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Revenge of the Witch #1
Black Annis: Demon Hunter
Hell has no fury like a Black Witch betrayed
All New 2021 Edition!
"These are a MUST READ. Black Annis has become my favorite series I've read in a long time, if not ever!" - Amazon reviewer
"Well-written and highly original - definitely not just another witch story. Characters and plot are beautifully done." - Amazon reviewer
"Delightfully wicked" - Amazon reviewer
All that the ancient black witch Annis wants is to avenge her father and defeat her enemies. However, it’s easier said than done, for her enemies are powerful Necromancers, deadly Archdemons, ruthless vampires – and her own mother. But after four hundred years of torment in the Lake of Fire, Black Annis will not give up.
They will know her fury. All of them. The Priesthood will suffer for what they did to her.
And there’s no way she’s letting them send her back to Hell. She might need a bit of time to adjust to the body of a young woman she possessed, and a bit more time to adapt to the modern city of Los Angeles, but she’ll manage.
She has to.
Because her enemies will not rest until she is dead. Again. But dying once was enough and now it’s her turn to strike back.
She is a powerful black witch, the only daughter of the immortal Witch Queen Amelia, and she will have her vengeance.
All New 2021 Edition!
"These are a MUST READ. Black Annis has become my favorite series I've read in a long time, if not ever!" - Amazon reviewer
"Well-written and highly original - definitely not just another witch story. Characters and plot are beautifully done." - Amazon reviewer
"Delightfully wicked" - Amazon reviewer
All that the ancient black witch Annis wants is to avenge her father and defeat her enemies. However, it’s easier said than done, for her enemies are powerful Necromancers, deadly Archdemons, ruthless vampires – and her own mother. But after four hundred years of torment in the Lake of Fire, Black Annis will not give up.
They will know her fury. All of them. The Priesthood will suffer for what they did to her.
And there’s no way she’s letting them send her back to Hell. She might need a bit of time to adjust to the body of a young woman she possessed, and a bit more time to adapt to the modern city of Los Angeles, but she’ll manage.
She has to.
Because her enemies will not rest until she is dead. Again. But dying once was enough and now it’s her turn to strike back.
She is a powerful black witch, the only daughter of the immortal Witch Queen Amelia, and she will have her vengeance.
313 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 5, 2017
674 people are currently reading
843 people want to read
About the author
Aubrey Law
39 books203 followersAubrey Law is a #1 best-selling Dark and Urban Fantasy author from Los Angeles, California who shares a house with two adopted dogs: a Siberian Husky named Maximus and a German Shepherd named Logan. Aubrey's writing is inspired by books/movies/games such as The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Jane Yellowrock, Underworld, Blade, and Everquest 2.
Future releases by Aubrey Law:
Revenge of the Witch 8: Dark Goddess
Revenge of the Witch 9: Demon Assassin
Revenge of the Witch 10: Demon Conqueror
Future releases by Aubrey Law:
Revenge of the Witch 8: Dark Goddess
Revenge of the Witch 9: Demon Assassin
Revenge of the Witch 10: Demon Conqueror
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
August 9, 2018
What have i just read????
Everyone is after the dagger....... That can cut you!!!!! Watch out you have been warned....
The main jist of the story is an ancient witch posses a woman, Starts thinking she may be a lesbian or bi, escapes the clutches of a sect with former body's girlfriend who has become a zombie, befriends a fallen angel all of 5 or 6 pages, he turns psychotic Annis kills him leaving the dagger that leaves a bad cut, then a warlock turns up and his dog craps on the floor for a few pages then Annis kills him and a few other people, dagger gets stolen, girls hunt it down kill some vamps and part ways.
all the above happens in about a day and a half, found it amusing Sonja tipping point was Annis wanting to kill a vampire, not the fact she was willing to help the woman track down a load of innocent ancestors of someone who betrayed Annis to kill them.
Also the fact shes possessing her girlfriend she still wants to screw her.
if it was any longer it would be a DNF
This was awful the writing was juvenile and had no real rhyme or reason. the whole book made no sense, Annis wants a dagger which can cut someone, the fact she can call plagues explode peoples hearts, turn them to goo or inside out, she needs a dagger that can cut them..... Yea ok then.
Everyone is after the dagger....... That can cut you!!!!! Watch out you have been warned....
The main jist of the story is an ancient witch posses a woman, Starts thinking she may be a lesbian or bi, escapes the clutches of a sect with former body's girlfriend who has become a zombie, befriends a fallen angel all of 5 or 6 pages, he turns psychotic Annis kills him leaving the dagger that leaves a bad cut, then a warlock turns up and his dog craps on the floor for a few pages then Annis kills him and a few other people, dagger gets stolen, girls hunt it down kill some vamps and part ways.
all the above happens in about a day and a half, found it amusing Sonja tipping point was Annis wanting to kill a vampire, not the fact she was willing to help the woman track down a load of innocent ancestors of someone who betrayed Annis to kill them.
Also the fact shes possessing her girlfriend she still wants to screw her.
if it was any longer it would be a DNF
This was awful the writing was juvenile and had no real rhyme or reason. the whole book made no sense, Annis wants a dagger which can cut someone, the fact she can call plagues explode peoples hearts, turn them to goo or inside out, she needs a dagger that can cut them..... Yea ok then.
