mlboyd20's review
5.0
I would like to thank the author for providing a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Doing so does not sway my review in any way.
Having read several of the author’s books, I get a little nervous when he shifts topic gears. What if I don’t like it? What if I just can’t get into the book? So many what ifs. Once again, David Estes has swept the rug from under my feet and off I went on another adventure just thrilling and crazy as Alice in the rabbit hole.
Witches, wizards and warlocks… not just your every day run of the mill type either. These are ones with a grudge. Society has pushed them over the edge and they are taking no prisoners. Rhett has lost all that was dear to him and as he seeks his revenge, he meets new friends and magic guides him along. Together they will face whatever gets in their way.
In the beginning of the book, you learn a few things about what is going on and who Rhett and his family and friends are. The author really knows how to put together a diverse group of characters, build up their strengths and weaknesses and present it to the reader in a way that does everyone justice. The characters become solid beings to the readers pretty quickly and the loss that Rhett feels resonates in the reader’s core.
There is darkness to this novel that is quite unique. The brutality of the witches, the heavy loss of life, but also the revenge that feeds into the characters to keep on moving. The author is able to keep the story moving, not losing momentum and the reader wants nothing more to know what’s going to happen next. The layers of stories, the emotions that pulse from each character, the level of destruction throughout isn’t jumbled or strewn about; there is equality to it all.
This is an exceptional first book to a series. It delivers again and again and again to the reader. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a thriller mixed with an apocalyptic event and aren’t afraid of a bit of traumatic death here and there. I recommend this to the older teen reader through the oldest adult. An amazing read and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, Boil, which will be out shortly.
Having read several of the author’s books, I get a little nervous when he shifts topic gears. What if I don’t like it? What if I just can’t get into the book? So many what ifs. Once again, David Estes has swept the rug from under my feet and off I went on another adventure just thrilling and crazy as Alice in the rabbit hole.
Witches, wizards and warlocks… not just your every day run of the mill type either. These are ones with a grudge. Society has pushed them over the edge and they are taking no prisoners. Rhett has lost all that was dear to him and as he seeks his revenge, he meets new friends and magic guides him along. Together they will face whatever gets in their way.
In the beginning of the book, you learn a few things about what is going on and who Rhett and his family and friends are. The author really knows how to put together a diverse group of characters, build up their strengths and weaknesses and present it to the reader in a way that does everyone justice. The characters become solid beings to the readers pretty quickly and the loss that Rhett feels resonates in the reader’s core.
There is darkness to this novel that is quite unique. The brutality of the witches, the heavy loss of life, but also the revenge that feeds into the characters to keep on moving. The author is able to keep the story moving, not losing momentum and the reader wants nothing more to know what’s going to happen next. The layers of stories, the emotions that pulse from each character, the level of destruction throughout isn’t jumbled or strewn about; there is equality to it all.
This is an exceptional first book to a series. It delivers again and again and again to the reader. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a thriller mixed with an apocalyptic event and aren’t afraid of a bit of traumatic death here and there. I recommend this to the older teen reader through the oldest adult. An amazing read and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, Boil, which will be out shortly.
kerrithebookbelle's review
5.0
The Dwellers series by David is an amazing one, and my favorite of his...until this one came along.
Set in a not-too-distant future where witches, warlocks, and wizard are essentially rival gangs in the ruins of the United States, Brew has the post-apocalyptic genre on lock! The characters are funny, down-to-earth, and multi-dimensional. Laney one of the most kickass female characters since Katniss, and Rhett is a great combination of badass mixed with what-the-actual-hell-am-I-doing. The plot is great, and the pacing is always at full speed.
A thrill ride you won't want to miss, Brew is a fantastic combination of fantasy and post-apocalyptic that'll have you desperate for the sequel!
**DISCLAIMER: I am a beta reader for David Estes, and received a free final copy eARC for review purposes**
Set in a not-too-distant future where witches, warlocks, and wizard are essentially rival gangs in the ruins of the United States, Brew has the post-apocalyptic genre on lock! The characters are funny, down-to-earth, and multi-dimensional. Laney one of the most kickass female characters since Katniss, and Rhett is a great combination of badass mixed with what-the-actual-hell-am-I-doing. The plot is great, and the pacing is always at full speed.
