High Witch (High Witch Book 1)

By Mona Hanna

Brayden dreams for thirty nights, tortured by the vision of a beautiful woman. When Ariel Williams walks into his inn, he sees that she's the one he's been obsessed with in his night time journeys. But Ariel is fleeing an arranged marriage and keeps shyly to herself, until the worst happens and by mistake she casts a spell on a guest. Brayden works with Ariel to help her control her magic but discovers she's a High Witch - one of only three witches in the world with a rare kind of power.

Immediately the two must flee; evil warlock Julius wants to enslave Ariel – mind, heart and body. Julius and his lover the High Witch Nadia will stop at nothing to capture Ariel, and the danger threatens to tear Ariel apart from Brayden. Ariel’s only hope is that her love for Brayden and her newly-discovered powers are strong enough to save them.

This is a NOVELLA of approximately 25,000 words.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mona Hanna
• Release date: Feb 26, 2013
• ISBN: 9781497733961

Mona Hanna

Mona Hanna is an author of fantasy/romance books. She enjoys writing about love, magic, conflict, trials and the joy of overcoming them. Mona enjoys reading, movies, chocolate, and adores cats. She hopes to release many more fantasy books in the years to come.

Reviews for High Witch (High Witch Book 1)

[joyelett · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It's true it was quick read but not necessarily a good thing. I can't really put my finger on what was off about the book but most of it was cliche. Basic boy falls in love with basic girl witch and so on. If I had to read "I Love You" one more time - well you know. It got better toward the end but the it was over. Poof!

[cat3crazy_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An enjoyable read. I loved the beginning but I would like to have had more details (a longer story) regarding Ariel's family and life. The end also could have been given some explanation of what happened to Ariel and to Julius.

[scmerritt · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received this book as a review copy through the Librarything member program. The story is written through the eyes of two people, Brayden, a young man with a disturbing family tree and Ariel, a young lady with no idea of the power she holds. The story follows Ariel's journey finding out what she really is and the extreme danger she is in from Brayden's ancestor. It is also a love story between Brayden and Ariel and that becomes the central part of this story. An interesting story but short, I would have liked a bit more character development and storyline. But I enjoyed it and would likely read follow on stories.

[maryann12_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Witchy book I thought this book was really good and well written and I would reccomend to other people. This book was awesome I never put it down it was so good and it was such a page turner if you like reading about magic I really recommend it!

[thebignerd · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

*Book won through LibraryThing member giveaway in exchange for an honest review*I was really excited to read this book because the description was intriguing and the cover was beautiful! Sadly, I was quite disappointed.The Writing: The writing in this novella was okay. There was not much inherently wrong with it but there wasn’t anything special about it. There was also too much dialogue in my opinion. So instead of descriptive paragraphs, everything was being explained via conversations. There was one part of the writing I didn’t like and that was the sex/sexual scenes. I’m no noob to sexual scenes in romance novels. I’ve even written a few steamy scenes myself and am not awkward or annoyed by them. But these were uncomfortably odd. They were too filled with ‘oh I just love her so much I want to make love to her’ and it came to the point where there was a sex scene in almost all the chapters, probably ten in total. Yes, I realize this is a romance novel but that is just absurd when it has no real reason to be in the story. And each one kept getting more and more descriptive. The writing in those scenes were choppy and awkward and honestly, it felt like a bad fanfiction. I also started to notice that at least 65% of the sentences ending in ‘word, word’ or ‘phrase, phrase’. It really isn’t necessary to form all of the sentences in the exact same way.The Romance: I was reading over some other reviews and I came across this statement: “this was quite the quixotic love story” (Amanda R.) I completely agree. The romance in here was too perfect. Brayden – whose viewpoint is where we read the story – falls in love with a girl within 2 days of meeting her after having had a repeating dream of her for a month. She also happens to reciprocate the feelings within that time span and somehow they end up making love on day 3. They just met!!! I can believe love at first sight but to fall ‘madly in love’ with someone in three days and then run away with them? For all you know, they could be a craving lunatic who’s sadistically playing you and will end up killing you and dumping your body into a ravine!The Plot: The plot was really confusing at times because new information would be shared and then a realization would occur with no basis as to that realization. For example, we learn that the bad guy, Julius, is related to Brayden. Somehow, Ariel realizes this when Brayden admits to being related to Lenora (a past High Witch). There is no correlation between the two! These kinds of connections kept popping up and wouldn’t be explained until a few chapters later. I also felt that Julius and ‘the trial’ were never explained well enough. Why would any high witch go through this test if they are powerful enough to make anything they want happen?The Characters: Brayden seemed to know everything at one point and then suddenly became completely useless at the end. Ariel, through out most of the book, appeared so weak and timid that I was honestly not surprised she ran off with a guy she just met and claimed that she loved him. Near the end I was honestly rooting for Julius just because Brayden and Ariel annoyed me so much.Honestly, if I didn’t have to write a review I probably would have put the book down after chapter two. This novella has great reviews on Amazon and Goodreads so you may want to go check those out before making your own decision on this novella. Her books all look and sound interesting but after this I probably won’t try anything else by her.

