The Unmarked Witch

Product Information

I am going to start off this review with a little history...I found Miranda Lyn Last year and started with her Fae Rising Series. I love this series, in fact its one of my all time favorites to read. I was afraid this book wasn't going to be able to hold a candle to her other series.....LET ME BE CLEAR.....THIS BOOK.....The Unmarked Witch.......IS INCREDIBLE. One of the absolute best witch books I have ever read. I fell head over heels and can't wait for you all to read it! The Unmarked Witch is an exercise in wasted potential. When I started reading it, I was actually excited, as the premise looked a lot like The Hunger Games with witches as the main protagonists. However, as the plot (and I am using the term extremely loosely) progressed, this was definitely not the case. The relationship with our MC, Raven Moonstone, and our Dark King, Bastian Firepool, and how it developed was perfection. Who doesn't love a good enemies to lovers?! The lies, the deceit, the truth, their chemistry 🥵 It was so well done. I was dying to get to the scene where Bastian and Raven talked about his past, his family and why he is the way he is.... or isn't. This man. He is easily one of my favorite book boyfriends now. He is so charming, his banter is spot on, hates when she's hurt, he would literally burn the world down for our girl, ANNND HE WROTE HER (cute, funny, witty) LETTERS *fans self*

Historical records from April 1673 reveal Ann Armstrong of Edmundbyers was accused of hosting a witches meeting and during the trial confessed the names of the others who were in attendance. I love Marley and Atlas! Their banter, sparky comments, distrust, and vulnerability with each other makes you want nothing but happiness for them both.Grey is one of the king's men. He's basically everything. He's a guard, he's a messenger. He's funny, and later he becomes a friend to Raven and Kirsi.

Our story begins with our main character Raven, who is an unmarked witch. A witches power is dictated by the amount of marking up on her skin and Raven has none - yet still was gifted with power and is the only one of her kind. When her the head of her coven and also her grandmother is murdered a new coven leader must be selected. The process of naming a new coven leader is achieved through trials (think Hunger Games). Raven promised her grandmother she would enter the trials when the opportunity came about. She believes she will be able to lead her coven through changes and hopefully keep them protected from the evil king whose persecution, starvation and murder of her fellow witches is common knowledge. The trials are held at the palace under the watchful eye of the King and so Raven must leave her lands behind to free her people and become the leader her coven needs. However, once she is there she discovers additional layers and dark secrets that could threaten all she's even known to be true. All while being captivated by the mysterious "dark king" who may not be her true enemy. Because Kirsi would wake up and choose violence every single day if anyone so much as looked at her familiar.” However, she was never proven guilty of any such crimes and she eventually died at the very old age of 87. She unknowingly hunts down Atlas, now stripped of his shapeshifting powers and consumed by an unyielding resentment towards magic. Their fates intertwine, and Marley finds herself irresistibly drawn into the pits of Atlas' haunting past, challenging his deeply ingrained fear of commitment. Bound by magic, they must stay together as Atlas embarks on a perilous royal mission.One thing that I feel pretty well versed in when it comes to fantasy is magic. I have always loved books with any kind of magic and I have very strong opinions on what I think works and doesn't work within a given fantasy world. I thought Lyn crafted SUCH a unique system in this where witches can receive spells throughout their life and afterwards they are inked on their skin. More powerful witches are obviously then more marked and they can call upon any number of marks at any time.

ALL RAVEN WANTS IS PEACE. BUT IN A MAGICAL REALM PLAGUED BY DECEPTION, THE ONLY THING HER WORLD KNOWS IS TURMOIL. The controversy surrounding Lee's burial within the holy grounds of the church continued long after her death and the headstone above her burial plot was eventually brought inside from the churchyard, possibly because of fears her grave might be desecrated. The only lasting evidence that can still be seen to corroborate the old stories of witchcraft in the village is the gravestone of Elizabeth Lee, said to be the last of a long line of witches from this area who was buried In the grounds of St Edmund's church her death in1792.Dorothy Green and John and Ann Whitfield, of Edmundbyers, along with several others were accused of practising witchcraft, specifically the bewitching of cattle and horses and transformation. There was one plot point with Nik that set off the big finish that felt too easy and cut into my suspension of disbelief. That’s probably my harshest criticism of the plot soon after finishing it. It was during this time that Edmundbyers became infamous for its witches who were accused of practising the 'Devil's magic'. I have to wait until next year for the second book in this duology… Oh you mean downsides to the story itself? NONE! Final Thoughts: