I could not get on with this book at all. It was very slow to start and did not capture me in any way.

I really liked the idea of this book and some of the characters I found were relatable but I did struggle to connect with other parts of the story which did make it a little hard to follow.

As a character, Bridget, grief stricken and alone, finally finding her people, made me feel like she could be someone I could connect with. I enjoyed her development, although I found that her development was occasionally a little rushed in relation to learning her craft. I feel like there could have been more development in this area.

Overall however, I liked the story and the concept, with the characters. I do just feel some of it could have been expanded on to make the writing flow better.

A debut novel and the first of a new Sci-Fi fantasy (Tinaru series), The Turn of Awakening by Martha Ellen Kilcoyne is Book 1 of an intended trilogy. It begins with Bridget, a woman dealing with her grief with alcohol, who is driving recklessly but decides to go walking in a national park. Upon her return to her car, which has a flat tire, Bridget is aided by two local women who show her that she is part of an ancestral bloodline known as the Craft of The Tinaru. As Bridget’s ancestral bloodline, she must choose whether or not to embrace her prophesied potential to master the Craft of The Tinaru. Mastering the four elements (Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and Spirit), Bridget must harness magic. Whilst the narrative was enjoyable, the magical realism and a woman’s journey of self-discovery for her true self was not my cup of tea. Although, not reading to the end of this novel, there should be no doubt that there will be a willing audience, who will find this magical realism, a truly remarkable tale. So, while it’s hard to rate this story or series adequately, given what I did read, it’s a somewhat humdrum three stars rating. As its dedication states – “to matriarchs whose gifts of knowing, spiral within us, and dream of our Awakening”. With thanks to BooksGoSocial and the author for an uncorrected proof copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.

From the summary, I was expecting a fantasy novel starring a witch coming into her powers. Although this was technically true … the book was not what I was expecting. Our main character, Bridget, is definitely from our earth. She has kids, drives cars, listens to Sheryl Crow, and is struggling to move on after a terrible tragedy.

After hiking for the first time in three years, and alone nonetheless, she hears a voice, has her tires slashed, but feels more alive than she has in years. This begins her introduction to the world of magic.

I am a very character driven reader and I was unable to connect with Bridget or any of the other characters. This does not mean that other readers won’t. At all. It just wasn’t meant for me. I wish the summary was clearer with the overarching plot and character descriptions. I’m giving this a 3, but I suspect it is a 4 for the right audience.