Witch's Brew (The Spellspinners of Melas County, #1)

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Witch's Brew (The Spellspinners of Melas County #1)

by Heidi R. Kling (Goodreads Author)

4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 · rating details · 79 ratings · 37 reviews

The Spellspinners of Melas County is a fantasy YA romance series about a witch, a warlock, and their fight for their forbidden but prophesied love.

Once soulmates, the witch and warlock covens of the California coast have been estranged for a century. Raised to hate each other, their teenagers meet in the Solstice Stones, a magical battleground where they draw energy from e...more

ebook, 342 pages

Published January 11th 2012 by Coliloquy, LLC

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2012 YA/MG Fantasy Books

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The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

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Community Reviews

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Jan 17, 2012 Heidi rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

Turns out the ol' #sexahmagicbook took its nickname too far and hath blossomed into a 10-book series!
Least I could do is give myself a half-star per book, no? ;-)

Can't wait to share book one, WITCH'S BREW, with everyone today!

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Dec 27, 2012 Jen (A Reading Daydreamer) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-arc

Heidi R. Kling's Witch's Brew is one of those novels that completely takes you by surprise. From the synopsis, it sounds like your typical witch story with a hot guy in it, but Heidi is able to make it her own, and therefore unique. (And the hot guy isn't just a hot guy, he's a smokin' hot guy). With the completely different style of reading the novel, an exciting and well explained world, and relatable characters, Witch's Brew has enchanted itself onto my favorite witch-books list.

In case you d...more Heidi R. Kling's Witch's Brew is one of those novels that completely takes you by surprise. From the synopsis, it sounds like your typical witch story with a hot guy in it, but Heidi is able to make it her own, and therefore unique. (And the hot guy isn't just a hot guy, he's a smokin' hot guy). With the completely different style of reading the novel, an exciting and well explained world, and relatable characters, Witch's Brew has enchanted itself onto my favorite witch-books list.

In case you didn't already know, the format for Witch's Brew is unlike any other book I've read before; the story gives you options as to where the story should go--kind of like alternate stories within one story. I myself have only read one option, but I'll definitely be reading the other option in the near future. For me, the fact that this novel is formatted this way, just stands out to me. It's different, unique, and totally memorable. I definitely recommend that all readers try it out.

Another factor that I absolutely loved about Witch's Brew is the world-building, and explanations. Kling brings the reader into the world of witches and warlocks very smoothly, and leaves the reader far from confused. I'm that type of person who needs a clear explanation on how a world works, or I won't be satisfied. To me, if I still have questions about an author's world, it means that they didn't do their job very well. I can happily say that Kling certainly exceeded my expectations with her description of the Spellspinner world and the Gleaning. Not only does the description carry out well, it also keeps the reader interested and wanting to know more. This also ties in with the plot. It's mysterious, alluring, and just plain engaging. I usually don't like it when a problem addressed in the beginning isn't resolved until the end, but it works in Witch's Brew. It works very well indeed (there's a clifffhanger!).

Last but not least, are the oh-so-amazing characters! Lily, the main character, was totally spunky, curious, and really smart. She's modest and hesitant at first about being chosen as the Leader of the Daughters of Light, but it's clear that she is meant to be the leader after the events that progress in the novel. Her relationship with Logan, the love interest (and also a warlock) is totally swoon-worthy and hot. Logan is caring, protective, and clever as well (have I mentioned smexy?). I have to admit, their love is kind of a love-at-first sight type of deal, but not exactly, which is why I like it. I'll leave it for you to find out how exactly they fall in love. ;)

That said, I definitely recommend Witch's Brew, whether you like witches or not. The format itself of the novel is just plain awesome and I think everyone should give it a try. I fell under Witch's Brew's spell with the captivating world and perfect characters. Heidi R. Kling's novel certainly did not disappoint and I can't wait to read more of her work.

4.5 Teacups for Witch's Brew!

*Much thanks goes to the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review!*

THIS REVIEW WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED ON A Reading Daydreamer:
http://a-reading-daydreamer.blogspot....

