What do you think?
The Coven #1
Bewitched Souls
The Coven is a special group of witches given charge of the manor on Genum Island, and Talis is considered the head and strongest of it. Joined by his sister, Teryn, and her husband, Cian, they protect their magic based home from the forces of darkness who seek the mysterious power of their home. It's all routine, until Talis' old crush shows up with a strong desire to take the head witch for himself.
Dion has come to terms with what he wants, and that's Talis. He has a lot to make up for, but with him comes trouble. Hot on his tail is his ex-girlfriend, and with her is a demon who has a craving for souls and a rise to her former glory.
The Coven has no choice but to stand against the greatest threat they've ever faced. How far will they go to save a soul?
Dion has come to terms with what he wants, and that's Talis. He has a lot to make up for, but with him comes trouble. Hot on his tail is his ex-girlfriend, and with her is a demon who has a craving for souls and a rise to her former glory.
The Coven has no choice but to stand against the greatest threat they've ever faced. How far will they go to save a soul?
230 pages, Paperback
First published May 15, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 12, 2019
Stars: 3.5
This is a new author to me and I just thought this book was OK. It’s the first one in the series so I will be reading the next one to make my final opinion. Don’t get me wrong this book was an enjoyable read but it dropped you right into the middle. You meet Talis, a witch from a very small coven. When Talis senses a presence it turned out to be Dion who was previously friends with Talis but went away when he started developing feelings for Talis. Dion has returned and seeks help from Talis and he is not afraid of his feelings for his friend anymore. I didn’t feel the connection between Talis and Dion considering they were friends before. Dion‘s crazy ex wants him back but the reader never find out why she is so obsessed with him. I just didn’t connect with the story because every book is not a for everyone but I will definitely be reading the second book in the series.
This is a new author to me and I just thought this book was OK. It’s the first one in the series so I will be reading the next one to make my final opinion. Don’t get me wrong this book was an enjoyable read but it dropped you right into the middle. You meet Talis, a witch from a very small coven. When Talis senses a presence it turned out to be Dion who was previously friends with Talis but went away when he started developing feelings for Talis. Dion has returned and seeks help from Talis and he is not afraid of his feelings for his friend anymore. I didn’t feel the connection between Talis and Dion considering they were friends before. Dion‘s crazy ex wants him back but the reader never find out why she is so obsessed with him. I just didn’t connect with the story because every book is not a for everyone but I will definitely be reading the second book in the series.
July 27, 2015
Bewitched Souls started off interestingly enough, dropping the reader into a night filled with witches and demons. While it was good to see a story kick off with action, it did feel a little bit more like I was being told a story rather than watching it unfold. It was a little jarring at first, though the writer has a smoothly flowing style that does make reading easy.
I had a hard time getting a sense of who each of the characters was as an individual, aside from their dialogue, they all seemed to be interchangeable, especially Talis, Cian and Teryn. They all seemed to move the same, think the same, act the same, and respond the same to situations, which is a shame, because it would have added a greater dynamic to the story to see them all behaving differently.
I found the whole thing with Dion and Kolby to be very cliché and very unbelievable. There is obsession, but never at any point does the reader learn just what it is about Dion that make her so hell bent on having him and no other. I also found it very difficult to believe just how quickly Talis forgave Dion and jumped into a relationship with him after the way their friendship fell apart. The lack of a slow build made me wonder about the ages of the characters, because that struck me as very teenage like behavior to me and yet, Talis is supposed to be the head of a coven, which is a very, very serious responsibility.
I must say that the author seemed to have a decent overview of the aspects of witchcraft, which shows that some good research was done to make the moments in the book where characters used rituals and spells. There was a ton of prep in dressing for a scene that went by fairly quickly and never showed any need for all of that attention to detail to have been made.
Some of the Point of View changes were a little jarring and I had to go back and see exactly who was saying what as we would be in Talis’ head on line and the very next line be in Dion’s. One question
I kept asking myself was that if most of the people there were witches, then why didn’t they go to the other witches for help and why, then, was their coven so small if there were so many other witches around, it simply kept pulling me out of the story each time someone was unsure of whether they were going to be able to handle a problem or not, and then did not go to someone else around them for aid.
