I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The first book of the Sisters of Salem caught my attention because of P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast. I've always enjoyed how they do their research on mythological aspects then insert those tid bits in brilliant ways into their stories. I've particularly enjoyed this second book of the series because of how they managed to blend in a Greek (Amphitrite) goddess with Egyptian mythology (Khenti, Land of the Dead). The end of the book also gives us insight as to the next culture which will be displayed in the third book and this has sparked my curiosity in a positive way. Both authors also have incredible ways of using descriptions to summon beautiful images in my mind of the magical battles both twins face throughout the book. I really felt immersed into the book and the action.

On the other side, I enjoyed the twins a lot less. There were a few times where I wanted to smack them both. I know grief and anger changes people (sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worst), but I found them both stuck with stubborn pride and both were a little too self-absorbed for my liking. If they had taken the time to listen to each other and to understand, more than half of the problems of this book wouldn't exist! I also really disliked where Kirk's character was going. At first, I thought he could be redeemed (he's made mistake, but also seems to realize that what he's doing is wrong), but seeing him go downhill in the worst possible ways was really sad. Kirk really reminded me of Heath from The House of Night series and I thought he'd be following the same redeeming type of storyline. The Casts made him to be a one-dimensional character, a villain with a predicatable revenge story. Even when we're reading his point of view, I no longer felt any sympathy for him. He's so hell-bent on destroying both sisters for something that he started, it's just a *head shake* moment.

All in all, the story is interesting and the lore clearly sparked my interest for the next book. I'm curious to see where all of this will be going. The characters need a little more development and a little less dramatic (and stereotyped) storyline. This book also hasn't shed any light on why the trees are hurting, so I hope the third one starts answering somequestions. For those who do enjoy reading about magic and mythology, this book is sure to quench that thirst!

First of all I’d like to thank Netgalley and Wednesday books for allowing me to read an ARC of Omen’s Bite in exchange for an honest review.

Omen’s bite picks up right on the tail end of Spells trouble and dives into the growing strife between Hunter and Mercy Goode as they try to save the trees / gates to the underworlds. Things get more complicated for the sisters when Hunter’s new goddess begins pushing her down a path that she can’t come back from without a fight, while Mercy seeks solace and companionship in someone worlds apart. With the gates still crumbling, and the town slowly going mad, things are never boring in Goodesville.

I would rate this book 3.5 stars as it is a noticeable improvement from the first book, which at times lacked consistency and genuine authentic dialog. Omen’s bite is a strong follow up, and it spurred me on quite a bit as I read through the story, finding it hard to put down at some points. The conversations and themes of this book seem much more aligned to the ages of the characters and the situations they face throughout the story.

A strong plus in my opinion is that there was a lot of character development in this story, giving both Mercy and Hunter a much more fleshed out and developed feel. In the first story there were times where it was hard to tell them apart, finding their perspectives seemed to shift or be lost in the middle of a paragraph, while there was a much cleaner and neater line drawn in this story.

I enjoyed seeing the progression in each of the characters, both the good and the bad as everyone tries to piece together the remains of what they lost in the first story. Grief and hurt are major themes in this story, and it is clear that all of the characters are handling it in different ways, and not everyone is going to be reasonable and understanding in the wake of loss. Most of the characters I feel for and can sympathize with; Kirk being the outlier, and seeing him lose so much in response to his own behavior is rather satisfying.

Watching Hunter strive to make her own choices, and do what she thought she needed to do to help the trees, and set herself apart from her sister. While Mercy again, believed that it was solely her responsibility to make everything right, sometimes even going so far as to ignore the advice and warnings she received. Given that they’re teenagers looking for guidance in the absence of their mother and the sudden absence of each other, they both make choices that are good and bad in the hopes of doing the right thing. This alone is a very authentic issue that a lot of teenagers, and people in general can relate to (maybe not the saving the mortal realm from danger but the rest of it anyways) and gives the readers something to root for and a problem they hope will be solved.

One of the biggest issues I've noticed both in this book and in the first one, is that parts of the story feel rushed along while others seem to span for pages without much happening. There will be points where the action is so involved and attention grabbing, and then you will fall into several chapters where there is very minimal happening and you wonder when the other shoe will fall. The ending of the book was the definition of a cliff hanger, though it felt a little bit abrupt; with death and demons closing in on all sides, it will take some quick spell work to get Mercy out of the mess that she’s in.

