Review of Hummingbird Moonrise
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ken4512
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- Latest Review: Hummingbird Moonrise by Sherri L Dodd
Review of Hummingbird Moonrise
[Following is a volunteer review of "Hummingbird Moonrise" by Sherri L Dodd.]
Sherri L. Dodd’s novel, Hummingbird Moonrise, is a contemporary paranormal mystery, a gripping tale of witchcraft and crime. The novel is the third book in the Murder, Tea & Crystals Trilogy.
Arista Kelly is a young, gifted witch. She lives in her inherited cottage built by her great-great-grandfather, Barry, among the redwood trees in Boluder Creek, California. The last two years have been full of trauma and horror, and she is still grieving the loss of her parents. Her great-aunt Bethie, also a witch, lives next door and cares deeply for Arista, giving her the love and comfort she needs. Arista’s ex-boyfriend, Shane, also reaches out to her.
Arista’s great-great-grandfather, Barry Kelly, was Irish-American and lived in Boulder Creek with his family. Tragedy struck the family in the 1940s when Barry and the generations to come were cursed with loss of life in every generation. When Aunt Bethie’s friend Iris disappears, Arista and Bethie discover more about the generational curse. The story turns and twists, and the suspense is intense. Arista is afraid for her life.
I enjoyed Sherri Dodd’s immersive and suspenseful paranormal mystery, Hummingbird Moonrise, very much because, from my perspective, it is a character-driven story. I loved how the world of witches emerges through its characters. For me, the story’s close attention to detail brought the characters and the story vividly to life. I liked the in-depth character development as the key characters get to tell their stories in individual chapters. The prologue is a great introduction to the origins of the generational curse in the 1940s.
Arista is the central character. I liked how her character development is intertwined into the development of the story and connected to other key characters. I liked how her personal journey unfolds, as she comes out of her grief and sorrow, and rekindles her love for her ex-boyfriend Shane. At the same time, she builds her courage and innate abilities as a witch as she faces perilous challenges.
One particular aspect I liked about this novel is the strong family bonds. Aunt Bethie’s character plays a key role in the loving care she provides to Arista. She also teaches the young witch the family’s heritage of magickal skills. Arista learns from Bethie witchy spells and enchantments to protect herself. She learns of the family’s history, and Bethie emphasizes the family motto to harm no one. Together, Bethie and Arista discover the painful and intricate details of the generational curse that has plagued the Kelly family since the 1940s.
I loved Sherri Dodd’s fantastically and richly imagined world of witches. The lives of different witches sprang to life through the well-crafted narrative of family lineages of witches and the intense drama of their conflicts.
The descriptions are atmospheric and evocative, particularly of haunted houses, ghostly, and witchy presences. I could imagine vividly a character’s deepening fear as the air chills, the door and the windows rattle, the wind moans, the ceiling creaks, something is on the stairs, and then deathly silence; the foul odor of the dead; and an apparition! Aaagh!
I liked the well-crafted dialogues that enriched the novel in a rather unique way. For example, Arista’s great-great-grandfather, Barry Kelly, is Irish-American, and his Irish accent and language are expressed through the well-crafted dialogue. The archaic spellings of words, e.g., magick, evoke a witchy and paranormal atmosphere.
I have to admit that I found references to past characters and events from the two previous books in the trilogy somewhat confusing. However, this did not detract from my enjoyment of the story in the third book. I was glad the author introduced the origins of the generational curse in the prologue. This helped with following the subsequent story.
The novel is professionally edited, and I found no typos or grammar errors. I found nothing to dislike in the story, and enjoyed the skillful blending of the witchy world and the human world.
I am rating Sherri Dodd’s paranormal mystery, Hummingbird Moonrise, 5 out of 5 stars because of its complex characters and how the choice between good vs. evil is worked into the overall story. I loved the story’s richly imagined world of different witches, their family lineages, and witchy heritage. I enjoyed the intertwining of a realistic mystery with the supernatural. The story is enriched by close attention to details like different accents, and the story’s title, Hummingbird Moonrise, is itself connected to significant events in the story.
The profanity and violence in the novel make it inappropriate for younger or sensitive readers, and the novel is best suited to the general adult reading audience.
I highly recommend Sherri Dodd's paranormal mystery novel, Hummingbird Moonrise, to mature readers who enjoy paranormal stories, mysteries, crime stories involving witches, and stories about Irish and Celtic myths.