May 6, 2022
Sooooo ..... after being locked out of my Kindle app I've decided to have a bit of a clean up in my various "Books Read" lists. I'm onto my Couldn't-Get-Into-It-May-Try-Again pile now, which is where I will, in the future, slot books that I couldn't get through first read for whatever reason. I'll then go back to the list after a good length of time and either DNF it or put it into a new list.
As of 7th May 2022 I was prepared to give this another go but for some reason I have deleted it from my Kindle. I can't justify the $$ for a repurchase just for a re-review, so I'm moving this book to a new list of It's-Not-You-It's-Me pile. I've also changed my rating to 2.5 🌟 instead of 3, which I think will be my standard rating for all books that come under that list.
** As an aside, this book has had a complete reworking including new cover etc. as of 2021 **
Original Review:
This is a 2.5 star read - The author is releasing a new version in 2019.
This sounded SO promising as a premise however the execution was disappointing to say the least. The writing was very "clunky" and stilted and the plotting left a lot to be desired. This is a DNF at 30% for me.
As of 7th May 2022 I was prepared to give this another go but for some reason I have deleted it from my Kindle. I can't justify the $$ for a repurchase just for a re-review, so I'm moving this book to a new list of It's-Not-You-It's-Me pile. I've also changed my rating to 2.5 🌟 instead of 3, which I think will be my standard rating for all books that come under that list.
** As an aside, this book has had a complete reworking including new cover etc. as of 2021 **
Original Review:
This is a 2.5 star read - The author is releasing a new version in 2019.
This sounded SO promising as a premise however the execution was disappointing to say the least. The writing was very "clunky" and stilted and the plotting left a lot to be desired. This is a DNF at 30% for me.
August 9, 2018
I wanted to love this, and I just didn't.
What I was expecting was:
What I got:
What I was expecting was:
What I got:
July 20, 2018
An interesting urban fantasy story about a body-snatching witch who arrives in modern Los Angeles with the corrupted church as well as a bunch of demon allies on her tail. Black Annis is a bit difficult to read at times but deals with entertaining subject matter, a morally ambiguous heroine, and some cool relationships.
August 18, 2018
DNF 70%
The good: It was free.
The bad: It was bad.
The good: It was free.
The bad: It was bad.
January 27, 2021
All new 2021 revision!
September 8, 2020
Quick Reply eading
I liked this story and plan to check out the later stories.
It was a quick read. The main character, Annis, is an interesting character who is only partially developed in this first book. I imagine the next book will developed her more and the world she finds herself occupying.
There are a variety of characters; humans, angels, devils, priests, witches and deadlocks who move among the realms.
It was a good adventure.
I liked this story and plan to check out the later stories.
It was a quick read. The main character, Annis, is an interesting character who is only partially developed in this first book. I imagine the next book will developed her more and the world she finds herself occupying.
There are a variety of characters; humans, angels, devils, priests, witches and deadlocks who move among the realms.
It was a good adventure.
April 14, 2019
The spirit of Black Annis has been suffering in the Lake of Fire for the past four centuries. That is until she's presented with a prime opportunity and possesses the body of a young woman. The witch known as Black Annis can now walk the physical world again and she is one powerful force with which to be reckoned. There isn't a lot that can stand in her way.
When Annis takes over the physical body, she is unsuccessful at driving all of the previous owner's spirit clear of the body, which means she can now feel empathy, something with which she was unfamiliar previously. This was a really nice touch, I thought. But don't make the mistake of thinking this makes Black Annis any weaker.
When a fallen angel descends to the city nearby, he is carrying a very powerful object stolen from God before he was cast out of heaven. It's this object that sends Black Annis and her partner on a roller coaster of a ride where death awaits in every dark corner and flits around the black shadows through which Annis walks.
The pace of the story is great, it kept me engaged and hoping for the demise of Annis's enemies (and there are many of them). I thought it was a really original take on the angel/demon stories of contemporary fantasy fiction and I look forward to reading more from Aubrey Law.
When Annis takes over the physical body, she is unsuccessful at driving all of the previous owner's spirit clear of the body, which means she can now feel empathy, something with which she was unfamiliar previously. This was a really nice touch, I thought. But don't make the mistake of thinking this makes Black Annis any weaker.
When a fallen angel descends to the city nearby, he is carrying a very powerful object stolen from God before he was cast out of heaven. It's this object that sends Black Annis and her partner on a roller coaster of a ride where death awaits in every dark corner and flits around the black shadows through which Annis walks.
The pace of the story is great, it kept me engaged and hoping for the demise of Annis's enemies (and there are many of them). I thought it was a really original take on the angel/demon stories of contemporary fantasy fiction and I look forward to reading more from Aubrey Law.
added-it
August 30, 2021🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/6/2020)! 🎁
November 7, 2017
‘Now the world will remember why they fear the night. I, Black Annis, am returning to the land of the living.’
Los Angeles author Aubrey Law is best known for her collection of stories – The Pumpkintown Perils –for the adult reader despite the witch’s stories and fol de rol that have a hefty dose of fantasy, imagination, some clever mystery solving, and a bit of naughty. Now she steps away from the pure entertainment aspect to pen her initial ‘serious sci-fi dark fantasy novel. It is a pleasure to report that she succeeds as handsomely in this new series as she captured imagination and hearts with her humorous Pumpkintown ladies.
