Review: Bruja by Aileen Erin

Book Blurb:

Claudia de Santos has always looked out for every witch but herself. She fought from the shadows as her coven turned dark, and with a little help from her half-witch/half-Alpha werewolf cousin, Teresa McCaide, Claudia is doing everything she can to keeper friends and family in the light.Now the coven has splintered into two factions: Luciana’s army of witches wielding dark magic, and Claudia’s few stragglers who fight with the wolves. War is coming, and it won’t be much of a battle if Claudia can’t find the spells to counteract Luciana’s demonic power. But Luciana strikes before they’re prepared, and Claudia’s twin brother pays the price. Suddenly, going to Peru in search of ancient Incan magic doesn’t seem so crazy.Fighting evil will require a pure spirit, but her quest is full of temptations, including a handsome Peruvian guide with secrets of his own. Finding love is the last thing on Claudia’s ever-growing to-do list, but sometimes what you need has a way of seeking you out.

My Review:

5 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Faeries, Supernatural, Royal-Court, Vampires, Werewolves, Witches, Zombies--

Claudia is being drained of her powers by the black witch she, her twin brother Raphael, her cousin Teresa and a few coven members have tried to escape. Due to a blood tie, they can’t shake the bond and bee free. When Raphael is bitten by a demon infested corpse, Claudia knows she will do anything to save him, even if it means going alone on a quest to South America to find a rumored power.

I love every book in this series, and this one did not let me down in any way. I will admit that I was a little leery to read a book told from Claudia’s point of view because I was not sure I really liked her. In previous books she has done some shady things in the name of protecting others, but still I was not impressed. So I started this title with a little bit of apprehension because I wanted more Teresa and Dastien, not the slightly evil (not true, but that was my previous notion before reading this book) that I did not care about. That being said, I think this was my favorite book in the series so far. I absolutely loved Claudia and how open to new ideas she is, nothing like her stubborn cousin. I enjoyed the adventure she went on, struggling to not show weakness as the only human among werewolves. I thought all the new supernatural creatures and elements of magic were interesting and opened the books up for many new adventures with side characters. But most of all, I loved Lucas, and by extension Lucas and Claudia together. Honestly, my only complaint about this book is the same complaint I have had about all the books in the series is that it was too short and I wanted more. Don’t get me wrong, the book was a complete story and I was satisfied with the content, I just want more because I enjoyed it.

I discovered that I may have misjudged Claudia in the previous books. I learned here that she acted out of protection for her loved ones, not because she was loyal to her evil Coven leader. Claudia is only 20 years old, but has had to be responsible for the well being of everyone around her and sacrificed her own happiness repeatedly for the greater good. In summary, she has been a pawn. I grew to respect her and root for her inner courage and strength. And she tried so hard to keep up, even when she outnumbered and out skilled.

I enjoyed the revelations about Lucas as well, not only his true part in the world but his belief in Claudia as well. He seemed to be a young arrogant jerk, but so much was revealed about him and that assumption was completely backwards in every shape and form. The relationship was intense and fast, but neither one was fighting the truth, which also made me want to do the Snoopy happy dance because I was expecting denials and angst. The book did not just focus on their relationship (which was totally my favorite part, but the other stuff was good too) but on the quest through unknown areas and magical groups, with battles and powers and tons of action. There was never a dull moment to the book, a fast paced non-stop adventure.

I loved this book and I can’t wait for more to come in the series. I am always on the lookout for a good romance story that has the mate aspect to it, but not full of the “mating experience” if you get my drift, and this hit the nail on the head for my interests. I want more in the series about the ultimate showdown, but I also want another book about Claudia and Lucas, maybe on another adventure or even just getting to know each other. There are so many new side characters that could have their own books I hope the series will continue to grow.

I received this title from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.