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Hazel & Holly by Sara C. Snider

Nestled within an enchanted forest is the Grove, a community where witches and warlocks practice elemental magic, brew mystical potions, and lock their cellars against beer thieving gnomes. Life is quiet and uneventful. Well, except when Hazel’s long-lost father uses necromancy to trap her dead mother’s soul.

That simply won’t do. Necromancy is forbidden in the Grove, and for good reason too. Nobody wants filthy corpses shambling around, mussing up one’s garden. Hazel is determined to find her father and undo his treachery.

But despite Hazel’s plans of becoming a one-woman army, she can’t do everything alone. It’s not until wild sister Holly convinces her to leave the house for once and go to a party that Hazel finds a pair of unlikely allies in two bickering warlock brothers.

Together, the four of them go on a journey that takes them out of the Grove and into a world where necromancy reigns and the dead won’t respectfully stay in the grave. Hazel will do whatever it takes to stop her father and save her mother’s soul. Even if it means turning to necromancy. Even if it means losing her friends. Because they would never help a necromancer. Would they?

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About the Author

Sara C. Snider was born and raised in northern California, but now lives in Sweden with her partner and two beastly cats. She has a bachelor’s degree in Archives and Information Science that is currently sitting on a shelf, collecting dust, as she pursues her literary dreams.

When not reading or writing, Sara enjoys wandering in the woods, playing computer games, and eating dumplings as often as possible. She loves all things faerie, and has grown to accept she will always be covered in cat hair.

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My Review

3 Stars

Hazel and Holly are sister witches that live in the Grove with their mother Willow. But then Willow gets sick and dies and the girls find that her father has trapped her soul. With the different kinds of magic in the Grove, necromancy is not acceptable and that is what the girl’s father has used to trap Willow’s soul. But Hazel is desperate to free her mother’s soul and goes on a quest with Holly, two wizards, and a cellar gnome.

The first think I have noticed is that the pacing of the book is off. I loved the beginning but then something happened and I didn’t know what. I come to learn that this was a story that was released over a period of time on a blog. With that in mind the story started to make more sense as I followed the little group.

From there you have Hazel, the older sister, who has essentially raised Holly and been a mother to Willow. She is focused on her own thing and finds herself drawn to necromancy. But she is torn since necromancy is supposed to be bad. This is more Hazel’s quest since Holly has her magic and her own thing going but she does follow along and warm to the quest.

This is a tough book to rate for me. I really though the sisters were younger because of their actions, more of a midgrade reader or young adult, not new adult. There are times in the story that the plot circles and circles itself. There is no growth and did get frustrating. Also the ending had a big twist but by then I just wanted to me done.

This is one of those books that I say check out. It might be something that you love but for me it just wasn’t a fit, which is sad because I just loved the premise.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review

I would like to thank Smith Publicity for the opportunity to read and share this book.