"Dark Witch" by Nora Roberts

Nora Roberts kicks off a new trilogy of family, love and magic set in Ireland.  

Summary:  Long ago in the lush country side of County Mayo, there lived a witch named Sorcha.  The Dark Witch was powerful, though she used her power sparingly and only for good.  While Sorcha was loved by her family and accepted in her community, there was one who wanted her power, and her body, for his own.  Sorcha's match of will and power with the Sorcerer Cabhan sets into motion a fight of good versus evil that plays out for centuries.  Will Sorcha's ancestors be able to stop Cabhan once and for all?

What I Liked:

• This first installment of the Cousin's O'Dwyer trilogy introduces us to Iona, an American who has quit her job, sold her belongings, and moved to Ireland in the hope of restarting her life off in a way that lets her feel like she is truly living.  I will come right out and say that I love this concept.  Nothing is more exciting than the idea of sticking it to the man and starting life over with a blank slate.
• The settings the author uses and paints are amazing.  An stone castle?  Ancient ruins?  A small cottage in the woods?  Sign me up, I'm going there now.

What Drove Me Nuts:

• I hate to say it, but Iona.  While the author tried to paint her as bubbly, happy and energetic, she came off a little flighty and irritating.  Maybe I just have a problem with adult characters that consistently dance in place when they're happy.  I blame pregnancy hormones.
• Moving on: t he story its self.  While I was absolutely enthralled with the story of Sorcha and her children, the actual meat of the story left a lot to be desired.  Iona and Boyle's romance felt surface deep and lacked Robert's usual care with characters and plot.  The romance was meant to be the primary driver of the book, but was clearly secondary to the magical plot.  And I don't think that was intentional.
• I was overall underwhelmed.  Roberts last two series blew me away, so my expectations might have been a little too high.

Rating:  It's worth a read to get a taste of Ireland, but don't go in with high expectations.

Reviewed By:  Tami

Also Read By:  For a complete listing, go to www.noraroberts.com