Summary:
Just because Sookie has broken up with Bill doesn’t mean her relationship with the supernatural world is over–especially when she finds Eric naked and suffering from amnesia on the side of the road.  When she discovers from Pam that a league of evil witches have their sights set on ruling Shreveport, she agrees to hide Eric while the vampires, werewolves, and Wiccans attempt to fend off the witches.  To top it off, Sookie’s brother has gone missing, which may or may not be related to the near-war going on.

Review:
While the books in the series so far have been improving, Dead to the World is definitely a step back.

The individual plot lines aren’t so bad, but Harris doesn’t do a good job of keeping them integrated and flowing.  The book reads as if it has too many sticks in the fire.  Just too much happens in such a short book.  The reader is left feeling a bit of whiplash from the rapidly changing storylines and situations.

I knew Sookie would have a rebound after Bill, but I’d hoped Harris would be more creative than having that rebound be Eric.  Don’t get me wrong.  I like Eric better than Bill, but I also enjoyed the tension between him and Sookie.  I wish that had lasted longer.  Similarly, I don’t think giving Eric amnesia was a wise character development choice.  I’m pretty sure anyone with amnesia plopped into the supernatural world would be a cowering mess.  That doesn’t tell us anything about who Eric is underneath his persona.  Sookie’s interactions with him therefore felt so fake that I not only couldn’t take real interest in them, I was also a bit grossed out by the falseness of them.  I didn’t expect Sookie’s rebound to be emotional, but I did expect it to be more real.

On the other hand, Sookie’s character development takes a nice turn.  Without Bill in the picture, she may have expected the supernatural world to pretty much leave her alone.  Instead she finds out they still depend on her.  Through the various situations, she starts to become a more empowered version of herself, and I enjoyed seeing that.

The best part of the book by far is Jason’s plot-line.  I can’t say much more or I’ll give away the secret, but suffice to say that I hope True Blood gets to this part of the story sooner rather than later.

While I’m irritated by some of the character development choices Harris has made, I am still enjoying the world she has created.  I am hoping though that the series returns to the tight, witty writing found in Club Dead.

3 out of 5 stars

Source: Bought on Amazon

Previous Books in Series:
Dead Until Dark, review
Living Dead in Dallas, review
Club Dead, review

Aphrodite, please

uncross my sacred heart

in the shadows of my altar,

bless me, soothe me,

find me, take me, show me,

send me my sweet hot,

my Ares incarnate,

Adonis on earth.

i believe, i receive

your will be done

in perfect love

and perfect trust

Aphrodite knows

i conjure, my Pan,

my Ra, my sun,

my breath,

my father, Zeus.

no one can love you

like a witch so deep,

cracked open,

light shining, sex oozing,

priestess of love.

so mote it be.

i-D Winter 2009

Witch tower.

“The Hexenturm in Heidelberg is a tower, which translated means The Witch Tower. It was built in the western part of the old town in 1392. It was used as a prison for women and witches. It has been remarkably preserved considering its age. It is now owned by the university, and acts as a memorial to those killed in World War 1. Visitors are not usually permitted to go inside the tower, but can wander freely around it and up to it. “

La cum se misca treburile,  Geoana va iesi imparat . (ora 19,30)

Sursa video: youtube

A Winkling Wuggley walking by

gave a shiffling, smuffling sigh.

When I inquired as to why;

he shiffled and then merely said,

“Today I should’ve stayed in bed.”

“But it’s a most beglairigan day,

why would you want to hide away?”

“This morning started out just fine,

‘til my sollstippers slipped in the surpen’s tine.

And, as if that isn’t enough,

the neighborhood Crunkers began their miss chuff;

gavelloping me and my property,

and gerwayling my new bents geewee.

Then I sprung a leak in my grizzly grumptures,

from, what are commonly termed as, punctures.

Next, I had to replace the gonns,

but I couldn’t remember if it was three or one.

And when I arrived at Alfawaire’s,

he told me gonns came only in pairs.

Are these reasons enough to answer your question?”

“Oh, yes,” I replied, with a sympathetic expression.

“Then, my good sir, let us part, say goodbye.”

And as we parted, he winked his eye,

and gave a shiffling, smuffling sigh.

Neerah pulled back from the Pyramid of Echoes just far enough to pause the memory, but not enough to remove the bubble of energy that encapsulated her. She had paused because of the amount of fear which DaeNoth was feeling. It had almost overwhelmed her several times during the memory, and even now, she could still feel the stirrings of panic at the edges of her awareness. She had never realized just how frightened DaeNoth had been in coming to the physical plane. I…or rather, Ionee, had been so intent on her own pursuits and her own pleasures that she had failed to observe or acknowledge what poor DaeNoth was going through. Ionee had just assumed that he was enjoying the experiences as much as she was. It never occurred to her that he might be absolutely terrified.

Neerah took several deep breaths to clear her emotions. She wished she could somehow go back and at least apologize to DaeNoth; let him know how sorry she was for being so inconsiderate and not even trying to understand the amount of fear and anxiety that he was feeling. Just then, Yarrie’s voice filled her mind, *Understanding often results in regret. But only through acknowledgement of that feeling can you then not willingly repeat those actions or choices that resulted in the regret. This is change. This is growth. This is the beginning of balance.*

She nodded to herself as Yarrie’s voice faded away. Small steps in a long process, that’s what she was taking. She truly hoped though, that she wouldn’t need several centaras to fully understand and accept all the choices that were made, and that had led her to where she was now. Her impatience wasn’t just about wanting to be with DaeNoth again, either. She couldn’t fully explain, but it felt as if there was an aura of urgency surrounding her and everyone she was close to. Shaking off her qualms, she turned back toward the pyramidal crystal. 

