Review: Which witch did you want to be - good or evil?
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 15, 2013
I love Halloween and all the fun, creative, scary, and spooky things that are part of the excitement of the night. I always have loved the joy on a child face because they are getting to pretend to be someone who is magical, powerful, mythical, admirable, or awesome to them. One of the most popular costumes through out the ages has been that of the witch. Which witch did you want to be - good or evil? I always wanted to be just like the ones from all the storybooks I read; a crooked nose, big black hat, and laugh that would scare all the grown-ups.That's why I was thrilled when I received the opportunity to read BELTANE: TEN TALES OF WITCHCRAFT. This great collection of short stories written by the talented authors; Rayne Hall, Jonathan Broughton, Debra Dunbar, Liv Rancourt, Pamela Turner, Lawrence Barker, Mertianna Georgia, Karen Heard, Carole Ann Moleti, and Debbie Christiana had me captivated. The ten authors share their visions of witches and witchcraft, each in a different writing style.In this book, all the witches are real. They practice different kinds of witchcraft: Traditional, Stregheria, Santeria, Wicca and more. Some are good, some are evil, and others are in between, so beware of jumping to early conclusions.My Review:One of the stories that I really enjoyed was ALBA by Karen Heard. As young girls are dyeing seemingly without cause, Sargent Taylor must discover who is behind the murders. He knows that Wiccans are people who worship nature. Could there be a connection with the twig and ice dolls left at the scenes? After the dismissal of Selma did he dare consider the world of witchcraft?Another must read from the collection is THIRTEEN STEPS By Debbie Christiana. The village of Messina, Sicily hadn't hung a witch in over three hundred years. But that would change as Isabella, was sentenced to hang until dead for the crime of collaboration with Satan on Friday, October thirteenth.The Mayor greeted the reporter. It had been 11 years since they had been able to honor Isabella. Bart was on this assignment because of his indiscretions and was now walking down the trail to the ball field to see the secret rituals of the Strega. He had heard the stories and the chants. Now he would learn that repeating the sins of his ancestors would make him part of the ritual. The past returned, seeking justice.I enjoyed reading all the stories and would recommend this book anyone who is interested in witches and enjoys the unexpected in the stories that they read.