Burn Mark

Apr 30, 2012 Shelley aka Gizmo's Reviews rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-releases, netgalley-arc

Genre: YA Paranormal, Witchcraft
Rating: 2.5

*Gizmo's First Thoughts*

Gloriana Starling Wilde is a 15 year old teenager who, as the book opens, is having nightmares about the burning times. *The burning times is in essence the same as our Salem Witch trials which happened in both the UK and the US, and are still happening today in small countries in Africa.*

She believes she is seeing things from her mothers prospective. She knows that her mother disappeared without a trace when she was 3 years old...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Michelle Witte rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, supernatural, young-adult, alternate-history, reviewed, romance, netgalley, magic, hooked-by-1st-page, girls-who-kick-butt

When a book's description says:
"An action-packed drama full of East End gangs, witches, and a modern day Inquisition.
In a modern world-where witches are hunted down and burned at the stake-two live interact. Glory is from a family of witches, and is desperate to develop the 'Fae' and become a witch herself. Lucas is the son of the Chief Prosecutor for the Inquisition and his privileged life is very different from the witches he is being trained to prosecute. And then one day, both Glory and Lu...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Kirsty (overflowing library) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-books, uk-author, signed

Burn Mark is one of those books that draws you in and is so good that you don't want it to end of put it down. It's got witches, it's set in the East End of London, it's got mafia-esque rival gangs and a gorgeous boy or two ... what more could a girl ask for?

Burn Mark is the story of a world in which Witchcraft exists. Those with witch abilities are treated as second class citizens and generally seen as a scape goat for all that is wrong in modern society. The story focuses on two teenagers as t...more Burn Mark is one of those books that draws you in and is so good that you don't want it to end of put it down. It's got witches, it's set in the East End of London, it's got mafia-esque rival gangs and a gorgeous boy or two ... what more could a girl ask for?

Burn Mark is the story of a world in which Witchcraft exists. Those with witch abilities are treated as second class citizens and generally seen as a scape goat for all that is wrong in modern society. The story focuses on two teenagers as they come into their powers. Glory is from a powerful witch family and Lucas from a powerful witch hunter family. Both come into their powers within days of each other and due to a series of events the unlikely pair are to work together and reply upon one another even though their families are natural enemies. The follows them as they work to infiltrate one of the biggest covens in the east end as they try to bring it down.

I loved several things about this book.

The writing style is awesome and made it effortless to read. The first section is, in all honesty, quite slow, but as the story was so well told and the ideas and characters so interesting I just found myself utterly hooked to every page and wanting to find out more and the world the characters were in.

I loved the characters and loved the uneasy relationship that was built up between the two as the book went on. I loved particularly how different they both were to each other yet at the same time there was a lot of common ground between the two.

The action in this book when it kicks off is awesome. I was glued to the book as soon as things started to happen and needed to know more.

I really enjoyed how unique this book was. As a book reviewer I have found myself inundated with YA paranormal romance books or dystopian books which after a while bleed into the same book and I forget which one is which and which I've read or not. This one will stand out for me for a long time simply because it was so different. Yay for originality!!

All in all an awesome read which is high recommended!(less)

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Jun 13, 2012 Jo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review, hometown-glories-uk, own, ya, hometown-ya, 2012

I’ve been sitting on this review for a while now and it’s because I’ve not really been able to sort my thoughts out. What is it with these British authors who make me think about their books?
Gawwwd.

I’ve had trouble with paranormal books before and I often avoid them like I would avoid a zombie. Or you know, minus the hysterical screaming and basically causing a nuisance to everyone who is involved. They’re just not my thing. But something about this book really interested me. Witches, in London?...more

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May 10, 2012 Samantha rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just couldn't find myself getting into this book. I could barely get past 90 pages without wanting to hit something. It didn't have to do anything with the bad writing or errors, it was just boring to me. Nothing was happening and I didn't like not having any action.

Cover:
I really like the cover. It has this powerful meaning to it. Or it just looks pretty, one of the two. It reminds me a lot of the cover of Divergent by Veronica Roth because of the flame behind the fireball. I mean look at it!...more I just couldn't find myself getting into this book. I could barely get past 90 pages without wanting to hit something. It didn't have to do anything with the bad writing or errors, it was just boring to me. Nothing was happening and I didn't like not having any action.

