As the author has been revealed to be toxic and abusive, I will not be reviewing this title, nor will I be taking a feedback hit by using the button meant for that response. It’s not my fault they can’t behave properly.

Brooklyn Ray's writing is lyrical and it's really easy for me to drop into the flow of the Port Lewis Witches stories and ride them to the end. I like the characters and I like the world they're creating, but again I find myself wanting there to be... more, somehow. So the fact I rated this three stars is probably me, rather than the book. 

The heat between Ryder and Liam, and the love, is fantastic. Hopefully I will like Tyler better after I see him through Donovan's eyes... It is great that Tyler manages to push through a lot of his upbringing and current situation not to just take the easy if brutal way out by pushing Ryder and Liam away from him though. And poor Christie. I'd hate to be her.

4 stars. The writing is absolutely fabulous, but I can't help feeling like I've been thrown into the story part way through, the same as I felt with the first book in this series. Maybe it's because I'm not as versed in witchcraft/occult, but I still wish there was just a bit... more, I guess? to the stories. The relationships, the found family, the plot, and writing are fabulous, so still a full four star read. Would highly recommend to any witchy friends.

I’m always looking for LGBTQ stories in fantasy fiction, and NineStar Press are killing it recently (see my review of Daughter of the Sun), so when I saw Undertow, a paranormal fantasy novella, pop up on NetGalley I was intrigued. They were kind enough to send me a copy of the first novella, Darkling, too, as the series requires the books to be read in order to understand what is going on!

First things first, this is a genre I haven’t immersed myself in for quite a while, but recently I’ve been wanting to read more about witchy goings on in the modern world. I think I was expecting this to be adult fiction, as paranormal books so often are, but instead it’s that rare beast of New Adult – the characters are all around 20, and it’s a little more graphic than YA. So, I don’t have an awful lot to compare it to!

Darkling introduces us to the Port Lewis Witches, a circle of witches in their early twenties in a gloomy seaside town. Our main POV character is Ryder, a guy who begins to suspect that his powers are not all they seem, while also realising that he may have fallen in love with his best friend and circle-mate, Liam. Though the book is fairly short, things get intense pretty fast, and start to involve demonic deals, necromancy, and rather a lot of sex. The sequel, Undertow, picks up a few weeks after the end of the first book, and follows Liam’s POV as he, too, discovers that magic is not as straightforward as it seems. And has a lot of sex.

This series really reminds me of Monsterhearts, a tabletop roleplaying game that I’ve played with my friends, which has a very similar magic-is-sex-is-magic sort of vibe. It’s atmospheric, but also, for me, a little bit cliched. I didn’t feel that the stories, at 126 and 111 pages respectively, really needed quite as many sex scenes as they included! The story is pacey, so you never feel like it drags too much, but those who aren’t looking for a large portion of sex scenes should maybe steer clear.

However, that being said, I did enjoy the trans representation in this book. Almost none of Ryder’s personal conflict comes from the fact that he is a trans guy – he’s more concerned with whether or not he’s evil, and whether or not Liam likes him back! Liam is utterly unfazed by it, having fallen for Ryder himself and not worrying about his body, so I found this really refreshing to read about. I don’t have any personal experience of the situation, but where I have seen it in books before, transness is usually a plot point in itself – so Ryder’s confidence and the circle’s acceptance of him is lovely to read. He’s just Ryder – a great character in his own right. I recommend checking out some #ownvoices reviews of this series, but from looking at Goodreads it seems to be received well.

A few things did bother me about this series. Firstly, there’s a heavy focus on bloodletting (necessary for necromancy, apparently), and this is used in almost all of the sex scenes, which I found a little unnecessarily ‘edgy’. Secondly, though the author says she writes about found families, the circle of witches contains characters who really don’t seem to like each other. I see nothing redeeming in their head witch, Tyler, who just seems like a judgemental douchebag. So your mileage may vary on that. Thirdly, and a tad spoilery-ly, I don’t care if it is a necromancy ritual, I don’t want to see people killing cats. Just nope.

These books have the vibe of Supernatural or later seasons of Buffy, or indeed, Monsterhearts, so if you’re looking for some spooky, witchy NA with some great atmospheric writing, you should check these out. Just be aware that they’re definitely mature! I give the first book four cats, and the second three, but overall, this series is a four-cat read.

