I've really enjoyed both books I have read by this author and she is definitely someone to watch out for in the M/M urban fantasy genre. I really liked both of the main characters in this book and I think their interactions and developing relationship were really fun to read. The magic plotline was also very engaging and action packed and the sex scenes were really great too [seriously, it's so rare to find such good sex scenes in books like this] and I thought there was a good balance between the plot and the romance. I will definitely be looking into the next book in this series.
Really enjoyed this one! I actually realized a few chapters in that I had actually read another book by this author [Badlands] when a character from that book was mentioned in passing. So far I've really enjoyed both books I have read by this author and she is definitely someone to watch out for in the M/M urban fantasy genre. I really liked both of the main characters in this book and I think their interactions and developing relationship were really fun to read. The magic plotline was also very engaging and action packed and the sex scenes were really great too [seriously, it's so rare to find such good sex scenes in books like this] and I thought there was a good balance between the plot and the romance. I will definitely be looking into the next book in this series.
December 10, 2023
I hate it when the authors sacrifice their characters in order to keep the plot moving in the preset direction.
Let me vent here for a bit:
- Insta love. Author is trying to convince us that sex equals love. A-ha....
- Sex. Way too much.
- Inner musings. Way too much.
- Too repetitive. I kept skipping pages.
- What part of "don't contact anyone, we don't know who's after you" is hard to understand?
- What part of "who approached you in the past 20 minutes, it might be the wicked witch trying to kill you" is hard to understand?
- Too "Supernatural"-ish, with its own version of Bobby. And - wait for it! - his name is ....TOBY!
- Seth Tanner is a veteran. He's seen some mean action, has a vast experience with IED and is very proficient with surveillance.
- The Wicked Witch.
I can elaborate, but other have done it already. Check the other 2 and 1 star reviews.
2 stars from me.
Let me vent here for a bit:
- Insta love. Author is trying to convince us that sex equals love. A-ha....
- Sex. Way too much.
- Inner musings. Way too much.
- Too repetitive. I kept skipping pages.
- What part of "don't contact anyone, we don't know who's after you" is hard to understand?
- What part of "who approached you in the past 20 minutes, it might be the wicked witch trying to kill you" is hard to understand?
- Too "Supernatural"-ish, with its own version of Bobby. And - wait for it! - his name is ....TOBY!
- Seth Tanner is a veteran. He's seen some mean action, has a vast experience with IED and is very proficient with surveillance.
- The Wicked Witch.
I can elaborate, but other have done it already. Check the other 2 and 1 star reviews.
2 stars from me.
May 7, 2025
This was an interesting story. The characters were fairly well fleshed out. The world building was easy to grasp. The mystery wasn't so much a mystery as a hunt for a known enemy. The flow was smooth and the pace was average, not too fast - not too slow. My bug-a-boo was with Jackson. He was a little TSTL for my taste and he vacillated too much between believing Seth and witchcraft being real and not believing even after witnessing some pretty unbelievable things. Even so, I have pre-ordered the audio version of book 2 and am looking forward to reading it.
The story was narrated by Kale Williams and while I have heard him do better he was pretty good with this story.
The story was narrated by Kale Williams and while I have heard him do better he was pretty good with this story.
August 14, 2018
Wow, what a great premise for a series! Suspense, thriller, a bit of horror, lots of action and angst. I felt shades of Supernatural with Seth. For me this rocked. Seth is a trained monster killer who hunts creatures in the shadows. And his current mission is to save the next targeted victim from an evil immortal serial killer. Loved it. I really do hope it there’s more books to come with Seth and Evan.
May 5, 2019
4.5 supernatural stars rounded down to 4 because still no 1/2 stars here on GR! Full review to follow soonish! But right now I'm off to enjoy
the next story in Seth and Sonny's otherworldly adventures.
I think this one's cast a spell on me...
Not to long ago I was given the opportunity to listen to a book called ‘Badlands’ by Morgan Brice a new to me author…or so I thought. So I checked it out and it sounded intriguing and of course I said ‘yes please’ and I enjoyed it a lot, so much that as soon as I was done I scrambled back to audible.com to get ‘Lucky Town’ the next book in the ‘Badlands’ series. Needless to say, when I was asked if I’d like to review the audio book for ‘Witchbane’ I was so all over that one and when I saw that I could treat myself to ‘Burn’ the next book in the series well I was all over that one as well and when ‘Dark Rivers’ the next book in the ‘Witchbane’ series is released…well, damn straight I’ll be all over that one too.
When Seth Tanner and his brother Jesse decide to debunk a local urban legend the last thing that either man expects is that one of them would be dead by morning. But when morning comes Seth finds himself alone. Seth’s struggle to find justice for his brother leads him to a world that he never knew existed as he discovers that the ‘person’ who murdered his brother has been dead for a hundred years and that every 12 years his disciples have committed ritual murder to feed their need and their masters needs for power. When Seth discovers that the 12 year cycle has once again come around and Jackson Malone is to be the next victim, he becomes determined not only to break the cycle but to keep Jackson alive.
