Magically Bound

Hunted Witch Agency #1

by Rachel Medhurst, Emma Powell (Narrator)

Listening length: 5 hours, 43 minutes

Witch, Warlock, Whatever…

My name's Devon Jinx, and, yes, I'm half warlock, half witch. But I couldn't care less about which kind of magic is better. All I want to do is keep my head down and get on with my new job as an investigator at the Hunted Witch Agency.

A recent, shall we say, mistake has put me in place to inherit the leadership of the warlocks. Which means only one thing. I have a choice to make: leave behind my life of witchery to become a warlock, or lose my warlock magic forever.

Complicating my choice is the fact that someone is trying to destroy the warlock coven. If I don't stop them, the warlocks will be annihilated. The task seems impossible until Gerard Freshwater, a distractingly handsome witch, explodes into my life. He's determined to make me see that being a witch isn't just the best option, but the only option.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Witches, Magic, Ebooks

Audible Audio

First published November 28, 2017

About the author

Rachel Medhurst grew up in a small village in Surrey, England. She writes to inspire and heal. She lives in the British countryside with her dog. If she’s not writing, she can be found walking in nature and reading. For more information about current projects, including her short story dystopian series, Avoidables, please check out her website.

Reviews

[JadeShea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Devon is half witch half warlock, and things aren't going so good for her right now. She got a new job, but now her magic is acting crazy, and on top of that she is having issues with her new co-worker as well. And she's on a new case that seems to be a little bit odd.

This book was not for more. I didn't like how things seemed to be skipped over, and I was really frustrated with the whole hero can't be with heroine thing even though she's proof it can happen. So, that was beyond annoying. Other than that the story was interesting, it just skipped parts, so overall this book wasn't for me.

[amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fairly fast paced read, I enjoyed this for the most part. As always with a new series there are bumps along the way.

The first bump for me was it felt like I was missing something. I don't want to give spoilers away. But from the beginning I kind felt like I was reading the second novel in a series and not the first. Or that there is some prequel novella that I missed out on. The second was the "Mac" everything! Once or twice is witty and cute, every time you converse with a character or are even in the same room with them it loses the charm. Granted I did enjoy some of the other witty and snarky comments. It's just I feel....my own personal opinion, that the "McDreamy" and "McSteamy" is soooo over played at this point. It even got to the point where it was a little bit childish. 

Honestly I'm not trying to rip this to shreds, but I am trying to be honest. There were moments where it was really choppy for me. I am not for the whole insta love in any books, I like to see this built up. This was the third bump in the reading of this....I was often confused by the relationships.  With all the characters, personalities gave me a bit of whiplash at times. I know there is always a brooding silent type, I'm fine with that. Transitions just weren't always smooth between the lukewarm and cold, if you know what I mean. 

I'm not going to go into anymore, I just don't want to be that person. 

My ending thoughts on this....I feel it was kind of thrown together with a great base story that didn't get the finesse that is needed to keep everything smooth. Things could a have been stretched out to explain things a little better and even give the characters more depth and a realistic feel. It's paranormal, I know. All in all, I liked the story....the execution could have been better. 

[Michelle Willms · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written tale of a conflicted, young, half-witch/half-warlock woman. She’s the first of her kind, not accepted by either coven. The story covers her discovery that her magic requires her to make a choice. What will she ultimately decide to be: a witch or a warlock? Add to this question the mystery of kidnapped and murdered witches, witches drained of their magic, and rampaging warlocks, and the story becomes even more exciting.

This is a story that is as engrossing as it is original. Magically Bound is the first book in what promises to be an exciting urban fantasy series.

[Rosie Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Magically Bound is book one of the urban fantasy Hunted Witch Agency series.

We are immediately introduced to the heroine, Devon; a half witch, half warlock; a bit on a loner she is shunned by her witch coven and similarly disliked by the warlocks. This lost character accepts a worthwhile job with the Hunted Witch Agency pursuing corrupt witches.

