Review: Winds of Salem by Melissa de la Cruz

Winds of Salem (The Beauchamp Family, #3) by Melissa de la Cruz
Publisher: Hyperion
Publication date: August 13th, 2013
Number of pages: 320 pgs
Format: Hardcover
Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository

Freya Beauchamp has been kidnapped and sucked into the past, forced to relive the horrors of Salem and return to the witch-burning hysteria that gripped the small Massachusetts town. Freya’s family is determined to save her, but the Passages of Time are closed to the Beauchamp family, leaving them stuck in the present, centuries from Freya. Joanna, Freddie, and Ingrid must find another way back to save Freya before it's too late. Because this time, when Freya is hanged, she's not coming back…ever.

The Beauchamps are sure that their nemesis, the trickster god Loki, is behind the brewing hatred in Salem and Freya's kidnapping—but is the witch hunt just a way for the power-seeking Putnam family, whose daughter Ann was one of the first accusers, to settle scores and consolidate their hold on the lands and power in town?

Black magic, time travel, romance, mystery, history, and adventure are served up in a cauldron of bubbly magic in the latest installation of the New York Times bestselling series Witches of East End.

Melissa has continued to impress me book by book, and this one is no exception. In the third installment to Melissa de la Cruz's 'Witches of East End' aka 'The Beauchamp Family' series comes a thrilling and new story has it continues from Serpent's Kiss.

Not only do we discover what indeed happened to Freya after she was sucked back in time, thanks to Loki, but we also discover what really happened to the mystery of the bridge back in Asgard. Not everything or everyone is as it seems, and there was some twists and turns not even I saw coming.
Freya finds herself trapped back in the past which she had already relived; during the time when she was in the Salem Witch Trials and burned at the stake. Not a pleasant time to rehash, no? She has no choice, but with the help of some new friends, Freya will see if she can stop the ultimate outcome. There seems to be someone that wants her erased, for good, but who is it? Is it the trickster, Loki, or is it some other enemy they have yet to see coming?

This book is split between the past where we deal with the Witch Hunts and Freya with her entanglement, and then we have present day and discover just what is happening with Ingrid & Matt, Joanna and Norman and Freddie with his life.
Melissa did a great job with tying up storylines in this book. We get the answers we have waited since the beginning to discover which surprised me a tad. We get the end of some eras, and the beginning of others.
We also find out more about the past between Freya/Killian/Bran. Speaking of the triangle. I am not sure if I like how she concluded it in the end. I suppose in some ways it makes sense, but in other ways, it just makes Freya just another in the middle of two men. Although in my opinion, Killian/Balder has always been her true love. It's definitely a difficult situation to be in that's for sure.; And if Melissa continues on with more books we'll see what happens with the three of them.


Some parts of the book, toward the end made me sad, but I also love the relationship between Joanna and her husband, Norman. You discover more of their past that goes back to the beginning of time and how they started out. I think they may be the true love story of the series. This series is about family. true love. friendships and sisterhood. Magic. Mythology.


A pretty satisfying conclusion to this particular arc. I definitely would love if Melissa did decide to do more books. I think there are more stories to tell for these characters and past to be explored.

Rating: 4.5/5

Review: Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews

Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels #3) by Ilona Andrews
Publication Date: March 31, 2009
Publisher: ACE
Number of Pages: 310
Format: Paperback
Buy: Amazon | Barnes and Noble 
Add to Goodreads

Drafted into working for the Order of Merciful Aid, mercenary Kate Daniels has more paranormal problems than she knows what to do with these days. And in Atlanta, where magic comes and goes like the tide, that’s saying a lot.

