Review: The Mist-Torn Witches

The Mist-Torn Witches (Mist-Torn Witches - Book 1) by Barb Hendee

Publication Date: 05/07/2013
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Roc
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy
Pages: 336
ISBN-10: 0451414152
ISBN-13: 978-0451414151

(Received for an honest review from Roc)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indiebound, itunes

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Excerpt from, The Mist-Torn Witches, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature

Synopsis:

National bestselling author Barb Hendee presents a dark, fascinating new world and the story of two sisters who will discover they have far more power than they ever envisioned….In a small village in the nation of Droevinka, orphaned sisters Céline and Amelie Fawe scrape out a living selling herbal medicines in their apothecary shop. Céline earns additional money by posing as a seer and pretending to read people’s futures. 

But they exist in a land of great noble houses, all vying for power, and when the sisters refuse the orders of a warlord prince, they must flee and are forced to depend on the warlord prince’s brother, Anton, for a temporary haven. 

A series of bizarre deaths of pretty young girls is plaguing the village surrounding Prince Anton’s castle. He offers Céline and Amelie permanent protection if they can use their “skills” to find the killer. 

With little choice, the sisters enter a world unknown to them—of fine gowns and banquets and advances from powerful men. Their survival depends on catching a murderer who appears to walk through walls and vanish without a trace—and the danger grows with each passing night.

Thoughts:

Barb Hendee brings readers a new fantasy series with strong character development and excellent world building. The Mist-Torn Witches is the first book in a series of the same name. Hendee transfixes readers with her mesmerizing lead duo and keeps them guessing through out the book. Though touted as 'dark' fantasy, this is a book any paranormal fan will enjoy. With rich, vivid imagery and well drawn characters, this is a series you'll want to jump into with the first book!

This was my first book by author Barb Hendee. I had heard of the Noble Dead series, which she writes with her husband, J.C. but I had never read any of the books. I was thoroughly impressed with this one and look forward to continuing with the series and going back to read Hendee's other books. There was so much going on in this one, it's hard to know where to start.

With any good fantasy or paranormal series you have to have good world building. It's one of the things that draws a reader in and keeps their attention. Hendee does a great job of making the Mist-Torn world accessible to readers. She makes it interesting and keeps the twists and turns centered around the main characters and the world they live in. I always think this the hardest part of fantasy writing. It has to be fantastical to some extent but still something a reader has a frame of reference for. Excellent work on this part of the book.

Another thing I enjoyed about this book was the strong female characters. Readers are introduced to orphans Celine and Amelie and their quest to find a killer. They are using their 'magical' skills in order to procure protection for themselves in a very political world that is controlled by the royal houses. I loved the way Hendee made both sisters similar in their approach to life, but different in their actions. Both are strong and independent women, my favorite kind, but they each had their own vulnerabilities and that was nice. I loved the character development that Hendee shows throughout the book and I look forward to seeing where she takes the sisters next.

Bottom Line:

Overall this was a excellent start to a new series. The next book is coming out in a couple of months, so you will definitely want to pick this one up before that. You'll be happy you took a chance on a new series here, because there really is something for every paranormal reader. Love, mystery, political intrigue, Hendee gives it to you in spades with this book. A great new series!

The Mist-Torn Witches is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one a well deserved 5 out of 5 apples!

About the Author:

Barb Hendee writes the Noble Dead Saga with her husband, J. C. Hendee, which includes such novels as Dhampir, The Dog in the Dark, and Between Their Worlds. Barb’s short fiction has appeared in numerous genre magazines and anthologies. She is also the author of the Vampire Memories series.