After Reading: WITCH OF THE CARDS by Catherine Stine

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:00 AM

Fiera was born a sea witch with no inkling of her power. And now it might be too late.

Witch of the Cards is historical, supernatural romantic suspense set in 1932 on the Jersey shore. Twenty-two year-old Fiera has recently left the Brooklyn orphanage where she was raised, and works in Manhattan as a nanny. She gets a lucky break when her boss pays for her short vacation in Asbury Park. One evening, Fiera and her new friend Dulcie wander down the boardwalk and into Peter Dune’s Tarot & Séance, where they attend a card reading.

Fiera has always had an unsettling ability to know things before they happen and sense people’s hidden agendas. She longs to either find out the origin of her powers or else banish them because as is, they make her feel crazy. When, during the reading, her energies somehow bond with Peter Dune’s and form an undeniable ethereal force, a chain of revelations and dangerous events begin to unspool. For one, Fiera finds out she is a witch from a powerful sea clan, but that someone is out to stop her blossoming power forever. And though she is falling in love with Peter, he also has a secret side. He’s no card reader, but a private detective working to expose mediums. Despite this terrible betrayal, Fiera must make the choice to save Peter from a tragic Morro Cruise boat fire, or let him perish with his fellow investigators. Told in alternating viewpoints, we hear Fiera and Peter each struggle against their deep attraction. Secrets, lies, even murder, lace this dark fantasy. (Goodreads)

This was such an awesomely fun read! It took me a few pages to wander into the 1930's, with its lingo and other details, but then Stine wraps the reader into a fabulous world filled with intrigue and interest. I have heard about the paranormal hunters--those out to shut down the sham mediums out to fleece people, and found that angle to be quite interesting, especially when they come up against a real witch: Fiera. I loved the friendships Fiera forms and the relationships beyond just the romantic one. And then there's Alyse, who is one freaky villain (I won't say more due to spoilers, but yikes!). There were a few spots where the timeline caught me up a bit ("had that only been the day before" kind of stuff), but mostly that was easily overlooked. In the end, this was a really fun read, and I quickly devoured it! Highly recommended beach read :)