Rating: 6/10
FYI, I was sent physical copies of the books in this series by Tor Books in exchange for an honest review and publicity.
That being said, once I received an email from Tor with the synopsis of the series I was very interested. I hadn't heard of the series and the summary sounded like the type of book that I enjoy reading. I mean I love fantasy and I love horror, this seemed like a sick marriage between the two. To be honest, it kind of sounded a bit like the shadowhunter books if they were edgier, for new adults, and if they focused largely on witches (in a good way). I enjoyed the book, but not as much as I hoped that I would. Something about it just didn't vibe with me. But, I wouldn't say that I actively disliked the book. I believe I will attempt to get into the second book in the series in January. I'm hoping that perhaps I'll be more into the sequel, usually series start to improve with the sequel (unless it's one of those sequels that just kind of bridges a gap between the first book and the last book). Without further ado, let's start the official review!
Synopsis from the back of the book:
"Robin is a YouTube celebrity gone-viral with her intensely-realistic witch hunter series. But even her millions of followers don't know the truth: her series isn’t fiction.
Her ultimate goal is to seek revenge against the coven that sentenced her mother to a fate worse than death. Returning home to the rural town of Blackfield, Robin meets friends new and old on her quest for justice. But then, a mysterious threat known as the Red Lord interferes with her plans…."
What I liked:
I have to applaud Hunt for her world-building. The world building felt very well done, it was thorough without being overbearing. As someone who is from the South, I must say that Hunt did a great job of describing life in a more rural, Southern town. And the imagery that Hunt conjured with her use of description was also very good. She has a talent for setting the scene so that the reader is really able to feel as though they’re a part of the action. That had to be my favorite part about the book, the raw, effectual use of description. Hunt is great at establishing the setting. This means that the horror scenes are A plus. If you have a book with horror elements, and they aren't described properly, it has a way of making the horror sequences feel underwhelming. This was never a problem, the scary vibes were exquisite. The part where Robin was in the bathroom and the part with the snake were creepy as hell. The anxiety that she is able to create there is so palpable, that you get drawn into the book. This also plays into the lore of the witches within the book which felt very creative. The whole history surrounding the witches was very inventive. The pacing of the story seemed pretty good as well, if felt like time was moving at a reasonable pace; though, the beginning (after that initial action sequence) was pretty slow.
What I Didn't Like:
My biggest complaint, is that large chunks of this book could’ve been taken out and the story wouldn’t have suffered. To be honest, we didn't even get into the meat of what the story is supposed to be in this book. The ending was kind of disappointing, as the main goals of the book weren't accomplished at all. Like, this book was way longer than it needed to be, and there were a ton of characters the could've been pushed aside. I like Wayne and Leon (actually I might like them more than Robin) but I think this same story could’ve been accomplished without their POV or perhaps left in, but used more sparingly. Even if their POV was left in, some of their chapters were wholly unnecessary. Chapter 12 could be taken out. It didn't affect the plot at all and really only served to make the story longer. All of the sequences with the kids could have been cut out. I think the story would've been more cohesive if it was only Robin's POV. Or perhaps if it was 80% Robin's POV and 20% little segments of other's perspective for posterity.
Since we did get plenty of scenes with the kids, I have to say that their dialogue felt unnatural. The kids kind of phased in and out of speaking like middle-schoolers. They were perhaps a bit too wholesome, middle-schoolers are mean dude. They were all so supportive of each other, and that felt too adult. Just, a lot of the things that they did felt too adult considering their respective ages. Another small thing that didn't vibe with me: something about the romantic plot line didn’t quite flow. I won’t say that it shouldn’t have been included, rather it just needed something else. It was just very kind of uncomfortable? I don’t know if that was the point, but I didn’t want to read the chapters. I just didn't find myself invested in it. I'm not one to get up-in-arms about the lack of a romance plot line and I'm not starting now. I guess it felt like if it was going to be an element of the story, it needed more than what it got.
Closing Thoughts:
If you're looking for a new adult, contemporary fantasy book that has some horror elements and a cool/alt protagonist then I highly recommend that you check this one out! It has a lot of story elements that make it an interesting read once you get into it. I hadn't read many books that use witches in a way that is actually scary until this one (this and a short story by Aiden Merchant). Even though I didn't love it, it still felt like it was worth the read. Some of the characters were really cool, although I didn't really feel attached to any of them (some attachment to Wayne). I do plan to read the sequel relatively soon, perhaps in January because I want some resolution. Thank you to Tor Books for sending me the books to review!