Mona HannaCritiques

Good story.

This was an nice, quick read. The story flowed well and the characters were well written. The end was rather obvious for me but these kind of stories are a nice change from the surprise twists and such.

I would like to thank Net Galley & The Author for chance to read this novella. I really enjoyed this book. It was a short and very quick read. I have always been fascinated by all things magic since i was young. I enjoyed to story of Ariel and Brayden. The Evil warlock Julian is a very interesting character. I enjoyed Mona Hanna's writing style and look forward to the next group of books in the set.

I received this book for an honest review. I have read the first book previously and this continued the story of Erica, her family and Gareth whom she has grown very close to now. It is now Erica and her families turn to make the trip to visit her mothers friend and their family. Their meeting is full of excitement though as James, one of Hallies twin sons, is kidnapped for a very brief period by another witch after which he starts to black out on occasions. James is scared and only confides in his brother and Erica who he thinks can help him. They find out his body is being taken over by this other witch for some reason. They need to find out how to stop it and why it is happening. A very good story that I enjoyed reading. And will continue to look for new books in this series.

A couple of days ago, I found out that I had won the eBook ‘Witch Emerging’ by Mona Hanna. In the email, it said that it was the second book in the series, and that I could download the first book ‘High Witch’ for free from Smashwords. And so I did.

High Witch is a novella of approximately 82 pages, and revolves around Ariel and Brayden, and their battle against the bad Julius and his Nadia. Of course, since it’s only 82 pages, I expected nothing much to happen but I was quite surprised. Because a lot happened in this book.

I am going to start with the insta-love between the two main characters; Ariel and Brayden. They only met like two days before, and they’re already so in love with each other; enough to have sex (and they have that quite a lot in this book actually). Then, after only two weeks, Brayden wants to marry her. And they do eventually after four months, and on their wedding day Ariel tells him that she’s pregnant.

I’m not a big fan of romance in books, especially not if the characters seem to fall in love with each other right from the first moment they met. But this was just a bit weird, in my opinion. That is the reason that I didn’t like this book that much, because most of it was just them kissing, them having sex, and them telling each other how much they loved each other. Oh, and there’s also a bit of magic in it.

I liked the magic, because I am just a big fan of magic, so that was a plus. But other than that, I didn’t really enjoy this novella. I hope the second book is a bit more enjoyable (it’s about 125 pages, so that’s a plus)! I do love the cover though, it give me a magical feeling!

I won this ARC and agreed to give it an honest review and now am a big fan of Ms. Hanna! Gareth and his father moved because his dad couldn't work any more due to his illness, and he had agreed with the blonde hair man to trick a high witch so that he could turn her and have her do his bidding in return for his father being permanently cured. He had already lost his mom and had no clue what to do if his only parent died...

Erica was a young high witch living with at home and helping her family. She knew her mom had hopes that she would lead their coven one day and she was no where near that yet. When she sees a tall boy with dark hair and eyes, she gets a tingle down in her belly then looks away, but her friend encourages her to take a chance and go find him.

Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

It's probably because I didn't read the original series, but I couldn't really get into this short story. While, of course, all characters were new to me and I had some trouble understanding the magic in this world, and that's completely my own mistake, I also felt the story was lacking something.

There may be more to Erica's first love than she at first believes.

I wanted to like it, I really did. But there was too much exposition for my liking right from the beginning. Perhaps it would have made more sense had I read the other series as well and perhaps it fits there better, I don't know. Some of the characters seemed to have interesting backstories though that were not explored in this short novel. It might also just be me, but I was a little bit disappointed by it and had expected more from it.

High Witch Next Generation is the first novella in the Generations series which is a spin-off series of the High Witch series.

I won a copy of this book in a Booklikes giveaway!

