And more than once I got impatient with intel the audience finds out early on and was wanting to scream, REVEAL ALREADY. Many of the characters have secrets and agendas, and you’re eagerly awaiting them to show their hands. The mythos and the plot immediately sucked me in and I was dying to find out what happened next. Between the descriptions and the first person narrative, you could easily place yourself in Belle Dam and easily visualize the town and its inhabitants. It didn’t overburden you with filler and purple prose. Tracey’s description and prose is quite impressive.

Tracey also avoids making him stilted and obnoxious like a lot of writers do with their characters. While there’s angst aplenty, he has more than enough legtimiate reasons for said angst (which keeps him sympathetic) and Tracey does an excellent job not allowing said angst to pummel and warp Braden’s characterization and development. And even when he gets himself into trouble, this is still a character you can root for. He makes mistakes, he’s fallible, he’s human and sympathetic. THIS is how it’s done! I haven’t been this excited about a novel featuring a gay protagonist since Perry Moore’s Hero.īraden proves to be a strong protagonist. The gauntlet has been thrown, the bar has been raised, the standard has been set. However yours truly has peepuls and was able to procure an ARC (hat tip to E). I’ve been hearing a lot about this novel and I actually had it on pre-order. While his feelings for an enigmatic boy named Trey grow deeper, Braden realizes a terrible truth: Trey is Catherine Lansing’s son. To stop an ancient evil from destroying the town, Braden must master his gift, even through the shocking discovery that Jason is his father. Sworn rivals Catherine Lansing and Jason Thorpe will use anything-lies, manipulation, illusion, and even murder-to seize control of Braden’s powers. But this rare gift is also his biggest curse.Ĭompelled to learn about his shadowed past and the family he never knew, Braden is drawn to the city of Belle Dam, where he is soon caught between two feuding witch dynasties. A mere look causes a kaleidoscopic explosion of emotions, memories, darkness, and magic. A boy who can see the world’s secrets and unravel spells with just a glance.īraden’s witch eyes give him an enormous power.

Witch eyes by scott tracey