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Family Magic
Family Magic
Family Magic
Ebook351 pages5 hours

Family Magic

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this ebook

***WORLD'S BEST STORY 2014***

Magic? Check. High school cheerbullies? Check. Impending evil? You betcha. She’s so doomed...

While Sydlynn Hayle might be her coven's heir, her reluctance to accept her power puts their fate at risk. But when a mysterious evil infiltrates the collective and comes for those she loves, she has to choose--either turn her back on her destiny or step up and save her family's magic.

· "A great, inventive plot, a deeply flawed, self-deprecating, heroine, many wondrous sub-characters and a constantly-evolving world of madness and magic (with a goodly side order of teen angst thrown in!). What more could you want?" -- Amazon reviewer Hobbitual
· "Thank you Ms. Larsen, for an excellent read....please please please tell me there will be more about these characters!" -- Amazon reviewer Michelle William
· " ...this book was incredible. I was sucked in from the very beginning. I fell in love with the characters. The plot twists and the way it was written kept me turning pages well into the night." -- Amazon reviewer Misty Harvey

Don't miss the exciting sequels in the Hayle Coven Novels:

Witch Hunt
Demon Child
The Wild
The Long Lost
Gatekeeper
Flesh and Blood
Full Circle
Divided Heart
First Plane
Light and Shadow
Queen of Darkness
Dark Promise
Unseelie Ties
Ancient Ways
The Undying
Shifting Loyalties
Enforcer
Coven Leader
The Last Call

LanguageEnglish
PublisherPatti Larsen
Release dateOct 15, 2011
ISBN9781465806871
Family Magic
Author

Patti Larsen

About me, huh? Well, my official bio reads like this: Patti Larsen is a multiple award-winning author with a passion for the voices in her head. But that sounds so freaking formal, doesn’t it? I’m a storyteller who hears character's demands so loudly I have to write them down. I love the idea of sports even though sports hate me. I’ve dabbled in everything from improv theater to film making and writing TV shows, singing in an all girl band to running my own hair salon.But always, always, writing books calls me home.I’ve had my sights set on world literary domination for a while now. Which means getting my books out there, to you, my darling readers. It’s the coolest thing ever, this job of mine, being able to tell stories I love, only to see them all shiny and happy in your hands... thank you for reading.As for the rest of it, I’m short (permanent), slightly round (changeable) and blonde (for ever and ever). I love to talk one on one about the deepest topics and can’t seem to stop seeing the big picture. I happily live on Prince Edward Island, Canada, home to Anne of Green Gables and the most beautiful red beaches in the world, with my pug overlord and overlady, six lazy cats and Gypsy Vanner gelding, Fynn.

Read more from Patti Larsen

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Reviews for Family Magic

Rating: 3.948275827586207 out of 5 stars
4/5

29 ratings8 reviews

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Almost seemed liked two books - one about a demon witch who wants nothing to do with her family; and one about a new witch at school trying to be normal and fit in. The first storyline is definitely the better.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What did you think of the ending? Most series rush to an ending where you'll have to reread at least some of the book to make sure you got the open ending right. This book was different. The ending was good and although it was open ended in some ways, leaving room for the next book, most characters and issues were concluded without any questions.

    What did you think of the story structure? Some parts of the story dragged for me. Even as the emotions and settings changed, it took me till at least quarter of the book to be drawn into the story. I would love to know what inspired the idea of Sassafras.

    Is the overall POV consistent? I've read quite a few YA books that switch POV and then forget to switch them back so it becomes confusing and leaves the reader clueless. Patti Larsen did an excellent job making sure her characters' voices were not overshadowed by hers.

    Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Family Magic is most definitely my genre of book, with witches, demons and vampires. Syd wanted out of the family coven, she hates the way magic makes her feel physically. she also has trouble at school she is lonely, always the new girl with no friends, she just doesn’t fit in.

    Things turn out very differently when she learns that someone has it in for the Hayle Coven and she seems to be the only one that may be able to stop them.