It’s an interesting premise with some immediate cross-interests, but after the thrilling opening pages my interest waned. I failed to empathise with Devon, as she predictably blew hot and cold with her co-worker while there were too many action-scenes that rushed by; I always felt that they needed more depth to make them really believable.

So while I liked the idea of the story and the main plot, I didn’t enjoy the story as much as I had hoped.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Magically Bound is the first book in the Hunted Witch Series by Rachel Medhurst. It is a great paranormal/urban fantasy- with an original take on the witch/warlock lore. We meet Devon Jinx, who was orphaned quite young. She hasn’t had things easy, as a half witch/half warlock hybrid, she’s the only one of her kind. Not fully accepted by either covens, she will need to choose a side. With much at stake, she will be tested in more ways than one. Add a mystery to solve, with kidnapping, murder, magic draining, rogue supernaturals, and the story really takes off. A great start to the series!

Thank you, Ms. Medhurst!

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

I really loved this book. It was full of adventure and excitement. The plot was interesting and I loved the characters. It was funny as well. I am going to start on the next book right now.

[Sydney Perkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite my three-star rating, this book was good enough to keep me guessing and hooked. I read and finished this book in two longer sittings (only 18 chapters long), so it is a quick read and would suit those who are looking for an urban-fantasy novel that is quick, yet charming and full of action. I did love that this book also went into the bonafide magical side of police/detective work, as it gave off a refreshing sense of teamwork, organization, and adventure. The main character is in her mid-twenties which I love (I can only handle so many teenage urban-fantasy novels), and the story was fun, unique, and amusing. For those who might be on the edge about the book, I will say that I am glad that I didn't purchase this book (read using Kindle Unlimited service), but I will read the rest of the trilogy because the ending did leave off in a cliff-hanger, and alas, I must know how this character fares in the rest of her adventures. I have not read too many urban-fantasy novels yet (I recently discovered that this is my new favorite genre), but for those who might need an additional comparison for how I rated this book, I reviewed Helen Harper's Blood Magic series as a 5 all the way through as compared to this series. To each their own, but hopefully this will help someone who is uncertain about whether to purchase the book or not.

I do like a sassy heroine, who has kick-ass powers and is trying to do some good in the world, but I struggled to rate this book higher than three stars because I felt that the the consistency of Devon's (main character) emotions and inner-dialogue were choppy, abrupt, and confusing at times. For instance, towards the end of the book we see Devon opening up and getting more vulnerable, but the transition felt awkward like it was coming out of left field because she is introduced as a stubborn, act-first-think-later-I'm-showing-off-and-don't-need-anyone type of woman. True, she is a character in an identity crisis in this book, so it makes sense that her emotions/actions/attitudes might be all over the place as she tests the waters with her new companions. Despite this however, I still felt that I was not able to understand Devon by the end, and better character building would have allowed me to accomplish this. Maybe that was Medhurst's point as we walk side-by-side with Devon while she discovers who she is? Had the book been longer and included more inner-dialogue and background information, I'm positive that I would have clung to Devon's character with more intrigue.

Let's talk about Gerard! Described as the handsome stud with beautiful eyes and a body that makes you go weak at the knees, he's clearly a sight for sore eyes. It was nice to finally see him open up as the book went along and as he and Devon became more comfortable as partners. He is originally introduced as a man who is cold, serious, and closed-off, but we see the sides of loyalty, protectiveness, and empathy as the story develops. I will say that their interactions were awkward at times, and seemed overly dramatic when in reality they wouldn't have been so. Sadly, I was not able to connect to his character or of he and Devon's blossoming relationship because I felt that his emotions were also disjointed and confusing, being cold one minute and soft the next without any proper transition to flow more smoothly, therefore allowing the reader to understand the development of the relationship and their feelings for each other better. I will say though, that I very much appreciated the build-up of romance. **SPOILERS** their first kiss and the scene where Gerard transfers his magic into Devon was sexy and steamy, yet soft, vulnerable, and romantic all at the same time. Medhurst successfully was able to join the two parts of romance (sex and love) without diving into a steamy sex scene, which although can be a guilty pleasure to read, is many times annoying and inadvertently damaging to the character of the female protagonist if not introduced at the appropriate time and under the right circumstances.