When Seth stops at a bar in Richmond where a tip has led him in his search for Jackson Malone, he meets a very sexy and interesting bartender named ‘Sonny’ and since he’s going to be in town for a few days what could be the harm in spending a bit of time with such an attractive and interesting man. Luckily for Seth it put him right where he needed to be as he learns that Jackson and Sonny are one and the same person.
As Seth fights to keep Jackson/Sonny alive both men are torn between fighting the attraction they feel towards each other and giving in to it. Seth is confident about his fighting skills and solid in his determination to protect Sonny, he’s also very insecure when it comes to his personal relationships and as much as he wants to see where things could go with Sonny, he is his own worst enemy, frequently letting his actions sabotage things between them. Since he’s sure that Sonny’s going to come to his senses and leave at any time.
Meanwhile even though Sonny wants to trust Seth, he’s got a lot of reasons not to and those reasons are as much about his lack of faith in his own judgement as they are about Seth. Sonny’s taste in men is to say the least questionable at times. He’s had a stalker and maybe a couple of overly possessive, possibly abusive boyfriends…so in Sonny’s mind it’s very possible that Seth is just another mistake waiting to happen. Even though his heart is telling him to trust him, his history with men is saying…maybe not.
The one thing that these men both agree on is the sex…they’re totally combustible together and I honestly have to admit that at times for me the sex was close to being too much…hence the 4.5 star rating and not 5 stars, but this was saved for me by the fact that at times even Seth and Sonny knew that they needed to put their libidos on the back burner it they were going to survive and one or both of them would put the breaks on things so that they focused on what was truly important…staying alive.
While Seth and Sonny may have won the battle, they still have a war to fight as they continue to battle paranormal creatures and fight to destroy the disciples of the dark warlock who killed Seth’s brother.
It was actually in the author’s series ‘Badlands’ that we first meet Seth…sort of…kind of…well almost…Seth has a phone conversation with Simon Kincade, one of the MCs from the ‘Badlands’ series, however, while these series are connected at this point they are not dependent on each other and reading one of them doesn’t require reading them both. The fact that these stories were written by one of my long time absolute favorite fantasy authors totally cemented my decision to be all over these books and being able to enjoy the stories in audio format made the experience even more enjoyable.
Kale Williams is the narrator and while I’m not as familiar with his audio books as I am with a few other narrators, this is still by no means my first audio book narrated by Mr. Williams and as with previous experiences this narrator has made an enjoyable story even better bringing the characters to life by adding depth, emotion and personality to them through their voices.
So if you’re a fan of shows such as ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ or ‘Supernatural’ I strongly recommend checking out ‘Witchbane’ it’s got more than a few demons and a couple of hot demon hunters…not to mention that not everything that goes bump in the night is of the supernatural variety.
*************************
A copy of ‘Witchbane’ was graciously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
the next story in Seth and Sonny's otherworldly adventures.I think this one's cast a spell on me...
Not to long ago I was given the opportunity to listen to a book called ‘Badlands’ by Morgan Brice a new to me author…or so I thought. So I checked it out and it sounded intriguing and of course I said ‘yes please’ and I enjoyed it a lot, so much that as soon as I was done I scrambled back to audible.com to get ‘Lucky Town’ the next book in the ‘Badlands’ series. Needless to say, when I was asked if I’d like to review the audio book for ‘Witchbane’ I was so all over that one and when I saw that I could treat myself to ‘Burn’ the next book in the series well I was all over that one as well and when ‘Dark Rivers’ the next book in the ‘Witchbane’ series is released…well, damn straight I’ll be all over that one too.
When Seth Tanner and his brother Jesse decide to debunk a local urban legend the last thing that either man expects is that one of them would be dead by morning. But when morning comes Seth finds himself alone. Seth’s struggle to find justice for his brother leads him to a world that he never knew existed as he discovers that the ‘person’ who murdered his brother has been dead for a hundred years and that every 12 years his disciples have committed ritual murder to feed their need and their masters needs for power. When Seth discovers that the 12 year cycle has once again come around and Jackson Malone is to be the next victim, he becomes determined not only to break the cycle but to keep Jackson alive.
When Seth stops at a bar in Richmond where a tip has led him in his search for Jackson Malone, he meets a very sexy and interesting bartender named ‘Sonny’ and since he’s going to be in town for a few days what could be the harm in spending a bit of time with such an attractive and interesting man. Luckily for Seth it put him right where he needed to be as he learns that Jackson and Sonny are one and the same person.
