I closed the door on magic long ago…the day it made me an orphan.Ten years ago, the Coven of Fire sacrificed their lives–my mother among them–to hold off an overwhelming demonic force. Now it’s back. As a poorly-paid bartender, how can any of this be my problem? But Callie, another orphan of that battle, swears I’m the key to reviving the coven. And there’s an incredibly sexy guardian … sexy guardian stranded on my couch who’s promising to help me stop the demons and keep the veil between the realms standing.
One problem: I’ve never been able to use magic. Our local bad boy warlock assures me I have the talent, but even if I did, we don’t have enough witches to complete a coven. The only way to survive is to pull together this pack of magicborn misfits, who have more secrets than spells, into a makeshift coven.
Can we–three untrained witches, a sarcastic warlock, and an overly intense guardian–take back the city…before the Demongate falls and the forces that killed my mother destroy us too?
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This is the comfort food of UF. All the tropes you love, put together the way you expect, with a very engaging narrative style. A good balance of danger and intrigue with humor and lighter moments. The perfect type of read for unwinding after a long week. The MC is a tragic orphan from a magical family raised by her too young and not ready for the responsibility non-magical aunt. She is working as a bartender when things she thought long in her past start cropping up again and her life takes a turn for the interesting (and not the good vacation kind of interesting). Throw in a yummy, tension-filled, absolutely forbidden romance, a dream job that might not be all it is cracked up to be, and a trove of secrets from the past, and you’ve got the winning formula.
This is a fast, engaging read. It falls more on the cozy end of things. There is some tragedy and violence, but for the most part it stays off screen, and what is on screen doesn’t get too graphic. The romance veers towards wanting to be steamy, but as it is a forbidden romance (and slow burn) this book stays clean. There isn’t much character depth or nuance to the setting. I think part of that is that the story is told 1st person from an unreliable narrator. You only know what she knows, and between her youth and magical intervention, that leaves holes.
This is the first book in a series. The major conflict in this book was resolved but in a way that only opened more questions. You can start to see the beginning of a larger, overarching plot line. While there was the world building that you expect in a first book, this had plenty of story line too. It works as a full story and didn’t feel like just a teaser for what is coming next. Although I do want to know what is coming next. Fun escapist read.
She says she can sense the magic in Alix, but if it is thee, Alix doesn’t know how to get access to it. In order to save their world from a demonic invasion and repair the veil between the worlds Alix, Callie, and Liv become the Coven of Fire. With Asher, a local warlock, and Matt a guardian, they will have to figure out how to combine their powers and work together to save themselves and the city they call home.
Wow, what a fantastic world with magic, demons, shifters, and the humans who ae unaware of the other beings who inhabit their world. Action packed, and exciting read with unexpected twists that kept me glued to the pages. Well written authentic, and compelling characters, I thought they were all wonderful but I adored Alix. She is a fighter, tough, and sometimes snarky, but in the end she’s also ready to put her life on the line to save others. Fantastic book!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Rise is book one of the Spelldrift: Coven of Fire series by Sierra Cross. For me it was a heck of a kick off too, I couldn’t put it down. From pretty much the first paragraph this book had lots of action. Alix is a very likable character. I loved her attitude. Alix is very sensitive and tender hearted, just don’t piss her off. Sierra Cross has done a great job with this series, I am on the look out for more of this series.
Alix was left an orphan at the age of 14 when her parents were killed in a bus accident, at least that’s what she was told happened to them. Her Aunt has raised her since and has tried to give her a good life, or has she.
This book is filled with twists and turns and I feel like if I tell you about them I will spoil the story so this review is intentionally vague.
Alix has been dealt a series of low blows by life in general and some unknown enemies in particular. Yet she’s still a virtuous person and a kick-butt defender of what she believes is good. Luckily, she discovers a few close friends, both old and new, who are willing to help her try to set things right. Their biggest challenge appears to be thwarting the plans of a power-hungry bad guy bent on taking over the world. Although nothing much seems to go their way from start to finish, and they end up having to employ means very untraditional. Part of this stems from Alix having been declared magically deficient as a young girl, despite everyone around her seeming to think that she is quite powerful. Nothing is really as it seems though, with danger and unknown enemies lurking around seemingly every corner. Alix and her friends will have to employ some very unconventional methods to try to achieve their goals.
Much is revealed in this book, about Alix, her friends and family, her past and future, as well as those closest to her. But there is obviously still so much more to learn about everyone and everything. I can’t wait to read further books in the series, and hope we are able to learn so much more about many of the things only hinted at or simply left unexplained.
I spent the last 8 hours or so if awake time not spent working reading this book.
It was amazing! I am actively looking forward to the next book & rooting for a couple or two in this book!
Alix is a dynamic character that thought she had little to know magic but seems that may not be so. There seems to be family issues (yikes!) and a budding love between Alix and Matt (hopefully!)
The loss of a coven member at the end & the betrayal of a family member caused pain to Alix and me the reader.
Holy Demons readers!