Overall, I would have liked to see more character and world-building as I feel that it would have definitely pulled me into this book more, and would have also helped me understand the character's emotional interactions better, thus allowing me to correctly empathize and become obsessed with the characters. But only so much can be written and done in a book that is only eighteen chapters long, so I guess that I cannot expect too much! There were also some repetitive instances of inner-dialogue and background information that were frustrating, as true readers and lovers of books are very astute and often do not need to be reminded of information that has already been stated. I will end by saying that the rat, Kingsley, was an adorable character and helped Medhurst show the readers Devon's softer side. Can't wait to find out if Kingsley plays a bigger role in the rest of the trilogy!

[Lyn Mckenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am quite new to this author's work, this is the second book I have read by her and I can most definitely say that I will be checking out the rest of her books and I know that I will love them as much as I loved this book.

I can't say enough how much I adored reading this book and I am super excited to read the next book in this series. Sometimes you just pick up a book and it sinks into your heart and soul, something about it strikes a chord within you that makes you relate to certain aspects of the characters and storyline,this is that book! The storyline to this book is an extremely exciting and addictive read, there are many many secrets and surprises that unfold within this tale and it makes you constantly turn the pages, you just can't stop reading, it is so addictive!!!

The characters…. Wow, what can I say about the amazing characters within these pages? I loved how unique each character wad and it is really obvious how much love and care has gone into creating these characters, I really don't have a favourite, I love reading about them all and I can't wait to find out more about each character and where they are going.

The thing i adored the most about this book is the family aspect, the fact that you can make your own family, they don't need to be blood related and they will love and accept you just for being who you are. I could really relate to that. I can't rate this book highly enough, it was simply amazing!!!

[Mya · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

It was OK.

I like the premise.
I found the characters a little all over the place.
Things seemed to move in a jumpy fashion and often felt incoherent.
There is some love interest happening, but that also starts slow and then takes seemingly disconnected and sometimes unrealistic leaps forward.
The main character also keeps referring to things from her past as if the reader already knew about them. Not sure if I missed a prequel?
I read the ebook and there were some copy mistakes. I didn't find these too distracting though.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a good base for the story itself. It had elements that were fun and exciting. Some suspense and mystery was thrown in that kept the plot going for me. However there were elements that bothered me a lot.

The first being that the book itself seemed to start in the middle of the first 1/3 of a book. I was wondering if somehow part of the book had gotten cut or if there was supposed to be a prequel before this one. I wanted more backstory to the story itself, because it was a tad confusing.

Next the characters themselves had a lot of different personalities and were kind of all over the place. I love that the characters were different and not the same, however with so many characters it was hard to remember who was who and who was paired with whom. Plus the love for some of the relationships seemed to be lacking. I think less characters and focusing on their relationships with each other would benefit the book.

Overall I thought it had a good base and I could see it turning into a fun series, if the above two situations get fixed. I'd love more backstory, less insta love feel, and more development of the relationships between characters.

I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily reviewing.

[Nila (digitalcreativepages) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The concept of the story was bang on. I was excited, pretty ramped up on the whole hybrid, half-witch half-warlock, main character who had great powers of both.

My first attempt at reading author Rachel Medhurst’s work, I loved parts of it. Devon’s work at the Hunted Witch Agency was great. I liked her colleagues and love interest. The plot of her trying to save the warlocks was adrenaline filled.