I quick read about some witches. Yes I said it before I do like good witch books! This one was great too! The High Witch series will be one I will read more of. I enjoyed this book, just like chocolate! * I received this book from LibraryThing giveaway in exchange for an honest review*

This is book #2 in the High Witch series. Ariel and Brayden are married and Ariel is expecting their first child. She is a bit concerned when she discovers the baby is able to use magic. She decides to continue with her desire to find the other high witches to ensure that they do not go through what Julius put Ariel through. She uses a location spell and finds Hallie, an 18 year old scribe who left home to start a new life where nobody knows about her powers that she still can't control. Hallie is back in a relationship with her childhood friend Sean who left two years ago so Hallie could become independent and strong. Now she is being confronted by a warlock named Nicholas who is bent on avenging his mothers death. He will use Hallie and Sean to get at Ariel. Ariel will have to teach Hallie to use her powers and they will have to join together to save those they love as well as themselves.

I have read the first book in this series but I don't believe it's necessary as the author does a good job of giving enough background on Ariel and Brayden. This was a fairly quick read that I read in just two sittings and a few hours. This story moved a bit quicker for me than book 1 did. I liked getting to know more about Ariel and her background. I did feel again that the romance was rushed and there were a few too many love scenes. The author did a great job describing things, especially the dreams/visions that Ariel and Hallie had. The story ended and felt complete but the author definitely left room for the next book in this series.

I received a digital version of this book free from Mona Hanna and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is book #1 in the High Witch series. Brayden works at an inn and has been dreaming of a woman for 30 nights straight. When Ariel Williams comes to the inn looking for a room he discovers she is the girl of his dreams. He also discovers that she has powers she has been suppressing most of her life because she can't control them. Brayden's mother is a witch and he begins teaching Ariel how to use and control her powers. This is when he discovers she is one of only three high witches. The danger comes from a warlock named Julius who puts a high witch through a test in which she must choose to kill herself or one that she loves. If she kills the one she loves she will turn dark and be bound to Julius where he will use her power for himself. Brayden and Ariel flee but it will only be a matter of time before they will encounter Julius and Nadia (the current High Witch bound to him) and Ariel will have to face the test.

This novella only took me a couple hours to read. I like paranormal books but don't read a whole lot with witches. I found the idea of the High Witch to be interesting and hope it will develop more in the next book which is waiting on my kindle. I would have liked a bit more back story on the characters so that I could have connected better with them. Their instant love of each other was a bit rushed to me as I like to see relationships develop a bit slower. The scenes where she is learning magic were descriptive and this was overall a quick read that did hold my interest. I look forward to reading the next book to see what happens to Brayden and Ariel.

I received a free digital version of this book from the publisher, Mona Hanna, via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review

The High Witch books could have made a great series, if the author could make up her mind about whether she wanted them to be a series for adults or middle schoolers. The story and most of the dialogue was simple seemingly targeted for young readers but then you have these intimate scenes which just seem so out of place. The potential in the storyline is definitely there but the execution and grammar/ language / sentence construction is immature. It read the over emotional over dramatic dialogue of movies from the 30s.

Initially when I began reading book 1 I thought maybe I could get my 13 year old to read it then the sex scene came in and I thought maybe not. Maybe with a rewrite and defined genre it could work but in its present state it is not impressive.

Could have made a good book if the author could make up her mind about whether she wanted it to be for adults or middle schoolers. Initially, when I began reading book 1 I thought maybe I could get my teenager to read it then the sex scene came in and I thought maybe not. The story and most of the dialogue was simple, seemingly targeted at young readers but then you have these intimate scenes which just seem so out of place. The potential in the storyline is definitely there but the execution and grammar/ language / sentence construction is immature. It read like the over-emotional overdramatic dialogue of movies from the 30s. An OK read, if you enjoy this style