Aubrey knows how to mix historic fiction/fantasy with contemporary consequences – and that is a trick that usually takes practice in time travel and mythology writing. She sets the new series with a fine little Prologue - ‘There was a time when Black Witches ruled the night and their eternal Vampire enemies kept themselves hidden or suffered certain death. The Werewolves also feared the wrath of a Witch's Black Magic and not even the fullest moon would bring the monsters out of hiding. In those ancient and terrible days the immortal Witch Queen Amelia was the most dreaded woman alive. She married herself to a foreign prince to acquire a glorious castle and together they had a single child. Annis was her given name and she was not born immortal like Amelia. The Witch Queen's only daughter inherited her mother's dark soul but she remained a mortal human like her father. Annis was a shameful disappointment to Amelia and the lone daughter was harshly disowned by her heartless mother. The Witch Queen desired an immortal child but she was never able to become pregnant again. In her rage Amelia eventually killed her husband and she disappeared into the shadows. Annis was consumed with hatred for her mother and gave herself completely over to the powerful darkness of Black Magic. She will never be a true immortal but Black Annis can still walk the world forever by using her rare gift of Possession to snatch a new body away from anyone she desires.’ So we know the powers of our main character Annis.
But to take this a step further Aubrey offers an incident form England 1616 – ‘"Please spare my life! I have a son and a daughter! You are killing an innocent woman!" I passionately lied and pleaded with them to release me but I knew they would not. The priests had finally caught me and now my flesh body with all its pleasures was about to be destroyed. Time spent in the darkness of the dead's realm surely had its rewards but nothing was sweeter to me than the joys of lust and butchery experienced as a blood and bone human. Soon I would depart from this world but one day I would return and have my revenge. Just do it. Snap my neck and get this over with. The rope was snug under my chin and my death was sure to be quick. My spinal cord would sever and I would feel no pain. My executioners could have roasted me alive and for showing me this mercy I vowed not to completely wipe out their family bloodlines. "Annis of the Dane Hills, you have been found guilty of murder, Witchcraft, and forsaking the Holy Faith. You have given yourself over to Black
Magic, and by its incantations, charms, and conjurings, and by other abominable superstitions, caused the ruin or death of many good people. Do you have any last words?" said the bald and black-robed judge. "You infectious Hell-hated boar-pigs!" I hissed. "A pox upon you!"
Enter the present – Los Angeles 2017 – and the actual storyline is as follows – ‘I am Annis. Resurrected Black Witch. Demon Hunter. Vampire Hater. Daughter of the Witch Queen Amelia. The legendary and dreadful witch Black Annis resurfaces after she was brutally executed and snatches the body of an unsuspecting young woman in modern Los Angeles. Annis must adapt to the new world after four hundred years of torment in the Lake of Fire and her hatred of the Priesthood and their demon allies is eternal. The hunt for her enemies has begun but the woman's body she selfishly possessed will change Annis in ways she never imagined possible. Can a Black Witch's cold dead heart ever know love?’
Aubrey Law steps solidly into the court of dark fantasy with the usual humor we all have grown to love. This is a strong, if short, novel and a fine beginning of a promising series.
Los Angeles author Aubrey Law is best known for her collection of stories – The Pumpkintown Perils –for the adult reader despite the witch’s stories and fol de rol that have a hefty dose of fantasy, imagination, some clever mystery solving, and a bit of naughty. Now she steps away from the pure entertainment aspect to pen her initial ‘serious sci-fi dark fantasy novel. It is a pleasure to report that she succeeds as handsomely in this new series as she captured imagination and hearts with her humorous Pumpkintown ladies.
Aubrey knows how to mix historic fiction/fantasy with contemporary consequences – and that is a trick that usually takes practice in time travel and mythology writing. She sets the new series with a fine little Prologue - ‘There was a time when Black Witches ruled the night and their eternal Vampire enemies kept themselves hidden or suffered certain death. The Werewolves also feared the wrath of a Witch's Black Magic and not even the fullest moon would bring the monsters out of hiding. In those ancient and terrible days the immortal Witch Queen Amelia was the most dreaded woman alive. She married herself to a foreign prince to acquire a glorious castle and together they had a single child. Annis was her given name and she was not born immortal like Amelia. The Witch Queen's only daughter inherited her mother's dark soul but she remained a mortal human like her father. Annis was a shameful disappointment to Amelia and the lone daughter was harshly disowned by her heartless mother. The Witch Queen desired an immortal child but she was never able to become pregnant again. In her rage Amelia eventually killed her husband and she disappeared into the shadows. Annis was consumed with hatred for her mother and gave herself completely over to the powerful darkness of Black Magic. She will never be a true immortal but Black Annis can still walk the world forever by using her rare gift of Possession to snatch a new body away from anyone she desires.’ So we know the powers of our main character Annis.
But to take this a step further Aubrey offers an incident form England 1616 – ‘"Please spare my life! I have a son and a daughter! You are killing an innocent woman!" I passionately lied and pleaded with them to release me but I knew they would not. The priests had finally caught me and now my flesh body with all its pleasures was about to be destroyed. Time spent in the darkness of the dead's realm surely had its rewards but nothing was sweeter to me than the joys of lust and butchery experienced as a blood and bone human. Soon I would depart from this world but one day I would return and have my revenge. Just do it. Snap my neck and get this over with. The rope was snug under my chin and my death was sure to be quick. My spinal cord would sever and I would feel no pain. My executioners could have roasted me alive and for showing me this mercy I vowed not to completely wipe out their family bloodlines. "Annis of the Dane Hills, you have been found guilty of murder, Witchcraft, and forsaking the Holy Faith. You have given yourself over to Black
Magic, and by its incantations, charms, and conjurings, and by other abominable superstitions, caused the ruin or death of many good people. Do you have any last words?" said the bald and black-robed judge. "You infectious Hell-hated boar-pigs!" I hissed. "A pox upon you!"
