Told in first person through the eyes of Stella Mayweather a woman with uncontrolled powers who doesn’t know she is a witch. She’s hunted by the ‘Brotherhood’ and rescued by Etoile another witch, and taken to safety in the United States. There she learns about her powers.


This book started out interesting but turned predictable. When Stella was attacked at the party with the leaders of the Council, I knew who the attacker was immediately from the clue in the photograph of her parent’s wedding picture. When we find out who the evil perpetrator is at the climax, the character is over-the-top crazy. There was no subtlety of insanity, which made the character a bit laughable.

I didn’t get much of a feel for Stella’s personality. I’ve noticed authors seem to think that telling a story in first person will draw readers in. I’ve found for me, that an author has to be very good at showing in order for me to feel for the protagonist; else the character comes across as ‘bland.’ Unfortunately, Stella came across as ‘bland,’ although not as bland as I’ve read in other first person books.

I did like the fact that the author had Stella learn about her abilities and how to control them. Stella just didn’t suddenly turn into a superhero. I give points to the author on this.

There were so many secrets in this story. No one wanted to tell Stella anything and she let it go. Why do characters (authors) think that keeping the protagonist blind to what is happening around them helpful? Is it supposed to make the story more mysterious? I find it very irritating. It’s like the other characters treat the protagonist like a child and we end up finding out nothing about the secondary characters. The secondary characters could have had much richer personalities if Stella found out a little about them during the story. In fact, it would have added to Stella’s personality to find out how she dealt with finding out that Meg was a vampire while Stella interacted with her instead of when she was fighting Eleanor. That Kitty told Stella about Meg during the stand-off had me guffawing. I couldn’t believe the author stuck the info about Meg during that segment. It slowed the action down tremendously.

Another section that I found awkward was after Stella had sex with Evan the first time. She’d informed him she was a virgin and they had a long, strange conversation about how Stella didn’t lurk outside men’s doors to have sex. I don’t know if the author was trying to make this a humorous section or not. If she was, I think someone needed to proofread it more for her, because instead it came out odd and awkward. If fact it would have been better to eliminate the conversation all together and left it with just the sex.

The author has a good eye for detail, but unfortunately over uses her ability which slows the book down a lot. The author goes extensively into what clothes people wear; the details of food and even the look of the china. In the last chapter the author stretched the drive from the seaside home where Stella had lived, to Stella’s family’s home to excess. There was no need to go into such detail such as Stella eating her sandwich, marking the route on a map, stopping to get her cars and so forth. The last chapter plodded along. It was like the author didn’t want to stop writing and so kept adding detail.

The ending was unsatisfying. No one came back for Stella, or even to tell her what had happened to Kitty or to Evan. You’d think that someone would notify her, even a short note that said they’d be in contact, or nothing had changed with the health of her friends.

One technical detail that needs to be fixed. In my epub version, all thoughts voiced by Stella show up in a much larger font than the font size for the rest of the story. It looks strange.

The things that saved this book for me, was the concept of the Brotherhood, the mystery of the Council, Evan, learning about Stella’s powers, and the author’s good descriptive ability, although it was overused and should be reined in. I give this book three stars.




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Book Description: More than three hundred years after the most terrifying witch hunts the world has ever known, it’s happening again.

When an attack by ruthless witch hunters forces twenty-four-year-old Stella from her home in London into the protection of the powerful Witch Council in New York, she has to put her faith in strangers just to stay alive, yet she might not be any safer in their midst than the danger she escaped.

Hidden from the Brotherhood in an extraordinary safe house by the sea where she is sent to learn her craft, Stella finds there is more than one dark secret in her new family: Étoile’s sister is spoken of in fear and sadness; Marc is supposed to be a powerful warlock but is missing his magic; where does the owner of their safe house vanish to every day and why does Evan have the eyes of someone not quite human?

One secret is important enough to kill for and it’s a secret so powerful it could destroy the fragile threads of Stella’s new world.

