Sara ClancyCritiques

a book that once started, grabs you and sucks you in. Very graphic and descriptive. Looking forward to more from this author.

I thought I was brave enough to read this. I was wrong. So so wrong. The cover alone gives me the scary chills. I'm gonna have to pass on this one.

Basheba, Cadwyn, Ozzie, MIna and Jeremiah have defeated Katrina, the witch that has been killing off their family members for centuries. However, they are still being hunted by something. They believe it might be the demon that Katrina would unleash upon family members if they failed her trials. The group needs to find a safe place and according to Mina's research, Basheba's ancestral home of the Leviathan might offer enough ghost shielding to keep the demon at bay. However, the Leviathan and the Kraken that Basheba's family built it around have other plans for the group.

The Leviathan is the fifth book in The Bell Witch series and definitely needs to be read in order. The Leviathan jumps right into the action with ghastly hauntings and gory minotaur attacks and doesn't let up as the group faces multiple demons, the wrath of the kraken, Basheba's grandmother's snake, demon dogs and multiple ghosts of the people offered up to the kraken over the years. The Leviathan shows us a big dose of insight into the mysteries of Basheba's Allaway side of the family and her home. I enjoyed exploring The Leviathan and it's hidden passageways even if each nook and cranny offered up another horror. I was amazed at Basheba's secrets and her history with the kraken. Through their trials at the Leviathan, the group strengthens in their dedication to one another as they have to make difficult decisions about survival. With some big changes and new knowledge, I can't wait to see what is in store for them in the last book of the series.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

A year after Basheba, Cadwyn, Ozzie and MIna defeat Katrina, the Bell Witch that has been terrifying their family members for generations, there are signs that she might be back. The quartet have been seeing strange things once again and the private investigator that they sent to Black River is missing. When Mina calls the estranged family members back together to discuss what might be happening, they learn that Katrina may have never gone away, just attached to a weaker link. However, Basheba believes that this entity might just be pretending to be Katrina and whatever this new thing is, isn't playing by the rules.

Spring Slaughter is the fourth book in the Bell Witch series and I would definitely recommend reading these books in sequential order to get to know the characters, their relationships and the history of the Bell Witch. As the book opened, I was glad to see Basheba and Cadwyn's relationship enduring even if it is highly unconventional. Mina and Ozzie have grown a lot since the first book and have proved themselves useful to the group in unexpected ways. The threat for this book isn't as direct as the other books. It seems as if Katrina is back to her old tricks in a different way, but the relationship with Claudia is confusing. The suspense is masterfully built as with the other books in the series with the horror creeping in and then crashing down in gory glory. I liked that we learned a little bit more about Basheba's Kraken as well as some of the feelings of the family elders. It was interesting to see Basheba and Cadwyn put at a bit of a disadvantage while the others had to come to their aid. The ending might have taken care of the immediate threat but left everyone with a lot more questions than answers, I can't wait to dive into the next book.

Another compelling addition to the Bell Witch series. It hits the ground running and doesn’t stop. My thought throughout was these characters can’t get a break. The description and history of The Leviathan was helpful and intriguing, but there were times I wanted more background or explanation.

Fairly confusing since i hadn't read the other books but well written and I liked the relationship between the women. Im also not a super fan of scary books since I am too chicken to read most of them alone at night!½

This is the fifth in the Bell Witch series and the most fun and fast paced of the books. This one had everything from demons, ghosts, hell hounds and a kraken. I love the small group of characters that Ms. Clancy has developed along the way in the series.

Well written, good story line. Characters had depth.

An excellent horror story (series) that was well written with a good storyline and fantastic well developed characters. A nice horror adventure with great settings. Very exciting read that I highly recommend. Ready to find out where this story goes from here.

Definitely start with Book 1, The Harvest. This is a fast-paced series with very likable characters, along with some deplorable ones of course. Unpredictable storylines that keep you guessing and sometimes creep you out. Sara does a good job tying each story together and developing character dynamics. I can't wait to see where the series goes next.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from LibraryThing in return for an honest review.