Enter the present – Los Angeles 2017 – and the actual storyline is as follows – ‘I am Annis. Resurrected Black Witch. Demon Hunter. Vampire Hater. Daughter of the Witch Queen Amelia. The legendary and dreadful witch Black Annis resurfaces after she was brutally executed and snatches the body of an unsuspecting young woman in modern Los Angeles. Annis must adapt to the new world after four hundred years of torment in the Lake of Fire and her hatred of the Priesthood and their demon allies is eternal. The hunt for her enemies has begun but the woman's body she selfishly possessed will change Annis in ways she never imagined possible. Can a Black Witch's cold dead heart ever know love?’
Aubrey Law steps solidly into the court of dark fantasy with the usual humor we all have grown to love. This is a strong, if short, novel and a fine beginning of a promising series.
March 6, 2018
Black Annis: Demon Hunter is a good fantasy book for anyone who fancies a dark (but really dark) story. It tells the story of a black witch who was killed and her soul kept in the Lake of Fire for over 400 years. Now she is back and won’t stop at anything to get her revenge. At the same time, she needs to hide from her enemies who are looking for her and is trying to realize the impact that the woman she possessed is having in her actions.
It’s an interesting story but it does need some work. The story seems more like an action-reaction kind of plot, leaving some empty holes in it. There’s a great pace in it but the lack of descriptions creates no empathy with the characters, which is a shame. This is the first book and there will be a second one. The book ends with an open ending and I’m curious enough to wait for the second one. Hopefully, it will get better.
It’s an interesting story but it does need some work. The story seems more like an action-reaction kind of plot, leaving some empty holes in it. There’s a great pace in it but the lack of descriptions creates no empathy with the characters, which is a shame. This is the first book and there will be a second one. The book ends with an open ending and I’m curious enough to wait for the second one. Hopefully, it will get better.
September 28, 2018
Alright so this was a really quick read. Not a bad read, not a stellar read but a middle of the pack, kinda fun read. Now that isn't necessarily a bad thing as I like quick fun reads once and awhile as it breaks up the medium of serious or absolute crap reading (it happens sometimes that I get a really bad read, not often but it does happen). Now, that isnt saying there aren't issues such as scenes going too quick or rapid fire dialogue (there were a couple times I had to go back a page or two to remember what characters were talking, not often but a couple). All in all I am giving it a solid 3 out of 5 as it was a fun quick read but there were some, although minor, issues
December 12, 2018
Interesting take on powerful Demons, Witches, Angels, Vampires and practically every other demonic/angelic/sorcery creature you can imagine, going at it in LA.
I don't normally read this kind of slightly-erotic Fantasy, it's just not my cup of tea. But I have to admit it had some good action and good vs bad concepts.
It's a quick read, very fast paced, which is to its credit. The characters are fairly shallow but that fit the pace and concept of the story just fine for me.
Dropping a prized weapon into the mix half way into the story seemed a little weird at first but the author merged it into the story line pretty well.
Adding more depth to the characters and slowing the pace in some places to make it more believable (?) are the only real suggestions I have for the author.
I don't normally read this kind of slightly-erotic Fantasy, it's just not my cup of tea. But I have to admit it had some good action and good vs bad concepts.
It's a quick read, very fast paced, which is to its credit. The characters are fairly shallow but that fit the pace and concept of the story just fine for me.
Dropping a prized weapon into the mix half way into the story seemed a little weird at first but the author merged it into the story line pretty well.
Adding more depth to the characters and slowing the pace in some places to make it more believable (?) are the only real suggestions I have for the author.
June 20, 2018
Thank God it was free.
On paper, this sounded a great read, black witchcraft, revenge, lesbians...The cover looks professional and hell, it was free on Amazon.
But it is just so badly written I cannot stop rolling my eyes long enough to enjoy any of it. For one thing all the action is narrated as if from a point several minutes after it occurred. It's different to past tense, and keeps tricking me into thinking we're in one scene when actually we are in one set days later. E.g. One chapter starts with Annis saying that she was unprepared when the priests came to get her in the middle of the night, but then she continues with the torture that they have put her through and then straight to the execution, as if it has all happened already.
Aside from a list of races several pages long, at the start of the novel - the phrasing of which is really repetitive, no aspect of the mythos has yet to be explained. We're told that Annis' mother is immortal, but not if she's a White Witch or a Black Witch or how those differ aside from that obviously they do White and Black magic respectively. There are demons with the priests and no real explanation of why. If priests can do magic why do they hate witches so much? No one has explained what a Hellgate is or how it works and I know I'm only 9% into this book but it feels like the plot is being told by a hysterical child - Just slow down and EXPLAIN - talk to me, I'm your audience.
Every sentence has four times too many adjectives, the dialogue is straight from the uncanny valley and the shifting perspectives and modes of expression - from first to third person and back again between paragraphs, make it read like fanfiction - someone's first fanfiction.
For example -
"Bring her to me!" said the old priest. The devious men who obeyed his orders surrounded my location with knives out and their copper-scented blades were no strangers to blood.