******
Hummingbird Moonrise
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Sherri L. Dodd’s novel, Hummingbird Moonrise, is a contemporary paranormal mystery, a gripping tale of witchcraft and crime. The novel is the third book in the Murder, Tea & Crystals Trilogy.
Arista Kelly is a young, gifted witch. She lives in her inherited cottage built by her great-great-grandfather, Barry, among the redwood trees in Boluder Creek, California. The last two years have been full of trauma and horror, and she is still grieving the loss of her parents. Her great-aunt Bethie, also a witch, lives next door and cares deeply for Arista, giving her the love and comfort she needs. Arista’s ex-boyfriend, Shane, also reaches out to her.
Arista’s great-great-grandfather, Barry Kelly, was Irish-American and lived in Boulder Creek with his family. Tragedy struck the family in the 1940s when Barry and the generations to come were cursed with loss of life in every generation. When Aunt Bethie’s friend Iris disappears, Arista and Bethie discover more about the generational curse. The story turns and twists, and the suspense is intense. Arista is afraid for her life.
I enjoyed Sherri Dodd’s immersive and suspenseful paranormal mystery, Hummingbird Moonrise, very much because, from my perspective, it is a character-driven story. I loved how the world of witches emerges through its characters. For me, the story’s close attention to detail brought the characters and the story vividly to life. I liked the in-depth character development as the key characters get to tell their stories in individual chapters. The prologue is a great introduction to the origins of the generational curse in the 1940s.
Arista is the central character. I liked how her character development is intertwined into the development of the story and connected to other key characters. I liked how her personal journey unfolds, as she comes out of her grief and sorrow, and rekindles her love for her ex-boyfriend Shane. At the same time, she builds her courage and innate abilities as a witch as she faces perilous challenges.
One particular aspect I liked about this novel is the strong family bonds. Aunt Bethie’s character plays a key role in the loving care she provides to Arista. She also teaches the young witch the family’s heritage of magickal skills. Arista learns from Bethie witchy spells and enchantments to protect herself. She learns of the family’s history, and Bethie emphasizes the family motto to harm no one. Together, Bethie and Arista discover the painful and intricate details of the generational curse that has plagued the Kelly family since the 1940s.
I loved Sherri Dodd’s fantastically and richly imagined world of witches. The lives of different witches sprang to life through the well-crafted narrative of family lineages of witches and the intense drama of their conflicts.
The descriptions are atmospheric and evocative, particularly of haunted houses, ghostly, and witchy presences. I could imagine vividly a character’s deepening fear as the air chills, the door and the windows rattle, the wind moans, the ceiling creaks, something is on the stairs, and then deathly silence; the foul odor of the dead; and an apparition! Aaagh!
I liked the well-crafted dialogues that enriched the novel in a rather unique way. For example, Arista’s great-great-grandfather, Barry Kelly, is Irish-American, and his Irish accent and language are expressed through the well-crafted dialogue. The archaic spellings of words, e.g., magick, evoke a witchy and paranormal atmosphere.
I have to admit that I found references to past characters and events from the two previous books in the trilogy somewhat confusing. However, this did not detract from my enjoyment of the story in the third book. I was glad the author introduced the origins of the generational curse in the prologue. This helped with following the subsequent story.
The novel is professionally edited, and I found no typos or grammar errors. I found nothing to dislike in the story, and enjoyed the skillful blending of the witchy world and the human world.
I am rating Sherri Dodd’s paranormal mystery, Hummingbird Moonrise, 5 out of 5 stars because of its complex characters and how the choice between good vs. evil is worked into the overall story. I loved the story’s richly imagined world of different witches, their family lineages, and witchy heritage. I enjoyed the intertwining of a realistic mystery with the supernatural. The story is enriched by close attention to details like different accents, and the story’s title, Hummingbird Moonrise, is itself connected to significant events in the story.
The profanity and violence in the novel make it inappropriate for younger or sensitive readers, and the novel is best suited to the general adult reading audience.
I highly recommend Sherri Dodd's paranormal mystery novel, Hummingbird Moonrise, to mature readers who enjoy paranormal stories, mysteries, crime stories involving witches, and stories about Irish and Celtic myths.
******
Hummingbird Moonrise
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Hummingbird Moonrise by Sherri L Dodd
