Ellen Dugan (1)Critiques

Noting about this book was really bad.
It is just unoriginal all the way.
This book is a crossover between a cozy mystery without a murder and a typical YA novel except the MC is 23.
Even tho the author put obvious effort into making some of the characters appear more layered it doesn't come across this way. They still seem like a cardboard cutouts but labeled "20% deeper!".

I think a big problem with this novel for me is the endless flavours of this story I've already read over the years. It's just yet another instanciation of the same old clichées.
It's not doing anything particularly good. It doesn't have any interesting and unique twist. There is just nothing to make it stand out from the UF soup.

The plot was so predictable and onedimensional calling it a plot is already generous.

The magic basically only acts as plot device. And it's used a LOT for that purpose. I don't think I want to read a book by this author without the magic to steer everything.
Despite that I never perceived it as particularly annoying. While it's not particularly subtle, it's always low-key enough to not stand out uncompfortably.

It has successfully taken up 7 hours of my time which was what it was supposed to do but it just wasn't interesting enough for me to continue with the second book.

Secret of the Rose is the second book in the Legacy of Magick series by Ellen Dugan. We pick back up with Autumn and the search for the Blood Moon Grimoire. There is (another) ghost haunting the Bishop family manor, someone is after teenage girls in the town and things are heating up with Autumn’s love interest, Duncan. Family secrets emerge which could split the family apart as they try to come together to learn the secrets of the Blood Moon Grimoire.

The Lovely: This book was an improvement over the the first book of the series as the romace was more realistic. The sub-plot with the incidents happening to the teenage girls was actually my favorite. The twist at the end was unexpected and gut-wrenching.

The Mundane: Again, even pace, even characters. In some ways, this book just chugged along.

The Dreadful: Again, Autumn just does not come across as a 24 (now 25?) year old. She seems almost as immature as her teenage cousins and does not learn from her own actions.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Recommendation: Again, another quick read (or in my case, an audiobook). Much like the first book, it still reads more like a YA book and I didn’t connect to any of the characters. Even four months later I haven’t gotten past the first chapter of the next book of the series, although I do plan to at some point.

Legacy of Magick by Ellen Dugan is the first book in a series that follows Autumn Bishop, a young women that moves back home to attend graduate school near her father’s family, family she hasn’t seen since childhood. Autumn quickly learns of her family’s magickal legacy and exactly where she fits into that legacy. Woven next to that storyline is Autumn’s chance meeting with a romantic stranger who just happens to be on the other side of a family feud. This feud develops and darkens as Autumn learns about her family history, culminating in a dangerous and dramatic collision of the feuding families.

The Lovely: The author excels at illustrating the characters and how they develop. I can picture Autumn and her cousins in particular.

The Mundane: There was an even pace to the book as events kept happening just fast enough to hold interest.

The Dreadful: The romance is predictable and it is just one cliché after another. They literally run into each other while out jogging. It became a bingo game of romance book clichés and sadly went on like this for the first 2/3 of the book. The main character is 24 years old but feels younger most of the book based on how she thinks and acts.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Recommendation: This is a cute quick read (or in my case, an audiobook) that weaves together a romance, witchcraft and, later in the book, some mystery and tension. That said, it does read more like a YA book and I just didn’t connect to the characters. Perhaps most telling of all, I didn’t run out and plow through the sequel immediately, which is what usually happens in a series. That said, I did listen to the second book and a lot of issues were improved.

The Enchanted Cat: Feline Fascinations, Spells and Magick by Ellen Dugan (who is also the author of the Legacy of Magick fiction series) is a book about cats and their connection to magick. The narrative provies information on cat mythology, folklore and history, as well as a selection of rituals involving cats.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Recommendation: As someone who has three cats, this book was a must for me and will stay in my print collection. I noted a couple of the rituals I would like to add to my practice (or at least try, depending on the cooperation of my cats) and I learned a lot about dieties related to cats and their history. This would make a wonderful gift for the cat loving witch in your life. Obviously, if you have no interest or negative feelings towards magick, this is likely not the book for you.

Another beautiful deck from the wife's collection. Again, the art is the main attraction, but the book does tie the tarot to it's theme (Wicca) very well, and the author is clearly a long time user of tarot cards for divination. The only minor flaw is the lack of a history of either the cards or the theme in the book - but if you're looking at decks like this you probably already know a great deal about both. More gorgeous artwork, please!½

Like most everyone else I was drawn to the cover of the box and the description of the cards. The cards are some of the most beautiful that I have ever worked with. I can't wait to use them to read for someone!!! My daughter could not have bought me any thing better for my birthday!! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them!!!

Have a Blessed Day!!

I'm a complete novice with no experience. I've been put off so many other books because they assumed a certain level of experience or understanding that I simply don't have. This book was laid out in such a way that I didn't need any background knowledge - and so I was able to begin my education with it.

Don't reject this book because it says it's for Teens, this is a credable basic book for new practitioners of any age.

Not as good as I'd hoped from hearing her speak. Others of her books are better.

The information she provides gets just a bit repetitive here but this is still a good read. Easy to follow. Easy to use.

Perfect addition to any witch's library. Practical advice and suggestions for your garden no matter where you live. Easy to read. Easy to use.

The Marooner by Barbara Devlin is #3 in her captivating series, "Pirates of the Coast", but can be read as stand alone. With pirates, mystery, romance, swashbuckling adventure, passion and love, what's not to enjoy. A quick read, but Ms. Devlin manages to pull together a story that is breathtaking, captivating and holds one's attention throughout. The cast of characters are engaging and compelling. The plot flows effortlessly, is intriguing, powerful and romantic. You gotta love romance on the high seas and pirates turned privateers! Highly recommended for fans of high sea adventure, compelling stories and romance. Another hit for Barbara Devlin. A definite myst read!

Rating: 4.5
Heat rating: Steamy
Reviewer: AprilR½

Love this set of cards. They are so pretty and the companion book is really easy to read and understand. Lots of info and descriptions.

This is an extremely well-written and detailed book.

Ellen Dugan obviously knows the topic and has shared great information. Each chapter gives general information, and then step-by-step instructions.

I don't practice, but I have always had a keen interest in the subject of Magick. This book is a great resource for a novice or an experienced person alike.

This is an extremely well-written and detailed book.

Ellen Dugan obviously knows the topic and has shared great information. Each chapter gives general information, and then step-by-step instructions.

I don't practice, but I have always had a keen interest in the subject of Magick. This book is a great resource for a novice or an experienced person alike.

This is an extremely well-written and detailed book.

Ellen Dugan obviously knows the topic and has shared great information. Each chapter gives general information, and then step-by-step instructions.

I don't practice, but I have always had a keen interest in the subject of Magick. This book is a great resource for a novice or an experienced person alike.

a well written and informative book, a little to much to take in all at once for me. the beauty of a book like this is it sits on my bookshelf and gets picked up as a references when i start my planting in the garden and when i go to harvest for magical purposes

Ellen Dugan considers herself a garden/green witch, and so she uses a lot of plant material in her spells. She shares her knowledge, both horticultural and magickal in this volume.

This book, written after ‘Garden Witchery’, adds to what she presented there. In this one, she writes about being a green witch in the city, wildflowers and hedgerows, more magickal correspondence lists, flower & plant folklore, designing a garden with feng shui, and has beautiful drawings of plants. The only thing that bothered me was her naming the poisonous plants ‘gothic herbs’; there is a lot more to gothic gardening than poison.

Written in the same breezy, talking over tea manner as ‘Garden Witchery’, Dugan makes it easy to absorb the information presented.

A lot of Ellen Dugan’s magick is done with plant materials, and she tries to grow a lot of it. Most people think of herbs when they think of magickal plants, but in this volume, she writes points out how many plants that frequently aren’t considered magickal can be used; trees, perennials, even groundcovers. She presents many lists of correspondences: flower colors, planetary, days of the week, and gods & goddesses as they related to the plants, allowing you to match the plant to the intent of your spell. She tells you how the moon relates to planting, and about the Victorian language of flowers. There is a section on crafting with plants, using them in seasonal celebrations, and, finally, how to set up a sacred space in your garden.

It’s a very useful garden book for the beginning garden/hedge witch. Dugan writes in a style that makes even a list of facts into a fast, easy read.

A pleasant read with some useful tables of correspondences.

Fun, practical, approachable look at Magic.

If you're a teen interested in Wicca or nature, you won't want to skip this book. This book provides an excellent introduction to the Craft, chockfull of information presented in such a way as to avoid being overwhelming. The tone is personal and humorous, with stories and speech directed to the user to lighten the mood or enforce a concept. Worksheets and a practice test help to drive lessons home. Chapters devoted to the elements begin with a brief description of the properties, go into detail, and end with a visualization that puts the knowledge into practice. Appendices at the end list important properties and provide a quick and easy referral. Exercises give ideas that excite the reader with possibilities for practical usage, making the learning truly interesting. Never pedantic or dry, this is an excellent, engaging text for all beginners to Wicca.½

This is a fairly brief book on magic as these things go, choosing to cover a lot of topics lightly rather than a few topics in depth. This isn't a book for absolute beginners: the author assumes you've been introduced to the basics of magic and is helping develop your skills further. You will find much of her material in other books, including her own. But I appreciated that she discussed topics that other books don't often cover. She has a small quiz at the start to help you figure out where your magical strengths lie. She also talks about why you might not see all those circles and lights you've been visualizing in your practice—maybe you're an empath and you feel things more than see them.

I was a bit disappointed that a fair chunk of the book is a "Book of Witchery" with half the pages left lined for you to write notes. The book is smaller than many trade paperbacks, so there isn't much writing space on any one page, and you'll probably need to add a notebook of your own at some point. It seemed more like a move on the publisher's part to make the book look thicker than an easy way to start a Book of Shadows.

This in all honesty is one of my favorite books in my entire magickal library. Filled with good advice and ideas about making your home magickal. I would definitely suggest this to my friends.

Full review located at http://paganbookreviews.com/2009/12/18/book-of-witchery-by-ellen-dugan/