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T*Witches #8
The Witch Hunters
Twin witches Cam and Alex are back, and facing their greatest danger yet--a mysterious stranger who is out to stop all things witchy. But it's a challenge these grrls are ready to take on!
After an intense trip to Coventry Island, Cam and Alex are back in Marble Bay, and things are back to normal...or so it seems. One of the Six-Pack--Cam's group of bffs--is suddenly displaying some weirdly witchy powers. And a shady stranger in town is out to put a stop to all things magickal--and that includes the twins. Who is this creepy witch-hunter...and will the girls be able to thwart his twisted plan in time?
After an intense trip to Coventry Island, Cam and Alex are back in Marble Bay, and things are back to normal...or so it seems. One of the Six-Pack--Cam's group of bffs--is suddenly displaying some weirdly witchy powers. And a shady stranger in town is out to put a stop to all things magickal--and that includes the twins. Who is this creepy witch-hunter...and will the girls be able to thwart his twisted plan in time?
145 pages, Paperback
First published August 13, 2013
11 people are currently reading
473 people want to read
About the author
H.B. Gilmour
66 books54 followersH. B. Gilmour was a bestselling author of children's books. She grew up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with her mother and the extended family and fondly remembered writing her very first poem for Arbor Day when she was just eight years old. As a teenager, she moved to Florida to live with her father. She attended college there and then moved back to New York City.
Gilmour’s first publishing job was at E.P. Dutton. In 1964 she joined Bantam Books where she worked as copywriter, editor, and copy chief and as an associate director of marketing. She was married to Bruce Gilmour in 1968. She had a child, Jessica, with him in 1970. They were divorced in 1972. Her first novel "The Trade", a trashy paperback about the publishing business, was published in 1969.
She wrote novelizations (including Saturday Night Fever) and children's books (including Muppets books) while working full-time at Bantam and raising a child on her own. She published her second original novel "So Long, Daddy" in 1985. The artwork for the dust jacket of the hardcover release includes a photo of her daughter, Jessica. Her third novel was "Ask Me If I Care", a book about a teenage girl who gets in with the wrong crowd.
In 1992 she joined the book division at Scholastic, leaving in 1995 to pursue writing full-time. She focused her energy on books for "tweens" and children which is what gave her the most joy.
She met John Johann, whom she would later marry, in 1992. They later moved to Cornwallville in upstate New York where she happily tended to the garden she never had in the city until her death. She died on June 21, 2009 of pneumonia due to complications from lung cancer. She is survived by her husband John, daughter Jessica, stepchildren Wendy and John, Jr. and step-grandchildren Reef, Riley, John Jr. and Jasmine.
Gilmour’s first publishing job was at E.P. Dutton. In 1964 she joined Bantam Books where she worked as copywriter, editor, and copy chief and as an associate director of marketing. She was married to Bruce Gilmour in 1968. She had a child, Jessica, with him in 1970. They were divorced in 1972. Her first novel "The Trade", a trashy paperback about the publishing business, was published in 1969.
She wrote novelizations (including Saturday Night Fever) and children's books (including Muppets books) while working full-time at Bantam and raising a child on her own. She published her second original novel "So Long, Daddy" in 1985. The artwork for the dust jacket of the hardcover release includes a photo of her daughter, Jessica. Her third novel was "Ask Me If I Care", a book about a teenage girl who gets in with the wrong crowd.
In 1992 she joined the book division at Scholastic, leaving in 1995 to pursue writing full-time. She focused her energy on books for "tweens" and children which is what gave her the most joy.
She met John Johann, whom she would later marry, in 1992. They later moved to Cornwallville in upstate New York where she happily tended to the garden she never had in the city until her death. She died on June 21, 2009 of pneumonia due to complications from lung cancer. She is survived by her husband John, daughter Jessica, stepchildren Wendy and John, Jr. and step-grandchildren Reef, Riley, John Jr. and Jasmine.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 28, 2022
Maybe it’s the fact that I read most of this in one sitting, but this entry feels REALLY rushed. It’s one of the shortest books in the series and could’ve done with a few more chapters to flesh it out. What’s here is really good and effectively sinister (I did almost finish it in one day), but it moves almost instantaneously from one reveal to the next.