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review

I received this book from Member giveaway group.
The cover for the book gave me an impression its going to be a fairy tale rather than young adult short novel.
This is a short fantasy story about witches and love story with ups and downs and drama in the middle. Erika is one from four High Witches and her life has always been surrounded by her family, shes seventeen and wishes to have boyfriend as any regular girl in the world, but she have figured long time ago that there is no actual way how she will meet someone from her community, nothing have happened till now..Its about to change when she notices a guy staring at her opposite her house. Thanks to Julia, she has someone who puts her idea serious and pushes her to think it could be real with the guy whom she spot across the road..of course, the love develops between her and him..
I give the book one and a half stars, but I cant give more as I found the story dialog too sweet at the times and silly.½

Wow another exceptional story from Mona I do love these High Witch stories they are excitedly thrilling & amazing stories. This story was as the others wonderful and I would be so delighed to recommend this wonderful book to my friends. My heart felt thanks to the author Mona Hanna for the delightful pleasure of reading this wonderful book so I say to all happy reading from wee me. ♥☺

It was alright. Not spectacular but not bad. Kalin's story was decent, but I feel like Ariel's story is incomplete. I hope that is remedied in the future if not already. I was also overwhelmed by the level of corny romance in all the works. So melodramatic. It is more likely that someone would get pissed off and accidentally summon a hurricane through magic than two people in love being that freaking mushy with each other all the time. Bleh.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I actually would have given this 5 stars but it was short. I really enjoyed the book and fun. It was cute to watch a budding romance instead of the quick 2 day love for ever stories. This one is one of young love and love of family and friends conquering all. Great book I can't wait to see what happens next.

I won this collection from LibraryThing. It is a set of 4 short books--two sets of two books each (novellas).

High Witch
It's a story about Ariel who is trying to escape from a pre-arranged marriage and Brayden, who keeps dreaming of a sensuous woman (Ariel). They meet and fall in love. Ariel tells her story to Brayden and he finds out she is one of three High Witches and the one she was supposed to marry , is the devil. Brayden tells of the history and helps Ariel learn her powers.

High Witch Emerging
Continuation of Ariel's story and finding the second of three High Witches. The only problem is, is that Ariel is pregnant and the baby is female and also a High Witch. She fears that since there can only be three high witches, one will have to die. Ariel finds Hallie and finds out that Hallie is pursued by Nicholas, a powerful warlock. What is his history and what does Hallie and Ariel have to do with it.

Myriad
This is a story about a warlock, Kalin. As a small child, he was abused by his parents for doing magic. So he refused to do it. He left home and found a group of people who knew what he was. Myriad is out to kill the Royal family and it's up to Kalin to stop him. What is the connection between Myriad and Kalin. And will Kalin be able to save the Royal family and himself?

Tanner
This is a continuation of Kalin's story. Mark and Sasha, who are friends of Kalin and Regina, find out that Mark's brother Tanner is in trouble. Mark and Tanner had a falling out when they were younger and it was about Sasha. They find out a witch called Lisandra is wanting to work a spell that will kill a lot of people to get what she wants. Is Kalin going to be able to stop her and save all his friends?

These are a great little group of fantasies with romance involved. Good versus evil all around. Great reads at bedtime for sure.

Ariel and Brayden are back, and this time they’re facing a new threat.

Ariel and Brayden have been married for a week, but they already have a lot on their plate. Ariel is pregnant, but something isn't quite right with the pregnancy, and the parents to be are worried about their future child. Ariel is also desperate to find the other high witches, to ensure they never face what she went through with Julius.

Hallie is a young woman who fled from her childhood home in order to make a life somewhere where no one knew she was a witch. With a broken heart she takes up residence in a new town, with a new job. She wants to forget her childhood, the times when her magic was uncontrollable and she hurt people. But a stranger comes to town, someone who knows all about her past. He needs Hallie for his revenge plan, and will stop at nothing to get her, not even killing the man she loves.

This is the sequel to High Witch, and I'm afraid it just wasn't for me. I thought the first book had potential, and so decided to dive into the second book, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. Like the first book, Witch Emerging is incredibly short, and I felt it was over before it really began. I ended up reading it in two sittings because it was such a quick read. In that respect it’s a quick, easy and enjoyable read. The story does also have some action packed scenes and answers some of the questions we are left with about Ariel’s past in book one.