Determined to reach that point of balance that the Ethereals said she needed to achieve, she let the resonance of the crystal encase her again. Releasing herself to her memories once more, she again found herself as Ionee in another fragment of memory. Neerah had the sense that this was another part of the earlier memory and that the elapsed time between the two was less than a day.

*****

Ionee was capering. That was the only term for it. She was dancing and hopping about on the springy mat of green grass that covered the ground, and she was enjoying herself.

DaeNoth had returned soon after leaving her last night, so she hadn’t really had a chance to experience everything that she had intended to. On his insistence, she had finally joined him at the main village, where they had spent the night in a wonderful place called a home. Constructed of stones, with glass cutouts so you could see the out of doors, it had contained many fabrics and cushions. Although, the stated purpose for their going to this home was that they were to rest for the night before attending some informational sessions the next day, she had actually been too excited and inquisitive to truly rest. Instead, she had spent the night touching and examining everything that she could.

This morning she had again managed to convince DaeNoth to go to these informational sessions on his own. So, with DaeNoth off learning all about how to be a physical being, she was exploring in her own way. She knew all about the physical world in an intellectual way—about how you needed to eat food and drink water in order to maintain the body, and the names of many of the objects that they would encounter—but she had never dreamed that something with such a bland name like grass could feel…well, so cushiony. The word grass just didn’t seem descriptive enough. She thought it should be called something more like green-cushion-ground. Laughing just for the fun of it, she started running across the wide meadow.

She stopped suddenly, aware of a strange sensation in her bare foot. Standing awkwardly on one leg, she tried to bring her left foot closer to her face. Unable to twist herself in such a way, she finally plopped onto the ground. Holding her left foot with both hands, she turned it so that she could clearly see the bottom of it. A streak of red oozed from a spot near the ball of her foot and she stared at it curiously. She touched the redness with the index finger of her right hand and it came away with a small bubble of red liquid on it. Dropping her foot, she puzzled over the red spot on her finger. Although, the red had moved from her foot to her finger, it was still her foot that felt oddly. She touched the tip of her finger to her tongue and was surprised by the taste. So, that’s what blood tastes like… if that’s blood, then what I’m feeling in my foot must be…Pain! Somewhat excited, she grabbed her foot again, and looked at the small slice. The cut was really rather small, so small, in fact, that it had already stopped bleeding.

Holding her right palm over the spot, she extended her energies to making the body perfect again. The small cut simply vanished. At the same time, the pain also ceased. Smiling, Ionee bounced to her feet again and did a little jig-like step.

So, that was pain, huh? Interesting… and she resumed her dash across the meadow.

*****

Neerah felt the anger and the frustration as DaeNoth tried to understand the surge of emotions that kept flooding through him. Neerah could tell that the overriding emotion seemed to be fear. He was frightened of almost everything—of what he saw, of what he felt, and of his own reactions to his feelings.

There were so many different feelings, and he didn’t even know how to identify them all. It was so confusing. Neerah felt sorry for him, and wished there was someone there who could help him understand what he was feeling and experiencing.

As she continued to follow the experiences within the crystal, Neerah felt time fly forward. She somehow knew that the next images she saw had occurred months after the last memory she had just experienced. Information seemed to simply pop into her head as the images appeared, so that she knew where the incidents were taking place as well as the time of day and any other information that might be needed to understand what she was experiencing.

On one level, she knew that the information was coming from inside her, from her own internal memories of when she was Ionee. Yet, it all seemed so new and bewildering. It was like reading a book where she knew all the characters, but had no idea of the plot. So, she simply allowed the images to flow around, filling her and encompassing her.

*****

“I wish you would not do that, Ionee,” a worried and querulous DaeNoth stated.

“You always worry so, DaeNoth,” Ionee laughed as she clambered out onto the tree branch in an effort to grab one of the last fruits dangling there.

“I simply do not wish any harm to come to you.”

“What possible harm could occur? And anyway, if perchance I do injure myself, I will simply heal myself as I did the other day,” Ionee persisted. Then reaching the piece of fruit, she began to scoot backwards on the branch, back towards the trunk of the tree.

“What do you mean ‘as you did the other day’? What happened?” DaeNoth was extremely agitated and glared up at Ionee’s back.

Glancing down at DaeNoth’s rigid stance, and angry face, Ionee laughed. “It was nothing. Do not carry on so. I merely cut the bottom of my foot. It took but a mere second to fix it.”

Sighing audibly, DaeNoth continued to chide Ionee, “I have told you how fragile these forms are. You must be more careful. I forbid you to go about without some sort of protection on your feet.”

The gaiety turned to anger and Ionee glared down at DaeNoth, “You forbid?! Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?!” In her anger, she released the branch she had been holding and tried to put her hands on her hips. However, she overbalanced. Sliding to her left, she reached forward and grabbed for the tree branch, but her body had already tossed most of its weight to the side. Her hands scrabbled against the bark, but she couldn’t keep herself from pitching sideways off the branch. She fell little more than six feet, and landed with a whump on her left hip.