[mavendark · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

2.5-3 starsThis book was a very fast read, I probably finished it in 1.5-2hrs. This book tells of the love story between a witch and a normal boy and the adventures they had to go through to conquer "evil". I liked it because it was easy to read, fast paced, and the story was not bad. However, I do think that the character development was incredibly weak. There wasn't really much description about each character and what type of personality they are. They just seemingly randomly fell in love and suddenly they are the one for each other. I think this book would have been much better had it been twice as long and there was more space to expand on more emotions and details. The love scenes were very quick and non-descriptive, and I do not think they were necessary in this book at all. Could've saved all that space for more character development!Most of the time when I finish a book, I end up feeling like I know the characters as if they were real, and I end up missing them because they suddenly disappeared from my life. However, with this book, I felt that I knew the characters as much as I had known them when they were first introduced to me, which was not very much... Plus, like the other reviewer said, there wasn't much description of anything, so it was tough to visualize anything in my mind. With that said, this book/story ends up being very un-memorable and easily forgettable.

[roguemyth-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest reviewI devoured this book in one sitting. For a novella it was well written with enough depth to cover everything that was required of it. I'd be interested to see the story line of this expanded towards the end.

[teritree001971 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

High Witch is a fantasy novella for children, but parents may not approve of the mild sexual content and violence in the story. The story opens with the heroine arriving at the inn and the action starts immeadiately as the reader is transported into a new realm where anything is possible. They can see people forever young, as long as they're willing to pay the price. Witches and warlocks possess powers as they live among mere mortals without too many problems. Of course, true love wins in the end.

[amanda3richards · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3-3.5 StarsThis was quite the quixotic love story.I won this book through LibraryThing's member giveaways. Yay for free books!It was a very short read as I finished it in about two hours (if that). Overview:High Witch is a story about a young couple who first find each other through mysterious circumstances and love at first sight ensues.Brayden, a young man who works at the local INN, has been having a recurring dream for the past 30 days. A beautiful young woman is kissing him and telling him to find her, so of course he must. On the 30th day, a strange girl arrives at the INN in need of help, and there is something strangely familiar about her. Fast forward a bit and the two are running away from all that they know in order to save their lives and to save each other. But what are they running for? Or from whom are they running?My 2 cents:The story was very engaging and intriguing. The idea behind the world was very interesting, I just wish that there had been more written about it. Maybe more information to build up how the magic worked or even to learn the history of the Villain. The character development was also a little weak for my tastes. However I am one of those people who like verbose descriptions of everything. I want a picture painted for me so I can imagine what the author sees in their mind. This story unfortunately didn't have that. There were several places in particular which would have benefited from more explanation or description but it doesn't really take too much away from the story itself.Overall I really enjoyed the story! I just wish there had been more detail so I could get to know the characters better. I would definitely recommend this book to others.

