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 determined to get it back. Tracking the artifact leads her to Sergeant Harrison Brockson, a handsome soldier who stirs memories of a man she knew centuries ago in ancient Babylon. Is Harrison the key to finding the box—or could he be her destiny?
Prequel novella to Maggie Shayne's exciting trilogy, The Portal.
I live in the teeny, tiny town of Taylor, NY, (Alliteration Alert!) though my mailing address is Cincinnatus, my telephone exchange is Truxton and I pay taxes and vote in Cuyler. All of these are at least in the same rural county in the southern hills of New York State; Cortland County. There are more cattle than people here. The nearest “big” cities are Syracuse and Binghamton and they are an hour away, in different directions, and not really all that big by most standards, though they both seem humongous to me. I look out my window to see rolling, green, thickly forested hills, wildflower laden meadows and wide open blue, blue skies. My road is barely paved. The nearest neighboring place is a 700 acre dairy farm.
My house is a big, century old farmhouse. I moved in here after my divorce in 2006. Just a little over a year later, the house, which I had named, SERENITY, burned. It was 99% gutted, and I lost my two dogs, Sally, an 11-year-old great Dane, and Wrinkles, my 14-year-old, blind bulldog. This was the culmination of my Dark Night of the soul, which had seemed to hit me all at once in 2006-2007. My mother died that year, after a 14 month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was only 60. The youngest of my five daughters had left home that same year, and while that’s not a tragedy at all, it felt like one to me. Then came the divorce. And finally there was the fire--it seemed my darkest night wasn’t quite finished with me after all. I had lost almost everything before that point, and as I poked through the wet ashes and soot the next day, I realized that I had now been stripped all the way to the bone.
No better time to start over. (And no, I didn’t come to that realization that day--there were a few days of wallowing in pity first, particularly the day after the fire, when I hit a deer and smashed up my car, which I was practically living in!)
That’s when I started to laugh. Just sat on the side of the road as the deer bounded, uninjured and carefree, out of sight, and laughed. It was just too ridiculous at that point, to do anything else!
And from there, I picked myself up, and brushed myself off, and said, okay, there’s only one way to go from here. Forward. And that’s what I did. There I was at the age of harrurmphemmph, living in my one, mostly undamaged remaining room, with a dorm-sized mini-fridge, a futon, a TV, my cat (nine lives!) and a laptop. And not much else. (Though thank goodness the room that survived the fire, was a room that had its own attached bathroom!)
Since then I have rebuilt my beloved home, which really has become my haven, my “Serenity.” I share it now with my fiancé, Lance, and we have accumulated quite the little family together. “Little” being a relative term. We have a pair of English Mastiffs, Dozer and Daisy, who weigh 203 pounds and 208 pounds respectively, and a little pudgy English Bulldog named Niblet, who is bigger than both of them, inside her mind. We also have the aforementioned cat, Glorificus (“Glory” for short,) who adores her canine pups and keeps them firmly in line. And we've acquired a pair of stray cats as well, a mother and son, Luna (Lulu for short) and Butters aka Buddy. Lulu showed up pregnant during a lunar eclipse, had a litter, and vanished again. We found homes for all the kittens except one. Butters. We got him fixed and kept him. A few months later, Lulu returned, again expecting. This litter was born on the "Monster Moon." Again, all the kittens were spayed and neutered and placed in homes, and this time we got Lulu to the vet in time to spay her before the cycle could repeat.
Glory is not amused.
She has a story of her own, my old Glory cat, having been with me before the Dark Times descended, she went through it all with me, moved with me, survived the fire, and remains with me still. She's tolerating the newcomers. Barely.
My partner is an artist, a mechanic, a welder and an inventor, and the rumors are true, he is much younger than I
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 recommend those who are excited for THE PORTAL series to accept the gift that Maggie is giving to you all and read it. :) It's simply beautiful...
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 feel that way aftr you get your hands on it.
It's hard to review this alone and not intertwine it with book 1 but I'm going to try. In Legacy of the witch you will see how Maggie sets up the story that will be the main plot for the whole series. We also get to see how Maggie is presenting us with the writing style she is going to use throughout the whole series, which is fabulous.
One thing I must point out is that she blends the character and their previous lives perfectly, as the main characters get visions or memories revealed to them it helps the main character put the story together as you are reading it. So you get to discover it WITH the character.
I have been waiting for this series for a very long time and I am extremely happy with it, Legacy will leave you lustful and hungry for Mark of the Witch and Mark of the Witch left me begging Maggie and asking her who I had to sell my kidney to in order to get book 2 now.
I recommend The Portal Series for any reader looking for something I haven't seen in a witch paranormal based book before. It's been said a million times before and I can imagine a million times more after the rest of these books are released, Maggie knows how to cast a spell on her readers that has you missing the feel of her books in your hand.
I give this enovella 5 out of 5 stars, and now I'm going to retread Mark of the Witch again.
Charity Costa ~Bewitching Bella Emissary of Literal Addiction & proud member of Maggie Shayne's Official Street Team & most importantly a die hard fan of all things Maggie Shayne
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, lol! Her grandmother just passed away and inherit a mysterius box to her. Alas she lost it. 10 years later after she move to America, she finally see the box, just to realize that the box now is hold by Sgt Harrison Brockson. Amarrah encounter him to get the box, but then she recognize him as her lover in the past. While destiny once again unite them, a dark force is try to prevent Amarrah to get her precious box.
