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In her debut novel, The Inheritance of a Swamp Witch, Sonia Taylor Brock draws on her experience growing up in Southern Louisiana to create an authentic setting complete with hanging Spanish moss, tasty cuisine, and spot-on Cajun speaking characters. The story follows Dan Rawlings, a city slicker from Los Angeles who dreams of writing an article for the LA Times that will solidify his career as an investigative journalist. He drives from Los Angeles to Southern Louisiana in search of a missing heir to the Hamilton family fortune. Initially treated warily by the townsfolk who see him as an outsider asking too many questions, he is soon invited to travel deep into the swamp, to the home of Estelle Eschte, a wise, elderly woman and the matriarch of the Eschte family. In a Cajun English dialect thicker than molasses, Estelle reveals the family history to Dan, and he realizes she is the key to his career-breaking story. But Dan is just beginning to understand the true legacy of the Eschte family, as a host of supernatural characters line up on the sides of both good and evil, battling to lay claim to the Balance and forever alter the nature of magic as it exists in the world. The Inheritance of a Swamp Witch is the first book in a planned eight book series, and will appeal to readers of supernatural, fantasy, paranormal urban fiction.
3 out of 5 (good)
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
I . . . . .struggled with this one!
It takes a long time, way past half way for things to start to come together and I very nearly dumped, I have to say! It DOES pick up, it just took a long time.
The book starts off with Dan, an investigative journalist, chasing a story that will break him into the big time. He tells his tale in the first person. It flips between Dan and other characters, and they have THEIR say in the third. This is one of the reasons I struggled. While most changes occur at a chapter end, at some points, the changes occurs in the middle of a chapter, with no warning at all, and it meant I had to double back a couple of times, to see if I missed anything.
Also, the book is set in Southern Louisiana and most of the characters speak the local lingo. Which, at points, is hard work! Especially in the beginning when we are still getting to know everyone, and I found myself reading out loud, to voice out what the words said, and to get the gist of what was going on. It does get better, as more characters appear and we lose in bombardment of local lingo.
And there are a lot of characters who pop up! Loved that, not all is immediately obvious, and when things become clear, you think, did you miss something, but actually no, you weren't told these characters where whales, you just assumed they were people!
I'm still not entirely sure what the Fey want the twins for, and I have other questions that I hope will become clear in the next book. I have to read later today.
So, because it took so long for me to become fully engaged, and because of the flipping mid-chapter...
3 GOOD stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
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The second book of the Swamp Witch Series, the story continues. Dan Rawlings, an investigative journalist has joined forces with the unusual people who live in those swamps. An awakening of an old and evil foe threatens all supernatural creatures. A distress call is sent out and you won't believe who answers that call. Humans, Supernaturals and many others too weird to describe are embroiled in a battle to save their way of life. This book is full of adventure, mythical creatures, love and romance and painful loss. You will love the characters and the twists and turns they take to band together in a united front for survival.
3 out of 5 (good)
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Again, it takes a while for this book to warm up!
I said in my review for The Swamp Witch, that the book flips from various characters from first to third person with no warnings. It does that here too, but MORE so! We get Dan again, in the first person, and we get Jamie too, in the first person, but Jamie's voice flips from first to third at points along the way and its confusing! All it needs, is the person's name under the chapter title, thats all!
I'm still unsure of the children's point, not twins, as I said before. I mean I get they are the Balance of all things, but I don't see their point in being in this whole saga! Because it is a saga, these are not short books, and with the having to doubly concentrate because I don't know who is speaking all the time, it has taken me far longer to read that it should have.
The book's only saving grace, is that there is not so much of the local Louisiana lingo to decipher.
While they defeated Queen Maab in this book, the vampire is still at large. And I wonder which other paranormal beings might pop up along the way!!
Again, 3 GOOD stars.
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
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Robert Brown-Wing Eschte, The Great Thunder-Hawk of Anasazi Legend has lost his beloved wife. Memories of his life and adventures as a fledgling Were-Shifter plague him night and day. He hears his deceased wife talk to him, he smells her right beside him. Is he losing his mind? Is he the only one who notices these things? In the realm of the Swamp Witch, things are never as they appear. Your friendly college professor is a Shape Shifting Giant Hawk and his son the Sheriff is a Werewolf and the guy down the road that runs the local restaurant is a Were-Panther. The Swamp Witch is a retired Titan Goddess and her lover is an infamous Pirate who is on occasion, a thirty-foot alligator! In this story, Hawk takes us on a new adventure and sheds light on some mysteries of his past. A beautiful romance and plenty of action and mystery for everyone!
3 out of 5 (good)
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
ARGH!!!! Did you ever want to pull your hair out?? Scream and shout so bad at an author??
I was ENJOYING this one far more than the other two. I WAS enjoying it. I thought, okay, this is just going to be Hawk in the first and everyone else in the third.
And then!! We get Hawk's children having a say, in the first, with no warning who was speaking, we get the vampire having a say, in the first with no warning, and even the dead wife has a say, in the first WITH NO BLOODY WARNING!!
This book was shaping up to be the best of the three, but really, it's going to bear the brunt of my frustration! I fail to see how this issue wasn't picked up by other reviewers.
I've read some reviews, AFTER I finished, and it has some amazing 5 star ratings. But when an author drives me NUTS because they can't type a single name at the head of a chapter to let us know who is speaking?? I can't rate a book so highly. I actually read a couple of chapters, without realizing WHO was speaking, til the very end!
The children, The Balance fulfill their destiny here, going their separate ways and one becoming good, and the other evil. I fail to see how the all seeing Swamp Witch didn't know about Lynne cavern under her house. Because, you know, she is ALL SEEING, ALL KNOWING, it says so in the book!
I'm sorry, I really am, I just could not enjoy this as much as I wanted to. BUT I did finish it, and for THAT reason, and that reason ALONE....
3 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Sonia Taylor Brock, Author of The Swamp Witch Series books that include; THE INHERITANCE OF A SWAMP WITCH, A WITCH'S WELCOME, HAWK'S SPELL and DE LADY DOWN DE BAYOU. The Swamp Witch Series of books are a conglomeration of Cajun Creole culture and an effort to bring legends of old into a modern focus in this urban fantasy series. There are new twists on the creation of Vampires, Were creatures, Angels, Trolls, Titans and magic and how they mesh with today's world where humans understand The One God and the Power of Prayer. Using humor, Cajun culture and insane adventures to tell a story that all ages will enjoy Sonia originally started writing her books and self publishing them in 2012. She has since signed with IntoPrint Publishing for the first book in the series, The Inheritance of a Swamp Witch in August of 2013. She has also worked with several publications throughout her career such as The Cullman Times, Creative Loafing Magazine, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, Facility Safety Management Magazine, Galz Magazine and published articles in Trade Publications as a Marketing Professional throughout career as well as being a United States Marine Corps Veteran. Sonia is also has an artistic side and you will be able to find the the book cover artwork on many of her covers are her own original works.