I had this book for a while before I finally read it, because I didn't notice it was the second book in a series. That turned out to be a fortunate thing, however, because it gave me the excuse I needed to read the first book in the series (The King of Bones and Ashes), which I enjoyed a great deal!

Having finished the first part of the trilogy, I was able to go into this book without a hitch, and even more eager to read it than I would have been, otherwise.

The cast of characters are very well-written... not to mention, sometimes downright creepy--I'm looking at YOU Babau Jean (but not in a mirror!). The story was quite enjoyable and moved along at a steady pace, and by the time I reached the end, I was eager to read the finale, The Final Days of Magic.

Even though I'm stopping short of rating this book at 5 stars, I definitely recommend it (and the entire Witches of New Orleans trilogy, in fact) if you enjoy reading books about witches.

I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of 47North via NetGalley.

Thanks to the publisher for the e-arc I received in exchange for an honest review

Let me start my review by saying if I’d known this was the second book in a series I would not have requested it from NetGalley. Even though there is a review of the characters at the beginning of the book I’d have enjoyed it/understood it much more if I’d read the first book in the series.

There are a lot of characters to remember but the story is interesting, I loved the authors first trilogy about witches in Savannah. I do think this book set in New Orleans might be trying to compete with another very popular witch series set in New Orleans.

I always love a witch book, and this series has been a recent favorite of mine. J.D. Horn is a wonderful writer who offers a really interesting perspective through their characters.

A book that surely has its fans but it didn’t work for me which is why I am going to abandon the series. I had such high hopes for the urban fantasy but the author‘s way of conveying information leave me clueless.

The Book of the Unwinding is set right after the first book in the series. Much like The King of Bones and Ashes the book follows three POVs - three witches to find their place in a world shaped by its dwindling magic.

The story focusses on two witching families: the Marins and the Perraults. Both families are connected via numerous ties and offer interesting characters to the reader. To be honest, compared to book 1 I liked all POVs that were presented - I probably enjoyed reading most about Alice. However, much as in the first book this is a real slow burner. There is so much happening that nothing seems really important. Everyday problems mix with supernatural ones and I was missing the connecting storyline between all those chapters. To be honest, it felt a lot like watching a soap opera. Everything is happening at once and very dramatic but it doesn‘t really matter if you miss some episodes because whatever was important will be repeated over and over again. There is also no real character development from book 1 to the end of book 2 and most of the character‘s actions seem random. At least I couldn‘t follow the story. Sure, nearly all the chapters itself were great to read but I never understood what was happening. This book leaves me with huge gaps in my understanding.

Why 2 stars? I like the writing and the depth of the characters and their story. I would have loved to learn more about New Orleans and the world those witches live in. Taking everything into consideration, I don’t find the strength to read the third book in the series. My curiosity isn‘t big enough to invest this time. A shame because I liked the premise.

Thank you to netgalley I received this as an ARC. I enjoyed it very much was good solid read. Solid 4.5 Stars for me!

Once again, Horn nails it with stellar characters and local atmosphere. This middle book in the trilogy, which feels more like a straight-up horror novel and less like a Southern Gothic, also focuses even more intensely on the women, their experiences and their selfhood. I think there are five POV characters, all women and all very different.

What knocked this book down a peg is that it also suffers from the old "middle book problem" of lack of narrative drive. I admit I was a little bored, especially in the first half of the book. The stakes just never feel as high as they should; lots of stuff just happens without feeling all that connected to the larger picture. A late-stage plot twist tries to pull it all together, but isn't set up very well and thus comes across as forced. I would even argue that the sidelining of the male characters, though thematically fascinating, directly results in some of this plot confusion. And for all the fun New Orleans atmosphere, the world-building here relies too much on the previous installment's heavy lifting. The character list provided at the beginning is helpful for jogging one's memory of the sprawling cast, but there's no similar trick for jogging one's memory of the so-called magic system.

