Review of 'Omens Bite'

Something wicked this way comes...

Twin sisters, Mercy and Hunter are witches, direct descendants of the Goode family, the founders of their town. After the murder of their mother at the hands of a foul demon, they have become the protectors of the Gates to different underworlds--ancient portals between their world and realms where mythology rules and the darkest of creatures exist.

Grief has taken a terrible toll on the twins. Rather than bringing them together, their sadness has torn them apart, driving Mercy to attempt to save the crumbling Gates without her twin and Hunter into the arms of a dangerous goddess. While Mercy looks for aid from Khenti, Guardian of the Egyptian Underworld, Hunter begins to realize the goddess she’s allied with is more monster than deity. She needs her sister’s help, but Mercy is beyond her reach on an adventure that could cost them everything, including their world.

Review

Omens Bite continues the witchy exploits of Mercy and Hunter Goodeville, twin sisters separated by grief and anger.

Mercy…

Okay, if you read my review of Spells Trouble, then you already know I did not like Mercy at all. So when I picked up Omens Bite, I had been hoping for some character development on her part.

I think my hatred of her grew.

Mercy is oblivious to her sister’s pain. Her problem is that she does not listen to anyone and thinks she is right. She forced her sister to forsake her god on some old riddle, one she misinterpreted. And in doing so, she hurt her sister significantly.

But does she care? No. Not once does she seek to try to understand her sisters’ pain. Instead, she continues to brush it away. It would be easy for her to understand her sisters’ pain, to acknowledge that she was wrong and made a mistake! But no, she does not do that once.

Then, probably most annoying, is her usage of British colloquialisms like “bugger me.” Half the time, I want to smack her and tell her she’s not British. But, unfortunately, it only serves to make her more superficial as a character and, in some ways, highlight how self-involved she is.

Her voice and attitude create a superficial tone that makes reading her POV in the struggle annoying.

Hunter!

Hunter, on the other hand. She was amazing. This character is experiencing grief on multiple levels, and the reader becomes invested in her. It also helps that she is coming into her skin here.

In the previous novel, she had her own POV, but because of the narrative and structure of the story, she felt like more of a sidekick to Mercy. That was until the end of Spells Trouble when she invokes a powerful goddess and ends the life of the cyclops who terrorized their town.

Hunter tries to figure out who she is without her sister and mother. She is trying to navigate her world without the god she has always known, with a new goddess that sometimes frightens her.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I liked Omens Bite. It delves more into the Wiccan lifestyle with realistic and respectful detail. And while half the book, Mercy’s half, annoys me, I still enjoyed the whole story.

• Writing Quality : 8/10
• Character Development : 8/10
• "Couldn't Put It Down"-ness : 7/10
• Intellectual Depth: 6/10
• Originality: 8/10
• Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

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About the Author

Cynthia Bujnicki graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing. She has always loved to read since she was a child. A contributing writer for YA Fantasy Addicts, she is also the Editor-in-Chief for Cyn's Workshop. She lives in sunny South Florida with her husband, son and daughter and their two cats.