Philomena, Osgood, Cadwyn and Basheba are the last four descendants of the Crane, Davis, Winthrop and Bell lines to be selected to go into the Witch's Wood and complete her challenges. After surviving Katrina's challenges and going back into the Wood to try to stop her one and for all, the four have forged an unbreakable bond. Now, the four have been training to go into the Witch Caves where they believe Katrina is buried. They want to find her remains in order to stop the curse again. However, the town cult finds out what the four are up to and now Mina, her brother Jeremiah, Ozzie, Cadwyn and Basheba have to deal with a panicked Witch, crazy cult and the dangers of the Cave.
I really enjoyed the first two books of the Bell Witch series and would highly recommend reading those first in order to understand the Witch, her harvest and what builds the unwavering relationship between these four characters. The Witch Cave amps up the intensity with the group trying to outwit both Katrina and the cult. All of the characters are still wonderful and continue to grow. I enjoyed seeing Mina stands up to her family once again and tries to learn everything she can about how to kill a ghost. Ozzie uses his family's money for good and learns how to deep sea dive as he comes to the realization that he is not the weakest link in the group. Cadwyn continued to amaze me with his levelheadedness, caring and medical skill. I appreciated learning more about his time caring foris little brother, Abraham after his trial in the Witch Woods. This gave a lot of insight into his character as well as showed Katrina's power as she transported Cadwyn back to the abandoned psychiatric hospital in Massachusetts where Abraham spent his last days. Basheba also continued to be a fierce powerhouse along with her dog Buck. More of her history is revealed along with her families entanglements with the darker side of humanity and a creature called the Leviathan. The writing continuously builds apprehension as fearsome creatures and obstacles created especially for each character get in their way. The story ends with an unexpected bang and I can't wait to see what the next book brings.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as well as the other two books in the series. (I received all three for review). I was left with the feeling of wanting to know what is next for the characters, and that always makes me feel as if I have read a good one. The characters were interesting and kept me entertained from beginning to end. I recommend this book for anyone who like suspense/horror.

Basheba is still my number one in this novel even though her psychotic side is starting to shine a lot more in these pages. For me this book was more of a filler bringing in the background of the families and the cult-like craziness that surrounds their hometown. I can see this as a movie in the making. Onward to Book 3!

I think this should be labeled under young adult "horror." It's like Hunger Games meets psychotic demon with a grudge. Though I wasn't necessarily scared by any of the scenes it was still creepily graphic in areas and pleasantly weird. Basheba Bell is by far my favorite character and I'm pretty sure most reviews hated her. She's crass, to the point, has an amazing dog named Buck who can kill on order and has a deeper side that I know is waiting to explode. Anyone who can comically include "crotch goblins" to describe children is a winner in my book. She brought a comedic and melodic side to the plot that made the book for me. I'm looking forward to her part in Book 2.

I will say that Cadwyn was the only other character I connected with. His strength and calm during chaos was admirable and he knew how to handle Basheba, honestly all of the characters. I think without his role they would not have been able to work together the way they did. The plot goes fast and some areas are a bit rushed but I appreciate not having drawn out narratives. Overall I enjoyed this read and place it in the genre of Anna Dressed in Blood.

I won the e-arc through LibraryThing and the audiobook through Scare Street. The narrator for this book did a great job with the characters.. probably why I like Basheba so much.

What a fun ride. Though there are multiple MCs I came to enjoy Buck, Cadwyn and Basheba the most. That dynamic trio basically made the entire trilogy for me. I can't say that I was scared by any of the scenes or descriptions but it was a graphically disturbing read that my inner horror lover enjoyed.

The audio narrator is superb and his voice for the Witch and demons was not what I expected and I LOVED it. 5/5 for creativity and creepiness.

I'd recommend this trilogy for a good Halloween Read. Cult like town, demons, witches, curses and creepy creatures run rampant in this trilogy. Fair warning to the readers for attempted child rape, many killings, occult descriptions and good old cursing among other things.

Another great installment in the Bell Witch series. After The Witch Caves I was wondering where the story would lead, and Sara Clancy kept the pace and anticipation going. Black River is obviously a cursed place. This book delved even deeper into the history of certain characters, which helped deepen my connection with them. I found myself wondering about their lives even when I wasn’t actively reading. When I got to the end of the book my first thought was “Okay, when is the next book out? Brava.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from LibraryThing in return for an honest review.

