Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: Witch

  • The Bewitching Miss Blair

    The Bewitching Miss Blair

    Clio Blair is a young lady with some very interesting capabilities, a slight temper and a love of outrageous fashion statements. She firmly believes she is capable of crime solving, certainly as well as, if not better than a man and is out to prove it once and for all in The Bewitching Miss Blair, the latest regency romp from Darcy McGuire.

    Viscount Beachley is dead, killed apparently by his wife, who has now fled London leaving behind a scandal and much gossip. Scotland Yard is not satisfied with what appears to be and Superintendent Lachlan McDougal wants to know what really did happen.

    Recruiting Clio, once again against her Aunt Rowans best wishes, she discovers she is to work with Lieutenant General Grey, Earl of Thornbrook, a man in his prime, a man who is tingling her senses in so many ways,  which is not a great thing to do to a witch with an often flammable temper.

    Clio has skills that allow her to speak directly with the deceased, which can be very dangerous, and this does not sit well with Thomas Grey, a man who does not believe in anything etheric. He considers there is only one way to solve a crime and that is the traditional way.

    Sparks fly in more way than one as they steadfastly plod towards finding the killer, but they also discover there is something else involved, a feeling that neither want to accept nor define, but one that is pulling them closer together. They are not happy, not happy at all about this!

    Although a crime has been committed and a dastardly one at that, Darcy McGuire has once again created a heroine of outstanding ability, with a hero of very pleasing stature to while away the hours whilst trying to solve the crime committed before romance blooms.

  • Green Witch

    Green Witch

    Created for the Teen market with several very good messages within the storyline Green Witch is an interesting concept for the modern Teen reader in the world of today, as it uses psychic medium based within a time schism.

    Fast paced, or perhaps a bit too fast paced on many occasions, the plot line of Green Witch becomes very confusing, then somewhat challenging to try and work out what is happening, how that character got involved at that point and certainly what comes next.

    But so saying, the plot is a rather good story about Deliah eventually finding her way through life, gathering self-confidence and beginning to understand that her life, well at least to date, has been as it is, to bring her to this time and place; to her destiny.

    She arrives at her Great Aunt Edie’s house at the end of her schooling at a prestigious school, lost, alone and afraid in many ways of what comes next. She has a tendency to overthink everything she and others do, which adds angst to her life on a daily basis.

    Her Aunt, much loved as a young child, now has dementia, the house is in sad need of repair and the once glorious, beautiful gardens are sadly overgrown. After only hours at her Aunts she realises the fashion shoes and clothes she bought with her are not the right fit, and decides to go into town and get at least some shoes in the morning

    The morning brings the trip to town, the meeting of Mae, a dancer, Milly her friend and librarian, Cal, Mae’s boyfriend and Tol; black jeans, leather jacket and a magnetic attraction. A party invitation is offered to a gathering in the Woods behind Edie’s house. Delilah decides to go along and see what this very strange world she has entered is all about, or at least discover if there is any nightlife in this place.

    Unfortunately, she discovered far more than she ever wanted to know about the ‘Dark’ woods, arcane magic and trouble in capital letters. Edie comes to her help on several occasions and advises her to find the Green Witch, as she will be the one to help break the darkness that is a dangerous and deadly game being played through the body of Tol.

    Well worth persevering with, the Green Witch unfolds in a dramatic fashion which while at times could be considered as slightly unbelievable is still entertaining. BUT if you have any understanding of magic, ancient folkloric and others things mystical, it is a tale that will be enjoyed.

  • The Kitchen Witch’s Guide to Healing and Self-Care

    The Kitchen Witch’s Guide to Healing and Self-Care

    Maggie Haseman has for many years been a ‘witch’ in the best sense of the word and decided that her particular ‘space’ in her home would be the kitchen. It would be a space of peace, healing, relaxation, meditation and creating good food with both healing and therapeutic properties, along with all the feel good vibes that come with preparing good food with love and enjoyment.

    The Kitchen Witch’s Guide to Healing and Self-care has been styled as a book for beginners. Haseman has carefully set out the chapters to offer clear guidance and understanding about herbs, healing, even the use of tea leaves or well-constructed teas, to aid healing and relaxation and the ability to be able to create holistic remedies from produce easily sourced or grown in a home garden.

    Although the title The Kitchen Witch’s Guide to Healing and Self-care indicates it may only be for those who are interested in witchcraft, ‘hocus pocus’ and more, it is not. It is for anyone who has a curiosity about the healing, health benefits and the spiritual aspects of wellness and basically, a range of food items.

    She is very clear about this in the first section of the book where she details the art of ‘kitchen witchcraft’, making it accessible for anyone from the more advance spiritual seeker to the newcomer.

    One of the more intriguing aspects of the book, once you get past the food aspect, is the section on self-care, something we are all wont to neglect, which does not just relate to Witches. She spends time setting out how this can be done with very little effort but with very great benefit to body, mind and soul.

    There is a huge amount of information contained within the chapters on herbs, plants, spells – only if you want too- and much more which takes some time to read, but makes this a book that is an excellent reference, as well as recipe book.

    Captured within the pages there are some delicious recipes that are not only mouth-watering but easy to prepare as well. Some may already be firm favourites and others seriously tempting enough to try out with their healing benefits listed with the recipes.

    The Kitchen Witch’s Guide to Healing and Self-care is the perfect guide to encourage a refreshing return to the magic and holistic properties of not just your kitchen space, but a whole new regime of self-care in your special place in your home.

  • The Near Witch

    The Near Witch

    Chilling and dark, this re-release of a long out of print tale from VE Schwab, The Near Witch comes to life once again. Schwab’s work is dramatic, dark and very realistic, her characters and plot are absolutely, chillingly real and amazing.