March 31, 2020
This book falls into the “fell apart” category of series installments. A few new elements are thrown into the mix, and plot threads are half-heartedly picked up, twisted strangely, then left in a new location.
We’re back in Marble Bay, Massachusetts, and Cam and Alex’s powers are growing. Cam’s starting to almost-hear people’s thoughts, and Alex is finding herself knowing where people are when she wonders about their location. Furthermore, Ileana and Miranda are realizing that their individually weakened powers are stronger when they work together to cast spells and use magic.
If things didn’t go well in Coventry, well, all is not well in Marble Bay either: a “Witch Hunter” appears at a movie premiere Cam’s friend Bree invites the Six Pack and Alex to, a movie in which Brice Stanley, secret warlock and supporter of Thantos, stars, and he threatens not only Brice, but “you three” too when he looks at Cam and Alex. Three? The twins soon realize that he must be referring to them and one of the girls of the Six Pack, but who could it be?
While the twins follow their instincts and growing acuity to discover more clues in their very own school building about the Witch Hunter’s identity and that of the other “witch”, Ileana and Miranda confront Thantos regarding the missive Karsh had written for Ileana. Now into spoiler territory:
With this book, we get more standard tropes, notably in the anti-witch fanatics. They seriously come out wearing cloaks and wielding primitive-looking swords, in typical mindless mob fashion, chanting and calling out to their target. What’s worse is…it actually works against their target. The requisite relatable teen stuff…I guess is a falling out between adoptive father and daughter and how not all adoptions end up happy as Cam and ultimately Alex’s did? This book is just a mess of things not making sense, of trying to flesh out this world of magick and instead just making it more confused, and I think trying to start bringing things together for the final two books. We’ve traded Tsuris/Vey/Fredo for Sersee and her Furies, Thantos is more determined than ever to keep Cam and Alex out of his way (because apparently maintaining his power/status is more important than ), and Cam and Alex are still just winging it with their magick, not getting any actual guidance and lessons before their upcoming initiation on their 16th birthday in a few short months. Oh and we can’t forget the boy drama: Cam’s boyfriend Jason gets news that is great for his college sports career but which is not so good for the two of them (summers apart, after all, are the doom of high school relationships), while Cade is coming back from his time in London and Alex is completely stoked.
I can’t wait for this series to be done, just to see if it manages to be anything less than a half-train wreck. Its internal logic/world-building is not clear, characters are turned into plot devices (and then quickly returned to the status quo), and it’s too loosely woven to be truly convincing in its entirety.
Typos:
“Protect me? From his cheating. I was supposed to be there!” the blond beauty sputtered. – page 28 – that period does not seem like the right punctuation for the phrase - a question mark would be better.
Cam thought, remembering Alex’s angst when Cade and his family moved to Paris at the end of the school year. – page 37 – I’m getting so confused on the timing of everything. I thought Alex moved to Marble Bay right at the beginning of the new school year, but in this book they mention it’s just spring, and Alex and Cam have only been together a little less than a year.
We’re back in Marble Bay, Massachusetts, and Cam and Alex’s powers are growing. Cam’s starting to almost-hear people’s thoughts, and Alex is finding herself knowing where people are when she wonders about their location. Furthermore, Ileana and Miranda are realizing that their individually weakened powers are stronger when they work together to cast spells and use magic.
If things didn’t go well in Coventry, well, all is not well in Marble Bay either: a “Witch Hunter” appears at a movie premiere Cam’s friend Bree invites the Six Pack and Alex to, a movie in which Brice Stanley, secret warlock and supporter of Thantos, stars, and he threatens not only Brice, but “you three” too when he looks at Cam and Alex. Three? The twins soon realize that he must be referring to them and one of the girls of the Six Pack, but who could it be?