Cover:
I really like the cover. It has this powerful meaning to it. Or it just looks pretty, one of the two. It reminds me a lot of the cover of Divergent by Veronica Roth because of the flame behind the fireball. I mean look at it! It looks similar!

Plot/Writing:
As I said above, nothing was happening. It was just the boring mundane lives of a confused rich kid and a lower east side girl. Which how I set that up reminds me of a different story. I don't like stories that go nowhere in the first 50 or so pages. If you don't have a good hook, then I will give up on your story. I'm a teenager I get bored easily.
There wasn't anything wrong per say with the writing. It didn't express many details that I would like to know about and my copy of the book doesn't have a Cleo, it has a Glory. Instead of quotation marks above dialogue, she used apostrophes.. Which I don't know why, it really bothered me.

Characters:
Glory? Or Cleo? I don't know which.. The summary says one thing and the book says another. I'm gonna go with Glory because that is what she is called up until I stopped reading. She was very strong willed and brave. She just wanted to get her power and become an amazing witch. She didn't let anyone push her around and stood on her own.

Then there's Lucas. He is one of those privileged kids. Going to the right school and being the rich and popular kid. Yet, Lucas still has really good morals in place. He stands up for what he thinks is right, and doesn't let other people intimidate him into doing the things that he wouldn't normally do. He's also confused and scared, but that is because he got a power that no one ever thought he was going to get.

All in All:
I don't exactly request this book. If you like magic and wizards, then go ahead and read this one. 2 out of 5 tacos.
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Mar 11, 2013 Mira Caine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First her name is Gloriana Starling Wilde, not Cleo. Altogether this book was interesting to say the least. I really enjoyed all of it and it kept me entertained while I was ill.
Sometimes in the story when it is having flashbacks, especially in the beginning it is difficult to tell when the time changes between the past and the future. Especially when talking about the Starling girls since Glory is one and she is alive.
But a thing I don't get is the whole relationship thing. It seemed like ther...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Helen Mastico rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First off the protagonist is Gloriana not Cleo as it says in the blurb. It got four stars on the strength of the beginning and end. Set in the present day, witches are a part of life and once the fae, or ability to perform witchcraft shows up in a person he or she is "bridled" with iron to prevent the use of said abilities. There are many who are not bridled because they exist outside of the laws in covens or are part of the law enforcement community. After a fun and intriguing start the book dr...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Pahjegoot rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 07, 2012 Stephanie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This post originally appeared at www.readinasinglesitting.com.

Laura Powell’s recently released Burn Mark is a book that seems to tick all the right boxes. The premise is solid and intriguing, the world-building is rich and believable, and the characters realistic.

And yet I found it disappointingly bland. Perhaps it’s that my paranormal palate has been overwhelmed over the past few years. Perhaps I’m just a grumpy old contrarian. But somehow, I simply couldn’t muster up any enthusiasm for this on...more This post originally appeared at www.readinasinglesitting.com.

Laura Powell’s recently released Burn Mark is a book that seems to tick all the right boxes. The premise is solid and intriguing, the world-building is rich and believable, and the characters realistic.

And yet I found it disappointingly bland. Perhaps it’s that my paranormal palate has been overwhelmed over the past few years. Perhaps I’m just a grumpy old contrarian. But somehow, I simply couldn’t muster up any enthusiasm for this one. The writing slouches along, placid and lazy and dully matter-of-fact, the characters undergo exactly the type and degree of change expected from the outset, and the plot is a commuter train making its way from one end of the line to the other exactly as detailed by the conductor.

Our setting is an alternative London where witchcraft is very much alive, and so too is the Inquisition, its purpose being to identity, monitor, police and punish witchkind. Our two key players are Lucas Stearne, son of the Chief Prosecutor of the Inquisition, and who learns that not only is he a witch, but an immensely powerful one; and Glory Starling Wilde, a tough-girl witch from a mafia-esque coven. The two, as you might imagine, find themselves working together, and in doing so discover a shocking series of betrayals and lies.

