30 October 2007

The Sun Witch by Linda Winstead Jones

A curse put on their family long ago makes true love unattainable for the Fyne women. Sophie’s two elder sisters, both skilled witches, have accepted this and have vowed a lifetime of chastity. But young Sophie has yet to find her own power. With more luscious curves then her sisters, Sophie wonders if the fire coursing through her body might be an indication of her true strength. She dreams of a green-eyed stranger and when she finally does meet the man of her dreams, she knows her power: Nature has gifted her with fertility.

Although groggy from war wounds, Kane could have sworn that an angel came to him, healed him and made love to him. Now, after a year of searching for the girl who may or may not have been a dream, Kane is stunned to find Sophie – with his child at her breast. But when a scorned suitor captures their infant daughter, they must call on all their strength, both earthly and supernatural to fight the curse that promises to end their happiness.


My Thoughts

In Columbyana, on the mountain of Orianan live the three Fyne sisters – witches cursed by a wizard who was rejected by one of their ancestors. Like the Fyne women before them any man they love will die a tragic death by the age of 30. While the two eldest sisters, Isadora and Juliet are content to live a solitary life without love, Sophie, the youngest sister yearns for more. She desires to know love, the act of love and wishes for a baby. She dreams of a green-eyed stranger and then one day he appears. She invites him to be her lover and before she leaves his sleeping body she lays her hands on him, wishing him healed and wishing him luck – not knowing what untapped powers she possessed.

Kane Varden is a broken man. As a soldier in the rebel army he witnesses the death of his brother during an ambush and is left for dead. He thought he was destined to die when he saw an angel appear before him, soothing him, loving him. When he awakes, he moves on thinking only that he has dreamed. As the months go by, his luck changes and he does well but he can never forget his “angel” even though he forgets his tormented past. He returns to the pool on the mountain only to see his “angel” nursing a child – his child who is named Adriana. He proposes marriage but Sophie declines, telling him of the curse. Isadora, the eldest sisters, lifts the spell that Sophie accidentally put on Kane and he once again remembers everything.

At this point, a rejected suitor of Sophie kidnaps Adriana and flees to the city, hoping to persuade the Emperor and Sophie’s father to pressure her into marriage with him. Sophie and Kane join forces and travel to the city in pursuit. As their journey continues, feelings blossom and Sophie is unsure that she is unable to refrain from loving Kane.

This book kicked ass. Sorry to be so crude but I can’t help myself. I adore everything about this book: good vs. evil, humour, romance, passion and intrigue. It was wonderful seeing Sophie grow from an innocent, naïve girl to a strong, passionate woman coming into her magical powers. The first part of the book is a somewhat slow but speeds up about a quarter of the way in.


The book is filled with delightful secondary characters and villains, the other Fyne sisters, and the evil Emperor. The subplot is the secondary romance between Emperor Sebastyen and his concubine, Liane. It is woven seamlessly into the story and although dark and sometimes disturbing, their story almost outdoes Sophie and Kane. Although they are the villains, you can’t help but love them just a little bit.

If you are looking for a fun and entertaining fantasy romance, I strongly recommend The Sun Witch. However, this is the first book in a series so in order to get the conclusion (what happens with the curse) you have to read all three.

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