Legacy of The Witch is a prequel for The Portal series. I know about the new series by Maggie Shayne, since she make a gorgeous website for The Portal. Even make a song for this series. Such a dedication!

As for this novella, I enjoy the story. Its fresh! Love the Babylonian myth and I always love anything that connect to Middle East culture. Amarrah is a slave girl to slaves girls. Nah, this already make me "huh, what the meaning of this?". To know about it, of course you must read this first, l More...

When Amarrah was a child her parents disappeared in Iraq. After their disappearance she went to live with her grandmother. Ever since she arrived at her grandmother's her grandma would tell her stories about three witches Lilia, Magdalena, and Indira. One of the times, when her grandmother was telling one of the stories, she shocked her grandma by telling he "I know this story." In which she preceded to tell her, her part of the story that she was a place slave to the slave girls in the harem. More...

Kindle Freebie. My first book by Maggie Shayne. It was quite an interesting little story, I found I enjoyed it a lot.

The ss matched a present day story with a flashback story to ancient Babylon. Amarrah has been told tales by her grandmother all her life about the 3 witches who were part of the King's harem. Amarrah is the reincarnation of a girl who was a harem slave, and who helped the witches by taking the box into her safekeeping. Present day Amarrah's family has been the keeper of the speci More...

Book Blurb - "Once upon a time, there lived three witches…."

As a child, Amarrah loved her grandmother's stories of three witches who were members of the king's harem. But they were more than just stories. Amarrah knows she was there with them…and now their legacy, along with an ancient box that once belonged to them, lies in her hands.

Charged with keeping the box safe, Amarrah is heartbroken when it is stolen from her while she moves to America. Years later, she is shocked to see it on TV and is More...

Also on http://sillymelody.blogspot.com

Legacy of the Witch is today's selection. First off it's a novella that introduces a new series that has to do with witches. Perfect for this time of the season, since Halloween is just around the corner. So here's what the novella is about:

We meet up with a 13 year old Amarrah who's grandmother is about to pass on to the next chapter of her life. A flower way of saying she's dying. All her life she has been told of stories of about these witches, but they More...

LEGACY OF THE WITCH (The Portal Series0.5) by Maggie Shayne

LEGACY OF THE WITCH is the prequel novella to the new PORTAL series by Maggie Shayne. Released September 1, 2012 Legacy of the Witch introduces the backstory to 3 witch sisters born in the middle east over 3,000 years earlier and their re-birth into a modern time.

In the 1970-80s Amarrah was a young 13 year old girl from Iraq who was fascinated by the stories told by her aging grandmother. Since the time she was 5, Amarrah has listened to More...

Gah!!!!!!! I love novellas, especially when they are attached to a beautiful series that I want to just snuggle up with or roll around in (like children with glitter or dogs with mud.. etc.. haha!). This was an amazing start to the Portal Series!!

The connection of Amarrah and Harrison is brilliant and the visions/memories of the past are so breathtakingly described and vivid, I just wish I could have been there! (Does this series need to be turned into a movie? I am thinking Oh My Goodness YES! More...

This one is a preview for the new series by Maggie Shayne, called the Portals. The first book in the series is called Mark of the Witch, which I got signed at BEA from Maggie. So when I saw that this was being given as a freebie from Amazon I was all over it. i always read Maggie's books, I don't know what they are about until I'm well into the books but if I see she;s in a book I will snap it up. She has a way of weaving a story that is magical and enchanting and just draws you in. This book, s More...

So I was not sure what to expect when picking this book up, it actually took me a second to realize it was a prequel to a book I was already reading, so of course I stopped reading that and focused on this book alone.


I have been a fan of Maggie Shayne for a while now. This book wasn't a let down when it came to expectations.


Reincarnation can be a tricky subject to brooch because you don't know which life to give the most attention to and often I have found the books containing such subjects lac More...

I wish I would have read this before I received an ARC of the 1st book in The Portal Series, Mark of the Witch. Only because reading this first would have helped me while reading it, this sets that book up PERFECTLY!!! I read a few reviews already for Legacy of the witch and one said that this enovella had to many holes, well Mark of the Witch fills in every single one of them. So if you felt that way as well at the end of this novella go preorder Mark of the Witch now and I promise you won't fe More...

This review was posted at Under the Covers

Not knowing what to expect of this series, this prequel was the perfect teaser. A touch of the Middle East, legends, witches and a magical box. This series is shaping up to be a very interesting read.

Amarrah's grandmother used to tell her stories from long ago about three witches in the king's harem, and how they could never find love. Except Amarrah knew these stories, because she had been there and lived through them. On her deathbed, her grandmother p More...

Source: Freebie on the Kindle.

Reading Challenges:
-Men in Uniform (Harrison is a soldier).
-Why Buy the Cow?
-Sexy Series

My Thoughts:
I bought Mark of the Witch on a whim, because I was in the mood for a book with witches. I'm glad I checked GoodReads first before reading it, because I didn't know there was a free prequel, and of course I had to read the prequel first.

I'm glad I did, because it definitely seems to set up the series. There's a good amount of back story about the witches and this myst More...

This was an awesome prequel to the Portal Series. Had everything needed in a teaser and it was hard to put down.

I loved the characters of Amarrah and Harrison. The connection and bond that’s lived over so many of their lives was amazing. It was great reading about Amarrah’s visions from her past life, which made it easier to understand how they met each other and fell in love. And how “the treasure box” came into the story, the history of it, and its significance.

Maggie did an excellent job in b More...

I have already read the first book in this series Mark of the Witch, which was amazing! However I wish I had read this one first.

Legacy of the Witch was a delightful book. It helped to shed light on the three witches through Amarrah's flashbacks. We got to see what the harem witches were like as people. I liked that this story showed us how the box finally made its way to Indira after 3000 years.

Amarrah was lots of fun. I enjoyed seeing her inner turmoil over losing the box. Harrison is extrem More...

Eerst even een opmerking: jammer dat dit alleen als e-book werd uitgegeven, want niet iedereen bezit al een e-reader denk ik?!


Nu was dit verhaal wel fijn om lezen, als je houdt van vampieren natuurlijk :). Een must read als je iets of wat mee wil zijn met de andere boeken die HQN uitgaf van deze schrijfster. Dit 'boek' gaat namelijk over het leven van de vampier die een rol speelt oa. in 'Blauw is de nacht'. Het vertelt zijn verhaal en daarmee begrijp je beter waarom hij de dingen doet die hij d More...

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson:

Even though this is only a novella, in true Maggie Shayne fashion she hooks the reader from the first page and doesn't let go!

Action, adventure, romance, and the most beautiful segue into the 1st full length novel of THE PORTAL series, Mark of the Witch!

I thoroughly enjoyed Legacy of the Witch and am confident that everyone else will as well.

LITERAL ADDICTION gives Legacy of the Witch a well deserved 5 Skulls and would highly rec More...

This was a short novella, a prequel to a new series Shayne is releasing starting in October. It was actually a pretty good story, and the writing was fairly good. The story was very rushed, however. I understand that novellas are supposed to be short, but to me this felt like the story was one that Shayne would have liked to have written as a full length novel, but instead crammed it into a novella. I wished that the characters could have been just a little more fleshed out. Overall, not a bad r More...

Well, there isn't much that I can say directly about the story that hasn't already been said by these other lovely people, but wow! I read the entire story while sitting on the grass in the middle of a renaissance faire, while my daughter napped. I couldn't have cared less that people looked at me weird (Kindle+renn faire= not something you see every day) I was hooked, and thank goodness my daughter stayed asleep for the duration! I was bummed when it was over, because I wanted more! I am a huge More...