It’s a case of narrative predestination, and it’s proof that–for this reader at least–a tightly honed, carefully layered plot can undermine a story. Everything slots in so tidily together that it’s like an epic jigsaw puzzle. Unfortunately, one person’s tidy plotting is another person’s narrative restrictiveness, and the latter was the case for me. When everything is so neatly foreshadowed and the characters’ roles are so tidily telegraphed it’s easy for a narrative to feel as though it can’t possibly go any other way.

I was chatting with a romance author the other day about maintaining interest and suspense when the end of a novel is known to the reader, and she noted how it’s a delicate balance to push the boundaries while still working within a given formula. This one, I couldn’t help but feel, never quite pushed those boundaries. It relies on the depth of its world-building–which is admittedly impressive–to carry it, and I couldn’t help but feel that the rest of the novel wasn’t quite there. It’s a novel that’s competent enough, but whose purpose I can’t quite fathom. I had a similar reaction to Julianna Baggott’s Pure, which though beautifully written and thoughtfully explicated feels more like an exercise in setting than anything, and I wonder whether it’s a result of authors brainstorming dystopian-esque “what if” scenarios.

I think a lot of my qualms here have to do with scope and also with narrative insularity. During my recent reading of Mary Hooper’s Newes from The Dead, I found myself objecting to a certain plot point at the end that felt as though it had come out of nowhere. And yet, this event actually occurred in real life. But it’s not, as one might think, a case of fact being stranger than fiction. Rather, it’s to do with the scope of the story and what readers have been conditioned to expect from a book. The plot point in the Hooper would probably have been perfectly acceptable had the book’s scope been expanded to offer some reason or motivation for its occurrence. But real life–upon which the book is based–doesn’t allow for that. Real life is all about messy boundaries and unknowns. Things do have reasons and motivations. We just don’t see them, because they’re beyond the scope of our experience or knowledge.

My initial misgivings over the Hooper made me consider just how much readers are conditioned to accept logic and narrative containedness in their reading. In today’s fiction (the final extent, obviously, varying depending on genre and target audience) it seems that everything has to be telegraphed, because everything that happens in a book has to able to be saliently determined from prior information–we need to be presented with all of the facts. In few books outside the mystery genre have I found this more clearly than in Burn Mark. My copy, in fact, is bristling with post-it notes highlighting references to items or information that will clearly come into play at a later point in the book.

Curiously, the result of this for me was a book that left me feeling underwhelmed. Not because it wasn’t competent–it’s a solid enough book, after all–but because I felt as though I was never being tested as a reader. I never felt unsafe, or curious, or lost, or challenged. I felt rather as though I was a tourist on a bus being told what was what and what I should photograph. And I think the perfect tidiness of this book is what resulted in this being a less than memorable read for me.(less)

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Sep 13, 2012 Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teen-fiction

The Good: witches, crimes, social injustice & espionage - that's just plan fun. I generally enjoyed reading it and look forward to seeing what Powell comes up with next.

The Bad: This book needed a better editor; not just in terms of odd punctuation issues (sentence splices abound) but also the decision to market this as teen and not just general fantasy/paranormal fiction. Consequently, there were several plot points I just couldn't get passed. For example, the head-honcho inquisitor allows...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Beth rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fiction, skimmed-it

I was expecting this supernatural adventure mystery to have more romance. I read through the slow parts in the first half because I was waiting for the two charismatic main characters to finally meet - and to see how the sparks would fly! But there was no sparks.

Actually, there's not much action either, until 200 pages in. The alternatate England with legal witchcraft was very interesting, and the discriptions about how the chracters using their fae powers to work spells was factinating. So I d...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Tia rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well I just finished this novel after much distractions and I need to be honest, at least seventy-five percent of it sucked. When I first started reading it, it was boring and I figured it would be way better if I carried on with it. When I got to the middle things started speeding up a bit more but it still was slow and way too boring for me. The ending was the best, sad to say, but it was. I was much impressed with the ending. A few nit picking things would be Glory and the way she speaks. Eve...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Crystal (Books Are Sanity!!!) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My first impressions of Burn Mark were a bit disturbing. I wasn't a fan of the descriptions of witches being burned alive at the stake. However, I am very sensitive to these types of descriptions, so for others, this may not be an issue. Also, once I got through the couple of descriptions there were not any more, so I was fine. I really liked the characters of Glory and Lucas. They were from two completely differently lifestyles and two different family types. Lucas was from twelve generations o...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

See My Full Review Here: http://www.hippiesbeautyandbooksohmy....

