Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Dark Rivers
SERIES: Witchbane #2
AUTHOR: Morgan Brice
PUBLISHER: Darkwind Press
RELEASE DATE: October 23, 2018
LENGTH: 238 Pages
BLURB:
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 Tanner uncovers the cycle of ritual killings that feeds the power of the witch-disciples, and he’s hell bent on getting vengeance for Jesse and stopping the murders. His fledgling romantic relationship with Evan Malone complicates his mission, but Seth can’t walk away. Seth and Evan are learning to navigate their partnership—as lovers and monster hunters—while they chase down the next witch-disciple and avoid attracting the wrong kind of attention.
When the hunt takes Seth and Evan to Pittsburgh on the trail of the next killer, they’ll have to save the intended victim and take down the powerful witch. If the skills they possess and the bond between them isn’t enough, the evil will remain unchallenged, and more people will die…
Dark Rivers contains sexually explicit materials intended for adults 18 and over. Note: Includes mention of past domestic violence and stalking.
REVIEW:
Having gotten past the relationship worries detailed in earlier novels, life between Seth and Evan is looking good. Training is going well, and our intrepid heroes make it to Pittsburgh. They are in search of the next warlock intent on renewing their immortality, via sacrifice.
This instalment contains more detail about the investigative process, which was nice to see. There’s a lot of information for the boys to wade through. Some of it leads the couple to dead ends. Other aspects send them into supernatural situations that are both information gathering and deadly.
This time Seth and Evan hire a local PI, Alex, who has local connections and is more able to gather details quicker. (Spoiler) As fate would have it, Alex has a link to Brandon, the next guy on the paranormal sacrificial hit list – the man Seth and Evan need to save. There is a network of mystical fighters throughout the USA, who trade information and help each other when needed. Seth and Evan encounter such people who in this instance, originate from the priesthood and military. I found these additions to the story a huge positive, and I hope they feature in future novels.
As the relationship between Seth and Evan is still new, sex happens at every opportunity, but not as much as previous stories. I appreciated this because in some cases, too much sex can spoil a tale instead of enhancing it. They are more appreciative, supporting, and secure in this story – working more as partners than questioning every act or stray sentence. It was also lovely to find out more about their families.
Dark Rivers can be read as a standalone. As such, when reading one book after the other, there is some repetition from previous novels. Which is to be expected. Like the other stories, this novel is written from the viewpoints of Evan and Seth. In the version I read, there were errors—E.g. Character confusion error. I the following quote, where highlighted, I believe Simon should be Seth, as Simon had been on the other end of a phone conversation with Seth, was not physically there, and had disconnected.
Now, as Seth took a bite, Evan slipped from his seat, turned Simon to face him, and dropped to his knees between Seth’s legs.
(Morgan Brice. Dark Rivers: A Witchbane Novel (Kindle Locations 125-126). Darkwind Press.) The words, ‘seemingly knowing what his boyfriend was thinking’ is also a frequently used phrase.
On the positive side, the scene-setting is excellent, not too much or too little detail. Evan is finding is own brand of spells and has some shining moments. One was related to his past, and he is becoming one badass agent against dark forces.
I was on edge as to what mark to give this. Yes, it has technical issues, but the other aspects made up for it. There is more investigation, less sex, more support, and I loved the paranormal battle scenes. The final battle had me glued to the page and is one of the main reasons for the high mark.
RATING: 
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