But the buck stopped there…

The writing was pretty amateurish. My mind kept thinking this was not how Ilona Andrews would write. While reading, I constantly felt I was missing information as the prose assumed I already knew it. And the incessant chatter of a restless mind… Omg… Shut up already. Many a time I wanted to prod her to use her brain and instincts. Insta-love? Why o why?

Well, it was fast-paced, made faster by skipping sections of chatter. I would love it more if the author allowed the main character to grow up in the next one. At the moment, the books in the series are too expensive to give it a second chance. Maybe one day…

[Beverly Diehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in London, this urban fantasy gives us Devon, who's half witch, half warlock. The magical world building is really good, there's a requisite sexy tattooed love interest, Gerard. And a literal rat, who is adorable.

Disclaimer: I'm acquainted with the author via social media.

I really liked Devon's struggles to reconcile her two sides, as well as to keep it cool with her partner in witchy detective work. There is lots of sexual tension between Devon and Gerard, but no explicit sex. Which may/may not be your cuppa tea. It *does* end in a cliffhanger, so if that bugs you, you might want to wait to start reading this until the last of this trilogy is released in Feb 2018. But although, yes, cliffhangers aren't my favorites, I was hooked enough to move immediately to the 2nd book in this series. Enjoyed.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked that Devon was half witch and half warlock and neither half was all good or all bad. Gerard and Devon's relationship is slight at this time. Hope in the future books it heats up more. The characters were likable and the story was evenly paced. Justina and Kurt have peaked my curiosity. I'd be interested in reading their stories. I will be picking up the next one in the series. I received an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

[William Howe · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t like these

Books that have gurls who alternate between panting after male figures to defiant to self-doubting within the space of a paragraph or two. So inconstant the character is schizophrenic.

There is no driving force in the narrative. Plot points rain down with abandon.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I volunteered to read this ARC for an honest review. I can honestly say I was quit impressed.
Devon is a young half breed. Her mom was a witch and her dad was a warlock. She is the first of her kind. She is stuck in a world were she is not accepted by either group. She is going on a job interview for at The Hunted Witch Agency. Hoping to be accepted by someone. She lost her parents when she was ten, they just disappeared. She was taken in my her dad's best friend Isaac, who she killed while possessed by a Dark Crawler. At the Agency she meets Justina, Kurt and most importantly Gerard. They work together to solve cases that the government needs them to handle involving supernaturals. The case they are currently working on involves witches getting kidnapped and left for dead after all their magic has been drained. Justina has a personal attachment to the case, she was kidnapped by her ex boyfriend, Luis Camos, and he is involved in these new cases to. Follow along as they take on Dark Crawlers, shapeshifters, witches, warlocks and even the human police. Unfortunately, her witch power is on the fritz and is very unreliable. She is trying to hide this secret from everyone, but Gerard finds out and is trying to help her get answers. She visits a seer and is informed she must decide if she will remain a witch or if she will become a warlock. You see the more she uses on type of magic, it causes the other to diminish. Can't wait until the new book comes out next. Will she decide if she will chose or will fate make up her mind for her?

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars. This is a fun twist on the urban fantasy genre. Devon is half witch and half warlock. Throughout the course of this book she is struggling to decide which one she wants to be as she can only be one. Devon begins working for the Hunted Witch Agency who are currently trying to track down a criminal ring that are kidnapping and killing witches. There we meet her partner Gerard whose backstory we get a glimpse of. Hopefully we'll get more in book 2. He's definitely a bit broody, but he does grow on you as the story progresses. Their bosses are Justina and Kurt. You can't help but like Justina. Kurt, considering how he talks to people, is aptly named. I hope to find out more of his backstory in the next book in order to understand his personality better. The rest of the characters help to flesh out the story and amp up the tension. Just so you know, the book does end on a major cliffhanger. I deducted half a star for one minor annoyance. Devon tends to come up with nicknames...a lot. And they're all of the same variety (e.g. Hottie Mac-Kissy and Dreamy Mac-Sexy). On an occasional basis, it would have been amusing. But it happened a lot and got stale. It also made her seem more like a teenager than a woman in her mid-twenties. Other than that, though, it was a fun enjoyable read. I'm looking forward to book 2.

