Book Review: Always a Witch

Always a Witch (Sequel to Once a Witch)

By: Carolyn MacCullough

Published By: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Release Date: August 1, 2011

Buy it at Amazon

Source: Provided by the Publisher via NetGalley

Audience: Young Adult

I read Once a Witch awhile back after it was first released and remembered really enjoying it, but this one blew it out of the water. It may be cheesy to say that this book put a spell on me, but that is exactly what it did. I was unable to put this book down for long. Every time I closed it to do something other than read, my Kindle kept whispering my name urging me to pick it back up and dive into the story. This edition in the series is so fast paced that there are hardly any lulls in the action. My heart was pounding as I read chapter after chapter.

Tasmin and Gabriel are back for more adventures of the witchy variety. In the first book, they have to travel back in time to find a family heirloom that left in the wrong hands can spell disaster for the Greene clan. In this follow up novel, Tasmin and Gabriel will once again have to use their Talents to track down Alistair Knight as he seeks to protect his family from losing their magic. Will Tasmin and Gabriel be able to stop him a second time OR will Alistair prevail and destory the Greenes once and for all?

I love Carolyn MacCullough's take on magic and witches. Each of her characters has a special talent that they can wield for both good and evil purposes. Some have the power to heal, others have the power to manipulate the weather, and some can even steal the bodies of others to use for their own purposes. Tasmin is more special than all the rest - she has the power to resist Talents and if someone uses a Talent against her three times then she takes on their powers. Just like they say in Spiderman - with great power comes great responsibility. Tasmin must use her unique Talents to save her family before the Knight family erases them for all time.

Fans of witch novels and historical fiction are sure to be delighted by this tale. The writing is solid and the characters come to live as the story unfolds. I have to admit that I have quite the crush on Gabriel at this point. He sacrifices everything to make sure that Tasmin is safe. That is pretty swoon worthy if ya ask me. I also enjoyed getting a break from the whole love triangle plot strand that seems to be dominating YA books these days.

One Last Gripe: I didn't like that the ending left me feeling hollow. I am just not happy with how things were left for Tasmin. I just didn't get a strong sense of closure with this one.

My Favorite Thing About This Book: The fast paced action that begins as soon as Tasmin goes back to the 1800's - the momentum rolled through the novel and kept me enthralled

First Sentence: I was born on the night of Samhain.

Favorite Character: Gabriel

Least Favorite Character: Liam

Summary:

The adventures of Tam and Gabriel continue with more time travel, Talents, spy work, and of course, the evil Knights.

Since the gripping conclusion of Once A Witch, Tamsin Greene has been haunted by her grandmother's prophecy that she will soon be forced to make a crucial decision—one so terrible that it could harm her family forever. When she discovers that her enemy, Alistair Knight, went back in time to Victorian-era New York in order to destroy her family, Tamsin is forced to follow him into the past. Stranded all alone in the nineteenth century, Tamsin soon finds herself disguised as a lady's maid in the terrifying mansion of the evil Knight family, avoiding the watchful eye of the vicious matron, La Spider, and fending off the advances of Liam Knight. As time runs out, both families square off in a thrilling display of magic. And to her horror, Tamsin finally understands the nature of her fateful choice.