A Reading Daydreamer: heidi r kling

Name: Witch's Brew

Author: Heidi R. Kling

Publisher: Coliloquy, LLC

Release Date: January 11, 2012 (US)

Pages: 342, ebook

Source: From publisher for review

Rating: 4.5 Teacups

The Spellspinners of Melas County is a fantasy YA romance series about a witch, a warlock, and their fight for their forbidden but prophesied love.
Once soulmates, the witch and warlock covens of the California coast have been estranged for a century. Raised to hate each other, their teenagers meet in the Solstice Stones, a magical battleground where they draw energy from each other to maintain their balance. 16 year olds Logan and Lily have spent years training for their first Stones…only to discover just days before that the enemy may not be what either of them had thought.
In Witch’s Brew, Lily is torn between her feelings for Logan and her coven’s need to know who—or what—he is. The young lovers race against time, their distrust for each other, and the powerful influence of their elders to unravel the mystery of their pasts before their future is destroyed.

[summary taken from Goodreads]

Jen's Review

Heidi R. Kling's Witch's Brew is one of those novels that completely takes you by surprise. From the synopsis, it sounds like your typical witch story with a hot guy in it, but Heidi is able to make it her own, and therefore unique. (And the hot guy isn't just a hot guy, he's a smokin' hot guy). With the completely different style of reading the novel, an exciting and well explained world, and relatable characters, Witch's Brew has enchanted itself onto my favorite witch-books list.

In case you didn't already know, the format for Witch's Brew is unlike any other book I've read before; the story gives you options as to where the story should go--kind of like alternate stories within one story. I myself have only read one option, but I'll definitely be reading the other option in the near future. For me, the fact that this novel is formatted this way, just stands out to me. It's different, unique, and totally memorable. I definitely recommend that all readers try it out.

Another factor that I absolutely loved about Witch's Brew is the world-building, and explanations. Kling brings the reader into the world of witches and warlocks very smoothly, and leaves the reader far from confused. I'm that type of person who needs a clear explanation on how a world works, or I won't be satisfied. To me, if I still have questions about an author's world, it means that they didn't do their job very well. I can happily say that Kling certainly exceeded my expectations with her description of the Spellspinner world and the Gleaning. Not only does the description carry out well, it also keeps the reader interested and wanting to know more. This also ties in with the plot. It's mysterious, alluring, and just plain engaging. I usually don't like it when a problem addressed in the beginning isn't resolved until the end, but it works in Witch's Brew. It works very well indeed (there's a clifffhanger!).

Last but not least, are the oh-so-amazing characters! Lily, the main character, was totally spunky, curious, and really smart. She's modest and hesitant at first about being chosen as the Leader of the Daughters of Light, but it's clear that she is meant to be the leader after the events that progress in the novel. Her relationship with Logan, the love interest (and also a warlock) is totally swoon-worthy and hot. Logan is caring, protective, and clever as well (have I mentioned smexy?). I have to admit, their love is kind of a love-at-first sight type of deal, but not exactly, which is why I like it. I'll leave it for you to find out how exactly they fall in love. ;)

That said, I definitely recommend Witch's Brew, whether you like witches or not. The format itself of the novel is just plain awesome and I think everyone should give it a try. I fell under Witch's Brew's spell with the captivating world and perfect characters. Heidi R. Kling's novel certainly did not disappoint and I can't wait to read more of her work.