Release Day Review of WitchWar by Emma Mills

WitchWar (WitchBlood #5) by Emma Mills

Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal Romance)

Date Published: January 8, 2016

Publisher: Self

In the final book of the Witchblood series we find Jess and her friends ten years on, about to battle with enemies on all sides, as the supernatural world crashes into the human domain. 

With everybody’s lives on the line Jess will need to work out who she can trust before a deadly witch hunt threatens to uncover them all. Death and love will once again consume her life, but only one side can win. 

WitchWar is the fifth and final book in the WitchBlood Series by Emma Mills... I think. I thought the last book, WitchHunt was the last one, but was pleasantly surprised when I received an e-mail from the author with news of another book. WitchWar takes place about 10 years into the future. Jess is fully comfortable in her skin now. She's still her strong, lovable, snarky self. She's still with Daniel, although he's become quite the working man so, you don't see as much of him. So much happens within this book. There's lots of the unexpected. I love being surprised, and there were things happening that I definitely didn't see coming. Whew! WitchWar brings out all the feels... it made me happy, sad, giggly, giddy, and everything in between. This is a fantastic read for paranormal fans of all types. You must start from the beginning with WitchBlood, as this is a series that definitely builds on itself. The WitchBlood Series is very well written, well thought out, and the creativity of the author is amazing.

The ARC of WitchWar by Emma Mills was kindly provided to me by the author for review. The opinions are my own.

Check out my reviews of the other books in The WitchBlood series!

Emma Mills is a stay-at-home mum. She shares her home with her husband, two children, a dog, 3 cats, a house rabbit and a tankful of fish. Once her youngest child started school in 2010 she began to write.

To learn more about Emma Mills and her books, visit her blog. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

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Cover Reveal!! WitchWar by Emma Mills

Emma Mills is a stay-at-home mum. She shares her home with her husband, two children,

a dog, 3 cats, a house rabbit and a tankful of fish. Once her youngest child started school she began to write.

WitchBlood was published in January 2012, swiftly followed by WitchCraft and WitchLove. Emma published what she had intended to be the finale of the series, WitchHunt, a week after moving her family south to Somerset, in November 2013. A prequel to the series, WitchFire, followed in 2014.

However, after fans began asking for more, a plan began to develop. The Witchblood Series didn’t feel finished, so WitchWar was born. Emma says now that she has written WitchWar, she feels that the series is complete. WitchWar is set ten years after WitchHunt. It has everything you want from a supernatural final book: fear, heartbreak and resolution. WitchWar will be published on the 8th of January 2016.

Check out my reviews for the other books in The WitchBlood series!

Tour! A Review of Flying With Fire by Emma Mills

Flying With Fire by Emma Mills 
Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal Romance)
Date Published: July 17, 2014
Publisher: Self
Special! Reduced to 99 cents for 1 month only!!

Nobody who enters Ravenwood school will ever be the same again.

Fifteen year old Brooke has been in care all her life. Now she finally has an adoptive family who don’t want to send her back to The Home; but their solution for her problems is much more dangerous. 

A secret boarding school for possessed children. A boarding school where any unnatural behaviour will be stamped out. A boarding school with no escape; where witchcraft is punished and vampires are murdered in the sunlight.

Brooke is the only one with the power to escape the security wards, yet she must find a way to help them all before it is too late.

Flying with Fire by Emma Mills takes place in the same world as the Witchblood Series. I didn't realize that right away until Brittany appeared on the page, and I thought: "Hey. I know her." It's a totally different plot line with totally different characters. I enjoyed each of the characters. Even the supporting characters had some depth to them. It's not always clear who's good and who's bad, but I think that's part f the point. Brooke, the main character, has been tossed from foster home to foster home until she is finally sent off to Ravenwood to be "treated". It's there that she find out there is a whole other world she never knew about, but has always been a part of. There are dark and crazy twists with some time travel mixed in, and you just don't know what to expect from one page to the next.

Flying With Fire by Emma Mills was kindly provided to me by the author for review. The opinions are my own.

Chapter Two
Present Day

Brooke frowned, looking down at her grubby pyjamas and trying to ignore the dull thrumming in her head as she squinted through the shadows. Darkness was fast encroaching, and as the last glow from the sun’s rays disappeared, long menacing shadows appeared among the trees. The remains of an ancient pathway had long since faded away, so Brooke glanced left and right, wondering which way would lead her home. Thinking about home felt strange and she wasn't sure which home she thought she was going back to. Brooke had had several homes, but as she tried to focus her thoughts the thumping in her head beat louder and the sense of disorientation grew stronger.