Fight, exhaustion, return to bedroom, talk, sex, was a pattern that started to get a bit repetitive, the battle scenes started to blend together, making them lose their weight and importance. About midway through the book the conversations really got repetitive, especially between Dion and Talis in regards to Dion’s not being able to defend himself against demons.
At one point it is implied that several months had passed since they’d gotten together but in reading to that point, there was never any indication before that of months having passed by, it reads like days to me.
There was a great deal to like about this book, unfortunately, there was also a lot of things that got in the way of it coming through clearly. Two and a half is the highest score I can give this book.
I had a hard time getting a sense of who each of the characters was as an individual, aside from their dialogue, they all seemed to be interchangeable, especially Talis, Cian and Teryn. They all seemed to move the same, think the same, act the same, and respond the same to situations, which is a shame, because it would have added a greater dynamic to the story to see them all behaving differently.
I found the whole thing with Dion and Kolby to be very cliché and very unbelievable. There is obsession, but never at any point does the reader learn just what it is about Dion that make her so hell bent on having him and no other. I also found it very difficult to believe just how quickly Talis forgave Dion and jumped into a relationship with him after the way their friendship fell apart. The lack of a slow build made me wonder about the ages of the characters, because that struck me as very teenage like behavior to me and yet, Talis is supposed to be the head of a coven, which is a very, very serious responsibility.
I must say that the author seemed to have a decent overview of the aspects of witchcraft, which shows that some good research was done to make the moments in the book where characters used rituals and spells. There was a ton of prep in dressing for a scene that went by fairly quickly and never showed any need for all of that attention to detail to have been made.
Some of the Point of View changes were a little jarring and I had to go back and see exactly who was saying what as we would be in Talis’ head on line and the very next line be in Dion’s. One question
I kept asking myself was that if most of the people there were witches, then why didn’t they go to the other witches for help and why, then, was their coven so small if there were so many other witches around, it simply kept pulling me out of the story each time someone was unsure of whether they were going to be able to handle a problem or not, and then did not go to someone else around them for aid.
Fight, exhaustion, return to bedroom, talk, sex, was a pattern that started to get a bit repetitive, the battle scenes started to blend together, making them lose their weight and importance. About midway through the book the conversations really got repetitive, especially between Dion and Talis in regards to Dion’s not being able to defend himself against demons.
At one point it is implied that several months had passed since they’d gotten together but in reading to that point, there was never any indication before that of months having passed by, it reads like days to me.
There was a great deal to like about this book, unfortunately, there was also a lot of things that got in the way of it coming through clearly. Two and a half is the highest score I can give this book.
February 15, 2026
This is my first read by this author. It’s a quick, easy paranormal read set on Genum Island where a small coven protects a powerful magical manor from dark forces. Talis, the strong, protective head witch and his coven guard a source of serious magical power. And then Dion, his old friend who he was crushing on, comes back into his life with unfinished feelings and a whole lot of trouble attached. Including an obsessive ex and a demon that absolutely raises the stakes.
The pacing moves fast (emotionally and plot-wise) and the romance isn’t a slow burn. Once Dion is back, the tension is there. I actually liked that the relationship felt tied to the danger instead of separate from it.
The magic system isn’t overly complicated, which made it an easy read. You get witches, demons, fight scenes, protective coven vibes without feeling buried in lore. It’s more character-driven paranormal than epic high fantasy.
Overall, it was a fun, fast, witchy read with just enough romance and just enough danger to keep it interesting. I’m curious to see where the series goes from here.
3.5/5
The pacing moves fast (emotionally and plot-wise) and the romance isn’t a slow burn. Once Dion is back, the tension is there. I actually liked that the relationship felt tied to the danger instead of separate from it.
The magic system isn’t overly complicated, which made it an easy read. You get witches, demons, fight scenes, protective coven vibes without feeling buried in lore. It’s more character-driven paranormal than epic high fantasy.
Overall, it was a fun, fast, witchy read with just enough romance and just enough danger to keep it interesting. I’m curious to see where the series goes from here.
3.5/5
January 8, 2021
I thoroughly enjoy this book. I’ve never read a book that is like this one. There are a few spelling errors but that is not on the author. It had me hooked from page one! I’m looking forward to the second book.
