Review: The Water Witch by Juliet Dark

The Water Witch by Juliet Dark (aka Carol Goodman)
Series: Fairwick Chronicles, Book #2
Published: February 12th, 2013
Publisher: Ballantine Books
352 pages (ebook)
Genre: Adult paranormal
Acquired this book: From the publisher via NetGalley
Warning: May contain spoilers, especially if you haven’t read The Demon Lover 
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{Read my review of The Demon Lover}

After casting out a dark spirit, Callie McFay, a professor of gothic literature, has at last restored a semblance of calm to her rambling Victorian house. But in the nearby thicket of the Honeysuckle Forest, and in the currents of the rushing Undine River, more trouble is stirring…

The enchanted town of Fairwick’s dazzling mix of mythical creatures has come under siege from the Grove: a sinister group of witches determined to banish the fey back to their ancestral land. With factions turning on one another, all are cruelly forced to take sides. Callie’s grandmother, a prominent Grove member, demands her granddaughter’s compliance, but half-witch/half-fey Callie can hardly betray her friends and colleagues at the college.

To stave off disaster, Callie enlists Duncan Laird, an alluring seductive academic who cultivates her vast magical potential, but to what end? Deeply conflicted, Callie struggles to save her beloved Fairwick, dangerously pushing her extraordinary powers to the limit—risking all, even the needs of her own passionate heart.

 

 

I loved The Demon Lover - I found it enchanting and riveting, and I was eager to return to Fairwick with its many diverse characters, and discover what would happen next. While I won’t say I was disappointed by The Water Witch, I will admit that it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, and I much preferred The Demon Lover.

The story felt a little slow in the beginning, and seemed a bit aimless at times. In The Demon Lover I felt like we were constantly learning something - about the characters, their powers, the history of supernatural creatures, etc., and it was fascinating. The Water Witch just felt very different from the first book. In my review of The Demon Lover, I mentioned how the book felt like erotic romance because there was so much sex, and while there was some sex in this one, it wasn’t exciting and sexy like The Demon Lover. The story lacked the spark of the first one, that special something that made it impossible to put down.

Despite the lack of spark in the plot, the story was still compelling enough that I was anxious to find out what was going to happen. My main issue was with Callie and her fickle nature. She couldn’t decide whether she loved Liam, even though she let him into her home and her bed, and her whole life had basically revolved around him. Yet even while she was trying to make up her mind whether she loved him or not, it didn’t stop her from very quickly developing feelings for not one but two other men and even sleeping with one. I found myself shaking my head at some of her decisions.

However, I was glad to see Callie exploring her powers and taking things into her own hands and becoming more independent. In the first book, I got the sense she was a very independent person, and we get to see that more in The Water Witch. Except for her wishy-washiness over the love interests, she felt stronger in this book, more willing to accept things and learn about her powers and her place in the supernatural community.

Issues aside, this is a series I am very much enjoying. I’m looking forward to the third book and to finding out what happens to Callie and the residents of Fairwick. After just two books, I find myself quite attached to the characters. I hope Callie will really come into her own and become the kickass heroine I know she can be, and I hope her love issues work themselves out. I’m not going to lie - despite the fact Liam is an incubus and has misled Callie more times than she can count, I’m rooting for them and hoping for some kind of loophole that will allow them to be together. 

 

 Disclaimer

In accordance with FTC guidelines, I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No money or compensation of any sort exchanged hands. I review books with no intention of monetary gain, but rather to share my love of reading.
*Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review*

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 Have you read The Demon Lover or The Water Witch? What did you think?

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