I received an ARC from the author and voluntarily reviewed.

[maria arcara · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting premise! I haven't read anything where the main character has to choose to give up half of her magic and I found the storyline really intriguing. I enjoy books with strong female protagonists, especially with a bit of snark in them, and Devon definitely filled this role. She's a kick-butt kind of character with a lot to offer in her new position investigating abductions of witches despite the fact that she has never had a job like this before. I liked how she was willing to stretch her own boundaries and be open to Gerard, Justina and Kurt. She was very down-to-earth and realistic about her actions and decisions. And she had an instinctual protective nature with regard to everybody, especially Lilia, but even including warlocks and witches who weren't even welcoming to her.

I also enjoyed the plot and couldn't wait to see both, what decision Devon was going to make and how things were going to turn out with the abductions. I was not disappointed! I will say I was a little surprised at the conclusion and thought Ms Medhurst did a great job of wrapping up the main storylines while setting up a wonderful opening for the second book. And, boy, am I ever looking forward to reading it!

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can read my full review on my WordPress blog, Flora's Musings...
An Engaging Book To Kick Off The Series!

I found this book very easy to read; I liked our heroine, Devon Jinx, I enjoyed her wit and how she dealt with the situations that were thrown in her path.

I thought the crime mystery aspect was intriguing and enjoyed how the team at the Hunted Witch Agency went about collecting and analysing the evidence.

I liked how Devon's relationships with the rest of the team developed and look forward to seeing how her relationship with her partner, Gerald.

This book had me hooked throughout, the only reason it hasn't rated higher than 3 stars is the cliffhanger ending - the crime aspect was left unresolved and the book stopped in mid breathtaking scene! Shame. :-(
I have already purchased book 2 Magically Bonded, I am emotionally invested in Devon so I will be continuing on her adventures.

[Dapper · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not like the main character at all. She’s a mess. Right off jump I had trouble rooting for her. She’s straight up rude but calls it snark, makes the same threat to all men “I’ll cut your balls off” over and over and she shows an astonishing lack of accountability or basic responsibility.

The book opens with a group of warlocks trying to get her to go back to the warlock coven to meet with the acting leader.. it’s revealed that SHE KILLED the previous leader and is next in line. For whatever reason, she’s not telling them that she was possessed at the time.. instead preferring to keep them all leaderless and in the dark.

She shows up late to the interview, is rude as hell, then gets the job for no reason. She has great magical abilities but is too lazy to practice with them, has no combat training, and trips over her own feet.

She returns to her apartment where the lock is still broken from like a week ago (it’s not rocket science to replace a doorknob) then blows off another call from the warlocks like they’re a nuisance. GIRL! If you’re not going to lead them, leave them. Shit or get off the pot! But nooo she pulls this whole “woe is me” thing meanwhile she’s unemployed and untrained and can’t walk straight

Idk being in her head was wicked annoying. Couldn’t do it.

[Energy Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Magically Bound we met Devon, half witch, half warlock, who must choose which one she wants to be. Devon is smart and snarky, her internal dialogue is hilarious and she makes for a great main character. She starts a new job at the Hunted Witch Agency and meets some pretty great people. Her boss Justina seems a bit hard at first, but we learn that Devon reminds Justina a lot of herself when she was younger and they form a bond. Her other boss Kurt is a bit of a mystery. He seems a bit of a jerk at first, but his true character is slowly revealing itself. I am hoping Medhurst will delve more into his backstory in the next book. Devon's coworker Gerard is helping Devon learn the ropes, he's sexy, smart, and kind. The perfect person to help Devon navigate her way through the new job and Devon has a bit of a thing for him. She's taken to coming up with funny nicknames for him such as "Broody-Mac-tattoey", "Handsome Mac-Morning", and gorgeous Mac-annoying", to name a few. Once you got to know the characters and the backstory, Magically Bound turned into a fast-paced, impossible to put down book which left me in shock at the end, anxious to get ahold of the next book.