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley

~

Book – Undertow
Series – Port Lewis Witches, 2
Author – Brooklyn Ray
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 111
Cover – Stunning!
POV – 3rd person, one character
Would I read it again – Yes!
Genre – LGBT, Contemporary, Witches, Trans (FTM)
Content Warning – blood-play, death, necromancy, light gore, off-page parental abuse


Wow! What can I say? Once again, just as in the first book, the world building and storytelling are on point. I mean, completely and unerringly perfect. I completely understand the world that is created here – a contemporary, real life world that has witches and demons as a subset of the population, not known to “normal” human – and I feel comfortable with everything that happens. Even the stuff I don't know about personally – magic, the circle, the spells – I feel connected and familiar with, because they're written with such realism and detail, without being a dummy's guide or being condescending.

I've loved the Port Lewis Witches series since I read book one. I had that unexplainable feeling when I read it, that I've had only a few times with a series, where I just knew, without a doubt, that it was going to be an auto-buy series and author, for me. The only other series' that gave me this feeling were Lavender Shores, by Rosalind Abel, and the Chronicles of Tournai, by Antonia Aquilante. That's it. Three series, hitting me right from page one, with an instant feeling of being familiar, of being home, of being right.

That's what Port Lewis is – it's a home away from a home, a life I never lived, people I've never met, who are like family, and who make you feel welcome for every moment you spend with them.

The characters are exactly the same as book 1, only told from a new POV – Liam's, instead of Ryder's – and yet they manage to grow organically, without being forced into situations or experiences that don't fit their personalities. They are as true to the characters in book 1 as any character can be when written well. And the chemistry between Liam and Ryder – though I never thought it possible – sizzles with twice the intensity. Not only did Liam seem older and more mature than the previous book, taking charge as it was his element they were working with, but I loved the growth of their bond with each other. That Ryder wasn't irrational or jealous about the kelpie who kissed Liam, that he didn't doubt Liam's love for him. That neither of them doubted what they felt for each other, even when faced with everyone they cared about being against them.

I loved that Donovan became the one who was steady, who held it together despite his own issues, and who was always the voice of reason. Tyler was a little more volatile in this one, but in a way that I can see he's running on fumes and it won't be long before he snaps. I loved the progression of Christy's character, how she was explored a little more in depth and showed a side that we hadn't seen of her before, a loneliness and a sense of being apart from the rest of the circle, while seeing things that she didn't always want to see. I really felt for her.

With a clear timeline, a genuine progression of plot from book 1, without being so closely linked that you couldn't accidentally read them out of order, and a consistent level of characterisation and world building, this one is a win all the way. I didn't read the blurb, when this came up for review on Netgalley, because I didn't care what it was about. It was a Port Lewis Witches book, it was written by Brooklyn Ray, and that was good enough for me. And I wasn't disappointed.

And can I just say – that ending! Such a tease. I read it, blinked, and then had to do a quick little revisit to an earlier scene to make sure I hadn't imagined it. Between the 'sigil of Mars', the Queen coming back in four weeks, the claim that Donovan is in lust but not love, the secrets about Tyler and his father, and the reading saying that someone would hurt Tyler soon, I just can't wait for the next one.

A five star read from page one to 'the end', and thanks to a little nod from the author, one that I'll be buying in paperback as soon as it's released at the end of November. Happy Birthday/Merry Christmas to me!

~

Favourite Quotes

“The unknown was restless and horrible. It surrounded them, a being with too many eyes and too many teeth, waiting to rip them apart. Somehow, Ryder was still more dangerous than any unknown and any kelpie and any other witch.”

