Motor City Witches: The Goddess Within

by Jade Aurora

From the mind of master creator, Jade Aurora comes her first debut "Motor City The Goddess Within." This tale, which follows the lives of three friends who all dabble in the occult, is a magical read that not only excites but is relatable to readers everywhere.

224 pages, Paperback

Published July 23, 2020

Reviews

[Meli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll start with the positives I felt reading this book. For one, I love fantasy-style books, even more so if the protagonist is a black woman, even more so if that protagonist lives an alternative lifestyle somehow. This book had all of that, so it kept me invested. As a Midwesterner, I loved reading about the locations and events (shout out to Youmacon!) that I recognized. And for the love of god, I’m so happy that the Spanish used in this book was correct. When it came to the main characters of this book, I felt they were characters I could root for, and be interested in.

So why only four stars? Well, it’s little things that added up.

While I enjoyed the meat of this book, so to speak, it felt almost like a beta version. There are a lot of instances of us being told and not shown, which at times gave it a bit of a monotone flow as I read through it: “This happened. Then this did. Then this did. Then this did.” There’s many events that I feel could’ve been greatly more impactful if only the author had not been so direct with stating what happened so plainly. I also felt that, at times, the order in which we were told things (like whenever a new character is introduced, we immediately get their backstory) could have been arranged differently. And I would be remiss to not mention that the formatting of this book, or at least my copy, was a mess. Sometimes it’s hard to tell who’s speaking because a paragraph isn’t started or ended at the correct time. This is actually what took me so long to finish this book. It’s not a long read at all. There’s also a bunch of spelling and grammar errors that would’ve probably been caught with one more editor sweep.

I did like this book a lot; I read the bulk of it within 4 days. But I can’t consider it a 5-star read, because part of me is just a little frustrated with what it could’ve been with the right editor.

[Erica | · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, I don't even know where to start! Each of the main characters (Rachelle, Sarai, Louise) are amazing in their own way. They each know their worth, but in the moments when one of them may forget it, the other two are there to remind them.

There is a strength to these women that doesn't just come from within. It is in their connection to one another and their respect for their ancestors. But it's also in the power shared between women when they build each other up.

What I enjoyed the most about this book is the way witchcraft/magic is explained and presented. It's done in such a way that the reader learns along with the characters - from how certain elements or ingredients are used, to the importance of intention and ethical practicing, to challenging misunderstandings and stereotypes.

I really enjoyed getting to know these women, and I am looking forward to book 2!

[Natasha Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story was told very straight forward and I loved all the characters. There were several twists I did not see coming and I just loved the fact that the main characters stood their ground and were true to themselves. I also loved how they just kept winning and winning! A must read if you love fantasy!!!

[Heather Redic · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun book to read! It had the right mix of drama and magic as well as some original artwork of the characters done by the author. It’s not very often I come across books with this. Can’t wait for the second one.