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msglam's review
3.0
No Rest for the Wicca was an all right read overall. It captivated me enough to keep me engaged in the story and want to know how it all ended. I classify this book as a light read as it really didn’t spark any emotions from me as I read it. I enjoyed the ‘who is behind it’ mystery plot as it wasn’t predictable and was well crafted that I didn’t feel as through things were thrown in just to make the story flow in a particular direction. The author’s writing style was little confusing at times when I was trying to decipher who said what during dialogue scenes but other that that it was okay with very few errors. The characters, which is mainly way I have to rate this book only 2.5 stars, were flat. They sparked no emotion from me whatsoever. I had to go back to the book to remember the main characters names just hours after finishing the book. The fact that the characters didn’t stick with me mere hours of me putting the book down is a big flaw for me as it means I didn’t connect with them and I didn’t get a sense of who they were. This is most important to me in a book having characters that come to life and No rest for the Wicca just didn’t fulfill that need for me. Overall this book just didn’t hit the spot for me. There was nothing overall bad but there was nothing overall exceptional that made me love it either. All in all it was a light read that entertained me enough to get through it so for that feat it gets a 2.5 star rating.
thegeekyblogger's review
3.0
Review Copy from Author
What I Loved: The Lore in this book was amazing. Toni did an excellent job of giving you the history of the Wiccan and Voodoo cultures, some of the spells/chants used, and a glimpse into their world. This really helped to bring you into the world instead of keeping you on the outside.
What I Liked: This book was about two cultures that don't get a lot of time in books. Though there are a fair number of books about witches out there, the voodoo side makes the book unique. The story was very compelling in parts and you want to see how it ends.
Complaints: The book was a little to all over the place for me. It felt a bit like a stream of ideas that were grouped together but in some instances they appeared to be out of place. That made it where I was little disconnected from the characters and the story in general.
Why I gave it a 3: The lore and world building was done really well in this book. You can tell the author put a lot of work into making sure that the actions of the characters rang true. For a first novel, this was a really good effort.
Who I would recommend this too: Urban Fantasy readers who like Lore and unique world building. I think this will appeal more to those who love Urban Fantasy more than I do. The romance was not strong enough for me personally (though it was there)
What I Loved: The Lore in this book was amazing. Toni did an excellent job of giving you the history of the Wiccan and Voodoo cultures, some of the spells/chants used, and a glimpse into their world. This really helped to bring you into the world instead of keeping you on the outside.
What I Liked: This book was about two cultures that don't get a lot of time in books. Though there are a fair number of books about witches out there, the voodoo side makes the book unique. The story was very compelling in parts and you want to see how it ends.
Complaints: The book was a little to all over the place for me. It felt a bit like a stream of ideas that were grouped together but in some instances they appeared to be out of place. That made it where I was little disconnected from the characters and the story in general.
Why I gave it a 3: The lore and world building was done really well in this book. You can tell the author put a lot of work into making sure that the actions of the characters rang true. For a first novel, this was a really good effort.
Who I would recommend this too: Urban Fantasy readers who like Lore and unique world building. I think this will appeal more to those who love Urban Fantasy more than I do. The romance was not strong enough for me personally (though it was there)
shelleyrae's review
3.0
If I have to choose a paranormal 'group' that I find most interesting it's witches, I grew up watching Bewitched after all. Morgan Hawkes in No Rest for the Wicca, is nothing like Samantha, she is an ex-homicide cop, using her half-Wiccan heritage to banish spirits in the 'Ghostbusters' unit. When young witches are found brutally murdered, Morgan is drawn into the investigation against her will.
It's a strong premise that puts the story the realm of urban fantasy. LoTempio's world is a contemporary setting where the paranormal is known and includes a range of supernatural beings and beliefs. Morgan has a half Wiccan, half voodoo heritage and these religions play a central part in the plot. LoTempio shares some fascinating information within the context of the story, using the setting in the university cleverly. I can't judge the accuracy, but it certainly seems genuine and convincing. There are enough red herrings to distract you in the mystery, even though it is reasonably obvious who is behind things well before the conclusion.
Morgan's snarky attitude is amusing and she is very human despite her abilties. At times she is a little whiny and petulant but still she is satisfyingly complex. I particularly liked that we saw her relationship with cousin Xia - urban fantasy heroes are usually sadly lacking in family or close girl friends.
Cole St John has all the elements of a paranormal hero, he is a vampire with a tortured past, who denies his true nature to do good. His character is well developed and appealing, he is 'masculine' yet not alpha. I really liked his role in the relationship with Morgan, he is supportive yet calls her out on her less attractive traits. I do feel he could have done a bit more within the storyline, but then I think this would have tipped the book more to the paranormal romance genre. Their relationship, while part of the story, doesn't overwhelm it.
There are a few inconsistencies in the writing, tenses slip on occassion, some of the dialogue could be stronger and there are a handful of typos, but these things are minor and easily ooverlooked.
I'm impressed with this indie title, I'm sure that fans of the genre who take a chance on No Rest for the Wicca will enjoy it.
See thsi review and learn more about the author at by blog http://www.bookdout.wordpress.com
It's a strong premise that puts the story the realm of urban fantasy. LoTempio's world is a contemporary setting where the paranormal is known and includes a range of supernatural beings and beliefs. Morgan has a half Wiccan, half voodoo heritage and these religions play a central part in the plot. LoTempio shares some fascinating information within the context of the story, using the setting in the university cleverly. I can't judge the accuracy, but it certainly seems genuine and convincing. There are enough red herrings to distract you in the mystery, even though it is reasonably obvious who is behind things well before the conclusion.
Morgan's snarky attitude is amusing and she is very human despite her abilties. At times she is a little whiny and petulant but still she is satisfyingly complex. I particularly liked that we saw her relationship with cousin Xia - urban fantasy heroes are usually sadly lacking in family or close girl friends.
Cole St John has all the elements of a paranormal hero, he is a vampire with a tortured past, who denies his true nature to do good. His character is well developed and appealing, he is 'masculine' yet not alpha. I really liked his role in the relationship with Morgan, he is supportive yet calls her out on her less attractive traits. I do feel he could have done a bit more within the storyline, but then I think this would have tipped the book more to the paranormal romance genre. Their relationship, while part of the story, doesn't overwhelm it.
There are a few inconsistencies in the writing, tenses slip on occassion, some of the dialogue could be stronger and there are a handful of typos, but these things are minor and easily ooverlooked.
I'm impressed with this indie title, I'm sure that fans of the genre who take a chance on No Rest for the Wicca will enjoy it.
See thsi review and learn more about the author at by blog http://www.bookdout.wordpress.com
blood_rose_books's review
4.0
In her debut into the paranormal genre T. C. LoTempio's No Rest for the Wicca, takes the reader into a new and different world surrounding witchcraft, Voodoo.
Morgan Hawkes, makes sure that everyone knows that she is only half Wicca, not full, and really she does not like to talk about her other half, but it does come in handy now and then. A former homocide cop, who has demoted herself to be a PI (paranormal investigator), Morgan has a special talent of communicating with spirits of the dead who have been unable to, or don't want to pass over. But there is trouble brewing at the local University, pure blood witches are turning up dead and disfigured and Morgan seems the only one with the knowledge to help. However, this means tapping into the part of her that she does not completely trust or understand but if is means saving lives, she knows that she has to at least try. Now Morgan has to try to trust her Voodoo side, one which is associated with dark magic, as well as the dangerous, infuriating and hansom Cole St. John, an Inheritor Vampire (half Vampire, half Wicca) who Morganis attrached to but she is unsure if she trust him. Morgan is going to have to put all her fears and reservations aside as more witches seem to be disappearcing and only reappearing dead.
First off, I will say that I love the title and the cover. The title definitely reminded me of the first few Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan books, like Every Witch Way but Dead. I enjoyed this book. Most people who have read my blog know that I am not the biggest fan of paranormal romance as I have found that there is more sex than anything else. However, this book has the right amount of mystery and intrigue and not too much sex that I found myself enjoying the story of this book. In other words, the romance and sex was not over powering as it is in many paranormal romance.
This book does bring some new aspects to the paranormal genre (at least for me) as I have not read a book before that used Voodoo as well as witchcraft. I found that the use of Voodoo within the book, is what really gives this book it's spark. The world building was really well done, but there is not too much new or different within the world that LoTempio has created. It is very similar to other books where creatures are known to the Human population and there is a special unit that investigates paranormal activity. But as I said above, the Voodoo aspect is what really makes this book.
