Book Review: Wiccan

Wiccan

By: M. Leighton

Published By: M. Leighton

Publication Date: February 2011

Ebook

Buy it at Amazon

Source: Purchased by Reviewer

Audience: Young Adult

You never know what you are going to get when you try out a self published author. Many of these Indie writers have great ideas, but the writing is often lacking or littered with typos. However, I am all about supporting writers in various forms of publishing and I find witch novels to be intriguing so I figured I would give this one a try. I had never read anything else written by Leighton, but I figured at 99 cents even if I didn't enjoy the read it wasn't that big of a loss.

I have to admit that Wiccan took me completely by surprise. I was expecting a book about witches, but this is so much more than that. In all honesty, the paranormal aspects don't really rise to the surface until the end. The book is more mystery/cop drama than anything else. However, I enjoyed that this book was a hybrid genre. It provided flexibility and kept me guessing. There is also a wicked twist at the end that I never saw coming. I'm in shock still - days after I finished the book. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series, which Leighton mentioned would hopefully be out by winter.

I really enjoyed the characters, plot, and writing style of this one. Wiccan is a little bit CSI mixed with a dose of Charmed. It has elements that kept me wanting more - romance, murder, intrigue. The plot also felt fresh in spite of the witchcraft elements. The directions that Leighton chooses to go make this a world that is truly her own. She keeps a solid pace while keeping her writing simple yet effective. I found that I couldn't put this one down until I knew what was going on with the murders and Mercy's visions. 

The major problem I had with this read was the relationship between Mercy and Grayson. It just seemed to happen too quickly and I couldn't believe how accepting her parents were of the relationship considering the age difference. The pairing seemed odd when one character was just beginning college and entering adulthood while the other character was firmly entrenched in a career and wholly adult existence. There are also a few typos, but not many, and they often don't distract from the reading flow.

Overall, I enjoyed this read and am looking forward to trying out other books by M. Leighton. She is certainly an Indie author to keep an eye on; Leighton is by far one of the best self published writers I have read.

One Last Gripe: I am still wondering if Lisa's murder is in anyway connected to the other murders or if these events have no connections. I don't feel like this was fully addressed and its bugging me.

My Favorite Thing About The Book: The twist at the end 

First Sentence: "Tonight I'm not Lisa."

Favorite Character: Mercy

Least Favorite Character: Jake

Summary:

Where does evil live? Is it in the heart? Or in the blood?

Nearly-nineteen year old Mercy Holloway has a gift. Long ago murders play out right before her eyes when she passes over a place of death, but Mercy never thought that her unusual ability would interfere with her having a normal college experience. Until today, that is.

On her way to school, Mercy witnesses another murder-only this one's different. And Mercy's the only one who can do anything about it. Out of time and out of options, Mercy takes what little information she has to the police where she meets Detective Caleb Grayson. Grayson doesn't necessarily believe Mercy, he's just better at hiding his feelings than most. It's not long, however, before Grayson has no choice but to believe her.

As the two embark on a mission to solve a murder, Mercy starts having more visions. Only these contain messages. And they're meant for her. This powerful, evil killer knows things about Mercy that she didn't even know herself, things she never wanted to find out.

Body by body, Mercy discovers that her gift is not a gift at all, but a curse. And it's one she can't escape. It runs in her veins. Can Mercy and Grayson catch a killer and capture love? Or are they destined to fail...at both?