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Feb 01, 2012 Kate (VerbVixen) rated it 5 of 5 stars

SEXY MAGIC BOOK. That's what twitter has been calling Witch's Brew for months now, and its an apt name. Witchy girls, warlock boys, a feud, mystery, drama, and an intense romance: this book has it all. I love Logan and Lily. Love love love love love. Witch's Brew has so many brilliant moments- of vulnerability, passion, anger, fragility. I will warn you though, be prepared for a heart-stopping, cliff-hanging ending that will leave you screaming. No really there was actual shrieking involved. Kli...more

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Jan 22, 2012 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, paranormal-ya, ya-series, kindle-books

This review originally appeared here

I’ve been waiting for WITCH’S BREW to come out for what seems like forever. It sounded like all of the things I love to read: witches, warlocks, prophesies, a magic-pocalypse. Also, I was SUPER intrigued by its author-appointed nickname, #sexahmagicbook. Umm…YES PLEASE. And then when I found out that this book was not only totally up my alley plot-wise, but that it was also a new kind of ebook where the reader could choose the path the story would take, I beca...more This review originally appeared here

I’ve been waiting for WITCH’S BREW to come out for what seems like forever. It sounded like all of the things I love to read: witches, warlocks, prophesies, a magic-pocalypse. Also, I was SUPER intrigued by its author-appointed nickname, #sexahmagicbook. Umm…YES PLEASE. And then when I found out that this book was not only totally up my alley plot-wise, but that it was also a new kind of ebook where the reader could choose the path the story would take, I became VERY EAGER to read it. The whole package just sounded so new and awesome, and it was. It was a little different than I thought it would be, but I really enjoyed it. Which is a good thing, cause this is only the first book of TEN. (That sounds more daunting than it really is, I think. The book wasn’t overly long, and it moved at a good pace, too.)

WITCH’S BREW was really fun and fast-paced, and the sexytimes parts were good. I loved the magic, I loved the mythology, and I loved the relationship. And throw a prophecy at me, and I’m pretty much putty in an author’s hands. On occasion, though things felt like they could have been a little smoother (there were few times when important/biggish things happen a little abruptly), but this could have just been a function of the changing perspectives and the different story paths, which are mostly the same, but still plenty different. I will say, though, that I liked one of the paths I chose a little better than the other (I read through it twice) simply because it felt a little more fluid, and the progression of things felt a little more natural. They both had their positives, though, and I would definitely recommend going back and making some new choices after you finish the first run-through. The good from reading them both? You learn more about the mythology and the characters. In fact, I found that there were some things from my second read-through that wouldn’t have made sense if I hadn’t read the book the way I had the first time. PLUS, you get to spend more time with Lily and Logan, who have this great connection that sparks and gives MAJOR tingles. Woot! The bad (if you want to call it that)? You’re essentially rereading the same book over. Essentially. The major points are the same, they just arrive at each one differently. SO worth it, though.

Also, because I’m a nerd about details–especially witchy ones! I LOVE witchy details–there were some things that I wished were explained a little bit more. For instance, there are totem animals. But I’m not sure if all witches and all warlocks have the same animal, or if it’s different with each person. Also, Logan’s tattoos. Do all warlock’s have them, or is it just him? I think it was mentioned that they were a warlock thing, but no other warlock was actually shown to have them. Good thing we have lots of books left to get our fill of magical geekery, though!

But the actual story of WITCH’S BREW was intriguing, with lots of meaty things in the air. The prophecy and the curse that will affect both the witches and the warlocks is obviously the big one. But there’s the whole issue of the funny business that Jacob’s, the head warlock, company is getting up to (because OBVIOUSLY it’s not kosher). There’s DEFINITELY something going on with Lily’s mom, Iris. And Jonah, the barista from the Witch’s Brew coffee shop? I have a theory about him, but I’m going to keep it to myself so that I don’t get TOO embarrassed when it turns out to be wrong. Of course, though, the relationship between Lily and Logan is huge as well, fraught as it is with DANGER and the potential for sexytimes. HOLLA!

I’m definitely excited to keep reading The Spellspinners of Melas County. (Also, I only recently realized that “Melas” is “Salem” spelled backward. Who’s a smarty pants? THIS GIRL.) There’s a lot introduced here, and I’m eager to see where it all goes. I LOVE witches, especially the witches here, who have heaps of Celtic magic overtones. Lily and Logan are apparently Meant To Be, which gives me some cringes, but I like that they’re connection is something that they can neither ignore nor understand. It’s intense. And Logan is almost instantly crush-worthy. I predict that this series is going to get bananas in a really great way, and I can’t wait to keep reading!

