Bookish Thoughts: The Water Witch by Juliet Dark

The Water Witch by Juliet Dark

Ballantine Books, 2013

Fantasy; 352 pgs

I wish I had sat down to write this review earlier.  It has been a few weeks since I read the book.  I finished it just before all of my attention was taken by Riley's last days, and so reviewing this book, much less any other book, went down a few notches on my list of priorities. As a result, my memory is a bit fuzzy.  What I do remember . . .

From the Publisher:

[. . .] Callie McFay, a professor of gothic literature, has at last restored a semblance of calm to her rambling Victorian house. But in the nearby thicket of the honeysuckle forest, and in the currents of the rushing Undine stream, more trouble is stirring. . . .

The enchanted town of Fairwick’s dazzling mix of mythical creatures has come under siege from the Grove: a sinister group of witches determined to banish the fey back to their ancestral land. With factions turning on one another, all are cruelly forced to take sides. Callie’s grandmother, a prominent Grove member, demands her granddaughter’s compliance, but half-witch/half-fey Callie can hardly betray her friends and colleagues at the college. To stave off disaster, Callie enlists Duncan Laird, an alluring seductive academic who cultivates her vast magical potential, but to what end? Deeply conflicted, Callie struggles to save her beloved Fairwick, dangerously pushing her extraordinary powers to the limit—risking all, even the needs of her own passionate heart.

I fell in love with Juliet Dark's writing, characters and their world in The Demon Lover.  The Water Witch is the second book of the Fairwick Chronicles and it is just as good as the first. I was quickly swept back into Callie's life in Fairwick, enchanted by the world and people Dark has created.

Carol Goodman writing as Juliet Dark yet again shows her great writing chops.  She has a way with words in spinning a tale and in creating a world that is so full and rich in my mind's eye.  This particular book had less of the Gothic feel that the first book had, but it was no less atmospheric.  Fairwick is full of charm and mystery, darkness and light. Oh, how I would love to explore the college town and the woods behind Callie's house!  The author weaves mythology and folklore into her story, which only adds to the allure.

There is much more action and less romance in The Water Witch than was in The Demon Lover.  As a result, this book seemed to move a bit faster pace wise.  The characters were more fleshed out, and I enjoyed getting to know them better.  Especially Callie.  She's more fully coming into her own, learning where she came from, what powers she has and just how to use them.

I was not happy to see this book come to an end if only because the next book in the series isn't waiting in the wings for me to read it.

Rating:  (Very Good +)

To learn more about Carol Goodman/Juliet Dark and her books, please visit the author's website.

Source: I received an e-copy of this book for review from the publisher via NetGalley.

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© 2013, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.