Caragh Reviews - Witch Finder by Ruth Warburton

Published - 2nd January 2014
Publisher - Hodder
Format - Kindle
Synopsis - London. 1880. In the slums of Spitalfields apprentice blacksmith Luke is facing initiation into the Malleus Maleficorum, the fearsome brotherhood dedicated to hunting and killing witches. Luke’s final test is to pick a name at random from the Book of Witches, a name he must track down and kill within a month, or face death himself. Luke knows that tonight will change his life forever. But when he picks out sixteen-year-old Rosa Greenwood, Luke has no idea that his task will be harder than he could ever imagine.

I was a big fan of Ruth Warburton's Winter Trilogy and was getting increasingly excited for her new release, Witch Finder. I received this book to review in early November.

Witch Finder started off well and was really intrguing. Luke's life seems simple enough until we see him taking part in a ritual for the Malleus Malefictorum - a secret brotherhood of witch hunters. Luke has his personal reasons for joining and is completely dedicated to following in the footsteps of those around him - that is until he meets his initiation target, Rosa Greenwood. 

Throughout the book Luke has many trials to face and he even learns about himself - as every good protagonist does. I love that Warburton carried over some of the same ideas she put forth in the Winter Trilogy and still used words such as 'outwith'. It made it seem more realistic after having read about them previously. Witch Finder wasn't what I expected at all - I thought it would be a similar style to her previous books but surprisingly it was very different. It clearly isn't set in a modern time period (which I LOVE!) and the whole thing felt both new and fresh but homely and comforting. It's quite a dark book actually. Of course it features romance, coming of age, family matters as almost all YA books do but it takes it to a darker place.

Admittedly, I thought the pacing was a bit slow. I'm not sure whether it's just the format of the e-copy I received or whether the printed book is the same but there were really long chapters! It was a while ago that I read it now but I think there may not have been real specific chapters at all, though the ending of the book totally made up for the occasional lack of action/intrigue. I believe i'm right in saying this is going to be a series and if so it has great potential. I'll be looking forward to seeing what the consequences are.

Review // A Witch Alone (Winter #3) - Ruth Warburton

Published - 7th February 2013
Publisher - Hodder Children's Books
Format - Paperback
Synopsis - Where do you go when your heart has been ripped out?
For Anna there is only one answer; into her past, where the truth about her mother, her power, and her real identity lie hidden.
But as Anna delves deeper into her history, she begins to fear that the truth about what set her mother running may be darker than she ever suspected. With the witches of the world on the brink of war, Seth gone, and her friend Abe wanting more from her than she can possibly give, Anna is in crisis.
As the clouds around her gather, Anna is torn between friends, family and rival tribes of witches and – at the last – between love and magic.

The third and final installment of Ruth Warburton's Winter Trilogy is finally making its way into the wild - hurrah! As I explained in my review of A Witch in Winter, I literally started reading this series because the covers are so beautiful and the final book is no exception - even prettier than the rest. But thankfully there is a lot more to this series than just a pretty cover. A Witch Alone has Anna facing all of her fears and anxieties about herself, her life, her heart and her mother. 


There is a lot more action, magic battling and general excitement this time around. There were parts of the book where I had to put the book down just to catch my breath! (Chapter 15, anyone?). A Witch Alone was a lot more emotional than I imagined it would be and my ever-growing love for Abe continued. If you've read my reviews of the other books in the series then you already know that i'm not a fan of Seth. I can't explain it and so for reasons that will become apparent when you read it, there were a few problems I had with the ending. I also expected a lot more of Anna's mother's story that never seemed to come but I think all of these things are personal to me (I always want to know more!)

Warburton's writing draws you in and never let's you go. It's been a couple of days now since I finished A Witch Alone and i'm still feeling anxious from all of the events. If you're already a fan of the Winter Trilogy then you won't be disappointed, and if you're not - why not?



Review of A Witch in Winter - here
Review of A Witch in Love - here

August Wrap-Up

This month I didn't make a TBR as I was busy taking my exams for university and wasn't sure what i'd be able to get through. I actually ended up reading more than I thought so although it's not quite as impressive as July, i'm happy with what I managed!

