Title/Author: The Line (Witching Savannah #1) by J.D. HornGenre: Paranormal.Publisher: 47 North.Source: Purchased.Synopsis: Mercy Taylor, the youngest member of Savannah's preeminent witching family, was born without the gift of magic. She is accustomed to coming in a distant second to the minues older, exquisite and gifted twin she adores. Hopelessley in love with her sister's boyfriend, she goes to a Hoodoo root doctor for a love spell. A spell that will turn her heart to another man, the best friend who has loved her since childhood.
Aunt Ginny, the family's matriarch, would not approve. But Mercy has more to worry about than a love triangle when Aunt Ginny is brutally murdered. Ginny was the Taylor family's high commander in the defense of the bewitched line that separates humankind from the demons who once ruled our realm.
A demon invastion looms now that the line is compromised. Worse yet, some within the witching world stand to gain from a demon takeover. Mercy, entangled in the dark magic of her love spell, fighting for her sister's trust, and hopelessly without magic, must tap the strength born from being an outcast to protect the line she doesn't feel a part of. ~Goodreads.
Midnyte Musings: I learned about The Line when I read Midnight Book Girl's review. Her description got me very excited and I purchased it right away.
@MidnyteReader that's because I know your buzzwords! Magic, cemeteries, hoodoo. ;)
— Kate (@Midnghtbookgirl) February 12, 2014
She was correct! And, all those buzzwords play into the novel, along with many twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat and on my toes. Sure, I had suspicions and a few things I thought I saw coming, but overall it is a story that is cleverly plotted, well fleshed out and best of all, full of surprises.
"We call it a line, but it's more of a web. You pluck it here, and witches all around will feel the vibrations."There is romance, but it doesn't overpower the book. Although Mercy's first problem that she is dealing with is that she is in love with Jackson, her twin sister's boyfriend, the story quickly turns into a murder mystery with lots of problems for her to work through family secrets to uncover and of course, the magical responsibility that the rest of her family is involved in for her to navigate.
I also felt that the author Horne made Savannah a character in itself. He describes how the city holds on to certain people after they're gone as if it is punishing them. I've been to Savannah and I loved how the author placed me right back in the thick of it. The Squares, the cemeteries, the weather. It was fun to really be able to visualize the steps that Mercy took.
I loved Mercy as well and even though I bet some readers will feel she is too much of a Mary Sue, I can see reasons behind her actions. I think growing up having no power in a family of witches and constantly being reminded how special her twin is and how special she herself is not, gave her a more empathetic attitude and caused her to be more thoughtful. To be honest, being able to do magic sounds like a lot of responsibility in the Taylor family. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I don't know if I'd want it in that world. Mercy seems all the more special to me because she is the only normal one so to speak. She has to rely on herself, her own intuition and her own smarts. I feel like she has more character than most of her family because she cannot utilize magic.
"Choosing and then living with the consequences, that's what deciding really is."I have a few questions for discussion and I can't wait to talk to others who have read it for some feedback and comparison. There are a lot of WTF moments.
The issues that bothered me were very minor and they were simply the exaggerated behavior of some of the characters. I also wondered what Mercy saw in Jackson. There was no description of any redeeming qualities and there was a scene when he acted like a d-bag and her own love interest was quite the opposite. Also, there was a dramatic moment during a very important ritual that I felt was kind of skimmed over. However, there wasn't a whole lot of issues that diminished the positive qualities of The Line.
Constellation of Characters:
Mercy - The main protagonist. The sto
Maisie - Mercy's twin who was born first and who outshines Mercy in every way.
Peter - Mercy's steadfast love interest.
Jackson - Maisie's handsome boyfriend who Mercy also loves.
Mother Jilo - Easily my favorite character. She is the mysterious, powerful and feared Hoodoo practitioner who knows more about Mercy's family than even Mercy herself.
Various relatives - Magical aunts, uncles and cousins. Some you love, some you hate, some you love to hate, but most are pretty compelling and are keys to the secrets of the Taylor family.
Starstruck Over: The Line is a light book with deep issues and fun characters.