First Impressions: I fell in love with both the cover art and the synopsis of Burn Mark. While the synopsis is short and sweet, I was interested in reading a story about witches in an inquisition-like setting. I actually haven’t read too much about witches surprisingly, even though I think they are fascinating. My husband and I even went to Salem, Massachusetts on our first wedding anniversary (which is totally appropriate since we...more See My Full Review Here: http://www.hippiesbeautyandbooksohmy....

First Impressions: I fell in love with both the cover art and the synopsis of Burn Mark. While the synopsis is short and sweet, I was interested in reading a story about witches in an inquisition-like setting. I actually haven’t read too much about witches surprisingly, even though I think they are fascinating. My husband and I even went to Salem, Massachusetts on our first wedding anniversary (which is totally appropriate since we married on Halloween!) As for the cover art, it seems much darker than what I normally find in the young adult section of my local bookstore, and a bit more artsy, too. I was excited to sit down and enjoy this one.

First 50 Pages: I always seem to enjoy books that are rich in detail and books that include a ton of backstory. Let me just say, there is no shortage of that in Burn Mark. The beginning of this book was at times difficult to get through. The author borderline info-dumps a ton of backstory on you and the pacing was very slow. Like I said, I usually don’t mind this sort of thing, but I think that even my limits were tested with this story. I liked how rich and unique the storyline was, but good golly! I wish the author would have created a prequel of Burn Mark just she could set up the story for us. It wasn’t until I was almost halfway through the book that I felt as though the pace began to pick up. Other than that hiccup, I ended up liking the story very much. It was completely different from anything else I have been reading lately and I feel as though it was worth reading.

Characters & Plot: Burn Mark, in my opinion, took all of the craziness from the Dark Ages and created a “What If” story. What if there were real witches? How would people react in modern times? Burn Mark takes place in England where being a witch (or Fae) is a hereditary disease of sorts. The book explains that one out of every one-thousand people is cursed with having the condition, and witches are frowned upon in the general population. Usually the Fae isn’t noticeable at birth, but rather people develop it as they get older. The people that have the Fae aren’t allowed to use any of their magic and are very highly discriminated against and are pretty much forced to hide in underground covens. Laura Powell explains all of this much better than I ever could and she gives you a highly detailed explanation at how all of it works (probably too much).

This book has alternating points of view from Glory and Lucas and it was interesting to see how very different these two characters viewed themselves, their lives, their surroundings, and other people. I think that the author did a good job differentiating these characters and I didn’t have a problem figuring out who was speaking or thinking. Burn Mark actually has quite a few other characters, mostly minor, but they aren’t nearly as important as Glory and Lucas.

I definitely liked Glory more then I liked Lucas. Glory is a fifteen year old girl who lives with her great aunt, Angel. She comes from a long line of powerful witches and she hopes that she will inherit their strength. Glory is totally okay with being a witch and is distrustful of the government and of the Chief Prosecutor. Lucas on the other hand, is the son of the Chief Prosecutor and is very prejudiced against anyone with Fae powers. He never expected to become a witch himself, so it comes at quite a shock when his powers show up and he has to change around his plans for his future. Glory and Lucas’s paths cross as the story continues, and when they meet, the book becomes a whole lot better and much more interesting and entertaining. I basically flew right through the second half of this novel.

Final Thoughts: I liked this book very much despite its slow start and slow pace. I’m kind of wondering if this will be a book teens will have the patience to read? I’m not too sure they will. I have a really high tolerance for these sorts of things, and I was pushed to my limit. I think that if you can get through the first half of this book without giving up and putting it back down, you will enjoy it as much as I did. It is a very rich story, unique in every way, and fans of history and imagery should like it. I’m hoping that the author will be writing a second novel because the ending has room for growth. I’ll for sure check it out if she does!(less)

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Jun 25, 2012 Kristina Cardoza rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Burn Mark by Laura Powell is a brilliant teen/YA fantasy novel. I loved it!!!!! 5 stars! :)

SUMMARY

"Fae runs thicker than blood, quicker than water, and wild as wind."

