White magic, also known as light magic, is a spiritual practice that involves the use of supernatural powers for positive and benevolent purposes. It is considered the opposite of black magic, which is associated with harmful and malicious intentions. White magic has been practiced by different cultures and religions throughout history, including ancient Egyptians, Druids, and Wiccans. The main idea behind white magic is to harness and channel positive energy, often with the use of rituals, spells, and natural elements. These practices are believed to bring about good fortune, healing, protection, and spiritual enlightenment. White magic practitioners often work with deities, angels, spirits, and other divine entities, seeking their assistance in manifesting their intentions.
I just love a book that's thick with atmosphere. A lot of the creepiness (you know it has to be in there; Tea raises the dead and can control monsters) is created through atmosphere alone. Some of the monsters in this world are truly terrifying.
In the captivating start to a new, darkly lyrical fantasy series for readers of Leigh Bardugo and Sabaa Tahir, Tea can raise the dead, but resurrection comes at a price. I did catch several editorial oopsies in the first book, my day job is as a fiction editor but it wasn t enough to really throw me out of the story too badly.
White magic practitioners often work with deities, angels, spirits, and other divine entities, seeking their assistance in manifesting their intentions. Unlike black magic, which is often driven by personal gain or manipulation of others, white magic focuses on promoting harmony, love, and the greater good. Many white magic spells and rituals are centered around positive affirmations, prayers, and visualization techniques to enhance the desired outcome.
The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco (Book Thoughts)
Thanks to Wyrd & Wonder for hosting a read along for The Bone Witch! This book had been on my TBR for a while since it was pretty popular on Bookstagram. Overall I was disappointed in the read but don’t regret checking it out.
While the weekly discussion posts included spoilers, these are my spoiler free thoughts on the entire novel.
Bookish Quick Facts:
- Title: The Bone Witch
- Series: The Bone Witch #1
- Author: Rin Chupeco
- Publisher & Release: Sourcebooks Fire, 2017
- Length: 432 pages
- Rate & Recommend: ⭐⭐ ✨ for fans of slow moving fantasy
Here’s the synopsis via Am*zon:
A story of scorned witches, sinister curses, and resurrection, The Bone Witch is the start of a dark fantasy trilogy, perfect for fans of Serpent & Dove and The Cruel Prince.
Tea can raise the dead, but resurrection comes at a price…
When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother, Fox, from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she’s a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.
In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha―one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles…and make a powerful choice.
My Thoughts:
I wanted to hit two stars for most of the book and came so close to DNFing.
The one thing I will truly give the book credit for is keeping all content appropriate. There’s one use of the word ‘ass’ and nothing “physically romantic”, so I would let kids read this no problem.
There were a lot of potentially cool elements like resurrection, dark magic, and undead horses. I wanted to like it more but the second quarter lost me irredeemably.
It was hard not having an antagonist or clear conflict throughout. I don’t come to necromancy to read about clothes and dancing, and I’ve already read Memoirs of a Geisha.
At the end, the antagonist that FINALLY popped up felt tossed into the story with no clues, lead up, or prior thought regarding the person. This caused the ending to not be rewarding at all. The antagonist revealed a bunch of new-to-the-reader things that had apparently been ongoing in book land and I found it all very frustrating. Why should r eaders accept this since it has apparently been happening for weeks now but there was no mention of any of it?
Anyway, the story is framed by Tea telling the events of the past to a bard. I kind of liked this because it gave a degree of separation from the teenage first person point of view. Something exciting is building up in the present as Tea bored me to tears with the past. I was expecting the time lines to meet up in book one, although the story that Tea is telling the bard at the end of The Bone Witch is still well behind the events happening in real time. I thought the frame would only frame one book but apparently not, and that’s what I found the most disappointing.
I also think that we wasted a lot of time learning about clothes and Asha customs and it felt essentially like reading Memoirs of a Geisha, to the point that I set it down for a week wondering if I should just go read that book again instead. Basically most of the “Asha Training” was boring as hell and the book left all actual plot and storyline with consequences to be damned until the last quarter or so. I can’t get this to 3 stars.