The dialog was another sore spot for me, though as I said, it was better in this book, there are still several times where I had to put the book down and rub my eyes because I couldn’t be sure what I was reading. They do (unironically I believe) say the word “Skankalicious” and Hunter later makes a joke about “Rubbing her magical … on Jax” which… I know it was in jest but it just felt very odd and like it was for shock value, given that it was said in response to a group of girls grilling her on her sexuality. Maybe it’s because I'm not from an overly small/close minded town but the amount of times they refer to Hunter in derogatory terms was surprising and slightly unnecessary. I do get the feeling they’re setting Kirk up in the long run to be more of an issue to both girls, though so far all he’s done is be offensive, abusive and borderline criminal.

Overall, I would say this book was an enjoyable read and a good follow up. If the epilogue of the book is anything to go by, the third book in the series will be stronger and more action packed than the last. New demons coming out to play and rogue goddesses on the loose will make for an exciting story.

#OmensBite
#SistersofSalem
#Netgalley

The Goode Twins return in this sequel to Spells Trouble. As the twins grieve their mother, what should bring them together is splitting them apart. After forsaking her God to seal the tree, Hunter Goode realizes her new ally is not her sister, but her new goddess, who may be more than she bargained for. Losing her sister leaves Mercy to turn to Khenti, Guardian of the Egyptian Underworld entrance. But their new friendship comes with a price, one that could mean the destruction of the world as they know it.

If there was a plot in this book, I missed it. It definitely suffered as more of a filler book in the trilogy, instead of being a good continuation to the storyline. The characters were whiny, the was no relevant world or character building, and it felt like nothing of importance happened. If anything, the characters regressed from the last book. This book, and series, had so much potential to explore witchcraft and Paganism/Wicca in a good light, but the regression into "hang the witch" was unnecessary and expected.

I was really excited for this book after the first one, but I’m not convinced I’ll finish the trilogy after this.

This was a little too YA for my tastes, but that held true for Spells Trouble too. I picked it up to see if I could get a bit more personally into it, but it still didn't quite hit the mark for me (though I saw it's potential!). I will say this is an excellent sequel - the characters are better developed, and the writing is getting better, but still feels a bit disjointed. I think I'd lean towards recommending this towards a YA audience - I kept losing patience with the characters, even though I absolutely see people really enjoying the world and story.

Omen Bites picks up where Spells Trouble left off.Marcy and Hunter are still struggling with the death of their mother but the town is in danger and the ancient trees are still damaged. But with everything that is going on and has happened the girls' relationship is strained. I really enjoyed the first but I was really excited to get the chance to read this book! I liked that I was able to get to know the characters more in this book! With the dual point of views and more character building I really felt like I could relate to the characters this time around! The world building is just as beautiful as the first time around! I am really looking forward to see what the next book brings us!

I loved the first one and this one did not disappoint!
Now Mercy and Hunter are kind of at odds with one another at this point, their mother was murdered by a demon in the first book. This book picks up right where the last one ended. Because the girls are at odds with one another they are separated and this pulls more on their relationship than ever before. I love the aspect of this book, I love that the twin sisters are stuck trying to find their own identity that's not influenced or the same as the other twin and that's really neat! I also enjoyed the splash of romance thrown in the mix because it added to the story and while I wasn't specifically rooting for any particular pair to ship together. Now, let's talk about the drama. I understand that this is a Young Adult fiction book but the drama can entice even an adult to the story to find out what happens!
Let's talk about how amazing that Epilogue is! I am seriously waiting on the edge of my seat for book three!
This is definitely a series that I would love to read again because it's just that good!! I would personally like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this one!

Great for readers who are just getting into reading paranormal books! This one particularly felt a little too YA for me with one-dimensional characters. Unfortunately that’s not my cup of tea…

On the plus side, it was a quick read.

This was such a great sequel to Spells Trouble! I love the relationship and the difficulties they face between the sisters and the NEW relationships that are built between others. So so so good!! Lots of action and dark twists in this one that I just devoured! Can not wait until book 3 is out because this definitely left me hanging by a thread!!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Omen Bites picks up where Spells Trouble left off. Hunter is broken hearted after betraying her chosen God and devoting herself to a Goddess. Mercy is dealing with new heartbreak and still trying to heal the sick gates throughout Goodeville. Both sisters are still wrapped in grief from the recent death of their mother, and the stress and strife begins to tear the twins apart. Will Hunter be able to keep up with the appetite of her Goddess, and will Mercy be able to heal the gates?

This book was far better than the first novel. The girls were better developed and felt like they were each people, whereas in the first book it was like the author didn't want to fully commit to their singular development which made it hard for me to relate to either of them. Mercy has vastly improved in this novel in terms of her selfishness, but she apparently passed it on to Hunter. I was fully invested in what was happening with Hunter and her Goddess, but it just fell a little flat that someone going through such mental strain wouldn't break down vs staying so damn stubborn. Mercy was a wonderful character this go round who I really found myself rooting for. My biggest gripe about this book(and honestly the House of Night books as well) is how the men are portrayed throughout. The author paints a decent male in Mercy's life in the beginning of Spell Trouble (sure, he's hormonal and seeks approval, but a villain it doth not make) and twists them into this absolute asshole. Much like they did to Erik & Loren in House of Night, the males in these books could be an expression of the mistrust the authors have in men bled onto paper. It becomes quite a turn off for this reader as even guys who do bad things deserve a redemption story.

Overall, 4 stars and interest in book three for sure. I recommend this for fans of the House of Night series or those 16+ as the first novel has some sexual content.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early review copy of this work!

Synopsis :

The sequel to Spells Trouble finds Mercy and Hunter at each other’s throat. As the rift between the sisters widens they decide to go their separate ways, but danger lurks at every turn and you always have to be careful who you trust.

Thoughts:

It’s no secret, I really didn’t like the first book in this series but I thought the story had potential. I will say, this second instalment has a lot of the same issues I had with the first one, primarily being the writing feeling clumsy and disjointed, but I did enjoy this book a lot more. I found there to be a lot more distinction between Hunter and Mercy’s voices which made it easier to remember who’s chapter I was in if I put the book down, and I thought Hunter gained a lot of emotional maturity through this book. Overall I thought It was okay. And if you liked the first book I can see you loving this one!

This is the second book in the Sisters of Salem series. I did not read the first book so it took a little bit to figure out the characters and what was going on.

This was a struggle for me. I wasn’t that interested in the story and even went back and looked at the first novel. The book has too many characters. The teen language/slang and angst is annoying. (Which could be due to my job as a middle school teacher). I would not continue on and read the next installment in this series.

...Something wicked this way comes...

I am infatuated with this series about the Sisters of Salem. This was yet another amazing story by these talented authors. I dove into this head first because I was ecstatic that I received an eARC as well as a physical copy.

Mercy and Hunter are reeling from the death of their mother as we begin with Omens Bite. It seems that the town is still in trouble, the ancient trees that protect the town and act as portals to other worlds are still damaged and so the sisters have to find a way to mend what is broken. There is a lot of tension between the pair of them and very early on in the book, they split up, which then damages the sister's relationship and begins to feel like it can never repair.

I loved that this book was given to use from dual POV which allows for the reader to experience each of their emotions and feelings in every situation. It became hard for me to read because if these two sisters would just communicate, all of these feelings could have been mended. But obviously, some things are easier said than done. Their relationship changes and the reader gets to step into their shoes to experience how they feel with all these changes happening in Omens Bite. I won't lie, I wanted to reach into the pages and knock some sense into the twins because communication is such a key component in keeping a relationship strong. But overall, I loved the growth of these two characters as the story progresses.

The world-building remains the same as the first book, which was always so beautifully detailed and unique to the story. But we are introduced to the Egyptian Land of the Dead from Mercy's POV, which was different from what book one showcased. I loved seeing the potential romance begin to bloom with a particular portal guardian and cannot wait to see what book 3 has in store for us. I will be eagerly waiting to read more about Mercy and Hunter and what their future holds.

I highly recommend readers of all ages to pick up the Sisters of Salem series and enjoy the witchcraft and story the authors have created.

A special shout out to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARCs for this masterpiece!

Omen’s Bite is the second book in this series which I didn’t realize when I started it. With that being said, I didn’t have too much trouble understanding what was happening.
While I really enjoy these authors, I found this book just ok. The writing is great, even though it’s definitely a little too much for me at times. It’s definitely one that I think many will love and I am definitely going to pick up book three to see how it all ends up- it definitely left us with a cliffhanger!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

I give this book a solid 3.5 rating. I really enjoyed it on the whole and I just love P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast. When I started this one it was hard to put down because I genuinely was invested in the characters and storyline...I needed to know what happened next! My main issue with Omens Bite is the amount and ridiculousness of the "self-talk" some of the characters had. If it was written more as an inner monologue type of situation it would not have been such an issue. Having a character speak aloud to themselves so much distracted from the story.

This is the second novel in this series. I didn’t read the first novel so it took a hot minute to understand the characters and what exactly was going on. This means that if you want this story to flow you need to read the first novel. Otherwise you’ll feel like you’ve started in the middle of a story.

Saying that, I ended up liking the characters Hunter and Mercy. They were well written and complex characters. I loved the cat as well. Any story that has familiars in it automatically gets my stamp of approval.

This story was filled with a misunderstanding trope and miscommunication. I believe if the sisters were able to sit down and talk then none of the things that happened in this novel would have happened. But then we wouldn’t have had a book to read.

The plot was a little witchy cliched. Twins who love each other end up at each other’s throats after the death of a parent. One twin stays good while the each turns bad. The bad one does something inconceivable and then realizes the error in her path. The good one ends up doing something bad that makes her need the help of the bad one to get her out of. Book three will have them happy as clams after they battle the evil goddesses.