A thrill ride you won't want to miss, Brew is a fantastic combination of fantasy and post-apocalyptic that'll have you desperate for the sequel!
**DISCLAIMER: I am a beta reader for David Estes, and received a free final copy eARC for review purposes**
printedadventures's review
3.0
Brew was different. I like Estes' other works and saw this one and decided to give it a go.
The concept was interesting, with all the warring witch gangs and hunters in the mix. But the time jumps were jarring to me. But I'm curious as to where this story will get to. There were twists I completely didn't see coming and action I wasn't expecting.
I do have to say that one of my favorite parts of this book was the dog. Hex was the best.
All in all an interesting book about having to grow up too soon, facing your fears, accepting and adapting, witches who can do anything from flying , bring back the dead, throw fireballs and change into animals to eat your face. A good read.
The concept was interesting, with all the warring witch gangs and hunters in the mix. But the time jumps were jarring to me. But I'm curious as to where this story will get to. There were twists I completely didn't see coming and action I wasn't expecting.
I do have to say that one of my favorite parts of this book was the dog. Hex was the best.
All in all an interesting book about having to grow up too soon, facing your fears, accepting and adapting, witches who can do anything from flying , bring back the dead, throw fireballs and change into animals to eat your face. A good read.
dom1976's review
5.0
Rhett is a foster child in a somewhat normal life. He`s a nerdy book loving blogger football player high school student, who hangs with his journalist girlfriend Beth and his best friend/bodyguard Xavier.
People are being accused of being witches and Rhett doesn`t believe that witches or warlocks even exist in real life. In just one night, the witches exact their revenge and in an instant Rhett lose his foster family, his girlfriend and best friend are abducted by a group of Necromancers. He is saved by his mysterious neighbor and is trained to become stronger so he can save his friends and avenge his family.
Travelling with his witch experiment dog Hex, he meets Laney and her traumatized little sister Trish; they seek the truth and also a way to survive.
First of all, I appreciated the fact that the main character Rhett was dark skinned and a nerd!
The plot was great, very imaginative and well written. The story was intriguing, witches, warlocks, necromancers, sirens, the all a purpose in the story without being confusing. A lot of action, the dialogue was well thought, serious and humorous mixed together wasn`t over the top.
Each characters were intrigual in Rhett`s crusade, to Mr. Jackson who saved and trained him, Lainey, the tough teenager who is trying to protect her sister Trish who doesn’t talk but with her gestures, gives message and who also has a secret and Hex, the dog who has magical powers because a witch experimented a little too much on him (wish my dog had magic!).
While reading this book, I felt it went very fast , was never bored and wanted to know more which the sequel Boil will be on my to read list.
Great book 4.5 stars.
People are being accused of being witches and Rhett doesn`t believe that witches or warlocks even exist in real life. In just one night, the witches exact their revenge and in an instant Rhett lose his foster family, his girlfriend and best friend are abducted by a group of Necromancers. He is saved by his mysterious neighbor and is trained to become stronger so he can save his friends and avenge his family.
Travelling with his witch experiment dog Hex, he meets Laney and her traumatized little sister Trish; they seek the truth and also a way to survive.
First of all, I appreciated the fact that the main character Rhett was dark skinned and a nerd!
The plot was great, very imaginative and well written. The story was intriguing, witches, warlocks, necromancers, sirens, the all a purpose in the story without being confusing. A lot of action, the dialogue was well thought, serious and humorous mixed together wasn`t over the top.
Each characters were intrigual in Rhett`s crusade, to Mr. Jackson who saved and trained him, Lainey, the tough teenager who is trying to protect her sister Trish who doesn’t talk but with her gestures, gives message and who also has a secret and Hex, the dog who has magical powers because a witch experimented a little too much on him (wish my dog had magic!).
While reading this book, I felt it went very fast , was never bored and wanted to know more which the sequel Boil will be on my to read list.
Great book 4.5 stars.
the_cover_contessa's review
4.0
I would like to thank David for providing me with a copy of this book from his newest series to read and give an honest review. Receiving this book for free has in no way influenced my opinion or review.