If Horn's previous witch series is any indication, he's playing a long game. The 3rd book may reveal that this seemingly flawed 2nd book was in fact a great set-up, and intentionally opaque. In any case, I do look forward to finding out!

The Book of the Unwinding is a chronicle of several families in present-day New Orleans. It’s also the second book in J.D. Horn’s Witches of New Orleans series. It’s creepy and chilling, which is just right as I head into the Halloween reading season.

The Marin Family has three generations in this story, but Horn focuses on the youngest daughter, Fleur, and her daughter Lucy. Nevertheless. Fluer’s parents and siblings play a part too. Thankfully, Horn includes a cast of characters listing, which helps a lot.

The Simeon—Perrault family isn’t as aristocratic as the Marins. They are just as magical, though. That said, part of the plot here is that magic is dying. And if there’s one thing that makes witches crazy, it’s watching their magic fade away. Lissette Simeon Perrault runs her late mother’s famous French Quarter Voodoo supply store, Vèvè. A former doubter, she’s fully on board the magic train these days.

Also key to the plot is Nathalie Boudreau, a chauffeur (or Uber driver) who has a strong sixth sense. She doesn’t mean to get embroiled in all the witchy doings, but keeps landing in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Nathalie and the New Orleans witches are also trying to free one of their own from a realm of illusion. Alice Marin, trapped there at the end of book one, may hold the key to saving their magic.

All of these players (and more) are trying to find the Book of the Unwinding, hoping for solutions to making their magic stronger. Some have more desire for control than others, but they’re all tricky and covert about their goals.

The action moves fast, and the plot scoots around like a witch on her broom. Horn has a way with gruesome twists and cliffhangers.

My conclusions
I listened to the audiobook for this one, partly because I am perennially trying to catch up on ARCs. I wish the audiobook had a cast of characters listing like the book does, although it’d be hard to reference. Sophie Amoss offers a strong narration of this tale.

In the midst of reading other books about heavier subjects, The Book of the Unwinding is a good balance. Although it certainly has plenty of coven politics at its core. I like the way Horn balances his stories—fast plot, plenty of complications, and some macabre details. This is a promising new series!

Acknowledgements
As I mentioned, I received an advanced reader’s copy from NetGalley, 47 North, and the author. Thanks for opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

In the sequel to The King of Bones and Ashes, the witches of New Orleans are scrounging amongst themselves to find the tool that can save them all. If they don’t it will bring the end of magic. Unbeknownst to them, their fate lies in the hands of someone not in their dimension. In J.D.Horn’s The Book of the Unwinding expands the witches of New Orleans in a way that felt enchanting and at its heart reminded me of a Charmed episode. It was riveting, and I am glad I had the opportunity to hear the audible version as well as read along on my kindle. The writing was comfortable for me to follow along when reading from the narrator. I enjoyed the relationships featured as well as the expansion of its world building. The book was engaging and entertaining and I am definitely looking forward to the next novel of J.D. Horn as well as many more series of books to come. Thank you Netgalley for giving me this copy to review. I highly recommend this novel to fans of the television show Charmed and The Vampire Diaries.

Welcome back to New Orleans and the witches of the Martin family . Nathalie Boudreau a young psychic is in the middle of a struggle to control the magic erupts . Her destiny lies with Alice Martin who is trapped in the realm illusion. Nathalie is the only one that can save her and set the balance back in place.
The characters in this book have surely grown up . They are well written and you really start to care for some of them . Nathalie is one of the main characters and she is always in the place where she is needed at the right time . She comes into her own and we see her fight really hard to help Alice . Who I really loved in the first book . She is trapped and is slowly being drained of her powers by her father . Who wants to come back into the world . Lissette is finally understanding her family and what is going on . But will it be too late for them . She is a character that you just don't know which way she is going to go . In this book we have also seen that the characters have grown and evolved in their magic or the lack of magic in some cases .
I truly love this authors writing style , he takes us on a journey through magical world and might scare us a bit along the way . The author uses New Orleans as a character all in its own right . He adds a lot of the lore and magic of the city . I got sucked up in all the magic of this book . There were a few parts where it felt a little slow and the characters seemed a little stuck Over all I truly enjoyed this book and loved the characters . This book is gritty and you see that all magic isn't good . You will be on the edge of your seat most of the way through this book . So if you like a more dark fantasy book this is the one for you . This can be read as a stand alone but if you really want to get to know the characters you should read King of Blood and Bones . So check it out for your late summer reading list .