Lucas Augustine Stearne is the son of a twelfth generation witch inquisitor, the witches' mortal enemy. Lucas lives a proper and privileged life, and he is going to school to become a prosecutor like his father.

Gloriana Starling Wilde is the unlawful granddaughter of the Starling twins, two famous female troublemakers in the 1900s....more

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Jun 24, 2012 Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-release, 2012-100-book-challenge, books-i-own, mundie-moms-reviews

Burn Mark intrigued me a few different levels. First there's the catchy cover followed by the synopsis. Those two alone made me want to pick this book up and read it. Two, Laura Powell's witches aren't based on the well know Salem Witch Trials. Set in the UK, her witches have ties to similar witch trials that have gone on through out the world, as well as through out history and most notably the trials that continue in Africa today. Last, I was intrigued with both of the book's MC's history and...more Burn Mark intrigued me a few different levels. First there's the catchy cover followed by the synopsis. Those two alone made me want to pick this book up and read it. Two, Laura Powell's witches aren't based on the well know Salem Witch Trials. Set in the UK, her witches have ties to similar witch trials that have gone on through out the world, as well as through out history and most notably the trials that continue in Africa today. Last, I was intrigued with both of the book's MC's history and their family ties. Glory hails from a long line of powerful witches and Lucas comes from a well known family of Prosecutors, who put the Witches on trail. Given their differences, I wanted to know what their ties were together and how the heck these two were going to work through their becoming Witches.

I love a good Witch book, and I felt this one had the makings to be just that. I enjoy a book that's rich in lore, is believable and has intriguing characters that make me want to keep reading their story to learn more about them. Burn Mark has this, but there was something about the way the story was delivered that made it very hard for me to get into it. The story starts off really slow, which I understood way. There was a need to introduce both characters, and give readers a little glimpse into the lives they both live, and the family life they both hail from, but despite that, the story never really picked up for me. No matter how much I tried to get into it, I felt the plot fell flat for me. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the history and the research that went into this story, because I did. I just needed something more than what I go out of the Glory and Lucas's story, and I can't even tell you exactly what it was that I needed.

Character wise, both Glory and Lucas are good characters. I was surprised over how much I liked Lucas. He's a character who was born into wealth and privilege and I loved that those things didn't define who he was. He wasn't cocky and didn't allow those things to go to his head. I really admired him and his strong belief in being true to himself and standing up for what he feels is right. He was a strong solid character with outstanding morals, and someone I felt does the best he can in the situations he finds himself in. Glory is also a strong character in her own right. She stands up for herself, and she doesn't stop in her quest for answers. She's a solid character, and like Lucas, I admired her strength, but in the end I didn't connect with either of like I had hoped to.

Overall this is a book that had a few things I liked about it, but not enough for me to really enjoy it like I had wanted to. I don't know if that's due to a combination of things I had going on during the time I spent reading this book, or if this is a book that really wasn't meant for me. Just because I didn't love the book, doesn't mean someone else won't. If you're in the mood for a Witch story that has a creative spin on Witch lore, and includes a touch of magic I'd recommend giving it a try.(less)

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May 28, 2012 Annmarie (World of Books) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review also appears on my blog World of Books

Review: I don't know what it was exactly about this book but I just couldn't get into it. The plot sounded interesting enough but when I sat down to read it I...just didn't like it.

I'll admit: I really feel in love with the cover. Of course the plot sounded just as good but it was the cover that really made me want to read this book. So maybe I'm a victim to judging a book by its cover. But the thing is, the plot was good but boring at the same t...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Sean the Bookonaut rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Burn Mark by Laura Powell is an exciting start to a new series that blends the paranormal, witches in this case, with espionage, crime and conspiracy.

I am reminded of Kate Griffin’s Mathew Swift Series, in both tone and setting. This isn’t the usual paranormal fare of tight-jeaned, tattoo flashing, sassy ‘insert flavour of the month paranormal here’ heroines. No, Burn Mark is undeniably gritty, understated and British in the best sense of the word.

Powell is a YA writer but Burn Mark, by virtue

...more Burn Mark by Laura Powell is an exciting start to a new series that blends the paranormal, witches in this case, with espionage, crime and conspiracy.

