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Light and Dark, Good and Bad
Witch of Ware Woods, follows an 18-year-old girl whose magical powers can no longer be hidden, seeking refuge in magical woods she must learn to control her powers. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
Witch of Ware Woods is strongly inspired by the forest behind my grandparent’s house in Massachusetts. As a child, I spent a lot of time in that forest and found it to be magical.
Another big inspiration for this series is my ancestor, Mary, who was hung as a witch in 1720 at the young age of seventeen. I felt compelled to help her – to somehow change her outcome. I wondered if instead of being persecuted she had found refuge in the forest. Witch of Ware Woods is how I envisioned a better life for her.
Sarah is used to being alone but wants desperately to belong and have a sense of family. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
I think Sara’s struggles are very relatable in that we all battle self-doubt while striving for acceptance and love. And to achieve this, we must first accept and love ourselves, faults and all, which is no easy task. While Sara faces many external tests and challenges, it is her inner development that is most important.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
One of my favorite themes is the play between light and dark, good and bad, and all the glorious shades of grey that drive characters. I think this tension lives in all of us to a certain degree and books that explore this are a way for readers to experience the triumphs and failures of certain decisions—to go on an adventure with the characters—from the comfortable distance of a cozy couch. This multifaceted theme plays heavily in Witch of Ware Woods.
Supporting themes include the power of choice and believing in yourself; the importance of family and friends; the wonder of magic and nature and the striking connection between the two.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Death and Dragons is the next book in the Witch of Ware Woods series and will be available in February 2023. I’m very excited to share this next installment where Sara has a crash course in how to be a High Witch and is tested by new allies and enemies alike.
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Eighteen-year-old Sara is not normal, and she’s losing her grip on hiding her inexplicable power. Hunted by a dark witch and facing devastating losses, Sara finds refuge in Ware Woods—a spellbinding forest protected by witches, shapeshifters . . . and thorny secrets. Here she discovers true magic and an electric connection with Thomas, a wickedly charming and equally headstrong witch from a dangerous family.
But Sara is an outsider who has brought darkness and a fatal prophecy to the forest. To prove she belongs in Ware Woods, Sara is tested and pushed to master new magics, all while concealing the monstrous force that makes her undeniably different.
As the dark witch closes in on her and an insidious blight threatens Ware Woods, Sara must release her full power—and either save the forest and everyone she loves or destroy everything.
Witch of Ware Woods is a contemporary fantasy escape filled with fast-paced wonder, fierce characters, deadly magic, forbidden romance, and a world so fresh you can smell the pine trees.
Witch of Ware Woods
Sara, an eighteen-year-old girl, tried to keep her everyday life safe as best as she could despite her unexplainable powers. With the help of her parents, she has long isolated herself from others, opting for homeschooling over attending the local high school and favoring a dog’s company over any other person’s. However, when Sara’s abilities can no longer be hidden, her parents decide to take a trip, which comes with a tragic and shocking end. Sara must learn to build new relationships, accept her losses, and harness her powers to either save or doom her and the people she has recently met but immediately become something she has been missing —family.
Witch of Ware Woods, by Sonja F. Blanco, is a well-crafted fantasy story about family. This novel was a great surprise due to its inclusion of close-knit families who built a community within themselves. Unfortunately, when it comes to teenagers and magic, characters are often neglected and detached from their biological families, left to fend for themselves and discover their potential on their own. This is not the case with Witch of Ware Woods, where the characters supported one another and made sure to address their issues collectively.
Blanco’s world-building is phenomenal; there is a lot to take in initially as you get a feel for the magical woods. The author dedicates a reasonable amount of time to describing Ware Woods. Detail is paid to every nook and cranny, the homey feel of the families’ culture, providing readers with excellent visualization of what living there is supposed to be like, with or without the magic.
The characters’ dialogue is also note-worthy because they contribute to the important events in the story, no matter how easily a line can be overlooked. Getting Sara’s point of view during the process is also a great help for its readers because she was confused in the beginning and must receive the fast-paced information from everyone with comprehension.
This captivating fantasy novel is an excellent starting point for a new magical world, and I believe its readers will only crave more. Everything that has happened in Sara’s life was not a walk in the park, but to see her slowly begin to adapt to her surroundings and eventually love where she ends up, is an inspiration that goes beyond the pages. I recommend this to anyone who would like to detach themselves from reality but stay somehow grounded in humanity, for the book maintains a healthy middle ground between both.
Pages: 421 | ASIN : B09F5SDZ9L
LITERARY TITAN 