Nicky Callahan is the daughter of a powerful warlock. She can’t wait to become a witch, but she is nearly eighteen and still has no magical powers. What seems really strange to her is that her witch parents don't seem to be worried at all. On the first day of school, she notices a guy, too old to be a student. He watches her from afar – sometimes with a smirk, sometimes with a frown on his handsome face. The question is – what does he want from her? Her best friend Connie thinks it’s merely an innocent flirt, but something tells Nicky that the answer is more complicated than that.
Q: The back room looked like a magic shop. In the middle stood a long wooden table with chairs. The walls were lined with shelves. One small shelf contained tableware, and the one next to the door was stacked with journals, books, and folders, but the rest were stuffed with glass jars filled with herbs and powders, different shapes of crystals, and bottles with oils and other strange looking liquids. There was also an old-fashioned cupboard in the corner where Gran kept tarot cards, bundles of sage, candles, and a few different-sized chests that held something of magical value and were always locked. (c)
I have read the Eternity Road trilogy by Lana Melyan, which was brilliant, so was intrigued to see a new book for a brand new series. I would say that The First Wave is for a slightly younger audience then Eternity Road, but any good fantasy, super-natural fan will enjoy it as much as I did.
This is quite a quick-paced read and took me a day to finish. However, it finishes on a sort of a cliff-hanger, which cleverly gets you hooked and hungry for more. Lana is very good at creating believable characters in a fantasy book. Connie and Nicki seem like normal teenagers with normal problems of what to wear, boyfriends and going to school with the added spice of living in a world of witches, warlocks and vampires.
The only reason I give the book four stars is that it just finished too soon. I really got into it and just as something really started to go down, I was on the last page and left thirstier than the vampires already mentioned. This is a great super-natural book, fab start to a new series and a great example of a book for young and old(ish) audience.
Book 1 of the series. The cover caught my eye and kept me captivated. Nicky and Connie were two regular teens who went to school and parties. But they were different too. They were witches. Connie could read people's vibes, and Nicky's powers were still in hiding. This story was the beginning of Nicky's life as a witch where she not only got an inkling about her powers but her life changes completely.
My first book by Lana Melyan, I liked the way the writing flowed smoothly. I didn't find see myself being distracted, I kind of needed to know and understand her powers and the family she came from. The pages of kindle sure turned fast.
At 80 pages, it was understandable that not much could be revealed. But the author did give me the glimpse of Nicky's world. There witches and warlocks, magic both good and bad, vampires and ex-boyfriends. Notice how I put them together. 😂
Then came my niggles, there were hints of something bigger at play, the author started to reveal Nicky's magic but held back. I wished that something more was told to me so that this felt like a complete story. It would have made me crave for book 2 more.
The book was a perfect companion to my dessert, and I think the second book would be a major kickass. A good read.
I loved this! I couldn't put it down and begged for the next one immediately!
Nicky Callahan wants to know when she's going to get her magic. When? She's been training forever, but there's only so much you can work on when your fingers won't even produce a spark. It doesn't make any sense. Her parents are powerful. The roots of her magical family tree are strong and ancient--not to mention literal. So why is she so helplessly, miserably normal?
It's not that she's worried for herself. (Okay, sure, she'd like to have some magic. Who wouldn't?) But things seem to be heating up for her magical parents, and she can't do anything to help. They keep disappearing for days on end, leaving Nicky with her doting grandma (omg I love grandma, btw), and now some mysterious guy keeps showing up in the strangest places ...
There's plenty of action, magic, and supernatural mayhem, with a luscious icing of mystery layered in between to keep you guessing as the story unfolds. Soooooooo fun! If you've been in a reading slump, pick this one up this weekend. I mean it. It will break your reading slump in half, then shred it, then burn all the tiny pieces to ash.
-- Thank you to the author for sending an advance copy.
An enjoyable new YA fantasy series from Lana Melyan. The focus here is on witchcraft, though some of the supporting characters are vampires. The author has taken a different approach than to her Eternity Road trilogy, with this billed as being like the first episode in a series, as opposed to a feature-length movie. This being the case, it is a short book and ends on a cliffhanger, setting up the next episode. This would be less intimidating to slightly reluctant readers and will be a book that I recommend to some of the children I teach. For me, it read like the promising opening act of a YA novel and I am keen to find out what happens next. The author maintains a very readable, engaging style and has already nicely developed the main protagonist and the fantasy world in which she lives.
The First Wave is a coming of age book with a difference. We meet Nicky, the teenager with a difference. Her family are all witches, her best friend is a witch but she's still waiting to see if her powers will break through. We also meet Nathan and Logan, both men Nicky's family want her to stay away from, well we all know what happens when you tell a teenager to do something don't we. I liked Nicky, she's a confused teenager and we've all been there. She has lots of questions and I'm hoping as I read more of the series I, along with Nicky, get some answers. I enjoyed reading this, only one thing wrong with it, it was far too short. Now to read The Legacy, book 2 in the series.
I won this book in a giveaway but that in no way influences my opinions on this book.
This book was a great start to a series. It was short yet sweet and packed with lots of action. I loved the supernatural aspects of this story and how the plot twist at the end was so unexpected.
I have a ship already in this series even though I know that the ship will probably never happen. I feel like Logan and Nathan would make a cute couple. 🙈
This is a fast-paced, easy and short read...perfect for a quick jump into an exciting world of witches, high school, vampires and danger.
Nicky is the daughter of a very powerful witch and warlock, but she's yet to show any sign of magical powers. Her school life is also a little on edge thanks to a break-up with her boyfriend, which lead to a terrible accident months before. She's trying to figure out how to move on from all of it, and luckily, has a very good friend at her side (who is also a witch). When Nicky notices a strange man watching her from the shadows, and her parents keep disappearing to more and more urgent coven meetings, she begins to wonder what dangers she's not being told about.
This series is a little different in so far that it's meant to be an entire tale, which has been broken down into smaller pieces (each novella) to make for quick, easy reads. This first book holds true to that. It's short, just gives a first feel of the main characters and the lead-in to the series plot. It ends on a cliff-hanger and leaves the reader fevering to see what happens next. And I'll admit, I am excited to see what happens next.
Nicky and her friend come across a pretty normal, older teenagers with all of the drama the age group brings. Her parents are loving but a bit distant because of the coven business and the wall they've built to keep certain things from her. Her grandmother is probably one of my favorite characters. She's a little crazy and yet sweet and wise. I hope to see more of her in the future. The guy characters come across a little cliche...the stalker as dark, alluring in his own way, and, of course, handsome. But considering its the first step in a larger picture, it works and draws in.
It took a bit for me to fall into the flow of things, which is a little disappointing since the book is short. There's a lot of backstory which needed to be tossed in (ex-boyfriend, accident, parents...) and it made it hard to settle right in. About half-way through, when the introductions are past and the story can finally get going, it grabs and makes it impossible to put down. The pacing is fast and there are promises of so much to come. It promises to be an exciting series.
I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed it quite a bit. So, I'm leaving my honest thoughts.
After reading this book, I wanted to write and post this review to share my honest experiences toward the story. The author has described this as a serial, which would be synonymous to watching an episode on Netflix, but you’re reading it instead of watching. With this unique concept in mind, I read through the first ‘episode’ and really enjoyed it.
Similar to a pilot episode of a popular Netflix show, the First Wave introduces us to the main characters in the Weight of Magic series and starts setting things into motion. Yes, it is a bit slow at first, but there’s a lot to build up. It is a very quick, fast paced read – I read it in the length of time I would normally watch an episode of a show, and gives us a good basis to the story and the characters. Being the first episode, there are still some unanswered questions, and the way that ‘episode’ one ended really made me wish I could have the next ones right there and then.
Being a short book – only eighty pages, the author has really managed to project so much story and development in those few pages, enough for us to begin to connect with the characters, to get familiar with the setting, with a rush at the end. This is definitely one series I will be continuing!
Recap: Nicky is waiting for her powers as a witch to manifest, meanwhile her parents are keeping secrets from her.
Review: It's YA so aimed at angsty teenagers, everybody drinks a phenomenal amount of coffee and it feels very familiar - we've been here before! That said my interest is piqued at what the secrets could be and it ticks all the boxes for a quick read. It's a short novella but paced well, we have all the tropes - less powerful best friend, mentor figure in the Gran, an ex-boyfriend who still has an interest plus two good looking dangerous potential love interests and *gasp* one of them is a vampire! But if you enjoy reading this genre then you're going to love the book, I just wanted a little more - I liked it but I didn't love it. Hopefully, book two will ramp up the plot and hook me further.
The first wave by Lana Melyan. Nicky Callahan is the daughter of a powerful warlock. She can’t wait to become a witch, but she is nearly eighteen and still has no magical powers. What seems really strange to her is that her witch parents don't seem to be worried at all. On the first day of school, she notices a guy, too old to be a student. He watches her from afar – sometimes with a smirk, sometimes with a frown on his handsome face. The question is – what does he want from her? Her best friend Connie thinks it’s merely an innocent flirt, but something tells Nicky that the answer is more complicated than that. A fantastic read with some great characters. I really enjoyed this book. Loved Nicky and Connie. Looking forward to the next book. 5*.