The crack of a branch somewhere to her immediate right made her jump and swivel around, but there was nothing to see but dark trees. She realised that standing in the little clearing was probably not the smartest thing to do if someone was lurking, watching her. So after straining her eyes into the darkness one last time she quickly turned and slipped into the cover of the trees on the opposite side. No sooner had she got there than she heard more rustling of branches and leaves, and the cracking of dead sticks underfoot. This time the sounds surrounded her, drawing nearer, louder with each second that passed.

She supposed it could have been a search party; after all she had no idea where she was and couldn’t even remember which home she was supposed to be heading to, or indeed how she had ended up in the forest in the first place. To her knowledge the last place she had lived was with the Shores, but maybe something had happened and she was supposed to be back at The Home; after all, the last time she’d thought she had a new family, she had blacked out and found herself back there. Who knew? But her immediate instinct told her to hide, to get away as fast as possible, and to run. The problem with this plan was that there was nowhere to run to. The sounds came from all directions. Scanning around for an escape she spotted a huge, ancient oak tree - perfect!

Thankful for the summer spent with a family of boys near the Forest of Dean, she quickly hoisted herself up into the lower branches and began climbing. Hearing the sounds drawing nearer she speeded up, skinning her elbows as she hauled herself higher into the cover of the smaller branches and crisp green leaves. Just as she settled herself against the broad trunk, tucking her knees under her chin, a man burst through the space below and ran into the clearing a couple of metres away. He arrived there simultaneously with two others, another man and a woman.

All three of them were dressed identically in tight black combat trousers and black hooded tops. From her perch Brooke would have been able to see them all quite clearly, if there had been some light; as it was she had to strain her eyes to make out their features. One of the men had his hood up, shielding the features of his face, but the other two had theirs drawn back. The male looked young, a boy really, not much older than herself. His blonde hair was cut short, his features hard, as if carved from stone. The girl was petite, with her pale blonde hair tied back tightly in a simple ponytail, her face set in a grim, determined expression.

‘Where are the others?’ she asked immediately.

The boy shrugged his shoulders, concern briefly flickering across his face, as he looked to the sky.
‘They’ll be here. Give them time. They went in to get the child,’ the hooded man said.

‘They should be here already. We were running late, thanks to Pete thinking he heard someone in the forest. Something must have gone wrong,’ the girl replied, scowling at the younger man who shrugged again and answered back.

‘Look, I heard someone, OK! Maybe it was Christian and David, and they left already,’ the boy named Pete answered.

‘They would not have left without the transfer taking place unless under threat, and I can see no evidence of that. They’ll be here,’ the older man interrupted.

Suddenly the branch Brooke was holding onto with her left hand snapped, making her jump. With her heart beating wildly she pressed her back along the trunk and slowly slid her knees down along the sturdy branch she was sitting on, trying to meld the contours of her body to that of the tree; willing herself to disappear.
‘What was that? There’s someone out there, I'm telling you,’ the boy insisted.

‘Impossible. No-one would be this far out in the forest at this time of night. It’ll be a wild boar or something, but you two go and scout around if it makes you happy. Be quick!’ the man ordered.

Brooke willed her heart to stop beating so loudly and tried to breathe slowly and silently, as the boy immediately crashed through the undergrowth into the space directly below her. He knew she was there somewhere. She knew it and he knew it. He had heard her earlier and been listening out for another sign, a sign that would reveal her whereabouts. He was sure she was there. All he had to do was look up above his head, but instead he scoured the bushes, smashing through them and shaking the young saplings, as he pushed them aside in his haste to find her.

The girl had already returned to the clearing, when minutes later a louder rhythmic pounding of boots upon the forest floor drew nearer and interrupted Peter. After scouring the entire area he had paused directly beneath her branch and was slowly tilting his head, scanning all the lower branches of the trees surrounding him. Another forty five degrees and he’d spot her. Thankfully, seconds later two more men, again dressed head to toe in black, pounded into the clearing and Pete gave up his search and leapt in after them.

