I have to confess that I adore Melanie Rawn as an author. I mean, seriously adore. I've read pretty much all of her books and am an active member of the message board on her website. So "Spellbinder" was a reread for me.
Here's a quick summary for you in my own words: Holly McClure is a novelist and a witch. But she is a very rare breed of witch called a spellbinder--just a drop of her blood intensifies any witch's spell or working. Because of this, she is sought after. "Spellbinder" is Holly's story of finding a balance between her love life, her work life, and her life as a witch. And trying to keep her secret gets awfully difficult.
The Bullet Points:
Upsides: Relatable, believable characters the reader gets attached to; wonderful romance; and good dialogue and banter between characters. It is a novel filled with a lot of dry humor and the occasional tragedy. As a reader, I really felt myself rooting for Holly and Evan, Elias and Susannah, and Alec and Nick. I found myself wishing that the book were longer to see more of these characters in action (by the way, there is a sequel to this book!).
Downsides: Occasional side-tracks (i.e. discussions between characters about politics/philosophy/the ideology of magic that slows down the plot in crucial moments) and pacing problems--I think these are the two main problems with this book: the two plots in "Spellbinder" are both interesting and definitely motivate the reader to move forward, but occasionally Rawn adds in some scenes that slow down the action. There were some minor characters that I found very interesting (i.e. Lydia, a member of Holly's witchcraft circle with a power almost as rare as Holly's) that I wished had a bigger role in the novel--I was disappointed that these characters were dropped in--that I was teased with them--without the amount of development as the main characters.
Overall rating: 3.5 stars
I have to say that this is not my favorite Melanie Rawn book. The pacing is a little off at points and the plot gets slowed down by diversions in dialogue. That having been said, I think this is definitely worth a read. The characters are well crafted and extremely lovable. If you are a fan of romance, comedy, and a little witchcraft I think you'll enjoy this.
If you do read this book and you want to discuss it with some other fans, you can find company on Melanie Rawn's message boards here: http://bb.melanierawn.com/.
Note: I am not a professional book reviewer, but rather a book lover sharing her recommendations and opinions with the world about what she's currently reading.
Have a happy New Year and happy reading!
AJ
