THE WITCH'S BLOOD BY KATHARINE & ELIZABETH CORR

Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads Description:

Just who can you trust when no one around you is who they seem?

The final spell-binding book in The Witch’s Kisstrilogy by authors and sisters, Katharine and Elizabeth Corr.

Life as a teenage witch just got harder for Merry when her brother, Leo is captured and taken into an alternative reality by evil witch Ronan. Determined to get him back, Merry needs to use blood magic to outwit her arch-rival and get Leo back. Merry is more powerful than ever now, but she is also more dangerous and within the coven, loyalties are split on her use of the magic. In trying to save Leo, Merry will have to confront evil from her past and present and risk the lives of everyone she’s ever loved. Given the chaos she’s created, just what will she sacrifice to make things right?

Review:

Three beautiful, well thought out, adventurous books all wrapping up the final instalment in what truly has been a memorable journey.

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

Upon closing the final book, the other night, I didn’t really know what to think. A beautiful story, one I’d fallen for, had drawn to a close. I’m really sad that this trilogy has come to an end, that there isn’t another instalment.

On the upside though, I couldn’t be happier with how this story developed from the first book to the last.

The story of Merry, Leo and Jack have truly brought so much magic into my life and I’ve utterly loved every single moment of it! As I said back in my review of the first book, The Witch’s Kiss, Merry as a character has been written so well; her thoughts, observations and internal monologue captivated me from the very beginning and kept me utterly enchanted with her presence.

Leo...oh, sweet precious baby Leo. You are so damn adorable and brave and just a lil cherub! I loved the way his character evolved in this final book, he truly has been on one heck of a development wave. Back in the first book, he was naïve, unsure, hiding behind his sister...but now, he’s striking out as his own person, ready to take on whatever Ronan or the Shadow Realm had to throw at him!

Now, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, these Corr sisters know how to write a character from another realm who of which you can fall utterly in love with. And Jack is just that. Whilst in the first book, I was rooting for Merry and Jack to be together – despite being from different worlds and points in time – in The Witch’s Blood, I really enjoyed his connection with Meredith and her sisters. It was beautiful to witness his unwavering commitment to both Meredith and Merry.

After reading the other two books, it makes so much more sense as to why the King of Hearts was at play and how Gwydion would come to be a part of the story in the future. In The Witch’s Blood, the Corr sisters took this trilogy on a bit of a darker spin by adding an active involvement in the shadow realm, fleshing out the sinister character of Ronan, and how sacrifices are sometimes the only way to save the ones you love.

I could honestly go on about this trilogy forever, but I thought I’d just highlight some of my favourite moments of this final installation in The Witch’s Kiss trilogy:

Family – All throughout this trilogy, I loved how the Corr sisters chose to really focus in on Merry’s home life, the coven meetings, heart-to-hearts with her wise Gran. Unlike other stories that focus around teenage protagonists and their school/social life, I really enjoyed seeing a character’s home life, as well as snippets of school/social activity.

Darkness is always lurking. Whether it be Gwydion’s sick twisted plot for the King of Hearts or Ronan’s sacrificial ceremony, this series has kept a line throughout this trilogy that always warns the reader that darkness is never out of sight. Though I will admit, I feel like in this last book, the Corr sisters went REAL dark, to the point at times where I felt queasy – but like a good kind of queasy – and I was just all the more intrigued by how they kept a reader captivated, despite all the brutal crime and punishment that was going on.

Lastly, and because I’m a total sucker for romance: Finn Lombard.

Oh Finn, in one book you managed to take me through about five million types of emotions towards you. But in the end, you kept me smiling and cheering – although there were several times where I was ready to reach through the book and give you a piece of my mind. Nonetheless, Finn is such a handsome, charming, witty and yet another book boyfriend to add to my never-ending list.

I truly appreciate the stunning, generous and wonderful Corr sisters for taking me on this journey with them. You are both such pleasures to get to know and I cannot wait for what you bring out next!

Side note: if you take a look through the acknowledgements section...you might notice a familiar name hehe

Start Merry’s adventures today! Buy a copy of The Witch’s Kiss from Amazon or Dymocks and let me know your thoughts!

Think Lovely Thoughts xo

ONCE UPON A TIME: REAWAKENED BY ODETTE BEANE

Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads Book Description:

Emma Swan's life has been anything but a fairy tale. She's been on her own since she was abandoned as a baby--that is, until the night of her twenty-eighth birthday, when Henry, a ten-year-old boy, shows up on her doorstep. He's the son Emma gave up for adoption, and this surprise visit turns her life upside down.

Henry takes Emma back to his home in Storybrooke, Maine, where, Henry claims, all the residents are actually fairy tale characters who can't remember their true identities. And if Henry's right, that means that his sweet-natured, lonely schoolteacher Mary Margaret Blanchard is really Snow White, the iconic princess ... and also Emma's long-lost mother.

In Fairy Tale Land, we meet Snow White as a bandit on the run, forced into exile by her stepmother, the Evil Queen. Snow's a young woman learning to become a hero, who will do anything to live happily ever after with her one true love, Prince Charming.

The closer Emma comes to Henry in Storybrooke, the harder it is for her to ignore the dark curse that haunts this small New England town and binds her to Mary Margaret. If Emma can learn to accept her destiny as Storybrooke's savior and break the curse, she just might get the family reunion she's dreamed about her entire life.

My Review:

Based on the fantastical TV series created by Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis, Once Upon A Time: Reawakened is to easily sum it up. It’s basically the first season of Once Upon A Time in book form, which in my opinion, being a huge fan is absolutely awesome!

I loved being able to read about my favourite characters and relive their captivating stories that stole the hearts of audiences all over the world.

Odette Beane writes Once Upon A Time: Reawakened with simplicity, sophistication and style. She defines each of the on-screen characters in the same way the actors have portrayed them, their quirks, the way they speak, carry themselves and interact with others.

I was so excited when finding this book in my local bookstore and I completely loved reading my favourite TV series in book form, it was a wonderful experience. I recommend both the book and TV series to any of you out there that love fairytales and amazing adventures into different realms!

Think Lovely Thoughts xo