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Blackbirch: The Ritual
After the devastating events at The Playhouse, Josh is once again grieving. Unwilling to put Sarah and Max in more danger, he vows to deepen his abilities alone and stop the mysterious threat Kallie warned was coming. But his powers aren’t as strong as they once were.
Something is siphoning his magick, and he doesn’t know where to turn. Can he have faith in Eve after her sudden reappearance? Or should he side with Sheriff Stevens, whose help comes with secrets the lawman isn’t prepared to reveal?
When Josh is faced with enemies—both old and new—he has a choice to make: fight the one who threatens to take everything from him, or put his trust in an enemy who promises to cast a ritual that will give everything back.
Something is siphoning his magick, and he doesn’t know where to turn. Can he have faith in Eve after her sudden reappearance? Or should he side with Sheriff Stevens, whose help comes with secrets the lawman isn’t prepared to reveal?
When Josh is faced with enemies—both old and new—he has a choice to make: fight the one who threatens to take everything from him, or put his trust in an enemy who promises to cast a ritual that will give everything back.
278 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published August 17, 2022
About the author
K.M. Allan
6 books62 followersK.M. Allan is an identical twin, but not the evil one. She started her career penning beauty articles for a hairstyling website and now powers herself with chocolate and green tea while she writes novels and blogs about writing.
When she’s not creating YA stories full of hidden secrets, nightmares, and powerful magic, she likes to read, binge-watch too much TV, spend time with family, and take more photos than she will ever humanly need.
Visit her website, www.kmallan.com, to discover the mysteries of the universe. Or at the very least, some good writing tips.
When she’s not creating YA stories full of hidden secrets, nightmares, and powerful magic, she likes to read, binge-watch too much TV, spend time with family, and take more photos than she will ever humanly need.
Visit her website, www.kmallan.com, to discover the mysteries of the universe. Or at the very least, some good writing tips.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 16, 2022
Wow, this was so much fun. Book three jumps straight into the action. And boy there is a lot of action!
Magic and mystery abound as Josh attempts to deal with the events of book two and keep his friends out of danger, all while staying out of the grips of the monsters trying to take his magic. But all is not what it appears. Even the secrets have secrets in Birchwood.
Uncovering these secrets and staying alive will take Josh to the limits of his abilities. Unless he learns what he is fully capable of, he won't survive. And that is just the start.
K.M. Allan has done such a wonderful job with this third instalment of the Birchwood series. The story rips along at a rapid pace. All the old favorites are back, and we meet some new characters too. even the secondary characters (Sarah, Max, Eve and Sheriff Stevens) are complex and deliciously layered. The town of Birchwood, and in particular the woods, have a life of their own and are practically a character in their own right. The magic used within the series is well described, clever and seductive and a powerful tool that can be wielded by both sides. The emotional trauma experienced by all of the characters is written in a very realistic and believable way.
Just be careful of who you trust in Birchwood.
This series just keeps kicking goals. Love it!
Magic and mystery abound as Josh attempts to deal with the events of book two and keep his friends out of danger, all while staying out of the grips of the monsters trying to take his magic. But all is not what it appears. Even the secrets have secrets in Birchwood.
Uncovering these secrets and staying alive will take Josh to the limits of his abilities. Unless he learns what he is fully capable of, he won't survive. And that is just the start.
K.M. Allan has done such a wonderful job with this third instalment of the Birchwood series. The story rips along at a rapid pace. All the old favorites are back, and we meet some new characters too. even the secondary characters (Sarah, Max, Eve and Sheriff Stevens) are complex and deliciously layered. The town of Birchwood, and in particular the woods, have a life of their own and are practically a character in their own right. The magic used within the series is well described, clever and seductive and a powerful tool that can be wielded by both sides. The emotional trauma experienced by all of the characters is written in a very realistic and believable way.
Just be careful of who you trust in Birchwood.
This series just keeps kicking goals. Love it!
September 15, 2022
•••Review contains spoilers•••
Blackbirch: The Ritual is the third book in the series, and starts right in the action
with Max and Sarah in a disused industrial building, trying to retrieve the box that is essential to the ritual of joining Josh and Kallie’s dark halves. While they try to wrest the box to safety under very precarious conditions, Josh and Kallie do battle with their dark doppelgangers.
Blackbirch: The Ritual, is fast-paced, action-packed and is full of other-worldly intrigue and real-life secrets. Psychic visions, magickal forces and of course, the sentient Blackbirch trees, all make for a fascinating and sometimes frightening world.
Having got to know the characters in the previous books, I loved seeing the romances blossom between the two lead couples, made all the more interesting by Sarah’s feelings for Josh and her jealousy towards Kallie. Despite her affection for long-suffering boyfriend, Max, Sarah still carries a torch for Josh. Sarah is always ready to think the worst of Kallie, but Josh knows that Kallie’s heart is true.
The secondary characters provide a lot of interest, with secrets and agendas of their own. Eve’s reappearance certainly ups the ante, stirring the pot (or cauldron) as she always does. Law enforcers Brewer and Stevens make a strong appearance, as they work to solve the strange events happening in Blackbirch, and the mystery surrounding the family tragedies of both Josh and Kallie. But law enforcement is not their only concern. Both men have secrets in their past that drive their present-day actions.