But when Kate's werewolf friend Derek is discovered nearly dead, she must confront her greatest challenge yet. As her investigation leads her to the Midnight Games—an invitation only, no holds barred, ultimate preternatural fighting tournament—she and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, uncover a dark plot that may forever alter the face of Atlanta's shapeshifting community…

The third  installment takes place a month or so after the second one ended. Atlanta is still recovering from the magic flare and Kate isn't any shortage of work. But where there is Kate trouble can't be too far behind. It all started with her once sidekick werewolf friend Derek attempting to break and enter into Saiman's penthouse to steal tickets to the Midnight Games, an illegal fight to the death tournament. Kate ends up attending with Saiman, and decides she doesn't want anything to do with the Games. But when Derek is discovered beaten to death by member's of one of the teams, things turn personal. Not to mention they are out to destroyed the Pack. The kicker? Curran has forbidden participation in the games and the group of them most hid from the Beast Lord. Nor does it help that Kate realize that Roland is behind it, and the consequences for her could be deadly.

This may be my favorite book in the series. There are tons of interactions between Curran and Kate, not to mention Curran kicks up chasing Kate a notch. We see more of Andrea and even Raphael and I adore them both. Who Kate really is has been hinted at in the past two books, but this book it's confirms who her biological father is. By a few numbers and years mentioned we also find out that the present year is 2030. Kind of makes you feel like a pervert for crushing on Curran.

I can't help but include most of my favorite quotes/scenes:

In a breath he halted by my side. "I lied. I need your help."
"Who are we killing?"

Because she was my best friend, and sticking knives into your best friend's windpipe was generally considered to be a social faux pas.

"His Majesty needs a can-I girl anyway. And I'm not it."
"A can-I girl?" Andrea frowned.
I leaned back. " 'Can I fetch you your food, Your Majesty? Can I tell you how strong and mighty you are, Your Majesty? Can I pick out your fleas, Your Majesty? Can I kiss your ass, Your Majesty? Can I..."
It dawned on me that Raphael was sitting every still. Frozen, like a statue, his gaze fixed on the point above my head.
"He's standing behind me, isn't he?"
Andrea nodded slowly.
"Technically it should be 'may I,' " Curran said, his voice deeper than I remembered. "Since you're asking permission."

"I see. Is Jim with you now?"
"Yes, he is. We're having rough sex. You're interrupting."

He groaned and I saw his face. "Curran!" I would've preferred a homicidal lunatic. Oh, wait...

"I thought you were some sort of maniac!" I growled.
"I am."
"What are you doing here?"
"Looking for Jim in your bed."
"He isn't here."
"I see that."

"You kept a key to my apartment. You bastard. How often do you come here?"
"Once in a while."
"Why?"
"To check on you. Saves me the trouble of sitting by the phone waiting for your 'come and rescue me' calls."
"You don't have to be troubled: there won't be any more calls. I'd rather die than call you."
"That's what worries me," he said.

"Since when do you give a crap about my welfare anyway? I think you're confused as to the nature of our relationship. You and I, we don't get along. You're a psychopathic control freak. You order me around and I want to kill you. I'm a pigheaded insubordinate ass. I drive you mad and you want to strangle me."
"Once! I did it once!"
"Once was plenty. The point is, we don't play nice."

"You sure you don't want me to stay? I'll make you coffee and ask you about your day."
"Out. Now."

Andrea waved her arms. "Of course I'll do it. I meant shoot-somebody type of help."
"Oh. Not at the moment. But I'll call you if I need a bullet through somebody's head."
"You do that. Try not to get killed."
"Will do."

"I wanted to kiss you when we were in your house. In Savannah."
Why the hell was my heart pounding? "And?"
"You looked afraid. That wasn't the reaction I was hoping for."
Be calm and reasonable. "You flatter yourself. You're not that scary."
"After I kissed you this morning, you were afraid again. Right after you looked like you were about to melt."
Melt?
"You're scared there might be something there, between you and me." 

"Go play your games with Jim. I'll find you both when I need you."
Arrogant asshole. "I tell you what, if you find us before those three days run out, I'll cook you a damn dinner and serve it to you naked."

We have to get the Diamond. And Cesare's head."
They looked at me.
"Why the head?" Doolittle asked.
"Because it's easy to carry and I can torture it for a long time." And I didn't just say it out loud, did I? I checked their faces. Yep, I did.

Also, when he opened the door to leave, Curran told him very casually that if Jim wanted to pick fights with his future mate, he was welcome to do so, but he should keep in mind that Curran wouldn't come and rescue him when you beat his ass. You should've seen Jim's face."
"His what?"
"His mate. M-A-T-E."
I cursed.

As he passed me, he leaned to Curran and handed him a paper fan folded from some sort of flyer.
Curran looked at the fan. "What?"
"An emergency precaution, Your Majesty. In case the lady faints."
Curran just stared at him. Raphael strode toward the Pit, turned, flexed a bit, and winked at me.
"Give me that," I told Curran. "I need to fan myself."
"No, you don't."

"Kiss me and I'll kill you," I warned.
"It might be worth it," he said softly.

He came for me. Into a flying palace full of thousands of armed rakshasas in the middle of a magic jungle. Oh, you stupid, stupid idiot man. What was the God damn point of saving him only to watch him throw his life away?

"Stay with me, baby."
"I will."

"You came for me," I whispered.
"Always," he told me.

"Just staying sharp. Keeping you safe keeps me in shape."

Doolittle  sighed. "Shall I tell you the usual? Where you are, how you are, and in what manner you have gotten here?"
I looked at Doolittle. "Doc, we've got to stop meeting like this."
A sour grimace wrinkled his face. "You're preaching to the choir."

I know that's a lot, but well this book is amazing. And that' only half of my favorite quotes. The ending makes you want to go out and buy the next book to read ASAP. If you're just starting the series and on the fence about the series, hold out till this book. I promise you it will make you fall right in love. This book is AMAZING, and will you begging for more.

Rating: 5/5

 

Review: Serpent's Kiss (The Beauchamp Family #2) by Melissa de la Cruz

Serpent's Kiss (The Beauchamp Family #2) by Melissa de la Cruz
Publication date: June 12st, 2012
Publisher: Sphere
Number of pages: tha
Format: Paperback
Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add to Goodreads
Description: Everything ought to be perfect in the magical Long Island town of North Hampton now that Freya Beauchamp's twin brother, Freddie, is back. But their mother, Joanna, has always favoured son Freddie, and his assertion — that Freya's fiancé Killian Gardiner (Baldur) was the one who set up his downfall — threatens to fracture the delicate family dynamics as the Beauchamps are forced to take sides against each other.

Freddie spends his days either on the couch sleeping, or sleeping around. When their father Norman helps him find a job on a fishing vessel, Freddie's uncontrollable magic causes mayhem aboard the ship and lands him in even more hot water.

Level-headed sister Ingrid attempts to maintain the peace between the warring twins, but she has problems of her own: her human boyfriend, detective Matt Noble, becomes entangled in a complicated investigation, and when the magical creatures at the heart of it come to Ingrid for help, she has to choose between helping her kind and staying loyal to her love.

Freya and Killian plan their wedding only to discover an ancient rivalry that could keep them apart for ever. Things come to a head when the culprit behind Freddie's imprisonment is finally revealed, but it may be too late to staunch the poison that's been released in the family and the town

The sequel to Witches of East End is quite as thrilling, if not even more so than the first book. 
We deal with the return of not just one, but two characters from the past. 
Not only do we and Freya discover that whom she thought was her love, Balder, she was mistaken and it turns out to be the guy who she felt an undeniable connection to all along. Now the truth is out in the open, Bran's true colours start to show and there is no doubt who he really is.

With the return of Freya's twin brother, Freddie, he holds a secret that threatens to tear Killian and Freya apart forever if it turns out to be the truth. Everyone has a secret, but the question on whether or not all the facts are in the open remains to be seen.