The remains of the lingering sun had by now completely vanished and weak moonlight was attempting to weave its way through the trees into the clearing, helping Brooke see a little more clearly. One of the newcomers had a large bundle stuffed into the front of his jacket, an arm wrapped protectively round it, holding it close to his chest. The other man was bleeding profusely from his right side and arm, his jacket ripped open and hanging loose. They looked exhausted and red welts scarred both faces as they looked to the hooded man.

‘What happened? Have you been followed?’ he asked.

‘They had information. I think they expected our attack, although they didn't know the full details,’ said the man holding the bundle.

‘How could they possibly know? The couple were alone only a couple of hours ago, completely oblivious. There must be a traitor in our midst. Dave, we need to get you back; you need looking at. Christopher, give me the child and assist Dave with his return to Headquarters. Tell Celeste to go ahead with the plan and meet me at the chosen point.’

The man named Christopher unzipped his jacket and carefully passed over the bundle to the hooded man. As this took place, a sudden beam of moonlight shot out between the trees and fell onto the roll of dirty material, which Brooke realised with shock had wriggled and made a quiet mewling sound. During the switch-over the sheet had fallen back to reveal a baby’s head, its eyes wide and staring, its face calm and peaceful. A second later, the sheet was drawn quickly over its head again and it was bundled into the hooded man’s jacket. With a curt nod, Christopher then turned to his injured partner and they set off at a steady jog through the trees in a new direction.

For a moment, Brooke wondered if there was anything she should do, could do, but what could a fifteen year old girl do to save a baby from three, most likely armed, adults? She pulled herself together. After all, she still had no idea where she was and maybe the men had saved the baby rather than stolen it. Probably not, but she told herself she could check the news when she got home and then go to the police with information. It would be much better all-round if she didn't get caught eavesdropping, right here and now.
The tree was beginning to dig into her spine. She could feel it rubbing against bits of bare skin, twigs and leaves irritating the side of her neck. Her chest ached from the constant need to breathe as shallowly and silently as possible, and her elbows burned from where she had skinned them climbing in such a hurry. She tried to inch herself into a more comfortable position, but daren’t move too much in case she made a sound. The thrumming in her head became a pounding and soon she couldn't hear anything but the drum beats in her brain. She closed her eyes and willed the pain and the strangers to go away.

She must have dozed off momentarily, because the next thing she knew was total panic as she jolted awake and in doing so began to fall from her hiding place. Her hands flailed above her, trying and failing to grab the branch above, but it slipped through her fingers, the bark grazing her hands, burning the skin. There was a second of pure fear as she fell through nothingness, and then with a hard thump her head smashed into the branch below and everything went black.

Check out my reviews of the other books in The WitchBlood series!

Emma Mills is a stay-at-home mum, who after a recent move 200 miles south now lives in the beautiful county of Somerset, in the UK. She shares her home with her husband, two children, a dog, 3 cats, a house rabbit and a tankful of fish. Emma went to university to study English in the city of Manchester and for the first decade of her adult life lived in a small town on the edge of the Peak District. It was here, looking after her babies and compulsively reading YA fiction that the ideas for her debut novel, WitchBlood began to take root. Emma is now working on a new and exciting YA project. A three book series unlike her last, where all the characters are human, there are no vampires, no spell casting and no demons rising. A series that will rip your emotions to shreds and leave you breathless...

To learn more about Emma Mills and her books, visit her blog. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Tour!! WitchHunt by Emma Mills!

WitchHunt (WitchBlood #4) by Emma Mills

Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal Romance)

Date Published: November 4, 2013

Publisher: Self

The Blurb:

‘I know it’s selfish, but I don’t want you to go,’ Daniel said, a couple of minutes later.
I looked at him and smiled.
‘I’ll be fine, I will.’
‘You’d better be. I don’t know what I’d do without you. Those months I stupidly spent apart from you… they were torment for me,’ he said.
‘They were torment for me too.’

As the Christmas season is ripped apart by the news that Jess’ old friend Alex has been turned into a vicious killer, festivities are dropped, Jess returns to England and the hunt begins. But Alex isn’t the only one being hunted, for Mary has found a way to extinguish the entire bloodline of Malden witches, and it is Jess’s book of shadows that’s the key. As things hot up, Jess finds she must leave Daniel and the safety of Manchester in a final hunt for her nemesis, Mary. In a fight-off that only one of them can survive, loved ones will fall… daemons will rise… but who will survive?

