Review - The Witches of the Glass Castle by Gabriella Lepore

 

The Witches of the Glass Castle by Gabriella Lepore

Published 8th March 2017 by Oftomes Publishing 

(first published 28th September 2011) 

Star Rating - ***

Goodreads Challenge - 71/50

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

A storm is coming.

Sixteen-year-old Mia's life is turned upside down when she uncovers her family secret-that she and her brother Dino are witches. Seeking refuge in an ancient castle, the siblings begin down a path that will change their lives forever. Suddenly thrust into a world where handsome warriors command the power of nature and peoples thoughts and actions can be manipulated at will, Mia and Dino struggle to navigate their own allegiances and do what they know to be right, even when everything around them seems beyond their control.

My Thoughts

I can't remember the last time I read a witchy book and after reading and enjoying a fantasy novel from Oftomes last month I was excited to dive into this one. It's safe to say I enjoyed myself. This is the story of Mia and Dino who have just discovered they have magical powers and come from a long line of withes. Their mum and aunt decide it's time for them to spend the summer at the glass castle, so they can learn how to use and develop their powers. However, their are some dark forces at work and soon Mia and Dino are struggling to decide who to trust and just where their loyalties lie. 

This was a fun read, it hooked me in and kept me engaged throughout. It's what could be described as your typical YA paranormal story however, to me there's nothing wrong with that and I enjoyed the reading experience. I thought the world building was good, I could picture the setting and the characters and this aided the reading experience. It's not perfect and there were some areas I would of liked a bit more development in but it was good nonetheless. The plot moved quickly and, although I like a fast paced plot, this is where it fell down a bit for me. I would of liked the magic to be developed a bit more. I wanted to see Mia and Dino learn how to use and harness their powers rather than them just appearing. That was the whole point in attending the Glass Castle right?  

The characters were fun and engaging too. Again, they weren't the most developed characters but there was something about them that connected me too them. I enjoyed following their decisions and I really felt for Dino when he struggled with his emotions and making the right decisions. They were a little tropey, especially the romance, however, I was invested and I wanted to know what happened to them. Speaking of the romance I felt this was quite twilightesque. Whilst reading I found myself thinking about how several elements related back to those in the Twilight Saga but as I said before I was invested. The romance between Mia and Colt was infectious and I was really rooting for them. 

  

Overall this was a super fun story but it's definitely not for everyone. If your not a fan of typical YA paranormal stories that are quite tropey or Twilight for that matter then I would imagine this wouldn't be for you. However, if your looking for a fun and easy read that's infectious and can pull you in then I would recommend this one. 

Overall Rating