    Based around an old story told to frighten the children, Lexi begins to realise that there may be more than a simple story to this tale, as dark one night she sees the floating image of a young boy; a boy who appears to be a stranger, but how can this be, as there are no strangers in the town of Near.

    But something sinister seems to have come to town, as, when the wind comes calling, comes calling, children are climbing out of their windows to slowly disappear. As the mysterious boy has been seen in the town, he immediately falls under suspicion.

    Lexi begins to wonder if there really is a bit more to the old tale of the Near Witch and begins to try and discover just how the tale began and why. Her father, before his passing, always told her that Witches were just like people, good and bad, so she learnt to trust the witch sisters who live at the edge of town. The villagers do not!

    Just outside of the town is a dead patch of ground next to the witches’ cottage, where nothing will grow, the ashes very, very old; perhaps this has something to do with the legend of the Near Witch, but finding out what really did happen, puts Lexi and the boy in serious danger.

    The use of strong well-formed characters, and lyrical language will once again ensure The Near Witch will hold fresh appeal to a new generation of young readers.

    A bonus story, The Ash-Born Boy rounds out the book. Perhaps this is the back-story to ‘Col’ who becomes one of the central characters in The Near Witch. That is for you to decided.

  • Witch Snitch The Inside Scoop on the Witches of Ritzy City

    Witch Snitch The Inside Scoop on the Witches of Ritzy City

    Witch Snitch is created to appeal to all little girls who love, fashion, fun and mayhem, and the resultant fall out when things do not always go as planned; especially when the events happen to be taking place in Sinkville, home to Tiga, Peggy, Fluffanora and Sluggfrey, and it is coming up to Witchoween, which in case you did not know is witch for Halloween.

    Why would one be discussing such a book when it is nowhere near Halloween? Well, because it is a very funny, most enjoyable read that can be devoured after school or on the weekends, over what would be considered a great feast of Clutterbucks Cocktails and jam! Oh yes, and cake of course!

    But, what happens when Peggy decides that she need to make a documentary about the very first ever Witchoween and the famous witches that started the trend. Mayhem happens of course. The people to be interviewed don’t always co-operate, the wardrobe frequently malfunctions, tempers are frayed, much jam and cake is eaten, while some very strange things happen.

    Do things eventually go well in Sinkville, or does so much go horribly, horribly wrong that by the time Tiga, Fluffanora and their friends find their way to the end of the book, do they really, really care about Witchoween!

    Dotted at the end of the chapters are some wonderful activities to carry out such as How To Make A Clutterbucks Cocktail or How To Make Splatty Cake, Five Things you did not know about Splatty Cat or Sticky Berta, along with many others, and also how to do a Witch Style Pedicure (your toe nails, just making sure!) and then how to Decorate Your Shoes Like Paisley Parade. (Perhaps you better check with Mum first, before you do this one)

    For those of you who have already read some of the Witch War series this is an additional one, especially for perhaps a party idea or two, or just a fun read with some seriously wickedly, witchy ideas!

  • The Naked Witch

    The Naked Witch

    She has reached the very highest of highs and absolutely the lowest of lows in her career, somehow managing to survive to tell the tale; and what a tale it is to tell.

    Fiona Horne was adopted as a baby into a family who went on to adopt another two children. Somehow she did not fit in, did not have the right ‘anything’ to please her father and although her mother tried hard, somehow Fiona and her mother never really jelled.

    As a young child she seemed to be the one who was bullied and picked on, deliberately dumbing her abilities and intelligence down at school, desperately trying to make friends and fit into what was considered the ‘norm’.

    This lack of self-confidence and self-respect saw her withdrawing into the Australian bush close to her home, finding a little cave where she could simply be herself, creating a space where she could make a little alter and gather together a few coloured rocks, feathers as well as bits and pieces that caught her young eye. As she later says, this was the foundation of becoming a Witch in the modern world.

    Her pathway through life has been based on a crash and burn mentality and regardless of how successful she became, she always seemed to end up in a state of deep depression and self-loathing.  She was a founding member of the electro-pop group Def FX. Fame but sadly not fortune was hers for the taking until the co-coordinator decided, in 1997, in a simple phone call to end it all with the words, “I don’t want to do this anymore”! Def FX was no more.

    While a member of this iconic group she became immersed in Witchcraft, setting up alters wherever they were preforming, reading every bit of literature she could find on the subject. This was the platform for her rise to the top in Hollywood as a celebrity, the face of Modern Witchcraft, she became the author of three books on Witchcraft and Magick, was a TV personality and so much more.

    She marries, but sadly this does not last, plunging her once more into the abyss of total despair, destruction and self-loathing once again.  This time though, she is rescued by a friend who opens a new doorway for her, that of completing her commercial pilot’s licence and stepping into a world she realised was a where she wanted, needed to be; that of a bush pilot flying in humanitarian aid, as well as a youth outreach worker, living in the Caribbean, enjoying life and accepting that anything in life can be overcome or accomplished.

    Reading the autobiography, there are deep moments of immense sadness and joy. There are also so many challenges that have been faced; the wonder of it all is that she managed to survive at all.

    Reading the last few chapters, as Fiona struggles once again to overcome her demons, accept the changes in her life and enjoy living in the moment, she also learns to accept that the most basic, fundamental principle she has learned over her flamboyant career is:

    ‘Learning instead of asking, to give. Instead of holding, to let go. To trust that somehow what I needed would appear. And then learning to accept that I did not need to know, and in fact, must not pursue, anything specific.’

    The roller coaster ride that was the life of Fiona Horne tells a remarkable story about a person who is truly a survivor, who has battled the forces of darkness, to finally come into the light of peace and acceptance. In telling her story she hopes that ‘it would be good for its readers’.