The Winds of Salem by Melissa de la Cruz

 

Published: August 13, 2013

Publisher: Hyperion

Pages: 288

Copy: From Publisher thank you

Summary: Goodreads

Modern-day witch Freya Beauchamp is cast back in time to 1692 amongst the Salem Witch Trials by an enemy spell, as her present-day family attempts to reopen the passages of time to bring her home.

  SOON TO BE A LIFETIME TELEVISION SERIES!

Freya Beauchamp is trapped in 1692, in Salem of all places, with no recollection of her past. A powerful enemy spell has sent her spiraling away so that she is separated by centuries from her mother, Joanna, and sister, Ingrid. This is not good news for a twenty-first-century witch. Not to mention the immediate threat she faces from the wealthy and influential Putnam family. When little Annie Putnam is one of the first to make accusations of witchcraft, her landowner father jumps at the opportunity to consolidate his power and expand his holdings in Puritan Salem Town. If Freya is caught using magic, she will be forced to relive the witch trials, and this time, even her immortality is in question.

Meanwhile, twenty-first-century North Hampton has its own snares. Joanna and Norm consult the Oracle for advice, and Freddie and his pixie allies search for a missing totem that could reopen the passages of time and help bring his sister home. When Ingrid bumps into an old flame, she finds that her new love for Detective Matt Noble is in doubt.

Moving between past and present, Winds of Salem's dizzying plot twists and page-turning suspense is sure to bewitch fans old and new.

Review

I think I have a special affection for this series because it is the first series where I have been invited to review every book, and  I have enjoyed each book - Witches of East End and Serpents Kiss were both fun to read and Winds of Salem did not disappoint. The character development continues well and yet again the story manages to take a tangent without losing it's family focus.

This time around as well as the family story that I've come to love, there was an interesting historical side based around the Salem Witch Trials.  I don't know about you, but I was sure all the witches were burned. However, according to Ms. de la Cruz, they were hanged, not burned.  I love it when I can still be surprised by historical details. Her take on the reasons behind the trials was very plausible and easy to believe.

The series as a whole is written for adults, but really is suitable for just about anyone.  It has some fairly light-hearted moments when the pixies come into the picture, and generally - to my mind at least - is not too serious.  In fact, it is the perfect beach read. (I did talk to someone at work about this and she disagreed with me there and said it was very serious!) There are several twists and turns that surprise nicely, if somewhat predictably.  Not that this is a bad thing by any means, don't get me wrong.

Ms. de la Cruz writes a good supernatural mystery that I think is going to translate well on to the small screen and I can't wait to see what the writers do with the story.  According to Wikipedia, the three main characters are Julia Ormond as Joanna, Jenna Dewan as Freya and Rachel Boston as Ingrid.  I think I might have to break my self-imposed TV ban and watch this one for a bit to see what they do with it.

All in all a fun trilogy -I can't find any evidence anywhere that the series is going to continue, but I could be wrong - that I am happy to recommend.  Try it out if you haven't already.