Review: Eye of the Coven by Larissa Ladd

Eye of the Coven

(Eye of the Coven Series #1)

by Larissa Ladd

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance

"Power has to have a purpose" my father had always told me, "and if not for the good of the coven, of the family then what for?"

Cherry knows her place. She also knows she doesn't want to stay in it.

Many have sought the immense power Cherry possesses. Over the ages, it has been the dream of supernatural beings and mortals alike to harness the prowess of magic Cherry naturally holds. A witch with the kind of strength that she has has not been witnessed for centuries. It is no wonder that her coven of witches sees her as a leader--and a great risk that may need to be eliminated.

Caught in an odd power struggle with the coven that acts as her family, Cherry fears for her life. Cherry is not like the rest, and that statement applies in ways far beyond her superior powers. She wishes to live a simple life and embrace the normalcy of the humans she observes around her. She rejects the coven's all-consuming commitment to power and their way of doing things. Rebellious witches do not typically meet a positive end.

When Cherry meets a handsome stranger at a bar, she is taken aback when he doesn't withdraw from her. It is a nice change of pace from the reality she knows--the one where other beings who aren't magically inclined sense her power and hide away. The coven doesn't approve of outside relationships as it is, and Cherry's refusal to meet the demands of the coven already has her on thin ice.

Has the dark, mysterious beauty of Cherry led her to true love, or will this circumstance lead her to her demise? Experience Cherry's powerful journey in Larissa Ladd's Eye of the Coven, the first in a spellbinding series of compelling novellas exploring magic, power, life, and love.

- Eye of the Coven on Goodreads

First Sentence:

The green fields rolled out around me, stretching almost as far as the eye could see and there wasn't a soul in sight, nothing but miles and miles of emptiness.

Last Sentence:

What had I done?

  Eye of the Coven offers a unique approach to the portrayal of witches in modern day literature. I immensely enjoyed the way that Larissa was able to write a completely unique and entertaining story. I cannot wait to read more of this series to say the least. It's a refreshing break from the cliche.

  I felt that Cherry was a very good main character. I became connected to her quickly, and her struggle between accepting her place in the coven and enjoying a real life tugged at my heart strings. This story has a minor romance to it, and I think fans will enjoy it. It gives a nice reprieve to the other parts of the story. The witches of the coven were an interesting mix. I felt unsettled by them and their actions during the course of the book. And it left me wanting to know more about the way the coven operates.

  This story is the first in a series of novellas. As you can guess, it ended on a sort of a cliffhanger which left me torn between wanting the next in the series and just wishing it was released as an entire book. But I did truly enjoy Cherry's struggles. The world that she lives in is so different than the normal world of witches, and I am glad for the change of pace. Larissa's writing easily envelopes you into Cherry's world. 

  If this series were to be released as a single novel, I wouldn't hesitate to give it five stars. My reasoning for four stars is the lack of world building and character development because of the novella style. Regardless, I recommend this to fans of the paranormal romance genre and any witch story fans out there. You'll enjoy this one!

**I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Larissa Ladd.

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