A stupidly long sentence. Devious is an unnecessary adjective. Why is she smelling their knives? 'My location' is just bizarre and why is there an exclamation mark if the priest says this, not shouts it??
For another example -
"Who goes there?" asked a wandering priest wielding a knife. "You! How did you escape?"
"How did I escape? Allow me to demonstrate."
I swiftly kicked and buried my foot deep into the priest's chest. He lost all breath as he slammed against the stone wall and fell straight to the concrete floor. I stomped him and shattered his frightened face with my heel. "How many more of you are here?" I asked and continued to brutalize him without mercy. "What's wrong, old man? Can you not speak with a broken mouth?"
Well...obviously not? Also you just put your foot IN his chest, apparently. Why is he 'wandering'? Also, I would be interested in learning how you can brutilize someone WITH mercy.
Example 3 -
Sonja seemed strangely familiar as I stared at her bare breasts and enchanting emerald eyes.
LOL, just....lol.
Final example -
"You don't remember anything about me? Did you hit your head when fighting?" said Sonja. "I'm twenty-five. Same age as you silly."
Silly? I'd been called many things in my lifetime but that word was never included in the dark and damning list of adjectives used to describe me. 'Silly' must have been a term of endearment the two lovers shared.
"So are you familiar with demons?"
Why assume it's a term of endearment? It's just a thing people say. Why ask how old she is if there is no follow up question or statement to indicate why her age matters? 'When fighting' is just a stiff and odd way to say 'while you were fighting' or 'in the fight'.
Others may be able to ignore the writing and get further into this than I have, but I can't go on with it. I am truly TRULY baffled by the 4 and 5 star reviews on this book.
While it's free you should read it and make your own mind up, but I would not pay any money for this.
On paper, this sounded a great read, black witchcraft, revenge, lesbians...The cover looks professional and hell, it was free on Amazon.
But it is just so badly written I cannot stop rolling my eyes long enough to enjoy any of it. For one thing all the action is narrated as if from a point several minutes after it occurred. It's different to past tense, and keeps tricking me into thinking we're in one scene when actually we are in one set days later. E.g. One chapter starts with Annis saying that she was unprepared when the priests came to get her in the middle of the night, but then she continues with the torture that they have put her through and then straight to the execution, as if it has all happened already.
Aside from a list of races several pages long, at the start of the novel - the phrasing of which is really repetitive, no aspect of the mythos has yet to be explained. We're told that Annis' mother is immortal, but not if she's a White Witch or a Black Witch or how those differ aside from that obviously they do White and Black magic respectively. There are demons with the priests and no real explanation of why. If priests can do magic why do they hate witches so much? No one has explained what a Hellgate is or how it works and I know I'm only 9% into this book but it feels like the plot is being told by a hysterical child - Just slow down and EXPLAIN - talk to me, I'm your audience.
Every sentence has four times too many adjectives, the dialogue is straight from the uncanny valley and the shifting perspectives and modes of expression - from first to third person and back again between paragraphs, make it read like fanfiction - someone's first fanfiction.
For example -
"Bring her to me!" said the old priest. The devious men who obeyed his orders surrounded my location with knives out and their copper-scented blades were no strangers to blood.
A stupidly long sentence. Devious is an unnecessary adjective. Why is she smelling their knives? 'My location' is just bizarre and why is there an exclamation mark if the priest says this, not shouts it??
For another example -
"Who goes there?" asked a wandering priest wielding a knife. "You! How did you escape?"
"How did I escape? Allow me to demonstrate."
I swiftly kicked and buried my foot deep into the priest's chest. He lost all breath as he slammed against the stone wall and fell straight to the concrete floor. I stomped him and shattered his frightened face with my heel. "How many more of you are here?" I asked and continued to brutalize him without mercy. "What's wrong, old man? Can you not speak with a broken mouth?"
Well...obviously not? Also you just put your foot IN his chest, apparently. Why is he 'wandering'? Also, I would be interested in learning how you can brutilize someone WITH mercy.
Example 3 -
Sonja seemed strangely familiar as I stared at her bare breasts and enchanting emerald eyes.
LOL, just....lol.
Final example -
"You don't remember anything about me? Did you hit your head when fighting?" said Sonja. "I'm twenty-five. Same age as you silly."
Silly? I'd been called many things in my lifetime but that word was never included in the dark and damning list of adjectives used to describe me. 'Silly' must have been a term of endearment the two lovers shared.
"So are you familiar with demons?"
Why assume it's a term of endearment? It's just a thing people say. Why ask how old she is if there is no follow up question or statement to indicate why her age matters? 'When fighting' is just a stiff and odd way to say 'while you were fighting' or 'in the fight'.
Others may be able to ignore the writing and get further into this than I have, but I can't go on with it. I am truly TRULY baffled by the 4 and 5 star reviews on this book.
While it's free you should read it and make your own mind up, but I would not pay any money for this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2018
I really enjoyed this book, the story was very captivating, interesting, mysterious, dark, sexy and funny at time too. Really had it all.
The plot twists though, they really made my eye open in surprise and I loved them, made the story so much more amusing.
I really can´t wait for Volume 2 to come out so I can see what happens to Black Annis and Sonja too. Their story is really entertaining and incredibly sensual, a good relief from all the darkness surrounding them, although the end really shocked me but like I said I live for those plot twists.
A book I definitely recommend reading if you are into the supernatural.
I want to thank Aubrey Law for writing this awesome book.
The plot twists though, they really made my eye open in surprise and I loved them, made the story so much more amusing.
