Book #1 of the Coven Series
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books (March 2012)
Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance
Pages: 188 (ebook) (ARC)
Source: NetGalley
Purchase: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Book Depository
Rating: ★★★½☆ (3.5 stars)
Witchcraft Is Her Family’s Business.
No One Quits The Family And Lives To Tell About It.
“Jax” Pherson has power, enough power to know her future will end in service to the dark coven her father controls. Unless she can stay hidden in a small community in the mountains of North Carolina. She must find a way to live without magic and deny the darkness she feels welling up inside her—the same dark power that fuels the covens around the world.
All she wants is a normal life. A boyfriend. Friends. Some place to belong, but all too soon Jax’s barely begun new life hangs in the balance when she discovers that the boy she’s attracted to is sworn to kill her kind. He’s a hunter with good reason to kill everything that goes bump in the night.
Even the most fleeting use of her power is tantamount to signing her death warrant and will bring both hunter and coven down on her. But can she walk away when her friends are threatened by an old evil? Something created by the magic of witches? Jax’s only hope of survival is to convince the boy she loves to forget everything he’s ever been taught and help her find a way to fight the covens. To believe there is some good in her.
The Good
Love or Hate…
I’ve noticed that many people either love this book or just feel so-so about it. I can understand the split verdict because there is nothing hugely unique or amazing about White Witch, but I for one had a good time reading it. It was well written, the characters drew me into the story, and the suspense was good. I can’t wait for the next book in the series to come out.
Playing Human…
Jax has committed one of the worst offenses according to the covens, she has abandoned her family and ran from her duties as a black witch. Now there is a death warrant on her witchy little head. Jax knows exactly what kind of death she will receive from her evil father, the very man who controls her old coven. And the fear of the pain alone keeps her powers in check, for if she uses too much, the covens can trace it back to her hiding spot. And Jax is just finding a place to fit in within her new sanctuary. A new best friend and a scrumptious boyfriend. Sure, her boyfriend might be a hunter who kills her kind, but nobody is perfect. But as secrets are revealed, new alliances are made, and old and new evils make themselves known, Jax will have to fight for her life, and her friends’ lives. Maybe playing human was a bad idea after all.
Innate Evil…and Love
Jax was a perfect mix of feistiness, tenderness, and strength. Her life has not been easy. She has witnessed so much suffering at such a young age that anyone would cringe from her memories. Her coven only believes in one kind of witch, a black one. But Jax struggles with the innate evilness every witch is supposed to foster. Things only get harder when she meets Keller, a hunter. Though she knows he would kill her if he found out about her true identity, she can’t help but feel an instant attraction towards him. Their romance was a little rushed but I still liked the young lover feel to this couple. Keller obviously felt the same way about Jax, but only through the encouragement from friends do they finally give in.
Toni’s the WoMan…
Keller came off a little standoffish, but you grow to admire his determination. But the character that I loved the most was Toni, Jax’s friend and Keller’s cousin. She had a great sense of humor and a great sense of taste. She didn’t follow the norm, she did what she wanted. She played in a band and wore hilarious shirts that only a few people would understand. She was the kind of friend every girl wants. But I did feel like she lost a little of herself when Egan came into the picture. I am not going to say too much about him since it would ruin the surprise, but overall he was an enjoyable part of the team. I just didn’t like Toni’s response to him. I figured her for a stronger personality.
Witchery…
I thought the story and plot were very well done. It kept a good pace and the added mystery layered in really amped up the storyline. Revelations came at perfect times, just enough for us to still ask questions but feel satisfied with what we just learned. The bad guys were absolutely horrible and creepy. The suspense was spot on; I felt like a was taken on a thrill ride of witchery, teen angst, and evil.
The Bad
As many of you may know, I always find reading present tense a little awkward. So as you can guess, it took some time getting use to it in White Witch. The plot and storyline were not very original, but it was different enough that it didn’t bother me that much.
I felt like the big action scene at the end fell a little flat. It was simply too short. The whole book was leading up to this point and it was over in a couple of pages. Not very dramatic or frightening.
The Snuggly
Romance and sex wise this is a pretty clean book. A lot of heavy kissing. I liked Jax and Keller together. They had a bumpy beginning, and the whole shy love thing was adorable. Jax and Keller were irresistibly drawn to each other, and I enjoyed reading about their relationship.
Overall
I am going to keep an eye out for Milburn. This is the first book I’ve read of hers and she did a good job. The story, though not terribly original, was well plotted and fun to read. I didn’t get bored. I read White Witch in a day and had a smile on my face at the end. And speaking of the ending, there was definitely some good foreshadowing for future books. The end was left open-ended, which I didn’t mind since I felt like I got my money’s worth (yes, I got it for free, but you know what I mean). A recommended read.
I gasp when I feel cold hit my scalp. It takes a moment for me to realize Stacy has upended a milkshake on the top of my head.
“Oh, look at that. All her glorious blond hair doesn’t look so glorious anymore.” Stacy and her followers laugh. “Don’t mess with me, witch.”
I surge to my feet, anger at how Stacy has filled “witch” with venom propelling me, the blackness of my kind rising inside me until even my vision turns dark. It breathes like a distinct entity inside me. As I catch Stacy’s gaze, a gust of wind sweeps papercups and napkins from the outdoor tables, sending them sailing down the street. It makes my chocolate-soaked hair stir around me.