Quick Thoughts
Very good, and very cool as well. Going back to read the other choice now! Review to come!(less)

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Jan 20, 2012 Erica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-sophomore-challenge, favorites

Fantasy has always been my favorite genre, so when I learned Heidi R Kling was writing a fantasy book, I was beyond ecstatic. For those of you that have read my blog at any point before, you will know of my love for Heidi R Kling’s debut, Sea, and how I harbor this immense crazy love for it. Something I didn’t think was possible happened with Witch’s Brew – I loved it even more. I should learn to never doubt Heidi R Kling, as she is simply a mastermind with words and can write the most beautiful...more Fantasy has always been my favorite genre, so when I learned Heidi R Kling was writing a fantasy book, I was beyond ecstatic. For those of you that have read my blog at any point before, you will know of my love for Heidi R Kling’s debut, Sea, and how I harbor this immense crazy love for it. Something I didn’t think was possible happened with Witch’s Brew – I loved it even more. I should learn to never doubt Heidi R Kling, as she is simply a mastermind with words and can write the most beautiful stories.

Witch’s Brew is told in split point of view between Lily and Logan. First off, I just loved this – Split point of view is one of my favorite things for an author to do, and Heidi R Kling rocked it. Lily and Logan both had great voices and I found them to be great narrators – I really liked both of their voices.

Another really neat aspect to Witch’s Brew is that there are two different options for the story to go You reach a point a little ways into the book and are given two paths, like a choose your own adventure. That means you get double the characters (specifically double the Logan) and double the story! I loved both options – both were super intense and I loved them for different reasons.

The world Heidi R Kling has spun is wonderful. Her take on witches is fresh and new – which made reading so much fun. I never knew what the rules of the witches and the warlocks were or how they lived. It was a completely new experience. I also just love Kling’s prose – it is so whimsical and has a musicality about it. My emotions were running high the entire time I was reading – I found myself cheering with the characters or get upset when things weren’t going the way I wanted or well for the characters. That is my favorite type of book to read, one where I can get so into the story!

The originality of the witches in Kling’s world really helped make the plot that much more interesting. I had no expectations for what would happen, so I just loved walking through Lily and Logan’s world to figure out what would happen next. There were elements of mystery in the cases of both the witches and the warlocks, and I’m very curious how that will all pan out.

The characters of Witch’s Brew were so much fun. Logan will be sure to catch every girl’s attention – I know he has definitely made the top to my list of hot YA boys. He is just so nice and so pure hearted I felt like. I loved Lily – she is a great main character and another great soul. Daisy was a character who was so fun any scene she was in – I hope to hear a lot more from her in future books! Orchid had so much spunk – She’s another character I’m looking forward to see more of. Maggie only appears in one scene, but she’s yet another character to hear more from in the future.

I simply cannot wait for the second Spellspinners of Melas County book. Kling has built the perfect structure for the series with this book and it will simply take off from here. The last pages of Witch’s Brew built with an immense amount of intensity to just the perfect point, then breaks off in quite the cliffhanger. It is a cruel ending, yet definitely peaked my interest beyond belief for the next book.

Witch’s Brew is the book I have been waiting for since the day I finished the last page of Sea. There’s something about Heidi R Kling’s books that is so magical. The stories she tells and the characters she chooses, they all are just so wonderful and worthy of being told. The cast of characters in this series definitely have a story worth telling, so the wait until book 2 begins now.(less)

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Jan 07, 2013 Jeanbooknerd rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews

Heidi R. Kling’s first book in The Spellspinners of Melas County, Witch’s Brew, is an amazing story about a complex barred love between a witch and a warlock. Sixteen-year-olds Lily and Logan, who were once soulmates and now strangers for a hundred years, they meet again in a magical battleground called the Solstice Stones. They spent years of training for their first Stones only to realize that the enemy in the Solstice Stones is not what they have been preparing for.

