October 28, 2011

Review: Witch Eyes, by Scott Tracey


Author: Scott Tracey
Title: Witch Eyes
Series: Witch Eyes (#1)
ISBN: 9780738729695
Publisher: Flux (2011)


My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Braden was born with witch eyes: the ability to see the world as it truly is: a blinding explosion of memories, darkness, and magic. The power enables Braden to see through spells and lies, but at the cost of horrible pain.

After a terrifying vision reveals imminent danger for the uncle who raised and instructed him, Braden retreats to Belle Dam, an old city divided by two feuding witch dynasties. As rival family heads Catherine Lansing and Jason Thorpe desperately try to use Braden's powers to unlock Belle Dam's secrets, Braden vows never to become their sacrificial pawn. But everything changes when Braden learns that Jason is his father--and Trey, the enigmatic guy he's falling for, is Catherine's son.

To stop an insidious dark magic from consuming the town, Braden must master his gift—and risk losing the one he loves.“
GoodReads’ blurb

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Long review in just a few words: What are you waiting for? Go and buy this!

Now, a bit more clearly – a bit more like myself:

I read Witch Eyes because I saw a review from a trusted blogger, and because I saw the cover. And the results? Astounding. To put it simply, this title is the most original take on paranormal romance I’ve seen lately.


And it’s well crafted to boot!

The storyline is not as straight as it might seem. Braden will have to fight to find out who his allies are, who are his enemies, who might help him and, indeed, who he is. And he needs to do it quick, because there’s a Romeo and Juliet kind of turf war going on in the small town he’s landed himself into.

While his opening gambit felt reckless, later on I realized that it fell perfectly in character with Braden: he tries to do his best, before stopping to think. And when he’s in the dark about so many realities of his world –make that the world, as he’s been forced to be quite reclusive- mistakes are bound to appear.

I liked the way he faced up to those challenges. He didn’t back off, but he didn’t waltz in and out, even though he had the Eyes, because he was too human to behave like that. And too lost.

The fact that he found his compass in the one person he should definitely be avoiding at all costs might seem cliché, but it wasn’t. Not when you’ve read about them together.

And that’s the other thing I liked so much: the relationship. And this is where I feel the need to warn you, just in case: yes, Braden is gay. He’s a guy, and so’s his boyfriend. And I think the mix of sweetness and insecurity and fear, along with the lack of shallowness some gay romances suffer from, made for a solid relationship. And a solid relationship made for a happy reader! Besides, I liked the originality and the way the author placed his bet in Braden being as he was, and not just a stereotype.

All characters were, as a matter of fact, interesting and deep. Of course, we only get to really know Braden, and of course there’s still much to develop and many questions that need answering, but from Trey, to his sister, to the support cast and even Braden’s father, I found them all enjoyable.

Enjoyable is an apt word to describe the magic workings. It’s hinted that it can be so much more powerful than it is, but for the moment it’s not invincible, and there’s a price.

I think the above points put a check in about all the items I look for in a good book.

So, final words? Heck, yes! Read this one!

The hype, this time, is not wrong. You won’t be disappointed, I guarantee it.

2 comments:

  1. I've seen this one around, but I never really read what it is actually about. This sounds really good. I'll have to add it to continuously growing TBR list..

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  2. I also discovered it through a review! Yes, I had seen it, yes, the cool cover caught my attention, but then I just had to read it and I'm so glad I did!

    I think you'll enjoy it, because while it fits in the genre it is still so original.

    Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

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