Blood Magick: The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy, Book 3

BLOOD MAGICK concludes the trilogy of books about the cousins O'Dwyer. It is the story of two people who have loved one another most of their lives and yet have been kept apart by evil hundreds of years old.THE STORY: Branna O'Dwyer and Finbar Burke grew up together and dreamed of living their lives together. The two are witches who matched incredibly well. The first time they made love as teens, however, Fin was marked with the sign of Cabhan, the evil sorcerer who tried to kill Branna's ancestor. The mark signifies that Fin is descendant from Cabhan. Branna broke things off with Fin because she knew that they could not be together when the evil that is Cabhan continues to stalk her family. Through the first two books of the series, Fin and Branna worked together as the people in their lives intertwined. In this book, the three cousins joined by those who love them, plot the final confrontation with Cabhan that will free them all.OPINION: This was my favorite book of the series. Branna and Fin have loved each other even though they have been kept apart by the evils of Cabhan and the curse of Branna's ancestor. The pain and angst of these two who love each other and yet know that they cannot be together is beautifully written. At the same time, there is such rightness in the two being together that I had to keep reading every page wondering how the two would work out the problems facing them.I especially liked that there were no false conflicts set between Fin and Branna. The only thing keeping them apart in this book is the external forces. There is no doubt that they have loved each other through the twelve years of their separation despite the fact that each has gone on to live their lives. The truth and strength of the love of two people who cannot see a way to be together permeates the story.I also really enjoyed that both characters are strong, but not brittle. They have deep vulnerabilities to each other and to their friends and family, but they use the love that binds all of them. In the end, it is the love that is their greatest strength. The book is about the connections that bind us to others and the strength that comes from opening oneself up to that love.The story ended as one might expect and yet the journey was deeply satisfying and I am happy to recommend this book.WORTH MENTIONING: Roberts has a special touch with her witchcraft books. The book is informative and respectful without being preachy or shrill. The subject matter may be paranormal and yet these characters are deeply grounded in reality in so many ways that the witchcraft angle feels real and solid instead of fanciful.FINAL DECISION: This is my favorite book of the series. I think it is a definite read for those who have followed the trilogy, but I think that it is best as part of that trilogy.CONNECTED BOOK: BLOOD MAGICK is the third and final book in the Cousins O'Dwyer series. The book can be read on its own, but the story of Cabhan and in fact, the story of Branna and Fin have been a part of all three books and I must recommend that readers start with the first book in the series, DARK WITCH, and continue with SHADOW SPELL in order to fully appreciate the story.STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars!

I read a lot of Nora's books, and always enjoy her writing. Having just read Year One, which was a departure from her typical style, I was in the mood for more fantasy. I downloaded Blood Magickfirst by accident thinking it was the first in this series, so I felt compelled to read all 3. If I hadn't bought Blood Magick first I actually would've stopped after Dark Witch. I usually find Nora's books to be page turners, this series was the rare exception. Dark Witch was boring with no climax, and this series really could've been made into one book instead of stretched into three to make more money. By the time I got to Blood Magick I lost interest in the story, but just wanted to finish to get to the ending. The books are repetitive, with a lot of unnecessary filler like describing the meals the characters eat in great detail. I felt like I kept waiting for something to happen that never came. A giant letdown and waste of the week it took to get through these boring books.

A thoroughly satisfying end to the series. Though I said a lot in the previous reviews about how I don’t find Nora Roberts’ books as engrossing and loved as I used to, I still find them to be what I expect when I flip the pages.There’s challenge and sacrifice, there’s always a happy ending, and there are characters that – despite often feeling like a mash up of previous characters – feel real, too.I said, initially, that these books are often a comfort to me, a palate cleanser. And they are. Knowing what I’m going to get is the best thing in the world here.It’s also a bit of the worst because I want that awe and excitement that I had when I first started reading Nora Roberts, but there’s something to be said for dependable comfort.

So - this is a good trilogy, and I like Nora Roberts. Is it me, or is the format of these trilogies getting pretty redundant? There is a lot in common with the ones that center around witchcraft - same kind of language, and similar characters. Her trilogies usually have three lead characters - one who is spunky and cute, one who is quiet and may have experienced some kind of life trauma, and one who is the most beautiful - and the beautiful character is typically the last in the series. It feels a little phoned in sometimes, like there are editors operating with a checklist of plot and character components.Roberts is a good writer, and I especially like the way the friendships between the women are written. The dialog is natural and fun, and seems real. I actually like these relationships as much or more than the romantic ones. I still will read what she writes, and I also like the individual novels.I just wish she would explore more of the non-supernatural genres, like the bride quartet and a few others. She's great - and could stretch her wings a bit more.

Blood Magick is the final book in this series and brings Branna and Fin back together. Once teenage sweethearts their lives were pulled apart when Fin developed a demon mark. However, to finally defeat the evil Cabhan, they must put their past behind them and find a way to deal with the demon who is trying to take their powers.There is a lot going on in this trilogy, with plenty of magic, time slips, battles with evil and animal interactions. There is plenty of romance too which I looked forward to and the Irish setting was delightful. However, at times I felt it dragged a little and I was always conscious that nothing would be totally solved until the end of book three. So although generally I like this author’s writing, this particular trilogy isn’t one that I would rush to re-read.

I had found the book both lovely and imaginative as I'm both Wiccan and PAGAN as well SO ....I would have gone into detail about this but I found the use of the name of the demon, discovered at the end of this book, deeply offensive, as it is the name (and not a common one) of a Pagan god!!!! Is this a matter of ignorance or a pop at my religion? I am really upset by this and I'd read the whole trilogy before discovering it. I cant quite believe it!!!

I'm reviewing the whole trilogy really. Having not read any Nora Roberts before I was not disappointed by any repeats from her other works as others appear to have been. It's a fun escapist read that entertains if you don't take it too seriously. Think some of the reviews for this trilogy are quite harsh, I like a good story and don't expect historical accuracy, its a story :-) If your up for a few hours of easy escapism, with a bit of love & magic i'm sure you won't be too disappointed....

This, the third part of the series was more exciting than part two, which fell rather flat. There is good characterisation and an interesting story line but why oh why is so little research done by the author or her researcher. Again there were many anachronisms in the medieval part of the story. The family were sitting down to tea and bread and jam again. I'm surprised they weren't watching the tv at the same time! It also felt as if someone had given Ms Roberts a dictionary of British swear words which were mixed and matched at random. Personally I have never heard 'shagging' used as an adjective. (That's a shagging shame etc) but possibly I am out of touch. There was also a touch of 'double, double, toil and trouble' about the spells used. I'm surprised that there wasn't any 'eye of newt and toe of frog', This having been said it was a romping good read with the usual mixture of supernatural events and romance. Worth a read.

It is almost beyond belief how this managed to stretch to three books. The amount of time spent around the tables eating and drinking makes me wonder how they ever got anything done. Although I kept reading to the end, I felt overall that the storyline was weak and repetitive. It had the potential to give so much more.