My Review:

WitchHunt is the fourth book in the WitchBlood series by Emma Mills. All things considered, Jess has always been pretty level headed, but now she is really coming into her own through this book. I'm proud of her. We know she was always a witch, and it's like she was always meant to be a vampire too. It becomes her, and she's good at it. We get to know some of the other characters a little better through this book as well, which is very nice because you get an idea as to why they may act the way they do. Since this is the fourth book, it's tough to give too much detail without adding a spoiler for those who haven't read this series yet, so I'll keep it short and sweet. By the way, if you haven't read this series yet, What are you waiting for? This book had me on the edge of my seat at times, and snickering at other times. WitchHunt wraps up the series very nicely. I can't think of a single loose end that wasn't tied up. As I've mentioned before, Emma Mills is a wonderful storyteller. As you read, you can truly envision her characters, and the places they go and the things they do. Her words draw you into their world. This has been a wonderful and unique series! I'm sad to see it end, but I'm happy with how it ended.

The ARC of WitchHunt by Emma Mills was provided to me by the author for review. The opinions are my own.

Check out my reviews of the other books in The WitchBlood series!

What others are saying...

“I love this series. I can hardly wait until the 3rd book, WitchLove is released… This is a series that I will look forward to re-reading just as the new book is ready for release.”

—Carrie, book reviewer at OnceUponATwilight.com

“The characters feel real, the world feels authentic, and the story literally throbs with an underlying intensity that builds with each page. In short, Witchblood is an imaginative, satisfying read that still manages to leave the reader hungry for more.

—Thomas Winship, author of Vaempires: Revolution & Vaempires: Zombie Rising

“A very well written series!! I love the mix of the supernatural forces in each book and wait with baited breath for the next one. Great book for all ages!!”

-Lisa Curt, Amazon Review for WitchLove

About the Author:
Emma is one of the new wave of successful indie authors. Her first YA
novel, ‘Witchblood’, has been nominated for the CYBILS (Children & Young Adult Bloggers Literary Awards) and has also been in the Top Ten Kindle Download Charts for its genre. Since January 2012 she has gone on to publish ‘WitchCraft’ and ‘WitchLove’ which have respectively hit the top ten charts and have sold 20,000 copies in their first year. She is currently relocating her family from Manchester to Somerset, and is a stay-at-home mum to her two children. WitchHunt is the fourth and final book in the series.

To learn more about Emma Mills and her books, visit her blog. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

WitchHunt Cover Reveal & Giveaway!

We're super excited to present the cover of WitchHunt, the fourth book in the WitchBlood Series by Emma Mills! Before we show you the hot new cover, check out some info on the previous books in the series!

WitchBlood (WitchBlood #1) by Emma Mills
Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal Romance)
Date Published: January 8, 2012
Publisher: Self
Check out my review of Witch Blood!

The Blurb:
When Jess steals a glance at a gorgeous guy in a Manchester nightclub, little does she realise how he is going to change her life…or should that be death? Yet, the vampire clan could never have predicted what they were taking on.

With Luke pronounced ‘off-limits’ and the blood of a vampire simmering in Jess’s body, can she forget the love of her life and move on? If not, she will risk exposing the entire Northern vampire clan to untold dangers, in order to live her life the way she wants.

Can Jess be sure that Luke is all he appears to be? Will she succumb to the attraction she desperately tries not to feel for Daniel? And why does she still crave a packet of crisps more than a tasty teenage boy’s blood? Check out my review of Witch Blood!

WitchCraft (WitchBlood #2) by Emma Mills
Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal Romance)
Date Published: June 15, 2012
Publisher: Self
Check out my review of WitchCraft!

The Blurb:
Jess is no ordinary vampire. Protected by the Manchester vampire clan, and initiated by her family’s east coast American coven, she is sought after by every dark witch and warring vampire faction. Jess must fight if she wants to keep hold of her friends, her sanity and finally her existence.

As the dead bodies of human girls begin to stack up, and her recently accepted vampire boyfriend, Daniel, finds himself in prison, Jess goes on a crazy, forbidden trip to London, racing against time to save an old friend and solve the mystery behind Daniel’s incarceration. In battling new enemies and finding new friends, Jess’s confidence finds room to grow, but who will she lose along the way? Check out my review of WitchCraft!