Blurb:
Salem’s Revenge strikes without warning or mercy, ravaging the powerless human race under the forces of united gangs of witches, wizards, and warlocks. During the slaughter, Rhett Carter's foster parents and sister are killed, and his best friend and girlfriend are abducted by a gang of witches calling themselves the Necromancers, who deal in the dark magic of raising the dead. Rhett’s sword-wielding neighbor with a mysterious past saves Rhett from becoming another casualty of the massacre and teaches him the skills he needs to survive in this new world.
Rhett is broken, his normal high school life of book blogging and football playing shoved in a witch-apocalyptic blender. The only thing he has left is his burning desire for revenge. Armed with his new witch hunting skills and a loyal, magic powered dog named Hex, he sets out into the unknown with one mission: hunt and destroy those who took away everyone he ever loved.
But Rhett isn’t just a witch hunter; he has secrets of his own that he has yet to discover, secrets that his enemies will stop at nothing to keep him from.
And discovering the truth about himself is the human race’s only hope.
If you know me I'm a huge Estes fan. I love everything he writes, so it's no surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Not only is a great to see a YA book from the male POV (my favorite) but he's witch hunter to boot (hello Supernatural!). So of course I jumped right in and I was not disappointed in the least!
Meet Rhett. Rhett's world changed when the witches took over. He went from high-school boy with a girlfriend living a nice life, to hunting witches and not having a family to speak of. He goes from jock to super hunter in no time flat. He's snarky and out for revenge, or at least out to avenge his family.
David gives great background at the beginning of the book, showing us exactly what happened and what lead up to it. I love that we meet a character who becomes very important later in the book. There's a lot of darkness throughout the book. Don't think you'll go into this one and watch cool spells Harry Potter style. Nope, there's destruction and the battle for who will claim ultimate power.
The world building is so great. David has rich descriptions of the surroundings and total destruction that has happened because of the witches. And while you know this world is not real, it's impossible to not picture it in your mind and see that it's an absolute possibility (even if witches aren't real...or are they?). And not only are they fighting with the humans, they are fighting amongst themselves for control. So while they've already pretty much taken over, things are still getting destroyed because they are not done! And there are so many different kinds of witches with so many different powers. They are hell bent on destroying each other!
While there is a hint of romance in this book, the book does not revolve around this theme at all. The undertone is there, but the important part of the story is how Rhett becomes a hero, or at least tries to become one.
As with all of David's books, his characters are great. They are rich and full of many dimensions. You feel an immediate connection with them. Not only is Rhett down to earth and a little angsty, but his companion, Laney, puts the snark in snarky. She's funny and loyal and very protective.
And David's books would not be complete with some kind of companion for the MC. In Fire Country we got Perry. In Brew you get to meet Hex, who is definitely the coolest dog to ever walk the universe (I won't tell you why and let you see for yourself). I do promise that Hex's antics will not disappoint in any way, shape or form!
And interesting addition to this book are the snippets from Rhett's journal. They really get you inside his head and help you to understand who he is and what he's doing. You see how he was before and after the witchy take over. It's great to watch especially as he becomes stronger and stronger.
Fans of post apocalyptic fiction and shows like The Walking Dead and Supernatural will truly love this story of witches and power.
Blurb:
Salem’s Revenge strikes without warning or mercy, ravaging the powerless human race under the forces of united gangs of witches, wizards, and warlocks. During the slaughter, Rhett Carter's foster parents and sister are killed, and his best friend and girlfriend are abducted by a gang of witches calling themselves the Necromancers, who deal in the dark magic of raising the dead. Rhett’s sword-wielding neighbor with a mysterious past saves Rhett from becoming another casualty of the massacre and teaches him the skills he needs to survive in this new world.
Rhett is broken, his normal high school life of book blogging and football playing shoved in a witch-apocalyptic blender. The only thing he has left is his burning desire for revenge. Armed with his new witch hunting skills and a loyal, magic powered dog named Hex, he sets out into the unknown with one mission: hunt and destroy those who took away everyone he ever loved.
But Rhett isn’t just a witch hunter; he has secrets of his own that he has yet to discover, secrets that his enemies will stop at nothing to keep him from.