Received this as an ARC from netgalley.

Omens Bite is the second book in the “Sisters Of Salem” series and it follows Mercy and Hunter, two twin sisters and witches who guard the five gates to mythological underworlds. This book picks up where book one ended and the relationship between the sisters is more strained than it ever was. They are being separated for the first time in their life and it creates many conflicts that they will have to fix and get through.

First of all, this book had a very interesting plot and every single witchy book has a plus point from me because it’s something I love to read about. I also thought that the magical aspect was well thought out and presented nicely to us readers. But, what irked me the most about Omen’s Bite and the first book too is the dialogue. Some of it was super cringey and the amount of “Sheesh” was waayyy to much for me. I get that the authors probably wanted to make these teenagers more realistic but phrases like that are never something I like to encounter when I read a book.

When it comes to the romance part I was also not a big fan. Khenti and Mercy have zero chemistry and I wanted to skip those parts. Jax and his love interest were super rushed too. To conclude the romantic relationships are a mess and I don’t like them. I blame the dialogue on this too.

Everything else was fine and this is a super fast paced read. The epilogue was fantastic and it was the best part of this book for sure. I could read short chapter like that one for days and not get bored. It was very well done! In the end I enjoyed reading this and I’m interested in reading the third book and seeing how things are gonna play out for Hunter and Mercy!

When I received this Bork as an ARC, I didn’t realize it was the second book. Needless to say, I had to get the first book and read in order. I’m so glad I did. The Sisters of Salem are now on my TBR series list. I will
Anxiously awaiting Book #3 — hello cliffhanger!
I NEED a Xena in my life!

This was a very immersive read! It was impossible to put down once I started. I gave this 4/5 stars because it was fast paced and easy to devour. My only complaint was at times Mercy and Hunter felt like they were too close in personality and I forgot who I was reading about. I deeply enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone in need of a fantasy that will grab you by the hand and take you deep into its own world.

Omens Bite: Sisters of Salem Kindle Edition

by P. C. Cast (Author), Kristin Cast  (Author)

Thank to P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast, the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced reviewer's copy. I am choosing to leave a fair and honest review.
The mother/daughter writing team hits another one out of the park with this dark, twisting tale of family tension, magic and teenage-hood.
This is the second in the Sisters of Salem series. I have not had the pleasure of reading the first book, Spells Trouble, but luckily, the Casts have created a sequel that can be read along or any order. They cleverly explained the backstory in perfect tiny slices.
Hunter and Mercy, the Goode Twins, are recovering from the lost of their mother, Abigail, from the previous book. Abigail gave her life to protect one of the gates to the Underworld (the Afterlife). Now the girls must protect the remaining four gates and attempt to heal them. All the while, they must make their way through high school and all the hell that entails. This includes ex-boyfriends and mean girls.
The twins and all the teenagers are authentic in the way they speak, the way they dress and the way they treat each other. And yet, not one is a stereotype. All of the side-characters are fascinating, from the rabidly Evangelical Christian mother to the wonderful Cat Person, Xena.
The story and plot move at a clipped pace, never letting the reader catch their breath as we race from one problem to another.
The powerhouse mother/daughter writing team have really crafted a magnificent story, characters and plot while paying respecting the magical traditions they have drawn on – traditional Wicca with a splash of hereditary magical system.
Wonderfully done and an unputdownable book.

Please be advised this book releases on April 5, 2022.
5 stars out of 5

https://www.amazon.com/Omens-Bite-P-C-Cast-ebook/dp/B092T8KQM6

Omens Bite is the second book in the Sisters of Salem trilogy, with the first book titled Spells Trouble. This book could be read as a standalone, but I really, really don't recommend it. You will miss too much nuance.

This is the first book by this mother-daughter duo that I haven't loved. I liked it, but had no trouble putting it down.

I normally really enjoy reading P.C. Cast/Kristin Cast books. I am no where near their target audience, but that has never stopped me from enjoying the heck out of their books. Their first series, the House of Night books, had a great deal of non-Christian religious practices in them and there were engaging discussions and descriptions of those religions. The Sisters of Salem also feature several religions, but the excessive descriptive detail of each spell bored me to tears. I either put the book down or skipped pages and pages to get to the next plot point. There are also pages and pages of very realistic teenage narcissism and angst, which I hated reading so I tried to skim or skip those pages. It was still painful to read.

During the very last few chapters, this book becomes much more engaging, the pace of the story finally picks up, and there are some actual life or death stakes for the sisters. We also get to see much more of how the Egyptian afterlife works, finally.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for sending me this book in exchange for my honest opinion.