The Secret Within

Bruxa #1

by A.F. Costa

What if the thing you fear is the thing you are to become? Gabriella's life is derailed when she confronts a dark family secret. Forced to lie to boy she loves as she embarks on a secret life that will drive her into the arms of the enemy. Will she fall prey to her heart or welcome the predator inside?

400 pages, Paperback

First published April 25, 2012

About the author

A.F. Costa has been creating vivid, imaginary worlds before she could even pick up a book, so it was only natural for her to put a pen to paper the moment she learned to write. Growing up with rich Latin superstitions and strong spiritual beliefs sparked her interests for the paranormal world. Captivating small audiences with her campfire stories resurrected her passion for writing, but seeing her same passions for reading and writing developing in her son has inspired her the most.

Toronto, Ontario-based stylist A.F.Costa has been showcasing her creative abilities for over sixteen years, working with some of the best in the industry. As it is with her visual creativity, A.F. Costa brings the same passion to her writing. In Bruxa: the Secret Within, you‘ll discover an innovative world of witches and vampires like no other, blending Latin, Portuguese and Hebrew folklore into a modern day love story with an unforgettable twist.

Reviews

[Babs | babs_reviews]

Gabriella lives a life knowing what she is but not truly knowing who she is. She gets to start school and branch out meeting others of Bruxa blood, having never done so before, being kept sheltered by her mom. After meeting others of her kind she begins to unravel secrets her mother has kept from her. Over the course of the book she learns things about herself that have and keep her in a constant struggle of making the right decisions.

I love the spin this book took on witches and vampires. A.F. Costa has you on a slow intake of information, feeding you secrets and answers at every turn, keeping the excitement constant.

I was thoroughly suprised but not disappointed at the blend of Christianity and the Knights Templar. It was very interesting and added a uniqueness I found refreshing.

I felt bad for Gabriella being torn between worlds ultimately placing her between two guys. My only disappointment was the lack magic usage, I guess it being a 'witch' book I expected more. Overall it was a page turning read.

[Maghon Thomas]

So, you know about me and my aversion to all things vamper… Welllll, NOT HERE! First, the main part of the story is about the Bruxa, who are the witches. And, as everyone should know, there are good and bad in everything! Some witches are good, some bad. And as we read this story, you find out some Vamps are good, some bad. They have names for them even. Lampires… Interesting. I will not go into detail as you should read the story to find out, but you are getting my drift. And I will also say this. Sometimes, I get bored with love triangles… ALSO, NOT HERE… LAWD! I am quite taken with BOTH boys… But I HAVE picked a side… hehehe don’t we all

Gabby is an interesting girl. She’s a Bruxa, which is a strong witch. And there are different types of witches, which we also learn as we read. Gabby’s life has been pretty sheltered. But her mother has decided that she needs to experience the real world. So off she goes to public school. I REALLY like her new friends, especially Allison. I have strong hopes for her in the coming stories She sees Joey on her first day of school, and of course he is GORGEOUS but, he seems to think she has leprosy hahahaha it’s quite funny how their story starts out. And she begins to learn some things about herself as well. THEN, she finds out some not so good news about herself… Boy, this one was a whiplash moment… Way to totally thicken the plot! LOL

And then comes Alvero…. I can’t believe I am saying this… but for ONCE, I AM SO TEAM ALVERO!!! ANNND he’s a vamper. and to make matters worse- for me anyways- Joey is a favorite type of supernatural of mine… But it gets really complicated here. If you grew up, and were taught ONE THING… HATE THE VAMPS! And your whole life was conditioned in this way, it’s really hard to think outside of that box. This is the complication with Joey and Gabby, especially since Gabby has a compasionate side. And as much as I like them as a couple, even with that TOTALLY SURPRISING NEWS AT THE END, I am still going to side with Alvero. so…. GO TEAM ALVERO. I know there will be some people who take Joey’s team. But I have more doubts about him and his personality. And I have A BIG FEELING that there is a big gaping HOLE with the story about what happened to Gabby’s dad…. and I will make an early prediction…. it will have something to do with Joey, not himself, but his family, or his new “leader”… blah! See, it’s all crazy! hahahaha

I loved the writing. I read this in two sittings, only because I literally fell asleep from exhaustion, not because of anything else. This is one of those stories that will keep you guessing and staying up WAY TOO LATE! lots and lots of secrets, some come out, and some are yet to be revealed. And poor Gabby, everyone lies to her, in some way. Except Allison, which is why I LIKE HER SO MUCH! As a human, she has a little something special within herself, and I hope it gets explored deeper.

