Blood Witch (Sweep #3)

Title: Blood Witch
Series: Sweep Series
Author: Cate Tiernan
Published: 2001
Synopsis from Goodreads

Morgan has found her mother's Wiccan tools, and her relationship with Cal is strong. Everything seems perfect. Except that Cal's half brother, Hunter, is stalking them. Hunter claims to be a Seeker who is investigating Cal for the misuse of magick. Whom can she trust?

Woowy Zowwy!!

If anything - the endings of these books are fantastic!

Talk about evil cliffies! I'm already standing on the edge screaming NOES!!! because I don't have the next book.

I so wonder how people who read this series as it was released dealt with it. I wouldn't have had the patience.

"Blood Witch" starts right where "The Coven" left off. Morgan is in Selene's private hidden library where she find's her birth mom's Book of Shadows. Oh snap! And since we already know all about Mauve's Book of Shadows from reading snippets of it in "Coven" you can bet your bottom dollar that Morgan is about to discover some real witchy things about herself.

Selene is kinda like "What you doing in here?" blah blah blah but then for some reason she's all like "Yeah sure, Morgan! You can have the BOS! I was going to give it to you anyways! True Dat!"

I felt that was kinda weird but I really think it's all a set-up because with what happened at the end... there totally HAS to be a reason to it.

Bree and Morgan still don't dig each other and Bree is still getting close to Raven. Morgan learns (when hiding in a bathroom stall) that the other coven is doing something with Morgan's hair that Bree got out of an old hairbrush from the good ol' days when they were still besties. I have no clue what's going on with it but I bet the next book will tell and I bet it will be awesome!

Hunter and Sky are still in this book and we learn a big whopper about Hunter. It's so big you'll gasp!

We also learn what clan Morgan belongs to. And she gets even more info about her roots at Practical Magic (I wish I could go there!!).

And slowly but surely, Morgan is uncovering secrets that her Mom has left behind. It makes me even more anxious to read the next book.

I really love all the info about Wicca and how it seems to be very true to the craft. Sure there is a bit of supernatural fluff but I don't see anything wrong with that.

OH! And in this book Morgan gets the cutest little kitty! Hooray for the fluffiness!

All in all this is turning out to be a great series. If you like witches then you'll love these books!

I do however wonder who SGATH is. I already know who Giomanach is. But I'm very curious about Sgath. I'm hoping it tells in the next book.

The Coven (Sweep #2)

Title: The Coven
Series: Sweep Series
Author: Cate Tiernan
Published: 2001
Synopsis from Goodreads

Cal, now Morgan's boyfriend, helps her accept the truth: Wicca is in Morgan's blood. As Morgan learns more about Wicca, she realizes that she needs to find out more about her parentage. The answers are there, but she doesn?t know how to find them.

ZOMG WHAT A FREAKING AWESOME ENDING!!

I can't believe it ended like that! It makes me want to squee, sceam, and gasp!

Can I get at "tre' awesome" in the house?

"COVEN" picks up where "Book of Shadows" left off.

Morgan passed out, Cal picks her up, smoochy boochy, you're a blood witch.

But how is Morgan a blood witch? And what is a blood witch?

A blood witch is a person who is born with witch parents.

But Morgan's parents are like Dagwood and Blondie. Totally not very witchy. There is totally no Samantha or Endora going on in that bloodline.

And that's when she learns the truth. Morgan brings it up to Mom and Daddy and they are like "ummm... what you talkin' 'bout?"

And Morgan jokes, "What? Am I adopted or something?"

And the cat is let out of the bag. I mean... the black cat is let out of the cauldren!

Morgan is totally adopted! Mom and Dad adopted her when she was just an infant.

In the book "Coven" we learn about Morgan's real mom, glimpse into her Book of Shadows, and discover just how strong a witch Morgan is going to be.