So, I'm starting to think that maybe this series just isn't for me. When I picked up the first in the series, The King of Bones and Ashes, I was looking for a good supernatural read, and I thought this series would definitely meet that requirement. While I wasn't over the moon about the first one, I was intrigued enough to continue onward. I've got to say though, this one definitely didn't deliver.

Overall, this novel lacks in suspense and intrigue. There was no mystical appeal for me. As with the first one, there are so many characters, ones that I might add don't really stand out from one another. There was only one character that I found to be at all a stand-out, and sadly, poof, that character is gone. Not sure if ever to return.

What the heck is up with the second half of this novel? Once Alice has been freed from the Dreaming Road it's like the book was put on fast forward. I wonder if the publisher was pushing Mr. Horn to get the book finished and he just pieced this together to give them a finished product. At least that's how it seems anyway. I have to admit, I started to lose interest at multiple points in this novel because it just doesn't flow well for me.

I'm not sure if I want to move forward with this series... turns out it's not really what I was hoping for, it just doesn't pull me in. I can see how it appeals to others though.

I want to thank NetGalley, 47 North, and J.D. Horn for allowing me the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for my review.

Every bit as good as the first one - better in my opinion. I thought the first book really picked up pace and got really really exciting toward the end. I felt like this story hit the ground running and kept the twists and turns coming. There were lots of developments on different fronts of the story in this book, and I liked that the story branched out and took more of an interest in some of the minor characters from book one - Nathalie, the funeral home director, Fleur.... There’s so much about this series that is original and creative. I love the world-building and the aspects of magic and the family=feud aspect of it provides a rich background for the story.
Daniel is by far my favorite.. He’s such a unique character - as a servitor spirit, he’s not a ghost, he’s not human, he’s able to walk between worlds, but he has so many endearing human characteristics - he loves to cook and could have a professional degree in hospitality.
Again with this second in the series the reader gets hit with a whopping revelation and just enough information to leave you begging for more at the end. I’m glad it seems that the books in this series won’t be too far apart!

ARC/Paranormal: I had to read the first book of the New Orleans before I read this one. Good thing I did because there are sooooo many characters.

In the first book, which has no relation to the witches or Savannah because there's no ley lines, is about a group of New Orleans witches that are losing their powers over some time now. I don't want to but can't help but compare this series to J.D. Horn's Savannah series, which is written in first person. This series is a third person narrative in the views of at least four characters. In the first book of the Unwinding, the characters don't seem to really even know each other, until the end with the witch massacre. I was hoping more characters had died because there were too many.

Now to this book, which just came out so no spoilers here. First, I'm glad I read these books back-to-back because I would have remembered nothing. The narrative is going through several characters and with the exception of Natalie, are boring at times and plots interchangeable. Again, I really wish more witches died in the last book and stayed dead; as in the author has to give a list of characters at the beginning of the book. I guess I like Natalie's story the most so I didn't zone out. I wanted to hear more of a story about her, Frank, and the spooky twins. I think one of the problems is that there really isn't any mystery to the murders.

I did finish this book, but I really don't have any desire to read the third book. I will try any other series Horn writes because he is such a good writer and I'm sure he'll write another wonderful character like Jilo in the future.

Like the first book, it was slow at first but then I really got into the story. Answers that I wanted too know where answered and of course then I had more questions. It was an interesting read and interesting characters. The ending was crazy and definitely a twist I didn’t see coming.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of The Book of Unwinding (Witches of New Orleans #2) by J.D. Horn from NetGalley and 47North in order to read and give an honest review.

