Changling (Curse of Kin #2)

Synopsis via Goodreads:
Each of the three friends has a place in the curse. This book follows Sully as he finds out more about his history and his skills.

Nera's best friend Sully knows there is something special about him. After all, he is related to her uncle and Jasper is a witch.
Stands to reason that something would have been passed down.
They just have to find what powers Sully has been bestowed with.
But when they do, is it as simple as he thinks?
To be able to change into his animal and run wild is one thing. To be hunted for the beast that he is, is another. And when they find out who wants him dead, they realize that life isn't as simple as they thought.

Release date: October 30th 2013
Publisher: Lycaon Press

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Review:
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After enjoying Witchling (you can find the review here), I was looking forward to reading the sequel. I knew it would be about Sully, and I assumed it would be from his point of view. I was surprised to see it was Sully's story from Nera's point of view. Harper was smart to do it that way because Nera knew the danger that Sully would be facing. She, Jasper, and Bones decided to keep the secret from Sully. Had the story been told from Sully's point of view, then Nera's actions and words would have seemed a little extreme.

This book keeps up many of the elements from the first book. There teens still enjoy swordplay. Nera works with her powers to control the elements, and also uses her telepathic powers. Also, Nera's relationship with Bones doesn't progress much. They are still at each other's throats most of the time. However, we see Sully's personal emotions evolve to wanting something more with Nera, and Brie's crush on Bones grows. This creates a bit of tension between all the characters in the book.

Harper adds new characters to this story in the form of a new family moving to town. It seems that at least one of them might have some powers that they might not be aware of yet. It will be interesting to see what Harper decides to do with Peter, Gemma, and Nat in the next book(s). I really liked that Nat is around Rowan's age. Now he can have someone to relate to in Harper's world.

One thing that really bothered me in this book was Nera and her attitude. I just want to shout at her "Stop being such a baby!" In the first book she was moody, but I would be too if I found out that I was a witch, was part of a prophecy, and that supernatural beings were out to get me and my friends. In the second book, she flies off the handle if anyone gives her ANY criticism. It's funny because she basically yells at Gemma to deal with her situation and accept where she is now, but Nera doesn't do the same in her own situation. Every day she storms off from her parents, friends, and Bones. Bones gives her praise sometimes, but Nera doesn't acknowledge that. She assumes he has ulterior motives for it. Then when she is given constructive criticism, she has a snappy or rude remark and storms off. Deal with it Nera! One character summed it up by saying that she's overwhelmed and cranky. I agree.

Readers who enjoy a good paranormal story with shifters and swordplay should check out this series!

To find out what other readers thought about the book, check out the rest of the Changling Tour.

About author Ari Harper:

Ari Harper never wanted to grow up.

To offset the limitations of aging ungracefully, she created her own set of unique worlds where she can be and do whatever she wants.

Gods, witches and demons surround Ari while she spins her magic, doing mainly what they tell her to do. Given a chance, she prefers to work amongst chaos, which is good because she is constantly surrounded by children, all clamoring for attention. Some of them end up in her stories, some of them even get to die grisly deaths or be cast away to another realm. Her favorite pet is a big black dog called Hugo. You will find him as himself in the Curse of Kin series as Nera's faithful hound.

www.ariharper.com

Giveaway:
Enter to win an electronic copy of Witchling and Changling. This giveaway is open internationally!

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Witchling (Curse of Kin #1)

About the book:
Nera is a normal teenage girl living in Ireland-or so she thought. Her world is forever changed when she discovers that she is descended from a long line of witches. To her horror she finds she is the one that is supposed to stop the curse that has taken the life of every girl before her. As if that isn't enough, she must learn to use magic and her trainer is a man named Bones. He is the son of Mari, Queen of the Witches, and a god. It is Bones that has been entrusted to teach her the skills she needs to stay alive, which wouldn't be so bad if he didn't have an uncanny knack for pushing her buttons. Can Nera learn what she needs while staying immune to the charms of the man that gets under her skin at every opportunity?

Review:
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've read stories about magic. I've read stories about witches. I've even read stories about curses. Ari Harper does a fantastic job mixing these elements to create a satisfying and very fulfilling story that will have readers eager to pick up the sequel, Changeling, whenever it is released.

I loved that Harper elaborated on the different aspects that Nera and her friends were trained in. Between swordplay, spells, telepathy, telekinesis, and healing powers, there was a lot for Nera (and readers) to learn about. Harper did a good job giving details about the different subjects and how they work. I especially enjoyed learning about the sword fighting.

One thing that makes this book stand out is the romance, or lack there of. There's definitely chemistry between Nera and Bones, but both characters seem to push the other one away.  Instead of a love/hate relationship, it is more of a put-up-with-each-other/hate relationship. I liked that Harper didn't rush this relationship, and I would like to see how the relationship unfolds in the next book.

The many details of the curse were a bit difficult to figure out because they were gradually introduced to Nera and the readers. Probably a good thing, because one of the final aspects of the curse that Nera learns about would have had her saying "Hell No" to helping out with breaking the curse. (And I wouldn't blame her!) Give it to Nera to be strong when she had to be, even though she constantly whined about the situation.

The only minor issue I had with the story is that everyone was "dear"--as in dear mom, girl dear, or dear dad. It might be an Irish thing, and I'm completely overreacting, but I could have made a drinking game out of it. That was the only repetitive word/aspect, and as I said, it was a minor thing.  Overall, the story was well thought out and written.

For readers who love a good paranormal adventure, Witchling is a must read. Perfect for teens or adults. Put it on your To Be Read list asap!

Find Witchling on Amazon

About author Ari Harper:
Ari Harper never wanted to grow up.

To offset the limitations of aging ungracefully, she created her own set of unique worlds where she can be and do whatever she wants.

Gods, witches and demons surround Ari while she spins her magic, doing mainly what they tell her to do. Given a chance, she prefers to work amongst chaos, which is good because she is constantly surrounded by children, all clamoring for attention. Some of them end up in her stories, some of them even get to die grisly deaths or be cast away to another realm.

www.ariharper.com

Giveaway
Enter for a chance to win a signed copy of Witchling and other swag.  Giveaway is open internationally!

Visit the Tour Page to find the answers to the hints for more entries into the giveaway!!

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