We also have a bit more sexual tension between her and Cal, a fight between Morgan and her parents (which I kind of thought was off the wall but I guess it makes for a good storyline), a couple of boob touches (so parents beware!), and Bree and Raven are getting closer together.

OH! And then we get introduced to a new person. Who is she? It is yet to be revealed but I can already tell she's going to be bad news.

At just 184 pages this book totally kept my attention. Even though Morgan sometimes seems like a bit of a whiner I am still fascinated by what is going on and am able to look past her little fits.

These are definitely my cup of bat tea!

Book of Shadows (Sweep #1)

Title: Book of Shadows
Series: Sweep Series Book 1
Author: Cate Tiernan
Published: 2001
Synopsis from Goodreads

Morgan and her best friend, Bree, are introduced to Wicca when a gorgeous senior named Cal invites them to join his new coven. Morgan falls for Cal immediately and discovers that she has strong, inexplicable powers.

Let me start off by saying that I admit to being a very picky reader. I don't do well with school-settings and when it comes to Magick it's usually very very lame.


And when my bud told me that I should read the SWEEP Series I must admit that I was afraid. What do I do if I don't like it? I mean... it's at this school and told from the pov of a girl who goes to a school and is learninging about Wicca from a new boy in town.


Ummmm.... Is this going to make me roll my eyes?


Well, I took the plunge and ZOMG was it awesome!!


I freaking loved it!


Sure, it took a little getting used to. The girl is super smart in math and I tend to hate that but they don't talk about it much. THere are tons of characters thrown at you but it settles down after a while. ANd yeah, they go to school but that's not the main thing the story revolves around.


What it is about is PAGANISM!!!


OK.... TO me that is what is what the book was about.


Morgan's family is Catholic. She goes to church, says her prayers, minder her parents... you know... good girl stuff.


Then this boy, Cal comes into town. He's not a bad boy but he's super dark and mysterious. And Morgan's BFF Bree is already wanting to call dibs on him.


Cal is a Wiccan. His Mom is a Wiccan. And his Dad was (?) a Wiccan. IT's his religion of choice.


One day the new boy invites some of his new friends to a party. But what he doesn't tell them is he wants to cast a circle to celebrate Mabon and see who is interested in joining a Coven.


This is when Morgan learns that she has an interest in witchcraft.... and maybe a little more.


While there is a bit of SUPERNATURAL jazz to this book I really really can't stress enough how this book would be just perfect for little pagan girls. They talk about very introductory subjects like calling the corners and casting a circle. The importance of purification. Going to your local occult store. Candles, herbs, and nature.


I really dug that.


What I liked even more was the size of this book. It was under 200 pages and I didn't get bored once. While these books are a bit dated I find them perfect (they mention the X-files a couple of times) and I could totally see the WB or FAMILY CHANNEL making a series out of them.


With very little cussing and not much sexual tension I think any 12+ girl who is into witches will really enjoy this series.


I can't wait to leap into the next one!

Interview with Cate Tiernan/Giveaway!

Today we sit down with Cate Tiernan for interview to discuss her newest book, Darkness Falls.

AND, because Cate is so awesome one lucky winner will get their own copy of Darkness Falls!

But first let me introduce you to the book...

Darkness Falls

By Cate Tiernan

Published January 2nd 2012 by Poppy

Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Nastasya has lived for hundreds of years, but for some reason, life never seems to get any better. She left her spoiled, rich girl life to find peace at River's Edge, a safe haven for wayward immortals. There, she learned to embrace River's Edge, despite some drama involving the sexy Reyn, who she wants but won't allow herself to have. But just as she's getting comfortable, her family's ties to dark magick force her to leave.

She falls back into her old, hard partying ways, but will her decision lead her into the hands of a dark immortal? Or will it be her first step to embracing the darkness within her?

You can check out my review HERE!

Now let's give a warm welcome to Cate Tiernan!!

Darkfallen: I have to say that I loved the premise for this series. How did you come up with the idea of "rehab" for immortals?

