First Spells

by Renata Riva

A dark tale of witches, ghosts and magic.Vianne’s life has never been normal. She sees ghosts and she has an affinity for magic. Now that she’s twelve, her magic is getting stronger and her life is about to get even stranger — and more dangerous. Vianne has been raised by her single mum, Andrea, and knows very little of her other relatives. What she does know is that her mother is terrified by her witch sister, Suzanne. When Vianne’s grandmother becomes seriously ill, Andrea wants to be reunited with her mother, but this is the occasion Aunt Suzanne has been waiting for. Vianne must learn about magic fast, but she has only a cat and a ghost to help her.

171 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 4, 2019

About the author

Interests: Fantasy and Science Fiction books; natural sciences and biology; roleplaying video games; wildlife gardening.

Reviews

[Doctor Nyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is beautiful written and has complex characters.

[Zorica Grujin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ancient battle of good and evil finds its way in to the world of a twelve-year-old girl. In a sense it has always been there lurking at the edges of her daily life, but now as the protection is waning away Vianne has to embrace the magic and discover her heritage.
I read this book in one breath. It is well written, characters are beautifully developed, and the setting in the small costal town is adding to the mystery. Descriptions are so good that you can feel goose bumps when ghost or evil entities are approaching. I loved how the main character has to battle not just the evil from others but the temptation in her self.
I warmly recommend this book to anyone who loves coming of age ghost and magic stories.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given a free copy of this book from the author through voracious readers only in exchange for an honest review. This book is quite dark, if you’re looking for a magical light read, this book is not for you. The story was well written and the characters were done well. I loved the animals in the book and some of the ghosts.

[Faith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book through the Hidden Gems ARC program in exchange for an honest review.

This story was easy to read, and I enjoyed the characters. However, it felt more like a children's story than a young adult (YA) novel, which is what it was pitched as. The narrative and themes seemed more suited for a younger audience. Regardless, I believe the story could have benefited from additional development to make it more complex and appealing to a broader audience. Consider the success of Harry Potter: while it was initially written as a children's novel, its rich world-building and intricate plotlines have captivated readers of all ages. First Spells has the potential to achieve a similar impact with some enhancements. Deepening the plot, adding more layers to the characters, and exploring more mature themes could resonate with a broader readership and stand out in the YA genre.

[StormEnchantra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A riveting book about a young girls, Vianne, journey to discover her heritage. The book is a page turner. It has lots of in depth characters that you definitely can't wait to see more of.
Vianne sees ghosts among other things. It's just her Mom Andrea & her, and their landlord & friend Joy, so she thinks. The cat she dreamt of at age 4 finally finds her on her 12th birthday. It starts a dark journey for the coming year. She gets good & bad visitors. Two unexpected people decide to help her prepare for what is coming. Definitely recommend this book and looking for to book 2. The adventures of Vianne in First Spells has family, friends, discovery, & paranormal.... a perfect mix.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A strong start to the Vianne Sands series, it had a great description that had me wanting to read this novel. It was a great introduction to this world and the characters. I enjoyed every part of the journey and it does a great job in telling the story it needed to. I'm looking for more in this series.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

She is a young children when she learns her magic and it is going to be more important to get where she needs to be. Her grandmother is ill so her mother takes her with them to see them. Their aunt was just waiting for this moment. What is going to happen? Can she beat her aunt? See how she gets on
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and I want to review

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cozy tale.

[Tonilyn DiStasio · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

[Debbie Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as part of an ARC review. It draws you in as you read. Vianne is gifted but is a loner because of it as well. Her mother keeps a distance from both her and Vianne's father's family fearing what could happen. As the story unfolds, you can see has a valid point. When Vianne's grandmother dies, the last protection goes and it is up to Vianne to protect herself with what little she learnt from her cousin. Vianne is successful with the help of her father and his family. Her evil aunt is destroyed and Vianne's mother accepts contact with her boyfriend's famiy. Even going as far as planning to visit them so Vianne can learn more about her gifts. Vianne is lucky to have contact with her father's ghost and her mother. Unfortunately her mother can't find out about the ghost watching over them. I would definitely recommend this book.

[Daniell Marsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the premise of this book. A young girl not really knowing about her family besides her mom with very little other information has to learn a lot quickly. You get feels for her as she is trying to figure out things mostly on her own and yet trying to protect her mom and herself. She is a loner as she doesn’t have many friends as she is considered weird. I liked how she has some powers but so you get the feeling of paranormal but dealing with a younger girl. I do feel this book could be read by anyone but is more targeted toward middle school age. It was an interesting read and had good flow. I felt that it draws you in and keeps you interested. I did receive an ARC from Hidden Gems for an honest review. I was hoping from reading the description it was for a little higher reading level but I did enjoy it.