This magical world that aut...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Misty Baker rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I was about 11 years old I discovered the wonderful world of “choose your own adventure” books. My teacher was thrilled. It kept me in the classroom much longer and out of the library exchanging books every other day. Me? I was just thrilled (the stubborn child that I was) to be offered the chance to make up my own mind. See, I am the girl who screams at the TV when the dumb blonde (who will eventually be the heroin of the movie) runs UP the stairs when the big bad wolf is after her vs haul...more

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May 14, 2012 Janae's Book Obsession rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was different than any book I've read where you able to choose you're own "destiny." Let me explain.. As you're reading the reader gets an interactive experience and is able to chose which way they want the story to go. The ending is still the same but you get to take different ways to get there. I read both ways just so I could be able to review it better.

I was apprehensive at first and was like ohhh man another star-crossed couple forbidden to be together but fighting against it all...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Ornella rated it 4 of 5 stars

WHATTTTT!! WHYYYY?? would you end it like that?!

I like reading books with witches but I don't really go looking for them. So glad I stumbled upon this one. Really liked the magic aspect, the conflict between the warlocks and the witched, their history and their politics. I really liked how *easy* the magic actually was, none that weird crap about how magic is so awesome, but then you use it and poof you are done, like a one-time magical wonder. It kind of reminded me of the T.V show Sabrina in r...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Jessica (Books: A true story) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook-challenge-2012, for-review, kindle, own, 4-stars, amazon, blog

This book felt like Harry Potter goes YA. I found some similarities to Harry Potter like the term "You Know Who," and a a restricted library. I liked the magic. Women, or witch's, magic involves beauty, flowers, healing and nature. The men, or warlocks, are their enemies and have "opposite" powers though it doesn't go into a lot of detail what those powers are. It mentions mind reading powers and potions. The kind of stuff Snape would like. The conflict of having men and women being enemies from...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Lara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own-on-kindle

I have to admit that fantasy is not usually my favourite genre, however this book intrigued me from the start. Witch's Brew is the story of Lily, a witch and Logan, a warlock. Throughout their lives, they have been prepared for 'The Gleaning', a magical combat between witches and warlocks necessary for their covens to keep the balance in their magical powers. When they meet, they know that they are supposed to be enemies but cannot help develop feelings for each other, even though this is prohib...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

First off, this the first book that I have read on my iPod touch/iPad and to be honest, it is not like having a physical book in my hands, but the book was entertaining enough in itself that I was not bothered by this and had a very easy time reading the book. Secondly, this is the frist book that I have read where I was in charge of choosing how the book unfolded. So the development of the story and characters was influenced by the decision that I made. At first I wasn't sure how I felt about t...more First off, this the first book that I have read on my iPod touch/iPad and to be honest, it is not like having a physical book in my hands, but the book was entertaining enough in itself that I was not bothered by this and had a very easy time reading the book. Secondly, this is the frist book that I have read where I was in charge of choosing how the book unfolded. So the development of the story and characters was influenced by the decision that I made. At first I wasn't sure how I felt about that; I use books as my escape and as a nice way to not have to make decision on things that are already predetermined for me by the author, this put a new twist on that. Seriously, now that I have finished the book, I really loved this idea. Very different for a book and I think it will be a very attractive idea for younger readers. However that being said, I as a reader have this insatiable curiosity and need to know every aspect of the characters that I fall in love with, that I couldn't help myself from reading the book one way and then going back and reading it the other/different way. I like to have to full picture. So far in the series, it seemed like regardless of which way you choose, you still got to the same ending. So you have to ask yourself, do I want more mystery and drama or a more detailed love story and entanglements? I thought that in reading the story twice with both pathways, I finally felt like I had the full story. In reading the pathways separately, sometimes it felt as though the writing and events occurred in an abrupt manner, and I would re-read parts of a chapter only to find things to still be a little disjointed.

This is really a perfect series for me to fall in love with. At first I thought that this was another forbidden love trying to beat the odds romance, but I was pleasantly surprised because here I am still wondering about the book, its characters, and the plot. I really enjoyed this bool. I love books with strong characters and flowing, well developed story lines. I can happily say that I have found that here. There is that instand connection with Lilly and Logan that was really described well and was rather alluring. This connection is intese and I like that there is a whole series in which we will be able to watch Lilly and Logan grow as individual characters and how they are affected by and undergo the process of understanding their bond. However, I feel like a lot of the characters introduced in this book are going to be playing more of a role than is initially expected at the beginning of the book. All those characters that we are introduced to can not just be filler characters to drive the story, there just seems to be too many layers within the plot for them to all be superficial. I enjoyed the plot and it will be interesting to see how everything unravels and plays out. I like the concept of witches and warlocks, prophesies, feuds, secrets, magic, and romance...what more could a girl ask for?

Obviously with this being a series, there are still a lot of questions to be answered; i.e. what is going on with creepy Jacob and his private business? Do the warlocks even know about the curse? What does Logan's ink mean? Why does Logan's amulet react with Lilly and Lilly's amulet react to Logan? And the totem animals, they are scattered throughout the story, but what the heck do they mean and how do they play a role in this story? How does the past affect the future? Seriously, what is going to happen next? Why did the book have to end on such a cliff hanger?

All in all, I loved the book. The ideas were fresh, and the writing was easy to read. I loved the book and I am so glad that I was given the opportunity to read it (thank you again)! I can not wait for the second book!

On a formatting note ( an this is just personal option, so do with it as you please): I found that when I was reading the conversations between Logan and Lilly in their heads, there were a few times when I had a hard time distinguishing between what they were saying to each other and what was just a mental reflection. It just seemed like there were a few times that things were supposed to be italicized and weren't and it either caught me off guard or confused me slightly. It only happened once or twice, but I did notice it and wanted to just say a quick blurb, then again, my mind could just be stubborn and not let me read things the way they are written and I apologize. Regardless, it didn't take anything away from the book and I still loved it!(less)

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Dec 22, 2012 zapkode.marie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, read4review

{my thoughts} - This book is about Lily and Logan. Lily is a witch teenager and Logan is a warlock teenager. Both teenagers are forced to decide with what they have been taught to believe in to be right. Which is that each other is each other's enemy. And what their hearts are trying to tell them is right. It's a different kind of book then I have ever read before because it's a choose your own path {adventure} book. It gives you choices at various points within the book and you choose where to...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Jeanne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy

Overall, I liked this first book in this series. I read it on my kindle and it gave you options to continue the storyline one way or another. To my dismay, it wouldn't work correctly on the first choice. It would only let me choose one way(not the option I wanted to go with). But besides that, it was a very quick and fun read. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. In fact, I'd give it 4 stars if there wasn't that flaw of picking the first choice.

Pretty much Warlocks and Witches are...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Dania rated it 4 of 5 stars

I won this book through the Goodreads Firstread program, my review is my honest thoughts on this book.

At first when I found it in the mail, I thought that there won't be anything substantial in it because it only had 179 pages and from what I had experienced writers need at least 300 pages to capture my interest. Boy, was I wrong.

What I didn't bargain on was how quickly I was drawn into the story. The whole witches against wizards gave it a new angle that is quite original. The story has plenty...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Jake Rideout rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a really interesting idea--a book written solely for ebook format that introduces different story branches, like a choose-your-own adventure. Unfortunately, it was designed for the Kindle, and the interface on my Nook wasn't great. There was no indication of my progress (no page numbers or anything) and at points I was pretty sure I'd skipped pages. Yet another example of Amazon's hostile death grip on what they perceive to be their share of the market.

I would have liked to see more choi...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Fairytale Nerd rated it 3 of 5 stars

Read full review at The Fairytale Nerd.

LOVE:
I like the way the history was completely laid down right at the beginning of the story for the reader's better understanding. I did appreciate the story better and enjoyed the book so much more because of this.I also loved the writing. Heidi Kling's writing is sensual and enticing. While the writing is lyrical, it is not difficult to read or overly flowery. And the world she created is just amazing. Magic and fantasy are beautifully tied up in this sp...more Read full review at The Fairytale Nerd.

LOVE:
I like the way the history was completely laid down right at the beginning of the story for the reader's better understanding. I did appreciate the story better and enjoyed the book so much more because of this. I also loved the writing. Heidi Kling's writing is sensual and enticing. While the writing is lyrical, it is not difficult to read or overly flowery. And the world she created is just amazing. Magic and fantasy are beautifully tied up in this special book. Most of all, I love the STRONG connection and the SIZZLING chemistry between Logan and Lily. The reader will be able to feel the oozing hormones from these two. Plus, Logan can read Lily's mind. I just love stories with a mind reading element. It shows intimacy between the characters. Let me show you just how intimate and connected Logan and Lily are with this scene from the book:

Logan and I immediately stepped into each other’s orbit as if we were a planet and a moon with no other choice. Our arms were swinging together like two pendulums in sync. When my fingers accidentally grazed his, I felt his whole body–all tense energy–snap like a rubber band. Logan quickly stuffed his hands in his pockets, leaving me offended and nonsensically disappointed.
I stepped out of his orbit. I don’t like you, either.
“Untrue,” he said aloud with an eyebrow raised.
He was Reading me again.
“Well, I wish it were true.”
“No, you don’t. Remember, Lily”–he leaned into me–“I can Hear your every thought. Even when you try to block me.”
“No, you can’t.”
“Yes. I can.”

NO LOVE:
I LOVED every word, every sentence, but I do have one major complaint. I did not like the way the story ended. This book has one of the worst cliffhangers ever. The ending literally popped out of nowhere, and the story stopped just when things are getting really interesting and hot. Also, while I fully appreciate man chests, I don't see the point in Logan having to take off his shirt every now and then. Don't get me wrong, I'm NOT complaining! But I fail to see any logical connection between taking off one's shirt to hold hot things when you can grab something else.

FAVORITE CHARACTER:
I don't know. While I did like most, if not all of the characters, I feel that I haven't had the chance to get to know each one of them as much as I wanted to.

MUSINGS:
In this book, love is portrayed like a sugar rush. I especially loved the part where Logan and Lily were just being silly and enjoying each other's company and falling in love. I think that part was truly beautiful. The author captured the feeling of falling in love with someone, and I applaud her for weaving it to a story.

This is actually the first book with active content that I have read and it did not disappoint. For those who do not know, it's a choose your own story type of book. It used to be available only on Kindle in the US, but it can now be purchased in Google Play from Android devices and the Nook.

I really enjoyed Witch's brew. It's a very romantic witch-warlock story because it kind of has a paranormal Romeo and Juliet feel to it - opposing coven, and all that. But then again, I didn't like the ending. There was no resolution to anything at all. It's as if there were missing chapters at the end of the book. This really annoyed me. I would have to wait for the next installment to find out what happens to Lily and Logan.

Nevertheless, Witch's brew is an amazing read, not only because of its active content, but also with respect to the story. And it's wonderfully sexy! The readers will surely want, no... they will NEED more, especially after that annoying ending. I can't wait for the second installment!

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Jan 03, 2013 Jennifer Ko rated it 5 of 5 stars

Witch's Brew was the first book I've read by Heidi R. Kling and I look forward to reading more. She paints a gorgeous modern day world about witches and warlocks and has these beautiful scenes (with the right touch of steaminess) between Lily and Logan - the book's two star-crossed lovers. Another awesome feature of the book is that it's interactive - kind of like Choose Your Own Adventure but with better plot development. It's fun to see how the story shifts depending on which path you pick. In...more

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Apr 14, 2013 Lynne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ereader-only, bookcover-love, witchy, youngadult, supernatural-paranormal, magical, magical-realism, fantasy, romance, get-to-read, kindle-pc, own

First of all: That COVER!!! OMG, I *HEART* it!!!

WITCH'S BREW is a modern story about a clan of warlocks and a coven of witches who have been living under a shared curse for nearly 100 years. According to their folklore, they must figure out how the break the curse, before the century mark, or risk losing their magic forever.

This is the first book of The Spellspinners of Melas County trilogy. Witch's Brew focuses on introducing us to the main characters, Lily and Logan, giving us mysterious glim...more First of all: That COVER!!! OMG, I *HEART* it!!!

WITCH'S BREW is a modern story about a clan of warlocks and a coven of witches who have been living under a shared curse for nearly 100 years. According to their folklore, they must figure out how the break the curse, before the century mark, or risk losing their magic forever.

This is the first book of The Spellspinners of Melas County trilogy. Witch's Brew focuses on introducing us to the main characters, Lily and Logan, giving us mysterious glimpses of their background stories and explaining the somewhat tragic circumstances between the two groups. There's far more to it, but to be only sort of spoilery, basically they are under a curse that has prevented the warlocks and witches from being able to have anything to do with one another - the only exception is that on the winter/spring solstices the witches and warlocks *must* meet together in a sacred place called the Solstice Stones - they must battle in order to glean energy from one another.

