I reading the first few chapters; unfortunately I was not able to get into this book. The atmosphere was not a good fit for me as much as I thought it would be. I have heard from some of my other friends that it is their favorite!

Mercy and Hunter’s mother has been murdered and the role of protector of the Gates is now theirs. These Gates lead to different underworlds where mythological and nightmarish creatures live. Unfortunately, the sisters are no longer a team. Can Mercy save the Gates on her own? Will Hunter be able to fight the allure of a dark goddess?

Omens Bite is the second book in the Sisters of Salem series. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a twin (I don’t); I believe everyone can relate to the issues Hunter and Mercy are dealing with after their mother’s death. The mythology that is woven into the story is not overbearing and it was an enjoyable escape to learn some things about Egypt and its past. Cast left this story incomplete, so readers will want to add the next book to their TBR list so that they will look for it in the near future. Omens Bite was a fun and easy read that took me away for a while.

I loved reading this book! I found the writing to be very insightful and interesting. I was intrigued by the premise and I enjoyed reading it from start to finish.

This mother-daughter duo wrote the "House of Night" series, which I did read of course. Their writing style has not changed, so it's either up your alley or definitely isn't. Personally the House of Night series was an interesting read and I enjoyed it a lot. Omen's Bite seems to me another great seller. The Prologue will draw you in and pull you into the depths of this amazing work.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC read in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Sisters of Salem are back again. Omens Bite brings the reader back to Goodeville, IL, where Mercy and Hunter Goode reside. After the death of their mother, Abigail, the great Kitchen Witch and faithful servant of Athena, nothing has been right in their world. The gates guarding the other underworlds are decaying away. One would think that the Goode sisters would come together and put their differences aside to save their small town, but sadly, as most teens are, they are too caught up in the "me, myself and I" mentality.

Hunter holds a major grudge against Mercy for forcing her to forsake her chosen god, Tyr, all based on a random "prophecy" found in a ancestor's grimoire. Hunter was forced to call upon Amphitrite, the water goddess and wife of Poseidon. At first, Amphitrite seemed to be the best call for Hunter. Amphitrite shown herself to Hunter and made her presence known to Hunter, where Tyr had never done that to her. He had only spoken to her through the amulet that she wore and her tarot cards that now sat abandoned in her family home. While Amphitrite seemed to really care about Hunter, what are her true intentions? Does she really care about Hunter and closing the gates? Is she actually going to help Goodeville or is she going to destroy it?

Mercy, on the other hand, is honestly probably my least favorite character of the entire series. She is all "me, myself and I". Mercy really has not had to give up anything since her mother passed. Hunter took her sorrow away from her and now she feels like she has to be the leader of everything. Freya even showed herself to Mercy! She even has a love interest in Khenti, the demi god and Guardian of the Gate in the Egyptian underworld. Mercy still felt like the entire world was against her because her and Kirk were done for and she was no longer Miss Popular. I think that's why I don't like Mercy as much as I like Hunter.

If I could give this book 4 1/2 stars, I would. I really enjoyed this book more than I enjoyed the first. The writing reflected the growth of the girls more this time around. I did not feel like I was reading another teen angst book (but I still felt that way sometimes when I was reading from Mercy's perspective). I still believe the book is definitively geared and written towards much younger audiences. That's really the only thing I could complain about.

Another thing I did not like was that when switching perspectives, the timeline went backwards. I just felt it was not as concise and clear as it could have been. There were times that it had me confused but then I would read a bit more and then understand what was going on. I just wish maybe there was a warning or a time stamp of some kind, letting you know it was a flash back or Mercy's/Hunter's perspective of the same thing just in different time frames.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The description of the Egyptian Underworld was out of this world. I felt like I was there and could feel the sand between my toes, could see all of the beautiful jewels and smell all the wonderful scents. I really hope that in the last book, we get to go back to the Egyptian Underworld and not just to Duat. I liked how the Casts' incorporated different lores and mythologies to make it one fluid concept. One would imagine that Greek mythology would mesh well with Norse mythology or vice versa but the Casts do an amazing job incorpating these vastly different mythologies. I do recommend this book for YA readers and for anyone who has ever been interested in witchcraft, mythology or folklore. But beware. Omens Bite. ;)

Honestly, based on how I felt about the first book (which I read BECAUSE I was given access to the second book), I would not have read Omens Bite if I had not been given access to it as an arc. That being said, Omens Bite IS better than Salems Sisters, and I didn’t have to skim parts of it as I did with the first. It’s pretty rare that the first book in the series isn’t the best one, but here we are. I’d rate this book 3.5 stars, but I’ve rounded it down because I don’t see it as a 4-star book. The reason for my lower rating is because, yet again, the dialogue and interactions are similar to the first book (cringey at times), and the writing isn’t great.