After reading and reviewing The King of Bones and Ashes (Witches of New Orleans), the first in the series from Author J.D. Horn, I  find although I didn't quite enjoy it as much as the first, I still found it to be a fantastic entry in the series.

As I mentioned in my review of book one, J.D. Horn has graced us with such strong, unique and multifaceted characters which you easily connect with, and this book was no exception. I love his ability to depict strong, flawed and resilient characters, especially the way his female characters come across. In this book, as with the last, there are quite a few characters and I appreciated the character list included at the beginning for a handy reference.  Those who survived the last book are present and we also see the return of a certain feisty feline.

The story opens months after the massacre that occurs in The King of Bones and Ashes. Magic is still dwindling and the hunt is on for the Book of Unwinding. We learn of Alice's time on Dreaming Road and Daniel's battle to get her back. Natalie is learning more about her abilities and coming into her own. A serial killer is revealed when the author reveals the gruesome details of  "The Dollhouse". Fleur holds a dinner party where a secret Manon has been hiding from Lisette is revealed and we get front row seats for the fallout that ensues. We also follow Evangeline as she struggles to cope with what she has become as well as meet a few new characters who will play an important role in the future books I am sure.  My only issue in this book is some events seem to be drawn out and often it felt like too much was going on...it often lacked breathing room.

Sacred texts, warring witches, feisty felines, bitchy birds and hidden realms are again rampant in this entry and frankly, I loved it! I can't wait to see where some of the continuing plots lead us. I recommend reading book one before this one, in my opinion, it wouldn't make a great standalone.  I recommend this to anyone looking for something that is unique and engrossing. I’m looking forward to reading the next in this series.

As much as I liked the first book, must I confess that the story in this book was even more captivating. If you have read the first book in the series, then you know about all that happened to Alice, Evangeline, Nathalie and the rest. If you are new, well, there is a nice character list before the story starts, and I advise to read it carefully to get the gist of where the characters are standing today. Actually, I found the list great too since I needed to refresh my memory.

I've just finished the book so I'm still in the world of witches in New Orleans, and wow I could stay there for a while. Anyhow, if you are looking for a non-YA book about witches, struggle for power and brutal death's then this series is for you. The search for the Book of the Unwinding goes on in this book, and a new foe shows up, or rather an old, new foe one could say. And, poor Alice is trapped in another realm, put there by her own father. And there she is slowly dying, as the realm and the creatures there draw on her powers. Back in New Orleans is faithful Daniel (who has looked after her since she was a child) searching for a way to save her. To bring her back, before it's too late...

There, I've given you all an appetizer! Now, go and find this book and book one, The King of Bones and Ashes, to read!

Dark and mysterious tale, although the pacing was a bit off for my taste and there were a ton of characters to keep track of. I did enjoy the book and will probably read the next in the series as well. Thanks for the opportunity!

The Book of the Unwinding is the second installment in the Witches of New Orleans series which can be described as a dark supernatural fantasy series that includes elements of witchcraft and voodoo. It takes place not long after the events that occurred at the end of the first book, so it's recommended that readers pick up the first one before delving into this one. The characters are rebuilding their lives and trying to deal with the aftermath of the events. This story revolves around two primary female characters (Nathalie and Alice) and takes place in both the real world of New Orleans and magical realm of the Dreaming Road. There was very little storyline or character development in this one. Lots of characters and very little character crossover. It was more like a setup for some bigger story with an epic climax that didn't appear. I felt that the story just dragged and I had a hard time keeping interest. I did appreciate the continued attention paid to the history of New Orleans and voodoo and how this was tied into the book.

The Book of the Unwinding is the second book in the series that began with the King of Bones and Ashes. You really need to have read book 1 to enjoy this latest book. Like book 1, the second book in the Witches of New Orleans series has a jammed-packed cast of characters. If you are like me, you will appreciate the character list strategically placed at the beginning of the book.