June 29, 2024
Otherworldly Satisfaction
This was a fantastic read! The storyline was strong and fills readers with anticipation. The narrative was filled with action, emotion, and witty interactions. I can't wait to see what's in-store for Talis and Dion next! Well written!
This was a fantastic read! The storyline was strong and fills readers with anticipation. The narrative was filled with action, emotion, and witty interactions. I can't wait to see what's in-store for Talis and Dion next! Well written!
April 6, 2025
This book had me hooked from page one. It drops you right into the action. There’s action, banter, spice, everything you could want. Love the chemistry between Dion and Talis. I can’t wait to read the next book!
mm-ok-r
January 3, 2026Rok
Did Not Finish
April 17, 2026DNF’d at 14%
July 31, 2015
I received this book in exchange for an honest review
This is apparently the start of a series. It opens with us learning that the main character, Talis, is part of a coven, made up of him, his sister and her husband. They fight demons and protect the magical energy centered around their house. We learn more about why this is so further into the story. Dion is a former friend who seeks out Talis to admit the feelings he was denying previously. From there, the four of them battle a jealous, obsessed girlfriend, and multiple demons.
I wanted to like this story. The setting was described well, and the references to magical artifacts and rituals were interesting. I liked all the characters to an extent, but they weren't as distinct as I would have preferred, and the amount of smirking that went on had me cringing - it's a pet peeve of mine when this expression is used frequently to convey emotion or personality. The other thing that repeatedly pulled me out of the story was the grammar errors and awkward phrasing used to avoid using the character's names. There were so many instances of "the other male" - examples like "Talin smiled until he drew one from the other male as well." I know it can be confusing to convey events between two men with lots of hes and hims, but this is not the way to get around that.
The story line, involving demonic possession, magical battles and sacrifice, had interesting bones. I wanted to find out what would happen, and aside from the structural problems already mentioned, the author's writing style flowed. The suspenseful scenes were a bit uneven - some were tension filled, like when Dion is pushed to the point we uncover a hidden aspect to his character. Others, like the final conflict, missed a bit on the level of emotional involvement and tension I would have preferred. We gradually discover more secret aspects to our two main characters, but they got to be too much . This was a quick and mildly interesting read, but somewhat disappointing in its execution.
This is apparently the start of a series. It opens with us learning that the main character, Talis, is part of a coven, made up of him, his sister and her husband. They fight demons and protect the magical energy centered around their house. We learn more about why this is so further into the story. Dion is a former friend who seeks out Talis to admit the feelings he was denying previously. From there, the four of them battle a jealous, obsessed girlfriend, and multiple demons.
I wanted to like this story. The setting was described well, and the references to magical artifacts and rituals were interesting. I liked all the characters to an extent, but they weren't as distinct as I would have preferred, and the amount of smirking that went on had me cringing - it's a pet peeve of mine when this expression is used frequently to convey emotion or personality. The other thing that repeatedly pulled me out of the story was the grammar errors and awkward phrasing used to avoid using the character's names. There were so many instances of "the other male" - examples like "Talin smiled until he drew one from the other male as well." I know it can be confusing to convey events between two men with lots of hes and hims, but this is not the way to get around that.
The story line, involving demonic possession, magical battles and sacrifice, had interesting bones. I wanted to find out what would happen, and aside from the structural problems already mentioned, the author's writing style flowed. The suspenseful scenes were a bit uneven - some were tension filled, like when Dion is pushed to the point we uncover a hidden aspect to his character. Others, like the final conflict, missed a bit on the level of emotional involvement and tension I would have preferred. We gradually discover more secret aspects to our two main characters, but they got to be too much . This was a quick and mildly interesting read, but somewhat disappointing in its execution.