Note: Thank you to Netgalley & publishers for allowing me access to this arc in exchange for an honest review! Please note that all opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book is well written and honestly I loved the characters! I can't wait to reread it and discover the things I missed the first time around. While it took me a bit to get into once I got into it it was only a matter of finding the time to keep reading. Love the cover, it's what first drew me to this book.

I didn't read the first in the series, so my feelings may be different if I choose to go back and read that one.

The writing was okay, but I just never felt connected to the story. Sadly, the characters felt very one dimensional and not that realistic or believable. I hoped that would change as the story went on, but that wasn't the case. I wasn't a fan of the romance angle. It seemed forced and rushed. The story ends with a cliffhanger, but I don't believe I'll be reading that one.

As a long time fan of P.C Cast and her books Divine by Choice & HoN series I was excited to be approved to read this book as an ARC for Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I quickly picked up a copy of the first book 'Spells Trouble' from the library and found it ... fine. After not loving the first book I was dreading reading this ARC but ended up being pleasantly surprised.

This book picks up where the last one ended, Hunter is still mad at Mercy for arbitrarily deciding Hunter needed to forsake her god, Mercy is still oblivious to the fact she's a bit of a self-centred brat, they both still suffer from a lot of teen angst & the high school is still filled with very stereotypical, ignorant, mean teenagers. Where this book improves and differs is from the first is by providing more plot that surrounds being a witch, the worlds magic system and the gods.

Mercy becomes better acquainted with Khenti, the demi-god guardian of the Egyptian gate, and Hunter more acquainted with her new goddess, Amphitrite. These aspects of the story improve the plot significantly and make this story more interesting. It gives the story a better balance of teen drama with the fantasy aspect (that most readers want more than the teen drama imo).

Overall, the books about a 3.75/5. Almost a 4, but not quite. The plot does improve in this book, but I dont love either of the twins characters - they're just fine. I probably would read the next instalment in this series depending how long it takes to be released.

I was excited when I saw I was provided the chance to read Omen's Bite the sequel to Spells Trouble and the second book in the Sisters of Salem series. Once again centered around Mercy and Hunter we pick up right where the first book lets off. This book very much fell victim to the second book syndrome and it felt like the plot was dragging on, it felt like this was giving us important information for the next book while not a lot else was happening to really progress the story. I'm hopeful the next book will be a little faster-paced and give us some of the action that was lacking in this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.


This is the second in a series, so if you haven't read Spells Trouble, please read that one first!

Mercy and Hunter Goode are witches descendent from Sarah Goode and her daughter, Dorothy. Their family has lived in Goodeville for centuries, and are guardians of the five gates to different realms. At each gate, there is a tree to shield the gates, and the trees are all sick. The twins are on a mission to save the trees and by proxy the town, but things are not going as they planned. First, for the first time in their lives, the twins are at odds. Hunter is consumed by darkness, aided by her tempestuous new goddess, Amphitrite. Mercy is dealing with an agnry ex-boyfriend who is out to humiliate and hurt her and her sister for embarrassing him. On top of it all, weird deaths keep occurring in their town, and Mercy and Hunter are the only ones that can stop it.

I think this was a good continuation of the series. I feel like the ante was upped a bit here, but at times, I feel threads were dropped. There's a murder at some point that is very similar to what happened in the first book, but that isn't really solved or talked about much as the book continued on. Maybe it will be discussed in the next one. I don't know how many books will be in this series, but I am excited to see how it will continue on!

Despite not having read the first book in the Sisters of Salem series (of which Omens Bite is no. 2), I requested to read this book because PC Cast is so popular with our teen readers. I feel that I missed some important details by not reading the first book, but I was still able to manage. It was an interesting book, though full of standard teen dialogue which can be a little tiresome. Still, with Cast’s popularity, this book has been added to my “to purchase” list for my library.

Although I am familiar with who P.C. Cast is and her big fan following, I have never read one of her books. Maybe it was because of this that I didn’t care for this one. Maybe it needed more background. Whatever the reason, which may be purely personal, but I didn’t care for this one. I usually enjoy stories about witches and maybe as I am getting older I find that I am a bit played out on them. But if this book is anything like her previous ones, I definitely don’t get the hype.

I liked this book more then the first. I am still really interested in the setting and magic system of the gates. The characters are growing on me, particularly Hunter I feel like I got a better idea of what was going through her head and the old frustrations that laid the groundwork for her and Mercy's fights in the last book. I still find Mercy more shallow and not as fleshed out as a character. Some of the dialogue still feels very awkward to me but I'm also getting more into the flow of the story and how the characters talk to each other so it was less jarring. The secondary characters are also becoming more interesting and I'm curious to see where their journey's are going as well. The plot was a little thin in this book it feels more like it's just leading into the next book but it did do a good job of drawing my interest, I want to continue the series and really hope to see more character development and want to see how things come together in the next book.

