Three sisters, one power, and an evil out to destroy everything in its path. The Whitlow witches often rub elbows with all things that go bump in the night, but what will they do when Hell itself comes calling?
A dangerous ritual, decades old, is about to set loose an evil on the town of Henley-on-Hale and the Whitlows are the only thing standing in the way. The sisters must untangle a web of lies to find the truth behind a series of brutal and horrific murders that are taking the lives of local teens and leaving very strange clues behind. Clues that say this is more than just your run-of-the-mill serial killer.
The witches must call on the aid of their allies - old and new - to confront a force unlike any they’ve ever faced before. The fate of the town and its inhabitants hangs in the balance and, should they fail, the evil that could be unleashed on the world would be cataclysmic.
Undertow is the second installment of The Carolina Files, by Willa Blackmore.
Perfect for readers of gritty, fun urban fantasy in the vein of the hit TV show Supernatural.
Urban Fantasy meets Horror in this tale of kidnap, murder and possession.
This is book two of The Carolina Files Series; Urban Fantasy meets Paranormal meets Horror. The book is set in the town of Henley-on-Hale, North Carolina. A unique town where supernatural beings mix freely with local mundane humans.
Tula Whitlow is one of three witch sisters who run a local Inn for Supernatural beings. The three had let their talents lapse and were living the high life until recently, when trouble landed on their doorstep and they were forced to start learning their witchcraft to defend the town.
Trouble continues to plague the town. A series of gruesome murders of local teenagers comes to light. Demonic sigils found tattooed on the dead teens and daubed at the sites where their bodies are left leads local law enforcement to call in Tula to help investigate. All signs point to a ritual sacrifice which took place 15 years before. Were the teens involved in a demonic cult or are they paying for the sins of their parents?
I really enjoyed this book. The descriptive world building and character development is great; I like Willa Blackmore’s style of writing. It’s well paced and draws you into the story. I like that we see a bit more of what Tula’s sisters can do. I hope we get to know them better as the series progresses. I like that Tula hasn’t suddenly become an all-powerful, all-knowing witch and is having to actually learn her craft and hone her skills. I love Ruby and I like the way she is pulled in to help and uses everything as a teaching moment. I love that Tula hasn’t leapt into a relationship with the vampire, Victor, even though I kind of really want her to.
This story is more complex than the first book and it’s all the better for that. I was completely immersed in this tale from start to finish. I really enjoyed it. I’m excited to see what the next book will hold. This is definitely one of the more interesting new series I’ve read lately. Willa Blackmore is an author to watch.
I loved this book! It was so much fun reading about the town's characters. You don't have to read the series in order but this one does have a small part that gives spoilers of the first book. It wouldn't take much away but I would definitely start with book one because the writing is so good that you will want to read both.
Book two had a dark theme. As in, more toward horror. When I started the series I wasn't sure what to expect. Some paranormal cozy mystery? It's that and then some. Nothing cozy about it. But it's not the kind that leaves you disturbed and wishing you hadn't read it. There's depth and character. The good fighting evil. I love aunt Ruby. She's my favorite. And I am so ecstatic about Karla. Now I just wish Tula would start dating Victor. I know this isn't a romance book but it wouldn't bother me if that was added lol. It will be interesting to see where the books lead with him. As a back story, possibly has something wrong with his health. If that's possible for a vampire. I'm hoping he only has so long to fall in love and have babies or he goes up in ash bahahaha.
I've been back and forth on this one. I actually reached a point of DNF but decided to just go one more chapter - and it did get a bit better. There were just quite a few back-to-back areas that were too much. For 2 characters - one a shifter - to be hit on the back of the head was just too much. The fmc seems to do some really stupid stuff and is either a stellar witch or can't tie her shoes. It felt like there were a few sections that were introduced as a big deal but never followed up on. There was even one section where Everly made a comment about going to the council meeting that night and she'd already been there in the previous chapter. I might come back to the series, but I think I'm going to tap out for a while.
The Whitlow's are always at the forefront of finding trouble and trying to wrangle it into submission. When a teen girl ends up dead, Tula doesn't know why but she intends to dig until she figures it. But digging may just land her in a grave. Evil is loose and it takes everyone to figure it out and combat it. This was a really great book and I love the series thus far. 5 out of 5 stars, I highly recommend.
Stakes are higher, emotions go deeper and the world of Henley-on-Hale gets more description. The rules of witchcraft in the series begin to take shape. Through new characters, the Bentleys are introduced... all in all we get more 3D feeling of the place and history. I'd say the second book is better than the first, albeit much darker and veers more towards horror and away from cosy mystery.
Since there is no love interest in this book, it keeps me wanting more out of it, but yet not receiving it. Victor and Tula would be perfect for each other and would make a really neat part of the books. You however, are not allowing it and want to stick him with Karla. so I think I’m ready to be done with these books. I need a little oomph in the books I read.
The main character Tula is entertaining as she realizes the depth of her abilities and begins to start embracing them. Her family heritage is helping their area dealing with the supernatural both good and bad. I will definitely be reading about her next adventure
While this was good some of the plot unsettled me a bit. It did not help that I read it late at night. All things considered this series pretty fun so far. I do not love any of the sisters but they are tolerable and Aunt Ruby is a very enjoyable character. I will likely pick up the next book in the series but will probably not opt to read it late at night like this one.
Tula and her family are called on to solve another mystery that is threatening their community. When teenagers are being murdered, everyone must work together. This book is darker than the first and just as captivating. The characters are revealing more about themselves and the world building is intriguing.
I’ll say it again, I love the Nancy Drew feel mixed with the supernatural. A strong female lead, who doesn’t need a man. Not that I’m opposed to her finding love in the end, it’s refreshing that Tula’s more than that. Looking forward to more.
After reading book three in this series, I'm still not sure how I think about it. It is on the dark side. However, the characters have been developing and we are learning about their backgrounds. I am looking forward to the next book.
Incredible world building. I could read multiple offshoots of this series in this world that Willa has created. I hungrily await the next book in Tula's series but I want series for all the sisters. And the leap year vamp ;)