While the twins follow their instincts and growing acuity to discover more clues in their very own school building about the Witch Hunter’s identity and that of the other “witch”, Ileana and Miranda confront Thantos regarding the missive Karsh had written for Ileana. Now into spoiler territory:
With this book, we get more standard tropes, notably in the anti-witch fanatics. They seriously come out wearing cloaks and wielding primitive-looking swords, in typical mindless mob fashion, chanting and calling out to their target. What’s worse is…it actually works against their target. The requisite relatable teen stuff…I guess is a falling out between adoptive father and daughter and how not all adoptions end up happy as Cam and ultimately Alex’s did? This book is just a mess of things not making sense, of trying to flesh out this world of magick and instead just making it more confused, and I think trying to start bringing things together for the final two books. We’ve traded Tsuris/Vey/Fredo for Sersee and her Furies, Thantos is more determined than ever to keep Cam and Alex out of his way (because apparently maintaining his power/status is more important than ), and Cam and Alex are still just winging it with their magick, not getting any actual guidance and lessons before their upcoming initiation on their 16th birthday in a few short months. Oh and we can’t forget the boy drama: Cam’s boyfriend Jason gets news that is great for his college sports career but which is not so good for the two of them (summers apart, after all, are the doom of high school relationships), while Cade is coming back from his time in London and Alex is completely stoked.
I can’t wait for this series to be done, just to see if it manages to be anything less than a half-train wreck. Its internal logic/world-building is not clear, characters are turned into plot devices (and then quickly returned to the status quo), and it’s too loosely woven to be truly convincing in its entirety.
Typos:
“Protect me? From his cheating. I was supposed to be there!” the blond beauty sputtered. – page 28 – that period does not seem like the right punctuation for the phrase - a question mark would be better.
Cam thought, remembering Alex’s angst when Cade and his family moved to Paris at the end of the school year. – page 37 – I’m getting so confused on the timing of everything. I thought Alex moved to Marble Bay right at the beginning of the new school year, but in this book they mention it’s just spring, and Alex and Cam have only been together a little less than a year.
June 28, 2020
The character development and plot were well done in this volume. I was a little disappointed that the great evil wasn't as challenging and sinister as I had hoped. All in all, a good read. I look forward to reading the next book in the series!
January 3, 2025
It was interesting and the new powers their getting is cool
November 2, 2018
The Witch Hunters
Plot: There’s a new threat in Marble Bay. Someone is going around calling himself the Witch Hunter and he makes his debut at the perfect place. Brice Stanly’s movie premier of The Witching Hour. Illena is dealing with some issues of her own-one being Brice taking a mystery date to the premier instead of her-. She and Miranda team up to get Karsh’s secret journal back and find themselves face to face with Sersee. Who wants the journal for her own means (to win Thanatos’s respect and a place in his army). One of Cam’s Six Pack friend’s is acting strange and obsessing over a particular teacher. She’s later shown to have some extra-sensory abilities of her own. Could *she* be the one on the Witch Hunter’s radar?
My Thoughts: Not bad! I thought the twist would be that the friend -Sukari? - really *would* turn out to be a witch and that the twins would help her come to term with her powers. I read this before -as I have the set on my shelf- but I didn’t remember the teacher being Sersee’s sensitive. Lately it’s starting to burn a little -pun unintended- that people -not just in fiction books but yeah- (maybe because of what I am) that people’s reactions to witches are always so NEGATIVE! This guy had NO reason WHAT-SO-FREAKING-ever to have a stick up his backside against witches! He was *suppose* to be a “protector”. No wonder Sersee is looking for validation in Thantos-another father figure-. And whether she realizes it or not she’s going down the *same* path as him. Vengeful against her own kind over pettiness. But I was happy to see her wrath turned in the *right* direction in this book. But does she not know by now that she can’t trust Thantos. Thantos will use anyone for his own selfish agenda and throw them right under the bus as SOON as he gets what he wants. And she hadn’t learned that when he turned her to stone? (smh). I guess it’s true that those who don’t learn from their mstakes are doomed to repeat them over and over and over.
