Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton

Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton - 390 pages

Long ago, the town of Three Graces made a deal.  Every seven years during the Slaughter Moon they must sacrifice a young man of the town to the devil in the forest.  In exchange, the town suffers no ill -- illness, famine, premature death.  But something has changed.  It's only been three years since the last Slaughter Moon.  Now sacrifice Rhun, witch Mair, and outcast Arthur will learn the secrets behind the deal and what must be done to restore balance.

I was surprised to enjoy this book.  When I started it I didn't think I would like it.  But about halfway through I discovered I couldn't put it down.  I was invested in the characters and wanted to know what happened to them.  I would highly recommend this book to teens who enjoy fantasy or even dystopian fiction. 

Larceny and Lace: A Vintage Magic Mystery by Annette Blair

Larceny and Lace by Annette Blair - 288 pages
A Vintage Magic Mystery #2

Maddie is running out of time before her shop's grand opening.  Unfortunately, things just keep getting in the way of her preparations.  There's a fire at the business across the street.  Her aunt convinces her to host a Halloween part in the upstairs room of the shop.  And there is another murder to be solved.

This is the second book in Annette Blair's Vintage Magic mystery series.  I really enjoyed the first book.  I thought the second book was a little more rushed in its story.  Still, it was an enjoyable a read and I look forward to reading more of the series.

Baba Yaga's Assistant by Marika McCoola

Baba Yaga's Assistant by Marika McCoola - 132 pages

Masha runs away from home to become the assistant to witch Baba Yaga.

This graphic novel for kids was pretty good.  The ending was pretty good and natural.  I would definitely recommend this to kids.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill - 388 pages

Once a year, the youngest baby in the Protectorate is taken and left in the woods for the witch.  The witch steals the baby and eats it . . . .

Once a year, a witch finds an abandoned baby in the woods and rescues it.  She takes it to a loving family on the other side of the forest . . . .

One year, Xan the witch discovers a baby girl that steals her heart.  That year, Xan falls in love with the baby and feeds it moonlight enmagicking her.  This is the year that everything starts to change . . . for Xan, for the baby, for the forest, for the Protectorate, for the world.


I have loved all of Kelly Barnhill's books.  They are very sophisticated original fairy tales for children.  So I was looking forward to reading her latest.  Then it was declared the winner of the Newbery Award and I immediately checked it out.  I absolutely loved this book.  It's probably my favorite Newbery winner since The Invention of Hugo Cabret.  The characters capture your interest while the plot twists keep you reading.  This is a great read for all children and teens.

The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston; narrated by Marisa Calin, 305 p.

We meet Bess in 1628, running in terror from the witch hunters of Wessex. They do find a witch, and Bess watches as her mother swings from the Hanging Tree. The only person that can help Bess now is the warlock Gideon Masters. But does he have good intentions?

We follow Bess, now Elizabeth, to present-day England, where she has made a quiet life for herself. Will Tegan, a teenager that has taken a liking to Elizabeth, learn the ways of the witch? Will Gideon Masters, ever searching for "his Bess" find Elizabeth through the ages? 

Stolen by Vivian Vande Velde

Stolen by Vivian Vande Velde  158 pages

A girl finds herself running through the forest at the edge of a village with no memory of anything, even her own name, and later learns that she might be twelve-year-old Isabelle, believed to be stolen by a witch six years before.

Hexes and Hemlines by Juliet Blackwell

Hexes and Hemlines by Juliet Blackwell - 324 pg

In a Witch's Wardrobe by Juliet Blackwell - 322 pages
Tarnished and Torn by Juliet Blackwell - 325 pages
A Vision in Velvet by Juliet Blackwell - 325 pages

A Witchcraft Mystery - books 3-6

Lily is asked to help investigate the murder of a man trying to prove the supernatural and bad luck didn't exist.  However, his acquaintances are all going through extreme bad luck.  And now Lily is starting to alienate her friends as the bad luck seems to be spreading and she becomes the target of an anti-magic group vandalizing shops around town.

