I've finally caught up with my reviews, whew! This book is a low fantasy ish read, filled with interesting characters and magic.

DNF at 32%.

This book just wasn't for me. Maybe a case of right book wrong time but I just couldn't get into it no matter how hard I tried.

To be honest, despite the intriguing premise, it took me a while to get into the story due to some inconsistency and confusion in the writing, which is technically my main issue.

Aside from that, I felt like the story just jumped into another scene out of nowhere, and the povs weren't really helping, which made me not care as much about the characters, whom I did want to learn more about.

Overall, I believe this was a little disappointing. I would have liked it a lot more if it had been more organized and consistent.

this was a great start to the Genus Magica series, the characters were great and I loved the plot of the book. It left me wanting more from this universe.

Fun read!

Took me a little while to get into this one, but it was a really good story. The characters are interesting and engaging, the plot moves along well, and the world building was cool.
The magic system/mystical creatures really drew me in and made this an enjoyable read.

thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

this book looks good and sounds good, but its insides unfortunately lacked to live up to that. maybe it was because it was short but it was underdeveloped in a lot of its aspects, everything felt half-cooked and rushed and not with a lot of depth. wanted more.

this book was received in exchange for an honest review.

this was a good read overall but some of the things that happened lowered my overall rating. the characters were well written though and were probably one of my favorite parts of the entire book.

Takakush is not what I would normally pick up and it did take me a while to get into it, but I stuck with it and finally found the flow of the story (not going to lie it took a bit of a while). The story introduces quiet a few characters, but I don't think a few of them are that essential to the story. The characters that I felt didn't need to be there, felt that they were just bulk out the story a bit more.

We follow two main characters as they work together to uncover and solve a mystery or what is attacking and killing people in the nearby forest. I found the Elena character interesting because she was more thought out and fulfilled. She had so many sides to her that I was excited to learn about and found it made her an essential character to the investigation. There is magic and mystery that surrounds this journey we go on and it does have a payoff in the end.
If you stick with the story you will not be disappointed, you just have to give this one a chance. Overall I enjoyed the adventure and am glad I went on it.

Thank you for Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book.

A few words on this story...
It was scarier than I was expecting.
Folklore can be brutal.
The book is well written.
There is strong world building and the characters within it are believable and likeable.
I hope there will be more books in this series. Lithuanian mythology is fascinating.

Thank you to the publisher for granting me an ARC copy of this book through NetGalley.

An intriguing read about Lithuanian myth and magic. The cover is absolutely stunning, by the way!

The book is very suspenseful in parts and almost gave me a horror/thriller vibe at times. The beastly attacks are quite gruesome. Reiter does a good job with rapid plot movement. There are multiple points of view in the novel with helped enrich what was happening from different perspectives. It was very creatively explored and well-written.

However, the book felt short on the most intriguing element: the Lithuanian magic. All the women of the house possess some sort of magic. However, their relationships with the goddesses aren't really explained. Do they share the same name as their goddesses, because there were a few parts that were confusing as to who was being referenced, our MC or the goddess? I didn't understand a lot of the backstory, which could have arisen with further character development. I wanted to know the characters a lot more than was revealed; thus, they came off a bit stereotypical. I'm also not sure about the texting that the younger sister was doing. It didn't feel like a 14-ish year old was actually writing that. My last gripe was about the confrontation with the big baddie. <<SPOILER AHEAD: One slash? WAY TOO EASY. / END SPOILER>>

Overall, very mystical with lots of captivating elements. In the next book, I hope the author fleshes out the mythos a lot more for readers unfamiliar with the gods and goddesses as well as explores these powers through character development. Let the audience in a bit more on this fascinating cultural lore.

Raine Reiter delivers an image rich, captivating experience for the audience. Dripping with folklore and earth magic, this is a fantasy you won't want to put down once you start.

Professor Elena Lukas returns to her family home, The Swan house, which is also a struggling Inn hanging delicately in the balance. Not only is she returning home to her matriarchal family after a broken engagement, she is returning to a rich family history centered around Lithuanian magic. Elena is greeted by her sister Gabija, her mother Mina and her colorful, seer grandmother who speaks in a disorienting dialect of English blended with Lithuanian.

