Something Wicked Returns Giveaway Hop! Spotlight/Review:Spellcaster, by Claudia Gray

Welcome to this stop

in the Halloween giveaway hop,

Something Wicked Returns!

This hop is being hosted by the following blogs:

Rainy Day Ramblings

Candace's Book Blog

The Nocturnal Library

My Guilty Obsession

As my contribution to this event,

I'm spotlighting a great

witchy YA novel that I've greatly enjoyed!

You can also read my review below.

Spellcaster

(Spellcaster #1)

Claudia Gray

Hardcover, 389 pages

Harper Teen

March 5, 2013

Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy,

Young Adult Fiction

Chapter One Excerpt

   Quickly she closed her eyes and settled her left wrist in her right hand.  On her left wrist she wore what Dad called her charm bracelet -- and it did look like one, at a glance.

   Her fingers found the small pendant of ivory, the material she needed to balance her spell. 

   Silently, she went through the spell for the illumination of magical shape.

   A winter sunrise.

   The pain of abandonment.

   The knowledge of love. 

   She went deep within herself, calling up the ingredients, experiencing each more powerfully than real memory -- as if she were living them again --

   The sun rising on a sharp, cold morning when the snow was high enough to sink in knee-deep, painting the sky a pale pink, while Nadia shivered on the balcony.

   Nadia standing dumbfounded in the door of her parents' bedroom as Mom packed a suitcase and said, "Your father and I think we should live apart for a while."

   Waking up in a violent thunderstorm to find Cole curled next to her wearing his footie pajamas, in silent, total confidence that his big sister could protect him.

   The emotions and images coursed through her, reverberating through her powers, bouncing off the ivory until Nadia could see -- a barrier.  They were headed straight toward....what was this?  Was it meant to keep out any other forms of magic, or warn someone else if magic entered this space?

My Review

The cover of this book mesmerized me the minute I first saw it.  That blue flame poised on the girl's hand, the way she's totally focusing on it....I immediately wanted to find out more! 

The story started me off on the edge of my seat.  Nadia Caldani, the protagonist, is a young woman traveling from Chicago with her father and little brother.  They are headed to the fictional town of Captive's Sound, which, from the descriptions in the novel, appears to be located somewhere in the northeastern part of the country.  As they get closer to the town, Nadia begins to sense the presence of a very strong, yet invisible, magic barrier, which her family is entirely unaware of. 

Nadia is able to sense this barrier because she's a witch.  Her father and brother are unable to because, in this novel, only females can be witches and perform magic.  It's a hereditary thing, passed down from mother to daughter.  Men are completely non-magical (although there's one notable exception in the story).

Suddenly, Nadia and her family are involved in an accident, as their car slams into the invisible barrier, nearly sinking into the nearby river.  Thankfully, they are rescued by a young man who appears out of nowhere....

As the story progresses, the reader is introduced to a fascinatingly complex series of events and cast of characters.  Captive's Sound is heavily steeped in evil magic, and Nadia knows she has to do something to counteract the horrible spells that have engulfed the town in a depressing, oppressive fog.

The problem is, Nadia is not a fully-trained witch.  Her mother abruptly abandoned the family one fine day, leaving her daughter's training incomplete.  She also left three devastated people behind, which is why Nadia's father decided a fresh start would be the best thing for himself and his two children. 

This novel has gotten some mixed reviews, but I sure don't know why.  It grabbed me from the very beginning, and I simply couldn't let go!  All of the ingredients that make for exciting, page-turning reading are present in this story -- compelling, fully fleshed-out characters, unexpected twists and turns, and lots of fascinating, even mind-boggling magic!

I especially enjoyed the characters.

Nadia received a major emotional blow with her mother's desertion, but yet, she strives to remain a pillar of strength for her father and brother.  She is totally committed to protecting her family, as well as the entire town, from the insidious evil perpetrated by the villain of the story.  She is courageous, loving, persistent, resourceful, and yet, vulnerable in an endearing way.  I like her immensely!

Mateo Perez is the young man who rescues Nadia's family.  Interestingly, he, too, has lost his mother.  In his case, it's because of a strange curse that passes from generation to generation, on his mother's side of the family, giving him the ability to have prophetic dreams.  He is just as courageous and resourceful as Nadia, and is a total sweetheart.  Need I mention that he's drop-dead gorgeous, as well?  I totally adore him!

Mateo and Nadia are inexorably drawn to each other from the moment they meet, although their relationship develops gradually.  Claudia Gray has woven their blooming romance into this fascinating tale with deceptive ease.  There is no "insta-love" here.  They are unexpectedly pulled together, and their friendship slowly deepens into love.

What I really like about their relationship is that they work together as equals, even though each possesses skills that the other doesn't.  At no time does Mateo treat Nadia in a condescending manner.  In fact, they totally respect each other, mutually displaying tenderness and understanding.  This was a very mellow, beautiful thing to read!

Another very compelling character is Verlaine, a girl from the local high school.  Considered an outcast, she is either bullied or ignored by nearly all their classmates.  I really felt for her, especially since, as I got to know her better, I saw she was a great person -- compassionate, loyal, and tenderhearted.  Mateo and Nadia befriend her, and together they all attempt to fight against the powerful evil that seems to be more than they could possibly handle.as

And the villain....oh, the villain!  I won't identify that person here, but this character is very well drawn, being appropriately sinister.  This villain is a totally evil person, with no scruples whatsoever, no concern for the welfare of the people of this town.  Furthermore, this person is in the service of a very mysterious dark force....

The setting of the novel, as well as the events that took place, gave me a feeling of oppression, of doom and gloom.  The descriptions of the houses, the countryside, everything  contributed to the overall feeling that something very sinister was behind all the unsettling events taking place in the town.  However, there was always a ray of hope, as the three main characters bravely sought solutions to each obstacle thrown in their path.

Contributing to the creepy thrills is all the great magic conjured by Gray's imagination -- such as spells of liberation, spells of forgetting, of controlling the elements, even of changing a person's appearance so completely, they would be mistaken for someone else.  This is truly the stuff of fairy tales!

The spells are very interestingly concocted, as well.  Instead of the stereotyped weird ingredients, or magical potions and elixirs, each spell's "ingredients" consist of memories, each of which has a specific theme.  All of them are then combined to create the spell.  I've never come across anything like this before!  This is not only beautiful and very creative, but also deeply moving.

The climax of the story is open-ended, but that's because the sequel, Steadfast, is slated for publication next year.  I already have it on my wish list, and will be eagerly buying and devouring it as soon as it's released!

I heartily recommend this novel to all paranormal romance and urban fantasy fans, as well as those who enjoy Young Adult Fiction.  Believe me, you will absolutely love this story!  You will stay up into the wee hours, telling yourself in vain that you'll only read one more page...until you discover that it's 3 AM, and you've flown through four chapters without even realizing it!    
 
 
MY RATING:

About the Author

Claudia Gray is not my real name. I didn't choose a pseudonym because my real name is unpleasant (it isn't), because I'd always dreamed of calling myself this (I haven't) or even because I'm hiding from the remnants of that international diamond-smuggling cartel I smashed in 2003 (Interpol has taken care of them). In short, I took a pseudonym for no real reason whatsoever. Sometimes this is actually the best reason to do things.

I live in New Orleans. So far, in life, I've been a disc jockey, a lawyer, a journalist and an extremely bad waitress, just to name a few. I especially like to spend time traveling, hiking, reading and listening to music. More than anything else, I enjoy writing.

Online Links 

Website

Blog

Goodreads

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Amazon

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