The two main characters Morgan and Cole, definitely have the tension that those who like paranormal romance will love, but they are also able to grow, challenge and piss each other off as well. Morgan really grew within the book as she was forced to conquer her problems/issues from her past and her genetic makeup. Morgan is definitely starts out as a haunted character whose past and abandonment of her family, have left her with a tough shell, but also the need to help out. But what she really is doing is running away, from who she is and how it has caused so much hurt and grief in her life. It was great to see Morgan work through her issues and just show that she has more depth than just her powers, she also the power of her mind. I actually think that Morgan's strongest power is her mind and her ability to solve complex problems and puzzles.
My only critique of the this book is there are a few typos and coincidences, however, the story is intriguing which helps one forget about those things. I really look forward to the next book in this series, to see how much more Morgan can grow and develop within the Voodoo world, as well I hope there will be more about the other creature that were briefly featured within the book, such as demons and trolls. I also hope that in the next books, we will be able to find out more about Cole, his past and what makes him who he is.
I think individuals who like a lighter amount of romance with some mystery and intrigue will enjoy this book, it is something similar to Casey Daniels Pepper Martin Series (Sorry I do not have a review of this book done, I read it before I started writing reviews but you can find some reviews on Amazon) If you are looking for a book that there is a use of constant Magic and Powers, then this is not the book for you. The powers that both Cole and Morgan have as assets but they are secondary to being investigators.
Enjoy!!!
As this is an indie paranormal book, you can find a copy on Smashword.
Morgan Hawkes, makes sure that everyone knows that she is only half Wicca, not full, and really she does not like to talk about her other half, but it does come in handy now and then. A former homocide cop, who has demoted herself to be a PI (paranormal investigator), Morgan has a special talent of communicating with spirits of the dead who have been unable to, or don't want to pass over. But there is trouble brewing at the local University, pure blood witches are turning up dead and disfigured and Morgan seems the only one with the knowledge to help. However, this means tapping into the part of her that she does not completely trust or understand but if is means saving lives, she knows that she has to at least try. Now Morgan has to try to trust her Voodoo side, one which is associated with dark magic, as well as the dangerous, infuriating and hansom Cole St. John, an Inheritor Vampire (half Vampire, half Wicca) who Morganis attrached to but she is unsure if she trust him. Morgan is going to have to put all her fears and reservations aside as more witches seem to be disappearcing and only reappearing dead.
First off, I will say that I love the title and the cover. The title definitely reminded me of the first few Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan books, like Every Witch Way but Dead. I enjoyed this book. Most people who have read my blog know that I am not the biggest fan of paranormal romance as I have found that there is more sex than anything else. However, this book has the right amount of mystery and intrigue and not too much sex that I found myself enjoying the story of this book. In other words, the romance and sex was not over powering as it is in many paranormal romance.
This book does bring some new aspects to the paranormal genre (at least for me) as I have not read a book before that used Voodoo as well as witchcraft. I found that the use of Voodoo within the book, is what really gives this book it's spark. The world building was really well done, but there is not too much new or different within the world that LoTempio has created. It is very similar to other books where creatures are known to the Human population and there is a special unit that investigates paranormal activity. But as I said above, the Voodoo aspect is what really makes this book.
The two main characters Morgan and Cole, definitely have the tension that those who like paranormal romance will love, but they are also able to grow, challenge and piss each other off as well. Morgan really grew within the book as she was forced to conquer her problems/issues from her past and her genetic makeup. Morgan is definitely starts out as a haunted character whose past and abandonment of her family, have left her with a tough shell, but also the need to help out. But what she really is doing is running away, from who she is and how it has caused so much hurt and grief in her life. It was great to see Morgan work through her issues and just show that she has more depth than just her powers, she also the power of her mind. I actually think that Morgan's strongest power is her mind and her ability to solve complex problems and puzzles.
My only critique of the this book is there are a few typos and coincidences, however, the story is intriguing which helps one forget about those things. I really look forward to the next book in this series, to see how much more Morgan can grow and develop within the Voodoo world, as well I hope there will be more about the other creature that were briefly featured within the book, such as demons and trolls. I also hope that in the next books, we will be able to find out more about Cole, his past and what makes him who he is.