And discovering the truth about himself is the human race’s only hope.
If you know me I'm a huge Estes fan. I love everything he writes, so it's no surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Not only is a great to see a YA book from the male POV (my favorite) but he's witch hunter to boot (hello Supernatural!). So of course I jumped right in and I was not disappointed in the least!
Meet Rhett. Rhett's world changed when the witches took over. He went from high-school boy with a girlfriend living a nice life, to hunting witches and not having a family to speak of. He goes from jock to super hunter in no time flat. He's snarky and out for revenge, or at least out to avenge his family.
David gives great background at the beginning of the book, showing us exactly what happened and what lead up to it. I love that we meet a character who becomes very important later in the book. There's a lot of darkness throughout the book. Don't think you'll go into this one and watch cool spells Harry Potter style. Nope, there's destruction and the battle for who will claim ultimate power.
The world building is so great. David has rich descriptions of the surroundings and total destruction that has happened because of the witches. And while you know this world is not real, it's impossible to not picture it in your mind and see that it's an absolute possibility (even if witches aren't real...or are they?). And not only are they fighting with the humans, they are fighting amongst themselves for control. So while they've already pretty much taken over, things are still getting destroyed because they are not done! And there are so many different kinds of witches with so many different powers. They are hell bent on destroying each other!
While there is a hint of romance in this book, the book does not revolve around this theme at all. The undertone is there, but the important part of the story is how Rhett becomes a hero, or at least tries to become one.
As with all of David's books, his characters are great. They are rich and full of many dimensions. You feel an immediate connection with them. Not only is Rhett down to earth and a little angsty, but his companion, Laney, puts the snark in snarky. She's funny and loyal and very protective.
And David's books would not be complete with some kind of companion for the MC. In Fire Country we got Perry. In Brew you get to meet Hex, who is definitely the coolest dog to ever walk the universe (I won't tell you why and let you see for yourself). I do promise that Hex's antics will not disappoint in any way, shape or form!
And interesting addition to this book are the snippets from Rhett's journal. They really get you inside his head and help you to understand who he is and what he's doing. You see how he was before and after the witchy take over. It's great to watch especially as he becomes stronger and stronger.
Fans of post apocalyptic fiction and shows like The Walking Dead and Supernatural will truly love this story of witches and power.
booklife4life's review
4.0
Edit 11/18: i changed my rating to 4 stars, the more i thought about some parts and after reading some of my friend's reviews, i realize some things that bothered me too much
I receive a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review
Title: Brew
Series: Salem's Revenge #1
Author: David Estes
Format: PDF file, 454 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Time to Read: 2 days
Recommend it to?: Anyone who likes reading about bad witches getting their butts kicked!
My Review:OH MY GOODNESS!!!
I couldn't put this down at all, i put off work for this book! i just kept turning the page!
Plot:We humans fear things we can't explain, and instead of embracing, we destroy. Salem's Return, humans killing "witches" without any proper evidence. Well the real witches in the world didn't like that too much, so they fight back. Salem's Revenge, all the different witches and warlocks gang up to destroy humans. They do a pretty good job of whipping out a good majority of us in a single day. Rhett Carter's family is killed and he becomes a witch hunter.
Main Characters:
Rhett:The whole story is told from Rhett POV. He's a book blogger :] so that scores some points with me! He's also a jock, football player! He's a bit of a coward in the beginning but the world makes hard.
Laney:She's amazing. She doesn't take shiz from anyone and says whatever the heck she wants! All she cares about is her sisters safety and maybe Rhett towards the end :] she's my witch killing side kick :]
Overall: This is a must read and everyone needs to read this!! it's filled with action and love :]
I receive a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review
Title: Brew
Series: Salem's Revenge #1
Author: David Estes
Format: PDF file, 454 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Time to Read: 2 days
Recommend it to?: Anyone who likes reading about bad witches getting their butts kicked!
My Review:OH MY GOODNESS!!!
I couldn't put this down at all, i put off work for this book! i just kept turning the page!