DaeNoth was frantic and stooped to see if she were all right. Meanwhile, Ionee was laughing almost hysterically.

“What is so amusing?” DaeNoth’s voice was accusatory. “You could have been severely injured!”

“Oh…” she started, “the feeling…the feeling of falling was wonderful,” the laughter calming down into spurts of giggles, “but I do not care much for the landing.” She started to stand, and DaeNoth instantly reached out to help her. On her feet once again, she straightened the sleek outfit she wore. She had refused to continue wearing the traditional robe-like attire because she found it too inhibitive. How could she run or climb trees or any of the other of myriad of things she wanted to do with that on. Instead, she had created an outfit that fitted her form more closely and allowed her to move about more freely.

Rubbing at her backside with one hand, she retrieved the piece of fallen fruit with her other hand. “Oh, but that was an interesting experience,” her eyes sparkled with life and she felt the giggles just waiting to burst forth again.

And here is a drawing of Alice, in her ‘draping, torn’ shirt.

The Necromancer, in her conquering-the-world outfit and her hair pulled back in a bun.

video page updated

Bill Schnoebelen videos
click here

I had stayed too long out of body when trying to help Donnie, one of my charges, and had ended up feeling as awful as when I had had the flu last winter. And like the flu, it took several days before I felt normal again. Several days of moving slowly, getting plenty of rest, and absolutely no planing.

Now it was Thursday and I had to do my second appearance at the radio station. Although more aware of how things worked there, having already done one show, I was still dreading this appearance. My body felt normal, but my energies still seemed a bit off, so I really had no idea if I’d be able to do any readings or not.

As the train pulled into the Chicago station, Dave and I prepared to disembark. I gave him a smile feigning a joi de vivre I didn’t feel. Sensing my discomfort, Dave said, “Do you want me to come with you? I don’t have any meetings until the afternoon.”

I did; I really did, but I knew I was being selfish and childish. On top of that, once the show started, there wasn’t anything he could do. He wouldn’t be allowed in the studio with me and AJ, the disc jockey; he’d just have to sit around waiting in the break room or lobby, and that was just silly. So, I hugged him and shook my head against his shoulder.

We stood like that for some moments on the train platform, people struggling to get around us, and some being downright rude about it. Finally, I pushed back from Dave, but without completely breaking the embrace, and said, “You better get going, Sir, or my husband will begin to suspect that we’re up to something.”

I gave him my flirtiest smile, and with a rueful grin he gave me a quick kiss; then we went our separate ways.

I wasn’t quite as early this time when I arrived at the radio station. This time, the receptionist was already ensconced at her desk, her phone ringing, and several people vying for her attention when I stepped inside the lobby.

I was headed her way when the producer for AJ’s show intercepted me. I felt a brief tingling on my energies, as depleted as they were, and my arms were suddenly covered with goose pimples as we passed close by the receptionist’s desk, but before I could really register this phenomenon, we were strolling toward the coffee room and the producer was telling me the plans for the show.

Most of the producer’s chatter faded into the hubbub of the station’s general noise, and my mind wandered back to the strange tingling of my energies and what (or who) might have caused it. This was the second time that something like this had happened here, and I was beginning to suspect that perhaps someone at the radio station was the sender of the email that I had tried to locate, or the creator of the nightmares…or maybe even both? Hmmm, that was a possibility I hadn’t considered before, but now, it seemed more than just possible.

As that thought flitted through my head, the producer’s voice broke through to me, “So, are you okay with all of that?”

Having no idea what all I was supposed to be okay with, I simply nodded in his direction. My mind was still trying to chase down the idea that someone here at the radio station was the one who had been dragging me into their nightmares.

A moment later, the producer and I entered AJ’s studio, and soon afterward the show started. Just like last time, AJ fed me the question in a yes/no format, but unlike the last time, I managed to answer them without fumbling. I even managed to add some insights and advice to at least half the answers. So, all-in-all it was a much smoother and easier time than my last appearance on his show. The last call came and went, and the whole show completed without any surprises.

As AJ’s theme song played, the station manager appeared in the door and signalled that he wanted me to folllow him to his office. Reluctantly, I nodded and followed him through the maze of offices and studios. I really wanted to get out to the lobby and see if I could sense anything. I was really hoping that my guess was right, and that the nightmare creator or emailer (or both) was someone here at the radio station. If I could find them, then just maybe I could clear up some of these issues that were interferring with my own life.

However, I curbed my impatience and followed the station manager to his office. He offered coffee, which I declined, and then he got to the point of this meeting. Evidently, the listeners liked me, or so he said.

“They find you sympathetic; someone they can relate to,” he said.

I was floored. I had been sure I sounded more like a fool or an idiot with all of my erms and ums, but he said the numbers didn’t lie (although who had ever really talked with the numbers to be sure?).

“I’ve spoken with the owners and we agree; we’d like you to do the show with AJ at least once a month,” the station manager continued. “So, what do you think?”

His round, pink face was awash with smiles, as if he were offering me the most fabulous prize in the world—and, come to think of it, he sort of was. For several hours of work a month they were offering an obscene amount of money; money that Dave and I could really use.

I was too surprised to think straight, though. I really needed Dave’s calm reassurance and insights. (Don’t let anyone kid you, for all that I might be able to see the “future”, I have no idea what is going to happen in my own life, and I rarely have the type of knowledge or insights that can help me make decisions like the one I was being presented with.)

