Review: Spells Trouble (Sisters of Salem #1)

Title: Spells Trouble (Sisters of Salem #1)
Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 25, 2021
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Double double, twins spell trouble…

Hunter and Mercy Goode are twin witches, direct descendants of the founder of their town of Goodeville. As their ancestors have done before them, it is now time for the twins to learn what it means to be Gatekeepers–the protectors of the Gates to different underworlds, ancient portals between their world and realms where mythology rules and nightmares come to life.

When their mother becomes the first victim in a string of murders, the devastated sisters vow to avenge her death. But it will take more than magic to rein in the ancient mythological monsters who’ve infected their peaceful town.

Now Hunter and Mercy must come together and accept their destiny or risk being separated for good.

Review:

Hunter and Mercy Goode are twin teenage witches in their town of Goodeville, which was founded by their ancestor. The girls are gatekeepers to the portals of the underworlds of ancient and mythological lands. However, when their mother’s death begins a string of murders in their town, the sister witches must do something to stop the demon who is threatening their town. Mercy and Hunter must accept their legacy as protectors of Goodeville or risk ruining it forever. 

I went into this book blind and I was completely surprised by what it was about. I didn’t expect the mythological aspects. There were creatures and gods from Greek, Norse, and Egyptian mythology mentioned. It was an unusual blend of the modern world with these ancient stories. 

There was an awkward subplot about Mercy’s terrible boyfriend. It involved a “slut-shaming” incident which didn’t really add to the story. That part felt out of place and could have been replaced with something that wasn’t so controversial since it didn’t move the plot forward. 

My favourite part of this story was Xena, the Goode family’s cat. She surprised them by transforming into a person after their mother died. Even though she became a human, she still had cat behaviours and called everyone “kitten.” She was adorable and funny. 

Spells Trouble is an original modern witch story. 

Thank you Wednesday Books for providing a copy of this book.

What to read next:

Omens Bite by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather

Other books in the series:

  • Omens Bite

Have you read Spells Trouble? What did you think of it?

Author: jilljemmett

Jill lives in Toronto, Canada. She has studied English, Creative Writing, and Publishing. Jill is the creator and content producer of Jill’s Book Blog, where she has published a blog post every day for the last four years, including 5-7 book reviews a week. She can usually be found with her nose in a book.

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