Mercy and Hunter have lost their mom and now in their grief fighting each other, they go their own ways, well as much as you can in a smallish town. The twins are green witches taking after their mom, but it is not something that they advertise. Together they are now the guardians of the gates to the underworld, but something is making the gates sick and they need to find out how to fix it before the demons start coming through and attacking the twins world. While Hunter throws herself into her friends, Mercy thinks she is by herself and seeks out the friendship of a gate keeper from the other side.

This was a wonderful book, even though I just started the series I could understand what went on in the first book. The characters are well developed and fun especially Xena. The action is non-stop and the suspense is thick and the whole book was so much fun I can't wait for part three.

This review will appear on my blog on April 5th.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mercy and Hunter are twin sisters who are in charge of protecting five gates to the underworld after their mother's death.

A few things I liked about this book:
-Getting both sister's POV (I liked that this was split by chapters)
-The level of detail in the magic rituals
-Xena!

I like the concept of the story, but for some reason I am having a really hard time getting into this book. I think the pace is a little slower than what I am used to. I'm going to put this aside and try reading it again later.

I have enjoyed other book series by this duo, but I do not enjoy this series. I think back to my high school angst and don't like that the same cr*p is happening. I don't think that this book is aimed at my demographics. Bully jock, stupid cheerleaders always picking on any one who doesn't fall into their narrow thoughts of what is "normal". I enjoyed the magic parts. Thanks to NetGallery for the advance copy.

First thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of this book.

Omens Bite is the second book in the Sisters of Salem series by authors P.C. and Kristin Cast.

The Goode twins don't talk to each others no more. After the event that have led to Hunter to forsake the god she have chosen because her sister taught this was what was causing the trees to be sick, she felf betrayed and angered. Both of them felt the grief of their mother's dead diffently and that eventualy drove them appart. Hunter new goddess is more than what she was asking for and she's trying to separate from her with no success. And Mercy connection to Khenti, the Guardian of the gate of the Egyptian Gate will want to take her to see his place but think will get really wrong and they will need help from Hunter and Xena.

I cannot wait to read the third book in the serie.

Omens Bite is the second book in the “Sisters Of Salem” series which follows Mercy and Hunter who are twin sisters and witches. This book picks up where Spells Trouble left off.

While Mercy and Hunter are still grieving from their mothers death, they’re also trying to save the ancient trees that act as portals to the other worlds that are still damaged and dying. There is a lot of tension between the sisters and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be repaired easily.

I enjoyed getting to see both the sisters become their own person. We saw a lot more personality from both of them throughout this story. The world building is still great and I loved reading more about the Land of the Dead through Mercy’s POV. I personally wasn’t a big fan of the romance though but I think that’s just a me thing.

Overall, I enjoyed my time reading this book and I’m excited to see where this series goes! Book releases on April 5th!

Big thanks to P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for a review.

This is the second in the series, with an ending open for more.

Twin sisters, Hunter and Mercy, witches of the town of Goode, descendants of the original Goode witches, are the only ones left to take care of the gates to hell. The magical trees surrounding the town. The same trees that Goode witches have been guarding for generations.. Only now, those trees are dying. They are on their own now, with the help of a human/cat familiar, and need to fix the trees, before the demons behind the gates are let loose. The darkness, the bitterness, the hatred that is spreading through the town are preventing the girls from working together.

I found the girls to be a lot more whiny this story. Maybe that was the way the story was supposed to unravel, given how the tree's dying are essentially fulling the negativity in the town but I was kind of over it. This one was a lot more repetative than the last book as well. "We gotta save the trees, but I'm mad at you" over and over again..
I think there is a lot of room for redemption of the characters in the next story.
I'm giving 3.5 rounded up to 4 because, why not..

I loved this book. It kept me interested until the very end. I can’t wait for more!! Thanks to publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this ARC

I read the first one in record time and this was the same way. The writing was great and I loved the characters. The writing was well done, I really enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series so I was really looking forward to the follow up. Overall I really enjoyed Omens Bite. It was a fast paced read and picked up where the first book ended. I am interested to see how the third book will end. Thank you so much for my copy!

I really enjoyed the plot and side character development of this second installment in the Sister of Salem series from PC and Kristin Cast. Mercy and Hunter are such believable, empathetic teens. Their relationship drama and angst were the real heart of the story for me. I absolutely loved Mercy and Xena's dynamic in this book, and the focus on the best friend friendships while the sisters were at odds. For some reason, I thought this was a duology, not a trilogy, so I was very surprised by the massive cliffhanger ending. The stakes are higher in this one, and Kirk and Amphitrite add plenty of tension.

Really looking forward to seeing how this story wraps up.

First off- thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced readers copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own unpaid review.


