Many years ago, magic prevailed in Britain. It was a time when chosen women followed a path forged by Mother Nature herself; a time of witchcraft, of the brotherhood of Gwithiaz, and of the terrifying Creatures.Now, magic has returned. Young Kiera is the first witch the world has seen in centuries. With her friend Jack, they must learn the ways of the Gwithiaz, master their skills and overcome … master their skills and overcome their differences, in order to work together and survive the dark enemy that lurks in the shadows.
In the rugged Cornish landscape where magic began, the two face the dreaded Kasadow: an ancient evil intent on destroying the brotherhood and plunging the world into eternal darkness.
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I picked up this book after being intrigued by the blurb. It tells the story of Kiera, a young girl who discovers that she is no ordinary human. She is a witch – the last of her kind. Or so she thought. A young man called Jack, who has lost everything is assigned to protect her against the dark forces that are gathering around her.
I loved how the story was set, around the breath-taking North Cornish coast. The author does a fabulous job of weaving a supernatural tale from normal people. The story jumps backwards and forward never confusing the reader. With each page, you are sucked into their world. I loved how a young woman can suddenly embrace who she is, becoming something that she’d never dreamed existed.
There are twists-a-plenty, especially at the end, where I was thrown from pillar to post, wondering just who was good and who was evil.
The ending looked like there will be more to come from Kiera and Jack. I cannot wait.
Fabulous book, written in a way that you can’t help but admire.
Plot almost always comes first for me when I choose a new book. I don’t often venture into the fantasy and/or science fiction genres, but occasionally the story just calls to me. When I read a description of Nature of the Witch by Helen T. Norwood, I was intrigued. I love a true battle between good and evil, especially when the lines between which is which (no pun intended) falls into a murky oblivion of where to place your trust. Norwood’s novel is a prime example of why it’s good to chance something new!
There are witches — sometimes they’re good, sometimes they’re not so good. They are protected by a secret society of strong men, the Gwithiaz — sometimes they’re good, sometimes they’re not. {Side note: the questions come up with the characters whether witches can be men and the protectors can be women — I do love a good analytical discussion!} But then there are the Creatures who hunt the witches. From the beginning, I know enough to be afraid from the earliest descriptions of the wrath that they bring to any encounter. But who sent them? And why do they hate the witches? Lots of questions… yet the physical battle between all involved is carefully avoided until the very end of this book.
The story is told from the perspective of a new witch and a new Gwithiaz, each being taught by what are supposedly the last of each’s own kind. But everyone knows what we’re told in fairy tales and fables is never the final or complete story. And that’s certainly the case here… Norwood weaves a spiderweb of deceit and confusion all throughout the first 90% of the book. It’s unclear who is telling the truth, but it forcibly pulls you into the story on the edge of your seat siding with each of the groups. Beyond the primary story evolves a growing relationship between the two newly anointed souls responsible for carrying forth the destiny of the witches. It could be friendship, love or just a pure family connection. Both lost their parents at a young age and have been searching for that unconditional love to no avail.
Until now. Yet that’s where it all comes crashing together in the end. I hadn’t know this was going to be a series until I read the last chapter and thought… wait, I need more… and then I turned the page to find a note from the author who was working on Book 2. WOW, she got me! I’m very excited to see what happens in this series. Between the vibrant descriptions, fantastic world-building and complex sense of loyalties, it’s a drama to the fullest extent. It reminds me of tv shows I’ve watched like Grimm and Sleepy Hollow, not to mention countless short stories and books about witches and battles – I felt like it was Hansel & Gretel seeking out evil! {Reference to a movie in case you’re confused about what little children from a forest have to do with the Creatures!}
Kudos to Norwood for enticing a new fan of the fantasy world! I’m a sucker for anything with witches, but this took it to a whole new level!