I am reminded of Kate Griffin’s Mathew Swift Series, in both tone and setting. This isn’t the usual paranormal fare of tight-jeaned, tattoo flashing, sassy ‘insert flavour of the month paranormal here’ heroines. No, Burn Mark is undeniably gritty, understated and British in the best sense of the word.

Powell is a YA writer but Burn Mark, by virtue of her skill, transcends that categorisation(in much the same way as Paolo Baccigalupi does), it’s simply a good story, an intriguing backdrop and a well paced adventure.

The Tale

Burn Mark is set in an alternate history modern England. Witches and witchcraft are real but the State registers and licences them, employing them in policing and espionage. The British Inquisition is real too, although a somewhat tame and civilised version of its former self;at least on the surface.

Our protagonists are Glory- the streetwise chav who hopes and dreams of inheriting her mothers fae ability and Lucas Stearne - son of the Chief Prosecutor of the Inquisitorial Court.

Lucas and Glory become unlikely allies in a race to uncover who is behind the spate of witch kind terrorist attacks. There’s a turf war and a national conspiracy - plenty of well paced intrigue and action to keep you reading.

It’s akin to the Krays meets Spooks plus Witches.

History Sprinkled

After an initial dose of backgrounding, Powell manages to weave in world building and setting nicely.

She has constructed a believable alternate history of witches, from John Dee to the Second World War. History seems to have pretty much worked out the same, the Allies won, Witches are still burned and killed in third world countries (actually that part’s not actually alternate history, more’s the pity). Witchkind are excepted into public life by virtue of liberal attitudes and government programs.

All in all we get a sprinkling of witch related events that makes for a nicely flavoured story, and sets up current tensions.

Robust, goal driven characters

Glory, a chav is presented as a young woman with agency, she knows what she wants and isn’t going to end up being some gangster’s pram pusher. Staying true to that character she isn’t looking for a young, brooding, distant but ultimately redeemable lost soul of teen. No she’s got priorities and finding a man isn’t one of them.

Lucas, too, has his vision of what he wants to be and despite the obstacles put in his way seems to roll resiliently with the punches.

On reflection, these strong characters (the adults always seem less focussed or compromised) strongly push Burn Mark as young adult tale. The teen protagonists and their actions direct the story. Which isn’t to say that life’s realities are treated with kid gloves. There’s witch burnings and murder, threats to kill and the well described “ducking” of suspected witches.

If you’re a fan of British crime or espionage drama I think you’ll enjoy this read and the rest that follow.

This book was provided to me by the publisher at no extra cost to myself

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Jun 28, 2012 Book Sp(l)ot rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In a world where witches face harsher punishment for the same crimes as their non-witch counterparts and must report to the government for a type of binding, two teens whose lives have been couldn't more different will find themselves linked together. Whether they want to be or not.

Glory is from a family of witches. Witches that live outside the law and practice their magic freely - and she cannot wait for the day she comes into her powers.

Lucas, the son of the son of the Chief Prosecutor for th...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Kelly Hager rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The premise behind this book is simple: what if there really WERE witches? And what if, as a result, the witch trials never stopped?

In this reality, there are basically two factions---those that abide by the law and those that don't. Lucas is the latest (hopefully) in a long line of Inquisitors. For generations, his family has hunted unregistered witches and made sure that they don't harm others. Glory is essentially his exact opposite: the latest in a long line of unregistered witches. She does...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Janie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Not at all what I expected. I had first perceived this alternate universe a magical faerytale-tote setting, not a "Law&Order"-"CSI"-"Hawaii50"-type setting. Truthfully it was more intriguing that way. It made everything seem professional and mysterious as custom of investigating/law settings.

But--and there is always a but--I found a few perplexing things. The cover, for example, has the fire ring. I was trully disappointed to find that it was not the Witch's Mark. I thought it would be so c...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Suzan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who enjoys YA Paranormal

I really enjoyed this and the portrayal of what it could be like if witches existed and were known about. The prejudice and discrimination they would face. I loved the twisting of history as well to make the plague and great fire consequences of witch work. I liked the two teen characters Lucas and Glory and the fact that Lucas (the son of the cheif prosecuter for the inquistion and from an old well established inquistorial family) was actually more open minded about things then Glory (a coven w...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Melbourne on my mind rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, paranormal, young-adult, fantasy

It took me a while to get my head around how witchcraft worked in this world, as well as the concept of registered and unregistered witches. But once I'd done that, this became a lot more enjoyable.

Basically, it's a world where a small percentage of the population develop the fae in their late teens or early 20s. Some choose to register themselves with the Inquisition, agreeing to be bound in iron cuffs or necklaces to suppress their powers. Others choose to work for the Inquisition, hunting dow...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Jael rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Imagine being burned at the stake just for being different? Sounds horrible doesn't it? In Burn Mark by Laura Powell burning witches is the norm. If they step out of line or commit a crime, they risk paying the ultimate price. Even worse everyone gets to see you on television in that moment. Every one gets to point the finger at the big bad witch. The London Street gangs have been replaced by covens. Instead of Parliament we have Inquisitors, who make it their mission to rid society of the bad w...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Stormi (Lightning Book Promotions) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wasn't sure about this book at first, it is a modern world but it's sort of I am guessing what is called a Dystopian novel. Those types of books are not my favorites and they usually come down to I either like them or not. I like witch books and this sounded cool so I gave it a try.

It's sort of like a modern day Britian, but with a few exceptions. For instance, their is a inquisition and witches. The inquisition has modernize from what it was a long time ago, but it still has some of it's old...more I wasn't sure about this book at first, it is a modern world but it's sort of I am guessing what is called a Dystopian novel. Those types of books are not my favorites and they usually come down to I either like them or not. I like witch books and this sounded cool so I gave it a try.

It's sort of like a modern day Britian, but with a few exceptions. For instance, their is a inquisition and witches. The inquisition has modernize from what it was a long time ago, but it still has some of it's old traditions as well. They have a WICA team which is a division designed to work with witches to catch criminals. They also have things like dunk tanks in which they put the person suspected of being a witch and dunk them, it is suppose to show their witch mark.

The witch mark is called the devils kiss and for Lucas, son of the Chief Prosecutor, getting his mark was the worst day of his life. He thought his days of working for the inquisition were over and his father had to hide the fact that he was a witch until after this rather large witch trial was over, as he was the chief prosecutor. Then a chance comes along for Lucas to do something of worth, he fills like it is his way of atoning for the fact that he became a witch. WICA needs him to infiltrate the cooper street coven where they have an informant. They need someone to get in through Cooper street to the Wednesday coven. Using a glamour with the help of the informant he gets into the coven. I like Lucas, and I really felt sorry for him that he turned witch. I also like how his is strong enough to try and turn what happened to him into a way to still bring criminals to justice. Yes, it will be different for him but at least he is trying to cope.

Glory Starling comes from a solid witch background and she prays that one day she will wake up and have her witch mark. Just coming from a witch line doesn't mean you will turn witch. They call this getting your 'fae'. It can happen to you when your young or maybe into your twenties, the younger you get it the more powerful you are. Glory and your Aunt are the only two who know who Lucas really is and she hates working with him, but she hates Charlie Morgan, the Wednesday coven leader even more. While Lucas and Glory are spying on Charlie they find out a lot more than they bargained for and now they don't know who to trust or where to go. Glory to me is a little high and mighty, but not a bad character. She is a witch from a witch family and all she knows is what her aunt has been telling her, though in the end she has to make her own choice.

I don't pretend to know a lot about witches so I was a little confused at the turn 'fae' being used and that makes me think of fairy kind not witches? When a witch becomes a witch they come into their 'fae' which gives them a mark on their body. When they do witch work the spot on their body tingles. Any way the use of the term 'fae' was just strange to me.

Over all I thought it was an interesting world and I am interested in finding out what happens next in Witch Fire. So if you like these types of books I think you should give it a try.
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Jun 25, 2012 Jen (Almost Grown-up) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Posted to Almost Grown-up:

The premise of Burn Mark by Laura Powell is genius and drew me into the story immediately. Set in an alternate version of present-day England, the main difference is the commonality of witchkind. There are, therefore, government practices in place to work with/against them, such as the inquisitors (only non-witches allowed) and Witchkind Intelligence & Covert Affairs (aka WICA, comprised of witches themselves). Laura Powell, of course, does a much better job of expl...more Posted to Almost Grown-up:

The premise of Burn Mark by Laura Powell is genius and drew me into the story immediately. Set in an alternate version of present-day England, the main difference is the commonality of witchkind. There are, therefore, government practices in place to work with/against them, such as the inquisitors (only non-witches allowed) and Witchkind Intelligence & Covert Affairs (aka WICA, comprised of witches themselves). Laura Powell, of course, does a much better job of explaining this in Burn Mark than I’ve done here.