July 14, 2015
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Things are always more complicated than you expect them to be and the plot in this story was no exception. The book jumps right into the action with Dion's ex (also known as one crazy ass bitch) coming after him to basically drag him back into her den of evil for a life of subjugation. Seriously, girl needs help. Too bad for her, Dion had already made up his mind about what he wanted and who he wanted it with (see Talis for references and snarky commentary) and besides going to get his man, he also asked for help. This puts the two main characters, along with a couple of others, right in the middle of a fight, not only for Dion's freedom, but a bunch of people's souls. Unfortunately for Dion, however, since he isn't a witch, he ends up a hindrance rather than a help and as a result, ends up captured....a couple of times. Seriously, I kept expecting a talking mushroom to jump out and tell Talis that his princess was in another underworld or something. -.-
There's also a great deal of guilt floating around the two MCs for various things in the past and actions taken in the present because of them; truth be told that got a little old reading it after a while but by the time the real ass kicking started, things were pretty much hashed out between them. And boy was there ass kicking! I think I lost track of how many times these guys all got into fights over the course of this book.
Overall I really enjoyed this read; it wasn't hard to get into the world and plot though I thought it was a little easy at times. There were also a few points over the course of the novel where the writing seemed a little choppy to me but it was easy for me to ignore in favor of the story itself. I do think the events in the ending were a little fast for both the story and the characters but things ended nicely and I plan on reading the next book when it comes out as I enjoyed this one.
Things are always more complicated than you expect them to be and the plot in this story was no exception. The book jumps right into the action with Dion's ex (also known as one crazy ass bitch) coming after him to basically drag him back into her den of evil for a life of subjugation. Seriously, girl needs help. Too bad for her, Dion had already made up his mind about what he wanted and who he wanted it with (see Talis for references and snarky commentary) and besides going to get his man, he also asked for help. This puts the two main characters, along with a couple of others, right in the middle of a fight, not only for Dion's freedom, but a bunch of people's souls. Unfortunately for Dion, however, since he isn't a witch, he ends up a hindrance rather than a help and as a result, ends up captured....a couple of times. Seriously, I kept expecting a talking mushroom to jump out and tell Talis that his princess was in another underworld or something. -.-
There's also a great deal of guilt floating around the two MCs for various things in the past and actions taken in the present because of them; truth be told that got a little old reading it after a while but by the time the real ass kicking started, things were pretty much hashed out between them. And boy was there ass kicking! I think I lost track of how many times these guys all got into fights over the course of this book.
Overall I really enjoyed this read; it wasn't hard to get into the world and plot though I thought it was a little easy at times. There were also a few points over the course of the novel where the writing seemed a little choppy to me but it was easy for me to ignore in favor of the story itself. I do think the events in the ending were a little fast for both the story and the characters but things ended nicely and I plan on reading the next book when it comes out as I enjoyed this one.
July 20, 2015
This book was provided free by the author in exchange for an honest review.
3 Stars from the Galaxy!
The start of this drops you right into it. We meet Talis, a witch, who comes from a very small coven of three; his sister, her husband, and himself. They fight to protect this, how do I say it, magical island. Most importantly they must protect their home which is the center of all this magic. To start, Talis senses a familiar presense, which turns up to be, Dion. Dion and talis were friends in the past, but Dion afraid of his feelings for his friend, pushed him away. Dion has returned to Talis for two reasons; one, to own up to his feelings for his friend and two, to ask for his help.
As the reader, you just read theses two characters diving right into a relationship. I can understand they are supposed to have a past, but I didn't sense any closeness of any type. If in the start a bit of history had been set in before we are presented with these two males, it would've helped a lot.
Immediately following these two, is Dion's crazy lunatic ex to drag him back. This chick needs help, seriously. She's obsessive and I found it being a bit extreme because as a reader, we never are given a straight answer on why she's so intent on having him.
I did enjoy and appreciate the witchcraft part of this whole story, it was refreshing and an interesting bit. I did find mself also enjoying the butt kicking in this book.
The story was enjoyable, though short and a little lacking, but enjoyable!
3 Stars from the Galaxy!
The start of this drops you right into it. We meet Talis, a witch, who comes from a very small coven of three; his sister, her husband, and himself. They fight to protect this, how do I say it, magical island. Most importantly they must protect their home which is the center of all this magic. To start, Talis senses a familiar presense, which turns up to be, Dion. Dion and talis were friends in the past, but Dion afraid of his feelings for his friend, pushed him away. Dion has returned to Talis for two reasons; one, to own up to his feelings for his friend and two, to ask for his help.
As the reader, you just read theses two characters diving right into a relationship. I can understand they are supposed to have a past, but I didn't sense any closeness of any type. If in the start a bit of history had been set in before we are presented with these two males, it would've helped a lot.