I really can´t wait for Volume 2 to come out so I can see what happens to Black Annis and Sonja too. Their story is really entertaining and incredibly sensual, a good relief from all the darkness surrounding them, although the end really shocked me but like I said I live for those plot twists.
A book I definitely recommend reading if you are into the supernatural.
I want to thank Aubrey Law for writing this awesome book.
October 6, 2020
Entretenido pero un poco errático
Si bien la mitología es interesante y tenía todos los ingredientes adecuados para una buena saga de fantasía oscura, el estilo de escritura es un poco errático e inconsistente a veces, contradiciendo incluso hechos e información de su propio mundo. Sin embargo, Annis es un personaje atractivo que tiene mucho potencial para desarrollarse en futuras novelas.
Reseña completa: http://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/202...
Entertaining yet a bit erratic
While the mythology is interesting and it had all he right ingredients for a good dark fantasy series, the writing style is a bit erratic and inconsistent at times, even contradicting facts and information of its own world. However, Annis is a appealing character that has lots of potential for development in future novels.
Full review: http://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/202...
Si bien la mitología es interesante y tenía todos los ingredientes adecuados para una buena saga de fantasía oscura, el estilo de escritura es un poco errático e inconsistente a veces, contradiciendo incluso hechos e información de su propio mundo. Sin embargo, Annis es un personaje atractivo que tiene mucho potencial para desarrollarse en futuras novelas.
Reseña completa: http://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/202...
Entertaining yet a bit erratic
While the mythology is interesting and it had all he right ingredients for a good dark fantasy series, the writing style is a bit erratic and inconsistent at times, even contradicting facts and information of its own world. However, Annis is a appealing character that has lots of potential for development in future novels.
Full review: http://tintanocturna.blogspot.com/202...
July 29, 2020
(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I completely change my mind on a series, so want to change my scoring down a lot)
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see 3* differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
------------
First time read the author's work?: Yes
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see 3* differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
------------
First time read the author's work?: Yes
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
November 14, 2017
This book had a lot of potential, but it fell just shy of the mark for me. It felt like the author rushed through each scene, instead of taking the time to give us the details that would really capture our attention.
December 6, 2018
I normally I do not do this but it was a DNF for me. Couldn't get by the fact that she was the good guy or the bad guy among other things.
April 16, 2019
There is a lot to unpack here so bare with me. I'm give this book a 4 star because I thoroughly enjoyed the world building and the ideas that were attempted. This indie author has a great world, she just needs the help of a developmental editor. If you can get past all of that, it's worth the read.
I mean it's a badass black witch back from hell. What more could you ask for? Every magical creature all rolled into one world? It's got that too. I'm often disappointed when books only acknowledge one type of creature but ignore the rest. If witches are real, isn't everything?! In Black Annis' world, it's all real, and all of it hates her.
The book has massive amounts of telling, straight out stop the story, and let me drop this large world build on you, telling. So it is startling at points. A whole lot of story is crammed into a few days, and a short book. The plot moves fast, you can't spend a week playing getting to know you, and letting lost items become more lost. So I get that it is crammed into a few days, but the book should be way longer. Annis has the pleasure of teaching nosy Sonja about the magic world, why make Sonja nosy if Annis isn't going to indulge her and world build through showing & explanation? They run into every creature imaginable but instead of Annis showing/teaching Sonja, the story is stopped and we get a monologue explanation directed at the reader.
I got Annis' obsession with the dagger, shiny toy, distraction from her own woes, etc. don't want it in the wrong hands, so it might as well be in her hands.
I also liked Annis & Sonja in general, they would have sucked had it been some kind of insta love, we're going to be a team lets do this through out the whole book. I was thrilled at the ending, and their different woes going on through out the book. Sonja being a noob to a lot of the truth of the magical world, and falling for scams, that all felt on point. Annis being gone for 400 years could have been laid on a little thicker, she adapted to the modern day quite easily. But I'm super interested in the Ashley left overs inside her. She has a reputation, and I really liked the message that reputations aren't always what they are cracked up to be. She didn't nail everything, all the time. Which again is a huge bonus for me with main characters.
The book left me with a lot of the right questions, which is why I feel it's just a developmental edit issue. I didn't notice any grammatical or sentence type issues.
I hope that the author hits it out of the park when she releases an update for this book, and the series over all. It has a lot of great potential.
I mean it's a badass black witch back from hell. What more could you ask for? Every magical creature all rolled into one world? It's got that too. I'm often disappointed when books only acknowledge one type of creature but ignore the rest. If witches are real, isn't everything?! In Black Annis' world, it's all real, and all of it hates her.
The book has massive amounts of telling, straight out stop the story, and let me drop this large world build on you, telling. So it is startling at points. A whole lot of story is crammed into a few days, and a short book. The plot moves fast, you can't spend a week playing getting to know you, and letting lost items become more lost. So I get that it is crammed into a few days, but the book should be way longer. Annis has the pleasure of teaching nosy Sonja about the magic world, why make Sonja nosy if Annis isn't going to indulge her and world build through showing & explanation? They run into every creature imaginable but instead of Annis showing/teaching Sonja, the story is stopped and we get a monologue explanation directed at the reader.
I got Annis' obsession with the dagger, shiny toy, distraction from her own woes, etc. don't want it in the wrong hands, so it might as well be in her hands.