    I loved Syd’s character and her grandmother was a hoot.

    This is an exciting, funny at times, magical read that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

    I can’t wait to read the other books from The Hayle Coven Novels.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    When I was younger, I was a huge fan of Sabrina The Teenage Witch. I imagined this book would be something like that. In some ways it was (they had a cat that was turned into a cat as punishment, which obviously reminded me of Salem the cat from the show), but in others it wasn't. The main difference to me was that the heroine, Syd, was nothing like Sabrina. For about the first half of the book, I was very annoyed at her. She kept complaining that she didn’t want her powers but she had no reason and no idea why she wanted it so badly -so basically "just because." I also didn't understand why she had to be so mean to her mother all the time and the constant arguing and fighting over nothing got old pretty quickly. I suppose this is teenage behavior, a sixteen year old's way of rebelling, but it was just boring to read through it. Anyway, I soldiered on and the second half got better as the element of the attack on the coven was introduced. In my opinion, this is when the story picked up and I got interested in what was going on. Even though some things didn't make sense to me and I didn't fully understand this whole world of magic, I couldn't help but speculate about who was behind the attack, etc... *I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a story about a sixteen year old girl. She wants what everyone wants. To fit in. To find her place. But being a teen, she’s dealing with all of that angst, those hormones. Being bullied at school, responsible for her insane grandmother, and clashing with her mother have Syd all torn up inside.She must find herself. Discover what she wants. She thinks she doesn’t wanted her magic. Doesn’t want to be a witch. And she keeps her demon half locked down inside her. All of this frustration and anger find a way out sometimes, like a pot boiling over.It seems like every time Syd makes up with her mother, something else happens and she’s screaming how much she hates her, the family, the coven, her powers, and witches. She wants out and doesn’t want to wait until she’s 18 to give up her power.After a huge blow out with her mother, Syd’s dad is waiting for her. When she enters the basement, both of her parents are there, but her uncle butts into the family meeting. He insists they stop lying to Syd. Tell her the truth. She needs to get control of her demon now more than ever.Syd’s never whiney. She grows strong as she learns more, faces herself and her demon. Embraces her power. The author keeps her in character, genuine and believable. She’s a teenager and stays one, showing her growth, her confusion, her determination, and her doubts.As the end of the book drew near, I became worried. I couldn’t see how it would all work out. I was worried, afraid for the characters.The very first sentence in the last chapter is to telling and true. I wish I could share it with you, but you’ll see what I mean when you read it. So insightful. So powerful. As strong as the characters and magic displayed in this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Link to book: AmazonDescription: Her mom’s a witch.Her dad’s a demon.And she just wants to be ordinary.I batted at the curl of smoke drifting off the tip of my candle and tried not to sneeze. My heavy velvet cloak fell in oppressive, suffocating folds in the closed space of the ceremony chamber, the cowl trapping the annoying bits of puff I missed. I hated the way my eyes burned and teared, an almost constant distraction. Not that I didn’t welcome the distraction, to be honest. Anything to take my mind from what went on around me. Being part of a demon raising is way less exciting than it sounds.Sydlynn Hayle’s life couldn’t be more complicated. Trying to please her coven, starting over in a new town, and fending off a bully cheerleader who hates her are just the beginning of her troubles. What to do when delicious football hero Brad Peters–boyfriend of her cheer nemesis–shows interest? If only the darkly yummy witch, Quaid Moromond, didn’t make it so difficult for her to focus on fitting in with the normal kids. Add to that her crazy grandmother’s constant escapes driving her family to the brink and Syd’s between a rock and a coven site. Forced to take on power she doesn’t want to protect a coven who blames her for everything, only she can save her family’s magic.If her family’s distrust doesn’t destroy her first.