I enjoyed becoming immersed in this magickal world again and going on the journey with our beloved teen protagonists, as they navigate the mysterious and often frightening world that is Blackbirch.
Blackbirch: The Ritual is the third book in the series, and starts right in the action
with Max and Sarah in a disused industrial building, trying to retrieve the box that is essential to the ritual of joining Josh and Kallie’s dark halves. While they try to wrest the box to safety under very precarious conditions, Josh and Kallie do battle with their dark doppelgangers.
Blackbirch: The Ritual, is fast-paced, action-packed and is full of other-worldly intrigue and real-life secrets. Psychic visions, magickal forces and of course, the sentient Blackbirch trees, all make for a fascinating and sometimes frightening world.
Having got to know the characters in the previous books, I loved seeing the romances blossom between the two lead couples, made all the more interesting by Sarah’s feelings for Josh and her jealousy towards Kallie. Despite her affection for long-suffering boyfriend, Max, Sarah still carries a torch for Josh. Sarah is always ready to think the worst of Kallie, but Josh knows that Kallie’s heart is true.
The secondary characters provide a lot of interest, with secrets and agendas of their own. Eve’s reappearance certainly ups the ante, stirring the pot (or cauldron) as she always does. Law enforcers Brewer and Stevens make a strong appearance, as they work to solve the strange events happening in Blackbirch, and the mystery surrounding the family tragedies of both Josh and Kallie. But law enforcement is not their only concern. Both men have secrets in their past that drive their present-day actions.
I enjoyed becoming immersed in this magickal world again and going on the journey with our beloved teen protagonists, as they navigate the mysterious and often frightening world that is Blackbirch.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2022
I've come to expect great storytelling from K.M. Allen. And Blackbirch: The Ritual, the third in the Blackbirch series, did not disappoint. The story, while reintroducing us to the known cast of characters, is not at all what I expected. Magic, mayhem and plot twists aplenty keep you wondering what's going to happen next. Some old favourites return, some new are introduced and the main cast all begin to show the scars of their experiences (with a few happy ones too). The author's worldbuilding gets better and better with the eerie town and woods of Blackbirch coming through stronger than ever.
The plot just kept on giving. I kept checking how far I had to read as each problem was (mostly) solved, and with a little thrill, I knew there was way more excitment and trouble to come.
A great read. Looking forward to the next instalment.
The plot just kept on giving. I kept checking how far I had to read as each problem was (mostly) solved, and with a little thrill, I knew there was way more excitment and trouble to come.
A great read. Looking forward to the next instalment.
August 23, 2022
Another action packed and drama fuelled book in the mysterious Blackbirch series. This book takes off where book 2 ended, and some of the storyline is taken up by the dark halves that emerged in the previous book. After that, the twists just keep coming, with new characters adding intrigue and questions and an older character making her presence felt again. I loved Sarah and Max - they are brilliant secondary characters and add the touch of humour and normality that is occasionally needed in such a fast paced series. What I have enjoyed the most about all these books is how much you can tell the author loves the world she has so lovingly and intricately created. I am really excited to read book 4!
September 11, 2022
The Blackbirch series continues with another thrilling adventure that somehow is more exciting than the previous two books! This was so fun to read and learn more about the dark secrets of Blackbirch.
October 13, 2023
Another fantastic edition to this witchy series. Romances heating up, dangers around every turn and new information in Josh's quest to find out the source of his magic and protect those he has grown to love. With lots of the twists we've come to expect from this series and more of everyone favourite villainess Eve! A great read!
January 26, 2023
OMG!!
This was a terrific read. One twist after another exploding in a cliffhanger ending. Wow! I can’t wait for book 4!!
This was a terrific read. One twist after another exploding in a cliffhanger ending. Wow! I can’t wait for book 4!!
September 4, 2023
FINALLY caught up on the world of Blackbirch. I'm a huge fan of this series and its wonderful author. After the first 2 books, introducing us to Josh, Kallie, Sarah and Max (amongst a wonderful, colourful cast of characters), The Ritual did not disappoint. K.M. Allan's signature for tension, plot twists, and a dramatic cliff-hanger of an ending prevail and as such I cannot WAIT for book 4 to find out what's next for these characters who feel so real.
December 10, 2024
A great addition to the series! There was action, twists and of course, lots of magick. The characters are really coming into their own.
The story moves fast keeping you hooked and definitely throws some surprises at you. I've enjoyed delving into this series and watching the characters grow and their relationships with each other and their abilities shift and change in different ways.
Excellent ending that I was not expecting, so I'll be grabbing book 4 soon!
The story moves fast keeping you hooked and definitely throws some surprises at you. I've enjoyed delving into this series and watching the characters grow and their relationships with each other and their abilities shift and change in different ways.
Excellent ending that I was not expecting, so I'll be grabbing book 4 soon!
January 4, 2024
Having read books 1 and 2, I went into this already invested in the characters, but, oh boy, K.M. Allan does not disappoint. From the first page, this book is a rocket ride of magick, mystery, and mayhem that kept me turning the pages through to the end. Fantastic fun read and I can’t wait to read Book 4.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews