Enchantment (Channie, #1)
By: Charlotte Abel
*Welcome to my tour stop of the Enchantment Tour - below you will find my review of Enchantment, and an author interview with the writer herself, Charlotte Abel!! An amazing paranormal fantasy read that will leave you hooked!!*
*Presented by: SupaGurl Tours!!*
Enchantment
(Channie, #1)
By: Charlotte Abel
Release Date: June 23rd, 2011
Genre(s): YA Paranormal/Fantasy
My Review (4/5 stars*)
Enchantment is as the title explains - enchanting; I know for a fact
because it casted a spell over me. Awhile back Amazon made Enchantment a
nifty suggestion on my page and I gave the synopsis a once over nodded
my head then proceded to add the book to my Kindle. For weeks it sat
idly by while I perused other books, and when I finally decided to read
it I did a mental hand slap to the face. Why? Because Enchantment was
soo dang good! However I will say that the writing style written in
backwoods country slang was a little hard to get used to AT FIRST. Then I
eventually read on and the story just bewildered me in the best of
ways. Upon finishing this book I sat for awhile thinking about the plot
and how everything was creatively carried out. This book was nothing
like I have ever read before: it's different, fun, and entertaining.
Channie Kerns is a witch. She was born that way and lived in ignorant bliss for sixteen years. Secluded far from the real world with her family in the deep woods of the Ozark Mountains. Then one night her father tells her that they have to flee there home and start over in Louisville, Colorado. Uncomprehending what this means she enrolls in school. Her parents are overly strict and for good reason. Channie's real name is Enchantment and at birth if you are with magic your name holds power so the naming ceremony of a child is vital. Because of Channie's name she has the ability to enchant people more specifically boys... making her an absolute temptation. For fear that a boy will take Channie's "virtue" her parents rename her using dark magic. Renaming anyone is a curse and that's what they do to "save" her from magic-less boys who her parents believe are inferior to them and there ways. Ripped from everything she's ever been and cast into a new life with a new power-name things are looking terrible.. until she meets a boy who can possibly change her fate... even without enchanting him.
First off wow the whole idea of each magical individual receiving there type of powers through being named is awesome! For example if your name is Melody you may be gifted with a great singing voice or the ability to create any type of sound. Now that was a random example I made up but the point remains the idea is genius! The plot is so unique and fresh from most witch/magic books. It's every readers worst fear to read a story soo terribly similar to another that it takes away the element of surprise and from your reading experience. Enchantment creates a new concept and runs with it, and it's quite good. I should mention that although YA there is some sexual content and even more so in its sequel Taken so the age group should probably be at least 16+.
In the beginning of reading Enchantment I thought Channie was snobbish and dull. I read further into the story and like an onion another layer formed that painted her as more interesting, brave, and endearing. By this point I was racing through the pages like a mad woman trying to find out what would happen next. It just kept getting better and the story just keeps taking unexpected turns. Even the secondary characters had some secrets worth unveiling. & Some parts scattered throughout Enchantment are really funny there is some excellent humorous moments and I loved every second! Right away I reached for my Kindle and ordered the second book Taken. If you follow through with this book unbiased by the first couple chapters or even farther in erase your uncertainty and finish it through to the end. Like me you may just find this book a really great read.
This review was written after I read Taken: Enchantment's sequel (which I will spare the details but it gets even better). 2 months after reading this series I am still thinking about these books; they are so clever and take a diverse approach from typical YA Fantasy/Paranormal reads.
Channie Kerns is a witch. She was born that way and lived in ignorant bliss for sixteen years. Secluded far from the real world with her family in the deep woods of the Ozark Mountains. Then one night her father tells her that they have to flee there home and start over in Louisville, Colorado. Uncomprehending what this means she enrolls in school. Her parents are overly strict and for good reason. Channie's real name is Enchantment and at birth if you are with magic your name holds power so the naming ceremony of a child is vital. Because of Channie's name she has the ability to enchant people more specifically boys... making her an absolute temptation. For fear that a boy will take Channie's "virtue" her parents rename her using dark magic. Renaming anyone is a curse and that's what they do to "save" her from magic-less boys who her parents believe are inferior to them and there ways. Ripped from everything she's ever been and cast into a new life with a new power-name things are looking terrible.. until she meets a boy who can possibly change her fate... even without enchanting him.
First off wow the whole idea of each magical individual receiving there type of powers through being named is awesome! For example if your name is Melody you may be gifted with a great singing voice or the ability to create any type of sound. Now that was a random example I made up but the point remains the idea is genius! The plot is so unique and fresh from most witch/magic books. It's every readers worst fear to read a story soo terribly similar to another that it takes away the element of surprise and from your reading experience. Enchantment creates a new concept and runs with it, and it's quite good. I should mention that although YA there is some sexual content and even more so in its sequel Taken so the age group should probably be at least 16+.