This is an excellent sequel. I loved the first novella in this series and I'm so glad that I loved this one just as much. The writing is just as beautiful and atmospheric. It's just as dark and witchy. Just as engrossing. This time it switches POV to Liam who is a water elemental and Ryder's boyfriend and circlemate. I'm loving this series so much and it looks like we'll get a novella from each of the circlemates which I'm so excited for because I love every single character in this series. Every one of them is intriguing and mysterious and I can't wait to read their stories. I want all of them. This is another novella which is the perfect length for the story even though I loved it and wish I had more to read! Each novella is a self contained character story but with hints at bigger things that tie through them to the next one. I'm left with questions about what happens next without feeling hard done by. It's so good. Also did I mention how gorgeous these covers are? Because they are. I think they might be the most beautiful covers ever.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review. When I first requested this novella, I did not realize that it was a second part of an ongoing series, but that did not take anything from this story for me. Thankfully,  the author did a good job summarizing events in Book 1 enough that it was easy to follow along with the events in book 2. Liam Montgomery and Ryder Wolfe are boyfriends in the middle of some sort of Witchy Circle. Liam is a Water Witch while Ryder is a Fire Witch / Necromancer with some sort of demon inside him. They practice dark and blood magic together which I gathered was taboo in their White Witch world. Liam is having visions from a fae creature from the ocean as well as visions that he will kill the man he loves (Ryder--who also happens to be trans).

This book seemed to be very diverse, which I appreciated. The writing was beautiful--lyrical and fluid like the water magic Liam practices. But, all in all, this book wasn't really for me, which was surprising. I think normally I would really enjoy a witchy fantasy, but for whatever reason, I had trouble caring about the characters. Lesson learned. Always read book 1 first, kids!

Be aware this is the second book in the series. The first is Darkling. Halfway through the book I would say I prefer the first one. By the end I want to read the next one with Tyler and Donovan. More secrets and lies, a small circle of witches with unknown lineage. This one is based on water witch Liam. It’s good to see it from his point of view and as a bonus more Ryder. Plenty of little smut moments involving magic. Looking forward to the next one.

First off, can we talk about this cover? Talk about gorgeous. That's what initially drew me to this book. However, I realized too late that I had made a mistake. This is the second book in a series and I had not read the first book. I'm a bit pressed for time right now, so I went ahead and read the synopsis for book 1 and pressed on into book 2 (Undertow). 

Thankfully, I felt the author did a good job summarizing events in Book 1 enough that I was easily able to follow along with the events in book 2. Liam Montgomery and Ryder Wolfe are boyfriends in the middle of some sort of Witchy Circle. Liam is a Water Witch while Ryder is a Fire Witch / Necromancer with some sort of demon inside him. They practice dark and blood magic together which I gathered was taboo in their White Witch world. Liam is having visions from a fae creature from the ocean as well as visions that he will kill the man he loves (Ryder--who also happens to be trans).

This book seemed to be very diverse, which I appreciated. The writing was beautiful--lyrical and fluid like the water magic Liam practices. But, all in all, this book wasn't really for me, which was surprising. I think normally I would really enjoy a witchy fantasy, but for whatever reason, I had trouble caring about the characters. Lesson learned. Always read book 1 first, kids!

I think people who had read book 1 would definitely enjoy this book.

UNDERTOW is the second in a series, but easy to slip into.  The reader is introduced to a circle of young witches embroiled in some inter-personal strife,  very complicated magic, and possibly an occult war. The relationship between water-witch Liam and necromancer Ryder is already complicated before omens of death and visits from a sinister kelpie up the stakes considerably.  

Brooklyn Ray does an excellent job of dropping the reader into the midst of sharply drawn characters and more new adult high stakes magical angst than there is water in the ocean.  And I don’t mean that as criticism, I love me some sexy magical life-and-death angst.  And the texture and aesthetics of the world (magic, familiars, fae, demons etc) are very enjoyable and delivered entirely without clichés or tiresome exposition—things just are how they are.

My only complaint would be that this novella seems like a long chapter from the whole story.  The strand of the story resolved in this part is the one most immediately relevant to the point-of-view character Liam but with loose ends that need resolving within just a few weeks.  And I can’t help but feel that Liam is not one of the more dominant characters in this charismatic ensemble cast. 

The question is whether I want to keep paying for the Port Lewis stories on an ongoing installment, and that depends somewhat on whether I think the story does ultimately reach a satisfying resolution.

This is an absolutely fantastic addition to the Port Lewis universe. I really love how the magic system works and the dynamic of the characters. Also sex magic. I just really really like sex magic. The bringing of the kelpies and more fae creatures is also really interesting and I like how its handled. I did find the ending a bit abrupt  but I am looking forward to book 3.

