So. Curious One. I am gravely disappointed! I have been searching for years for an amazing series of books centering around witches and I had so much hope that I had found it! I had so much hope that after only reading the little blurb and basis of the series, I downloaded the first three books and began to read immediately! However, what a crime I committed!
First off, they are only like 100 – ish – pages each and that’s SO short! Second, I made the assumption that since they were all over 21, it would be centered more towards older young adults, like 20-30-year old’s; I was wrong. Third, it felt like the author was struggling to give depth to her characters. There is such potential here, but man, I was completely let down!
Of course, I’m talking about the first book in the We Witches Three series, Isle of Bones – written by Humphrey Quinn.
After realizing how terribly short these books are, all three amounting to under 350 pages total, I debated reading them all and making one discussion about the series in general, but I just have so much to say, I didn’t want your curiosity to be annoyed by a discussion that was zipping all over the first three books. This way, if after you read this, you can decide whether you want to continue to read the other two “books” with me, or just read my highlights.
So, with that said, let’s begin, shall we?
No Shame with Novellas
I would first love to address the length. I believe wholeheartedly that if you want to call your book a book, it should at least be over 90,000 words. Now, I didn’t sit there and count each word in Isle of Bones, but it certainly did not feel like it should be considered the length of a book. It felt a lot more like I was reading the script for a 45-minute episode of a new T.V. series. Good, but come on. This series has like 14 books, I think! Why? It does not take that long to read a 110 page “book.” I get the feeling that these were all written as one long story and the author just cut them off at random intervals that made some sense to have a longer series. I just… come on… Make them a series of novellas and let your readers be aware that they are easy, quick reads. There is NO shame in having a shorter story. But don’t try to deceive your fans by making them think it’s gonna be this awesome series of books and have them end up no thicker than the width of your finger.
Of course, I am at fault I suppose for not reading further into the specs of the series and realizing that it was a series of three books totaling in under 350 pages. So, that’s on me, I guess. Just be aware that there is a difference between a short story, a novella, a book and a novel. Own it and rock it!
More to Be Desired?
Next up is my brain being unable to fully calculate a series centering around a family of three sibling witches that are all in their early to late 20’s but being written for 14-16-year-olds. You would like to think that the minds and actions of 14-year-olds are totally different from those in their 20’s and I’m struggling here. It feels like the author is writing for young kids about adult content and it just isn’t working. The writing style is so basic and easy, which is fine, if it made sense with the content. I just don’t have the ability I suppose to ignore that. I mean, adults having some of the reactions and thoughts and desires these characters are make sense, but the WAY they are reacting and thinking and desiring just doesn’t work for me. Especially since they have been independent from their parents for a handful of years now. After they went missing and were assumed dead, I mean. I am… just struggling here…
And that leads me into how the author is struggling to give her characters depth and connection. You seriously get the feeling like you are reading a 14-year-olds reasoning behind a 25-year-olds actions. I’m not sure if Quinn, the author, just didn’t know how to make a story resonate in the YA Paranormal genre or what, but it just leaves so much to be desired.
Know Your Audience
You have such a beautiful and intriguing story to tell, but it’s being lost in the translation of your mind to your characters. Take more time to figure out who the true audience is and write accordingly. Make them all a few years younger so the eldest is like 20 and the youngest 15. Homeschool maybe. Supernatural hunters and protectors. Something. Cause adults written for 14+ just isn’t working for this plotline for me. But I LOVE the premise of the entire series! I want more!
The three siblings all have certain abilities. A little bit like the Charmed show, but still very different. The eldest son, Charlie is an overall witch who is cursed by a werewolf bite, (we aren’t 100% certain it was a were, remember?) but he is displaying the urges and traits of a werewolf. The middle child, Michael, has a tough job. He’s an empath and death reader. At first, I wasn’t 100% certain what was meant by death reader, but it is pretty self-explanatory. He touches a body or bones and is able to read the final moments of their lives, aiding the sheriff with many of the bodies that come through their town.
The youngest and only girl is Melinda. She has visions of people before they die, usually centering around their deaths. I think she gets more or stronger visions when she is around people, which is partially why she hides away often (maybe??). Oh, and William, who is a vampire that has aided the Howard line of witches for decades in their job to protect all those who live on Demon Island.
