"As World War I rages, there are evils—both living and dead—that only a witch can see."
The Witch's Lens is the first in the series of The Order of the Seven Stars and it drew me in by the cover. This book had a interesting storyline and the elements in the book were as well. Sadly this book got confusing for me and it was slow as well. I was disappointed in this book and I wish it was better. The characters were okay in this one and I liked Petra. I would still tell readers who love historical fiction or fantasy to give this one a try. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this read in exchange of my honest review of The Witch's Lens.

This had such a cool concept and the characters were written ok. I just didn’t enjoy the story as much as I wanted to. It was sometimes too confusing and I kept wondering with Petra why she was even there?? I would definitely read more from this author though - just this particular story didn’t hit for me personally.

Ich weiß ehrlich gesagt nicht, wie ich dieses Buch bewerten soll, da ich es aufgrund relativ kurzer Ausleihdauer (ohne Verlängerung) nicht lesen konnte.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was a wonderful start to a new series and I look forward to the next book. This story was intriguing with quite. Abit of witchy vibes.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

The Witch's Lens was a mix of witchcraft magical realism in WWII period. Was that a good combination? Well, I am still quite unsure about it even now that the last page has been long past read. Do I love to read witchcraft, the answer is yes and if asked if WWII era the best historical fiction to indulged? Again, the answer is YES.
Petra Kulkova was a young witch that was married to a soldier sent fighting in the fronts. She has fled and hidden her talents from the people she is with today but in reality, she has the great talent of capturing the spirits of the dead by feeling their presence and manifesting in the photos she took. One night, she was approached by a certain Josef Svovoda and convinced her to join the forces in fighting the war using her art. Desperate for a place to live, a purpose in life and belongingness in general, Petra accepted the offer on hand and embarked in on a journey and adventure that she has never imagined to encounter in her life.
I rated this book three stars. Luanne Smith has a good skill of writing about witchcraft that takes me a step up to feeling extra magical. Paired with the action, grimness and thrill of the heartbreaking events of WWII, this plot makes a good historical fiction. I enjoyed the ride reading this book but I must admit that it did not captivate me like I expected it would. It was all worth of the time I dedicated to its every page but I feel like Luanne has not poured the secret potion to take this story to its full greatness.
Special Thank You to Netgalley and Amazon First Reads for the advance e-copy in exchage of my honest review.

The Witch's Lens immediately intrigued me upon reading the synopsis as I am a big fan of all things witchy and historical fiction. It definitely sounded unique and like it was up my alley.

I settled on 4 stars for this one because I did enjoy it, but there were times where I felt my interest straying a bit. I loved Smith's writing style, with her vivid imagery and descriptions. However, I did feel as though parts of the story moved a little slow, especially in the beginning, and wish there would have been some more context with various parts of the story that seemed to be a little too vague.

Overall, I did really like this book and would definitely pick up the sequel.

A unique and haunting read and a great start to a new series. The plot is mysterious with talk of magic and the undead. I want to learn more about Petra and look forward to the next installment.
Many thanks to 47North and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book and thought that the pace was good on this book. It blended historical/ romance/ fantasy so well. This was so good to read! I can't wait for the next book. So good!!
I just reviewed The Witch's Lens by Luanne G. Smith. #TheWitchsLens #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

This was my very first historical fantasy and I am here for it. I love both genres already but putting them together just makes for a unique story.

It was kinda slow to get into, but it did pick up. I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen.

Any fans of historical fiction, witches, magic, this is the book for you

Thanks to NetGalley & 47North for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I dropped it at 20% of the way through.

It had a really cool concept, witches vs WW2 zombies but it was written in the most tedious way--even though the concept is fascinating--the writing was moving at a slow, monotonous pace.

Such a great book! Most of my historical fiction books are based on the War against Napoleon or WWII, so having read a WWI was exciting... specially if it envolves magic. Petra is amazing. Sometimes, I wanted to kill her but she is a very interesting character. Josef is the grumpy one but after all he has gone through, I can understand it. Keep writing like this!

