ARC Review: Mark of the Witch by Maggie Shayne

3.5 Feathers

Mark of the Witch

by Maggie Shayne

(The Portal # 1)

THE PORTAL series has a wonderfully addictive blend of witchcraft and history.  Witches and legends and saving the world from bad demons.  Over three thousand years ago, three sisters were killed for practicing witchcraft, and throughout those years since they've been born again and again until the time has now come for them to serve their true purpose.  But is their purpose for good or evil?  And who is good or evil?

Indira is a modern day witch who doesn't like covens and refuses to be conformed.  She is now a non-believer.  In her dreams she lives through the life and death of a woman who is not her modern day self but it's her nevertheless.  A woman who is pushed over a cliff by the man she loved.

In style that was very much like the movie Stigmata, she has a power that takes over her and makes her do things or does things to her.  That's when she accepts the help of a priest who had decided to renounce his clergy position because he had lost his faith.  But he will help Indy as his last job.

Their connection was pretty instant but with the fact that they are playing for two different teams, or so they thought, and the fact that he's a priest all prevent them from acting on that attraction.  If you ask me, that might've been dragged a little too much and I always hate when the characters have to fight an obvious attraction for so long.

However, Indy was a fun heroine.  Even if at times a bit crazy, she was still strong and determined to do the right thing.  Father Tomas was hot and sexy and I guess I just wish he would've dropped that habit a lot sooner.

In order to do what she's supposed to do today, she must remember the past.  I loved how the two overlapped and almost reflected the events.  And although I feel that the story of the demon trapped on the other side of the Portal maybe wasn't developed enough, I have the feeling that the next book (or maybe that would be the third) will address that.

My one recommendation and complaint would be about the prequel to this series.  I would definitely recommend that you read LEGACY OF THE WITCH before reading this book because it'll give you a good base as to the story and what's driving this series.  My complaint is also about that prequel.  I was very interested in the characters that we met there and would love to see how those puzzle pieces fit in the series but none of that was addressed in this book.  I would've liked to see a small tie in.

*ARC provided by Netgalley

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