[kelly.walker · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received this Novella through the member giveaway. I wanted to like this book. The professional looking cover is eye-catching and really drew me to it. Unfortunately, once I began reading, nothing captivated me, nothing pulled me in and I did not feel at all invested in the characters. The plot has enormous potential and I admire the author's commitment to professionalism with both the cover and the interior proofreading. Perhaps with more development, this book could be stellar. I thought the world building, and the magical elements were well thought out, I loved that the hero and heroine had met in their dreams before meeting for real, but the execution just fell flat. I would rate this book 2.5 stars.I think if a reader is not picky about storytelling style, they would be best served by reading the sample at the beginning. If it draws them in, and they don't mind the style, they will enjoy the book. If they are bothered by it like I was, this is one they should pass over.

[kathy86-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

High Witch was a good read. Ariel and Brayden love story reminds us what young love is and what we will do for it. Glad to see the author let us see what happied after the battle of good vs.evil. Overall I just wish there had been more detail so I could get to know the characters better. I would definitely recommend this book to others..Hope to read the next volume soon.

[ashpreads · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Could have made a good book if the author could make up her mind about whether she wanted it to be for adults or middle schoolers. Initially, when I began reading book 1 I thought maybe I could get my teenager to read it then the sex scene came in and I thought maybe not. The story and most of the dialogue was simple, seemingly targeted at young readers but then you have these intimate scenes which just seem so out of place. The potential in the storyline is definitely there but the execution and grammar/ language / sentence construction is immature. It read like the over-emotional overdramatic dialogue of movies from the 30s. An OK read, if you enjoy this style

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review

[colereadsbooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A young adult fantasy about an untrained witch and an evil warlock. Synopsis:Every night Brayden dreams of a girl he has never met. Then one day she appears at the Inn where Brayden works. He soon learns that the young girl, Ariel is a witch - but not just any witch she is a high witch, resulting in a colossal amount of power. Although one of only three high witches in the world, her family beg her to keep her powers a secret, believing only bad things can result from them. As Ariel begins to learn to control her powers, the two hear of a plot by a warlock named Julius, who bends the power of high witches to his will, in order to preserve his immortal life. So Brayden and Ariel attempt to flee into hiding, in order to stop Julius’s evil plans, but how long can the couple keep running?Review:I really wanted to love this book. The plot sounds so interesting, and as I received the box set of the trilogy though LibraryThing, I could not wait to get my teeth sunk into this. I love a good witchy story and the novella does have its good points - I loved the idea of their only being three high witches at a time - as soon as one dies, another is born into the world, regardless if the parents are magical. This was a bit of a twist on the usual generation after generation of witches element that these types of story often have. I thought it was pretty interesting that she keeps her powers a secret, meaning she has so much untapped power and there were so many things she could learn to do and discover about herself.This however, was where my enjoyment of the book ended. I know that the book is a novella, and Hanna obviously has a lot to cram into such a small word length but in the first twenty odd pages Brayden and Ariel meet, they fall and love and decide they are soul mates, they learn Ariel is a witch - but not just any witch, and that Brayden has witches in his family and can therefore teach her everything she needs to know. The whole book just felt a bit too Disney for my tastes. I felt there was so much potential for seeing Ariel grow as a character, learning to control her powers and use them to stop Julius, but these scenes are skipped over quickly in favour of longer romantic scenes and it left me feeling a bit disappointed that her magic was not more explored.There were some enjoyable twists in the story - the introduction of Brayden’s mother and a few other little surprises that I didn't foresee, if you’re a fan of romance novels there is plenty of romantic elements in the story - though that doesn't particularly appeal to me. In true Disney fashion the novel ends with a wedding and a happily ever after so for me it felt a little too predictable, but hopefully with another two books to come perhaps there will be more opportunity to explore the magic and history behind the witches of this world. All in all a fun, enjoyable little novella with lots of romance and a pretty interesting plot.