In a Witch's Wardrobe by Juliet Blackwell - 322 pages
A Witchcraft Mystery - book 4

Lily runs into yet another magical mystery when a woman she meets at the Art Deco Ball falls into a coma.  It seems she's under a Sleeping Beauty curse.  And now members of a local coven botanicals group is are being poisoned.

Tarnished and Torn by Juliet Blackwell - 325 pages
A Witchcraft Mystery - book 5

Lily is being followed ever since attending a gem fair and purchasing a box of junk jewelry.  It seems that someone is looking for a ring that will control a fire demon.  To matters worse, her father has showed up in town and is one of the main suspects in a murder.

A Vision in Velvet by Juliet Blackwell - 325 pages
A Witchcraft Mystery - book 6

Lily tries on an old cape found in a trunk of clothes and is suddenly transported to a witch burning in the past.  Oscar, her familiar, is trying to help her discover what is going on when he disappears.  Now Lily must find Oscar and stop a witch from cursing people from the past.


I really like this series of paranormal mysteries.  I tore through all six books in a week.  Unfortunately, I now have to wait any future books to be published.

Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell

Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell - 325 pages
A Witchcraft Mystery #1

Lily has only been in San Francisco for a short while.  Her vintage clothing shop Aunt Cora's Closet is just starting to take off when a client dies of apparent supernatural means.  Lily is determined to figure out what happened and to rescue a missing girl as she feels responsible since she had laid a spell of protection upon the woman.

I am glad I picked up this book.  I almost didn't.  It was a quick, fun mystery with a little romance thrown in.  I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.

Puella Magi Oriko Magica by Magica Quartet

Puella Magi Oriko Magica, v.1 by Magica Quartet - 144 pages
Puella Magi Oriko Magica, v. 2 by Magica Quartet - 160 pages

In this manga two-book series, Oriko has a vision of the future where her hometown is destroyed by a witch.  So she sets out to kill the girl before she can get her powers.

This series did not make any sense to me.  The characters were not developed in any way.  And it was difficult to distinguish in the artwork between the characters sometimes.  When I looked it up online I discovered that this is actually a sub-series to the Puella Magi manga series.  Maybe if I had read the others it would have made more sense.  A lot of the stuff they had in the synopsis was not evident in the books at all to a reader new to the series.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone
by J.K. Rowling
pages 309

This wonderful series starts Harry's first year of wizarding school and discovering much about his past and parents that his Aunt and Uncle would not tell him. Harry faces many dangers a boy of his age should not have to face.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
by J.K. Rowling
pages 341

Chamber of Secrets starts Harry's second year at Hogwarts. He faces more problems at home and school, but with steadfast friends to back him up.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkakban
J.K. Rowling
pages 734

Harry's third year at Hogwarts kicks off with more danger and some new friends. Things are not always as they appear in the wizarding world so hold on to your knickers with this one!

Hero by Alethea Kontis

Hero by Alethea Kontis - 282 pages
The Woodcutter Sisters, Book 2

Saturday can't wait for her chance at adventure.  She is the only normal one in her family of magical, enchanted children -- or so she thought.  When she accidentally creates an ocean in her backyard she is kidnapped by an evil witch who wants revenge on her brother.  Her only hope is a fellow victim, a prince under a spell to look like witch's daughter.  They must work together to defeat the witch and escape from the mountain prison.

This was a great sequel to Enchanted.  While Enchanted was a combination of several fairy tales woven together, Hero was more of an original tale.  There were elements of other tales thrown in, but they were more side characters and story lines.  I can't wait for the third book to come out.

Rose by Holly Webb

Rose by Holly Webb - 234 pages

Rose is thrilled when she is taken from the orphanage to be a maid in the house of an alchemist.  It's been her lifelong dream to get a job and support herself.  But there are problems with her job.  She keeps seeing magic all over the place, and even worse, doing magic herself.  Then her friends from the orphanage start to disappear.  Now Rose must work with the alchemist's apprentice to try to save the missing children.
I really enjoyed this book.  It had great atmosphere and Rose was written really well.  It was refreshing to see a character in kids fantasy that didn't think magic was the greatest thing in the world.  I was also interested to see while reading the author's bio in the back of the book that this is the first book in a popular series in England.  I'll have to look into getting the other books for the library also.

Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris

Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris, 320 pages

Now that she has wrapped up her Sookie Stackhouse - Southern Mystery series, Harris has moved on to a new locale with just as many interesting characters.

As a newbie moves into Midnight, a town of about 12 residents, he finds that his neighbors are all quite interesting. There's the witch, the vampire and a peculiar cat named Mr. Snuggles.  This book introduces the readers to each new character, but was still able to keep me interested.

Lots of mysteries and a few murders thrown in to keep things lively. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake - 320 pages
(Anna Book 1)

I'm a sucker for creepy cover art and that's what drew me to this book initially.  It features Cas Lowood, a moody teenager who has taken on his deceased father's mantle as a slayer of murderous ghosts.  Cas's pursuits take him to Thunder Bay, Ontario to investigate Anna, the ghost of a brutally murdered young girl who is haunting and killing at an abandoned house.  Cas finds much more than he bargained for with dispatching Anna and the situation is further complicate by the unexpected connections he makes with new friends.  This book was nominated for the 2013-2014 Gateway Readers Award.  I really enjoyed it and am currently halfway through book two of the series.

"The purpose of the Gateway Readers Award is to promote literature, literacy and reading in Missouri high schools, and to recognize authors and illustrators of books that are favorites of Missouri students in these grades. Each year, Missouri students in grades 9-12 vote for their favorite book from a list of nominated titles. The Gateway Readers Award is awarded to the author of this book by the Missouri Association of School Librarians."

Aunt Maria by Diana Wynne Jones

Aunt Maria by Diana Wynne Jones - 274 pages

Mig is upset to learn that they are going to have to spend their Easter vacation at Aunt Maria's.  That's before she finds out that they are expected to wait hand and foot on Aunt Maria.  That's before a ghost starts appearing in her brother Chris's room every night.  That's before Aunt Maria turns Chris into a wolf.  Now Mig must figure out how to save her brother and the rest of the town from her Aunt Maria.
I love Diana Wynne Jones.  Her books are wonderful fantasies for kids and teens.  This one took a little time to get into the story, but once I did I loved it. 

Blood Work: An Original Hollows Graphic Novel by Kim Harrison

Blood Work: An Original Hollows Graphic Novel by Kim Harrison - 176 pages

This graphic novel is a prequel to the bestselling Hollows Series, telling how living vampire Ivy and witch Rachel first met while still working cases for the government.  The future roommates and business partners did not get along at all at first glance and build trust during the case.  It was very interesting to see beloved characters in a new format. I especially enjoyed the added material after the story that explained the development process for the graphic novel.  I liked getting a peek behind the curtain...

So Enchanting by Connie Brockway

So Enchanting by Connie Brockway - 421 pages

Lord Greyson Sheffield is visiting the town of Little Firkin with his nephew for his brother to investigate some threats made against the local "witch".  He is shocked to discover that the "witch" is a young lady with a companion he knows.  Fanny was wed to a charlatan psychic that he unveiled six years earlier.  Now they must together to stop the danger that is soon going to encompass all of them.
I picked up this book as I really enjoyed reading one Brockway's other books.  I didn't find this one as good.  I thought the premise was ridiculous although I still found the banter between the characters funny.

Ever After by Kim Harrison

Ever After (Hollows) by Kim Harrison

The eleventh book in the Hollows series is as fast paced and exciting as the first.  Someone is stealing babies who survive the Rosewood syndrome and the ley line created by Rachel's abrupt exit into the real world in the last book is acting as a black hole and sucking in the Ever After from the demon realm.  If all of the Ever After is gone then the only demons who will survive are those who can daywalk which is Rachel and the insane created demon Ku'Sox.  These are just two of the many wild problems facing witch / demon Rachel Morgan and her usual cast of intrepid friends.  The romance hinted at in the past between Trent and Rachel does move forward in a really sweet way for an urban fantasy novel.  This is a series that needs to be savored from the beginning to fully understand the vivid world and characters that Harrison has created.