Seriously? I guess this novel wasn’t what I expected. It’s the second book in the Sisters of Salem series, which I didn’t realize until after I received my digital copy. To really get the gist of the story, I highly recommend that the first book, Spells Trouble, gets read before this one. I believe I missed out on some of the finer details by not reading the first book. However, I don’t think my opinion would have changed even if I did read the first novel.

The two main characters — Mercy and Hunter Goode aren’t that likeable as they come across as spoiled, entitled teens without discipline. The other characters in the story are just okay. Maybe I would have appreciated them more if I knew of their backgrounds.

The plot is pretty linear without much twists and turns. This novel actually reads like a middle grade book in my opinion. Prose-wise, it is very simple without much flair. I didn’t really feel engaged and often felt like I was reading a children’s fiction book.

Needless to say, I probably won’t be reading anymore books from the authors. Two stars — it was okay if I managed to finish the book.

I received a digital ARC from St. Martin’s Press | Wednesday Books. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

Omen's Bite does exactly what it sets out to do. Teenage witches means lots of drama, especially when the sisters are twins and they can't see past their own grief long enough to see that their twin is suffering too. I enjoyed the prose and the constant tension being brought to the story, and I loved how in-depth the characters felt on the page, but I did struggle with the characters. This has nothing to do with them and everything to do with me being an older reader who still loves YA fantasy. A younger reader will likely love the teenage outbursts, cursing, and bickering. It just wasn't for me. Would I continue reading the series? Absolutely. As I said, the book does what it sets out to do and takes you on a fantasy quest that has no shortage of magic and mayhem.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

"Omens Bite" intrigued me because I read the authors' "House of Night" books when I was in high school and remember loving them. While this book didn't live up to what I loved about their previous series, I still enjoyed parts of it.

The positive: I liked the uniqueness of the story, the mythology references, the "cat person" character, and Jax. It's an easy-to-read YA witch story.

The not-so-great: Hunter and Mercy, the two main characters, were both annoying and selfish. Their ongoing anger at each other and conceited thoughts, plus their stereotypical teenager dialogue was difficult to read at some points. In addition, the book ended on a cliffhanger where none of the main plot points were wrapped up. I realize this is a series, but I thought they would have at least resolved some of the storylines in this book, so the ending was disappointing. I don't think I'll be continuing the series.

*Thanks to Wednesday Books, NetGalley, and P.C. and Kristin Cast for the ARC! I received a free eBook ARC in exchange for leaving an honest review.

This sequel picks up pretty much where the first book ends which is always nice. There wasn't much time spent on backstory catch up but as most bookworms will reread first books to prepare for sequels that's not much of a problem. There was a lot of anger in this book and it was hard to digest at times. The vibe was trying to be teenage twin angst I think but it just felt too much. The twin drama was well represented though. As someone who has had friends that were twins, if felt very accurate to big fights that can be had between any sibling but definitely twins who are struggling to find who they are away from the other. The feeling were translated very well. I'm not sure I felt much character growth in either girl but Hunter was definitely going through some things.

The plot itself was dragging. Omens Bite felt too much like a filler episode of a TV show. Mercy spent all of her time trying to just get by and help Emily and Hunter was adjusting to her new goddess poorly. There was nothing really happening to move the original plot forward. The trees are still sick and the twins haven't officially made up. No real villain to beat up. There were too many loose ends left open that the next book I feel like will have too much going on.

I received a complimentary copy of Omens Bite from NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I was extremely excited to see that this sequel had been completed, however it went in a very different direction than what I was anticipating and it did not really deliver what I had been expecting. I was a but disappointed and not nearly as interested in this book as I had been drawn to the collaboration of the twin sisters….with the rift in their relationship (which in my opinion should have instead been the climax of one novel) at the center of this book, the two sisters working separately was just not what I was hoping for.

Mercy and Hunter are adrift. Their mother is dead, they’re fighting, and the whole town of Goodeville seems to have turned against them. Hunter isn’t too sure about her new Goddess, Amphitrite, either. Both witches are scrambling against time, trying to figure out how to heal the tree guardians that protect the gates to other realms.

This was…a decent sequel to Spells Trouble. Mercy and Hunter still have a lot of growing up to do, which is odd considering they’re 17 year old witches. I guess witches aren’t good with talking about their feelings, either. They just felt a lot younger in this book, but that could be because of their childish jealousy and fights.
If you have enjoyed other PC and Kristen Cast you will recognize their distinctive cadence and writing styles, carrying the storyline along at frantic pacing at times. A solid addition to their library, and finishing this book you’ll be howling for book 3!