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The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton


The Witch Haven by Sasha Peyton is a young adult science fiction & fantasy novel by a debut author.


Seventeen-year-old Frances Hallowell lives in New York in 1911 and makes a living as a seamstress in a small shop. For the past few months, she has been living in a fog. Lost to herself after her brother was murdered and her mother was committed, Frances has been living without really feeling anything. That is, until one day when the shops owner attacks her and a pair of scissors flies through the air, stabbing him in the neck.


Now Frances can feel a power within herself that she's never felt before and before she knows it, she is swept up by two women all in black and taken to an "asylum" to "convalesce" from tuberculous. But in reality, she is taken to a school where young witches can learn to control their power.


But something isn't right at the school and as her power grows, Frances becomes the target of a notorious group of magicians. Despite wanting to learn more about her power, what Frances wants more than anything is to find her brother's killer. But the path to the truth may be too costly to pay.


I seem to be on a little bit of a witch kick lately and I wasn't sure if I was going to get into the book because of how saturated my mind is with "witches" lately. Happily, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I think a big reason for this was because you just knew someone was going to betray Francis and I really just wanted to know who it was going to be.


There's been a lot of historical based fiction where witches, suffragettes and women's rights and empowerment are the focus and the same can be said for this book. Frances is a woman who just happens to be a witch and even so is to learn how to "behave." And even though she isn't interested in that she does often relent to the male characters in the book. But not to worry, she has her day and by the end we see a Frances who doesn't second guess herself but remains strong and sure.


The author does set the opportunity for a sequel but it isn't necessarily needed. Though, there are a few plot holes that were never wrapped up that would fit quite nicely into a book 2--hopefully, there is one on the horizon.


This was a read that kept me interested and I'd be willing to read more from this author. This book gets a low 4 stars from me.


That's all for now!

-M-

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