[Nate Brightman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading preferences are a very personal thing which is why there can be such a wide range of opinions or ratings on any given book. Magically Bound had a lot going for it. The heroine Devon Jinx had a backstory to make you feel for her pain and vulnerability. Her kick ass personality combined with a healthy dose of self-doubt was likable enough. The secondary characters were okay. The plot had plenty of action to go with the drama of whether Devon would chose to be a witch or a warlock. There was a budding romance between Devon and Gerard. But somehow for me the sum of the parts didn't equal a great whole. If I were grading this book it would come in somewhere with a C or C+ grade. I'm not really sure why? There were times I felt the author was writing for a middle school audience. But hey, I loved the Harry Potter series and that appealed to all ages. For whatever reason although I enjoyed the last quarter of the book more than much of the rest I never got really vested in the characters or the series. It wasn't a book I had difficulty putting down. I don't regret investing the time to read it and I might even read the sequel.

[Annie · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 20% and that was enough for me
So far not a great start to the book. Right off the bat I didn’t like Devon. She was trying to come off as badass but really just came off as arrogant and entitled. She shows up to an interview and hour late (yes she was in a fight but there’s no way that small scene took 1 hr….) and when she gets there she starts to apologize but it cut off and told where to go for the interview. Yet she has the nerve to be upset at the rudeness. Really your an hour late. Newsflash your lucky they didn’t tell you to just leave. Be a little grateful. VERY entitled. I don’t know if I can read about this character. When her interviewer doesn’t answer on of her questions she calls her a bitch, granted in her head but still. This girl (and she definitely acts like a child) has some serious anger issues.
Nope can’t do it. I hate this character. I just don’t find anything about her I like. She’s lazy (said she’d rather sit at home all day and do nothing), judge mental, contradictory (thinks to herself she’d rather show her new boss her skills then when says boss says she’d like to see what she can do Devon gets bent out of shape, immature and full of herself. I’m done.

[Nina Sarvasova · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a bit confused about how to rate this book. I liked the humour most of the times, I managed to finish the book (hence 3 stars). But I did not love the characters (which I realize is very personal and subjective). The FMC was kind of strange, like very immature teenage girl (but she was mid 20ties), she did not want to do anything but liked getting wasted in bars and dancing - I kept wondering were her money came from (but I might have missed it in the book). Also, of course she is soooo into the super hot tattooed guy (especially TATTOOS with MEANING, ugh...this is so unoriginal...he could have there OBLIGATORY TATTOO written in comic sens and I would be more interested). Anyway, there seems to be a character growth arch, though I am not sure I am invested enough to go through with it (I think I am older than intended age group which I suppose is somewhere below 30). The MMC, I do not know, I do not find him interesting/compelling enough, to be honest (and I still wonder why he threatened her to find her in the beginning- this was completely dropped, but it keeps bugging me for some reason).

[Noone · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shallow and clichée-ridden.

Especially towards the end, this book gets so cheesy, corny and cringe-worthy I couldn't take it anymore. I dropped around 90%.
Everything in regards to relationships just happens too fast. People become best friends that trust each other with their dark secrets within days. And it's not a unique case of particularly good chemistry either. It happens left and right.
It's just shallow in the extreme which makes everything that is supposed to be emotionally poignant just feel cheap, undeserved, and uncomfortable.

The only redeeming aspect to me is the humour of this book. It's somewhat juvenile sometimes but in a self-aware kind of way that felt very refreshing and made me laugh out loud unexpectedly repeatedly.
Sadly there isn't much beyond that to keep my interest.

Even though it's clearly not YA it has strong coming-of-age vibes and also carries the same flaws as bad YA of that sort does. It felt very contrived just to convey the intended message in a very preachy, YA kind of way in places.