Bathsheba Bell, Willimina (Mina) Crane, Cadwyn Winthrop, and Osgood (Ozzie) Davis/Sewall put an end to the Bell Witch or at least they thought they might have. But Katrina is stronger then ever and she started the Harvest early this year. From the Crane family she has chosen Mina's older brother, Jeremiah. But Bathsheba, Mina, Cadwyn, and Ozzie have one last plan to stop Katrina. To stop her they need to travel through the Witch Caves to find and burn Katrina's bones. Not only do they need to find their way through the caves but they need to do it while outrunning Katrina and the cult of Blackwater and they are running out of time.

Each book in this series gets better and better. Again I found this book to be a quick read. Each novel goes deeper into the background of our four protagonists and the history surrounding the Bell Witch. That being said, I did find myself getting "confused" in parts. I felt like I missed something and had to re-read sections. Overall I really enjoyed this book and I cannot wait to read the fourth book!

Another great chapter in the Bell Witch serires. I was excited to recieve this installment as an Early Reviewer, looking forward to the continuation of the story. Clancy's descriptions of places and happenings are detailed enough to give a clear picture of what the group is enduring, but not overdone. It seemed that Katrina started messing with the characters from the start and the situations got intense very quickly. Clancy released more character history (and new developments) early in the novel which helped deepen my understanding of them even more. This book seemed shorter than the first two, and the ending wrapped fairly quickly, but that was in keeping with the intensity and the urgent feel of the book. On to #4!

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from LibraryThing in return for an honest review.

Sacrificial Grounds is the second book in the Bell Witch Series and you should read the first book in the series before reading this book otherwise it will be confusing. Bathsheba Bell, Willimina (Mina) Crane, Cadwyn Winthrop, and Osgood (Ozzie) Davis/Sewall survived the witch's harvest last October. Now they are planning to put a stop to the witch's harvest for good. In order to do that they need to return to where it all began, Black River, Tennessee. But when even the town is trying to stop you, what chance do you have against the Bell Witch?

I could not put this book down! It was a quick read and goes deeper into the backstories of the characters that we were introduced to in the previous book. Overall I enjoyed this book and I cannot wait to read the newt book in this series!

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from LibraryThing in return for an honest review.

For centuries four families, the Bells, Winthrops, Cranes and Sewalls, have been forced to participate in a sadistic "game" by the ghost of Katrina Hamilton. All four families were in some way responsible for accusing Katrina in witchcraft and her subsequent hanging. Every October Katrina selects one member from each family and gives them an antique music box they need to lock before the time is up or it releases a demon that tortures the participant. They are forced to enter the Witch's Woods, where Katrina tortures them, to find their keys This years participants are Bathsheba Bell, Willimina (Mina) Crane, Cadwyn Winthrop, and Osgood (Ozzie) Davis/Sewall. This is Bathsheba's second time being chosen. She may be small but she is capable. She trusts no one but her Rottweiler Bruce. Mina is intelligent but skeptical that Katrina is real. Cadwyn is physical strong but compassionate. While Ozzie just found out he is a Sewall and about Katrina. They need to work together if they want to survive, but who can you trust when your life is on the line.

This book was a quick read and sucked me in right away. I did not find it scary and felt like it's main purpose was to set up the Bell Witch Series. However I really enjoyed it and cannot wait to read the rest of this series!

This was a good read! It was well written and had a good story line. It really kept me captivated! I'll be looking out for more from this author for sure!

A horror/supernatural story with a fast moving plot and exceptional characters. Very well written with very descriptive writing. Very enjoyable read and hard to put down. A scary sequel that I highly recommend.

An xcellent end to this scary trilogy with great well developed characters. Very well written with plenty of action and lots of twists and turns. Has an awesome ending also, Highly recommended.

Although I am not typically a fan of horror novels, I found this novel to be written well. I was drawn into the narrative and the story line was well-crafted. Definitely read the first two books in the series (The Harvest and Sacrificial Grounds) before reading this one.

The Witch Cave by Sara Clancy is the third in a series. It's important to read these books in order, because events in each book lead to the next. The characters are well written and their motives are clear. The only character that seems a little ambiguous at this point is Ozzie. This is an excellent series and really keeps you up, turning the pages. The world-building is complete. You really feel like you are in this small town and the woods around it. There's still some questions that haven't been answered, and I'm sure more is coming in the next book. I recommend this series.