A review by galaxygraves
Blood Witch by Cate Tiernan

3.0

When Morgan discovers her biological mother’s Book of Shadows, she finds herself searching for more answers about her family and the abilities she possesses as a Blood Witch. As her power grows and tensions build between members of a new coven, Morgan will need to choose who to believe and trust.

“Now I was nervous. Her voice was calm, but I sensed leashed anger underneath.”

Cate Tiernan once again weaves a story full of magic, romance, and mystery in Blood Witch, the third book of the Sweep series.

The book began on a strong note, reconciling with the ending of the previous novel, as Morgan finds her mother’s Book of Shadows and demands that it be given to her. I was immediately impressed with her strength and determination, traits that show up again and again throughout the story. Unsurprisingly, this moment is the catalyst for Morgan to begin a more intense journey towards discovering more of her powers and the truth of what happened to her family.

We also come across new journal/book of shadows entries. However, none of these writings are by Morgan, and few are by her mother. The passages, by two different witches, reveal tension and motives that are at odds with one another. This created a new air of mystery and told of events that Morgan is unknowingly a part of, as well as events that were set in motion long before Morgan came into the picture.

I couldn’t help but be drawn headfirst into this book. The friends are at odds with one another, navigating secrets, personal triumphs and mistakes. Morgan finds herself drawn closer and closer to Cal and farther from Bree. Raven and Bree are working behind the scenes, seemingly against the coven, with the newest witches in town – Sky and Hunter.

As the story progressed, I found myself caught off guard with twists and turns I hadn’t expected. I became so engrossed in what I was reading that I did not pay any attention to anything predictable, I followed the story with the characters. Of course, there were some tropes still apparent, no matter how engaged I was. Love over friendship, believing someone is an enemy too quickly, people popping into the story at awfully convenient times, but these tropes were comfortable rather than off-putting. They could be frustrating but the rest of the story gave a balance and made up for predictable notes.

The story was unputdownable, partly, because of its character relationships, but especially for its moments of tension and mystery. Tiernan added intensity to this story that gave it thrills that were missing in the first two books. I felt like I had finally hit the important part of the story -- the action, mystery, and suspense would take precedence over the teenage dramatics and romance. This left a promising tone for the next book.