Summary:
"She was BORN to save
what he is SWORN
to DESTROY...
A lapsed Wiccan, Indira Simon doesn't believe in magic anymore. But when strange dreams of being sacrificed to an ancient Babylonian god have her waking up with real rope burns on her wrists, she's forced to acknowledge that she may have been too hasty in her rejection of the unknown. Then she meets mysterious and handsome Father Tomas. Emerging from the secrecy of an obscure Gnostic sect, he arrives with stories of a demon, a trio of warrior witches-and Indira's sacred calling.
Yet there's something even Tomas doesn't know, an inescapable truth that will force him to choose between saving the life of the woman he's come to love-and saving the world."
My Thoughts:
The details of the rituals and spells in this book were stunning. It makes you feel like you are actually there witnessing it all and it was simply breathtaking. Having the whole past life aspect and getting to see the dreams and glimpses that Indy had felt very believable. The novel itself switched from the first person POV of Indira to having third person POV with Tomas, which I thought was handled quite well.
Now, there was the predictability factor of Indira and Tomas ending up together. Between their shared past life and the fact that the only other major characters were Tomas's sister and an old priest, there weren't really any other options. Granted, I did really like that there wasn't a love triangle, because it seems like every book out there has to have a love triangle to be interesting. Here's a clue: they don't. There are perfectly good romance stories (and TV shows and movies) where you only have one main couple and focus on the will-they-won't-they or on how they could possibly overcome the obstacles preventing them from being together.
Speaking of that, I thought Tomas restrained himself fairly well through most of the story, considering how drawn he was to Indy. The big mystery of the story, of course, was who this "demon" was and whether or not Indy would help the demon or Tomas. As Indy remembers more and more of her past life, the truth becomes more clear.
This really was my first foray into Maggie Shayne's novels and I enjoyed it so much that I joined her newsletter (which actually gives me access to free and discounted books) and I also went to the library to pick up Daughter of the Spellcaster, the second book in the series so I can find out what happens next. Mark of the Witch was a great and quick read and I really enjoyed it. 5/5.
Now, there was the predictability factor of Indira and Tomas ending up together. Between their shared past life and the fact that the only other major characters were Tomas's sister and an old priest, there weren't really any other options. Granted, I did really like that there wasn't a love triangle, because it seems like every book out there has to have a love triangle to be interesting. Here's a clue: they don't. There are perfectly good romance stories (and TV shows and movies) where you only have one main couple and focus on the will-they-won't-they or on how they could possibly overcome the obstacles preventing them from being together.
Speaking of that, I thought Tomas restrained himself fairly well through most of the story, considering how drawn he was to Indy. The big mystery of the story, of course, was who this "demon" was and whether or not Indy would help the demon or Tomas. As Indy remembers more and more of her past life, the truth becomes more clear.
This really was my first foray into Maggie Shayne's novels and I enjoyed it so much that I joined her newsletter (which actually gives me access to free and discounted books) and I also went to the library to pick up Daughter of the Spellcaster, the second book in the series so I can find out what happens next. Mark of the Witch was a great and quick read and I really enjoyed it. 5/5.
Mark of the Witch at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mark-of-the-witch-maggie-shayne/1109634756?ean=9780778313335
Mark of the Witch at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mark-Witch-Portal-Maggie-Shayne/dp/0778313336/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358822880&sr=1-1&keywords=Mark+of+the+Witch
Other Readings:
Currently I am reading The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson. It is a fascinating read so far, and I should have the review up at the end of the month because The Summer Prince will be released March 1, 2013. Yes, I signed up for NetGalley and it has given me the chance to read several books before they are released, which means that I will be having a few Bonus From the Stacks posts. For most of these books I will have the review up either the day before, the day of, or the day after release. The exception will be Dark Secrets by Shona Husk, because I have another book out that same day and both Dark Secrets and An Elemental Tail by Shona Husk are novellas so there will be a double review on February 22.
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