[jayblac21 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review the name drew me because I love anything paranormal though I must admit I totally hate the cover the blurb is a little short but right to the point. I don't like how the book started with Brayden in love with Ariel as soon as he sees her even though he's been having dreams about her it just didn't sit right with me the way it was written. I also found it strange that him having no magic would attempt to train a witch. And that having no magical ability whatsoever he was able to discern that Ariel is a High Witch.The book continues in it's ridiculousness with Brayden and Ariel immediately falling into bed together and 5 minutes later figuring out that his great great great grandfather is after Ariel to put her through this test that will turn her into an evil witch and bind her to him forever. I'm really not buying the concept of this story it's creative but the author is just not selling it right. There are just parts of the story that don't make sense like why they traveled 2 days to get to his mothers when she could have transported them by magic. This book wasn't horrible but I won't say it was good. I wouldn't really recommend it.

[demonkittie-243392 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

*I was given a free copy of this for an unbiased review*This was a fairly cute book, and was easy to read. It just didn't have amazing characters or stick out to me as an amazing book or anything above being just plain good. I like the epilogue and all that, but not sure where this series would be going. Maybe I will have to check out the next one to see what happens, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the next one.

[sportzmomof5 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The storyline was good, but lacked a lot of details. A lot of the storyline is rushed through, character meet and fall in love in few days. It feels like the author had a great idea but didn't know how to work it out. This is a great book if you want a quick, paranormal romance story. Just don't plan on getting too caught up in the characters,

[bonnie64-366149 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the tale of Ariel a young woman who seems to have magic running through her veins, but disaster's happen whenever it is leaked out. Oddly enough her father has decided to match her in marriage to a gentleman named Julius whom she neither knows or cares to. So she runs away. On her journey she stops at an Inn and meets Brayden who works there. Previously Brayden had been having dreams about Ariel but didn't realize it was her. Push comes to shove and some of her magic comes out at the dining area of the eatery at the Inn. She is accused of being a witch. She goes to her room and Brayden checks on her and the conversation turns to Brayden telling her he might be able to help her because his mother was a witch. He tells her she might be a High Witch which there is only three on earth at one time. These are the most powerful of witches. Well of course being a High Witch can be good and bad, as Ariel and Brayden will find out. This to me turns into a love story rather quickly. I would like to know more about the High Witches and their powers. Hopefully this will be in book 2. I will be reading it very soon. I received this book free for an honest review.

[carod_51 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

High Witch is a romantic fantasy novella. Ariel is a young woman who is running away from an arranged marriage. She meets Brayden at an Inn and he helps her realize that she is a High Witch, one of the most powerful witches in the world. There are only ever three like her in the world. Brayden and Ariel have to flee from an evil warlock who wants her, and her powers, for his own. The lovers have to escape the warlock and the High Witch he controls and survive The Test. The hero and heroine were almost too young and sweet for me, but this was a quick, enjoyable read. The world was well created and interesting enough that I would want to read more about the magic users in future works by this author. Recommended for readers who enjoy romantic fantasy and fairy tales. Some mild sexual content.

[britt84 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I usually enjoy magic/fantasy books, but didn't really like this one.I'm not sure if it's me or the book, but somehow the story just didn't really speak to me, and I never felt really connected to the characters. The characters are rather flat and have no depth, and I found the story to be repetitive and somewhat tedious. One of the things that made the story not so gripping was the fact that the story line was very limited. Though it was a short story, I really found that it didn't have enough content to last as long as it did; there are only two characters in the book, with two side-characters that we don't really get to know at all. The love story never becomes very interesting and is described in cliché terms, and the same words and sentences are used over and over in descriptions.I think the idea behind the story was good, it really seemed like something that could have been interesting, but the writing was just not great.