While there a lot of characters, I found few to sympathize with. For the most part, this is a plotting, scheming group of people that want nothing more than the power represented by the Book of the Unwinding.

Thank heavens for sweet Nathalie Boudreau who doesn't know her own powers but would do anything for anyone. That trait gets her smack dab in the middle of a daring and dangerous spell to bring Alice back from the Dreaming Road. Daniel, Alice and Evangeline, who were my favorite characters from The King of Bones and Ashes, remain in good stead with me in The Book of the Unwinding, but their lives are getting very complicated. I can only hope their goodness will prevail.

There are several story lines going on, with different characters dealing with their own challenges. The characters do overlap between story lines and eventually, I suspect all the story lines will merge into some epic conclusion when the series concludes. The novel is complex and thickly layered with intrigue, horror and a constantly changing path towards the cliffhanger ending.

Yes, like book 1, this book ends in a cliffhanger, but before that point, there will be come ultra-evil wringing of hands by one or more villainous witches. Having read both of these books, I still have absolutely no idea where the tale is headed. And isn't that what we really want in a great story?

Through NetGalley, I received a copy of this book from the publisher so that I could bring you this honest review.

While I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first book I was certainly interested enough to want to continue. In places it was better than the first book, but in other places it certainly wasn’t and so I am left with the same rating.
There is so much potential here and it certainly isn’t the writing style by J.D. Horn that is the problem. The writing is dark and atmospheric. I think it captures well the feeling of New Orleans as its own entity almost. But that isn’t enough to make a book.

Plot wise this second book is lacking. For me it felt like there was no climax nearing the end. It just trudged on in the dragging pace that was set at the start of the book. There weren’t any big revelations. There were a few story lines here and there with Alice’s fate after book one for instance, and Evangeline’s fight. But they weren’t big enough to carry the whole book. There was no true climax to them and in parts (especially considering Evangeline) things were confusing. It just feels like a set up for the next one. The revelation at the end was certainly interesting. However it is hard to care at this point. We also aren’t entirely getting great reasons as to why the magic is diminishing.

Added on to that is that I don’t truly care about any of these characters. There for sure was some character development in this book. There was one that I cared about but not anymore. What happened just makes me want to shout into the void. Alice is just a lost girl really. Nobody but Daniel seems to truly want to protect her which is kind of sad. Nathalie is more present in this book and she is an interesting addition. I just don’t think we’ve delved that deep into her.

Evangeline is a strong woman but I don’t care for her one bit. The more we get to know her, the more I hope she ends up dead at the end of all of this. Lisette is also not a favorite but I think she got dealt the short end of the stick in this one. Her children however seem sweet and I hope that they end up happy. I think following Fleur more would have been interesting. Her mother makes some questionable decisions.

The romance is also questionable to me about soulmates and being meant to be because they had seen in the future with at least two romances. I love that there is some diversity there. Alice and Nathalie are lesbians. I just don’t like how this is being forced on Alice, soulmate wise. I’m glad that she decided to take a few steps back from it.

Having said that all though I can’t turn my back on this series either and I am still interested in reading it. J.D. Horn truly is a great writer. And he can do character developments. But his plots need to be tighter.

While this wasn’t as exciting as the first book I still enjoyed it immensely. One thing that I like about this author books is the locals they are set in; New Orleans has always been associated with magic, witches, voodoo and creatures it makes this an entreating read.

All the people that made it out of the massacre from the first book return in this novel. Nathalie powers are still growing, Alice is stuck on the Dreaming Road and Daniel is trying to save her. While the main focus was saving Alice and getting her back from the Dreaming Road there are other subplots that made this book and entertaining read. I especially like the twist with Fleur and I can’t wait to see if it’s who I think it is in the mirror that the cat went through.

4.25/5 STARS: **I want to thank the author and/or publisher for providing me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are mine. **