Books Read in August

Between The Lines - Jodi Picoult
The Master of Whitehall - Rick H Veal
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson & The Olympians #1) - Rick Riordan
A Witch in Love (Winter Trilogy #2) - Ruth Warburton
The Craving (Stefan's Diaries #3) - LJ Smith

I chose not to review The Craving this month, mostly because it would read like all of my other reviews of The Vampire Diaries books. They are very hit and miss for me but I still feel the need to keep reading the series (two words: Damon Salvatore). All of the other books have been reviewed and are up so please check them out if you haven't already!

There was also the first guest review for Loaded Shelves, so please check that out too here - A Job From Hell - Jayde Scott

Let me know what you read during August!

Review // A Witch in Love - Ruth Warburton

Published - 5th July 2012
Published By - Hodder Children's Books
Format - Paperback
Goodreads Synopsis - Anna still finds it hard to believe that Seth loves her and has vowed to suppress her powers, no matter what. But magic – like love – is uncontrollable. It spills out with terrible consequences, and soon, Anna is being hunted.

The second book in Ruth Warburton's Winter series, A Witch in Love continues Anna's story and her magical development. I wasn't sure whether I was going to pick this up at first. I enjoyed the first book, A Witch in Winter, as a nice 'filler' book. Although the ending left me wanting answers and to find out what was going to happen to Anna, I wasn't overly attached to the series. After spotting it on the shelf though, I had to buy it and i'm glad that I did.

A Witch in Love started off slowly and I was frustrated by the 'lovey-dovey' romance that Anna and Seth share. Seth is a nice boy but c'mon...where's the excitement? Thankfully though, things picked up and by the mid-way point I was enthralled and couldn't put it down. The action scenes were fantastic and without too much of a spoiler - that wind was AWESOME.

I simply love Abe's character. He's quick-witted, opinionated and much more of a heartthrob than Seth. I really hope his character is developed more in the next book in the series! I only wish there was less fawning over Anna; she seems irresistible to men?! 

...Moving on! The family storyline was brilliant and I definitely want to know more about Isla/Isabella and I want the answer to why Anna is so important. The end of A Witch in Love had me sobbing like a lovesick teenager (despite my anti-Seth views!) and I genuinely can't wait to see what's going to happen now. Everything is all up in the air and it's time for Anna to face her past, present and future.

Book Haul

I haven't done one of these in so long so the list is pretty big and i'm sure that i've forgotten something.
So here are the books that I acquired in the past few weeks.

1. Uglies - Scott Westerfeld
2. Pretties - Scott Westerfeld
3. The Master of Whitehall - Rick H Veal
4. Jack's Outpost - Elizabeth Braun
5. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
6. A Witch in Love - Ruth Warburton
7. Between The Lines - Jodi Picoult (Review already up!)

As well as those, I also have some books on loan from friends.

8. All of the Weather Warden books by Rachel Caine
9. First 3 books of Percy Jackson &  the Olympians by Rick Riordan

I have no idea when i'll actually get round to reading all of those and for the moment, i'm reinforcing the book buying ban again!
I'm currently half way through The Master of Whitehall so expect that review up as soon as possible :)


Have you read any of these? What are your thoughts?

Happy Reading :)

Review // A Witch in Winter - Ruth Warburton

When Anna meets Seth, it's magic. But her hidden powers unleash a spell that sparks a war among witches and enslaves Seth's heart.

A Witch in Winter is Ruth Warburton's debut novel. As the book cover suggests, protagonist Anna and her loveable father move to a little place called Winter and into an old creaky and freaky house. At first, we see Anna struggle to get used to the big move and find a place amongst the school kids. When Anna finally finds her place, it comes at a price. She discovers that she has magical powers and they are not to be messed with. Anna's power must be controlled and there are people in the book who would like to control her powers and use them for themselves.

This book was an impulse buy and I chose it mostly because the cover was pretty - something I don't do very often. I read it in one sitting and actually really enjoyed it! I engaged with the characters and I was definitely left waiting for more. Just inside the cover I discovered that this book is part of a series so I will be keeping an eye out for the next installment. A great debut novel.

Goodreads Challenge 8/50

Chick Lit Challenge 0/5
Debut Author Challenge 1/5
Dystopian Challenge 0/5
Paranormal Fantasy Challenge 2/5