Something Wiccan This Way Comes (Mass Market Paperback)

by Emma Harrison (Author) "Viva Las Vegas! Viva . . . viva . . . Las Vegas!" Paige Matthews sang to herself as she pulled her little green VW..." (more)
Key Phrases: Las Vegas, Charmed Ones, Gathering of the Covens (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Sister Wiccas gather round.
By our power we are bound.
Hand in hand and heart to heart,
force all evil to depart!

Paige Matthews is new to the whole "Power of Three" thing, and looking to explore her powers. So when she reads of a Wiccan convention taking place just outside of Las Vegas, she thinks it's a great opportunity for her and for her sisters to learn more about their witchy ways. Though the girls are all over saving innocents, they aren't that heavy into Wicca practices, and Paige thinks the retreat could be enlightening.

Piper and Phoebe, however, aren't so sure. They're certain that while they spend their days battling honest-to-badness black magic, their so-called supernatural sisters will be nothing more than a bunch of blessed wanna-bes. Soon though, they hear of a rash of murders committed against practicing Wiccans, and making an appearance at the convention becomes top priority. But as they head for the desert campgrounds, are the Charmed Ones headed straight for disaster?

About the Author
Constance M Burge is the creator of the TV show. Diana G Gallagher is the author of many TV tie-in novels, including Star Trek and the more junior Sabrina the Teenage Witch. She lives in Ocala, Florida. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Simon Spotlight Entertainment (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689855540
• ISBN-13: 978-0689855542
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #169,455 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Complex, intriguing plot; but no Wiccan info, despite title, June 30, 2003

By	Lori Doria (United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

How gratifying to find an author who is obviously quite familiar with the world of "Charmed"; the powers & personalities of the Halliwells (& their friends & lovers) are depicted perfectly. While this should be mandatory for any author entrusted with a "Charmed" novel, it is, sadly (& infuriatingly), the exception in recent novels (the worst example being "Shadow of the Sphinx"; see my review of that book). "Something Wiccan..." has two main failings: one (I'll get to the other later) is that there is a paucity of humor--either situationally or in the witty dialogue that makes the TV episodes sparkle. However, the plot is complex and multi-layered, and filled with surprises; the ending features not just one, but two, surprise twists, neither of which I saw coming.
The biggest disappointment of the book (and what I consider the 2nd major failing), is the lack of insight into Wicca as a religion, and the differences between Witchcraft and Wicca (no, they are not synonomous terms or practices). The plot centers around a Wiccan retreat, which Paige is eager to attend in order to learn more about Wicca, while Piper & Phoebe reluctantly accompany her in the hope of catching whoever is kidnapping members of covens. While the book presents a reasonably good picture of a typical Gathering, and the diverse types of people who practice Wicca, it fails to give any real information as to just what Wiccans actually believe, their religious beliefs, holidays, rituals, etc. This plot presented a golden opportunity to enlighten readers who are understandably confused about Wiccans vs Witches, and a skilled writer (which I think this author is) could have slipped at least some basic info in among the action without sounding preachy.
A more general complaint (not aimed at this book exclusively) is that ever since Paige became a Charmed One, every subsequent novel has focused on her as the main character, with the main plot centering around her & told primarily from her viewpoint. In the earliest novels, the sisters seemed to take turns at center stage (e.g., Phoebe gets sent to the past, to old Salem; Prue's photo assignments have unexpected--and magical--ramifications; Piper volunteers her time with troubled, homeless teens, little knowing that the shelter is run by a warlock who brainwashes the teens to do his bidding) but they still functioned as a team, each of equal importance (i.e., The Power of Three, not Paige and her back-up group the Charmettes). Another stereotype the writers seem to be clinging to is Grouchy Piper and her Reluctance to Accept Paige as either a sister or a responsible adult (despite the fact that Paige, at approximately the age Phoebe was when they became the Charmed Ones, is obviously more responsible & goal-oriented than Phoebe was at that age). Granted, Piper is perhaps too anxious and even obsessed in her new role as the eldest sister, but since Piper & Paige now seem to be close on the TV series, showing mutual affection and respect, it's time that the books also reflected their current relationship. But ever since Paige's arrival, the writers seem mostly interested in her, content to sketch the other sisters as shadowy two-dimensional background figures. Phoebe has been the one most relegated to the background (though to be fair, this DOES reflect the trend on the TV show); it's natural that her divorce & new job have made her more serious, but the books haven't yet caught up with the tragedies in her life (e.g., in this book, she's still happily with Cole). Yet it's as if her role as the carefree, optimistic, effervescent free spirit has been arbitrarily re-assigned to Paige, while Phoebe has become a workaholic in her newspaper job.
But despite these flaws, the book does do a good job of portraying the Charmed Ones' powers and methods, without any embarrassing errors (at least, none that I caught). The dialogue rings true. And the plot is sophisticated and absorbing, a magical who-dunit, and I defy you to not to be surprised at the surprise double twist ending. (On thinking it over, I think that the ending was actually a little improbable--and more than a little confusing--but when I first read it, it had the wonderful quality of being both a total surprise and yet seeming perfectly logical in retrospect. Maybe any confusion I feel in looking back over it will be cleared up on a more careful second reading--which I definitely look forward to.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Funny and Cute, March 20, 2003

By A Customer

I enjoyed reading this book very much. It wasn't the best of the Charmed books in my opinion, but I wasn't hating it either. It kept you guessing until the end and of course it ended in the same cute way all the books from this series end. I would definitely recommend this book!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favourite, April 30, 2004

By	"apple219" (Perth, WA) - See all my reviews

This is one of my favourite Charmed book. The dialogue is funny and the story is interesting. If you're a Charmed fans, this book is a must.