Witch Kin Chronicles
An Ignorant Witch
Publisher: OneEar Press
Format: Kindle Edition
Series: Witch Kin Chronicles
Author: E.M. Graham
Author’s Goodreads
My Review on Goodreads
Introduction
Dara goes to school, has a best friend, and has an average life. She shouldn't. She's a half-witch, untrained, and shunned by her witch father. Magical creatures also reside in her hometown in Newfoundland and she is capable of magic, but forbidden to venture into such territory. Her mother disappeared years ago and she resides with her aunt. Then her best friend's brother disappears and Dara becomes entangled in a magical mess she's not equipped to deal with.
Audience
I'm not sure who the audience is supposed to be. Dara is 20 but immature, the book occasionally uses curse words, and the writing is straight forward and mostly easy to read. It makes it difficult to recommend because it sounds New YA based on story/ages but it reads like a young YA book. It's the same issue I had with The New Keeper. It really could have been written to strongly suit one specific audience.
Setting
The book has a strong setting on Granby Island, Newfoundland. Graham does a fantastic job describing Newfoundland's landscapes, people, and berry pail quirks. I've never been there so I can't confirm, but Dara lists off the directions she's taking by naming streets and local points-of-interest, along with the names of various hills and describes the terrain. I also enjoyed the juxtaposition of her aunt's cozy kitchen/home and Dara's step-mother's home. I know Dara points it out, but I still enjoy how the sterility of their home is not "witchy" but Edna's home has more of said qualities.
Writing
The book does a lot of telling rather than showing. The beginning pages of the book goes into her appearance, her house, her family drama - Dara just tells the reader. She legitamitely talks to the reader and that drives me bananas. All this information could have been explored naturally such as: she gets a glimpse of herself in the mirror, brushes her unruly hair, comes home to her aunt's house so she can describe it, a slow dribble her family history to the reader to keep interest and mystery. Dumping it on the reader was jarring, but if you can take the dumps of information and run with the story, I think you can have a fun time.
Setting
The book has a strong setting on Granby Island, Newfoundland. Graham does a fantastic job describing Newfoundland's landscapes, people, and berry pail quirks. I've never been there so I can't confirm, but Dara lists off the directions she's taking by naming streets and local points-of-interest, along with the names of various hills and describes the terrain. I also enjoyed the juxtaposition of her aunt's cozy kitchen/home and Dara's step-mother's home. I know Dara points it out, but I still enjoy how the sterility of their home is not "witchy" but Edna's home has more of said qualities.
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| I don't remember there being Newfoundland dogs in this, but there should be. They are good bois. |
The book does a lot of telling rather than showing. The beginning pages of the book goes into her appearance, her house, her family drama - Dara just tells the reader. She legitamitely talks to the reader and that drives me bananas. All this information could have been explored naturally such as: she gets a glimpse of herself in the mirror, brushes her unruly hair, comes home to her aunt's house so she can describe it, a slow dribble her family history to the reader to keep interest and mystery. Dumping it on the reader was jarring, but if you can take the dumps of information and run with the story, I think you can have a fun time.
Final Verdict
If you're looking for a new book of witches who aren't instantly over-powered and who make mistakes, and even a book set in Newfoundland, this book may strike your fancy. The core story is what kept me reading. This author has a lot of potential and I sincerely hope they continue writing. As for this book, I hope this is Dara's introduction to the Witch Kin in terms of magic and politics that will follow in book 2.
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