It’s October, and let’s celebrate Halloween with a book about Wiccans and battles against the forces of evil. If you remember my first review on Reader’s Boulevard, I praised Evan Michael Martin for his ‘Sorceress Rising’ novel, and that I wanted to get my hands on the sequel. I ended up getting my wish with ‘Sorceress Revealed’, and even some new surprises regarding the Clio Boru series.

Set two years after the events of the first book, local Wiccan and shopkeeper Clio Boru, her two Irish wolfhounds, and her boyfriend John Slocum of the Lake Melts Police Department are living solemnly in the idyllic small town of Lake Melts, Wisconsin. Trying to put the horrific events involving the werewolf behind them, their hopes are shattered when Roger Marquette returns to Lake Melts with some disturbing news. According to their friend, a new teacher at the high school named Gene Van Der Hochster has evil intentions and is forming a secret coven of devil worshipers for his own perverted purposes.

Sacrifices are made, graves are robbed, and fairies so begin appearing to our main character warning of a darkness coming. To make things worse, one of his acolytes, a deeply disturbed teen girl named Rachel, is revealed to have formed a bond with an evil entity that plans to use her body to start the apocalypse. Once again, Clio and her friends must band together against this ancient demon and stop Rachel for the fate of humankind.

I notice more and more how much Evan Michael Martin cares for his descriptions and factual information regarding his books. I’m not a Wiccan expert when it comes to what is said here, but it is really legit and respectful to everyone who reads this book. I especially love how like the last book, ‘Sorceress Revealed’ teaches us about the Wiccan culture and its virtues.

The character we know and love (save for a few who didn’t make it in the last book) are all back. Clio is our kindhearted yet strong lead again, John is the skeptical yet open-minded love interest, and Roger has a more prominent role as a paranormal researcher. He even start a good friendship with John. The relationship between him and Clio is also expanded upon, and isn’t obnoxiously clichéd to have them try and just be friends like other book series do.

We also have our villains, Gene and Rachel. The older man is intimidating enough as a pervert who worships mainly to molest the members of his coven(s), but Rachel is the more sadistic and psychotic member of the group. She grew up all her life ridiculed by her school, and sees her new hobby as a way to get revenge on those who’ve wronged her. I love how Rachel’s basically a whiny, teenage brat with a troubled mind, but has the power of this ancient evil at her fingertips. She doesn’t care about her friends or following the rules of her High Priest, only that she has power.

Remember how I compared the previous book to the feel and style of a Stephen King book? Well, ‘Sorceress Revealed’ is that too, added with the works of H.P. Lovecraft from the ‘Old Ones’ to weird instances of mysterious creatures. Almost every incantation and legend and location in its mythos feels otherworldly, almost grand in scale compared to that of ordinary life.

Are there any problems? Kind of, but they’re more nitpicky and not worth hating. I kind of disliked how the characters remark how their situation is sort of like a bad movie. Granted it’s a comedic thing, but I personally see it more as an obnoxious wink to the camera. Also, I find it weird how we didn’t see more of the woman whose dog got bit by the werewolf, and may be becoming one. I was expecting it to play a larger role in the plot, but it’s only talked about for a couple chapters.

Like I said though, that is a huge stretch of complaining. Overall, I found ‘Sorceress Revealed’ to be a good sequel compared to the first book. It has characters were are familiar with and love, a couple of villains that may be seen again in the next book, and a sense of surrealism that pulls you into its pages like a portal to another realm.

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If you have any questions or already have an opinion on the novel, feel free to leave any comments. Thanks!