Guest review: No rest for the Wicca - Toni Lotempio

Genre: Paranormal romance / Urban Fantasy

Pages: 310, ebook

Published: 2010

Review by Lis

Communing with the dead is an everyday occurrence for PI Morgan Hawkes. A half-Wiccan witch who can commune with spirits of those caught between worlds, Morgan uses her talents to exorcise the trapped ghost or demon as part of the Paranormal Investigation Squad – until a string of murders with a voodoo slant prompts the Special Forces Agency to ask for her assistance. Someone’s killing pureblood witches- and the SFA’s convinced Morgan’s heritage (her father was a voodoo priest) could be instrumental in solving the mystery. Teamed with dashing SF agent Cole St. John – an Inheritor Vampire that sets her blood racing – the two of them fight their attraction for each other as they race to stop a madman from unleashing a demonic force upon the world.
 

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Ho boy! This book. Holy hopping cows! B. sure does know the books she sends me. This book... it's just. Gah. Now I have to form words to make you understand just how cool this book was. Does B. know was she asks of me?

Alright here goes.

No Rest For the Wicca (bad. Bad title. But fun) is about Morgan Hawkes, half witch, PI, ghost & demon whisper and an all-round sarcastic woman. In fact, if you look up sarcastic in a dictionary there will most likely be a picture of her. Morgan works for the Paranormal Investigation Squad (can you just imagine mentioning your line of work at a party and you have to say that?). Enter the mystery in the form of the killings of pure blood witches – now if that doesn't have an arian sting to it, I don't know – in a ghastly manner.  The Special Forces Agency asks for her assistance in solving the murders. Enter sexy sexy sexy agent and vampire Cole St. John. Did I mention he is sexy? Morgan thinks so too! Together they will have to save to world from a mad idiot with a plan.

This is a book that draws you right in and doesn't want to let you go. You'll be sorely disappointed if this books ends, let me tell you that. The story is a straight up mystery, but the plot moves quickly and it fits. There is quite a lot of world building with interesting creatures you don't normally find in an urban setting. But it is the characters that make this a well above average paranormal mystery. Despite her abilities, Morgan is a very human character who is weighed down by her past. She is a strong, witty, snarky and sarcastic woman who knows how to tell a story.

Cole St. John is her paranormal counterpart who is tortured by his past. He is Morgan's perfect counterpart. He is strong without dominant and he doesn't let her get away with anything. He's also a very seductive character! There are some really steamy scenes in this book that just about made me melt.

So did I like everything about this book? Almost. While the story is wickedly awesome and very very enjoyable, what it lacked was good editing. Yes, here I go again on my rant about e-books and editors. It's a minor thing that doesn't reflect badly on the story. There were a few typos and grammar mistakes, nothing major, but an editor would probably have had a good influence on some of the dialogues.

You also  might have caught my quip earlier about pure blood having an arian sting to it. It's something that I don't quit like, but you see it quite often in (urban)fantasy. The classification of paranormal beings into pure and not so pure. From Harry Potter to about half of the fantasy books out there. There is just something not quite right about saying someone is a pure witch, warlock, wolf or whatever. It made me wonder if authors know the impact of some words. Personally I prefer full blooded to pure. Though, of course, sometimes it fits if a character describes someone as “pure” or if a particularly evil group says so. But  not in a general description. However, this is my hang-up so don't let it stop you from reading this book!

Because this is also a book I can most definitely recommend. It impressed me. So go pick it up!!

Thanks Lis! It sounds good :D