Scan barcode
A review by ladytiara
Always a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough
3.0
Always a Witch picks up not too long after the first book, Once a Witch, ends. Teenager Tamsin Greene spent most of her life believing that she was the only person in her family without magical powers, but in Once a Witch, she learned that she may be the most important witch her family has ever produced. Always a Witch did a good job of catching the reader up on what happened in the first book, but if you haven't read the first book, I don't think you'll enjoy this one as much.
The last time we saw her, Tamsin saved her family from the sinister Alistair Knight. Now she learns that Alistair has gone back in time to destroy the Greene family, so Tamsin makes a desperate leap back to 1887 to save her family once again. The time travel elements in the first book were only a small part of the overall story, but this time, most of the book takes place in the past. Tamsin becomes a servant in the Knight household, which has a suitably creepy atmosphere. The Knights are a nasty bunch for the most part, and there are bad things going on in the house. Tamsin has to tread carefully as she tries to locate Alistair and save her family from destruction. She also finds herself sympathizing with the teenage daughter of the house, Jessica, who occupies much the same position in the Knight family that Tamsin formerly occupied in the Greene family.
I enjoyed Tamsin's trip to the past, although I would have liked more details of old New York. She infiltrates the Knight household perhaps a touch too easily to be plausible, but once that part of the story began, I was sucked in, so the implausibility didn't bother me too much. Carolyn MacCullough builds suspense well, and I felt genuinely worried for Tamsin, on her own in the past and in enemy territory. Tamsin's gradual realization of what she needs to do to save her family is handled well, and she's a likable and interesting heroine. I enjoyed her interaction with Jessica, and her relationship with her boyfriend Gabriel is very sweet. I didn't enjoy the earlier generation of the Greenes quite as much as I had hoped, but I think it's because they just don't seem as interesting as the villainous Knights.
Always a Witch is an entertaining read, and if you enjoyed the first book, I think you'll be very happy with the conclusion of the sequel.
I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine.
The last time we saw her, Tamsin saved her family from the sinister Alistair Knight. Now she learns that Alistair has gone back in time to destroy the Greene family, so Tamsin makes a desperate leap back to 1887 to save her family once again. The time travel elements in the first book were only a small part of the overall story, but this time, most of the book takes place in the past. Tamsin becomes a servant in the Knight household, which has a suitably creepy atmosphere. The Knights are a nasty bunch for the most part, and there are bad things going on in the house. Tamsin has to tread carefully as she tries to locate Alistair and save her family from destruction. She also finds herself sympathizing with the teenage daughter of the house, Jessica, who occupies much the same position in the Knight family that Tamsin formerly occupied in the Greene family.
I enjoyed Tamsin's trip to the past, although I would have liked more details of old New York. She infiltrates the Knight household perhaps a touch too easily to be plausible, but once that part of the story began, I was sucked in, so the implausibility didn't bother me too much. Carolyn MacCullough builds suspense well, and I felt genuinely worried for Tamsin, on her own in the past and in enemy territory. Tamsin's gradual realization of what she needs to do to save her family is handled well, and she's a likable and interesting heroine. I enjoyed her interaction with Jessica, and her relationship with her boyfriend Gabriel is very sweet. I didn't enjoy the earlier generation of the Greenes quite as much as I had hoped, but I think it's because they just don't seem as interesting as the villainous Knights.
Always a Witch is an entertaining read, and if you enjoyed the first book, I think you'll be very happy with the conclusion of the sequel.
I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine.