Title: Always A WitchAuthor: Carolyn MacCullough (site)
Published: August 1st, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pages: 288
Price: Amazon / Book Depository
Series: Witch #2
Rating: 5/5
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis: The adventures of Tam and Gabriel continue with more time travel, Talents, spy work, and of course, the evil Knights.
Since the gripping conclusion of Once A Witch, Tamsin Greene has been haunted by her grandmother's prophecy that she will soon be forced to make a crucial decision—one so terrible that it could harm her family forever. When she discovers that her enemy, Alistair Knight, went back in time to Victorian-era New York in order to destroy her family, Tamsin is forced to follow him into the past. Stranded all alone in the nineteenth century, Tamsin soon finds herself disguised as a lady's maid in the terrifying mansion of the evil Knight family, avoiding the watchful eye of the vicious matron, La Spider, and fending off the advances of Liam Knight. As time runs out, both families square off in a thrilling display of magic. And to her horror, Tamsin finally understands the nature of her fateful choice.
Initial Thoughts: If you've read my review of Once A Witch, you know that I loved the first book in this series. I was really excited to see the sequel on NetGalley and I snapped it right up. I went into this one with high expectations.
Review: I loved this book! Tamsin is such a wonderful character. She feels like a real person. The romance between her and Gabriel is put on hold for most of the book, as she doesn't tell him that she's going into the past to try and stop the villain from the first book. I thought that this might make the book a bit more dull than the first, but I didn't even notice the lack. I thought I had a pretty good idea of where this one was going, how she would fix things, but I was very much surprised by the actual events. I loved getting a glimpse into the lives of the Knight family. Going by the blurb, I expected there to be a bit of romance between Tamsin and Liam, but there weren't really any "advances" made, at least not romantic ones. Everything is wrapped up nicely at the end. No word yet on whether or not there will be a third book, but I'm happy either way. There are no burning questions left in my mind, but I wouldn't mind spending more time with these characters.
Quick Review: I loved this series, MacCullough is definitely going on my list of Authors to Watch. The characters are realistic and engaging, the story was fast-paced and surprising. I loved Tamsin and her world and I think you will too. I would recommend this to anyone who likes YA.
