Bewitched Blog Tour: Review

Bewitched (The Thaumaturgy #1)

Author: Mark Jay Harris
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: March 1, 2013
Publisher: Inkspell Publishing

Description:

"Bewitched is spell-binding! A highly-unique page-turner that hooks you from the first paragraph. With complex characters and unexpected twists and turns, Harris delivers and leaves you hoping for more!" - Stephanie Keyes, author, The Star Child series
 
Is it love or is it witchcraft? He’ll never find out if he kills her first.

The first time Darren saw Samantha, she was floating above his high school gymnasium during a basketball game, invisible to everyone but him. Next time he sees her, she's sitting in front of him in class, wowing his friends and causing unexplainable things to happen that only he seems to notice. But things really get strange (and complicated) when his dying grandfather tells him that he is part of an ancient order, the “Pessum Ire,” whose duty is to destroy witches. What does he do now, since he’s almost positive Samantha is a witch…and he’s crushing on her pretty hard? 

Bewitched is the first book in a young adult fantasy series that follows the main character, Darren, as he learns the truth that his grandfather has been trying to tell him for years: that witches and warlocks exist and that he is right in the middle of it all. Aside from still dealing with his older brother's death, his family, and school, now Darren must decide if the hot and mysterious new girl at school - Samantha - is a witch and which side she is on. Darren's grandfather finally reveals that he is a part of an ancient order known as the "Pessum Ire" and it is his duty to find and destroy witches. What does this mean for Samantha, and for himself?

This was a fun first book in a new young adult series focused on witches and warlocks. The author includes interesting histories and artifacts throughout the book, which I thought brought an interesting originality to the story. I liked learning about the ancient orders and the histories of the witches and the "Pessum Ire" and I hope that the next book will go into greater detail of them. The characters were written well, although they were all a big cliched and stereotypical - especially the secondary characters in the book, who were all pretty shallow. Darren was a good main character, although I didn't really feel like I was able to empathize with him. The dialogue and parts of the story felt a bit forced at times, which I think added to the fact that I couldn't seem to fully immerse myself into the book. The writing was otherwise well done and had a fast pace that kept the reader engaged in the plot. The storyline was exciting and had a lot of action and adventure mixed in with romance and fantasy, which made it a great blend of genres. Overall, this was a light and easy read and one that fans of young adult fantasy will be sure to enjoy.

Mark Harris lives in Smithfield Utah, a small town located in a beautiful valley in Northern Utah. His wife, Shaundale, and he have four terrific children, two girls and two boys and a fifth one due to arrive in November of 2012. Mark has taught English and Special Education and currently works from home teaching English to people from all over the world. Writing has always been his true passion since he was a grade schooler writing about mushrooms. "Bewitched" will be his debut novel. He has two others underway and will soon start on the sequel to "Bewitched," called "The Return of the Familiar." He hopes you enjoy his work because he is working on several series geared toward younger audiences.

You can find Mark on: www.markjayharrisauthor.com