I think individuals who like a lighter amount of romance with some mystery and intrigue will enjoy this book, it is something similar to Casey Daniels Pepper Martin Series (Sorry I do not have a review of this book done, I read it before I started writing reviews but you can find some reviews on Amazon) If you are looking for a book that there is a use of constant Magic and Powers, then this is not the book for you. The powers that both Cole and Morgan have as assets but they are secondary to being investigators.
Enjoy!!!
As this is an indie paranormal book, you can find a copy on Smashword.
see_sadie_read's review
4.0
3.5
I got a couple good chuckles out of No Rest for the Wicca. Morgan was a fun character who managed to pull off the tough snark without pushing it over into the suicidal diarrhea mouth so many such characters have. I enjoyed her, her desire do the right thing, her intelligence and her backbone, maybe not so much her tendency toward alcoholism and self-destructive behaviour. But a few quirks make a character more interesting.
I also enjoyed the mystery here too. Honestly, it wasn't that hard to figure out but it wasn't super obvious either. However, Morgan didn't seem to have to do much investigating to solve it. She just needed to present herself and people handed her all the information she needed. As an example, she met one of the suspects once (never even had a conversation with him, she was picking up a dropped pencil) and he offered her an assistantship. Now, anyone who's been to university and tried for an apprenticeship knows this isn't at all realistic, but even in fiction it's a little too easy of an in. What's more there was one particular side-character who essentially laid every clue she could need at her feet with almost no prompting and without suspecting why Morgan would be asking such questions. Too easy! As was the fact that the main villain, who managed to spend years carefully planning the whole thing, suddenly lost all composure and got sloppy as soon as Morgan came on the scene. How do heroines to this to bad guys so often? I've never figured this out, no matter how often I read it in novels.
A lot has already been made in previous reviews of the whole half-wiccan/half-voodoo thing. So I won't go on about it, but I'll admit it threw me for a loop too. At one point the half-vampire compares the two of them as the same, but I'm still lost how someone who is half biologically something (a species) can be the same as someone who is half socially something (a religion). In the end I just had to tell myself I've read tons of fantasy with elves, fairies, witches, sorcerers, vampires, werewolves, etc as races/species and it works. So, if LoTempio wants to call them Wiccans instead I can force that in the same vein.
There was a light romance as a sub-plot. However, IMHO it really needed to be played up more and made a more important part of the plot or dropped. Half-assed as it was, it's just a distraction. Granted, Cole was sexy (except for the whole 'My Dear' thing that totally didn't match his character and was exceptionally annoying) and I liked him a lot. But the romance didn't seem to contribute anything to the story. I was left wondering what that was about. Plus, the whole 25-year-old virgin was ridiculous considering how easily she gave it up. It felt like a needless attempt to conform to outdated social dictates of acceptable behaviour (good girls remain chaste).
There were some serious editing issues. There were missing words, misspelled words and passages like this one: "He swung his long legs out in front of him. “What I’m proposing is this—“ he swung his long legs out in front of him. “You and I go..."" How many legs does this man have? It was distracting, but the book was still readable. I don't think it was bad enough to pass the book up for.
Finally, a note on covers and I promise I'm not trying to be mean. I've seen two Kindle covers for this book and they're both ATROCIOUS, but more to the point don't match the book. The first being the grey one with a woman with straight blond streaked hair and scary long fingernails. But the character is described as having curly black hair and as she's quite active I can't see the nails working out. So, who's on the cover? The second is even worse (though a more attractive cover, I'll admit). It's the red one with the scantily clad woman in lingerie waving a deck of tarot around. BUT, the main character is described as a virgin and as there is only one rather mild sex scene, how exactly does that erotica-like cover match the book? It doesn't and it is doing a disservice to the author. I would suggest one of the cartooned covers like one sees on [a:H.P. Mallory|4108184|H.P. Mallory|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1360883564p2/4108184.jpg]'s, [a:Rose Pressey|1188608|Rose Pressey|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1236228067p2/1188608.jpg]'s, or [a:Robyn Peterman|6545317|Robyn Peterman|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1349233908p2/6545317.jpg]'s books. I think it would match the genre better. Only my opinion though, of course and I mention this so that others who know the genre will more accurately know what to expect.
So, final though...it was a fun read. It had a few issues, but nothing that would prevent me from recommending it to PNR/UF readers.
