Author: P.C. and Kristen Cast
Publication Date: 5 April 2022
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Page Count: 320
Dates Read: Apr 8 – 14
Reading Method: Physical // Thank you to the publisher!
Review
Book two in the Sisters of Salem series is finally here! The story picks up following the tragic events of the previous book, and each sister must deal with their grief in the best way they know how. The differences in their methods drives a wedge between them. Mercy is trying to fix the gates on her own when she makes an unlikely friend. Hunter, left godless, finds solace in the arms of a new and dangerous goddess.
*Mild spoilers ahead friends*
I was glad to see the twins split up – not necessarily because I think they work better without each other, but just because Hunter finally stood up for herself and they got some much needed space to explore themselves a little more than they did in the first book. But I do think Hunter was a little foolish to not see right away that she was headed down a bad path. I didn’t understand the introduction of Kylie. I was convinced she was going to be a much bigger character than she turned out to be.
One character I enjoyed seeing more of was Xena. She is delightfully, and understandably weird in her human form. There are several moments where she acts in such an unexpected manner that you have no choice but to laugh. A character I was ~not~ excited to see more of was Kirk. He spends the whole book stirring up trouble and then he just kind of drops off. It was open ended and I’m assuming we can expect more from him in the upcoming books.
We were also introduced to Khenti, a gate keeper to the Egyptian afterlife whom I really liked. I hope we get to see more of him in the next book, which I think will be extremely likely. Khenti and Mercy really hit it off and I liked the direction the story takes when they start hanging out. And can we please address Mercy and her tendency to speak in British lingo. Did I miss where this was explained somewhere? I kept looking for the reasoning behind it but didn’t see anything. It was jarring and felt completely out of place, especially since literally no one else speaks like that, so I have no idea where she picked it up.
Overall, it was a decent read, but even though we know there is more coming in the series, it felt a little too open ended and unfinished. I wouldn’t have minded the cliffhanger ending if we had gotten a little more closure on some of the storylines. I also found the writing to be a bit juvenile for the darkness of the content and age of the characters, and the dialogue was cheesy and unrealistic. I do see myself continuing with the series because ya girl needs to know what happens next.
About the Book
Twin sisters, Mercy and Hunter are witches, direct descendants of the Goode family, the founders of their town. After the murder of their mother at the hands of a foul demon, they have become the protectors of the Gates to different underworlds–ancient portals between their world and realms where mythology rules and the darkest of creatures exist.
Grief has taken a terrible toll on the twins. Rather than bringing them together, their sadness has torn them apart, driving Mercy to attempt to save the crumbling Gates without her twin and Hunter into the arms of a dangerous goddess. While Mercy looks for aid from Khenti, Guardian of the Egyptian Underworld, Hunter begins to realize the goddess she’s allied with is more monster than deity. She needs her sister’s help, but Mercy is beyond her reach on an adventure that could cost them everything, including their world.
About the Author
#1 NYT & #1 USA Today bestselling author, PC Cast was born in the Midwest, and, after her tour in the USAF, she taught high school for 15 years before retiring to write full time. PC is a member of the Oklahoma Writers Hall of Fame. Her novels have been awarded the prestigious: Oklahoma Book Award, YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, Booksellers’ Best, and many, many more. Ms. Cast is an experienced teacher and talented speaker who lives in Oregon near her fabulous daughter, her adorable pack of dogs, her crazy Maine Coon, and a bunch of horses.
