A Review for Family Magic (The Hayle Coven Novels #1) by Patti Larsen

Posted by Guest Reviewer Melanie 

Published Date: October 17th, 2011

Finished Date: December 29th, 2011

Source: For Review

Format: Kindle

Pages: Unknown

The Blurb from Goodreads: Sixteen-year-old Sydlynn Hayle is the daughter of a powerful witch and a demon lord of the seventh plane. The trouble is, she just wants to be ordinary. Syd struggles to survive the minefield of her new high school while being torn between her attraction to football hero Brad Peters and the darkly mysterious Quaid Moromond. When her coven comes under attack, Syd is forced to face the fact only her power can save her family’s magic.

The Review: 3.5 out of 5: Sydlynn Hayle is not your typical 16 year old – although she wishes she was. She just wants to fit in, make a few friends and have a normal life. But, Syd’s life is far from normal because her mother is the leader of the Hayle coven of witches and her father just happens to be a demon lord. Brimming with power, determined not to use it and having to take part in all these rituals, Syd is just biding her time until she is 18 and be done with it all . . . leaving the magic and the coven behind her. But, when the coven becomes a target from some unknown force and threatens them all she is forced to grow up & accept her place in the grand scheme of things or lose those most dearest to her. The thing is, Syd doesn’t have a clue what’s going on or how to use her magic. . . . . no pressure there then ! and to top it all off her school life isn’t exactly a bunch of roses, will it never end ?

I like a good witch book and this was rather good. With it being the first in a series we have all the getting to know you bits and learn all about the super naturals that are in Syd’s life. There are more than just witches – we get a Demon father, a vampire uncle and some type of cursed demon cat – quite a varied bunch really as we’re introduced to the ‘family’. Syd is likeable as she struggles to fit into her human life at school & being bullied for not quite fitting in. She is also struggling at home as she fights against her very nature and what is expected of her from not only her parents but the coven/family as a whole, leading her to reject everything, she wants nothing to do with her powers, their ways . . . . nothing, She is the poster child for teen angst! So, it’s nice that as the book progresses we get to see a more positive, determined, mature Syd emerge, bringing a whole different view of her from the whiny teenager she had been for most of the book, which was starting to wear a bit thin. I loved her little sister, she was so sweet and looked up to Syd so much and Syd didn’t even know how much influence she had over her or how much her words/actions impacted her too. I am also very curious about the connections between Syd and a couple of hotties and I feel the need to mention her Grandma who can only be tamed with chocolate or Tequila, a woman after my own heart (well the chocolate bit).

The plot was good and although it wasn’t hard to figure out who was behind the threat, the path to the discovery was an intriguing journey and I was always wondering if I was correct in my assumptions and that made me question everyone, Which is a good thing. The pace was maintained throughout the book and all of the ‘family’ problems were interspersed with problems at school so that the drama was never ending and making Syd’s life a real hell as she tried to maintain a balance. It was a slightly different take on witches from what I’m used to, the size of the coven for instance, the way they connect and what they get from and do with the power of each member even the communing with demons and their dimensions. These things give the plot some good directions to go in and I would like to see Syd cross the gate to her Father’s realm at some point.  I enjoyed the book, it kept me entertained and it shows real promise as a series and with the conclusion of this book it sets up another threat to the Hayle coven guaranteeing more action to come. I am interested in finding out what’s around the corner for Syd and her ‘family’, she still has a lot to learn and figure out about herself and what she is really going to do with her powers and after the ending I’m also curious to see if the dynamics of the coven have changed. I’ll definitely be looking out for the sequel.