In order to face the challenges arising within herself and the darkness that is stalking through the wilderness of the local based National Forest, Elena must embrace a part of herself she for so long wished to leave behind. With a strong female power base set in place, we are introduced to Sergeant Boone Anderson of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Boone struggles with his own scars of his past which is touched upon briefly, yet is ready to run headlong into the unknown before Elena.

I rated this as 4 stars because I think it is just the tip of the iceberg in what this series will offer. As someone with Lithuanian grandparents this was a captivating experience.

Takakush by Raine Reiter is a debut and the first in the Genus Migica series. We follow Elena who is a professor and vessel for Medina Lithuanian Goddess of the forest, trees and animals. Upon return to her hometown in Washington, there are a number of savage 'animal' attacks. Recruited by an ex-military Fish & Wildlife agent, she must find what is attacking and mauling people in her forest.

The premise sold me right away. Lithuanian Gods, Mystery and a strong female cast.

What I liked:
The actual writing of this was easy to follow although the constant change in POV's as new chapters kind of threw the pace for me. There was so much jumping that I felt wasn't necessary to state.

Elena, her mother and grandmother were very likeable and had their own motives and personalities though I think they could've been fleshed out a bit more. I feel they may get more "screen time" in future books?
Boone - I liked him. I especially like his relationship with his dog Ohto. For me he was the most consistent character in the book.

I loved the personification of the animals, how they thought and their motives. I wasn't expecting the mystery element to be as prevalent as it was and I really enjoyed it.
The villain was obvious from the get-go so it wasn't so much, who is the villain, but how are they doing it and why. I didn't like this, in particular, it just was.

The magic in this story was enjoyable and I like that there was a drawback of using that magic.

What I didn't like:
I know this is the first in the series so I am hoping there is some reason for adding characters and scenes in the book that honestly just went nowhere.

Gabija... I found the little sister painful. Though that could be due to being in my 30s and you always think the world is against you when you are that age. But, I feel as a minor, she was over sexualised. Again, I know how 15 year olds are and this is pretty accurate but I felt uncomfortable reading it. Especially as the man she was infatuated with was quite a bit older, I just felt icky. Like, you are raised by strong woman, surely her inner stranger danger radar was going off, regardless of how many hormones were telling you go for it. Am I alone in this?

The TEXTING!! Just NO! Ok no one I have ever heard of has ever text like this. Maybe in the early 2000s when we had to tap a number over and over until we got the right symbol but otherwise, No. It seemed silly and I spent so much time think WITF that it took me out of the story and honestly just made me dislike Gabija even more.

As a whole I enjoyed this book and am interested in seeing how the Lukas' powers eveolve and what they do with them.

I received a copy of this for review from the publisher via NetGalley (thank you so much!) All opinions are my own.

This was a phenomenal book. Full of great characters that are easy to get attached to.
I am very partial to working dogs and their partners already, so that part of the story was icing on my cake.
I loved the forest setting with the different Native magics trying to find balance.
A great storyline, it was masterfully written for a first book. Truly a hard to put down suspenseful, paranormal thriller.
I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series.
This was an ARC copy I received free for my honest review.

I just reviewed Takakush by Raine Reiter. #Takakush #NetGalley

I was lucky to receive an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved the use of nature magic in this book! The characters welcome you into their home and family. The story quickly grabs your attention and keeps it. I look forward to reading book 2 as soon as possible!

𝑻𝒂𝒌𝒂𝒌𝒖𝒔𝒉 is a paranormal fantasy that mostly focuses on Elena Lukas, a young professor, who has just returned to her childhood home and family B&B business in Olympia, Washington, after a painful romantic breakup. She is to start a job at a local university in the fall.

Elena's family has the fate of serving a powerful Lithuanian goddess. At first, she is not ready to accept this, but when she is contacted by a local wildlife ranger for help in dealing with some strange animal attacks, she naturally calls on the goddess's powers.

