Dark Witch

The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy, Book 1

By: Nora Roberts

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

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.

Are the characters aged leprechauns?

good grief, I wanted to like the story but the narrator made all the characters sound like snobby aging leprechauns!

Dark witch

The reader’s voice is awful! I can’t enjoy the story. The Irish women sound like old tired washer women.

Good story but interrupted by sex scenes that were not necessary.

These matings happened far to soon and literally disrupted the story. I’d like to see future books focus on the storytelling because it’s really good and the reason I continue to read Nora Robert’s.

Good story totally overacted

The storyline was entertaining but the narrator was totally over the top. Would have quit if the story wasn't good.

Enjoyable book & satisfying start to a trilogy

Iona Sheehan travels to County Mayo in Ireland, to connect with her family roots--and specifically with the family history of magic and destiny her grandmother has told her.

She quickly connects with her Irish cousins, Branna and Connor O'Dwyer, and finds her grandmother's stories, and her own dreams that have haunted her since childhood, are true. She's a witch--and the vital third member of the triangle needed to confront a lurking danger that has pursued her family for a thousand years.

Iona quickly warms to having a family that embraces her rather than thinking her strange and uninteresting, and learning the use of the magic her grandmother has shown her. Branna has her shop, where she sells the potions and charms whe makes; Connor has his hawks and the forest walk business he runs; it's not long before Iona is working at Boyle McGrath's stable, leading group rides and giving lessons to eager students.

But Iona and her cousins, as well as the handsome and delectable Boyle, his partner Finn, and friend and employee Meara, all know that the lurking threat that goes right back to the beginning of the O'Dwyer family is growing closer. Cavan, or what remains of him after the long-ago confrontations with the dark witch Sorka, their many times great-grandmother, is determined to seize the O'Dwyer magic, combine it with his own, and rule the world.

Iona, the least experienced of the three O'Dwyer cousins, is somehow the lynchpin of the coming confrontation.

Of course, romance is also lurking. Boyle and Iona are deeply attracted but have difficulty staying on the same page. Branna for reasons she won't state explicitly, is convinced she can't have a relationship with Finn. Connor and Meara seem to be almost unaware of each other.

This is the start of a trilogy, and not all of this is resolved in this book. If you like Nora Robert's fantasy romances, though, this is a very satisfying start to the trilogy, with characters that you can love and, sometimes, want to wack upside the head sometimes. The magic is real within the world of the book, but not cost-free, and requires work, discipline, and a willingness to pay the price it imposes.

Very enjoyable.

I bought this audiobook.