YA / Historical Fiction / Horror
I gave this book 4.5/5 Stars
UPDATE: Salem's Vengeance is now available on NetGalley!
Evil comes in all shapes and sizes in this wickedly good story spun from the events surrounding the Salem Witch Trials.
Like author Aaron Galvin, most people are somewhat fascinated by the events of Salem in the late 1600s. In Salem's Vengeance, Galvin weaves his research and real people into a story that completely immerses the readers into a believable - yet unbelievable - chain of events that change one town forever. Narrated in authentic period language by main character Sarah, the book does a terrific job of transporting readers right into Sarah's world: a world of frustration by the limitations and expectations put upon her by society's norms of the times, but also a world of a young woman starting to experiment with her independence from those norms. Sarah is at times brave and mature beyond her years but also flighty and flustered by handsome males, namely the mysterious and intriguing character Priest. In other words, Sarah is a typical sixteen year old girl -- except for being targeted by an evil sorceress and her minions, of course.
The primary characters are fully fleshed-out and authentic. My favorite character was Bishop, who provided much needed back story and humor. There are some great plot twists, and be warned -- the body count and gore factor are high. These witches don't mess around on their mission, which once fully revealed, provides a satisfying explanation to all that has happened. And although this is the first in a series, the ending was such that it could stand alone, and readers will be pretty content with how things wrapped-up. Hallelujah!
Though there were places the story dragged a bit (primarily in the sporadic journal entries) and the book needed more careful editing (but likely most readers won't mind), I highly recommend this book to high school ages and older. I am looking forward to seeing where this story goes from here.
Thank you to author Aaron Galvin for his overall awesomeness and being open to constructive criticism. That, and his providing me a free copy, have no bearing on my giving an honest review -- the only kind I give.
BONUS GIVEAWAY FOR GOODREADS MEMBERS -- Through April 19th, 2015 the author is giving away two signed copies. ENTER TO WIN!
And, don't forget to enter the A3 GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY to win signed copies of all four of Aaron's books.
LEARN MORE ABOUT AUTHOR AARON GALVIN:
Website/Blog
Goodreads
Click to buy Salem's Vengeance on Amazon OR. . . click to buy a personalized, signed copy from the author!
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| Book 2 |
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| Coming Fall 2015! |
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