Review: 5 stars

General: This book caught me absolutely off guard and sucked me so far into the world I’m annoyed I have been unable to finish the series due to other readings lined up! As I’ve stated more than once I have a personal issue with first person writing from all the “teaching” in my undergraduate program. While sitting in a lovely bubble bath I heard the kindle voice say the first “I’m not…” and I immediately sighed. Wrong thing to do! This book could not have captivated me more and to the point where I completely forgot the point of view.

Stella was in for a whirlwind ride and I loved reading it. Her introduction into the world of magic comes fast and hard and at the hands of those who mean to harm her. But while she is learning magic she also learns herself- about her parents, about her heart and about how everything is not always what it seems in her world. The good aren’t always the good and there is way more than simply humans in the world she’s been living in. I literally sat in the bath for 2 hours transfixed listening to the book before I drained the water and jumped out to finish reading. The ending of this novel is a wonderful cliffhanger and I’m so glad that this is a series about the same characters as opposed to a series about different people tied together because I have definitely not had enough of these characters.

Characters- Stella- Stella is a wonderfully written character that I think readers of any age would easily be drawn too- once they get past the first chapter. Stella initially comes across as a very obnoxious woman who does nothing but complain. Then you get to know her, her tragic past and her conflicting emotions from that point on are so truthful. her confusion over who to trust and her frustration over her powers not manifesting to her control were so realistic. I think Stella still has a wonderfully long journey ahead of her and if this book was any indication I cannot wait to see how she matures and changes.

Marc- Marc is a character that throughout the whole book I kept thinking “Gosh he is flat.” But it didn’t bother me. You’re introduced to Marc at a spectacular high rise in NYC. He is written in a stock kind of way where he power, money and good looks are all you see. His attraction to Stella is questionable and his treatment of her is downright dirty as the book progresses. But I thought I was merely reading a story device- a character put in to advance the plot in a certain way and nothing more. Then the plot climax hits and I realize “HOLY SHIT! He’s important as hell!” It took me a few minutes of thumb twiddling to realize it wasn’t that he was a stock character, it was that he was written to almost blend away until he needed to be seen and it was perfect!

Evan- *Whistles* Where to start with that male? Evan is your brooding sensual male hero, with a secret. What good book hero doesn’t have a secret or a tortured past the heroine doesn’t know right away? I was cheering for him to get with Stella from the get go- not to mention wanting him to kick Marc’s ass very early on. Reading Evan was like falling for him myself. He has the caring compassionate thing mixed with dark and brooding down to an art!

Etoile- I am uncertain how much more we will see of her but to me she seemed a main character to the series. Etoile is the female that 90% of readers envy. She is perfect from head to toe. Perfect hair, fashion and manners. Add in perfect magic and you have the formula for sickening in most books. But I loved Etoile. She has all the power and perfection and the grace to leave you smiling. She is very much aware of how people see her but she does not view herself as more and is a beautiful addition to helping Stella survive in her new world. ( )

Stella grew up in the foster system. She remembers nothing about her parents or where she came from but she knows that she is being hunted by the people that have murdered other woman around the world and when a mysterious woman shows up at her door claiming she is a witch she has no choice but to go with her and save herself from the hunters that are about to break down her door.

Stella knows she is different but she never imagined that there were other witches that could teach her how to use her powers. While learning to control her powers she makes new friends and is still in hiding from whoever is trying to kill her. I liked her character, her emotions and reactions were easy to picture in the situations she found herself in. The mystery was well played out and I honestly didn't guess what was really going on until it was about revealed. The other characters in the story were interesting to get to know and fit in their spots nicely. Surprisingly there is quite a bit of romance in the story and a bit of a triangle that doesn't last long thankfully. Both the boys were yummy sounding but I really only pictured her with one of them and thankfully that is who she ended up with. The writing was easy to get into but there were a few slow spots where I got a bit bored.