Luanne G. Smith starts a tale of witches on the Eastern side of the Great War. Petra Kurková has been hiding her witchery while hoping her husband has survived volunteering for war. Her camera acts as The Witch's Lens (paper from 47North) to photograph ghosts. Unfortunately her country’s troops are under attack by Zombies, and Petra finds herself drafted by Josef Svoboda who has put together a small group of witches that somehow had managed to avoid the draft. Behind the scenes there are powerful magicians, one of whom is responsible for the zombies and the huge storms affecting the Imperial troops. Petra,who is very powerful, has been hiding her abilities and now must reveal herself to save her team. Lots of fun and I look forward to the sequel.

Petra is a witch who is called to action with other fellow magical folks to try and change the course of a war. People are dying at the hands of supernatural creatures; Petra and her team are there to figure out the who’s and the why’s. Secrets are unearthed as they attempt to stop more lives from being lost.

I’ll be honest, there could have been so much more to this story. I like the concept, my interest varied throughout the book but a lot of times but I really needed more depth. The ending definitely captured my attention more than the first half, it’s the reason I ended up giving the book a higher rating.

I think more could have gone into this book, I wouldn’t have minded a longer book just to get some more background and details thrown it. I feel like this is always over looked in series, they keep hold of things for the next story BUT the first story has to be good enough for me to want to read the next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this story.

Unfortunately, this was just not for me. I enjoyed the concept for the most part. Anything witch related and historical fiction always gets my attention. I just couldn't find myself following along and staying focused.

This book was slightly confusing at the beginning, but I ended up really liking it. It was an interesting blend of fantasy and historical fiction. I really enjoyed the characterization of Petra. She was a very strong woman who was able to put her mission ahead of her emotions and was able to carry on even though she went through many hardships. I enjoy with the heroine of the story is like that. I would highly recommend this book the anyone that enjoys magic realism and historical fiction being blended together.

I loved this! Slightly slow at first but the stor th is wonderful. I can't wait to read the rest of the series

I loved this book. Very intriguing concept. The book drew me in with its atmospheric descriptions and caught my attention after the first few chapters. Loved the backdrop and the story and loved her style of writing. If you like atmospheric supernatural settings, this is the book for you. I hope to read more of her books as I love her writing.
I felt like I was in the story.

Witchy book!

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc copy of this book.

Spooky season had me seeking something witchy and this was an interesting one at that.

Set in WWI, the story follows Petra, her husband gone to fight in the war, so she delves into the world around her with a camera in hand. What could possibly go wrong..

Petra Kurková’s life of quiet desperation is a little different from the usual kind, as Luanne G. Smith’s engrossing novel The Witch’s Lens opens. That her husband is off fighting for the Austro-Hungarian Empire during the disastrous First World War is ordinary enough. Her method of making money is rather different: she tells fortunes to make rent and keep herself fed. Even more unusually, she roams the streets of Prague late at night, photographing the city’s ghosts. Things get even weirder—and more dangerous—when Josef Svoboda badgers her into accepting a commission on the Empire’s behalf.

Smith’s version of our world is full of witches and magical monsters. Although witchcraft is entirely above ground, Petra has been hiding herself for years. There are hints that she’s not like other witches. (Thankfully, Smith doesn’t leave us hanging too much. All secrets are revealed by the end of the book.) But Josef’s insistence that she join a ragtag group of clearly passed-over magic makers for an important mission is too strong to ignore; there’s also the fact that Petra is evicted shortly after the man bludgeons his way into her life. With nothing else for her in Prague, Petra packs up her photography gear and her husband’s clothes and follows Josef into the mountains to hunt down terrifying creatures that don’t want to stay dead.

What really hooked me to this story was Smith’s use of Slavic folklore and witchcraft. World War I is transformed by an entire layer of magical warfare. While men fight in the trenches on the eastern and western fronts, witches and sorcerors do battle with each other with hexes and conjured creatures. Petra seems like small fry, at least until she starts to realize that the plan to get her out of the city and into the mountains was a ruse. There’s an even bigger plot—and a lot more skullduggery—than she knew.

There were some clumsy moments in The Witch’s Lens. A romantic subplot is telegraphed from a mile away. I didn’t mind so much, since I liked the characters involved. But there’s enough originality and folklore here to make up for a few clangers. I’m curious to see where this series goes.