I got a couple good chuckles out of No Rest for the Wicca. Morgan was a fun character who managed to pull off the tough snark without pushing it over into the suicidal diarrhea mouth so many such characters have. I enjoyed her, her desire do the right thing, her intelligence and her backbone, maybe not so much her tendency toward alcoholism and self-destructive behaviour. But a few quirks make a character more interesting.
I also enjoyed the mystery here too. Honestly, it wasn't that hard to figure out but it wasn't super obvious either. However, Morgan didn't seem to have to do much investigating to solve it. She just needed to present herself and people handed her all the information she needed. As an example, she met one of the suspects once (never even had a conversation with him, she was picking up a dropped pencil) and he offered her an assistantship. Now, anyone who's been to university and tried for an apprenticeship knows this isn't at all realistic, but even in fiction it's a little too easy of an in. What's more there was one particular side-character who essentially laid every clue she could need at her feet with almost no prompting and without suspecting why Morgan would be asking such questions. Too easy! As was the fact that the main villain, who managed to spend years carefully planning the whole thing, suddenly lost all composure and got sloppy as soon as Morgan came on the scene. How do heroines to this to bad guys so often? I've never figured this out, no matter how often I read it in novels.
A lot has already been made in previous reviews of the whole half-wiccan/half-voodoo thing. So I won't go on about it, but I'll admit it threw me for a loop too. At one point the half-vampire compares the two of them as the same, but I'm still lost how someone who is half biologically something (a species) can be the same as someone who is half socially something (a religion). In the end I just had to tell myself I've read tons of fantasy with elves, fairies, witches, sorcerers, vampires, werewolves, etc as races/species and it works. So, if LoTempio wants to call them Wiccans instead I can force that in the same vein.
There was a light romance as a sub-plot. However, IMHO it really needed to be played up more and made a more important part of the plot or dropped. Half-assed as it was, it's just a distraction. Granted, Cole was sexy (except for the whole 'My Dear' thing that totally didn't match his character and was exceptionally annoying) and I liked him a lot. But the romance didn't seem to contribute anything to the story. I was left wondering what that was about. Plus, the whole 25-year-old virgin was ridiculous considering how easily she gave it up. It felt like a needless attempt to conform to outdated social dictates of acceptable behaviour (good girls remain chaste).
There were some serious editing issues. There were missing words, misspelled words and passages like this one: "He swung his long legs out in front of him. “What I’m proposing is this—“ he swung his long legs out in front of him. “You and I go..."" How many legs does this man have? It was distracting, but the book was still readable. I don't think it was bad enough to pass the book up for.
Finally, a note on covers and I promise I'm not trying to be mean. I've seen two Kindle covers for this book and they're both ATROCIOUS, but more to the point don't match the book. The first being the grey one with a woman with straight blond streaked hair and scary long fingernails. But the character is described as having curly black hair and as she's quite active I can't see the nails working out. So, who's on the cover? The second is even worse (though a more attractive cover, I'll admit). It's the red one with the scantily clad woman in lingerie waving a deck of tarot around. BUT, the main character is described as a virgin and as there is only one rather mild sex scene, how exactly does that erotica-like cover match the book? It doesn't and it is doing a disservice to the author. I would suggest one of the cartooned covers like one sees on [a:H.P. Mallory|4108184|H.P. Mallory|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1360883564p2/4108184.jpg]'s, [a:Rose Pressey|1188608|Rose Pressey|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1236228067p2/1188608.jpg]'s, or [a:Robyn Peterman|6545317|Robyn Peterman|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1349233908p2/6545317.jpg]'s books. I think it would match the genre better. Only my opinion though, of course and I mention this so that others who know the genre will more accurately know what to expect.
So, final though...it was a fun read. It had a few issues, but nothing that would prevent me from recommending it to PNR/UF readers.
asphaltcowgrrl's review
4.0
A very fun and interesting murder mystery with a ton of paranormal elements. Shapeshifters, vampires, witches, etc. However, the added paranormal elements weren't overkill, as they often can be. Good story, enjoyable characters, and something that anyone could enjoy, whether pagan or otherwise. Also, the romanctic elements don't overtake the story either, so if you can deal with a side love story, then this shouldn't scare you off.
anastaciaknits's review
3.0
it was OK, nothing overlywhelming good or bad, just an average light romp
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