Synopsis When Jack McAllister, the head of security for The Coven, a national organization that governs witches, is assigned to watch over Mira Hoskins, who is unaware of her abilities, and protect her from a group of renegade witches, his assignment takes a passionate turn. About the Author Anya Bast lives in the country with her Belgian husband, their tornado toddler of a daughter, and more cats, dogs, and rabbits than is sane. Ever since she was a little girl, Anya has told stories (much to her mother's dismay). She's happy to finally be making a career out of it. A native of one of the colder states, she loves to ice skate and watch hockey. She has fascination for crows, ravens and birds of prey. She enjoys the study of Eastern philosophy, Celtic myth, dreaming, and shamanism and occasionally incorporates what she learns into her paranormal stories. She works part time as a data base editor and French translator.
J**A
This blows
Witches and Warlocks make up a hidden supernatural community where the two sects, `The Coven' and `The Duskoff' have a long lived standoff, Warlocks only differ by being rouge Witches, ones that break the laws put in place by the Witch governing body. Witches are connected to the world in a way that humans aren't, different Witches can control varying elements; earth, air, fire and water by utilising their own innate magic.Mira Hoskins is a waitress, with aspirations of going to college, she is trying to rebuild her life after going through a nasty divorce and is now struggling to recover from the effect her cheating ex had on her. She is the epitome of the average luckless soul, with low self esteem, trust issues and poor prospects. That is until Jack McCallister turns up at her work, he saves her from some thugs and when she wakes up he tells her that she is an air witch, the most powerful of castes he also proclaims himself to be a fire witch. Because she is untrained `The Duskoff' will be after her with the aim of sacrificing her life by taking her magic in a demon circle, a witch from each element is needed to open the portal. If this wasn't troubling enough to remain safe she must stay in Jacks apartment until its safe to move, just the two of them...Considering the guilt Jack feels about the night years ago when he acted as a witness to four deaths by his father the head of `The Duskoff', Jack jumps at the chance to absolve himself of this lingering pain by helping protect Mira, the daughter of the air witch who died at the time. For this reason and the fact that Mira is his bosses estranged cousin he can't have her but the attraction between Air and Fire is intense...I don't rate this book, it is clichéd, badly structured, poorly written and with boring characters. Jack begins as a womanising thug but with an artistic soul who finds love with Mira who is possibly one of the dullest characters I've come across; she works in a diner, she's treated ill by her husband (who was adequate in bed) but over the course of the book discovers she is special, powerful, has status and finds she is desired by an amazingly attractive and powerful man who is brilliant in bed. She gains everything but doesn't grow or develop as a character, only in her magical talents. Throughout the book till the end she insists she doesn't want commitment after being burned by her husband this irritating refrain is constantly being brought to our attention by a poorly imagined and flat heroine. In fact it's both characters that have their own mantra they repeat; Mira that she's just with Jack for `hot sex' and doesn't want commitment, Jack that he can't have her but is unable to resist her. This was so pitifully dense.The books structure was uninspiring, the writing merely around the sex scenes, these are graphic and to a degree passionate, but they aren't used intelligently in the books structure to develop the romance, they are simply sex, which make them for me less effective. The structure overall goes something like this: Sex, training, sex, training, sex, sex, small skirmish, training, sex, training, sex, stuck on ending.I also found the writing itself wasn't very good at all, it's highly uninventive, I wasn't too bothered with the first half but by the second the half it was really starting to grate on me. It also very much follows the formula of Jack did this, Mira thought that, it's all very bland and dull. There are also some really cringe worthy lines and moments:`She raised an eyebrow. "Really? You came to apologise for lying to me?"'`It wasn't any kind of hurt, it was hurt with a capital H.'"What were you thinking?...Oh, that's right, you weren't."`By the wan light of the moon he could see his...'I concede the fact that many books contain these clichés, but they don't bother you or even get acknowledged because of the quality of the writing, the inventiveness that the author shows in the surrounding world and for me this didn't happen, the concept is interesting but it became for me just a vague outline without decent characters, writing or development, if it does interest you then you might want to give it a try as other reviewers have rated this very highly and the excerpt in the back of the next instalment 'Witch Blood' looks a lot better but I can't faithfully recommend it given how bad I thought it.
C**E
Scorching summer read
If you like your romance with a paranormal twist, & enough eroticism to start an inferno, then this book has it all. This is the start of Anya Bast's series for Berkley & I can't wait for the next installment. But be warned, if you like your love scenes with the door closed then this is NOT the book for you. Loved it....Write faster please Miss Bast
J**E
Sizzling Hot
I bought this book solely on the summary. It seemed different, and it was.This book definitely made an impression. So much so, that I was almost worried that my book would catch fire due to the extremely high degree of sexual tension between the main characters.In most books, an attraction of this degree would seem ludicrous, but for this book I can only say it suited it perfectly.I have bought the second book by now, and I will most certainly be buying the others as well. If that doesn't say that this is a good book, I don't know what will.
M**I
boring!!!
This is well written and the character are well rounded but the story is very boring which made the characters boring, it could have been so much better. The story didnt hold my interest i found my mind kept wandering and struggled to read it and i wont be buying any more of this authors work.
W**S
Burning with Brilliance
'Mira Hoskins doesn't know she's a natural-born witch who possesses the rare-and powerful-element of air. And she never expects to find herself tied to a mahogany bed frame, captive of a man who aches to fulfill her every desire and let loose the magick that dwells inside her...Heat emanates from elemental fire witch Jack McAlister. The Coven, a governing authority of witches, has sent him to protect Mira from a band of warlocks who drain witches of power...and life. Long ago, he saw Mira's parents murdered by this same dark magick. He'd like to quell his guilt and offer her everything she deserves. But she's the long-lost cousin of his boss-making seduction off-limits. With Jack's strong guidance, Mira is luring forth her inner magick. But his sense of duty is quickly swelling into insatiable hunger. He was warned about the natural attraction between air and fire. Now he risks being consumed by the woman he shouldn't want-but can't stay away from...''Witch Fire' is the first novel in the fantastic new 'Elemental Witch' series.I Love it! It's great that the series starts off with an unsuspecting 'normal' waitress and therefore allows the reader to uncover the new 'magical' world along with her. Mira is a strong, funny and loveable main character. Along with the tough, protective and caring Jack, these two make entering this new world a delight of not only the elements, but the senses. Throw in some more intriguing characters, magic, foes, a yearning to know more and you have one extrordinary first book!
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2 months ago
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