Rating: 71/2
Plot: There’s a new threat in Marble Bay. Someone is going around calling himself the Witch Hunter and he makes his debut at the perfect place. Brice Stanly’s movie premier of The Witching Hour. Illena is dealing with some issues of her own-one being Brice taking a mystery date to the premier instead of her-. She and Miranda team up to get Karsh’s secret journal back and find themselves face to face with Sersee. Who wants the journal for her own means (to win Thanatos’s respect and a place in his army). One of Cam’s Six Pack friend’s is acting strange and obsessing over a particular teacher. She’s later shown to have some extra-sensory abilities of her own. Could *she* be the one on the Witch Hunter’s radar?
My Thoughts: Not bad! I thought the twist would be that the friend -Sukari? - really *would* turn out to be a witch and that the twins would help her come to term with her powers. I read this before -as I have the set on my shelf- but I didn’t remember the teacher being Sersee’s sensitive. Lately it’s starting to burn a little -pun unintended- that people -not just in fiction books but yeah- (maybe because of what I am) that people’s reactions to witches are always so NEGATIVE! This guy had NO reason WHAT-SO-FREAKING-ever to have a stick up his backside against witches! He was *suppose* to be a “protector”. No wonder Sersee is looking for validation in Thantos-another father figure-. And whether she realizes it or not she’s going down the *same* path as him. Vengeful against her own kind over pettiness. But I was happy to see her wrath turned in the *right* direction in this book. But does she not know by now that she can’t trust Thantos. Thantos will use anyone for his own selfish agenda and throw them right under the bus as SOON as he gets what he wants. And she hadn’t learned that when he turned her to stone? (smh). I guess it’s true that those who don’t learn from their mstakes are doomed to repeat them over and over and over.
Rating: 71/2
June 1, 2018
Cam and Alex are back in their hometown with new drama and new powers – just as a new enemy comes to visit.
If you were to read the original paperback summary of what this story is about, you’d probably be confused. My copy says that Cam’s BFF’s are acting way weird. But the fact is they’re really not. With the exception of one particular friend the twins discover is a “sensitive”—aka someone who is not born a real witch, but has certain abilities like ESP or heightened senses)—Cam’s friends don’t really play a particular role in the plot at all.
It does start with an assassination attempt on the warlock-turned-actor, Brice Stanley, which the girls manage to stop. Obsessed with finding this reaper-like stalker, the girls get in tune with their newly developed abilities to find out just who this mad guy is. Turns out he’s connected with Sersee, the enemy witch from the previous book. He hates all things witchy and has spent the last few years hunting down and calling out several witches in his attempt to expose them and magic in general.
Ileana and Miranda have their own adventure as well, confronting Sersee, who stole Karsh’s sacred journal, and Thantos, who gets a taste of his own medicine once Sersee exacts her revenge for cursing her into stone. But they end up retrieving the book and regaining some confidence. Plus, Miranda sees a new side to Thantos she’s been denying, so hopefully, she figures out that even if he isn’t a murderer, he’s still a dick.
This one had a nice flow to it, which is why I rated it higher. The bad guys are still goofy and there are some inevitably cheesy moments, but all in all, it’s a great addition to the series.
If you were to read the original paperback summary of what this story is about, you’d probably be confused. My copy says that Cam’s BFF’s are acting way weird. But the fact is they’re really not. With the exception of one particular friend the twins discover is a “sensitive”—aka someone who is not born a real witch, but has certain abilities like ESP or heightened senses)—Cam’s friends don’t really play a particular role in the plot at all.
It does start with an assassination attempt on the warlock-turned-actor, Brice Stanley, which the girls manage to stop. Obsessed with finding this reaper-like stalker, the girls get in tune with their newly developed abilities to find out just who this mad guy is. Turns out he’s connected with Sersee, the enemy witch from the previous book. He hates all things witchy and has spent the last few years hunting down and calling out several witches in his attempt to expose them and magic in general.