There is a lot left open at the end and I wouldn't mind seeing what happens next. Not a must read series for me but it was enjoyable. ( )

The review that follow is a partial review. To read the full review, please visit TBQ's Book Palace!
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Illicit Magic begins the story of Stella Mayweather, who has just found out that she's a witch. As she slowly starts to learn the craft, as well as how to perfect her gifts, she finds herself running from the Brotherhood, a group that is scouring the world, burning witches alive. As if that wasn't enough, while staying at a safe home with other magic weavers, someone close to the group comes after her, ransacking her room and attacking the entire household, all in the hopes of getting hold of Stella. Can Stella learn to control her powers, help solve her parents' murders, protect her new friends, AND figure out what her relationship is with her sexy “teacher”, Evan, before it's too late?

While I liked the story that Illicit Magic told, as well as some of the characters, I felt like there was something missing from the book. I can't put my finger on it, exactly, but whatever it was took a book that could have been a “wow” for me and turned it into only a “meh”. And although “meh” isn't a bad rating, it's obviously not the kind of review that anyone wants to write—and surely not one that an author wants to read! But I have to be honest in my reviews, and, for me at least, this story fell short.

I was a bit annoyed by how some things were repeated over and over again in the book—perhaps not word for word, but still repetitive all the same. I was also a bit put off by the fact that I knew what was happening in the story before even Stella—either she was slow or blind, I'm not sure which, and since this was told from a 1st person POV, that's saying a lot when the reader connects the dots before the heroine!

Yet there were plenty of things I liked about this book. Evan was great, and though I wanted to know more about him (I guess I'll just have to wait for the next two books), he was a pretty good hero. I was happy to see him and Stella get together, though it did take some time (and they have yet to reach a HEA by any means). I really enjoyed how he distracted Stella while he was helping her to practice with her powers. I think that scene was my favorite, both for it's subtle sexiness and slight humor.

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This review is property of The_Book_Queen (TBQ's Book Palace) ( )

With her parents taken from her at a very early age, Stella Mayweather has spent most of her young life bounced around from foster home to foster home. The existence of unexplained powers has caused her to live a solitary existence, something she much prefers, since it allows her to live in anonymity. Keeping away from others is the only way she can ensure no one else gets hurt when bursts of her powers surface unexpectedly. Yet, at times, she yearns to have someone she can depend on. To have that one friend who would be understanding about who and what she is.

An unexpected attack on her one night draws her attention to the unexplained burnings occurring all over Europe. Woman are are being burned alive on supposed accounts of their being witches. The reasons behind such things elude Stella, yet she can't deny the fact that she has always been different. When help arrives unexpectedly, she knows she has no choice but to do what has been asked of her. Surviving to live another day is a must and she'll do anything to make sure that happens.

Accepting Etoile's helping hand, she's catapulted into a world she never really knew existed. She'd always know that there were others like her out there, yet she never expected to meet them so soon in so short a time. As secrets surrounding her true origins come to light, Stella begins to question everything she's ever known in hopes of coming to terms with her parents untimely deaths so long ago.

With no other option but to accept the new life she's been given, Stella immerses herself in learning all she needs to know. She's intent on making the most of the gifts she's been bestowed. Getting used to them, however, isn't as easy as it seems. Her new teacher, Evan, is determined to show Stella that she definitely has what it takes in handling her raw power. She's willing to do as he asks of her, yet never once did she imagine finding herself attracted to him.

When it becomes apparent that someone is out for blood, Stella's especially, the Council decides to protect her, at all costs. The repeated attempts on her life are jarring, yet she's willing to show everyone that she's more than what they think of her. As more and more secrets, both hers and those surrounding her new family, make it into the light, she comes to the realization that there's quite a bit she doesn't know. Things have been kept from her a reason. While curiosity has killed the cat in the past, Stella knows she'll need to get to the bottom of things if she's to live a peaceful life. But first, she'll need to stay alive long enough in order to achieve it.

This book is the beginning of a great series. Action packed and quite addicting to read, the reader finds him/herself immersed in a world full of magic and intrigue. A world where appearances are definitely deceiving. I'm definitely look forward to what comes next! ( )