Flustered and thinking that the whole offer was some sort of cruel hoax, I finally managed to mutter something about needing to speak to Dave about it.

“Please let us know by tomorrow noon if you will be accepting our offer,” the station manager said as he handed me a copy of the contract.

I nodded dumbly, and in a haze of disbelief I left the radio station. My desire to stay and discover if someone there was responsible for the nightmares was completely forgotten in my rush to see Dave and share the news.

The first thing that the male Aurisen noticed was how the air touched against his body. It tickled the hairs on his arms and caused small bumps to appear on his skin’s surface. The second thing he noticed was his inability to see much of his new surroundings because his eyes did not function well in such low light. Although for him, the sensations were not wholly positive, they were memorable, therefore, he decided that his name would be DaeNoth of Darkwind. When he turned to see what Ionee was doing, he saw that her attention was on the sky. Tilting his head, he watched the bits of light streaking across the sky until his attention was drawn back to Ionee. She wrapped her arms around herself, then spun in a circle letting her arms swing outward. When she stopped spinning, she wobbled on her feet, and DaeNoth lunged forward to help her. However, she plopped onto the grass, a large smile on her face. DaeNoth reached out to help her up, but she ignored his hand. Instead, she rubbed her hands through the grass enjoying the feel of the vegetation. When she brushed against a pebble, she picked it up, looking at it curiously. She rubbed her fingers across it as if she were trying to memorize each crease and dimple of its surface. Dropping the pebble back into the grass, she finally clambered to her feet, admiring the way her body worked. She paused momentarily as the trilling of a night bird filled the air, and DaeNoth realized that there were a great many sounds filling the night, though he had no names or descriptions for the sounds or those making them. He peered around cautiously, wondering just how safe they were in this strange environment.

He felt overwhelmed. There were too many stimulations here; too many sensations that he just didn’t comprehend. DaeNoth wrapped his arms around himself protectively and watched in horrified fascination as Ionee gave out a loud and vigorous whoop, before bending her knees and jumping straight up. Then, as if startled by her own vocalizations, she touched her throat. Giving another, even louder whoop, her grin grew even larger. Laughter erupted from deep inside her and she raced across the lawn.

She wore an expression that DaeNoth didn’t quite understand. He swore it seemed as if she loved the way the grass cushioned her feet as she ran, the feel of the dew between her toes, and the way the cool breeze flowed against her naked skin. He watched as her hair flew back off her shoulders as she skidded and streaked across the grass, and he shivered—not with cold, but with fear. How could she possibly be enjoying herself, when any moment they might be attacked, or these fragile forms injured?

*This is wonderful!* she called to DaeNoth mentally as she raced across the grass again. *I do not understand why all Numinousens do not want to come and try this.* Her face was lit with an inner giddiness, and her laughter was almost manic as she skidded past DaeNoth.

DaeNoth, though, wasn’t so ecstatic with this new world, and Ionee’s exuberance frightened him. Watching her as she streaked back and forth across the grassy expanse, he decided that he would have to gain control of her and quickly. If he didn’t get control of her now, she would lead them in a direction that he had no desire to go in. He could already see that she was becoming too enamored of this world and of the physical sensations that came with it. As he watched her come racing back toward him, he realized that the more she seemed to enjoy herself and this new world, the more frightened he was becoming.

Grabbing her arm as she streaked past him again, he brought her up short. “That is enough,” he heard himself saying and realized that vocalizations were much different in this plane. The language was not as musical nor as full of visual color as on the ethereal plane, and he almost let Ionee go in his confusion.

“It is not nearly enough,” Ionee responded, then giggled. “Listen to that. Is not that the most wonderful sound you have ever heard?” She shouted out a note, then sang a scale. “I cannot get over how marvelous it all is,” she said breathlessly. “Come,” she turned away from DaeNoth of Darkwind, his hand still around her upper arm, “let us both run.”

“No,” fear tinged his new voice and his grip tightened on her arm.

“Why not?” Her eyes glowed in the moonlight.

“The guides said we should seek out the elder Aurisens when we got here, so I think that is what we need to do,” DaeNoth said decisively.

Ionee shrugged, then shrugged again, “See how the muscles work,” she shrugged a third time, “It is all so fascinating.”

DaeNoth took her hand and led her toward the area where they were told other Aurisens would help them. As they went, Ionee continued to touch, smell, and stare at everything she could. They would only take a few steps before Ionee would stop and have to investigate something—a flower, a rock, a night bird as it flew across the sky.

*****

As they passed by one of the many trees, Ionee saw some interesting looking objects dangling from the branches. Breaking free of DaeNoth, she plucked a couple of the objects from the branch. They were yellow and coral colored, with a slightly fuzzy skin. She rubbed one against her cheek, and thought how pleasant it felt. Sniffing it, she noticed an aroma that was both sweet and spicy. Taking a bite from the juicy yellow and coral colored fruit, she giggled. “DaeNoth, you must try this,” she held out the second piece of fruit toward him, “it has the most delicious flavors. It is tangy, yet sweet.”

DaeNoth looked at the proffered piece of fruit as if it might bite him. “Are you sure that you should be eating that? What if it makes the body sick?”

“Oh, DaeNoth, do not worry so!” She wiped at the dribble of juice on her chin.

“I am merely being cautious,” he responded pedantically. “After all, we have only been corporeal for a few hours, and we do not yet know much about the care and maintenance of these bodies. I would think it would be wiser to spend time with the elder Aurisens. Perhaps, by learning from them, we can spare ourselves major traumas.”