Killian and Freya's relationship is stronger now the truth about Bran has been revealed, but there is still something keeping them apart, even if they don't know it.
Bran is also on the loose, and nobody is quite sure where he is, or what he is planning. When it comes to the trickster, nothing is ever certain. 

Ingrid and their mother, Joanna also have relationship issues, but that's the least of their worries. Not only do they have to worry about whether or not any punishment will fall on them once the council gets wind they have been using their powers, but also to the fact there is something brewing in town and beyond that could destroy everything.

When all said and done, the question they'll be after is... "What do we do now?"

This book has everything the first had and more. It introduces some new characters. There is surprising reveals, villians and things you don't see coming. There are things you might see coming, but didn't know how they might be played out.

The way this book ends makes you yearn for the next book. I wonder... is this a 3 book series? As it feels like everything is setting up for a conclusion in 'Winds of Salem'. I wouldn't mind, because its a great series and not sure how long this can go on, but then again, I wouldn't say no if she chose to write a few more.

April's review of 'Serpent's Kiss' by Melissa de la Cruz

Serpent's Kiss (The Beauchamp Family #2) by Melissa de la Cruz
Publication Date: June 12, 2012
Publisher: Hyperion
Number of Pages: 321
Format: Hardback
Buy: Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Description:  The intriguing Beauchamp family, introduced in the New York Times bestselling Witches of East End, returns in Serpent's Kiss, with dizzying plot twists and spellbinding magic.
Joanna and her daughters, bookish Ingrid and wild-child Freya, are just settling into the newfound peace that has been cast over their small, off-the map town of North Hampton. With the centuries-old restriction against practicing magic lifted, casting spells, mixing potions, and curing troubled souls has never felt so good for the three witches. That is, until everything gets turned upside down--from Joanna's organized kitchen to Ingrid's previously nonexistent love life to Freya's once unshakeable faith in her sexy soul mate, Killian Gardiner.
When Freya's twin brother, Freddie, suddenly returns, escaped from Limbo and professing innocence on a long-ago crime, Freya should be ecstatic. The golden boy can do no wrong. Or can he? Freddie blames no other than her fiance Killian for his downfall, and enlists Freya's help to prove it. Now Freya doesn't know who to believe or trust.
And for the first time in--well, forever, really--Ingrid is also busy in love. Matt Noble, the handsome and charming police detective, has won her heart. But can romance work between a virgin witch and a mortal who doesn't believe in magic? Things get even more complicated when it appears Ingrid is harboring the prime suspects in Matt's police investigation.
To add to the chaos, a dead spirit is attempting to make contact with Joanna--but does it mean to bring harm or help? Joanna asks her sort-of ex-husband Norman to help figure it out, only to accidentally invite him to a Thanksgiving dinner with a dapper gentleman she's recently begun dating.
As the witches pull together to discover the serpent within their midst and the culprit behind Freddie's imprisonment, everything is thrown into peril. Will the discovery come too late to save those they love most?
Melissa de la Cruz weaves all this and more in a blockbuster sequel that is not to be missed by her fans, and one that is sure to enchant new readers of the series.
Praise for the Witches of East End series
"Move over, zombies, vampires, and werewolves, and make way for witches a juicy new franchise."--Entertainment Weekly "A bubbling cauldron of mystery and romance."--People "A magical and romantic page-turner."--Washington Post " De la Cruz] lets her repressed sorceresses rip."--New York Times "This tale of powerful women mixes mystery, a battle of good versus evil and a dash of Norse mythology into a page-turning parable of inner strength."--Self " I]ntrigue, mystery, and plenty of romance."--MTV.com "Casts a spell."--Los Angeles Times

The Beauchamp women are back, and while they think that everything is finally going perfect they couldn't of been more wrong. Freya is torn between her soul mate and her twin brother. Ingrid has discovered that dating a mortal, especially one that doesn't believe in magic, is more complicated than ever. And after years of being perfectly content, Joanna suddenly have two men in her life. 