I also liked Annis & Sonja in general, they would have sucked had it been some kind of insta love, we're going to be a team lets do this through out the whole book. I was thrilled at the ending, and their different woes going on through out the book. Sonja being a noob to a lot of the truth of the magical world, and falling for scams, that all felt on point. Annis being gone for 400 years could have been laid on a little thicker, she adapted to the modern day quite easily. But I'm super interested in the Ashley left overs inside her. She has a reputation, and I really liked the message that reputations aren't always what they are cracked up to be. She didn't nail everything, all the time. Which again is a huge bonus for me with main characters.
The book left me with a lot of the right questions, which is why I feel it's just a developmental edit issue. I didn't notice any grammatical or sentence type issues.
I hope that the author hits it out of the park when she releases an update for this book, and the series over all. It has a lot of great potential.
December 20, 2017
Book Review Black Annis
**I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**
Black Annis is an interesting fantasy story that I can see appealing to a lot of readers. I thought I would really enjoy this book (Magic witches, LA), and to a degree I did, but unfortunately, it wasn't quite my taste.
That being said, I think there are definitely people out there who will like this book.
The Good Points:
There is an interesting take on relationships in this book, with our main character being involved in a complicated romance (the result of a past romantic relationship between her sidekick, Sonja, and Ashley, the body of whom Annis has now possessed.)
There is also some good lore and culture woven into the book, with some references to the bible and the angels of heaven, as well as demons in hell. I'll get more into this below.
Things That Could Be Improved:
1. The first thing that stuck out to me was the pacing—it was quite fast, and I feel like the author could have spent a little more time on this. It would have made a world of difference.
2. I also think that the characters needed more time to develop. There are parts where this is done quite well, but other parts where it doesn't seem realistic.
For example, the world building seems to suggest that everyone is aware of the Hellgates, and I'm not sure if this includes knowledge of falling angels, but when the angel Luke falls to earth, no one seems very surprised. It's unclear where people stand on this.
You see it again when Sonja transforms into a blood-eater. I feel like, despite her instincts taking over, and her realizing it wasn't natural, she'd still be a little shocked, if not distraught, that this has become her new reality.
Other Thoughts:
There is a lot of sex/sexual themes in this book. This isn't necessarily bad, depending on your audience, but it does mean this book might not appeal to everyone. The same principle applies to the play on priests being evil sinners who keep sex slaves, and heaven being an 'anti-paradise'—this could potentially offend some people, so readers should approach it with caution.
Apart from that, the book holds a lot of potential. Aubrey Law has a bold voice and a very strong protagonist to lead the reader through an action-packed, exciting journey.
**I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**
Black Annis is an interesting fantasy story that I can see appealing to a lot of readers. I thought I would really enjoy this book (Magic witches, LA), and to a degree I did, but unfortunately, it wasn't quite my taste.
That being said, I think there are definitely people out there who will like this book.
The Good Points:
There is an interesting take on relationships in this book, with our main character being involved in a complicated romance (the result of a past romantic relationship between her sidekick, Sonja, and Ashley, the body of whom Annis has now possessed.)
There is also some good lore and culture woven into the book, with some references to the bible and the angels of heaven, as well as demons in hell. I'll get more into this below.
Things That Could Be Improved:
1. The first thing that stuck out to me was the pacing—it was quite fast, and I feel like the author could have spent a little more time on this. It would have made a world of difference.
2. I also think that the characters needed more time to develop. There are parts where this is done quite well, but other parts where it doesn't seem realistic.
For example, the world building seems to suggest that everyone is aware of the Hellgates, and I'm not sure if this includes knowledge of falling angels, but when the angel Luke falls to earth, no one seems very surprised. It's unclear where people stand on this.
You see it again when Sonja transforms into a blood-eater. I feel like, despite her instincts taking over, and her realizing it wasn't natural, she'd still be a little shocked, if not distraught, that this has become her new reality.
Other Thoughts:
There is a lot of sex/sexual themes in this book. This isn't necessarily bad, depending on your audience, but it does mean this book might not appeal to everyone. The same principle applies to the play on priests being evil sinners who keep sex slaves, and heaven being an 'anti-paradise'—this could potentially offend some people, so readers should approach it with caution.
Apart from that, the book holds a lot of potential. Aubrey Law has a bold voice and a very strong protagonist to lead the reader through an action-packed, exciting journey.
November 11, 2017
“There was no God on our side. No family. No friends. Just the two of us alone in the concrete city full of bloodthirsty demons and dangerous men that all wanted us dead.”
Aubrey Law has created an LA where the ‘Priesthood’ is in league with the Devil and medieval necromancers and dark witches are par for the course. No one is quite what they seem (starting with Annis who has possessed Ashley’s body); worse, mistaken identities could literally be the death of you. Annis hasn’t been around for 400 years so by the end of Part 1 (and this book), she’s still working things out. Usually she has no problem zapping people who cross her into oblivion so Ashley’s latent feelings of empathy as well as her love for fellow sex slave, Sonja (Annis’ new demon-fighting partner), ruffle Annis a bit.
Urban fantasy is not usually my first choice for reading but the author’s scenario could be related to real life: lust for power can drive people to do unspeakable things as history and contemporary life continue to show. For many, whether they be trafficked women or refugees, the only reliable, trustworthy person might seem to be themselves.
Hopefully, Part II will be out soon! I received a copy of the book for a fair review.