Cate: I was thinking about how immortals would live, and what it would be like psychologically and emotionally to live such long lives. And I thought that it was likely that some of them would not age gracefully. I love the idea of an older immortal reaching out to others to help them with the challenges of a super-long life.

Darkfallen: When I first starting reading Immortal Beloved I had a hard time following Nas's train of thought. She seemed to be a little all over the place, but by book two she seemed to pull it together more. Was this your intent? Kind of a way to show how she was getting better?

Cate:Yes, exactly. At the beginning of book one, she can't sit still, can't focus, has a constant level of anxiety and a fierce need to protect herself at all times. As she becomes more healthy and more stable, this all gets better. By the end of book three, she's still herself, but a much calmer, more focused self who can follow through on things.

Darkfallen: I loved, LOVED Reyn's character. I wish I could have had more of him and Nas's relationship throughout the first two books and I am super excited to see where they go in the final book. Can you tell us...will we get more swoonworthiness in the upcoming book?

Cate: Oh yes. There will be swooning. Nastasya and Reyn take their relationship further in the second book, and in the third book, everything comes together. So to speak. Of course, it's not always smooth sailing . . . speaks fly, both good and bad.

Darkfallen: I have to say that I am intrigued by the "mental institution" for immortals up in Canada. Have you thought about maybe writing a novella, or even and entirely new series, based there? I wouldn't mind seeing how a few of those people turned out in the end. *winks*

Cate: That's a fun idea. For me, Immortal Beloved was about taking someone who seemed to have no redeemable qualities, and then show how even she can be redeemed. It would be interesting to explore that some more.

Darkfallen: River seems to be such a rounded, yet mysterious character. I love the way she meshes with Nas and the rest of the gang. Did you ever find it difficult to keep her so grounded? I think at times I would have just yelled at Nas if I was her. Lol.

Cate: I know--sometimes Nas seems to need a swift kick in the butt. But River is so much older and has so much more life experience. She's had a much longer time to work on her own abilities and her own feelings. I just created the ideal mother-figure--someone who sets boundaries and demands you live up to them, but offers constant unconditional love and support. I wish I had a River! I wish I was River!

Thank you for the interview--I appreciate it!

~Cate~

And now one lucky winner will get a finished copy of Darkness Falls!!
All you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway is being shipped from the publisher and is open to US residents only.
 

Darkness Fall by Cate Tiernan: Review

Darkness Falls
By Cate Tiernan
Published January 2nd by Poppy
Pick up your copy at Amazon, B&N, or your local indie today!

Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Nastasya has lived for hundreds of years, but for some reason, life never seems to get any better. She left her spoiled, rich girl life to find peace at River's Edge, a safe haven for wayward immortals. There, she learned to embrace River's Edge, despite some drama involving the sexy Reyn, who she wants but won't allow herself to have. But just as she's getting comfortable, her family's ties to dark magick force her to leave.

She falls back into her old, hard partying ways, but will her decision lead her into the hands of a dark immortal? Or will it be her first step to embracing the darkness within her?

Darkfallen's thoughts:

I want to start by saying that I loved this book so much more than the first one! The story line just seemed to flow better, and the flashbacks were cut WAY down. Although I guess that's why it flowed better ;)

Things keep happening at Rivers Edge. Dark, evil things. No matter how hard Nas tries to get her magic right every time she tries to work a spell, or join a circle, something goes very very wrong. Feeling beat down and alone she starts to realize all the darkness is coming from her. Believing that she is to blame for everything she questions if she belongs at River's Edge. In fact she questions rather or not she belongs anywhere. All the while she's having nightmare and visions of her rogue friend Incy. In her visions he is stark raving mad, killing her old friends for their power. Knowing she's not safe outside of River's Edge, but feeling like she is bringing the darkness to it, she doesn't know what to do. Should she stay, or should she go?

