I wasn't sure if I should laugh or cringe reading the prologue. I started off laughing (wild magic did something hilarious) and then I cringed at the bullying directed at Sage, not cool! As a witch of "mixed blood" she is ostracised and feared by her town, convinced she is evil. But she's not. She just has different magic to the rest, awesome magic I might add but she's painted black as a dark witch. No amount of pleading, no amount of trying to convince them, has them thinking any different. Even years later, while at college and crazy in love, the true evil people, the Council, meddle. My heart broke for her, Ms Hunt's depiction of her pain was like a hot poker setting my blood alight. Then the loss of Callum compounds her pain...and Sage builds an impregnable wall around her, sealing in her hurt and allowing only the disdain to show outwardly. Now when girls of mixed blood start to go missing, the blame by the entire town, is cast directly at Sage.
Callum, oh gosh, poor Callum, manipulated by the Council, he has no choice but to agree. Breaking both his heart and Sage's. Ms Hunt showed their pain through the dual POV, which I always love. But here's an example of how this author throws the unexpected, and humorous, in... forlorn, devastated Sage, put a hex on Callum when he ended it...I had to snort laugh at WHAT she did! So perhaps I should have said, poor POOR Callum upfront. A twist of fate put them together once more, partnering up to solve the mystery of the missing girls and boy was their meeting volatile! Mostly from Sage, but heck, he WAS the one who shattered her life! I love his very appropriate description of Sage, "Beautiful, brilliant and impossibly powerful. She was a recipe for disaster" His disaster, his hearts disaster...
There's plenty of bias aimed towards Sage, but the prejudice runs so deep in all the town folk nothing Sage can do or say can make them see reason. Especially when the entire Council conspires against her, spreading the lies. Grrrr...I don't know who I loathed more, the Bishop's or Chloe! Vile, awful people! Ms Hunt keeps the drama going full force with the hatred spewed at Sage, hinting at a major corruption at the very heart of the Council. She contorts it so well, I had many suspects! And then the unthinkable happens... Just as I thought it was all nicely tied up, the perpetrators apprehended, a victory for Callum and Sage, geez, Ms Hunt threw such a curve ball it hit me square in my guts! What a cool twist! I loved the characters in this book, all were established and well rounded but hehehe, I think Cosmos was my favourite. I love the attitude and snark of Cosmos, he's the coolest sidekick cat!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! There were a few tiny inconsistencies but it in no way detracted from me joy and feel good the entire time I was reading it. Ms Hunt got all my juices flowing, kept me on my toes, and heck, those final few chapters, soooooo dramatic! And the ending was simply sublime! This was adorable, and sweet, and funny, and easy and just an ultra cool read!