As Seth fights to keep Jackson/Sonny alive both men are torn between fighting the attraction they feel towards each other and giving in to it. Seth is confident about his fighting skills and solid in his determination to protect Sonny, he’s also very insecure when it comes to his personal relationships and as much as he wants to see where things could go with Sonny, he is his own worst enemy, frequently letting his actions sabotage things between them. Since he’s sure that Sonny’s going to come to his senses and leave at any time.
Meanwhile even though Sonny wants to trust Seth, he’s got a lot of reasons not to and those reasons are as much about his lack of faith in his own judgement as they are about Seth. Sonny’s taste in men is to say the least questionable at times. He’s had a stalker and maybe a couple of overly possessive, possibly abusive boyfriends…so in Sonny’s mind it’s very possible that Seth is just another mistake waiting to happen. Even though his heart is telling him to trust him, his history with men is saying…maybe not.
The one thing that these men both agree on is the sex…they’re totally combustible together and I honestly have to admit that at times for me the sex was close to being too much…hence the 4.5 star rating and not 5 stars, but this was saved for me by the fact that at times even Seth and Sonny knew that they needed to put their libidos on the back burner it they were going to survive and one or both of them would put the breaks on things so that they focused on what was truly important…staying alive.
While Seth and Sonny may have won the battle, they still have a war to fight as they continue to battle paranormal creatures and fight to destroy the disciples of the dark warlock who killed Seth’s brother.
It was actually in the author’s series ‘Badlands’ that we first meet Seth…sort of…kind of…well almost…Seth has a phone conversation with Simon Kincade, one of the MCs from the ‘Badlands’ series, however, while these series are connected at this point they are not dependent on each other and reading one of them doesn’t require reading them both. The fact that these stories were written by one of my long time absolute favorite fantasy authors totally cemented my decision to be all over these books and being able to enjoy the stories in audio format made the experience even more enjoyable.
Kale Williams is the narrator and while I’m not as familiar with his audio books as I am with a few other narrators, this is still by no means my first audio book narrated by Mr. Williams and as with previous experiences this narrator has made an enjoyable story even better bringing the characters to life by adding depth, emotion and personality to them through their voices.
So if you’re a fan of shows such as ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ or ‘Supernatural’ I strongly recommend checking out ‘Witchbane’ it’s got more than a few demons and a couple of hot demon hunters…not to mention that not everything that goes bump in the night is of the supernatural variety.
*************************
A copy of ‘Witchbane’ was graciously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
February 2, 2020
I had a work trip that included a 4.5 hour drive in each direction to get there so a great opportunity to listen to an ebook.
Seth's brother was gruesomely killed on Halloween and he was injured a few years ago and he's now hunting down the witch followers of a man killed years ago who are killing the oldest son in several families to ensure their immortality. He should have been killed but his brother was instead. He ends up searching for the man he believes will be the next victim and whoops, ends up sleeping with the hot bartender who... surprise, is the man he's been looking for to protect.
Of course Jesse things magic is hooey, but men breaking into his house, burning his place of employment etc. soon have him on the run with hottie Seth but he's not sure what/who to believe, but magic is looking more and more real and Seth is pretty smoking hot.
It has lots of adventure, chased by bad guys, ghosts, spirits, blood, betrayal, the works. While at times I got a bit frustrated with Jesse not trusting Seth, I also understood why and it was a natural reaction to things he'd experienced. I liked the narrator, Kale Williams, I loved it when he would let Jesse slip into a bit of a Southern drawl.
I see there are other books in the series. I'm not sure I'll pick up the audio books as I'm no longer and audible member but I'll check out the "traditional" version. If you like urban fantasy kind of stories I think this is a good one and it certainly made my trip fly by.
Seth's brother was gruesomely killed on Halloween and he was injured a few years ago and he's now hunting down the witch followers of a man killed years ago who are killing the oldest son in several families to ensure their immortality. He should have been killed but his brother was instead. He ends up searching for the man he believes will be the next victim and whoops, ends up sleeping with the hot bartender who... surprise, is the man he's been looking for to protect.
Of course Jesse things magic is hooey, but men breaking into his house, burning his place of employment etc. soon have him on the run with hottie Seth but he's not sure what/who to believe, but magic is looking more and more real and Seth is pretty smoking hot.
It has lots of adventure, chased by bad guys, ghosts, spirits, blood, betrayal, the works. While at times I got a bit frustrated with Jesse not trusting Seth, I also understood why and it was a natural reaction to things he'd experienced. I liked the narrator, Kale Williams, I loved it when he would let Jesse slip into a bit of a Southern drawl.
I see there are other books in the series. I'm not sure I'll pick up the audio books as I'm no longer and audible member but I'll check out the "traditional" version. If you like urban fantasy kind of stories I think this is a good one and it certainly made my trip fly by.
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