**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased an honest review**Review: 4 starsGeneral: Magic is always a popular topic in any age group right now. Patti Larsen takes it to a completely different level that I haven’t seen since a series called Circle of Three from about 15 years ago. She displays the way of the world from both the Wiccan standpoint as well as some little extra magical touches to get in touch with the fantasy lovers. From the beginning I was hooked and curious about Syd and her life. The craft was extremely well done and a great addition to YA, I’m excited it is a long series for me to sit back and enjoy the characters. The plot followed along 16 year Syd in her journey to fit in with the magic she wielded and try to save her family from negative magic that could kill them all. There were wonderful slices of life in the book that helped fuel the overall plot forward and the overall plot was large indeed, perhaps too much so.The reason I’ve only give 4 stars is two fold. The first is while I completely enjoyed the book it appeared to have two plots, to me that should have been separated into two books. The first half seems to focus specifically on Syd’s world as a teen in her coven. It was perfectly interesting and had a climax of it’s own. The second half appeared to be about a threat to the coven, which also had it’s own climax. Reading two different complete plot lines in one book caused it to feel very long and drawn out, despite my enjoyment of it. Each was a wonderful storyline but from a reading standpoint it would have been more enjoyable to have linked the two books together. The second are the characters.Characters: Sydlynn Hayle is a teenager who suffered with a lot. There were moments where I thought se was brilliant and others were I wanted to smack some sense into her- not unlike a teen so it was perfect. Until it became an every other page activity. She was trying to fit in, headstrong and seemingly intelligent with a desire to be independent. However, every other chapter she was telling her mom she hated her, and then how much she loved her. Sometimes she flipped multiple times in a chapter. For me, it was too much and had me questioning if I could believe anything that she told us she felt and as a narrator that makes an issue for the reader.Brad Peters: Bra’s character was extremely flat and unbelievable. He’s your traditional all american jock in looks and extra curriculars. But to make him more loveable he has been given a soft side that’s extremely to soft. Everything appeared to be a wounding offense to Brad and he did not come across as realistic in the way she wrote him, but perhaps an idealized version of how Syd saw him. With first person narration there is nothing wrong with it but I am unsure if that was the goal so it took the book down a bit for me to be bothered by what I’m being led to believe in a main character.Quaid Moromond: There is unfortunately not much I can say about Quaid. He appears to be nothing more than a snarky teen who doesn’t get on to well with his parents. There is a very interesting power scene between the two of them and I look forward to seeing him expand as a character. However he makes 3 of 3 listed characters on the back of the book that felt unrealistic or under delivered so it lowered my overall rating of the book
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Sydlynn just wants to be an ordinary girl, but it is kind of hard when you’re half witch and half demon. She is also the sole heir of her entire coven. Can she figure out why magic makes her physically sick before having to take on this huge responsibility? Or will she be able to rid herself of her power and have a normal life on her own?
    This book contains a lot of believable characters and plot twists that will keep you turning pages. I liked how the demon father kept calling his daughter Cupcake. Sydlynn's mother really did try hard to balance being a coven leader and a normal-ish mother to her confused rebellious daughter. The crazy grandmother who can only be quieted by tequila or chocolate will make you smile. Sydlynn, herself, starts out being a big whiner, but really pulls it together as she finds her own path.
    I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt out of place and lost in the great sea of humanity. I would also recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy, mystery and witches. This is a wonderful YA book and I enjoyed reading it very much.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The world of All’s Fair in Vanities War is one of the most interesting I’ve read about in awhile. Drawing heavily on ancient Celtic mythology and what we know of druidic tradition, Marx has combined this with the American historical accounts of the Salem witch trials to create a rich backdrop full of depth and context. For generations Salem, Massachusetts has drawn powerful magic to it creating a behind-the-scenes division between ExtraOrdinary beings and Ordinary individuals as well as a magical hierarchy of Druids, Vates, Bards, witches and many other magical creatures. Salem’s magical pull comes from the Leyline that runs beneath it feeding the magical energies of the town’s inhabitants. I became so curious about all the mythological elements that Marx used to craft her story, that I ended up spending a lot of time on Wikipedia to see just what was well-known lore and what was all Marx. I must say I’m impressed with how many mythological details she worked into her story to fit her own plot and how