This story kind of frustrated me, because I felt it had so much potential, and veered off in the opposite direction from what I wanted it to do. I wanted two kick-ass high witches who didn't let anyone blackmail or kidnap them, instead the story is mainly filled with romantic scenes of hair kissing and the man telling the woman that everything will be okay. I also didn't really understand how Hallie can have her heart broken by Sean when he tells her he wants to be with her – but not the way she is now, she has to change – then he disappears without a word for two years, turns up on her doorstep and everything is fine, they’re together and happy and living together.

I also felt the story was a little predictable, a man who looks like Julius is out for revenge, who could be possibly be and what could he possibly want revenge for? I felt that the action scenes and the moments of Ariel and Hallie learning about magic were brushed over in favour of hand holding and kissing. I guess this series falls more into the category of romance with a touch of fantasy, as opposed to the other way around. The story does have it’s moments of intrigue, there’s a couple of interesting action scenes and Hallie having visions of Ariel and blood did spark my intrigue. If you've read the first book, it is a quick and easy read and will answer some of your questions from earlier in the series, but overall, just wasn't for me.

I loved the concept of this collection. The fight and magic scenes were fun reads. And I have to point out that Julius and Nicholas definitely enjoyed their elaborate contraptions for torture. However, I struggled a bit with seeing the full picture of the story sometimes. Some details lacked, especially that of characterization, so I had to put my own idea on what the character looked liked most of the time. Also, I love romance and nothing makes me happier then seeing two characters come together, but sometimes there was just too much of it and it felt a bit forced. It didn't feel real to me. That being said, this collection is still a fun read, especially for all of you magic enthusiasts.

High Witch Review:

I was thoroughly excited when I found out I won the book series from LibraryThing’s Member Giveaways. However, I am disappointed with the series. The plot of High Witch seemed very intriguing and unique, but it was written poorly. Not in the sense that there were grammatical errors everywhere, but the fact that it was not well thought out or planned. The author is not descriptive enough in my opinion. I understand novellas are short literary works, but Steinback’s Of Mice and Men gave great description without being too wordy. I don’t want pages of description, but I would like to see what the author imagined. For example, Brayden, one of the main characters is NEVER described to readers! Is he blonde? Does he have brown eyes? These were the questions I asked myself throughout the novel, not only with this character, but the scenes as well.

While damsel-in-distress novels are outdated for this day and age, they can be well written. This novel was not consistent in my opinion. Brayden falls in love with Ariel after meeting her in person for 1 day. Also, they have sex on the second day and profess their love for each other shortly after. Yes, he dreamt of her for 30 nights, but this was much too fast! I would understand if there was sexual tension building and all of that jazz, but there was none of that. The characters seemed nervous and awkward, which does not mix with their hasty hookup. It was just too much for me. I pictured this novel taking place in the 17th or 18th century where sex before marriage is a huge taboo. Didn’t seem to fit the novel or characters in my opinion. I wish the author had built more and expanded on her characters. They seem too flat. I honestly believe this novel could be a wonderful series if the author was more descriptive and built more on her characters.

Fantasy Collection by Mona Hanna was well written collection of books. I love books about witches and magic. Mona did a great job keeping my attention. It was like watching a movie in my head everything came to life. That's what I love about this book it transported me to another place while in the comfort of my own home. I would recommend this book to people who like magic.

A fun set of books to read. Set in a time of magic, it pits good against evil. These books show how people working together and trusting one another can accomplish much.

A young adult fantasy about an untrained witch and an evil warlock.

