Book of Shadows:
Morgan Rowlands always thought she was a normal 16-year-old girl - smart enough, a little behind in the boy-department, but essentially normal. But when a new boy shows up in town, she finds herself swept up in competition for his attention, but also by the Wicca rituals he invites her and her friends to join. Morgan has a deep connection to Wicca, and the power to work with magic - and with the added draw of sexy Cal, she is determined to explore it, despite her family's objections.

On one level, this is your typical high school drama. There's a sexy new boy who comes to town, capturing the hearts of our unassuming heroine and her loyal-up-to-now-but-only-because-she-always-got-her-own-way best friend. Cal seems more interested in Morgan than best friend Bree, but (and here's the catch), nobody's quite sure whether that's because of her raw talent as a witch or because he has romantic feelings for her.

I really enjoyed the descriptions of rituals and how Cal was teaching the others - I found it interesting rather than pedantic. And having enjoyed visiting a fantastic little bookstore called Esoterica, I certainly related to the wonders of the Wiccan bookstore in the story. That said, I found it a bit hard to believe that Cal just came to a new (from what it seems conservative) town, has a party and invites everyone to hang out and do a ritual. I know it was a means of kicking off the story - but I have yet to encounter a teenager so confident.

I liked how Morgan was so in tune with Wicca, and I thought the reactions of her friends (that she was only doing it to get Cal's attention) were quite realistic in the beginning - although there seems to be quite a bit of overblown drama queen at work. I do think Morgan crosses the line a bit (into super-power-specialdom), but as it's a major premise of the story going forward, I'm trying to make peace with it. Not being at all familiar with Wicca, I can't really say how accurate the portrayal here is, but I thought it was an intriguing introduction.

A quick point, though, it seems quite strange to me (at this point) to have Morgan come from a strongly Catholic family who have no problem embracing Morgan's aunt despite her sexuality, but who kick up a gigantic fuss about the Church forbidding witchcraft... I'm sure it's a point many teenagers interested in Wicca must contend with, but to have it juxtaposed with acceptance of homosexuality seemed very odd to me.

The main problem I had with the book was how very episodic the installment was. It was almost like a TV show, really, leaving you hanging so you're certain to tune in next week. Happily, I had the next volume on hand, but I hope they have a little more closure going forward.

Also posted at A Hoyden's Look at Literature

The Coven:
Each chapter starts with an entry from the book of shadows of a practicing Wiccan named Bradhadair - who, of course, ties into the ever-complicating story of Morgan's own heritage. After all, for Morgan to have so much raw power, she must be a blood witch - the descendant of one of the largely broken-up witch families. To add to her heartache over being betrayed by her best friend and her family's fear and disapproval, Morgan now discovers that she was adopted - and therefore isn't related to her family at all.

There's a growing sense of menace and isolation surrounding Morgan - the diary entries of Bradhadair suggest a power hunting down anyone with witch blood, and some of the adult coven in the area show an interest in Morgan that the reader certainly sees as oddly sinister. Morgan is increasingly cut off from her friends - particularly since she no longer attends coven circles.

Her romance with Cal grows very quickly (though whether that's a good thing remains a question in my head). Although I don't normally have too much of a problem with soulmates, there's something about Cal and Morgan's relationship that seems too fast and too calculated. There's a sense of impending menace and doom - the reader gets the feeling that Morgan is being manipulated into something bad (though not necessarily by Cal) - and of course, there's a huge cliffhanger ending (frustrating!).

I enjoyed watching Morgan puzzle out her origins as well as come to terms with her family - her relationship with her sister was particularly poignant, I thought. The disbelief and discomfort of Mary K's reaction to Morgan is very sad, but also very telling. Having your own family unable to accept who you are must be incredibly painful, and Tiernan evokes that here (though not overwhelmingly). I like watching the underlying human drama as well as the fast-paced magical adventure that is decidedly looming in future books. I just hope they remain well-balanced between the two.

Also posted at A Hoyden's Look at Literature ( )