“The whole purpose of being here is to have fun,” Ionee chided, “to experience life as a corporeal being. I cannot do that if I am sitting confined somewhere listening to another’s memories of their experiences.”

“And I cannot enjoy my experiences of life if I must constantly worry about what you are doing,” DaeNoth growled.

“Then stop worrying, and join me,” she countered, discarding the core of the first piece of fruit and biting into the piece DaeNoth had rejected.

“It is not safe. What if you damage the body? Why can you not at least try to consider the consequences of your actions before you act?” DaeNoth lectured.

Ionee sighed. If I damage the body, I will simply heal it again. And if I damage it beyond healing I will just create another. I do not understand why he fusses so. “What if you go and listen to these elders, while I remain here in the gardens?”

“How do I know that you will not take off and do something foolish?” DaeNoth challenged.

Putting her left palm against her heart, she looked solemnly at DaeNoth, “I promise I will not be the cause of anymore worries for you.”

She watched DaeNoth study her eyes and face, looking for any signs that she wasn’t serious. Finally, he nodded and she put her hand back down. As he turned to continue on to the guidance center, she heard him sigh. He seemed so frightened by everything, and she shook her head as she wondered why since everything so much fun. When DaeNoth was finally gone, Ionee smiled. Now she would have some fun. She was sorry that he didn’t want to venture out and try new things, but why did he have to try to force his way on her? If he wanted to sit and listen to some silly lectures on what they should and shouldn’t do, that was his choice. As for her, she was going to try as many things as possible in this new environment.

I think the witches are returning.  I know there are many who have been here right along, doing what was needed,  but I think many are being called back to those old ways, even to their own surprise.

I have been called and I stand at some edge feeling confused and yet steadfast in approaching this new path.    It’s like my vision finally cleared and I see a new way to walk through my life, a way that makes far more sense in my spirit than anything else ever has.

The strangest thing was:  I was not looking for the path.  I wasn’t hanging out in New Age book stores or feeling some pressing need to sprinkle myself in Patchouli oil and meditate.   I am a down-to-earth middled aged woman.  I have long equated all the witchcraft sort of people in US as a bunch of New Age crazies drifting around in their surreal world and  healing the planet with their good vibes.  Harmless, but crazy.

I was not one of them.

So how is it that I am standing at a clearing and suddenly want in?  I could not explain that to anyone in terms of clear, linear, modern day acceptable logic.  It seems bigger than that, older than that.   It’s a tug that pulls from some place further inside me than all the logic lined up end to end.  It never frightened me, it was more like looking through curious windows and contemplating what you see and then suddenly feeling like you want to be inside and among those things and not standing out in the cold.  That’s what witchcraft feels like to me.

I am a witch.  That’s the simplest truth of it.  I am a new witch, a witch who is stumbling about with this new identity, but a witch just the same.   I don’t know what that means to me entirely, it’s like a package I keep opening to discover some new and wonderful thing.  I do still think there are some nutters out there who are not practicing witchcraft, but something more narcissistic or trendy.   They will abandon it when something more interesting grabs their interest.   I think those called to witchcraft are likely a bit taken back and that the journey feels personal and private, at least at this early stage.

There are more like me out there, I feel certain.  There are more who feel this strange call, men and women alike.  Some are new to the path like I am.  Some are still hiding.  Some are stumbling along while others have likely found their way.  Some, I suspect, don’t call themselves witches and yet hold close many ways that witches would embrace.  Mostly, I think the return of the witches is a call from the earth that is so incredibly out of balance.   I see the call as both scientific and spiritual.   I believe that the two cohabitate and always have, but the balance of things has gone awry.   We have become vain, obsessed with our own sense of creation in terms of technology.  We forget our place in the bigger scheme of things.   So the witches must return and they will come from unlikely places, some will be people no one would guess.

Neerah, as Ionee, glided through the music and watched as the colors shifted from the pleasant rainbow of blues, greens and yellows, to the more strident reds and oranges causing the chords to become inharmonic.

“Oh, I do apologize, Ohna,” she offered the other Numinousen her regrets at ruining the composition.

“What is it that troubles you so?” Ohna sang as she allowed the other colors she had been holding to dissolve, fading back into the ether where she had gotten them from.

Ionee sighed, then plucked one of the crystal notes from its place and tried to shape it into a more pleasing sound and color. “I cannot decide whether to try being an Aurisen or not,” she put the note, which was now more golden, back with the others. “I have become of two minds. There is a part of me that longs to experience all things physical, yet there is another part of me that seeks not to experience these things.” She took several other notes out of the discordancy that displayed around them and turned them into starbursts.

“Why do you not simply become two Aurisens, then, if that is the way you feel?” Ohna scattered more blues and yellows into the composition. “For then you can experience both the world of the physical, but also remain apart from the physical, if you wish.”

Ionee flared blue, then white, then back to gold. “You are so wise, Ohna.”

Ohna shifted the composition from blues to greens and added several notes of purple. “I only propose what you already said,” Ohna trilled, pausing in her composing long enough to note Ionee’s improved mood.

“I must speak with Ryal, then, immediately, for I would participate in the upcoming ceremony,” Ionee tossed several emerald sparks into Ohna’s composition, before hurrying away.

* * *

It was the ceremony of Becoming. Those Numinousens who wished to experience physical life would gather together, and form themselves in a circle. The Numinousens who monitored and guided the newly physical beings would form a large circle around them. Then, at the appropriate moment, each of those wishing to try life as a corporeal being, would create a physical body. That body would then enter the Forest of Reflections on the planet of Danaria. In this form, they were referred to as Aurisens—a blending of Numinousen and physicality. Although, they wore a physical form, part of their essence would still show through, creating an all over golden aura. As Aurisens, they also retained all the knowledge gained as a Numinousen, which included their abilities to manipulate all energies existing within and between the physical plane and the ethereal plane.

While an Aurisen, they could dwell within the Forest of Reflections for as long as they wished, then when they wanted to return to the ethereal plane, they would simply deconstruct the physical shell they had created, and return to being a full Numinousen. The physical body was just another way in which they manipulated resonance. The body, a physical shell that could exist within the vibrational frequency of the physical plane, is what gave them the means by which they could then function and exist within the physical plane as a corporeal being. With the body they would have the ability to taste, touch, smell, and experience all the things within the physical plane. Without the body, their experience of the physical realm was limited, because Numinousens couldn’t experience physical reality. They could travel to and within the physical plane, but as a Numinousen, they didn’t have the ability to touch, taste, smell, or fully explore and take part in a physical life.

Becoming corporeal was not an easy decision for most Numinousens, so the majority of those that became Aurisens remained within the Forest of Reflections until they returned home to the ethereal plane. Occasionally, a Numinousen would become corporeal so that they could follow the Circle-of-Life path. Following the circle-of-life path was not something that most Numinousens or Aurisens took lightly, though. It normally required many choices and much planning before committing themselves to such a venture. There were a few Aurisens, though, that made no plans or gave it no thought, but simply involved themselves with man and his dramas. By doing so, they ended up committing themselves to the Circle-of-Life path whether they wanted to or not. Sometimes those along this type of path did fine, more often than not, though, the first few lives were very difficult, and the lessons exceedingly painful.

Ionee wasn’t thinking about any of this, though, as she floated into the inner circle being formed. Her mind was filled with joyous expectations. She had observed the physical world several times, and she had even visited there once—though without permission—when she was still a very young Numinousen. So, she was filled with unbridled anticipation, and laden with many second thoughts. It was the part of herself that had all the misgivings that she planned to separate from. As she tried to calm herself, she concentrated on grouping all those shades of trepidations and hesitations together, while holding onto her enthusiasms and joys. As her being alternated between these two vibrational frequencies, her golden essence began to flicker. Slowly at first, then faster until it appeared as if two Ionees were hovering there. When both beings were complete and distinct, the flickering stopped. Now there truly were two Ionees—one who couldn’t wait to go into the physical plane and try being a corporeal being, and one who wasn’t at all sure that becoming corporeal was a wise thing to do.

Looking around, the happy Ionee noted that several other Numinousens had also created a twin, so she knew that at least she wasn’t alone in her duality. Now, those going to the physical plane needed to create a body, so both Ionees began to do so. Soon, where two Numinousens had been, there were now two Aurisens. While most of those who had created twins had created bodies of the same gender, several had not, including Ionee. The happy Ionee had created a tall, lithe, blonde female form, while the hesitant Ionee had created an even taller, dark-haired, rather rugged male body.

The newly corporeal beings were guided to the Forest of Reflections where they were directed to meet with the other Aurisens who lived there so that they might gain some insights. However, once in the world, the blonde Ionee Aurisen was so fascinated by everything, that she merely stood and stared around her. The first thing that really caught her attention was a star streaking through the sky above. This was quickly followed by another, then two in rapid succession, then one more. Deciding that she would like to be named for this event she had just witnessed, she named herself Ionee of Starfall.

I was in an out of body state and hanging around Donnie’s apartment (Donnie is one of my charges). I had to make sure that he was safe. You see I wasn’t the only one hanging around. Death was also here, and that was the issue.

Before Lawrence, Donnie’s companion, had gotten home and called an ambulance, Donnie had tried to commit suicide. That had triggered our mutual connection, mine and Donnie’s, which was why I was there. But that didn’t explain how Death had known about Donnie; and it especially didn’t explain how he had known before I had.

Death’s usual notification process was usually a little more direct. Most times someone either jumped from their physical body to avoid the pain and while wandering the transitional plane would run into Death; or they would remain in their body but call for Death to take them so they could avoid any more pain. But this was different—strange different—and different with Death made me very nervous.

After all, Donnie had been unconscious, he hadn’t called out to anyone, and he wasn’t out of body (I checked first thing, because the last thing I wanted was one of my charges wandering around lost). Therefore, there was no way that Donnie contacted Death; so how did Death know to be here?

I was exhausted—physically and spiritually—and I just couldn’t wrap my mind around this puzzle. I really wanted to go home and let my body get some real sleep, something I hadn’t been able to do for several nights now.

I could feel the remains of my energy flagging, and I forced myself to remain where I was. The pull from my physical body was getting stronger, indicating that I really need to plane back; however, I couldn’t do that; at least not until Death left and I was sure Donnie was safe.

The EMTs wheeled Donnie, who seemed to be breathing without assistance now, to the ambulance. I hung back as Lawrence followed. I was waiting to see what Death was going to do.

At the sound of the front door closing, Death turned to me, his smile still just as smug as before, and he touched two fingers to his forehead and disappeared.

Not knowing whether he was giving up or tagging along hoping to grab Donnie either on the way to the hospital or once at the hospital, I had no choice but to follow Donnie. So, using the last bit of energy I had, I forced myself to follow the link I shared with Donnie.

I ended up in the back of the ambulance, and it was everything I could do to keep a presence there. Although, I didn’t see Death, I still wasn’t completely reassured that he wasn’t at the hospital waiting, so I clung to the link between myself and Donnie using that to keep me anchored with him.

The EMTs rushed Donnie into the emergency room, and I hovered in the background as they got him stabilized. The first hints of daylight were creeping over the horizon outside as the hospital staff moved Donnie to a room.

I was becoming a shadow of myself, literally. I was barely able to continue my hold on this out of body existence. My body needed me and the pull to return was tearing at me. I had to leave. I hadn’t seen Death since leaving Donnie’s apartment, so I was hoping he was back on the transitional plane where he belonged.

Lawrence was sitting next to Donnie’s bed, stroking Donnie’s hand, when I finally let go of the link between us. I let the connection to my own body pull me down and I fell into myself with a horrible, gut-clenching feeling. I sat up with a start, completely disoriented. I had expected to be in my bed, in my bedroom, with Dave by my side. Instead, I was in the den on the couch, and it took me several moments to remember why.

I swung my legs over the side of the couch, and bit back a cry of pain. I felt as if I had run a marathon, and my head was pounding—I think it was beating in time to one of Gloria Estafan’s songs. I really wanted to just go back to bed and curl up under the covers for a month. I pushed myself to my feet, and wished I hadn’t.

The room whirled around me and I thought I was going to topple over. I dropped back onto the couch and put my head between my knees. When the world steadied, I stood up again, but this time much more slowly.

I toddled to the kitchen in an old lady style shuffle, and sort of clung to the door jamb while I looked around. The coffee had been brewed and a half a pot still sat on the warmer. There was also a note next to the coffee machine, so I continued into the room and picked it up. It was from Dave, and it just said that he hadn’t wanted to wake me, and he’d see me tonight.

I looked at the coffee, but opted for a large glass of water and several ibuprofen instead. Then I climbed the stairs (trying not to moan with each step), and went to our bedroom. There, I crawled between the covers and was instantly asleep.

I woke to the jangling of the phone, but by the time I realized what the noise was, it had (thankfully) stopped. I glanced at the clock on the bureau and saw that I hadn’t slept all that long. Although my body felt like it needed about 10 more hours of sleep, my mind was already chasing itself. Knowing that I wouldn’t get back to sleep again, I disentangled myself from the bed covers and stumbled into the bathroom.

I wanted to soak under a super hot shower for as long as I could stand it. Maybe that would help me overcome the groggy, muscle-cramped feeling that I currently had. As I started the shower up, I realized that I hadn’t felt this awful since I’d had the flu last winter.

“As for what my grandmother said about me – one of the most powerful…a beacon, etc, etc. – all this goes to show that contrary to popular belief, even the oldest and wisest of witches can be dead wrong.”

Tasmin Green comes from a long line of witches, all of whom have their own special power which they call Talents. When Tasmin is born, her grandmother says that she’ll be one of the most talented witches ever seen – except Tasmin never gets her powers. Instead she attends school in New York and tries to be normal, until one night a handsome professor comes into her family’s magic shop looking for help finding a lost heirloom. By agreeing to find the lost heirloom, Tasmin sets in motion a sequence of horrible events that will lead to revelation of her true identity and the unleashing of a strong and terrible power that will threaten her family and their future.

Carolyn MacCullough does an excellent job at creating a fresh story about magic and witches. While still a supernatural fantasy, the magic is presented in such a way that makes it seem more like Wicca and less like Harry Potter. The main character is down to earth and completely relatable.  I really appreciated how much of the story was rooted around Tasmin’s family, who were all great characters. The family subplot definitely added rich layers to the storytelling. The pacing was well done with a great climax. My only critique was that at times the author asked a little too much of the reader and the leaps (or lack of explanations) became a little confusing. This, however, did not affect my overall enjoyment of the book. This book would be really appealing to teens interested in supernatural stories with a strong female protagonist and who enjoy a little romance with their fiction! Overall it’s a completely relevant novel and an enjoyable read!

Love the Cover!

Other books by Carolyn MacCullough: Stealing Henry, Falling Through the Darkness and Drawing the Ocean.

If you enjoyed Once a Witch you might also like: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia, The Hollow by Jessica Verday, The Immortal by Gillian Shields, Evermore by Alyson Noel and The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

Rating: 3.5Q 5P MJS

Very cool website for Once a Witch found here.

I couldn’t find any solid proof, but I’m pretty sure there will be a sequel.

The Enchantment Emporium by Tanya Huff
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: DAW Hardcover; 1 edition (June 2, 2009)
ISBN-13: 978-0756405557

Alysha Gale leads a double life. On the public surface, she’s just lost her job as a museum assistant and she’s moved back home until something else comes along. But the real story is…she lost her job, and she’s moved back home to her family coven of super powerful, super nosey witches. The Gale family is enormous, with ever-increasing rings of cousins and multiplying children. And they all have the power, some little, some big, to affect the world around them. Alysha is at loose ends right now, thanks to her job loss, and it falls to her to investigate her Grandmother’s death when the family suddenly gets the call that she’s passed away under mysterious circumstances.

When she heads out to Calgary to find what happened to her Gran, Alysha also discovers that she is now the proud owner of a junk shop called The Enchantment Emporium. She soon learns that the shop is much more than a giant bin for ratty old antiques. It has become the center of the magical community in Calgary, with her Gran giving aid and succor to magical creatures in need. Now her Gran is gone, and it’s up to Alysha to find out what happened, organize the shop, help all the strange and dangerous customers, and find out why there are dragons flying over Calgary and what they have to do with an evil wizard and the Gale family. She’ll learn the answers to these questions, and some she didn’t even know to ask.

This is a complicated book, but Tanya Huff does a great job of casually working in important information without info-dumping. You’ve got to pay close attention to catch all the pertinent details of the Gale family witches circles and the mess going on in Calgary, but that serves to immerse you even more in the story. Alysha has been a little knocked around by life lately and it’s made her wary. She’s an interesting character coming from a strange family dynamic. In the Gale coven, boys are prized like precious gold, and girls are a dime a dozen. But it’s the women, the Aunties, who eventually run the family when they grow up. This makes for a large group of nosey, bossy old women hovering over Alysha and her investigation, waiting for her to mess up spectacularly.

Luckily, Alysha is not without friends. There’s her favorite cousin and lover Charlie, who has the special gift of being able to travel anywhere through a mystical plain instead of taking the bus; she’s also a practiced musician. Alysha’s unrequited love interest, Michael, also comes to help after breaking up dramatically with his boyfriend. She makes more friends through the shop, including an ornery leprechaun. Alysha has an organized mind, letting her take a chaotic situation and bring order to it. She also has the ability to ask for help when she needs it, without making herself sound lost. Alysha comes across as strong and powerful, once she starts getting past the bumps and bruises life has seen fit to give her. She learns a lot about herself and what’s she capable of, and manages to grow quite a bit as a character from start of book to end.

My favorite part about this book, though, is the indiscriminate bed hopping. In the Gale family, they like to keep their power within their own bloodlines. This means that you may eventually marry a distantly related cousin to keep the magic going. It sounds odd, but think of it more as a community of witches who all happen to have the same last name then of a closely related family. There are so many Gales at this point, the only ones who can keep track are the Aunties. There is lots of enthusiastic experimentation among the young witches of the family, since they know that they could someday be marrying their playmate. And it isn’t relegated to boys and girls. Alysha and Charlie are hardly the only girls to pair up. The openness and casual but warm feeling they all seem to hold towards sex is refreshing and at times very funny. More people should take notes from the Gale family.

The Enchantment Emporium is a wild ride from start to finish. With so many characters and concepts to introduce, it would be easy for a lesser author to lose her audience. Huff has a deft touch and never gives you more than you can handle. With the revelations and resolutions at the end of this book, I can only hope that we will be seeing lots more of the Gale family, and Alysha in particular.

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Check out Tanya Huff’s website or follow her on Twitter @TanyaHuff

by Bill Willingham (writer), Mark Buckingham (pencils), Steve Leialoha & Andrew Pepoy (inks), Lee Loughridge (colors), and Todd Klein (letters

The Story: Bufkin continues to wage his guerrilla war against Baba Yaga while back home, Ozma makes her move.

What’s Good: As has been the case with this entire arc, Bufkin’s portions are undoubtedly the strongest and most enjoyable of this issue.  The little guy versus big guy dynamic that has fuelled much of Fables’ appeal since its inception continues to be an infectious one.  What we get this month borders on slapstick, with Bufkin springing or working on a couple of traps.  This gives his scenes a really fun, “Home Alone” feel, as the unwitting Baba Yaga falls prey to Bufkin’s cunning.  Indeed, the spirit of last month’s awesome last scene is sustained and amplified as the flying monkey becomes an increasingly legitimate force while the innocence that has made him a fan favourite far is still maintained.

Bufkin is not the only source of comedy however, as King Cole also shows his lovable side.  His happy avarice and general love is all good fun and a self-aware bright spot in a storyline and status quo that has at times been pretty damned dark.  It’s nice to see something go right for the Fables for once.

Speaking of dark, it’s great to see that not only has Willingham not forgotten about Gepetto, but that the writer also seemingly has big plans in store for the character.  Though it’s only a page, this may be the most intriguing moment of the book.   It’s testament to Willingham’s abilities that a character who’s been all but forgotten for so many issues can still carry such magnetism and importance when he does show up.

Finally, while it was inevitable, the ending of this month’s issue is all kinds of awesome, featuring a familiar addition to the cast who is a certifiable badass.

Meanwhile, Mark Buckingham once again brings the artwork you’ve come to expect of him, both distinct and detailed.  Outside of one admittedly off headshot of Bigby, Buckingham remains incredibly consistent.  His Baba Yaga remains awesome as ever.

What’s Not So Good: The scenes involving Ozma’s attempts to wrest control of the 13^th floor felt overly long and somewhat overwritten.  It simply felt as though there were too many words spent on reaching a fairly basic and logical endpoint, with none of it feeling particularly interesting or shocking.  It’s a shame, as the rest of the book is really quite a lot of fun save for this extended dry spot.  While it’s good to see the other magicians get a few lines for once, it doesn’t change the fact that things were a bit drawn out.

Conclusion: A really solid issue of Fables that does little wrong, as it sticks to the formula that’s made the series a success.

Grade: B+

-Alex Evans

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