Review: IABookReviews.com gave this a 9.0/10.0!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 14, 2013
L.A. Jones quickly establishes the conflict in this supernatural adventure in the prologue, and keeps the pages turning through the epilogue. Aradia, a descendent of a magical race known as witches that were believed to have been completely annihilated in the days of the Salem Witch Trials, becomes aware of her true ancestry in this first volume. Her and her adopted parents move to Salem looking for a fresh start following a series of unfortunate circumstances. Aradia begins to attend high school, only to discover that she is not the only supernatural character in her new community.While building relationships with local werewolves, vampires, fairies and other mystical species, Aradia finds herself pulled into the center of a serial murder investigation that has the local community bound in fear and uncertainty.L.A. Jones describes and establishes her characters from the perspective of her hormonal female lead. The adults are described in terms of how their actions are interpreted to reflect their true character, and the students are all described initially in terms of how physically attractive they are, only to later develop into strong, well-defined and diverse people. These prejudices successfully exemplify the limitations the teenage perspective adds to the main character's conflict, and helps establish her as a coming-of-age heroine.This first volume has a fully contained plot, and can be enjoyed in its entirety without being dependent on any sequels. However, the author does such a great job at establishing her primary characters that this book leaves the reader begging for more.My Rating: 9.0/10.0Review Notes:This book can feel like a hybrid of Smallville and Twilight at times, with some scenes and actions throughout the story feeling like they are direct copies of these highly successful teen dramas. Apart from those similarities to previous works, however, this story stands on its own merits as a creative and well-written adventure. The characters and plot are believable and engrossing, delivered to the reader with consistent modern prose. References to pop culture throughout the story are tactful and tie the world we know outside this story with the world to which we are introduced through this story.I would like to congratulate both L.A. Jones and Harrison Bradlow in their editing of this work of fiction. Errors, whether in plot or language, were so rare that I cannot recall a single example. With nothing out of place to detract the reader, the reader is free to be fully engulfed in the story.