The Witches of Vegas

by Mark Rosendorf

Overview

By using their magic, the Witches of Vegas become the number one act performing on the Las Vegas Strip--a great achievement for them, but not so much for the magicians--who can't possibly keep pace. Isis Rivera is the adopted fifteen-year old daughter of The Witches of Vegas. Zack Galloway is the teenage nephew and assistant to the last magician left in the city. Although they should be rivals, when Valeria, a four-hundred-year-old witch with a long-seeded grudge against humanity arrives in Sin-City, both teens act to bring their families together to stop the evil hag in her tracks. But can the combined witches' powers and the ingenuity of the magicians be enough to stop Valeria from taking over the city and possibly the world?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781509232116
Publisher:	Wild Rose Press
Publication date:	08/05/2020
Series:	The Witches of Vegas
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.57(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

Editorial Reviews

2021-11-15
Las Vegas witches face off against a diabolical and powerful being in this YA paranormal novel.

Isis Rivera is only 9 years old when she discovers incredible abilities like telekinesis. These powers so terrify her foster parents that they try exorcising her. But she’s also tapping into a “universal energy” that leads Sebastian Santell right to her. He’s a sympathetic witch who takes her to his coven, though he describes it as a family. By 15, Isis belongs to “The Witches of Vegas” along with Sebastian, two sister witches, and a 500-year-old vampire. They use supernatural skills to pull off seemingly impossible feats (disguised as illusions), making them the hottest act on the strip. They’ve practically wiped out the competition save for “The Amazing Herb Galloway Show.” Yet adept teen magician Zack Galloway and his Uncle Herb barely scrape by. So when a brash reporter named Victoria Hunter comes to them with her plan to expose The Witches of Vegas, the boy and his uncle reluctantly agree. She has a crazy notion that the performers are bona fide witches and a vampire, something young Isis might admit if Zack warms up to her. Once he gets close to selfless, softhearted Isis, Zack has second thoughts about the scheme. Unfortunately, it may be too late, as someone kidnaps Isis. Zack turns to Sebastian and his coven for help, but their new enemy—the mysterious and vengeance-minded Valeria—wields more power than they can imagine. To stand a chance of defeating her, they’ll need strength, determination, and even a few tricks up Zack’s sleeve.In this kinetic series opener, Rosendorf offers solid character development. Isis, for example, struggles to master her abilities and, as readers learn, may be capable of much more. But she’s also a girl who begins the novel without a family—an absence Sebastian’s coven fills. Sebastian adopts the role of her dad, and vampire Luther acts as Isis’ perpetually cranky, centuries-old grandfather. While the narrative runs full tilt, glimpses into characters’ pasts enrich the present-day setting. Most notably, Valeria’s history with a coven member, during which she suffered a particularly horrid experience, fuels her revenge. Her battles with Sebastian, Zack, and the others spark entertaining action scenes: “A chair rose out from the row and flew at Valeria. With a flick of her hand, she changed the chair’s trajectory so it slammed against the wall. She did the same with the second chair that hurdled her way. The third, she sent back at Sebastian, who dove to the floor, barely escaping its attack.” Notwithstanding all the extraordinary abilities on display, the story showcases players who display nonsupernatural talents as well. Vegas witch Selena Quinn, for example, has enough medical know-how to tend to someone’s broken arm. Zack is especially impressive, cleverly turning his brand of magic against Valeria and dropping the occasional one-liner in the face of danger. Sadly, not everyone makes it to the end, but with such an appealing cast, readers will surely follow the characters to the sequel.

A fast-paced, engaging, and unexpectedly heartfelt supernatural tale.

Kirkus Reviews