Aubrey Law has created an LA where the ‘Priesthood’ is in league with the Devil and medieval necromancers and dark witches are par for the course. No one is quite what they seem (starting with Annis who has possessed Ashley’s body); worse, mistaken identities could literally be the death of you. Annis hasn’t been around for 400 years so by the end of Part 1 (and this book), she’s still working things out. Usually she has no problem zapping people who cross her into oblivion so Ashley’s latent feelings of empathy as well as her love for fellow sex slave, Sonja (Annis’ new demon-fighting partner), ruffle Annis a bit.
Urban fantasy is not usually my first choice for reading but the author’s scenario could be related to real life: lust for power can drive people to do unspeakable things as history and contemporary life continue to show. For many, whether they be trafficked women or refugees, the only reliable, trustworthy person might seem to be themselves.
Hopefully, Part II will be out soon! I received a copy of the book for a fair review.
February 8, 2021
Dark witch
Black Annis, a once young, potentially innocent, girl of a dark witch mother who spurned her. Annis learns to use the dark magic inherited by her hated mother to wreak her revenge. Centuries pass with her usurping the bodies of others to prolong her own existence with the intention of getting that needed revenge. Her once trusted apprentice betrays her meaning she got caught and killed - dooming her to hell and the demons that reside there. A chance to escape and another body to inhabit and she is once again released into our world - albeit a few centuries later! Annis still with revenge on her mind meets a young red head who she befriends and we almost see the long forgotten human side to her.
A good short read with huge potential with the following books, I personally cannot wait to continue with the story. Recommended to those who enjoy a witchy story.
Black Annis, a once young, potentially innocent, girl of a dark witch mother who spurned her. Annis learns to use the dark magic inherited by her hated mother to wreak her revenge. Centuries pass with her usurping the bodies of others to prolong her own existence with the intention of getting that needed revenge. Her once trusted apprentice betrays her meaning she got caught and killed - dooming her to hell and the demons that reside there. A chance to escape and another body to inhabit and she is once again released into our world - albeit a few centuries later! Annis still with revenge on her mind meets a young red head who she befriends and we almost see the long forgotten human side to her.
A good short read with huge potential with the following books, I personally cannot wait to continue with the story. Recommended to those who enjoy a witchy story.
July 15, 2020
A fresh supernatural story with some of the usual creatures and a few new ones like our main character Black Annis the black witch. The beginning looked like it would be a trio of the Black Witch, Blood Eater and a Fallen Angel; however things quickly dissolved with this group in part. Interesting to the end of the story and I will be reading more.
Lots of supernatural action with some new twist with this different supernatural being known as a Black Witch. Annis’s history and her biological mother being a fully immortal and powerful Black Witch make her a very powerful being; Since Black Annis had one human parent l, it will be interesting to read more and see if she shows any of her human side and also the host of her current body seems to be hanging on and that could potentially be a complication.
Lots of supernatural action with some new twist with this different supernatural being known as a Black Witch. Annis’s history and her biological mother being a fully immortal and powerful Black Witch make her a very powerful being; Since Black Annis had one human parent l, it will be interesting to read more and see if she shows any of her human side and also the host of her current body seems to be hanging on and that could potentially be a complication.
July 22, 2021
Gory and violent but otherwise good.
Too much gore and violence for me, but the story was different and kept me hooked throughout the entire book. Not my type of book but good enough to hold me till the end. Not sure I'll read the second one, but recommend it if you're into violence and gore galore.
Too much gore and violence for me, but the story was different and kept me hooked throughout the entire book. Not my type of book but good enough to hold me till the end. Not sure I'll read the second one, but recommend it if you're into violence and gore galore.
August 8, 2018
Good
Enjoyed this thoroughly, fast paced, page turner, good strong lead character, and good story overall, definitely would recommend this if your looking for a hour or two of down time, depending on how fast you read.
Enjoyed this thoroughly, fast paced, page turner, good strong lead character, and good story overall, definitely would recommend this if your looking for a hour or two of down time, depending on how fast you read.
July 15, 2019
Really Great story
I like that this was a completely action filled story that kept going. There didn't need to be any filler with the exception of the small backstory to Annis . I really enjoyed this series and will be looking into the next books as well.
I like that this was a completely action filled story that kept going. There didn't need to be any filler with the exception of the small backstory to Annis . I really enjoyed this series and will be looking into the next books as well.
June 7, 2020
Bad to the bone
Well, until she takes over a sweet good girls body and is influenced by her goodness. Still Annis is full of let's kill and laugh later. Powerful Black Witch she's a match for archdemons and more. The prose is a little report like.
Well, until she takes over a sweet good girls body and is influenced by her goodness. Still Annis is full of let's kill and laugh later. Powerful Black Witch she's a match for archdemons and more. The prose is a little report like.
June 11, 2020
Gripping Tale!!!
This book takes you on a wild, evil, twisted, deathly ride. You feel for Black Annis even though you don't want to. She's evil and dark and formidable, but at the same time you're rooting her on.
I'm on to the next book!
This book takes you on a wild, evil, twisted, deathly ride. You feel for Black Annis even though you don't want to. She's evil and dark and formidable, but at the same time you're rooting her on.
I'm on to the next book!
June 25, 2020
Creative but violent
This book talks about a witch who is going on killing spree to take revenge on creatures that tortured her.
Lots of spells and lots of fight but not much plot.
This book talks about a witch who is going on killing spree to take revenge on creatures that tortured her.
Lots of spells and lots of fight but not much plot.
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