Plot:We humans fear things we can't explain, and instead of embracing, we destroy. Salem's Return, humans killing "witches" without any proper evidence. Well the real witches in the world didn't like that too much, so they fight back. Salem's Revenge, all the different witches and warlocks gang up to destroy humans. They do a pretty good job of whipping out a good majority of us in a single day. Rhett Carter's family is killed and he becomes a witch hunter.
Main Characters:
Rhett:The whole story is told from Rhett POV. He's a book blogger :] so that scores some points with me! He's also a jock, football player! He's a bit of a coward in the beginning but the world makes hard.
Laney:She's amazing. She doesn't take shiz from anyone and says whatever the heck she wants! All she cares about is her sisters safety and maybe Rhett towards the end :] she's my witch killing side kick :]
Overall: This is a must read and everyone needs to read this!! it's filled with action and love :]
catreads247's review
2.0
I had to stop. It was interesting at first, but I just felt like it wasn't going anywhere and I got bored pretty quick.
ksmarsden's review
4.0
Rhett has everything he could hope for, a supportive foster family, and his two best friends. He's a book blogging geek, but school is survivable due to a promising american football career.
One night sees the whole world thrown into chaos, as witches rise up to seek revenge for hundreds of years of persecution. They kill what humans they can, playing with the survivors.
Thanks to his mysterious neighbour Mr Jackson, Rhett not only survives, but is trained to kill witches.
I am a huge fan of witch stories (who knew!), especially when they are cast as something strong and morally questionable.
The witch gangs exploit the apocalypse and battle survivors and each other for territory.
Rhett quickly adapts to being a witch hunter. In fact, it turns out that he's rather good at it. After a few months training with Mr Jackson, Rhett finally tears away, with the sole drive of finding his best friend Xave and girlfriend Beth.
Rhett was just a nice, normal guy. He was hardened by the constant fight to survive, and having to kill to survive. He was single-minded in finding his friends, logic told him they are dead, but he won't rest until they are rescued or revenged.
I felt he kept his head stuck in the sand - with him being our hero and narrator, it did make it rather hard to see the bigger picture. I never felt I really knew what was going on, and what my opinion should be of the separate parties.
After leaving Mr Jackson, there was a period of it being one man and his dog (Hex is awesome, I love him). Personally I felt the story lagged here, and it was only when he meets sisters Laney and Trish did it really pick up and get interesting.
I felt that the story was very similar to a zombie apocalypse video game. Move. Fight. Kill. Meet character to impart some details. Move. Kill. Score weapons.
It often swung between a 3 and a 5 star for me. It's a good book, but not my personal favourite from Estes' work.
One night sees the whole world thrown into chaos, as witches rise up to seek revenge for hundreds of years of persecution. They kill what humans they can, playing with the survivors.
Thanks to his mysterious neighbour Mr Jackson, Rhett not only survives, but is trained to kill witches.
I am a huge fan of witch stories (who knew!), especially when they are cast as something strong and morally questionable.
The witch gangs exploit the apocalypse and battle survivors and each other for territory.
Rhett quickly adapts to being a witch hunter. In fact, it turns out that he's rather good at it. After a few months training with Mr Jackson, Rhett finally tears away, with the sole drive of finding his best friend Xave and girlfriend Beth.
Rhett was just a nice, normal guy. He was hardened by the constant fight to survive, and having to kill to survive. He was single-minded in finding his friends, logic told him they are dead, but he won't rest until they are rescued or revenged.
I felt he kept his head stuck in the sand - with him being our hero and narrator, it did make it rather hard to see the bigger picture. I never felt I really knew what was going on, and what my opinion should be of the separate parties.
After leaving Mr Jackson, there was a period of it being one man and his dog (Hex is awesome, I love him). Personally I felt the story lagged here, and it was only when he meets sisters Laney and Trish did it really pick up and get interesting.
I felt that the story was very similar to a zombie apocalypse video game. Move. Fight. Kill. Meet character to impart some details. Move. Kill. Score weapons.
It often swung between a 3 and a 5 star for me. It's a good book, but not my personal favourite from Estes' work.
trinforeman's review
While I love the concept and even the storyline I am not a fan of conversational writing. Even though I didn't love the writing style I decided to finish the book and enjoyed it. I, however do not think I will finish the series. Just not my cup-o-tea.