Lucas and Glory were brought up with very different ideas of their futures would entail and the emotions that come hand-in-hand with the development of their fae were executed well. Lucas is terrified; this is something that he’s never expected, but he takes it in stride. Glory is ecstatic; she’s always wanted to be a witch.

Both are developed on their own, but I admit that I was partial to Lucas’s character. His whole life has been thrown off-kilter when he inadvertently works his first magic, but he learns to deal with it and develops new plans for his future with the hand he’s been dealt. Glory, in contrast, could be a little grating.

But since they’re from different sides of the track, so to speak, I can admit that I was partial to Glory’s world. She’s a member of the Cooper Street Coven, which in Burn Mark means she’s a member of the MOB. Hell yes. Organized crime in the hiz-ouse!

When Glory and Lucas’s worlds started to intertwine, I practically went into paroxysms of delight. We had political corruption, witches, AND a mob factor? Helloooooo, nurse.

Because Burn Mark contained many of my favorite elements, I was disappointed with… well, some of the disappointment I felt. It felt like some subplots were touched upon, but only briefly. The author was probably leaving herself room to expand upon said subplots in future novels, I felt that Burn Mark would have been a stronger novel had those elements been left out for now or maybe reinforced just a little more.

As the climax and falling action started, things began unraveling at a truly confusing rate, pulling in desperate characters and non-essential points of view that took me out of the action where Glory and Lucas were.

Still, the smart world-building, fascinating subcultures and characters mean that I look forward to seeing where Laura Powell takes us in future novels in her world… because, near as I can tell this is the beginning of a really interesting series.

Overall rating: 3.5/5. Lovers of mystery, witchcraft, organized crime, and political instability will be fascinated by the world constructed in Laura Powell’s Burn Mark.(less)

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Jun 23, 2012 Mary (BookHounds) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, e-book, arc, from-publisher-author, young-adult

MY THOUGHTS
REALLY LIKED IT 3.5 stars
The story focuses around Glory, a fifteen year old witch (or fae) that comes from a long line of spectacular witches and Lucas, who is the teen son of the chief inquisitor and shows a bit of witch in himself, something that causes major dilemmas within himself. The back story is that it is modern times and witches are practicing in public, but like anyone, there are good and bad. The bad use their skills for crime and ill gotten gain. The worst of these have b...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Angelica rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I read the synopsis, the plot triggered my interest and curiosity and the cover was quite cool and mysterious in a way, thus I was excited to read it. So when I read the book and it wasn't up to par, I became exceptionally disappointed. The story was presented in terrible writing skills. It was too long-winded, making it very boring. Usually when I am reading a good book, I have this irresistible urge to pick up the book, keep reading, and never put it down. I didn't have that urge when it...more

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Mar 27, 2012 Annmarie Ager rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I knew as soon as I started this book I would love it! Glory and Lucus make for two amazing characters. Glory has always hoped that she would some day become a witch like most of her other relatives so when she finally get her wish you think she would be overjoyed but being a witch is not all it’s cracked up to be. When the Inquisition hunts unlicensed witch's down and the head coven leader has his own plans for you, life looks more like a danger than fun. Then Lucas the son of the Chief Prosecu...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Tyler-rose (The Reading Pile) added it

Shelves: dnf

Marked it as a DNF...

I cannot describe my frustration with this novel! I was loving it at the beginning... I only read a couple of pages at a time, due to spending a lot of time with family, celebrating my anniversary with Andy, getting ready for uni... And I guess I kind of blame that. If I had sat down with the intent on FINISHING it, instead of 'Oh I'll just read this to pass the time' perhaps I would have liked it more...

But as it stands, I can't get on with any of the characters... I can't...more

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