There are a lot of cool things she could have done with an undead familiar. Fox could have been interesting but there were no consequences to his dead-ness until the third quarter when the author finally decided to characterize him. I also think Tea felt like a wet blanket. She didn’t really have an arc of growth or maturity, it was more about her excelling in “training” and coming through the novice Asha cough Geisha ranks. I can’t even say she’s more mature in present time yet, more powerful yes but the rest is to be determined.
Chupeco did bring out the action and make it all much more interesting in the last quarter but prior to that I hadn’t been compelled to continue reading at any point throughout.
Also I don’t think the author owes the copy editor and proofreader any favors. Some dialogue hinted at previous events that as far as I could tell never occurred. Kalen referred to himself as Kalen a few times in conversation like the author forgot who was talking while writing the conversation, or had originally intended a third person to be talking. This book had a LOT of those kinds of errors. One of my biggest issues was how much of this felt ripped off from other books, it wasn’t just Geisha.
My general lack of interest was the result of lots of small things adding up. In the big picture, the snail slow pace and lack of clear conflict didn’t align with a typical YA novel at all. I’d expect this pace for a slow burning and very long adult fantasy. Speaking of time it was also very hard to tell how much time was passing as the story went. At one point Tea was “almost 15” but I thought she was much older already. Then I couldn’t even remember two years having passed 🤷♀️
There were a few funny parts and some witty dialogue and overall it’s a good idea, but I don’t personally feel like the book delivered. Even at the end when things are heating up and I expected answers, we just got more questions pointing towards the next book.
The series may get better as it goes but I don’t have any immediate interest in continuing the trilogy. It has some redeeming qualities and obviously going forward there’s going to be more action than party training (hopefully).
I’ll say thanks but no thanks to reading onwards 🤷♀️
Memoirs of a Geisha meets The Name of the Wind in this brilliant new fantasy series by Rin Chupeco!
Some common examples of white magic practices include love spells, purification rituals, and healing sessions. It is important to note that white magic is not inherently good or bad; it depends on the intention and actions of the practitioner. While white magic is typically associated with positivity, ethical considerations must be taken into account. This involves respecting the free will of others, not causing harm, and using magic responsibly. In conclusion, white magic is a spiritual practice that involves using supernatural powers for positive and benevolent purposes. It is focused on harnessing positive energy, promoting harmony and the greater good, and working with divine entities. While white magic is often associated with positive intentions, ethical considerations are important to ensure responsible use of these practices..
Reviews for "Cleansing Negative Energy with White Magic: Rituals for Clearing and Protection"
1. Mary - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Whats white magic". I found the storyline to be incredibly weak and predictable. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked depth. The writing style was also very amateurish and the dialogue felt forced. Overall, I just couldn't connect with the story or the characters and it left me feeling unsatisfied.
2. John - 1 star - I cannot believe I wasted my time reading "Whats white magic". The plot was incredibly slow and uninteresting. The author tried to incorporate fantasy elements but it just felt forced and out of place. The dialogue was unrealistic and the characters were not relatable or developed. I struggled to finish this book and would not recommend it to anyone.
3. Sarah - 2 stars - "Whats white magic" was a huge letdown for me. The pacing was all over the place and the story seemed to drag on forever. The writing was lackluster and the descriptions were poorly executed. Additionally, the romance in the book felt forced and lacked chemistry. Overall, I couldn't connect with the characters or the story and was left feeling disappointed and frustrated.
4. Mark - 1 star - I couldn't bring myself to finish "Whats white magic". The writing was incredibly weak and the plot was uninteresting. The characters were poorly developed and their actions and motivations were unclear. I found myself constantly questioning why things were happening and it made for a very frustrating read. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for a captivating and well-written story.
5. Emily - 2 stars - I didn't enjoy "Whats white magic" at all. The writing style was choppy and the story lacked cohesion. The characters were flat and unlikable, making it difficult to invest in their journeys. The plot twists were predictable and didn't add any excitement or intrigue. Overall, this book fell short and I would not recommend it.