Below is a review of one of the books in this box set.
*** Reviewing “LOST MAGIC” ***
Yew Hollow was a sleepy New England town, no museums or attractions to draw the public; yet every month, the town had a celebration festival releasing high energy into the air! Even the mortals in the town participated, whether they knew the significance of the celebration or not. For the witches, it was a renewal of their powers. Gwenlyn Bennett was a member of the Summers Coven, not by blood but by shared powers, because she had saved the life of Morgan, their leader. For some reason, some of the coven members did not feel Gwenlyn belonged.
At the town meeting, Mayor Pilar warned the coven not to do any “funny business” such as displaying magic during the spring equinox. The comment surprised Gwenlyn and equally stunned Morgan, the cover leader, when Gwenlyn reported back to her later. They thought Pilar wasn’t a witch and were concerned whether she knew the Summers family were witches. In Morgan’s back yard, the family had a party going on. Auras mixed and power flowed through them all as they joyfully danced together. But suddenly the auras were ripped away from Gwenlyn, unbalancing her with the loss of power and energy as Aunt Thelma, one of the elders, sneered down at her and called her unworthy to mingle with her nieces. Morgan and her three sisters were furious. Thelma could have seriously damaged Gwenlyn’s power.
The week following was extra busy for Gwenlyn as she prepared for the spring equinox festival she was in charge of. She could feel already the invigorating sense of newness and rebirth. The festival was a big success, and at the end of it, when the mortals had left, the 40 witches gathered around the Yew Tree to renew their secrecy and protection spells. As they held hands, they avoided Gwenlyn’s hand and took the next one nearest them. Aunt Thelma had a satisfied smirk on her face – until Morgan called out for Gwenlyn and moved her to the first ring of the inner circle, the one for the Summers family, the most powerful witches. The secrecy spell worked perfectly, but the protection spell never finished! A blue smoke poured from the tree and the trunk split in half! A woman made of smoke with a constantly changing face came up from the tree. She stated that one among them was not a true member of the coven, but has a piece of the power the yew tree shares with them. Because this was not sanctioned, it is an abomination – and she pointed right at Gwenlyn! If Gwenlyn completes a ritual in two weeks – one which normally takes years of preparation – she will become a full member of the Summers coven. Because the spell was interrupted, the shield for the town’s protection was weak, and the yew tree closed itself off so they could not complete the spell. What did all of this mean? Was the town in danger now? Would Gwenlyn be able to complete her required ritual, or would she never belong to the coven?
This was a well-written story. After almost 10 years with the coven, Gwenlyn would lose everything if she were to be kicked out and no longer a member of her “family”. She had no idea what was coming – could the Summers family prepare her for her destiny in time? And would the town be harmed by the interrupted protection shield spell?