WitchLove (WitchBlood #3) by Emma Mills

Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal Romance)
Date Published: February 14, 2013
Publisher: Self
Check out my review of WitchLove!

The Blurb:
With the reappearance of a lost love, Jess flees to the only people who can help her control her increasing powers and gain independence – her family’s coven. But with a bruised heart can Jess learn to forgive or will she find new love in the United States? Witchlove, the third installment of the Witchblood series, is a new adventure that takes Jess from New England to Voodoo country in the South. Check out my review of WitchLove!

Are you ready!! Take a look at the cover of WitchHunt!!!

What do you think? I think it looks lovely!

WitchHunt (WitchBlood #4) by Emma Mills

Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal Romance)

Date Published: November 4, 2013

Publisher: Self

The Blurb:

‘I know it’s selfish, but I don’t want you to go,’ Daniel said, a couple of minutes later.

I looked at him and smiled.

‘I’ll be fine, I will.’

‘You’d better be. I don’t know what I’d do without you. Those months I stupidly spent apart from  you… they were torment for me,’ he said.

‘They were torment for me too.’

As the Christmas season is ripped apart by the news that Jess’ old friend Alex has been turned into a vicious killer, festivities are dropped, Jess returns to England and the hunt begins. But Alex isn’t the only one being hunted, for Mary has found a way to extinguish the entire bloodline of Malden witches, and it is Jess’s book of shadows that’s the key. As things hot up, Jess finds she must leave Daniel and the safety of Manchester in a final hunt for her nemesis, Mary. In a fight-off that only one of them can survive, loved ones will fall… daemons will rise… but who will survive?

About the Author:
Hi I'm Emma. I am happily married with two lovely children. I have always loved reading and writing and published my first novel WitchBlood in Jan 2012 with Witchcraft following in June and WitchLove due in Feb 2013. After acquiring an obsessive love of supernatural teen novels...yes I'm a Twilight fan...I decided to write my
own supernatural story based here in Manchester in the UK, near where I live and grew up. It's currently dark, windy, cold and very very wet... and easy to get inspiration.

To learn more about Emma Mills and her books, visit her blog. You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

The Giveaway!!
Emma Mills is also running a huge giveaway for her Facebook page getting 1000 likes! Yay! Good luck!
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WitchLove Tour!! A Review of WitchLove by Emma Mills!

Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal Romance)

Date Published: February 14, 2013
Publisher: Self

The Blurb:

With the reappearance of a lost love, Jess flees to the only people who can help her control her increasing powers and gain independence – her family’s coven. But with a bruised heart can Jess learn to forgive or will she find new love in the United States? WitchLove, the third installment of the WitchBlood series, is a new adventure that takes Jess from New England to Voodoo country in the South.

My Review:

WitchLove is the third book in the WitchBlood Series by Emma Mills. If you haven't started this series yet, check out my reviews of Witchblood (Book 1) and WitchCraft (Book 2)! Jess is coming more and more into her own. She's more comfortable in her skin and with who she is on both her vampire and witch sides, and she's good at being both. She's strong and stands up for herself. This book was all about the witches, for the most part. I've grown so attached to the vampires in this series, so I really missed them a lot in this book. But, I know this had to happen too. Jess had to find her roots at some point, so why not now?  There was a lot of adventure, suspense, and some all out evil witches through this story. There are also some unexpected allies which I enjoyed. WitchLove definitely kept me on my toes. I've had so much fun reading this series! I'm anxious for more!

The ARC of WitchLove by Emma Mills was provided to me by the author for review. The opinions are my own.

Check out my reviews of the other books in The WitchBlood series!

About the Author:
Hi I'm Emma. I am happily married with two lovely children. I have always loved reading and writing and published my first novel WitchBlood in Jan 2012 with Witchcraft following in June and WitchLove due in Feb 2013. After acquiring an obsessive love of supernatural teen novels...yes I'm a Twilight fan...I decided to write my
own supernatural story based here in Manchester in the UK, near where I live and grew up. It's currently dark, windy, cold and very very wet... and easy to get inspiration.

To learn more about Emma Mills and her books, visit her blog. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter. Also, read my review of Witchblood (Book 1) and WitchCraft (Book 2)!

The Giveaway!!
One lucky winner will win an ebook copy of WitchLove by Emma Mills! Open internationally. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway