Fall (Witch Season) [Mass Market Paperback]

Jeff Mariotte (Author)

Book Description

Series: Witch Season | Publication Date: September 28, 2004

FALL APART

Summer's over. Kerry, Josh, Brandy, Scott, and Rebecca have left their California share and returned to school. Once, there was nothing better than the freedom and energy rush of college. But in the wake of such a life-altering summer, campus life leaves the friends feeling restless -- and bored.

Kerry, for one, barely leaves her dorm room. She keeps reading Daniel's journals over and over, searching for a clue to solve the mystery that is Season Howe. But answers aren't to be found -- until the evil witch is finally spotted in Las Vegas.

The five friends trek to the city of sin, rallying to fight Season. She destroyed something important to them, and they all seek revenge. Unfortunately the season won't end without her taking something else: a life even more precious than the first....

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up - College freshman Kerry and her friends continue the hunt for the evil witch Season, who killed Kerry's boyfriend, Daniel Blessing. With the help of his mother, a powerful witch in her own right, Kerry begins to learn the basics of witchcraft, teams up with old friends, and faces Season in a Las Vegas casino. Mariotte continues the saga that began in Summer, and it is apparent that there will be a Winter because Season has yet to be bested. Kerry is a determined protagonist. Mother Blessing is equally strong with the patience and wisdom of age. The plot is predictable, with more questions than answers at the end. In some ways, it reads like a movie director's notes, with Kerry's diary entries filling in details. While the two flow together, there is little that creates and sustains mood, tension, and thrill for readers. This book pales in comparison to Cate Tiernan's "Sweep" series (Penguin). However, readers who enjoyed the first title in this series may be looking for this one. - Molly S. Kinney, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse (September 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689867247
• ISBN-13: 978-0689867248
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,997,166 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jeffrey J. Mariotte is the multiple award-winning author of more than forty-five novels, including original supernatural thrillers Cold Black Hearts, River Runs Red and Missing White Girl, horror epic The Slab, thriller The Devil's Bait, and the Stoker-Award nominated teen horror quartet Dark Vengeance, as well as books set in the universes of Supernatural, CSI, Spider-Man, Superman, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Conan, 30 Days of Night, and more. He is also the author of more comic books than he has time to count, including the horror graphic novel Zombie Cop, the original Western series Desperadoes (some of which have been nominated for Stoker and International Horror Guild awards) and the bestselling Presidential Material: Barack Obama. He is a member of the International Thriller Writers, Western Writers of America, and the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers. With his wife, Maryelizabeth Hart, and partner Terry Gilman, he co-owns Mysterious Galaxy, a bookstore specializing in science fiction, fantasy, mystery and horror. He lives on the Flying M Ranch in the American southwest with his family and pets in a home filled with books, music, toys, and other examples of American pop culture. More information than you would ever want to know about him is at jeffmariotte.com, where you'll also find a link to his blog.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Something Wicked This Way Comes, January 5, 2005

By 

Erika Sorocco (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fall (Witch Season) (Mass Market Paperback)

Summer has ended, and 17-year-old Kerry Profitt, along with her summer friends Brandy, Scott, Rebecca, and Josh, have headed away from San Diego, and off to their respective colleges where they hope to further their education. Unfortunately, the horror from the summer has left it's mark in the brain of each young person, making learning a challenge. The five teens will never forget what they saw over the summer, as Daniel Blessing, a witch, was brutally murdered by another witch named Season. Now Season occupies all of their thoughts, and they are imagining that she's everywhere. Until she finally shows up in the city of sin known as Las Vegas. Soon the five friends are reuniting, but to something savage and brutal that scares them to death, and sends them running for home. Except for Kerry. Kerry heads out to the Great Dismal to learn witchcraft from Mother Blessing. After all, there's no use in running from Season, so she'd better learn how to fight.

Jeff Mariotte is a fabulous author, who held his own when he was writing for the BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER series, but with the WITCH SEASON series, he stands in a class of his own. Mariotte's character development is fabulous, as is his portrayal of a group of teenagers all with their own personalities and quirks. Readers, both male and female, will be able to find a character whose personality matches theirs. Fans of teen paranormal books, or teen fiction in general will be pleased by this fabulous new series.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Are there really witches among us?, November 12, 2004

By 

Betsie's Literary Page (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fall (Witch Season) (Mass Market Paperback)

<P>
Kerry, Josh, Brandy, Scott, and Rebecca have left the quaint resort on the coast of California. A life-altering summer in which they spent most of their time in pursuit of an evil witch named Season Howe. Ultimately ending in Daniel Blessing's death, Kerry's boyfriend.

Almost a hermit, Kerry barely leaves her Northwestern University dorm room. Instead she sits day after day pouring over Daniel's journals. Kerry's hope is to unearth even the smallest detail that will aid in some chance of exposing the enigma of a ruthless killer.

Finding her efforts fruitless, Kerry decides to find Mother Blessing the only link left to Daniel Again she pours over the journals piecing a map together, a route that will lead her into the Great Dismal Swamp.

Meanwhile her friends have grown restless after receiving a cryptic email from Kerry- and discovering that Season Howe has been spotted in "Sin City." Striking a nerve, the five friends embark on a pilgrimage to Las Vegas--the city of dreams, gathering, to duel the evil witch. Their cause has several reasons: Making her pay for what she did to Daniel and making sure she never makes it to the Witches' Convocation.

Although after a grueling match of wits Kerry learns Mother Blessing is hiding something. Something she feels even Daniel was unaware of....

If you don't believe in witches, this series will surely help change your mind!

Characters from previous books appear lending a feeling of continuity for long time readers and will keep you gripping your seat until the very last page is read. Fall (Witch Season) is entertaining and well done; unique in that it is both a book and a series. Mariotte's style is deceivingly fresh. Definitely a scary novel for teenagers, yet one that anyone would enjoy, and could make a nice gift for young and old fantasy fans alike.

Reviewed by Betsie

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hello, Mother Blessing, February 14, 2006

By 

Joshua Koppel (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fall (Witch Season) (Mass Market Paperback)

Kerry has been devastated by her losses in the first book. She is trying to concentrate on her classes but is unable to. Her friends from the summer are not doing much better. Kerry then decides to take off and search for Daniel's mother. Clues in his journals make Kerry think this is possible. Her goal is to learn magic so she can defeat Season.

Kerry does succeed in finding Mother Blessing although the woman is not what she expects. But after some time Kerry does begin her lessons in witchcraft. There is much about magic that Kerry did not understand but her quest to destroy Season motivates her every moment. Lessons and testing continue until Kerry is forced into a greater test than she had been expecting.

Kerry is developing nicely in this volume and it ends with a bit of a cliff hanger that makes the reader want to move right into the next volume. The reader becomes much more familiar with how magic works in these stories. There is also quite a bit of development of Kerry's friends. If you were wondering if some of them were sleeping together, this volume answers some of those questions.