Review and International Giveaway: Burn Mark by Laura Powell

Burn Mark by Laura Powell

Publishers: Bloomsbury
Published Date UK: June 7th 2012
From: Publishers
My rating: 4 out of 5

Thanks to Emma at Bloomsbury for allowing me to read this book and give my honest opinion

Synopsis:

Glory is from a family of witches and lives beyond the law. She is desperate to develop her powers and become a witch herself. Lucas is the son of the Chief Prosecutor for the Inquisition—the witches’ mortal enemy—and his privileged life is very different to the forbidden world that he lives alongside.

And then on the same day, it hits them both. Glory and Lucas develop the Fae—the mark of the witch. In one fell stroke, their lives are inextricably bound together, whether they like it or not . .

Review:

Firstly, let me just say that Burn Mark by Laura Powell is no light or fluffy read. If its quick reading you're after then this isn't the book for you. But what you do get is such an intricately detailed quasi-London world that is rich in description right down to the English language and slang used by the east end people of London. And it’s about modern day Witches, lots of them!   

Personally I loved this book. An alternative England, run by Parliament and Ministers with Witchkind Inquisitors and a Directorate to keep the witchy people abiding and on the right side of the law. This is an England where every teenager will dread the day that they may find the Devils Kiss on their body, and feel the witchcraft soaring through their veins. That day their lives will change. That day happened to both Glory and Lucas. Both on each side of the law line. Gloriana, who prefers to be called Glory, comes from a witchkind background with famous Aunts who used their gift for personal gain. She lives in the Cooper Street coven where illegal trafficking rackets are a daily occurrence and every member of her family has a police record. Lucas comes from a long line of Inquisitors. Gentlemen of esteem who hunt out the witches who do wrong and burn them on a balefire. Their punishment after trial, the burning, is available for the world to see as a lesson.

Lucas and Glory are brought together, both flawed by personal tragedy, and form an unlikely union to eek out an undercover plot that's been trying to blame witchkind for terrorism on the London streets. The Inquisitors want to blame the covens and the covens want to blame the Inquisitors. There's family pride at stake on both sides but only together can Lucas and Glory play both sides of the witch/inquisitor fence to uncover the truths behind the terror acts. If the acts continue, and people continue to get hurt then the Witchkind Directorate will pass out Acts of Parliament that will eventually diminish the Witchkind forever. And it will be brutal.

The lives of Lucas and Glory are expertly written. They both clearly have flaws from the beginning. Glory with her attitude, dark hair roots and heavy make-up. Lucas has a privileged upbringing from a family whose roots lead back to the original Inquisitors. Family pride and a stiff upper lip is all that counts in his father’s eyes, so Lucas bends against the tradition and gets on with his life as best he can. When he discovers with horror that he's turning into a witch, its shame and humility that clouds his judgement as he faces his father.

As Glory and Lucas's lives merge together in the conspiracy plot the story screams from the pages. We have high-flying mobsters, car bombs and family secrets all being unravelled as the two get to the bottom of the murky waters that reveal more than a few surprising twists.

As I wrote earlier Burn Mark is a serious read. For those reading this that aren't English, you might find the book even humourless in its extent. However the brilliance of Laura Powell’s writing is that she intersperses what we Brits do best. Sarcasm and Irony. And there's plenty of it. This very British book may not appeal to all but under the plot lines are incredibly well thought out sentences with amazingly creative writing. You can't miss a word or a sentence without feeling like you're about to miss something from the story.

A modern day, modern world story of Witchcraft that should not be missed!

Burn Mark comes out on 7^th June 2012 in the UK.

-CB x

 About Laura Powell
 Laura Powell was born in London but spent most of her childhood in the Brecon Beacons. The Welsh side of her family are direct descendants of the Physicians of Myddfai, a family of twelfth-century herbalists who claimed to be the offspring of the Lady of the Lake.

Laura studied Classics at Bristol and Oxford before going on to work in the editorial departmend of both adults and children's publishers. She now focuses on her writing, but has a part time job at English National Ballet, which she loves as she gets to spend her office hours surrounded by tutus, sequins and exquisite people in leotards!

Want to know more? Just ask!
 
You can reach Laura Powell here:

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End date July 30th

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