Captivated: A Reverse Harem Witches and Vampires Royal Covens Novel by J.R. ThornMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I would give this book more of a 3.5 star rating.
A solid start to an interesting new series
I had seen this book on Amazon a few times but avoided it because someone had given it a very low rating and that rating was the only one. However, someone on one of my Facebook groups recommended the series, explaining that the first book wasn’t brilliant but the series improved with each book. As the blurb had always intrigued me I decided to give it a go.
I’m pleased I did. The book was a solid start to a new series. It’s not perfect by any means, hence the star rating, but I can see the potential for much more.
The book revolves around Evelyn a mortal born witch who has been raised by a coven after the death of her parents when she was very young. Her coven wasn’t the most welcoming of places to a mortal born witch, but they did look after her when she was alone, and for that she is grateful.
Close to coming of age and undergoing initiation into the Royal Covens, of which her coven is one, things are going to start to change for Evelyn. She is worried that if she attracts too much attention she will be in danger because not everyone approves of her getting a chance to be accepted into the coven and gaining access to the magic she is only able to borrow as a mortal.
When an incident forces her into a vision, she latches on to the four Warlock Vampires she sees in that vision and their magic. Using the magic to anchor and protect herself she releases the Warlock Vampires from their own trapped state, not realising their fate is tied together.
I really liked the writing style, which was fluid and relaxed. Evelyn is an interesting character and has been through a lot. Her life in the coven hasn’t been easy, but she has done her best and been supported by Cassidy, her best friend and a servant/slave in the coven, and Sparkle her familiar. She doesn’t think like the born witches, which makes her unusual in her world and more accessible to the reader.
Evelyn’s relationships with the four Warlock Vampires is interesting and each relationship is different from the others. It’s not just the characters that are different it’s the way they relate to Evelyn and the way she reacts to them that differs. I like that it’s not all smooth sailing as she learns about each one.
Though the premise for the story is great the plot isn’t fully realised for the reader. The author makes quite a few big leaps that aren’t fully explained to the reader as the story moves along. They are explained later in the book but not especially clearly. The jumps just feel like the author forgot that the reader didn’t know the whole plot, as there are no hints about what is going on, there is just a great big hole.
It’s a shame that the structure of the book isn’t more fleshed out because there is great promise in the book. The characters are great, the writing style is good, and the story line is interesting, it’s just annoying that the reader is confused, and not in a good way, through some significant chunks in the book. However, if you can cope with being confused for around 15% of the book, you will enjoy it!
I will be reading the rest of the series because if the series gets better, as I’ve been lead to believe, it will be a good fun read.
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