I chose to read this because fantasy is a genre that appeals to me, and I enjoyed the premise of this tale. Once the story gets moving, I found that the mood was expertly set, the details of The Capitol Forest were well-written, and the mood was fittingly eerie. There is a mythical creature stalking the forest, a mutant-looking bear, using a kind of black magic on its prey. And now, it's after Elena.

A later part of the story involves Gabby, Elena's younger sister, a high school freshman. One night, she goes missing. It is during Gabby's encounter with her attacker that we are finally introduced to Takakush. At this point, I must confess, I became somewhat confused about the relationship between these two creatures-- I'm not sure if I missed something, or if there is to be a sequel.


I enjoyed the characters in Elena's family, and the backstory about the family B&B, complete with her mother Mina's struggle to please the over-the top eccentric travel column critic. Elena's romance with Boone, the Capitol Forest ranger, escalated quickly, but then, this is a fantasy--I'm personally not bothered by that. Also, Elena's grandmother was a treat. And, of course, Boone's dog Ohto. Ohto was great. I did think that some of the dialogue seemed unlikely, but it didn't really detract much from the storyline.

One critical note I would add is really just a formatting issue: the book is not only separated by chapters, but by subtitles, informing the reader of the point of view and location that follows. This is really not necessary, and I felt it hindered the flow of my reading. It's possible that these subtitles (if that is what I should call them) are not present in the final draft of the book.

Overall, this was an interesting read for those who enjoy an exotic fantasy. Many thanks to Netgalley for this pleasant opportunity!

Takakush is the first book in a new paranormal suspense light horror series by Raine Reiter. Released 28th Dec 2020, it's 186 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

I was expecting something vaguely comparable to Katherine Arden's Winternight trilogy. Takakush is Eastern European (specifically Lithuanian) folklore inspired, but this is definitely not cozy or warm and fuzzy - lots more sharp pointy teeth and claws in this one. The author has a good grasp on plotting and dramatic tension. The story is told in alternating PoV which I found a bit distracting, but the chapters are clearly delineated, so it's not untenable.

There is a strong instra-love romance subplot alongside the paranormal/horror as well as some graphic violence and death. I did enjoy the beautiful descriptions of the outdoors in the Pacific Northwest - clearly an area with which the author is familiar.

It was a little too creepy/gothic/violent for me particularly, but will be enthusiastically received by fans of the paranormal light horror genre. Three and a half stars; likely 4+ for fans of the genre.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Takakush is not my typical read and it took me a while to get into it, but I stuck with it and finally found the flow of the story. The story introduces many characters, but I don't know if all of them are necessary to the story. They really felt like they were included to bulk up the page count. If Raine Reiter took them out it would be a better story that would catch the reads attention quicker.
We follow two main characters as they work together to uncover and solve a mystery or what is attacking and killing people in the nearby forest. I found the Elena character interesting because she was more thought out and fulfilled. She had so many sides to her that I was excited to learn about and found it made her a valuable asset to the investigation. There is magic and mystery that surrounds this journey we go on and it does have a payoff in the end.
If you stick with the story you will not be disappointed, you just have to give this one a chance. Overall I enjoyed the adventure and am glad I went on it.

2.5 - I have received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

Hello readers! I decided to read "Takakush" by Reine Reiter because of the cover (obviously), with a big bear in the background that reminded me of the Winternight trilogy by Katherine Arden, and for references to the Lithuanian culture.

The main characters are the women of the Lukas family, the grandmother Regana, the mother Mina, the eldest daughter Elena and the younger Gabby.
They live in America, but have Balkan roots, Lithuanian to be precise. All four women are banners for ancient Lithuanian goddesses, they pray for them and receive their powers in exchange, but using them has a price: they suck their strength. The grandmother represents Laima, the goddess of fate, in fact she can visualize the threads of destiny and slightly modify them; Mina serves Žemyna, the goddess of earth and fertility, she manages to follow the spirit of a dying person and bring it home; Elena is linked to Medeina, goddess of the woods, she is an ethnobiologist and somehow pays homage to the goddess with her work; Gabby is a teenager and hasn't heard her goddess yet, but her name, Gabija, is also that of the goddess of fire.

The story begins with Elena, who returns home to recover from a breakup; she thought she had to get away to be okay, but actually going back to Swan House is liberating, she is close to her goddess again.
In the woods of the city, however, men and women are dying terribly from the attacks of a ferocious animal. Sergeant Boone Anderson of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is investigating on them, requesting Elena's help on some very interesting DNA results.
So Elena and Boone get to know each other and a rope is immediately stretched between them, that neither of them can identify.
Mina is attempting to save Swan House, a bed & breakfast, by inviting a famous critic. Gabby, on the other hand, is a teenager, and between school and her misunderstandings with her mother, she no longer feels okay.
In the meantime, the attacks become more frequent, something cruel and terrible is in the air, and it seems that in the woods there is something from another world and another time.

I start by saying that the story is original, because it talks about a type of mythology that I had never found before in a fantasy, the Lithuanian. Generally, it's not a highly regarded country, so finding it in a fantasy made me very curious. I also appreciated that Lithuanian terms or sentences were used, but a translation would have been very useful, because having to stop reading to go to Google Translate wasn’t very pleasant.
The magic of the main characters, which derives from the goddesses, was interesting. They offer their powers to these women who are dedicated to them, but, in my opinion, it has not been developed well.
Being a little known culture, it would have been nice, and useful, to receive some information on the divinities or other magical beings that appear: how did this bond come about, how are they chosen by the goddesses, who are these divinities? Everything is hinted at while things were happening, but nothing is elaborated on, which is a shame.

This book gave me the idea of ​​one of those novels focused on a family and their difficulties, in this case with the B&B, in fact there are these inconclusive chapters with the critic. But basically at the center of everything is the love story, which unfolds over five days.
Then we have some clichés thrown in the middle.

I think the main problem with the novel is the fact that it is short and the author did not have the opportunity to develop the story well; it could have been much more, both for the magical part and for the relationships.
In any case, there are positive sides: despite being fast, the story is interesting and involves the reader, moreover it is very well written, with detailed descriptions of the environments and various moments of tension.

I liked the idea of the magic and the use of Lithuanian folklore, almost unknown but full of potential.
The characters are nice, especially Elena and Boone, the instalove was faster than a snap of the fingers, but we can blame a very ancient bond between the two.
The structure of the novel is interesting, divided into days and paragraphs, each from the point of view of a different characters, not necessarily human, accompanied by the place where it was.

This novel is good for a quick reading, it also introduced me to Balkan mythology and its goddesses, and I praise it for that.

If readers are expecting something along the lines of The Sisters of The Winter Woods, or The Bear and the Nightingale, they will find that this book, Takakush is very different. Its a bit like Pagan Lithuania meets North American Spirits.

This tale is a modern mystery taking place in Olympia, Washington. Its not too much of a mystery, because the suspects are exactly who you think they are. There's no twist, however, there appear to be more books coming. The story goes for a science-collides-with-the-spiritual, but then theres no Boom.

Takakush is more for the neopagan, goddess-y reader.

Ok I have to start by mentioning the absolutely gorgeous cover which captured my attention. A new author to me and it’s a difficult story to categorise. A little bit magical with myths and legends, a budding romance and then there’s the dark aspects that certainly were intriguing. I enjoyed this the first book in this series and thought the family who dominated this story have a lot more to share with the reader as their Lithuanian and innate magical heritage certainly felt unique. If you enjoy suspense that’s a wee bit gothic than this is certainly worth your time. Plus the author brings the landscape she’s writing about to life. My only real criticism is that I’d have preferred a little more of the couple getting to know each other. Plus there’s a lovely dog and a rather unusual cat but my lips are sealed. I believe this is aimed at adults but I see no reason why younger readers wouldn’t enjoy this too as it certainly would fit into the YA category too.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair