Hidden Witch

A Hidden Witch, Bk 2 of A Modern Witch series
by Debora Geary
published 2011 by Fireweed Publishing

Over the Christmas holidays I got hooked into this series by a reading friend. Yeah, yeah, yeah, witches and magic and who needs it?

But because I love this friend, I gave the first book a try. The plot line was compelling, the approach to magic and the supernatural was fresh and human-centered (i.e. it's all for good, family, and community), and there was a touch of romance, a good amount of surprise and novelty, and a whopping dose of problems solved with loving, supernatural abilities generously mixed with ingenuity and creativeness.

"Creative" may be the best word for the series, and for this second book, Hidden Witch, as well. There is a winning combination of popular characters from the first book and new and engaging figures in the second.

It's fun reading; unrealistic (not just for the magic but for the absence of bad, evil people -- which I love!); and the story line keeps moving. I was afraid, at one point, that the second book would not be as compelling, but again the sense of community and the creativity with which these witches work their magic is indeed magic. A very satisfying read.

What's different about this book:
The approach is fresh, and the story itself is fun. Not what I read during my school term, but great for the in-between breaks. And the authoring craft is at its best here: to conceptualize all this stuff is an entirely different craft, and it's done as well as the writing itself. Great job, Debora.

Evaluation, or what I'll do now:
This is not something I'll use for my school or church libraries (and there's no issue of it being inappropriate for "spiritual" folk -- it's just made-up, like Santa Claus).

But it is the best reading I've had in a while to recommend to friends. Thanks, Mary Frances!

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