Moonset by Scott Tracey

Moonset by Scott Tracey
"After the terrorist witch coven known as Moonset was destroyed fifteen years ago—during a secret war against the witch Congress—five children were left behind, saddled with a legacy of darkness. Sixteen-year-old Justin Daggett, son of a powerful Moonset warlock, has been raised alongside the other orphans by the witch Congress, who fear the children will one day continue the destruction their parents started.

A deadly assault by a wraith, claiming to work for Moonset’s most dangerous disciple, Cullen Bridger, forces the five teens to be evacuated to Carrow Mill. But when dark magic wreaks havoc in their new hometown, Justin and his siblings are immediately suspected. Justin sets out to discover if someone is trying to frame the Moonset orphans . . . or if Bridger has finally come out of hiding to reclaim the legacy of Moonset. He learns there are secrets in Carrow Mill connected to Moonset’s origins, and keeping the orphans safe isn’t the only reason the Congress relocated them . . ."- summary from Amazon

I just love the way Tracey writes witches. I mean, it's just awesome. I've read his debut and now this book (I know, I still need to read Demon Eyes, and I have an e-galley of Phantom Eyes- yay!) and he's got a fan for life basically. I was a little concerned about this being a series, but I can see it now after having finished this first book.

In regards to the magic, I love how Tracey really sets the world up, especially in such a different fashion from the Witch Eyes series. He always imbues a sense of history into his worlds rather than only focusing on the present. It makes for a more compelling, full read. There's also some very real danger with these witches and magic, which makes it a bit more different than other witchy books out there.

Anyway, despite all the dark magic and killings, this is actually a pretty funny book. I laughed a LOT while reading it; Justin is a fun narrator and I liked seeing his interactions with Ash and of course his siblings too. Tracey really made the siblings feel and interact like a family would; it just felt so realistic reading their conversations. Then there's Justin's love interest in Ash, which made for some great, witty repartee, despite his inexperience in the love department.

Overall, another great book from Tracey and a good start to a series. Looking forward to the next book!

FTC: Received e-galley from Netgalley. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.