This is very much a it's not you, it's me situation. I'm just not a huge fan of paranormal romance at all, and I struggle with large casts of characters when we're just thrown in via someone who knows everyone already. This is a book I'm sure other people would enjoy way more than me.

I will start off saying that this is not a stand-alone book, you need to read the first one.  I did enjoy this book better than the first one as we now have some type of fight on our hands that is building on the horizon, or at least I think so.  Liam and Ryder’s relationship is growing stronger and once they are able to control the magic, they will be a force to reckoned with.  The bond between the circle mates are really put to the test and Tyler needs to get his act together, it is strongly hinted at that his home life is a horrible place to be.  There are still too many secrets between them all and everyone needs to come clean.  I wish these books were a little longer as well.  I look forward to the next book in the series as we will get Donovan and Tyler’s story.

I had a bit of a rough time with this novella at first. As I said in my review for the previous novella in this series, I don't seem to mesh super smoothly with the setting and tone the author is going for with this series. Maybe I'm too soft-hearted, and the level and type of angst in these stories isn't quite for me. I'm not sure. My lukewarm response to this novella feels like an "it's-not-you-it's-me" type of thing.

Maybe my issue is that I think Ryder and Liam's circle of witches is supposed to be like a found family, but they really don't read that way to me. It honestly seems like several members of the circle can barely stand each other at all, and others are nearly always uncomfortable in other characters' presences. I think I'd find it more believable if they weren't all established to have been in this circle with each other for 2 plus years prior to the start of the first novella. One other thing that I didn't enjoy, despite my impression that it was intended to be cute or endearing: Ryder continuing to call Liam "princess" despite Liam always asking him not to. If a partner of mine did that shit I would be really upset.

(Quick aside to say that my own personal stance on friendships and relationships colors my perception here: I'm a very anxious person, and I just know that if I were surrounded by people so viciously angry on such a frequent basis, I would have to olly the heck outta there for my own mental health. It'd be super toxic, imo.)

Okay, back to business: was the novella good aside from my personal gripes about the side characters? Yeah, I think so. Maybe not as good as I'd hoped it would be. The second half's plot and writing flowed much more smoothly for me than the first half's did. I enjoyed the peeks into the wider world Ray has created, though I really missed Jordan (Ryder's sister, featured more heavily in book one) - she's perhaps my favorite of the characters Ray has introduced so far.

I'd recommend you give these novellas a shot if you like modern-setting witches, lots of queer characters (with good [in my non-masculine enby self's opinion] trans rep), and maybe a bit more high drama/intense angst than I'm usually in the mood for. It's also just really cool to support indie lgbt+ authors, and some of my GR friends have enjoyed this more than I did, so I'd say to give it a shot if it strikes your fancy.

Rating: 1/5

For me, this was a very confusing read. You definitely need to read the first book in order to even TRY to comprehend what happens in this one. The pace is also slow and didn't capture my interest at all unfortunately. This book also introduces a transgender relationship which was my first to ever read so my inexperience with trans characters led to me misunderstanding a lot of things with Ryder and therefore couldn't relate at all. I have nothing against books with LGBTQ characters, but I mean the sex scenes were just weird. While this may not be a book I'd recommend or read again, it did have a lots of secrets that were uncovered and kept the plot mildly exciting.

Undertow had a lot to live up to after the brilliance of Darkling, and I was over the moon that it proved to be equally as potent a read as its predecessor. The author’s prose is poetic (but nowhere near purple), using both the physical and elemental to create some highly sensual imagery in even the simplest of sentences.

Undertow picks up after Darkling left off, this time focusing on Liam via his unique POV. Similar to Ryder’s, Liam’s story has a distinct coming of age feel to it as far as discovering and navigating the newer aspects of his magical properties; their circle of witches are mostly in their early 20s so I’m guessing this will be a common theme throughout the series.

The element of the unknown really kept me guessing and the scenes involving the kelpie were particularly shiver-inducing – in all the best and confusing ways. I also like that the story takes us a little deeper into the casually cool and fascinating world of Port Lewis, including further mention of the mysterious and ancient Order.