Now I don't want to get to into the story for fear of giving something away. A spoiler bunny I am not! LOL But I will say that in the first book I had a hard time with all the really LONG flashbacks that just seemed to bore me a little and pull me out of the story. In this second installment the flashbacks are far, few, and in between. Being cut way down I found myself being able to submerse myself in the present much easier and therefore connecting with the story far more than I did in the first book. I also mentioned that in the first book the romance wasn't playing as big of a part as I would have liked...well in this book the romance is still on the back burner, but it didn't bother me as much once I was able to connect with the rest of the story.

And the ending? Yeah that was definitely worth the wait and I can't wait for the next book!     

Lymi...



    

Immortal Beloved by Cate Teirnan: Review

Immortal Beloved
By Cate Tiernan
Published September 7th 2010 by Little Brown Books
Pick up your copy at Amazon, B&N, or your local indie today!
Synopsis borrowed from Goodreads:

Nastasya has spent the last century living as a spoiled, drugged-out party girl. She feels nothing and cares for no one. But when she witnesses her best friend, a Dark Immortal, torture a human, she realizes something's got to change. She seeks refuge at a rehab for wayward immortals, where she meets the gorgeous, undeniably sexy Reyn, who seems inexplicably linked to her past.

Nastasya finally begins to deal with life, and even feels safe--until the night she learns that someone wants her dead.

Cate Tiernan, author of the popular Sweep series, returns with an engaging story of a timeless struggle and inescapable romance, the first book in a stunning new fantasy trilogy.

Darkfallen's thoughts:

So when I first read the premise to this book I was super excited to get started. I mean a immortal girl goes to rehab and meets a sexy immortal man named Reyn? Ummmmmm Yes Please!

This book just wasn't what I thought it was going to be however. What I mean is that I thought the romance was going to take a front seat in this plot and it so does not. The relationship, if you can call it that, between Reyn and Nas was at times that back burner that you always forget that you left on until you burn the house down.

Still this story was interesting enough to keep me reading even without the romance playing a heavy part, which is saying something because we all know I need my swoon-worthy moments to keep me entertained.And I am really hoping that I will get more of the romance in book two with Darkness Falls, but lets get back to this book, shall we?

The writing took me a little bit to get used to. Nasty comes off as a bit of a valley girl persona, and at times I had a hard time following her train of thought in the beginning, but I got used to it and then it wasn't a problem. Sometimes she even made me laugh with her inner dialogue. It's always nice when a book can make you laugh. But on the other hand the flashbacks into her past felt a little wordy and long winded leaving me bored at times. That's why this book is getting 3 stars instead of 4 or even 5. I just felt we could have used a little less living in the past and a little more living in the now to make the connection stronger. For instance we would go back to read about an important thing that happened in Nasty's past and for some reason the author also felt the need to tell me exactly what she was wearing, and it just didn't feel necessary to get the main point across. (That's just one example of what I'm talking about.)

In the end I did enjoy this book and I immediately picked up the sequel. I can't wait to see where the story goes!        

Lymi...





Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we just can't wait to get our sticky fingers on.


Title: Darkness Falls (Immortal Beloved #2)
Author: Cate Tiernan
Published: September 5, 2011
Synopsis from Goodreads:

Nastasya has lived for hundreds of years, but for some reason, life never seems to get any better. She left her spoiled, rich girl life to find peace at River's Edge, a safe haven for wayward immortals. There, she learned to embrace River's Edge, despite some drama involving the sexy Reyn, who she wants but won't allow herself to have. But just as she's getting comfortable, her family's ties to dark magick force her to leave.

She falls back into her old, hard partying ways, but will her decision lead her into the hands of a dark immortal? Or will it be her first step to embracing the darkness within her?




We here at Paranormal Wastelands are super mondo excited about this book. So excited that we are bouncing around our little bat cave while drinking coconut milk as we chant

Must have NOWS!
We needs it!!
We wants it!!
We can't lives without it!!

Now that you've heard what our CAN'T WAIT book is... What's yours? Drop us a comment so we can find out what has you on pins and needles.