Dark Witch

The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy, Book 1

By: Nora Roberts

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts comes a trilogy about the land we’re drawn to, the family we learn to cherish, and the people we long to love...

Book One of The Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy

Dark Witch

With indifferent parents, Iona Sheehan grew up craving devotion and acceptance. From her maternal grandmother, she learned where to find both: a land of lush forests, dazzling lakes, and centuries-old legends.

Ireland. County Mayo, to be exact. Where her ancestors’ blood and magic have flowed through generations - and where her destiny awaits.

Iona arrives in Ireland with nothing but her Nan’s directions, an unfailingly optimistic attitude, and an innate talent with horses. Not far from the luxurious castle where she is spending a week, she finds her cousins, Branna and Connor O’Dwyer. And since family is family, they invite her into their home and their lives. When Iona lands a job at the local stables, she meets the owner, Boyle McGrath. Cowboy, pirate, wild tribal horsemen, he’s three of her biggest fantasy weaknesses all in one big, bold package.

Iona realizes that here she can make a home for herself - and live her life as she wants, even if that means falling head over heels for Boyle. But nothing is as it seems. An ancient evil has wound its way around Iona’s family tree and must be defeated. Family and friends will fight with each other and for each other to keep the promise of hope - and love - alive...

Don’t miss the other books in the Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy:

Shadow Spell

Blood Magick

©2013 Nora Roberts (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Great again!

Love Nora Roberts and this was another great read or listen 😃 ready for book #2 of this series

Fabulous narration and story

It’s a great trilogy, and the narrator of this book was excellent. These are some of my favorite books to listen to.

I didn’t make it past chapter 2

I just can’t with the person reading the book. I wish they would re record it to make it listenable.

The Narration is hard to listen to.

The story may have been more entertaining with a different narrator. For some reason, all the Irish females in the story sound like creaky old women, and when it is the narrator speaking you can't tell, because the accent changes from one narration section to the next,

Until about Chapter 13?

I was totally into this story until. . .well, until the romance really started. And I actually like romance! But something about Boyle & the plucky American heroine—it just felt forced? Bland? Cliched and cringey? I don’t know. I would have preferred to have their sweaty groping happen off-screen, so to speak. Even their friends and family were like: “Jesus. Will ya just give us a break from it?”

Because it’s an audible, I don’t know if the author intended for the dialogue to be as dramatic as the actress interpreted it (and she was absolutely brilliant with accents!), but the drama felt so extra (as the kids say). She was too bright, too cheerful, too Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz—not vulnerable enough—and by the time she unleashes her ladybits, I found her downright cloying and inauthentic.

I’ve never read anything by Nora Roberts before; she had excellent reviews, so maybe I’ll revisit her earlier, celebrated works—(set somewhere without Celtic mysteries?). But this one, for me, just ended up slipping on a bar of Irish Spring and fell, face-first, into a bowl of Lucky Charms.

DNF at Chapter 14

Great Story, Narrated Poorly

Great Story by Nora Roberts. I almost returned it right at the beginning only because the narrator made the young mother witch sound so horribly ancient and weak, she is not either. The main character is portrayed as an insecure pre teen voice rather than the grown woman that the book portrays her as. The supporting witch role was as the beginning witch she sounded horribly ancient and weak and again she was neither one. The narrator did a good job on portraying the male voices. The narrator Katherine Kellgren is generally a good narrator, maybe this just wasn't the right story for her. Again the story is another of Nora Roberts great ones! I would purchase this title again if someone else narrated it.

Varied Timeline

At first I wasn't sure if where the book was going. There were a lot of similarities to her Savior Trilogy. I ended up really liking this book!

edge of my seat

amazing tension and passion all the way through. I started this book awhile back, however I finally was able to fulling read and appreciate it. wow!

nice descriptions makes you feel you are there

A little corny and drippy. the romance parts got to be too much. To much struggle.

Nora Roberts always delivers!

Among the many things I appreciate about Nora Roberts is that she writes complete love stories within each book of her trilogies. No abrupt unfinished endings like some other trilogy authors do. Nora delivers what we romance readers want: smart, sexy, emotionally developed characters; the right amount of spice (for me); passion and humor. I can read each book as a satisfying stand alone, but her books are so fun that I want more! The magic is also so well done in "Dark Witch". Highly recommend!!