As for Liam and Ryder, I adored how solid and goshdarn cute they were as a couple. Not gonna lie, I was especially thrilled to see that their chemistry was still steamy hot (literally) and with the added bonus – oops, I mean risk – of the dark forces at play within them. In addition to all that, Undertow quite simply contained some of the hottest, well-written trans sex scenes I’ve encountered in M/M… pretty much after Darkling.

My only gripe with Undertow is that it’s in novella format, which okay, is not a real gripe because the story was very well executed and that’s just me wanting more of this series right away. The story ends with unfinished business on several fronts, not to mention big and bad things on the horizon (although the tasty teaser that followed did plenty to lift my spirits). I highly recommend this series, full stop.

I enjoyed this more than I did <u>Darkling</u> but it’s still confusing and hard to follow in a lot of ways. I love the magic and supernatural elements of the story, and I’m still curious about the future, but in some ways it’s Weird. I hate that the friendship between the circle-mates is falling apart and how cruel Tyler can be, but I do like the growth between Liam and Ryder from the first book.

Overall, I think I’m in this for the long haul because curiosity, but sometimes it’s hard to follow what exactly is going on...

This shouldn’t be a book that I even want to read and yet I not only couldn’t wait to read it, I loved it!  Super loved it!

It’s sooooo well-written.  The descriptions are absolutely breath taking without being over done or feeling disproportionate to the story.  Though this is new adult/young adult, in book two things take a decidedly more heated turn and the chemistry between Liam and Ryder is scorching!  And yet the sex itself isn’t so over described that your own imagination isn’t required.  It’s a wonderful gift to be able to describe things in such a way as to be specific but vague enough as to leave room for imagination.

The magic in this book is also off the charts.  Wow.  Not only do Liam and Ryder explore their powers with one another but there is something new in town after Liam and Liam has to use his powers to protect himself and Ryder.

There is a lot of new information revealed in this story and I can’t wait to read the next installment.  This is in no way an ending but it still felt very satisfying.  I think, if I have to directly compare, that this is even BETTER than book 1, which – let’s face it – rarely happens – but it sure seemed to here!

Highly recommended!  (not a standalone)

5 of 5 stars

I have recieved an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley. Thank you, guys!
Honestly, this is what I needed right now. At such a rainy summer day I drank a tea and read this fantastic M/M book. I liked the supernatural setting, the elements of Demonology. I researched Demonology in high school and it was pleasant to see how the author incorporated a part of it in the fantastical world of the book. Unfortunately, I have not read book one. This is a mistake I am planing to amend once I finish with my current titles. I absolutely fell in love with Liam and Ryder and their forbidden love. The pacing and the writing were great. The book is short as I finished it in two hours but these two hours were not a wasted time, but a true pleasure.

[this review will be up on my blog, acquadimore.wordpress.com, on September 8, 2018]

Undertow is the second novella in the paranormal romance series Port Lewis Witches. The first, Darkling, is one of my favorite novellas I read this year, and this sequel didn’t disappoint.

While Undertow is a direct sequel and not a companion, it’s told in Liam’s PoV, and this time we get to know more about both the witchy world of Port Lewis and about Liam’s family.

One thing I really loved about the first book was the rainy small town atmosphere, which set the perfect tone for the story. I appreciated this aspect even more in this book – not only this novella was atmospheric and immersive, it also got creepy at times. Undertow follows a water witch, and the water hides a lots of mysteries. I love books with sea horror scenes (I think the ocean is terrifying).
Undertow also expanded the worldbuilding, introducing other magical creatures apart from witches and demons, and that was really interesting to read.

I really like Liam’s and Ryder’s relationship. Demon involvement can lead to trouble, but they try to make it work. Also, it’s a m/m romance with a trans love interest! Their relationship with the rest of their circle, however, is strained at the moment – prejudices against necromancers and secrets kept for too long worsened the situation – and those scenes were a bit painful to read (I just want them all to be fine!) but I still really liked reading about this very queer group of witches.
The only reason Undertow isn’t a five star for me, unlike the first book, is that it’s told in Liam’s PoV. I really liked Liam, but that meant we see very little of Jordan (Ryder’s sister), who is probably my favorite character in the series. I love her a lot and wanted to know more about her, but I liked getting to know more about her girlfriend Thalia.