Friday, July 21, 2006

Help a reader out!

So I've got a craving. I want to read a book about a witch. I'm not crazy about paranormals generally, but there's something about a heroine with magical powers. Probably because I want magical powers. I think I deserve them.

Witchy books I've loved:
Dime Store Magic and Industrial Magic by Kelley Armstrong
The Three Sisters Island Trilogy by Nora Roberts
Sweep (a YA series) by Cate Tiernan
Touch Not the Cat by Mary Stewart (this is kind of a stretch because the heroine's not a witch, but she is telepathic which is cool too)
Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris (again not a witch but also telepathic)
Harry Potter (obviously)
Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud (he's a wizard actually, but close enough)

I've also read Bewitching by Jill Barnett but I didn't love that one so much. Actually not at all. And I tried the first Kim Harrison book but couldn't get into it.

I think what I really want is a contemporary romance with a witch heroine. Is that picky enough for you? Hee hee. I'm so difficult.

Any suggestions out there?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe try Tall Dark and Dead by Tate Halloway? I think Jayne blogged about it a couple of weeks ago. Or maybe Enchanted, Inc? The heroine doesn't have powers but everyone around her does.

Samantha said...

Kelley Armstrong is the shit. I love her stuff. Have you tried Eve's book, Haunted? She's a witch... a dead one but still a witch.

The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey is pretty good too. The heroine is a fairy godmother but she uses magic and stuff.

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder the heroine is a witch but the plot isn't focused on her magic and it isn't fully developed and stuff.

oh wait. Contemporary? The Snyder and Lackey books are set in their own world and their kind of old worlds. but the Armstrong book is contemporary.

Marg said...

I haven't read any of her books myself but Annette Blair does witch books.

Kristie (J) said...

Teresa Medeiros wrote a couple I liked quite a bit, Touch of Enchantment and Breath of Magic. Although they're both time travel as well as witch stories, time is spent in the present.

Jennie said...

YAY! Thanks guys!

Jay--I've seen Enchanted Inc and thought it looked good but have since forgotten about it.

Samantha--Armstrong is the shit. But I actually skipped Haunted. I couldn't get excited about a dead heroine! Maybe I should go back and try it. You liked it?

I've got the Lackey and Snyder books on my list since you blogged about loving them. But the current urge is for something lighter I think. :)

Marg--I've never heard of her. I'll do a little research.

Kristie--I've never read Medeiros but have wanted to give her a try. And if she does witches I'll definitely try those first.

Now if I could get that horrible "Witchy Woman" Eagles song out of my head I'd be all set.

Samantha said...

Yeah, I wasn't too excited about the heroine being dead either, because i didn't see how that would be suspenseful seeing as the heroine was dead so she couldn't be hurt. But Armstrong builds a really great afterlife and there are certain rules to that world that Eve has to follow or else face punishment, etc. I think you'd like it.

Anonymous said...

Fwiw, while I wouldn't classify The Fairy Godmother or Poison Study as witchy books, neither one of them are particularly heavy. Well, certainly not TFG - though it starts out slow. Poison Study is not exactly dense but it takes concentration at times. But it moves quicker than TFG.

Anonymous said...

Oh and I haven't read the second Annette Blair book but the first one - despite having Witch in the title, isn't particularly witchy either. It's never really clear if she's a witch or not but I never got that vibe.

Dora said...

The third book in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Calling on Dragons, is told from the viewpoint of Morwen, an untypical witch who lives in the Enchanted Forest. It's quirky and very amusing, especially the banter she has with her cats, none of which are black.

If you're looking for a very strong female witch main character, Anne Bishop's Black Jewels Trilogy would definitely satisfy. The society is matriarchal, so it creates a very interesting male-female dynamic and great dialogue.