Friday Feature: Daughter of Chaos by Jen McConnel (Review)

Witches must choose the path they will follow, and Darlena Agara is no exception. She’s been putting it off long enough, and in her case, ignoring it has not made it go away. In a moment of frustration, Darlena chooses to follow Red Magic, figuring she had outsmarted the powers that be, since there’s no such thing as Red Magic. But alas, Darlena’s wrong (again) and she becomes a newly declared Red Witch.

Her friends are shocked and her parents horrified by the choice Darlena has made. As a Red Witch, she now governs one third of the world’s chaos. She is the walking personification of pandemonium, turmoil, and bedlam, just as the patrons of Red Magic would have it to be.

But Darlena believes there must be more to Red Magic than chaos and destruction, and she sets out on a journey to achieve balance. Only doing so puts her at odds with the dark goddess Hecate, who simply will not allow Darlena to quit. She encourages Darlena to embrace who and what she is and to leave good magic to the good witches. If only Darlena could, life would be simple, and she would not be the Daughter of Chaos.

My thoughts:
I liked Darlena from the start. She thinks she can outsmart Hecate, and for me that just spelled guts right there. Of course it backfires and she winds up pledging herself to Red Magic, which she didn't even know existed. Still, Darlena seems suited for Red Magic and the fact that Hecate wants her means she has a lot of power. Unfortunately, that power makes her a very sought after witch. Darlena doesn't know who to trust or how to use her Red Magic for good, and she winds up on a journey she never could have imagined.

Witches and Greek gods! This seriously couldn't get any better. I have a weird obsession with Hades, and he was awesome in this story. I tore through this book, loving every second and being totally invested in Darlena and her future. McConnel has a winner with Daughter of Chaos and in my opinion, book two can't get here fast enough. If you enjoy witch books, go get Daughter of Chaos now!