Review: A Witch In Winter by Ruth Warburton

Title: A Witch in Winter

Series: Winter Trilogy #1

Author: Ruth Warburton

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books

Publication Date: 5 Jan 2012

Source: Reviewed for We Love This Book

Challenge: DAB and BBC

Synopsis from Goodreads

Anna Winterson doesn't know she's a witch and would probably mock you for believing in magic, but after moving to the small town of Winter with her father, she learns more than she ever wanted to about power. When Anna meets Seth, she is smitten, but when she enchants him to love her, she unwittingly amplifies a deadly conflict between two witch clans and splits her own heart in two. She wants to love Seth, to let him love her – but if it is her magic that's controlling his passion, then she is as monstrous as the witch clan who are trying to use her amazing powers for their own gain.

REVIEW

The cover drew me to this book I know the minute I laid eyes on it that I had to have it. I am sure a few fellow bloggers know that feeling well.

I will start by saying that THANK GOD IT IS A trilogy. The story is a tumultuous mix of action and emotion yet there is so so so much more that needs to be answered. The good news is that the wait is only until July for Book 2 A Witch in Love.

Written in first person narrative, Anna, has had to move to the coastal town of Winter due to her father’s redundancy and slight breakdown. This particularly hit a raw nerve with me. However, the gorgeous old house they move into more than made up for the move (for me at least). The Gothic architecture depicted completely won me over even with all the work it needed doing to renovate it. I wanted to move there, but without the creepiness. The marks scored into the wooden doorframes added to the atmosphere, their purpose for protection added to the story building.

The writing is wonderfully British especially for the insults; there were parts I literally snorted out loud. Rich descriptive writing creates a realistic and completely relatable community. I loved that there were cliques even among witches. It really added the dynamics of the story. Who are the good guys, which side to choose?? I could feel the changes in the weather that were depicted, sensory encompassing vivid descriptions building the atmosphere and following the action and emotion was just brilliant to picture.

I completely adored Seth, not only is he gorgeous but he is a NICE GUY. From the moment that Anna and Seth met I felt that there was a deep connection between them. Their shared loss of a parent initially gave them common ground but the way in which they were able to relax around each other and be themselves emphasised their connection. I did find it quite frustrating that Anna didn’t have the self-confidence to believe that Seth could genuinely like her.

As I said at the beginning thank goodness this is a trilogy as I felt that the story barely broke the surface of what I NEED to know. There are a ton of questions that need to be answered. I have the second book firmly on my wish-list for July.