I don't recommend it.

[Damian Southam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome Starter to must read series!

Great book, awesome series and flat out funny and adventurous protagonist. Light on the romance and full steam on the urban fantasy. Top twenty author, and let me frame that, as I'm talking hundreds of fantasy novels. Fully hooked for the series, heading off to read the prequel now, called Magically Hidden for the discerning among you. Whilst possibly very personal to just me, but I do feel it needed the intermittent addition of Gerard's point of view, say 1 chapter out of every 5 or 6 would've offered a short contrast to the hilarity and neuroses found amongst Devon's monologues and narrative. I'd go so far as to say that it could enhance other stores in the series at best, or at a minimum provided context for say a Gerard Companion Story that covers the whole series, in order to make a reasonable length novel upon completion of the series.

[Josephine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not planning on continuing the series

The book had the right components for an intriguing story, but is not really well told. By the end of the book, despite a lot of flashbacks, action scenes and cute pairs of boots, we still know nothing about the main character apart from that she's very short.
Other characters are also quite underdeveloped and difficult to find interesting.
It does not work well as a stand alone story either. There is no plot conclusion. There are no interesting character arcs. No interesting dialog. It doesn't read well as a first book in a chronicle. The introduction to the world is abrupt. There are constant reminders of past events which overshadow the present plot.
Altogether, a haphazard experience and I shall be looking to feed my fantasy bug elsewhere.

[Brittany Duszczyszyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s okay a little slow but interesting enough for me to keep going, the female protagonist is annoying though I really hope she matures quickly.

She’s 1/2 witch, 1/2 warlock apparently the first of her kind as the two are not allowed to date.

We’re told her parents disappeared when she was 10 in the middle of the night and she assumed they are dead… obviously I think we will see one if not both later in this series.
(Especially as one of the bad witches who was kidnapping witches and draining them of their magic said she looks like someone they know… her mother I’m guessing)

That and the bad guys apparently had a spell from her mother’s family spell book in the same handwriting as a spell she had framed in her home.

Our female protagonist couldn’t choose between being a witch or warlock as she was both but her body might of made the hard choice for her

[Nadine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kickass; I liked it, but…

At first, I wasn’t sure where the story was gonna go. Oh, it started with action immediately, and it was interesting and intriguing from the start. But I didn’t know which side to choose, witch or warlock, because Devon herself didn’t know which side to choose.

Devon is snarky, cocky, sarcastic. She keeps others at a distance. I would have liked to see a bit more softness of vulnerability in her somewhere, only a little, just for balance. Now she is a bit unlikeable, but definitely kickass.

But aside from that, I did like the book. I liked the magic, I liked the action, I liked the end and I liked the bridge towards book 2.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and voluntarily posted an honest review.

[Linda Levine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the story and would definitely like to read more about the characters. Devon is rare in that she is half witch and half warlock. It has given her access to tremendous magical abilities which she is still learning about. She is being asked to make a choice between those different abilities and she doesn't want to give up any of her magic.

Devon is an interesting character and I liked how the author really showed a complete picture of her. She struggles with her choices and who to trust. She is very believable as a character. There are many choices for her to make and each has some serious consequences.

The storyline has a lot of action and some romance as well. I look forward to seeing how her choices impact her.

I am voluntarily reviewing a copy I received.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I previously read the Viking Soul Series and was excited when I found out Devon and some of the other characters from that series were going to continue. I was immediately drawn into this story and the twist of Devon being part witch and part warlock battling to find her place. She finally finds her way and a new "family" and well... things never go smoothly. I won't give any spoilers but this book definitely sets up for another in the series - yes, there's a cliff hanger so if that bothers you, wait until the series is finished. There is a love interest and I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Devon and Gerard. This has left me wanting the second book to be out already - don't want to wait to find out what happens next. Looking forward to the next book in the series.