Fire Witch

In the authors words “tempestuous and strong, (..) brighter than the sun.”
VERY SPICY and exactly what you would expect from FIRE! LOVE Westwood Academy and always looking forward to the next installment. This storyline didn’t disappoint. I only gave 4 stars because the transition into battle and post battle were a little abrupt which hasn’t been the case in the previous two books..so it may be due to editing since I read the ARC copy. SUPER ECITED to know we have a book 4 for Jade and hopefully a book 5 for Enid!!! These are easy to read adventurous, fun, and steamy stories!

3.5 ⭐️s

Despite being the third in the series, this was my first step into Kincade and Gorri’s Westwood Academy world. I don’t think starting here was too much of a detriment to understanding the world or the cast of characters, however it’s probably best to start with Book 1 if you want the holistic experience.

That authors have created a rich world in this narrative. I enjoyed the mechanics of the magic and the lore of the world that helps establish the major thread that will seemingly connect the series together. The different classes of elemental witches and the Sentinels were a unique approach to set the series apart. Some of my favorite tropes are on display here - fated mates, found (magic) family and both are handled well. I also appreciated the emphasis on the core theme that life is better when diversity is embraced. It’s a great concept that doesn’t just apply to magical beings.

Though there is a lot to like, there were definitely elements here that could have been better executed. First, while I enjoyed her interactions with her fellow witches and with Brandon, overall I did not connect to Tana as her own character consistently enough. The use of first person here - and having everything from the h pov, without even a H pov to balance - augmented the flaws. The copiously redundant inner monologuing probably did help either. Second, the dialogue between characters was a bit uneven and rather clunky at times. It often felt sequential - a lot of “Now,..” and “By the way…”. The result being that each piece of information that was shared didn’t get time to breathe before the next was revealed. Especially in the last couple chapters, there was a lot of info dumping, and it read as though the central mystery of Tana’s story was being told rather than allowed to unfold. This bleeds into pacing issues; though the story was a good length, I couldn’t help but feel that dispersal O’Dea key plot and character elements could have been more balanced throughout.

Despite these flaw, this is a world that I wouldn’t mind revisiting. Kincade and Gorri have provided a cool backdrop for their characters. It’s just that the execution and development of those characters, could be stronger.

I received a reader review copy via Book Sirens. All opinions are my own.

As always these authors write a good story and this one was fun to read as return to Westwood Academy, with Tana being the main characters this time. It was fun and hilarious to read. Lots of trouble and surprises along the way. Had to see what would cause trouble this time around. And Tana and her room mates are always a blast to read about. And had to see what was up with Brandon.