This is a great first episode! It’s fast paced, action packed, full of magic with a smart and sassy female mc! A great storyline , this short quick read will hook you and leave you gasping for the next episode!
It was so enticing that I couldn’t put it down, this book grabbed my interest from the very first page. I couldn’t put it down, I had to know what happened next. The story is well written with a very good storyline. This is Book (Episode) One of The Weight of Magic series. This is a fast-paced, easy and short read, perfect for a quick jump into an exciting world of witches, high school, vampires, and danger. This novella series is an exciting ride with unexpected turns and twists; it's like a TV show in a book form. You're one click from starting your binge-read.
She’s the daughter of a powerful warlock, magic is in her blood. Something bad is brewing in the magical world, and she can't wait for her powers to kick in, so she can help the coven, be useful, but she’s nearly eighteen and still not a witch. Where did her magic go? Why does her witch parents act so suspiciously when she comes to them with my questions?
On the first day of school, she notices a guy, too old to be a student, and he watches her from afar, sometimes with a smirk, and sometimes with a frown on his handsome face. The question is, what does he want from her? Her best friend Connie thinks it’s merely an innocent flirt, but something tells her that the answer is more complicated than that. So with all that and more this story pulls you in and holds you tight. It’s a must read. I highly recommend to everyone.
I have never read a book by Lana Meylan before, but I had heard a lot of chatter about book 9 on a Facebook group and so really wanted to give it a try! These are short novella’s of around 70 pages each and are designed to be read in order to tell the story in a similar way to a TV series.
In book one we meet Connie and Nicky, two teenagers who are fairly normal with the usual issues of what to wear, boyfriend (or lack of) issues and going to school etc. They also have the added issue that Connie already has some magical powers as a witch and Nicky is waiting for her magical powers to come in!
Living in a world of witches, warlocks and vampires is already reasonably normal for them but they become more immersed as time goes on. This book is mainly about waiting for Nicky’s powers to come through and setting our what their lives are like.
The characters introduced are very likeable and well developed. The ending leaves you on a cliffhanger, setting you up ready for the next book.
A really enjoyable and quick read, it took me an hour or two to read cover to cover, a great little break from reality and knowing the others have all been released meant I could binge these over a few days!
Not a bad start to a series. Obviously we don’t get any answers yet as to what’s going on as it’s early days. I’m intrigued to find out what happens next.
If the book was edited to remove some rather silly mistakes and the dialogue was less juvenile I would have enjoyed it a lot more and therefore given it a better rating. And yes, I know it’s a coming of age story but that doesn’t mean the book needs to read as if a teenager wrote it. If I were buying this series, as opposed to reading them through Kindle Unlimited, I probably wouldn’t continue on to the next episode.
Het verhaal leek me leuk tot ik zag hoeveel bladzijdes het boek had. Door de positieve reviews toch een poging gedaan.
Opzich leest het verhaal prettig alleen wordt er niks vertelt of uitgelegd. Voor een kort verhaal is het redelijk maar het bleef echt te vlak en vooral vaag. Ik had dan toch liever een dikker boek gehad met meer uitleg. Waarschijnlijk kom je in de andere delen meer te weten naar meh
Nicky was born into a powerful witch family. She is no witch though. Until she is. Then her world falls apart a little bit at a time. What should have been revealed was hidden. What is the secret here family is keeping from her? What does Nathan want from her? Why is her magic glitching?
The First Wave: The Weight of Magic, Episode 1 ~~ I absolutely loved 💖💕💞💗 this book! I was drawn into the story right away, and never stopped wanting to turn the pages. I cannot wait to start reading episode 2!!!! I definitely recommend this series (episodes)!
I only got through the first chapter but I can’t go on. I know it’s a novella but there’s nothing descriptive within the writing, there’s no background or introductions and I found it incredibly disjointed. Not to mention the excess I - I did this/that, I said, I am. This needs proper sentence structure to make it readable.
Loved the beginning of this series. I fell into this book. I was so enthralled in reading that I didn't realize how short this story was. It was more of a novella than a novel. The story just makes you fall into this world. Onto the next.
Beautifully written quick read that’s full of suspense and mystery. Loved the storyline, I was completely intrigued and couldn’t put it down. Overall a fantastic read
I am not much for witches, but I thought I would read it since I read another book by Lana. I can't seem to stop and before I knew it I finished it. Can't wait to Read more.
I’m very interested in reading more from this series. This book is very short, but a great attention grabber. It does end on a cliff hanger, so jump to book #2!
I started this series on June 14th and only just finished the series on June 16th. It a definite page turner since you really want to know what happens next. Which is why I didn't do a review when I finished the first book but after I finished the series.
The title says it all. It was well written, but this feels like it’s going to be another book that was split to make it seem like six books when it is only one chapter.