The thing the with this series is that there are a couple points in the book/s where the reader gets to pick which direction the story should go in (A or B). In WITCH'S BREW, I decided to chose only the 'A' option/s for the first go through. I quickly realized that I would have to read this book more than once to see what differences the other choices make in the story.
Besides being a well written story and interesting all by itself, this was such an interesting reading experience because I've never read an adventure-type book (altho according to my husband - and what he grew up with, he says a 'proper' make-your-own adventure book should have way more choices scattered throughout the story). Being my first taste, I was okay with the options this book gives. I didn't understand what it meant at first because honestly, when I first spotted this book over a year ago, I was a little annoyed that it was only available online, but after reading it, I understand why this series needs to be digital (I purchased this ebook at amazon)

I did read this book the second time choosing only the #2 options each time. This storyline is basically the same story, but told from a different point of view and you learn more about the characters.
I think I slightly prefer the 2nd read through since the author seems to chill a bit on the romancey part (it's a trilogy, so there's plenty of time for the MC's to fall in love and whatnot!). Also, I'm not sure if I 'need' to reread twice more to do A/B and B/A mixes - as opposed to just the A's and then just the B's.
I found with reading just the A options and then just the B options that even though the paths are somewhat different, both choices eventually get us to the same cliff hanger ending. This book ends just before the next upcoming solstice battle - which sets us up nicely for THE GLEANING, book #2 in the trilogy.
Both times I read this, the story sucked me in from the beginning. I am so curious now with the intriguing glimpses we saw of these characters' back stories and I wonder how they will be connected later on in the story and with other things being alluded to throughout the book I really can't wait to see what happens in the sequel/s.

Since there are some slightly romancey bits, I would recommend this book to ages 14 and up. I think teen girls will easily relate to the angst of the teen-aged main characters and everyone, teens or adults will really enjoy the story .... no matter which options are chosen. This is such a seriously neat concept for a YA fantasy genre book!

Very excited! I won an ecopy of THE GLEANING from evesfangarden.com and coliloquy.com - so I have it loaded on my Nook and will be reading/reviewing very soon. :) Since it was frequently referred to, I'm reeeally looking forward to seeing what actually happens on the battlefield.
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Feb 09, 2012 Alex Bennett added it

Review from Electrifying Reviews: http://www.electrifyingreviews.com/20...

Surprisingly, Witch’s Brew is the only book by Heidi R. Kling that I’ve read. Now, I know she only has two, but when her first book, Sea, came out, I heard nothing but good things about it. Judging by the love that book had gotten, I knew I was probably going to like Witch’s Brew. I’m happy to say that I judged correctly.

I love books about witches, and Witch’s Brew had everything I was looking for. It’s just so… magical, y...more Review from Electrifying Reviews: http://www.electrifyingreviews.com/20...

Surprisingly, Witch’s Brew is the only book by Heidi R. Kling that I’ve read. Now, I know she only has two, but when her first book, Sea, came out, I heard nothing but good things about it. Judging by the love that book had gotten, I knew I was probably going to like Witch’s Brew. I’m happy to say that I judged correctly.

I love books about witches, and Witch’s Brew had everything I was looking for. It’s just so… magical, yet it doesn’t seem out of place. The characters’ whole lives are consumed by their magic, and I loved reading about the way Kling wrote her witches. Everything about her mythology and history of her witches was brilliant, and I can’t wait to find out more about them in future Spellspinners of Melas County books.

I had heard that Heidi R. Kling was a great writer, but I was so not expecting her to be this good! Her writing has such a… not to be redundant, but magical quality to it. It’s almost as if you’re getting the same experience as when you listen to a beautiful song. If that makes sense. Her words flow naturally, and I am extremely excited to read more from her.

Lily and Logan were great protagonists. Both do what they believe in, even if that means defying everything they’ve ever known. The dichotomy between the two of them fits so well together, even throughout all of the ups and downs in their relationship. The supporting characters were all so well written, and they really help the story. I felt like I could connect to almost every character in Witch’s Brew.