Ileana and Miranda have their own adventure as well, confronting Sersee, who stole Karsh’s sacred journal, and Thantos, who gets a taste of his own medicine once Sersee exacts her revenge for cursing her into stone. But they end up retrieving the book and regaining some confidence. Plus, Miranda sees a new side to Thantos she’s been denying, so hopefully, she figures out that even if he isn’t a murderer, he’s still a dick.
This one had a nice flow to it, which is why I rated it higher. The bad guys are still goofy and there are some inevitably cheesy moments, but all in all, it’s a great addition to the series.
April 6, 2012
This book has a great start and one can really feel the magic coming together and being used in away that makes sense. Unfortunately the writing doesn't hold that strong through the story but it starts strong enough to carry the story through to the end. This was probably the better of the books I have read in the series and one I enjoyed more than any of the others.
But Cam seems less real in this story and the sisters more separated. And I struggle some with Sersee and reality of her character. There seems to be an issue also of poor continuity between characters in this book and prior ones. There personality's don't seem to be consistent. But still I liked this one.
Although there is a lot of threats and fire breathing at the end I found it a little weak and the characters unreal. Still the writing was much stronger in this book than in the others.
But Cam seems less real in this story and the sisters more separated. And I struggle some with Sersee and reality of her character. There seems to be an issue also of poor continuity between characters in this book and prior ones. There personality's don't seem to be consistent. But still I liked this one.
Although there is a lot of threats and fire breathing at the end I found it a little weak and the characters unreal. Still the writing was much stronger in this book than in the others.
August 30, 2017
Early 20s me: 5 stars
Adult me: 5 stars
*For the first book in a "child/teen/middlegrade/nostalgic" book, I am going with the rating younger me would have gone with, then if I read on in the series, I will rate the books what adult me believes it should be rated. If the book is a stand alone, I will go with whatever rating I feel most comfortable giving the book. Please note, I do not really think books should have an age limit. People should read what they want to regardless of the intended age group, except for kids reading erotica or something, of course.*
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I really liked this as a teen (by the 8th book, I think I was actually 20) and I have not read it as an adult yet, but I would like to believe that my feelings and rating would be the same. I will see upon a reread.
Adult me: 5 stars
*For the first book in a "child/teen/middlegrade/nostalgic" book, I am going with the rating younger me would have gone with, then if I read on in the series, I will rate the books what adult me believes it should be rated. If the book is a stand alone, I will go with whatever rating I feel most comfortable giving the book. Please note, I do not really think books should have an age limit. People should read what they want to regardless of the intended age group, except for kids reading erotica or something, of course.*
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I really liked this as a teen (by the 8th book, I think I was actually 20) and I have not read it as an adult yet, but I would like to believe that my feelings and rating would be the same. I will see upon a reread.
February 10, 2016
Fortunately, this eighth volume of the series does not have the massive lapses of logic that the seventh one did.
In this volume, there is a person who is acting as a witch hunter, trying to out people who he believes are witches, perhaps even trying to kill them. Alex and Cam are, of course, in danger from the man, but there is another person who seems to be in danger but who neither twin ever suspected of being a witch.
Thantos is still up to his dirty tricks and manages to find a new ally by the end of the book. Ileana and Miranda have found that they work well together, just like the twins.
All-in-all, a fairly decent book in the series.
In this volume, there is a person who is acting as a witch hunter, trying to out people who he believes are witches, perhaps even trying to kill them. Alex and Cam are, of course, in danger from the man, but there is another person who seems to be in danger but who neither twin ever suspected of being a witch.
Thantos is still up to his dirty tricks and manages to find a new ally by the end of the book. Ileana and Miranda have found that they work well together, just like the twins.
All-in-all, a fairly decent book in the series.
November 21, 2011
Again, this series has me divided. There are great aspects to it: the expansion of several relationships as well as an expansion on the magic mythology in the series, including an enemy that would have been great as a re-occuring villain. There are also frustrating aspects such as
October 26, 2009
I read all these books about 4ish years ago (I think). It was right after the last one came out..anyways, they are WAY better than the movie!
May 24, 2021
Official Rating:
5/5 stars 🌟
5/5 stars 🌟
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews