Review: Book 1 in a Series by Nadia Kim

Author Nadia Kim is at it again, and her upcoming book is the first in a series that will leave you panting for more. Read my review of Nadia's top secret, soon-to-be-released novel here first, on the Drunken Space Penguin!!

Nadia Kim warms the heart and tickles the imagination as she tells the stories of two young women whose lives are touched by magic.

Joan’s story begins with magic as she faces life as a witch in the fifties. Coupled with her heritage, she faces many adversities and challenges in the journey to find herself. The imagery was very detailed, and I felt as though I were there with her, especially in the circle in Memphis, TN, watching the scene unfold before me as Joan comes into her power. We follow Joan in her travels to control her power, overcoming the trials of being a witch as well as suffering though horrific losses that we can all relate to in our own lives.

Sidney’s story is one of painful neglect in the modern era, struggling through typical high school issues and untapped magic. Her relationships with family, friends, and the opposite sex are all scarred and mangled, each having its own painful outcome, as she grows into her own person. After abuse from the only two boys who showed any interest in her, Sidney closed herself off to love. That is, until a voice from the past awakens old desires, and she sees the light at the end of the tunnel for the first time in her young life.

Nadia Kim draws the reader into each girl’s story simultaneously, and forces you to feel things you may never have felt before. My heart broke when I read the tragedies that befell Joan’s family, I cried with her when her heart shattered, I cringed with her pain, and I smiled with her greatest joy. Sidney’s relationships with two detestable boys had me wanting to take a baseball bat to their heads, while shaking her parents in an effort to make them see the damage they were causing their daughter. When Sidney finally found a moment of peace and happiness, I rejoiced with her.

Little did either of them know their fates were tainted by a curse –one so powerful it could destroy them both, as well as the ones they love. And once the connection is made between the two women’s stories, Sidney’s future begins to look very dim. The first installment of this series leaves the reader salivating for the rest of the story. I eagerly anticipate reading more about Joan and Sidney’s futures.