Another awesome thing about Witch’s Brew is the choices! As Witch’s Brew is sold exclusively in the Kindle store, the ebook experience allows you to choose different paths as the story goes along. I read all of the paths available, and got to read a different—still awesome—story each time.

If you have a Kindle, do yourself a favor and buy Witch’s Brew. If you don’t have one, buy one and then buy Witch’s Brew. I took a leap of faith on this book—actually getting myself a Kindle mainly so I could read it, and I was not disappointed. (less)

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Mar 27, 2013 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found Witch's Brew to be a light-hearted, romantic story of 2 teenagers struggling between their growing attraction and their sense of duty to their "families". Ms. Kling puts a new spin on a classic story line by adding the mystical and magical levels to the struggle.

Ms. Kling adds another twist that allows the reader to decide the path of the story. I finished the book, having selected one option and now plan to re-read the book, selecting the other option. I am looking forward to seeing ho...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars

First of all, I love the action fiction format. When the page came up when I had to choose, I really didn’t know what I wanted to do. And then the entire time I was reading, I kept wondering how my choice affected the story. I had to contain myself from flipping back through to change my choice. I have already gone back and read it again, changing my choices to see how the story will change.

I really like the world that Heidi created. The idea of witch’s and warlock being enemies is really great!...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Viv rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: must-have

I have seen the "choose an action/option" applied in many books for learning purposes, but I cannot say that I've ever seen it in a leisure book until now. I love it! This trait gives the reader a sense of power, of involvement, and makes this storyline even more appealing than it already is.

I read through each storlyine because I'm that kind of person that will pick door number 1 but still want to at least know what's behind door number 2. For me it did not detract from the book in the least bu...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Samantha rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was very good! I started off unsure of if I would enjoy it or if it was going to be another of those stupid teen novels. This book was amazing. I loved reading a plot that I hadn't heard of before, where witches and wizards needed to "fight" each other once a year for magic to help them continue on, and this connection between Lilly and Logan what is it? I can't wait to read the next in the series to find out what happens!!

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Mar 12, 2013 Melissa Fowler rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Teenagers and fantasy lovers

Recommended to Melissa by: Goodreads giveaway

What a way of writing....what can I say, a blast to read from start to finish. I love it now and a younger me would have liked it even more. The writing perspective is not the most common but it's a nice way to keep you on your toes.

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May 08, 2013 April Reynolds rated it 5 of 5 stars

I used to love these types of books as a kid and well I still do. The story is great. it is about two teens from similar yet different worlds that must find their way and guess what you decide which path they take!!!

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Jul 31, 2012 Claudia Louise rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked it but it wasn't what I expected. I thought they'd be more paths/choices and the ending was a bit abrupt. But I guess the next nine books will pretty much wrap up all the loose ends.

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Jan 21, 2012 Kim Baccellia rated it 5 of 5 stars

My YA Books Central review:

http://www.yabookscentral.com/yaficti...

1 like · like · see review

Jan 28, 2012 Christopher rated it 4 of 5 stars

Good series opener, Review to come...also like the interactive aspect...

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Feb 19, 2013 Als is currently reading it · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review, own

**I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.**

I eagerly began Witch's Brew the day it arrived in the mail. Thus far, I am enjoying the little mysteries of the plot and the relationship developing between the main characters. I do, however, find the alternating POV slightly distracting as it shifts between the first and limited third person voices of Lily and Logan.

Full review to come..

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About Heidi R. Kling

SEA (Putnam), a Gateway Readers Award Finalist & Northern California Book of the Year nominee, was a Summer 2010 Indie Next Pick and a Goodreads "Mover and Shaker".

BOOKLIST says, “Kling blends facts about Indonesian culture and the wake of the tsunami with a lyrical story of loss and daring to love again... Sienna’s loss, newfound courage and eventual acceptance of the changes in her life ring...more

More about Heidi R. Kling...

Books by Heidi R. Kling

The Gleaning - (The Spellspinners of Melas County, #2)

A Visitor's Guide to Mystic Falls: Your Favorite Authors on The Vampire Diaries

Two and Twenty Dark Tales: Dark Retellings of Mother Goose Rhymes

More…

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Witch's Brew (The Spellspinners of Melas County #1)

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