Customer Reviews

Murder at Witches' Bluff

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Okay, other besotted reviewers--bear with me for a minute. Yes, it is marvelous to read fiction about our beloved Craft. Yes, Silver RavenWolf is an extremely popular author who must sell oodles. Yes, her nonfiction work is well-written and has hooked many. But let's get real. This novel of hers is very poorly written, poorly characterized, and very difficult to force oneself through (heck, I'm only on page 178 right now and debating whether or not I should finish reading).

First off, copyeditor! Llewellyn Publications should be embarrassed to actually publish something that was so clearly, and so shamefully, barely touched with the copyeditor's pen. Simple but important job. Professionalism counts.

As for the writing, forget it. It's clunky, oversimplified, over-adjectified, flat, and just plain amateurish. The dialogue is unreal, the characters are one-dimensional (take the sections on the stalker guy--an overused device in itself, which has been employed by many more skilled writers--which reveal only that Siren is being threatened by your typical evil creature/person. Yawn.), and the scenes are so implausible they sometimes cannot be taken seriously (see the one in which Uncle Jess's family arrives to take him away).

I, like many readers, want to read something that presents the Craft in a positive yet realistic light. Alice Hoffman ("Practical Magic"), I must say, is a far better writer than Silver RavenWolf, which is actually unfortunate. Silver RavenWolf undoubtedly has far more to offer us with her vast knowledge of and experience in the Craft. Remember, we don't have to lap it up just because it's out there. We should demand excellence in what we choose to read!

I think I will have to strongly vote against this novel. Perhaps some of her others are more palatable reads. If not, I'm sticking with her nonfiction, and I recommend that other fiction lovers do the same.

With food and books, I don't tend to be the pickiest of consumers. I kept asking myself what bothered me so much about this book and I think it's just that I expected so much from Silver. I've read her nonfiction and found it coherent and well-written.

I would definitely try to read Silver's fiction again, but I suggest she ask someone to give her some critical feedback. I found the dialog not very believable and I found it odd that hereditary witches would be using terms and props that came out of the Gardnerian/Alexandrian era. I found some of the metaphors odd and kept hearing early writing teachers correcting them. Maybe that's my problem: instead of enjoying it for what it was, I kept letting those critical voices play in my head. (Bad voices!)

There were some spots where she really developed the tension, so I know she's got the talent. I'm looking forward to future tries.

This was an amazing book to read. I enjoyed it from start to finish. Silver Ravenwolf did an excellent job. The mystery in this book keeps you guessing till the end. All of the characters were well thought out and developed. The character Tanner really hit home with his struggle of who he is concering the Craft. I am very proud to say that this book represents the Craft in a wonderful light.

I recommend this book very highly.

I like some of Silver's non-fiction, and even her teen series isn't that bad, but this is simply awful.

As other reviewers have pointed out, this book doesn't even read like a finished draft. There's the the continuity error with the pitchfork being discarded, then reappearing; Lexi's full name changes; and numerous grammatical errors show up.

Errors aside, the writing is just ridiculous. The scenes that are supposed to be funny are so campy and stupid I can almost hear cartoonish sound effects and a kazoo music soundtrack. The supposedly suspenseful scenes, on the other hand, are so ridiculously melodramatic they end up being unintentionally funny, like the scene where the assassin sneaks into the upper story of Siren's house while she is downstairs. This supposedly skilled, super-stealthy villain makes so much noise I'm picturing him falling all over himself like Inspector Clouseau. The actions of the characters are sometimes bizarrely inappropriate. Consider the first scene, where a firefighter and a boy, trapped in a burning barn with a panic-stricken horse screaming and kicking dangerously near them, stop to argue about what kind of clothes firemen should wear. A later scene has Siren and Lexi pause to exchange witty banter while the assassin is actively trying to murder them. The assassin actually has to say "I'm coming to get you" to remind them of his presence.

Even if you love Ravenwolf's non-fiction and feel you have to have every book she ever wrote, give yourself permission to skip this one (I hear "Beneath a Mountain Moon" is equally bad, though I haven't read it myself). I read it because I wanted to read Witchcraft-themed fiction by someone who actually practiced the Craft, but even on by this standard, the book is a failure. Witchcraft is a minor, unimportant theme in the book. If you want to read Wiccan fiction, save your money for the Sweep series by Cate Tiernan, the Circle of Three books by Isobel Bird, or Rosemary Edgehill's Bast mysteries.

This should actually be a 3 1/2 star rating.

Being non-Wiccan, I just read this story as a mystery not as a potential introduction to a new religion. I have to agree with a previous reviewer who said that Ms. Ravenwolf was ill-served by her publishing house regarding the editing of this book. Some words were simply in the wrong place, and then there's that whole scene at the end where Tanner throws down the golden pitchfork in the town, and then it miraculously appears in his hands when he goes to save Siren (no magick involved - just bad editing).

I have to say, though, that I did enjoy the book. I wasn't looking for great literature and I'll cut authors a lot of slack in my ratings if the book intrigues me, and this one did. There were a lot of interesting characters, some sterotypical and some not, but at least there were plenty to keep it interesting. I think Ms. Ravenwolf managed to get across the feeling of the time and place - both the gloriousness and dreariness of autumn in Pennsylvania. Siren's awakening to her "calling" was interesting. I liked the main characters, though I think that more could have been done to give them more depth rather than just labelling them ("murderess", "drunk", "jilted husband", etc.). I would have liked a little more in-depth discussion of motivations - what caused the evil three to come up with their plan, why did Siren take the life path she did (and what actually did happen in her childhood to make her block out meeting Tanner earlier), why was it so important for Tanner to appear "normal" in a community with a long history of witchcraft?

For those of you who may be hesitant for religious reasons about reading fiction by an avowed practioner of the Craft, be easy and read this book. It was an interesting and painless introduction to another belief system and a pretty good mystery. Your own beliefs will remain intact.

It's refreshing to find a work of fiction with a pagan protagonist. The author writes from the experience of being pagan, thus representing paganism in a positive light, and with great knowledge of the subject. The story of an outcast returning to her birthplace only to be steeped in suspicion and mystery makes for an intriguing tale. Ravenwolf captivates readers with mystery and magick! Using the personal histories of the members of the community, the reader gets...more involved in to the lives of the characters, and cannot wait to find out what happens in the end. A worth-while read.

I enjoy reading Pagan and Wiccan fiction. I am not a big fan of Silver's non-fiction, but I enjoy her relaxed writing style in her fiction books. Spooky!

If you have a sense of humor and think Elvira is sexy, you might like Silver Ravenwolf, both her fiction and her witchcraft stuff. Like most B horror films it has a cult following for those just looking for some kink or horror entertainment aside from "serious" laughable Hollywood bluckbusters. I liked it because it didn't take itself too seriously and had real magick as well as some scary and suspenseful moments. If you're looking for genuine freaky scares go for Stephen King, but if you don't mind some witch chick wearing pentagram earrings you'll like Silver Ravenwolf. Occult horror as told by real occultists, not just someone looking to cash in on the occult's infamacy. If you get really scared reading this you probably are not into the occult.

I loved this book.I could not put it down.I saw the magickal techniques used throughout the book,such as the Altar Devotion used in Sirens initiation ceremony.I particulary liked the character Nana Lorretta the best and her struggle to keep her Clan alive.I also saw things that were in common to Silvers own life,such as the golden pitchfork that was held in the Harvest parade by Tanner Thorn.I cant wait to read more of her fiction! Blessed Be.

This was a real thriller ! I could not put this book down. I also noted the magical references through out the book were according to the authors previous books and thereby established continuity. I look forward to more from this author.