smoothly she accomplished it. The two main characters of Vanities War are also extremely intriguing. Keleigh, the orphaned Vate and female protagonist of this story is a great character. She’s someone who has lost much to this magical world and now wants only to live a normal, non-magical life. And yet, that doesn’t appear to be her destiny. Keleigh is on a search for what she is – Vate or Ordinary – but even amidst her turmoil she has a confidence, strength, courage and kindness that defines the core of who she is. She also has a good head on her shoulders and a quick tongue, which makes her encounters with Locke all the more entertaining. When we first meet Locke, the good-looking, sweet-talking druid, he has lost his longtime girlfriend in a tragic car accident that has also scarred his beautiful face. Long vain and used to getting his way by using his looks, charm and innate power Locke must learn to discipline his use of magic, and begin to heal from the tragedy. Post-tragedy, he’s still a very charismatic character and still makes good use of his charm. He’s got an infectious confidence and an annoyingly endearing swagger. His accident does mature him and realign his priorities; his losses and mistakes have sobering him a bit… but not too much. The thing that really makes him so likeable is that under all the bravado, he really is a decent guy who really does care. Another major character in the book worth mentioning is the Seer. Killed in the same accident that scarred Locke’s face, she is reborn a Seer – one with the ability to traverse the nine worlds, witness to great events, and a keeper of secrets. She’s of particular interest to me, because although she is omnipresent and the narrator of the story, she really is only a secondary character. The reader sees the entire story through her eyes (she is after all a kind of story keeper), but she plays a slightly less important role in this novel than Locke or Keleigh. It’s an intriguing plot device, one that struck me as pretty unique, and, for the most part, it’s a device that Marx utilizes well. The Seer herself comes across as a very lost character. In fact, we’re never given her name throughout the entire book, a fact which adds to her mystique as well as plays to her uncertainty about herself. The Seer is unsure of her intended purpose. She’s lonely. She clings to shreds of her human existence unwilling to shed it completely and embrace her new reality. I look forward particularly to more development of her character in subsequent novels. Story. As I just mentioned, the unique narration style set this book apart immediately, as does the interesting relationship dynamic is creates as you begin to watch Keleigh and Locke’s friendship develop, as you keep in mind that the Seer was formerly Locke’s girlfriend. It just creates some interesting moments and perspective. As far as the mystery goes, as Keleigh and Locke search for the relic, it is very interesting and well-paced, and Marx does a fantastic job of building tension throughout their search. The climax of the novel, in particular is pretty dark, gripping and terrifying. The villain is truly frightening, and the final showdown of the story is just as intense as the climax. Though I thoroughly enjoyed All’s Fair in Vanities War, there were just a few things that kept it from a full five stars. First, though I love the world Marx created, I wish that there had been a bit more clarity closer to the beginning of the book explaining the structure and rules of this world. Before reading this book, I knew next to nothing about the mythology and lore behind Keleigh and Locke’s world. But it’s almost written as if it’s assumed that the reader has a cursory knowledge of Celtic lore. Don’t mistake me, I love the world, I was just reading in a state of confused fascination for a bit there. However by the end when it all falls into place, I felt as though I had a pretty good handle on things worked. Second, I love that the Seer plays the role of narrator, and though she does add her own commentary from time to time, I wish that there had been just a but more of it – a little more insight into the Seer and more opportunities for character development. Third, not a fan of the “absent parent” device, but that’s a personal preference, and Marx makes it work for her story. And finally, I don’t normally make mention of this, but there are a few glaring grammatical and spelling errors. Not a lot, but just enough to jar you out of the story. So if that really bothers you, Dear Reader, just be aware. Also be aware that this is a truly great story, and should you decide to pass over this one because of a few errors, you’re definitely going to be missing out. Overall, with a complex, fascinating world based on Celtic tradition, fantastic characters, intriguing relationship dynamics, compelling romance and an exciting fast-paced plot, All’s Fair in Vanities War is a wonderfully gripping paranormal read that has me eagerly anticipating the next installment.

Book preview

Family Magic - Patti Larsen

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