In the beginning of reading Enchantment I thought Channie was snobbish and dull. I read further into the story and like an onion another layer formed that painted her as more interesting, brave, and endearing. By this point I was racing through the pages like a mad woman trying to find out what would happen next. It just kept getting better and the story just keeps taking unexpected turns. Even the secondary characters had some secrets worth unveiling. & Some parts scattered throughout Enchantment are really funny there is some excellent humorous moments and I loved every second! Right away I reached for my Kindle and ordered the second book Taken. If you follow through with this book unbiased by the first couple chapters or even farther in erase your uncertainty and finish it through to the end. Like me you may just find this book a really great read.
This review was written after I read Taken: Enchantment's sequel (which I will spare the details but it gets even better). 2 months after reading this series I am still thinking about these books; they are so clever and take a diverse approach from typical YA Fantasy/Paranormal reads.
Synopsis:
Sixteen year old Channie
Kerns leads an idyllic life of seclusion and magic deep in the Ozark
Mountains ... until her family is forced to flee for their lives.
They leave everything and everyone behind to start over in Louisville, Colorado. Magic is forbidden while they are in hiding, but Channie can't resist the temptation to enchant a group of local boys. When her overbearing parents catch her flirting with these "sex-crazed, non-magical delinquents," they slap a chastity spell on her to protect her virtue.
The spell is triggered by lust, so just navigating the halls at her new school is an ordeal. She can't even touch a boy she's attracted to without blasting him with a jolt of magical energy that feels like a taser.
When Channie falls in love with Josh Abrim, a BMX racer with dangerous secrets of his own, she rebels against her parents and turns to dark and forbidden magic to break the chastity spell ... with disastrous results.
They leave everything and everyone behind to start over in Louisville, Colorado. Magic is forbidden while they are in hiding, but Channie can't resist the temptation to enchant a group of local boys. When her overbearing parents catch her flirting with these "sex-crazed, non-magical delinquents," they slap a chastity spell on her to protect her virtue.
The spell is triggered by lust, so just navigating the halls at her new school is an ordeal. She can't even touch a boy she's attracted to without blasting him with a jolt of magical energy that feels like a taser.
When Channie falls in love with Josh Abrim, a BMX racer with dangerous secrets of his own, she rebels against her parents and turns to dark and forbidden magic to break the chastity spell ... with disastrous results.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
~ Author Interview ~
Charlotte Abel
What inspired you to write Enchantment and the Channie series?
Enchantment started out as a short story I
wrote during an Orson Scott Card writers' workshop. He loved the story and told
me to turn it into a full length novel. So, I did ;-)
Are you working on any other books at the
moment? How about future works?
I'm working on "Finding Valor" the
third and final book of The Channie Series. "River's Remorse" and
"River's Revenge" are next. I have another series planned after that,
but I'm not ready to share details just yet.
What power-name would you want, and why?
Creativity or Imagination. But I'd have
people call me "Tivi"or "Emma." Writing is such a big part
of my life and without creativity or an active imagination, it wouldn't be possible
to continue, day after day, year after year.
If you had to choose your favorite books of
all time what would they be?
That's like asking me which of my children I
love the best. It's even harder with books because there are so many that I
absolutely cannot live without! But I will say that I'm in love with all
the series written by: Amy Bartol, Shelly Crane, Shannon Dermott, Chelsea Fine,
Abbi Glines Michelle Leighton, Quinn Loftis, Nancy Straight and Tammara
Webber. And that's just the tip of the iceberg!
What books would you just love to see made
into movies?
All of the above. Plus my own ;-)
Who would you cast for actors if your own
books made it to the big screen?
I'm going to steal from the amazing Nancy
Straight and say I'd prefer to have previously unknown, but talented, actors
cast as my characters. But for slightly different, and less altruistic,
reasons. If the film is a hit, then those actors become iconic to that movie.
There are no preconceived ideas about "who they are." It took me half
the movie to quit thinking of Rob Pattinson as "Edward" while
watching "Water for Elephants."
Best writing advice you ever received?
Don't worry about writing what you know.
Write what you LOVE! Write the books you want to read.
Is there any other genres you'd love to write
for?
I'd like to try New Adult Contemporary
Romance. Which is pretty much what I'm doing since the paranormal aspect of my
stories is secondary to the relationships and emotional journeys of my
characters.
Did you ever imagine when you were younger
becoming a writer or did you have a different career choice in mind?
I wanted to be a writer in high school after
my short stories and poems were published in an anthology.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I enjoy primitive archery and made my own bow
(with a lot of help from my brother, an accomplished bowyer). I used to be a
glass artist, but got tired of getting burned. I can spin, weave, knit and
crochet. But I'm a horrible cook!
Hi Sierra, I just nominated you for the Liebster Blog Award. Here's the link to my post if you're interested, http://robgirlbooks.blogspot.com/2013/01/liebster-award-nomination.html
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome, thank you!!!
Delete