Immediately following these two, is Dion's crazy lunatic ex to drag him back. This chick needs help, seriously. She's obsessive and I found it being a bit extreme because as a reader, we never are given a straight answer on why she's so intent on having him.
I did enjoy and appreciate the witchcraft part of this whole story, it was refreshing and an interesting bit. I did find mself also enjoying the butt kicking in this book.
The story was enjoyable, though short and a little lacking, but enjoyable!
July 23, 2015
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
The flow of the story wasn't as smooth as it could have been. The transition from one scene to the next didnt feel very natural and it left me feeling as if I was missing something everytime. There were some grammar issues that also screwed with the flow of the story and just made the reading come off as funny sounding. Also the story felt a bit quick paced.
Talis and Dions relationship didn't make them seem very close or deeply in love at all so when Talis was willing to set the Chaos dragon free for power to save Dion I just wanted to shake him tell him it was not worth his time. The story overall was entertaining but at the same time I felt it dragged on (weird how that can seeing as I said it was also quicked pace.. but it was). The showdowns with the demons, Shax and Lenora were fun but I thought it could be more decriptive in some ways to better wow readers. The ending was nice but again I didn't feel Talis and Dion had a very loving and trusting relationship. It just didn't come across like that in the story.
The flow of the story wasn't as smooth as it could have been. The transition from one scene to the next didnt feel very natural and it left me feeling as if I was missing something everytime. There were some grammar issues that also screwed with the flow of the story and just made the reading come off as funny sounding. Also the story felt a bit quick paced.
Talis and Dions relationship didn't make them seem very close or deeply in love at all so when Talis was willing to set the Chaos dragon free for power to save Dion I just wanted to shake him tell him it was not worth his time. The story overall was entertaining but at the same time I felt it dragged on (weird how that can seeing as I said it was also quicked pace.. but it was). The showdowns with the demons, Shax and Lenora were fun but I thought it could be more decriptive in some ways to better wow readers. The ending was nice but again I didn't feel Talis and Dion had a very loving and trusting relationship. It just didn't come across like that in the story.
July 20, 2015
While this is something new from this author, do not be fooled. This is the same Drako we know and love from the Dragon Hunters series: unafraid to dive into what few authors dabble in. This tale focus on Talis, his sister Teryn, her husband Cian and their fight against evil's attempt to seize power in their favor. Of course, things are complicated by the reemergence of Talis' friend Dion, who comes to accept himself. With Dion comes a host of problems that the Coven don't need, including an ancient evil. Everything in this title was perfect. I was able to immerse myself into Drako's newest title and let myself get lost at inappropriate times without regrets. In fact, I'm about to go get lost inside of Bewitched Souls once more. If you're incapable of handling MxM romance, be mature and pass it up.
July 17, 2015
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
Dion and Talis were friends years ago and Dion pushed Talis away because he didn’t want the feelings he had for him. Dion has finally accepted his feelings and has gone to get his man. They get together quickly with only Talis having some reservations and Dion determined to keep them together. Dion’s ex has been given powers by a demon that isn’t too happy with Talis breaks the bond and she loses the girl’s soul. This then sends Talis’ ex and other demons after them. They defeat the main demon with Dion finally finding out what he is and them moving forward together.
This story was enjoyable, but they just seemed to get together and everything just worked out for them.
Dion and Talis were friends years ago and Dion pushed Talis away because he didn’t want the feelings he had for him. Dion has finally accepted his feelings and has gone to get his man. They get together quickly with only Talis having some reservations and Dion determined to keep them together. Dion’s ex has been given powers by a demon that isn’t too happy with Talis breaks the bond and she loses the girl’s soul. This then sends Talis’ ex and other demons after them. They defeat the main demon with Dion finally finding out what he is and them moving forward together.
This story was enjoyable, but they just seemed to get together and everything just worked out for them.
August 21, 2016
Bewitched Souls
First time reading this author, I enjoyed the story and the main characters. It was a quick read for me. I recommend this story to all who want a quick romance.
First time reading this author, I enjoyed the story and the main characters. It was a quick read for me. I recommend this story to all who want a quick romance.
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