The Price Guide to the Occult

Nor Blackburn is the daughter of a witch, who was the daughter of a witch, going back over a hundred years. Nor’s talents, while just surfacing, are nothing like the talents her mother, Fern, possesses. Nor’s last memory of her mother was when Fern tried to make a blood sacrifice with Nor’s blood, and her grandmother whisked her away to safety. Now Nor is simply trying to get by – she doesn’t want super powers or the cursed love life that plagues her family tree. However, her mother’s newly published book, The Price Guide to the Occult, puts an end to all her wishes. Now she just hopes she can stay alive.

This dark tale doesn’t need a stepmother to hold all the attention – Nor’s mother is evil incarnate, the epitome of the parent living through her child…and her blood. The situation is excessively difficult on Nor, who turns to cutting to cope. The writing is halting and scattered, the characterization bland, and some loose ends are left untied at the end, though no sequel is mentioned. Readers who enjoy paranormal witch stories, with the hint of a romance, may enjoy this one, but it is not for the discerning paranormal reader.