Interesting twist on the typical witchcraft novel, like that the main character is down to earth and not just
Magic! Enjoyed the story very much

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I was drawn to pick up which under all because of its title. It sounded like it could have an interesting angle on the supernatural world. I'm so glad that I didn't pass this one up. Supernatural prison, witch apprenticeship and a shady vampire parole officer? Count me in! I was surprised to find that this is Kay Latour's debut novel, as the world building is fantastic. I want more books in this universe! Kay Latour just stepped into my radar.

With a lot of books about witchcraft I have found that they simply say the spell and then ta-da! Magic. But I really liked how things could to wrong with potion making and witchcraft in this book, even if the right words were said and the right ingredients were used. It makes it feel more like an art, something you will only get good at with enough practice. In many books I feel as if magic comes too easy.

I really loved Bryn as a main character. She is so used to being considered scum, or rather "slodder" that it is hard for her to get used to being treated as a person of value. She truly takes advantage of her second chance, fighting against prejudices alongside those who had the compassion to take a chance on her. She is a well developed character and comes across very realistic.

The pacing and the plot of this book are both done great. I found myself trying to drag this book out because I didn't want it to end! I am hungry for more of this story and I hope that it becomes a series. I would suggest this to anyone who enjoys fantasy.

Witch on Parole, Witch on Parole Book 1, Kay Latour

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: sci-fi and fantasy

I love fantasy novels, and this sounded fun - and I did like it, just didn't love it. 
I like Bryn, love the idea of the Frithjof, in fact I love the whole world setting Kay has created but where the story fell short for me was in depth, it felt quite light, surface based kind of story.

There would be some pretty serious issues come up for Bryn, but the way of solving them seemed to me to be a bit too convenient. I love magic in books but it needs to be in balance, its too easy to have a spell or potion that fits a solution to what seems like an unsolvable issue and that just doesn't work for me. I need my characters to have to struggle, to work for solutions and though Bryn does have to work hard here help too often comes this way, albeit from other sources and it just left me feeling a bit kind of cheated ;-). 
But that's just me, could be perfect for you, its certainly something I've read in other stories that didn't work for me but have made best seller lists. We're all different and want different things from out reading.

Its a fun story, and of course first books in  a new series have a tough task, delivering new characters, new world settings AND a new story. Sometimes the first in a series hasn't always hit the spot for me, but I've gone on to love further books, so I'll look for book two and read that before deciding this isn't a series for me.  

Stars: three, a good intro to a new world though a little light in parts. 

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers