Book Review: The Blue Witch by Joni Parker

Title: The Blue Witch
Author: Joni Parker
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4,5 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

Under the rule of King Arthur, Alex finds the mortal world far from what she’d imagined, and the mortals are less than hospitable.  Accused of being the “Blue Witch,” Alex is sentenced to die for treason and has been implicated in the mysterious death of one of Arthur’s noblemen by seemingly magical means.  With help from unexpected sources, she escapes and returns to Eledon, where civil unrest and the threat of war looms.  Alex resumes her responsibilities as Keeper of the Keys for the Council of Elders, but must execute a series of quests to prove her abilities to handle the magical Keys of Eledon.  But are her efforts enough to save the Elves from Civil War? And can she commute her own death sentence by finding the Holy Grail?

I knew I wanted to read The Blue Witch the moment it mentioned King Arthur, and the part about the Holy Grail. Going up, I was obsessed with the stories of Camelot, and all those brave knights riding out and trying to find the Holy Grail. So when I had the chance to read this book, I jumped at the opportunity.

This book is the second book in a series, the first being Spell Breaker. I didn’t read Spell Breaker, though, and I could follow the story well enough. Maybe I missed a few details here and there that I would’ve known if I had read book one, but that didn’t keep me from enjoying the story.

Joni Parker has an easy writing style, that effortlessly transports the reader to an imaginative world, and brings to life various characters, the most important one being Alex. Alex is one of the most intriguing characters I’ve read about as of late – she’s a witch, also trained as a soldier, and she’s the Keeper of the Keys for the Council of Elders. More than that, she’s an interesting person, intelligent, resourceful, brave.

The dialogue flows well, the story is imaginative and detailed but still fast-paced, and the characters are intriguing and complex. I don’t want to give too much away about the plot, but this book has it all: elves, witches, magic, war. I would recommend this book and series to anyone who enjoys fantasy.