Forget the cackling green hag in The Wizard of Oz, forget Samantha from Bewitched. Real witches are nothing, NOTHING like this. For years real witches have hidden their powers, afraid of being persecuted. They have integrated so well into the community, you could have a witch living right next door and never know about it. Take Paige, for instance, whom we first met in Kelley Armstrong's novel Stolen. Just an ordinary twenty-something who runs her own website design company, worries about her weight and wonders if she'll ever find a boyfriend. Okay, so she's leader of the American Coven and guardian of Savannah, the teenage daughter of a black witch. Really, life is ordinary. But then a telekinetic half-demon, Leah O'Donnell, shows up to fight for custody of Savannah. And although Paige is ready for her, she's not quite so prepared for the team of supernaturals that Leah brings with her, including a powerful sorcerer who claims to be Savannah's father.
When all hell breaks loose -- literally -- and Paige is accused of witchcraft, Satanism and murder, the Coven, fearing exposure, abandons her. Cut off from her friends, Paige is forced against her better judgment to accept the help of a young sorcerer lawyer. And she quickly comes to realize that keeping Savannah could mean losing everything else.
Breathtakingly thrilling, hip and funny, this new novel is another page-turning triumph from an author who is going from strength to strength.
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This third book in Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series moves away from the Werewolves Clay and Elena and switches to the story of Paige the Witch.
To be honest, I wasn't that crazy for Paige's story. Not because I wanted to stick with the Werewolves (although that would have been fine too), but because I just didn't really like Paige much as a character. She was tasked with parenting the 13 year old Savannah, daughter of the recently deceased Eve, and the way the story tells it Savannah is a brat. Actually, I thought Savannah had the right end of the stick in most of the escapades and Paige would have done well to just suck it up and listen to her now and then. Not only is Savannah a more powerful witch, she's quicker on the up-take and it would seem that despite only being 13 she's also more adept at reading the 'signals' where romance is involved. Paige just strikes me as a really weak woman.
However, in her defence she did come good at the end.....barely. She appeared to have a normal, loving relationship with her caring (late) mother, so why did she find it virtually impossible to show affection for Savannah the child in her care? She wasn't cruel but she was hardly the demonstrative type. Would a cuddle now and then have killed her?
Overall I get the impression that although this is the 3rd book in the season, this was actually written first. It doesn't seem to have the same style as the first 2. For all the subject is different, it just feels less well crafted.
At the end I'm left wondering what the people round here would make of Paige, if the story was set here.....I'm pretty sure nobody would take any notice to be honest. Some crazy woman who it's claimed is a witch with evil powers? Riiiight. That would have the whole town camped on her front door round here.......I don't think. People just wouldn't and don't care about that stuff enough, I don't think.
But still - I'm definitely going to read the next follow on's. Just because I didn't love Dime Store Magic doesn't mean I'm giving up. It was an OK story and I didn't hate it, plus I expect I'll need the info in this one in order to enjoy the others.
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