Suzanne Weyn. INVISIBLE WORLD

I adored Suzanne Weyn's DISTANT WAVES, so when I saw this new historical fiction by her, I snatched it up right away.

She chose the Salem Witch Trial era for her setting in INVISIBLE WORLD. Weyn delivers again with rich characters leading adventurous lives.

Elsabeth James has some powers that she isn't altogether sure about. Is she a witch or is she merely a psychic? She isn't certain. But surely having powers can't make you inherently evil, can it? Her father has been experimenting with her powers since she was a young girl. He believes her abilities are explained by science, and he intends to prove it with research and statistics. Her governess, Bronwyn, told her stories about how her grandmother and great grandmother were persecuted for being witches. Bronwyn warns her to be careful, so she doesn't end up in a similar situation.

When a famous scientist offers a research opportunity for Elsabeth and her father, the family sets off on a months long journey from their home in England to America. Elsabeth's journey has several tragic detours until she reaches America. Her life is threatened many times, and she must continually dig deep to find the courage to survive.

I really enjoyed this one! One of the traits I like about Weyn's writing is how she accomplishes so much with few words. It's a "tight" story. She uses just the right amount of words - not too many and not too few. But don't let that fool you; The story still has depth.

The characters come to life brilliantly, as does the setting. As with DISTANT WAVES, this is a story of a particular time in history, but the story becomes so much more. I loved Elsabeth and her relationship with Bronwyn. Plus, you get an idea about people's differing points of view during this time period. We have Elsabeth's scientist father, the Puritans in Salem, as well as the island people and slave owners. Everyone has a different opinion what characteristics prove one is a witch and whether or not a witch is evil. Fascinating!

My review copy is an advance copy from TLA. The book is due out in August. Check it out! This one's great for readers who like historical fiction.

Check out the other books by Suzanne Weyn at her website here.

Rachel Hawkins. DEMONGLASS

The much anticipated sequel to HEX HALL has arrived!! Yay!

We join Sophie Mercer six months after the crisis at the end of HEX HALL. Her mom's been staying on at the school, which has been a little weird. But what really surprises Sophie is that after all the years of wondering about him, her dad shows up. She finally gets to meet the only other demon besides herself in the known world.

He surprises her by announcing that he's taking her back to England for the summer. Sophie agrees, but only if her best friend Jenna can go with them. Dad agrees. Dad also wants to take Cal with them. Sophie's curious, but since Cal is a healer, she figures that it should be fine. She promises herself that she isn't going to England to be closer to Archer Cross, even though he was last seen there. He turned out to be her number one enemy - surely she isn't  still in love with him, right?

After arriving in England, Sophie is shocked to learn that there are two other demons her age. Someone is creating demons, and they have to find out who and why. Sophie helps her father with the mystery, learns to reign in her powers, and fights off threats from The Eye all at the same time. It's a busy summer for her!

I loved this! It's creative, fun and fast paced. I enjoyed spending time with Sophie and her friends again. Her father was a wonderful character addition. I found him charming, strong and a great comfort to Sophie. And I CAN'T WAIT for the next installment, since this one ends with a BIG cliffhanger!

For more about Rachel Hawkins check out her website here.
For my previous interview with her go here.

Keith McGowan. THE WITCH'S GUIDE TO COOKING WITH CHILDREN

The title alone would've grabbed me, if I haven't been alerted to this book because it's on next year's Bluebonnet List. When I read the title, I knew I needed to read it right away!

When the first words from the witch's diary say this:

"I love children. Eating them, that is.
I've eaten quite a few children over the centuries. You may wonder where I get them all."

You know it's gonna be good! But that really isn't enough to make a whole book. So then we're introduced to two wonderful children. Eleven-year-old Sol and eight-year-old Connie are siblings. They're unaware of the bizarre situation their parents are in, which is why they aren't curious when their dad drops them off and leaves them in town. However, they're smart kids and are able to figure out some mysteries on their own.

I don't want to give any more away. But you will absolutely love it! The tone reminds me a lot of SCHOOL OF FEAR - with the matter of fact voice and the old-fashioned feel. I loved that tone in Gitty Daneshavari's writing, as well. (LOVE her). But what made me keep reading was the hysterical beginning. What starts out as a sort of re-telling of Hansel & Gretel but ends up way more delicious!

The illustrations by Yoko Tanaka (SPARROW GIRL) give it the old-fashioned, but creepy feel the story deserves! They're perfect!

Rachel Hawkins. HEX HALL

I love this stellar debut by Rachel Hawkins! It’s so full of awesomeness! It has witches, faeries, shapeshifters and vampires all in one book. Actually, they're all under one roof going to school together. Well, that isn’t entirely correct – it’s more like reform school, but still. Let me back up and start from the beginning

Sophie Mercer found out she was a witch when she came into her powers around twelve years old. Her mom, who is not a witch, told her as much as she could about her powers. Sophie has tried to keep her powers under wraps since then. She has used them from time to time to help people, but usually that’s when a human discovers her, freaks out, and they have to leave town. The most recent spell attracted too much attention from the powers that be, so now she is being sentenced to Hecate Hall – a reform school for wayward Prodigium (witches, faeries, shapeshifters, etc.).

Sophie is somewhat relived to be able to finally make friends and feel at home around others like herself. But when her roommate turns out to be the outcast vampire that everyone hates, her popularity doesn’t exactly soar. The three popular supermodel-looking witches view her with disdain. To top it off, she makes a fool of herself in front of the super hot warlock that she has developed a major crush on.
Then darkness envelops the school. A witch had been murdered several months before Sophie’s arrival. Everyone assumed it was a one time event. But after another girl is attacked in the same manner, people are spooked. They all assume it’s Sophie’s roommate, the vampire. But Sophie gets the feeling it is something way worse that has made its way inside the school.

The author called this a cross between Harry Potter and Mean Girls. That’s a nice succinct description. But it is so much more! I love the mythology and lore behind these different creatures. I love that they all live together in this school (although with some discrimination among the different species, which is to be expected). I love how Sophie learns of her intriguing ancestry. Really, I could go on and on. The writing flows beautifully. The characters are so much fun! I couldn’t put it down!

To find out more about this intriguing new author go here for her website and here for her blog.
Highly Recommended!! I look forward to more from Rachel Hawkins!
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