The use of flashback/memory to tell parts of a story can be really hit or miss with me but I liked how this one played out. Amarrah and Harrison's attraction to one another worked well in the framework that was laid out. I liked the world building and I think this is a story I wouldn't mind revisiting to see how it played out.

This book was a free Kindle download I picked up 09/03/12 for the Why Buy the Cow? reading challenge.

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
More...

Reviews & all that jazz : That READioactive Book Blog


READioactivity on a scale of 5 - Four and a Half!

This is a prequel and less of a novella; more of a teaser. It is very short. I wish there was more to the story.
Amarrah and Harrison knew each other 3000 years ago. They met as children, became friends, fell in love - when love was forbidden and could cost you your life. So it is very much a confusing challenge to these 2 young people when in the present day they are instantly yet deeply d More...

If the purpose of a prequel novella to a series is to get readers curious about what's to come in a series then Legacy of the Witch works well. Readers were given enough of a tease that you couldn't help but be curious about what happens next. Through flashbacks to the past and present time drama, Legacy of the Witch leaves readers with a sense that there is a lot more in store for not only the main characters featured but those who were left in the past.

I received Legacy of the Witch as a free More...

I too wish that I had read this book before Mark of the Witch as I had already read a ARC of that book. The only reason I say that is because a lot is explained in this book that ties perfectly with Mark of the Witch. This book is for sure a FANTASTIC intro into this series and I can't wait for the rest of this series to come out. Maggie Shayne has the ability to lure you in and just keep you wanting more and more. If anyone had any doubts after reading this book I say give the next book a try a More...

WOW!!! I absolutely fell in love with this book! Maggie Shayne has always been a favorite of mine and she has outdone herself with this book! I am so excited to read the rest of the series! I have never found a book I enjoyed more than this even though it was a short one. I finished it in one sitting and when I was done I had an overwhelming sense of happiness. It may sound strange but I felt at peace after reading it! Maggie thank you so very much for an amazing start to your new series!

Legacy of the Witch was a prequel short to Maggie Shayne's new portal series, and I liked it better than Mark of the Witch (the first book. Though I suspect that I might have liked Mark of the Witch better if I'd read this prequel first, because the prequel makes it pretty clear who the bad guy is and the first book keeps you guessing (which made it hard to root for the heroine or the hero either)

Legacy of the Witch is a prequel novella to Maggie Shayne's new PNR trilogy, The Portal, and tells the story of Amarrah and her soldier. Destiny, witches, reincarnation, and the power of love? Color me intrigued. The novella was a fast paced, enjoyable read and I look forward to Mark of the Witch, the first book in the trilogy.

I really enjoyed this quick prequel. It definitely wet my appetite for the first book and if it was not just past 2am I'd probably start right in on it! LOL!
That said I'll definitely be starting it tomorrow! :-)
The premise of witches in Babylonia, in a harem no less, lends an air of mystery and intrigue. I can't wait to get started!

I do not normally read novellas, but since this is a prequel to Maggie Shaynes new Portal Series, I just had to. I wish there was a bit more romance in this. Like many novellas, the story is to the point with little fluff and the characters' connection is immediate. I look forward to the new series and hope that Ammarrah and Harrison make appearances.

Cute little short story that made me interested in reading the rest of the series.

In this short story you get an adventure to find a long lost heirloom, a story of fate and destiny, a hint at a love that's been burning for over three thousand years, and glimpses into the story that began at the beginning of that love.

a short prequel to the series, and an interesting read....we are told threw a series of past life flash backs from Amarrah about a box her family is to protect, and soon find out that in 20yrs the witches that owned the box will be back. it opens up an interest in the series, one i definatly think i will need to check out!

Legacy of the Witch is the first novella I've read. I loved it. There are times when I'd like a story to move fast and get to the end quickly without leaving anything important out. Maggie Shayne delivers. The characters are believable and easy to relate to. Can't wait to read the rest of the series, Enter the Portal. Well done, Maggie.