I'm sad that we didn't get to see much interaction with Tyler. it was one of my favorite things from the first book. And I was kind of disappointed in Freddie, Freya's twin. He seemed more like a self center, selfish, prince.  

I really did fall in love with Ingrid and Matt and there was times when I wanted to slap both of them on how they both were acting. In the end I'm glad they had worked things out. While Freya is keeping her brother a secret, she's trying to prove the love of her life is innocent. But of course what kind of book would it be without casting doubt? There were plenty of times when I thought he was guilty, or even that Freddie was trying to set Killian up. When things get resolved everything kind of goes back to the first book. 

At the end, not only do they have a big problem to figure out how to deal with, but Freya has been yank back into time. And not just any time period, but probably the most dangerous time period for her to be in. I can not wait for the final book in this trilogy.

Rating: 4/5 

 

April's review of 'Witches of East End' by Melissa de la Cruz

Witches of East End (The Beauchamp Family #1) by Melissa de la Cruz
Publication Date: June 21, 2011
Publisher: Hyperion
Number of Pages: 272
Format:Hardback
Buy: Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Description:  From the author of the highly addictive and bestselling Blue Bloods series, with almost 3 million copies sold, comes a new novel, Melissa de la Cruz's first for adults, featuring a family of formidable and beguiling witches.

The three Beauchamp women--Joanna and her daughters Freya and Ingrid--live in North Hampton, out on the tip of Long Island. Their beautiful, mist-shrouded town seems almost stuck in time, and all three women lead seemingly quiet, uneventful existences. But they are harboring a mighty secret--they are powerful witches banned from using their magic. Joanna can resurrect people from the dead and heal the most serious of injuries. Ingrid, her bookish daughter, has the ability to predict the future and weave knots that can solve anything from infertility to infidelity. And finally, there's Freya, the wild child, who has a charm or a potion that can cure most any heartache.

For centuries, all three women have been forced to suppress their abilities. But then Freya, who is about to get married to the wealthy and mysterious Bran Gardiner, finds that her increasingly complicated romantic life makes it more difficult than ever to hide her secret. Soon Ingrid and Joanna confront similar dilemmas, and the Beauchamp women realize they can no longer conceal their true selves. They unearth their wands from the attic, dust off their broomsticks, and begin casting spells on the townspeople. It all seems like a bit of good-natured, innocent magic, but then mysterious, violent attacks begin to plague the town. When a young girl disappears over the Fourth of July weekend, they realize it's time to uncover who and what dark forces are working against them.

With a brand-new cast of characters, a fascinating and fresh world to discover, and a few surprise appearances from some of the Blue Blood fan favorites, this is a page-turning, deliciously fun, magical summer read fraught with love affairs, witchcraft, and an unforgettable battle between good and evil.

A very short and fast read. Although the story doesn't get that interesting until half way through the book. I was unsure of the book at first, but when I was through end up loving it. Those that are fans of Cruz's Blue Bloods series would enjoy to find that Mimi and Oliver makes a small appearance in the story looking for information. 

Each of the Beauchamp women find themselves facing their own problems. Joanna finds herself "adapting" her cleaning lady's little boy as her own, seeing how her own boy is lost to her forever. Freya finds herself in her own love triangle, even though she's in love with her fiance, she can't seem to stay away from his brother.  Ingrid fights to keep her beloved library open, while one of her co workers dates a detective that Ingrids keeps telling herself she's not attractive to. 

It's not too long before it seems like it's the Salem Witch Trials all over again. I loved all the references to that time period. The ending took me by even more of a surprise. When all the Norse mythology comes into play it's kind of hard to keep up, but it's not too bad.  And of course what kind of good book doesn't leave off with a cliffhanger? If you like a little magic, mystery, and summer romance than you should check this book out. 

Rating: 4/5