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Introducing the Characters of Isle of Bones
You start off with the introductions in Isle of Bones. Charlie and Michael are causing discord in the family unit because Michael wants to leave and get away from the island, living a life he wants and chose, not the life he should live and is being thrust into. Their parents are also gone, missing, but presumed dead due to Melinda’s vision of them.
Melinda has been locking herself into the house, refusing to leave, because of a panic attack from the results of her visions and Charlie feels something different, darker and more sinister about this month’s “change” for his werewolf genes. Something is gonna go down! Michael leaves to assist the sheriff with a set of bones that just came in. Turns out, it’s a man who was shot, but he saw the shooter and it was their mother. This leads them on merry adventure to the cave where they know the last whereabout were of the sea hag who ate the man’s skin. So, Charlie and Michael leave to do that, figure all that out, and Melinda has a vision of Emily dying. Emily is Michael’s not girlfriend, girlfriend. They’ve been in love for years but never acted on it for various reasons.
Predictable, but Fun in Isle of Bones
Melinda and William (who she is having sexual dreams of) leave to help aid Emily and find out she is a spirit vessel. Which is to say that her body is built to be possessed by ghosts who she can help aid in the crossing over of their spirits. But there are evil spirits, which is why she wears a ring that her father gifted to her to protect her body from possession. Unknowingly. Like, she is not aware that she has the genes and capabilities to do that; interact with spirits or ghosts and help them cross over by willingly letting them possess her body to communicate with those they left behind, fulfilling their unfinished business.
Charlie and Michael go diving to the cave and run into a woman who is stuck in a rock with no air left in her oxygen tank. Charlie reveals himself as a were and witch in order to save her, but her shock and surprise are limited. She says it’s because of her father’s work, but I was clued into her hair a lot. It was mentioned a couple times how white it was, which made it predictable that she or her father were probably the wolf that bit him, giving him the were curse – the wolf was white. Eva also has a smell that isn’t constant which makes not Charlie the man, but Charlie the wolf react very aggressively and intimately. So. Yeah. A bit predictable that she is involved in some way and set up the meeting somehow knowing that they would be going to that cave. But still fun!
New Beginnings of Death
They kill the Sea Hag, take a sample of a rust colored mineral from the walls and head back to Melinda and William who called and need help with their Emily situation. They didn’t get any answers from the Sea Hag either. That’s important, I think.
Turns out, the spirit is their mother, trying to communicate with them. She possesses Emily and reveals the way she died and that their father might still be alive and pleads for them to search for him. She helps them all understand their individual struggles a bit more and hopes that they will lead good lives alongside the Howard name and responsibility that comes with protecting the island they live on.
Melinda walks Emily back home and runs into a strange man who entices her. There’s something more to him that I am sure will be revealed in the later books.
It ends with Michael and Emily realizing their love and acknowledging it together and they kiss and blah-blah-blah.
Oh! And you get a quick glimpse into Eva and her father, who of course are more than what she professed to Charlie and Michael and she ends it by stating that on the full moon tomorrow, Charlie will be hers. So… read into that what you will… Hahahah!!
Concluding Isle of Bones
Like I said, I have many issues with Isle of Bones and this series I imagine won’t improve too much, but I will still read the next two books and keep you updated.
All in all, I found Isle of Bones extremely predictable and hard to relate to the reactions and interaction of the characters, finding them flat and a bit dull with little to no depth, even though the backstories were there are ready to be explored. I would suggest this series to a younger crowd, someone who enjoys what I call “Candy Books” (easy to read with simple writing techniques) and those who don’t want to work their minds as they read, getting fed the answers to your questions before you have really formed the question. Hahah!
I enjoyed it, but I sadly probably won’t be reading further than the three first novels that I already have.
Keep exploring your curiosity, Curious One, it’s important to keep your mind sharp! I hope the day turns out to be splendid and welcoming. It’s almost the proper weather to curl up with a cup of hot cocoa!
Have a great one! For me…it’s time for another book…
Check out Humphrey Quinn at the following links:
Humphrey Quinn’s Website
Humphrey Quinn’s Facebook Page
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