"Butterflies in the Storm" by Gary Warner is a thrilling mix of mystery and suspense. The story follows Melissa Jones, who thinks she’s just a regular person with a regular life. Everything changes when she gets an invite to the funeral of a school friend she doesn’t even remember. At the funeral, she meets Danika, a woman who insists Melissa’s life is in danger. This unexpected warning turns Melissa's world upside down, making her realize she might actually need a sanctuary to stay alive.

The concept of sanctuary is brilliantly woven into the story. Verity Trask, who runs the sanctuary, is a standout character. Her commitment to protecting the women under her care, including Melissa, adds a layer of depth and seriousness to the narrative. Verity’s understanding of the ancient threat that stems from the incident at Brathy Beck centuries ago brings a historical twist that enriches the plot.
Warner does a fantastic job of building suspense. Melissa’s confusion and gradual acceptance of her situation make for a gripping read. The transition from her ordinary life to the high-stakes environment of the sanctuary is smooth and keeps you hooked.
The interactions between Melissa and Danika are intriguing. Danika’s certainty about the danger Melissa faces and her mysterious background add to the tension and mystery of the story. The historical aspect of the threat, tied to Brathy Beck, gives the book a unique edge, blending past events with present danger.
Overall, "Butterflies in the Storm" is a compelling read with well-developed characters and a plot that keeps you guessing. Gary Warner’s storytelling pulls you in, making you feel the urgency and the mystery surrounding Melissa’s predicament. If you enjoy thrillers that combine personal danger with historical secrets, this book is definitely worth picking up.

When Melissa Jones is invited to a funeral for a girl she doesn't remember knowing, the last thing she expects is to be whisked away from the funeral by a woman claiming her life is in danger. She's taken to a place where she's told she'll be safe from a threat she never knew existed that all started hundreds of years in the past at a place called Brathy Beck.

Though the synopsis for this book was very vague, I was intrigued enough to give it a try. And the book starts off with a bang, with Melissa's escape from unknown danger and flight to the secretive sanctuary in some nebulous location. (It took me a long time to realize this book is set in England, as I don't remember any location names being given until quite a ways in.) But as Melissa tries to get her bearings in this complex full of women, she's given nothing but vague answers by everyone she encounters. I'm annoyed for her, since supposedly she's not a prisoner and this is all for her benefit, so the only reason I can see for all the secrecy is that the author wants to add suspense for the reader. As the answers begin to unfold, though, they take the form of the different women at the sanctuary telling their own story of how they came to be there. And for the most part, all of the stories are the same. Names and locations are different and the initial situation for each woman is different, but they all become a fight to free the woman from the men who are trying to catch or kill her and a flight to the sanctuary. After a few of these stories, I started to skim through them.

The fantasy element comes with the explanation, which, since it's kept a secret for so long, feels like a spoiler to explain completely. But I will at least say that the fantasy element is also vague and could definitely have been expanded on some. By the last quarter or so of the book, the plot has devolved into a "who will end up with who" pseudo-romance, in which apparently all of these women are lesbians. Since this is not my preference in reading and wasn't indicated anywhere in any of the locations this book is advertised, I can easily say that I am not the right audience for this book, which of course influences my rating and review.

In the end, the premise of the book was interesting and started off good, which is the main reason for 2 stars. But it simply became too repetitious and then took a left turn from the sort of suspenseful tone that was set up to focus on relationships. The ending was anti-climactic. Also, though the book was self-published, I didn't notice a lot of line-editing issues that I often do with self-published books (typos, grammar issues, etc.). There are some weird formatting issues that might just be an issue with the ebook, but I didn't factor them into my rating. Still, though, while I can't say I'd recommend this book to anyone, I'm sure it has an audience that just doesn't include me. Please do check it out at the link below if you're interested. ( )

Did not finish this book. After 12 chapters, I was so confused I did not want to continue reading. ( )

Butterflies in the Storm by Gary Warner is sort of a collection of short stories woven around a central theme. Why all witches have to be lesbians, escapes me. You can love someone, and it doesn't have to be sexual. I kept wondering what the point of the whole book was supposed to be. There is no real climax to the story. It was OK, but not really engrossing enough.


This book really needs some proofreading. Double lettered words were reduced to one letter and weird spacing