Top critical review
2.0 out of 5 starsWon't Be Bothering With Book 2
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2020
Descriptions like "lush writing" and "compelling story" lead me to purchase and read this book. Unfortunately, neither is true in my opinion. I read a review where someone complained about the "flashbacks" but, really, that's most of the story.
The story has pretty big holes in it, I found. The bad guy is called a warlock - but only at the end - when it just sort of spills out how "witches made by warlocks are always cursed". What's this? We've been given no other information about other witches, if they're born or made, and that's part of the problem here. Nothing is really explained beyond a sort of "here's this bad guy who's really a satanist and he turns this poor stupid girl into an immortal he feels he owns and so he pursues her down through the ages". Which, honestly, is a bit stupid. Hundreds of years and he he hasn't managed to catch her or given up? A witch with intuition and everything but yet time after time she allows him to be right next to her for days, weeks, months, without seeing it?
Maybe there are rules we aren't given? Maybe she has to go willingly? He does spend an awful long (agonizing) time repeating to her that she really wants it, that it gives her the best feeling, blah blah blah. Bit like the abuser telling his victim it wasn't rape because she secretly wanted it. Pretty gross.
And oh the end! Lame, lame, lame.
And Tegan? The "daughter she never had". It just all seems so desperate. Instead of liking or admiring the main character I'm left feeling she's stupid and should never have survived.
So, all in all, I don't recommend reading this book and I certainly won't be picking up the second one. The writing is rather plain. The "present time" of 2007 is really just journal entries so rather plain and practical information. The "flash backs" attempt a different voice which mainly I just found irritating after a while. Each flashback should have just been called "Bess gets dumber".
Oh, and he's Jack the Ripper, too. I sprained my eyeballs rolling them at that point.