So in the beginning I honestly didn’t notice this was a second book in a series- so once I read the first one, I was able to catch on to the second. Omens Bite leaves off from the first, and while it’s a fast book, the character development is leaving … little to be desired. The conversations between most of the characters seem to be cringey- but the epilogue makes me want to read the next, so I will. Overall thankful for a chance to read this- I haven’t read much from PC cast and the last time I did was maybe 10 years ago- their writing style is only going up! Thanks NetGalley!

Not really sure how I feel and I took a couple days before writing this to figure it out. Overall it was a good book. The relationships in this book felt wrong to me but everything else was good paced and interesting. It did a good job showing the navigation of grief in this. This is the first time I was stuck between 3 and 4⭐

Omens Bite, the second book in the Sisters Of Salem series, picks up where book one left off with and Mercy and Hunter's relationship super strained. The twins are being separated for the first time ever and a bunch of bs ensues.

Overall it's a good book, didn't really blow me away or really stand out. I did think the plot was good in Omens--the whole guarding the five gates to mythological underworlds this is pretty cool and I really love the witchiness and vibe of the book. I'm not too big of a fan of the romance aspect though, it just felt too insta-love and rushed.

Other than that I thought it was enjoyable

This second book in the Sisters of Salem and it's tons of fun. Omens Bite picks up right after the events of Spells Trouble. It follows twin witches Mercy and Hunter as they navigate their grief of losing their mother. Each sister has different way of handling the loss of their mother. They drifted apart from each other but they need to figure out how to come together to save each other. Overall this book was a more interesting than the first one. Both Mercy and Hunter have great character growth. The plot of this story was really intriguing and kept me wanting more. Some the the writing still felt a little juvenile for the story but not enough to distract from the plot. I really enjoyed Omens Bite.

I am confused on how I feel about this book. Neither the characters nor their romance felt believable, and the story. And yet, the rest of the story and its pacing were still pretty solid. There were moments I really enjoyed and a lot I just didn't care for.

I requested this as I read the authors house of night series as a teen and loved it, what I didn’t realise was that this was the second book in the series and although it can be read as a stand alone I think it would have been much better read in order.

Omens Bite
by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

I received an #ARC copy from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and I did my best to ignore my opinion of the previous book in this series.

This is book 2 of the 'Sisters of Salem' series set in the town of Goodeville where twin sisters Hunter and Mercy Goode are witches, direct descendants of the founder of the town, and are learning how to be Gatekeepers, to protect the world from the dangers from other realms.

Omens Bite picks up after the first, with Hunter and Mercy mad at each other because of their grief, anger, and just by being sisters who were always together, but opposite in their personalities.

With this split, there are 2 POVs throughout the book, separated by chapters, where the reader reads about what the sisters are doing to seal the Gates. 

But now they have Mercy's ex-boyfriend in the way, spreading rumors about the sisters being witches, and turning violent when he doesn't get his way. 

And Hunter is whining about losing her God, and the Goddess she replaced him with, along with her whining to her friends, and the reader, about her sister. Mercy is also whining, but she has lost most of her friends because of her ex, so there’s more internal whining or to her familiar, about having to seal the gates without her (self-centered) sister.

Blah… Blah… Blah.........

It was a boring read. Yes, I can understand why they were mad at each other, and why things happened, but I didn't care. Could be because I have a sister and brothers, and I'm an adult so I know about siblings and the BS. Plus the story explained to me, in limited details, the why, how, etc, and I believe I know how the series is going to be played out. *eye roll…

This was an ARC copy, so I hope there are more descriptions added to it when officially published, along with more care for the characters because I feel as if both were lacking in this copy. There was nothing to pull me in, and I struggled to keep reading because of the whining of the two girls. But at least there was no questionable sexual content as there was in the first book.

2 stars

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The first book of the Sisters of Salem caught my attention because of P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast. I've always enjoyed how they do their research on mythological aspects then insert those tid bits in brilliant ways into their stories. I've particularly enjoyed this second book of the series because of how they managed to blend in a Greek (Amphitrite) goddess with Egyptian mythology (Khenti, Land of the Dead). The end of the book also gives us insight as to the next culture which will be displayed in the third book and this has sparked my curiosity in a positive way. Both authors also have incredible ways of using descriptions to summon beautiful images in my mind of the magical battles both twins face throughout the book. I really felt immersed into the book and the action.

On the other side, I enjoyed the twins a lot less. There were a few times where I wanted to smack them both. I know grief and anger changes people (sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worst), but I found them both stuck with stubborn pride and both were a little too self-absorbed for my liking. If they had taken the time to listen to each other and to understand, more than half of the problems of this book wouldn't exist! I also really disliked where Kirk's character was going. At first, I thought he could be redeemed (he's made mistake, but also seems to realize that what he's doing is wrong), but seeing him go downhill in the worst possible ways was really sad. Kirk really reminded me of Heath from The House of Night series and I thought he'd be following the same redeeming type of storyline. The Casts made him to be a one-dimensional character, a villain with a predicatable revenge story. Even when we're reading his point of view, I no longer felt any sympathy for him. He's so hell-bent on destroying both sisters for something that he started, it's just a *head shake* moment.

All in all, the story is interesting and the lore clearly sparked my interest for the next book. I'm curious to see where all of this will be going. The characters need a little more development and a little less dramatic (and stereotyped) storyline. This book also hasn't shed any light on why the trees are hurting, so I hope the third one starts answering somequestions. For those who do enjoy reading about magic and mythology, this book is sure to quench that thirst!

First of all I’d like to thank Netgalley and Wednesday books for allowing me to read an ARC of Omen’s Bite in exchange for an honest review.

Omen’s bite picks up right on the tail end of Spells trouble and dives into the growing strife between Hunter and Mercy Goode as they try to save the trees / gates to the underworlds. Things get more complicated for the sisters when Hunter’s new goddess begins pushing her down a path that she can’t come back from without a fight, while Mercy seeks solace and companionship in someone worlds apart. With the gates still crumbling, and the town slowly going mad, things are never boring in Goodesville.

I would rate this book 3.5 stars as it is a noticeable improvement from the first book, which at times lacked consistency and genuine authentic dialog. Omen’s bite is a strong follow up, and it spurred me on quite a bit as I read through the story, finding it hard to put down at some points. The conversations and themes of this book seem much more aligned to the ages of the characters and the situations they face throughout the story.

A strong plus in my opinion is that there was a lot of character development in this story, giving both Mercy and Hunter a much more fleshed out and developed feel. In the first story there were times where it was hard to tell them apart, finding their perspectives seemed to shift or be lost in the middle of a paragraph, while there was a much cleaner and neater line drawn in this story.

I enjoyed seeing the progression in each of the characters, both the good and the bad as everyone tries to piece together the remains of what they lost in the first story. Grief and hurt are major themes in this story, and it is clear that all of the characters are handling it in different ways, and not everyone is going to be reasonable and understanding in the wake of loss. Most of the characters I feel for and can sympathize with; Kirk being the outlier, and seeing him lose so much in response to his own behavior is rather satisfying.

Watching Hunter strive to make her own choices, and do what she thought she needed to do to help the trees, and set herself apart from her sister. While Mercy again, believed that it was solely her responsibility to make everything right, sometimes even going so far as to ignore the advice and warnings she received. Given that they’re teenagers looking for guidance in the absence of their mother and the sudden absence of each other, they both make choices that are good and bad in the hopes of doing the right thing. This alone is a very authentic issue that a lot of teenagers, and people in general can relate to (maybe not the saving the mortal realm from danger but the rest of it anyways) and gives the readers something to root for and a problem they hope will be solved.

One of the biggest issues I've noticed both in this book and in the first one, is that parts of the story feel rushed along while others seem to span for pages without much happening. There will be points where the action is so involved and attention grabbing, and then you will fall into several chapters where there is very minimal happening and you wonder when the other shoe will fall. The ending of the book was the definition of a cliff hanger, though it felt a little bit abrupt; with death and demons closing in on all sides, it will take some quick spell work to get Mercy out of the mess that she’s in.

The dialog was another sore spot for me, though as I said, it was better in this book, there are still several times where I had to put the book down and rub my eyes because I couldn’t be sure what I was reading. They do (unironically I believe) say the word “Skankalicious” and Hunter later makes a joke about “Rubbing her magical … on Jax” which… I know it was in jest but it just felt very odd and like it was for shock value, given that it was said in response to a group of girls grilling her on her sexuality. Maybe it’s because I'm not from an overly small/close minded town but the amount of times they refer to Hunter in derogatory terms was surprising and slightly unnecessary. I do get the feeling they’re setting Kirk up in the long run to be more of an issue to both girls, though so far all he’s done is be offensive, abusive and borderline criminal.

Overall, I would say this book was an enjoyable read and a good follow up. If the epilogue of the book is anything to go by, the third book in the series will be stronger and more action packed than the last. New demons coming out to play and rogue goddesses on the loose will make for an exciting story.

#OmensBite
#SistersofSalem
#Netgalley

The Goode Twins return in this sequel to Spells Trouble. As the twins grieve their mother, what should bring them together is splitting them apart. After forsaking her God to seal the tree, Hunter Goode realizes her new ally is not her sister, but her new goddess, who may be more than she bargained for. Losing her sister leaves Mercy to turn to Khenti, Guardian of the Egyptian Underworld entrance. But their new friendship comes with a price, one that could mean the destruction of the world as they know it.

If there was a plot in this book, I missed it. It definitely suffered as more of a filler book in the trilogy, instead of being a good continuation to the storyline. The characters were whiny, the was no relevant world or character building, and it felt like nothing of importance happened. If anything, the characters regressed from the last book. This book, and series, had so much potential to explore witchcraft and Paganism/Wicca in a good light, but the regression into "hang the witch" was unnecessary and expected.

I was really excited for this book after the first one, but I’m not convinced I’ll finish the trilogy after this.