Synopsis:

Every night Brayden dreams of a girl he has never met. Then one day she appears at the Inn where Brayden works. He soon learns that the young girl, Ariel is a witch - but not just any witch she is a high witch, resulting in a colossal amount of power. Although one of only three high witches in the world, her family beg her to keep her powers a secret, believing only bad things can result from them. As Ariel begins to learn to control her powers, the two hear of a plot by a warlock named Julius, who bends the power of high witches to his will, in order to preserve his immortal life. So Brayden and Ariel attempt to flee into hiding, in order to stop Julius’s evil plans, but how long can the couple keep running?

Review:

I really wanted to love this book. The plot sounds so interesting, and as I received the box set of the trilogy though LibraryThing, I could not wait to get my teeth sunk into this. I love a good witchy story and the novella does have its good points - I loved the idea of their only being three high witches at a time - as soon as one dies, another is born into the world, regardless if the parents are magical. This was a bit of a twist on the usual generation after generation of witches element that these types of story often have. I thought it was pretty interesting that she keeps her powers a secret, meaning she has so much untapped power and there were so many things she could learn to do and discover about herself.

This however, was where my enjoyment of the book ended. I know that the book is a novella, and Hanna obviously has a lot to cram into such a small word length but in the first twenty odd pages Brayden and Ariel meet, they fall and love and decide they are soul mates, they learn Ariel is a witch - but not just any witch, and that Brayden has witches in his family and can therefore teach her everything she needs to know. The whole book just felt a bit too Disney for my tastes. I felt there was so much potential for seeing Ariel grow as a character, learning to control her powers and use them to stop Julius, but these scenes are skipped over quickly in favour of longer romantic scenes and it left me feeling a bit disappointed that her magic was not more explored.

There were some enjoyable twists in the story - the introduction of Brayden’s mother and a few other little surprises that I didn't foresee, if you’re a fan of romance novels there is plenty of romantic elements in the story - though that doesn't particularly appeal to me. In true Disney fashion the novel ends with a wedding and a happily ever after so for me it felt a little too predictable, but hopefully with another two books to come perhaps there will be more opportunity to explore the magic and history behind the witches of this world. All in all a fun, enjoyable little novella with lots of romance and a pretty interesting plot.

I won this series in e-book form through the member give-away forum; thank you for allowing me to receive a copy. I love action, fantasy books and this series did not disappoint. The books are a quick read in part because I couldn't put them down but also because they just are not that long. I think these books would be great for younger readers who tend to be daunted by lengthy books that are currently popular. The books are well throughout and gripping as well as provide a new version of witchcraft giving the reader something to think about beyond the book.

I received the entire High Witch series in exchange for my honest opinion. In this second book I am still enjoying the story, but some things really stand out for me. I'm not sure whether this is supposed to be a romance with some magic, or a fantasy with some romance. In either case, there is more sex than I would deem necessary to advance the story/show the relationships between characters. I also need to comment on the frequency of the use of the word amazing. It rivals a 21st century entertainment report, is highly annoying, detracts from the story, and doesn't seem to fit with an era in which people get around by carriage, on foot, and by horse. Also, considering the semi-implied era, it seemed remarkably easy for both men and women to find gainful employment. There were some glaring grammatical errors in this book that I found distracting. Still, I'm eager to see what the high witch is up to in book three...

I was given a free copy of this book for an honest review.

The High Witch Box Set is a delightful fantasy trilogy. In the first book, we learn about Ariel. She is a witch hiding out, and she meets Braydon. Braydon recognizes her from his dreams and they are immediately in love. But someone wants Ariel for himself, and Ariel and Braydon both have to stand up for their love.

In the second book, Ariel has a vision about another witch named Hallie. Hallie and her love interest Sean get caught up in things from the first book, when a mysterious warlock demands revenge against Ariel.

In the third and final book, Ariel and Hallie have visions of a prophecy that has devastating consquences for the world. There is a group that wants to stop the four high witches from casting a powerful spell.

These books were chock-full of action and fantasy. The romance was quick, but you get why it was. I couldn't put my Kindle down all night!