Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Burn
SERIES: Witchbane #1.5
AUTHOR: Morgan Brice
PUBLISHER: Darkwind Press
LENGTH: 120 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 26, 2018
BLURB:
Book Two in the Witchbane Series.
One hundred years ago, a sheriff’s posse killed dark warlock Rhyfel Gremory, but his witch-disciples escaped, and their magic made them nearly immortal. To keep their power, each year one of the witch-disciples kills a descendant of one of the men in the posse, a twelve-year cycle that has cost dozens of lives, including that of Seth Tanner’s brother, Jesse.
Seth uncovers a cycle of ritual murders that feed the witch-disciples’ power, and he saves Evan Malone, one of the warlock’s potential victims. Neither Seth nor Evan expected to fall in love, but when the dust settles, they find themselves on the run and on the road together, heading toward Pittsburgh, on the trail of the next killer.
Seth wonders whether Evan will come to regret his choice to stay together, now that he’s living the reality of Seth’s nomadic life and the risks that come with it. He wants Evan to stay, but he’s afraid that Evan would be better off without him, living a normal life. Evan’s whole world has been upended, but there’s one thing he’s sure of, his love for Seth. Evan worries that he’s a liability, not yet able to hold his own in Seth’s rough-and-tumble world, but determined to do whatever necessary to have Seth’s back. On the way to face the next warlock, supernatural threats abound, forcing them to learn to fight as a team.
Fate and danger threw them together. But once the adrenaline fades, will love last?
REVIEW:
In this instalment, Evan aka Sonny from book one; having decided to stick with Seth, must get used to fighting ghouls and other supernatural beings. The two are on route to Pittsburgh where it is believed the next sacrifice in the cycle will be. Seth uses some paranormal situations, to train Evan, which, among other things, includes a haunted house where the resident was becoming violent. It doesn’t take long for Evan to realize that dispatching nasties, also includes occasionally getting covered in rotting guts or having the life sucked out of you. While Evan is enthusiastic about learning – the reality of killing is something a work in progress.
Evan and Seth have declared their love for each other, but they still have issues. Love may be there, but not necessarily the trust.
Seth is awed that Evan wants to join him, but he has worries. He believes that Evan can do better for himself, relationship wise, and wonders how long it will be before Evan realizes the fact. Seth is protective of Evan, wanting him by his side, but is aware of the risks involved, to life and limb.
As a result, there are lots of second-guessing situations and self-recriminations from both parties.
Burn, is a compact novella-length story that I much enjoyed. It’s a stopgap between warlocks where Evan receives training in weapons and spells. They also must solidify their relationship. Due to their pasts, both suffer from self-doubt and are quick to believe the worst. The sex is great, but they wonder if that is all their relationship consists of.
As with the previous book, the story is told in the third person with named chapters from Evan and Seth’s viewpoints. It can be read as a standalone, though reading the series gives more in-depth meaning to the actions.
In book one, in the heat of battle, love blossomed and was declared. It was time to see if it had sustainability. Evan has other things on his plate, too. In order to financially contribute to the relationship, he has an online business that he’s getting off the ground.
The near-death situations throw Seth into protective overdrive, which exacerbates pre-existing issues. Having said that – not everything is doom and gloom. Nearly every dramic element resulted in tension releasing sex, and I found it amusing how some nasties have a sweet tooth.
I found the leads loveable. I have a slight preference for Seth, but Evan is learning to hold his own, and I look forward to seeing his progress through the series. The scene-setting was good. The way some events were described made me shiver.
Overall, given its length, a lot is packed in, which made for an action-packed read. Hence the 4.5 rating.
RATING: 
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