Review: A Witchy Tale
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 15, 2012
The Flower Bowl Spell is a fantasy/paranormal blend with a smidge of romance and features a Chinese American witch called Memphis Zhang. The story is written in a first person point of view.Memphis Zhang hasn't practiced witchcraft for some time, lapsing after one of her friends dies. She works as a reporter and writes articles on music, movies and other entertainment, attending concerts and interviewing band members. One day she sees a fairy while on the subway, jolting her back onto a witchy path.Olivia Boler has written a strong protagonist in Memphis. She struggles with the sudden sightings of fairies, unable to communicate directly with them and not understanding what they want. She's a loyal friend and when another childhood friend arrives and pleads with her to look after her daughters, Memphis caves. I liked Memphis--she's the type of person any of us would be happy to call a friend. She's both funny and kind and sometimes sarcastic. A well-rounded character.With each chapter, the story unfolds, the author foreshadowing and giving us clues as to what is going on with the plot. There were a couple of places where I felt the pace slowed a little, but I kept reading and the last part of the book really hooked me in, and I couldn't turn the pages quickly enough. The story ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, letting us know there will be more adventures with Memphis, but the threads of this plot are all gathered together neatly.I enjoyed The Flower Bowl Spell and recommend it to any reader who enjoys stories with a paranormal setting of witches and fairies, a suspense element and an engaging heroine.