There are some things are bugged me. Such like :
- The 1st POV. I'm not fans of this POV. Especially on PNR genre. - The destiny and reincarnation things. While I'm okay with the reincarnation, my feeling is a little bit mixed about the destiny part. Don't get me wrong. I love destiny trope, but I can't feel the connection between the heroine , Amarrah and the hero , Harrison Brockson. Yes, they're both had reincarnated, but is the chemistry from the reincarnation? How if Harrom, Amarrah's Babylonian lover born into another man? I just can't feel the connection between this two. - When Amarrah remember her memory in Babylonia era, there's 2 things that really bugged me. First, the word "sarong". Is that word exist like 5000-10000 BC? Sarong is a term for clothes from Indonesia (yes, my country!) and Malaysia. Even though people in Arabic peninsula use it, I doubt the word "sarong" already invented thousands year ago. Then when Amarrah called Indira with "Indy". Is the nickname too modern?
Anyway, with the pro and con, I still enjoy Legacy of The Witch. And I can't wait to read the first book of The Portal series, Mark of The Witch. Hope the book is better than this :)
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!). Loved the adventure and danger throughout the novella. Also really loved the urgency and dedication Amarrah has for her task and that she refuses to let her Grandmother down.
Books like this remind me that somewhere, there are people with a higher purpose that live their whole lives to do for others, follow traditions, and make a difference in the world and the lives of those around them. What a beautiful reminder! Thank you, Maggie for this fantastic peek into the Portal Series! I can't wait for the rest of the series and to find out what happens with the three witches who are sentenced to die for their beliefs...
This is a short story which gives you some background into the Legacy of the Witch(es), about who they were and what sort of people they were. Amarrah was a slave girl to the slave girls who fell in love with a soldier boy. I personally would have liked to know more about them and what happened after but hopefully that will show up in the books that follow this one.
This book provides a well-paced, intriguing and mystical taster into what sounds like a wonderful series to read. This is a book of romance so it is completely safe for both young and old and all those in-between who don't want everything written out for them.
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 read, but I'm glad I got it free on my Kindle, and didn't pay for it.
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 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.
This book is the beginning of an epic love story told far too quickly in too few pages yet spanning generations of love and hate. Amarrah, lived from many times from slave girl to wife and mother across time. In this time, Amarrah's incarnation finds her true mate again but the battle from across time is ready to be ended. The first step is up to Amarrah. Through the eyes of the past, she found a future and fought to once again bring that future to her friends. With so much happening between slave girls Amarrah and current Amarrrah, you simply can't turn the pages quickly enough. This book is a one setting read. Unfortunately, instead of happening to wait across centuries or even the 20 years that Amarrah has to wait, we have to wait months for the witches return. When they do it will be to finish their epic love stories and the final battle.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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 knew she had been 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 determined to get it back. Tracking the artifact leads her to Sergeant Harrison Brockson, a handsome soldier who stirs memories of a man she knew centuries ago in ancient Babylon. Is Harrison the key to finding the box—or could he be her destiny?
Heather's Notes Not a bad prequel. It reads like it is not necessary to enjoy the trilogy, but probably adds to it. I liked Amarrah and Harrison. It was a nice short story.
This author has a magical way of pulling you into her books and not letting go until you are finished. This story has all the elements I adore. It has romance, action, adventure, and a healthy dose of the paranormal.
Amarrah’s grandmother tasked her with protecting a chest once belonged to witches from long ago. Sadly, the chest was stolen. However, new information would lead her to Harrison, a soldier with a story to tell and a possible connection to her lost chest.
Amarrah would take us on a journey from days of long ago to the present. Did she truly live millennia ago, in ancient Babylon? Did she know Harrison from those days?
This is a short story, and it is a prequel to the series. However, it is a complete story. It does not leave you hanging. It simply leaves you looking forward to reading the rest of the series. I loved it and would recommend it.
Legacy of the Witch is the prequel to a magical series about promises passed down from generation to generation of women from the ancient Middle East. The romance gave off strong Jasmine and Aladdin vibes, that is if Jasmine was a harem slave girl and Aladdin was a noble soldier bent on saving her. If you like fated mates, witches, exotic glimpses of faraway lands, and dual timelines, you will love this novella. I can't wait to live into other books in this series.
I received a free copy of this book from Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I have been provided with a review copy of Legacy of the Witch from Booksprout for an impartial review. I was just drawn into this wonderful story and I just couldn’t get enough of it. It was just so easy to get lost in this great story. I just didn’t want it to end. I just lost myself in it and I just couldn’t get enough of these interesting characters. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.
I love these type of mini prologues. They tell a story on their own, but they also serve as a way to set the scene and provide background details for the series to come. The premise the that main characters were reincarnations of characters from the origin events was ingenious. It allowed readers glimpses of what had happened, where we ate know, and what was to come. Very excited to read the series and learn more about these three witches.
I was thinking of starting this series so I thought I'd start with the prequel. It's only about 50 pages or so. However, I think I'd suggest reading this after you read the series. It seems like it may be more impactful that way. It seems to be written for people who have already read the story and know the characters a bit. But not bad for what it is.
I give this a solid 3.5/5 stars. It’s a good quick read/intro to a series. It definitely gave me Aladdin and Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves vibes. A fairytale mixed with a witchy romance. A lot packed into a short tale but all in all a good read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Amarrah's family has been entrusted with a magical box for many generations. Now the time is coming for it to be reclaimed. I can barely wait to read about the owner of the box.
Cozy little novella. Enough to entice you to want more of the story. Found love, evil forces. Part were a little to predictable but not bad enough to not want to read more of the series. Witches, harems, soldiers, royalty, what’s not to love?
Breve prequel della trilogia,ma l'ho trovato molto curioso e scritto bene. In poche pagine si sa già quello che conterrà l'intera trilogia,ma non per questo si è meno propensi a volerla scoprire.