I am on a whirlwind ride, as I have NO idea where this story is going to continue. I am VERY hopeful that it will be to my extreme liking. I am seriously wanting book 2, real bad… I am anxious to see what Gabby is going to find out. I JUST KNOW it’s gunna be another earth shattering bomb to be dropped on her. I’ll say this poor girl can take some crap. I dunno how I would handle all the things she handles. Well, I can think of two ways… a straight jacket, or a total killing spree. hahahaha

Fun, Fast paced, intriguing new twists on witches versus vampires! I found a new author to stalk and some new favorite characters! I’m ready for my next thrill ride! gimme gimme book 2, in a hurry please hahaha! 4.5 PAWS from me!

[Naomi]

4.5 Stars

I really enjoy YA Paranormal novels and this is one that is going straight into my fav series list! It has most of the paranormal characters that I love but witches are thrown into the mix as well. It is an intriguing read as we learn a lot of the ancestry of the Bruxa witches and how things change for them when they come into their powers on their 18th birthdays.

Gabby is unique. She has been sheltered from her bloodlines as her mother has kept her away from the rest of her extended family. I enjoyed watching Gabby come to terms with her new life. She has always had her powers but now she needs to learn about her heritage as her mother has never taught her much about it or other Bruxa lines. So when her mother decides to finally settle down in one place Gabby is excited to actually have a stable place to live, but to also attend a mixed school.

Before moving to Boston, Gabby attended an all girls Catholic Boarding school, she has had little interaction with boys and therefore she has never had a boyfriend, so boys are very difficult for her to read. I find her so naïve in that respect, but it is cute to watch her try and figure them out.

Joey is one boy in particular that Gabby struggles to understand. He is usually very confident, but something about Gabby keeps him quiet and reserved. So much so that Gabby thinks that he doesn't like her. She is very confused by him. But they have more in common than she realises. I really like Joey, but there is a little something nagging at me about him and I’m not sure if I trust him 100%.

There is another person who plays an important role in Gabby's new life, but if I tell you who, it would be a big spoiler!! But I luuv him. He has a more dangerous side to him and enables Gabby to open up more. At the moment I am on the fence about both of the guys and I really like love triangle stories, and it looks like it is heading that way....

When we learn more about the Bruxa we find out that their beliefs all relate back to God. Religion runs in conjunction with some of their beliefs and that they were created to protect the world from evil supernatural creatures. As Gabby is learning, so are we and it helps understand the storyline better.

I enjoy reading about American High Schools as they are a lot different to what we have in Australia. This is another great example as Gabby gets to attend a Halloween dance, for two reasons, One- we don't celebrate Halloween Two- we don't really do dances, but I wish we did!

A.F. Costa has shown me a new side to the paranormal world and I absolutely loved it! I was left with a lot of questions, but Gabby has been too. I can't wait to see what will happen to her next, and to see if her life changes dramatically when she turns 18. There are so many factors that affect her and even her own beliefs will be questioned!

[Lizzie]

The synopsis on the back of the book ends with "powerful vision of witches and vampires will challenge your understanding and leave you craving more." That is exactly how I would sum up this book in one sentence. Costa has made a very unique take on vampires and witches blended with Christianity and the Knights Templar which was very interesting. I've gotten to be quite a paranormal freak and actually love seeing different viewpoints of authors and creators on how different paranormal types act and just are. The entire story is quite a web of intertwining events. Gabby is of Bruxa blood but knows very little of her kind. Her mother has kept her sheltered from mostly everything including the extent of her gift. Arriving at a new school she quickly makes good friends and falls for a guy who turns out to be of Bruxa blood also, including his guy friends. Without spoiling, it is clear from the get go that her mother is hiding something from her and Costa leads/hints what it is about without giving it away until the reveal. At almost every chapter a new secret is revealed that makes you just want to find out. So you keep reading. You aren't given complete understanding of the situation until literally the last few pages, but that isn't a bad thing! This is a good set up for the series, giving a lot of history and knowledge of the families while at the same time creating a very intense love drama along with a possible supernatural shift that Gabby herself could start. Being that we find out so many twists and turns in this book, with such a good basis the upcoming book are able to focus more on the future events, but has room to add onto some of the events and secrets that were talked about in this story. The book overall was entertaining and a very good story. There was a few grammer issues throughout, a couple making me have to read the sentence a couple times but nothing that really hinders the storytelling. I want to keep reading on to see what Gabby will be facing and what adventure her life will take her on.

[Jean ~ Kindle Queen]

2.5 stars. I could tell that this was a debut novel, but there is potential there. I felt like it was way too easy for the main character to move and switch schools. Having moved a lot when I was a kid, I know that it's never that easy.

Also, the romance was way too fast, and there was a big love triangle in the second half. : ( But that's really my own fault for not reading the blurb first.

Overall, the main story was interesting, but the love triangle was really irritating since I'm not a fan of those.

[Marie Carmel]

This book is one of the most unique and original books to read for YA readers. You will fall in love with the story and the characters.......A MUST READ!!!!!!!!!

[Elizabeth (Stuffed Shelves)]

www.stuffedshelves.com