Family Magic (The Hayle Coven Novels Book 1)

This book grabs you from the first page and never lets go. There have been many late nights as I make my way through this series, since the books are near impossible to put down. Do yourself a favor and grab this book up and begin a fantastic journey with Syd and her entire extended family :)

One of my all time favorite authors. And Syd, you can't help for love her. One of the best series available now. You must read them, you will not be let down. Nothing but pure magic reading these.

I absolutely love this book and have every intention of reading every single book in the series. Before you finish the book you will feel as if Syd and her coven are apart of your family. You will be cheering for them and will be ready to attack those that try to harm them. This is a must read book for all YA fans and paranormal fans.

Family Magic by Patti Larsen is an incredible book. I was almost instantly caught up in the story of 16-year-old Sydlynn Hayle, better known as Syd, and the coven of witches she calls family. Life isn't easy for Syd, what with the coven's leader as a mother and a demon as a father. To make matters worse, the coven frequently moves as its actions occasionally impact the "normals" they live amongst. When this happens the coven packs up and moves to a new location to avoid discovery, so Syd has moved around, a lot.

Being 16 is difficult enough without being half-witch, half-demon, but for Sydlynn, who only wants to be normal it is a living hell. She dresses like the popular kids and tries to gain acceptance, but the popular kids don't want anything to do with, especially once she makes the head cheerleader's hit list. From that point on Syd's life is made even more miserable and those who might stand with her are too intimidated to do anything to help her.

Life at home isn't any easier, Syd and her mother are always on opposite sides of everything and her grandmother is certifiably crazy - she lost her sanity in a battle to preserve Hayle coven years ago. Everyone does their best to keep Grandma at home and under wraps, but suddenly Grandma starts somehow escaping the wards that guard her and keep her safe in the house. Syd intervenes on more than one occasion, but all her grandmother keeps talking about is how darkness is coming, how darkness rises and light falls and it is beginning to wear on Syd's nerves. Grandma is difficult to deal with during her escapes and her senseless babbling annoys Syd. The only problem is there is a traitor in their midst and maybe Grandma's warnings aren't so senseless, if anyone would just listen.

I really liked this book. The characters were true to life and filled with both good and bad qualities making them totally real. I love Syd's character. She is tough as nails and as she begins to slowly come into her own I found myself rejoicing over each and every small triumph with her. I liked the person she was turning into and I found myself really rooting for her along the way. I don't want to give away anymore of the story than I already have, but I am telling you that if you are a fan of YA paranormal books then this is the series for you!

A great, inventive plot, a deeply flawed, self-deprocating, heroine, many wondrous sub-characters and a constantly-evolving world of madness and magic (with a goodly side order of teen angst thrown in!). What more could you want?

Enjoyable indeed! The only (slight) negative would be that it seemed (for me) to take a little while for the book to 'grab' you.... oh, but once it did.... :)

An engaging, immersive read!

I really like this story line in general. I thought that the heroin was a bit too much of a rebellious child, going off on rants against her really likable mother. I think that for the most part this story has a lot to offer and do plan to get more of the series when I get a chance.

The Hale Family Magic Book One is very quiet compared to other books I read.The witches concentrated on hiding their powers to fit into society and this made them unable to defend themselves against those who intended to cause harm. They accepted everyone without question not realising evil was about to consume the entire coven.

Family magic was, forgive me, magical. It was so detailed and well written that I could picture everything happening as I read it. I could not stop reading until it was over. I will be reading the entire series and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in Paranormal.

I don't normally leave reviews.... But I loved this series so much; I couldn't resist!! This author has the ability to suck you in so much that by the time you realize it, it is 3:00 AM and your alarm is set to go off in 3 hours.... The depth of the characters is so great that you can't help but want more so you can continue to root for your favorites and Boo for the baddies. I would recommend this series to just about anyone and I eagerly await the next set to come out :)

It was a gripping story and somewhat enchanting . I wasn't pulled into the book in the beginning, with the whole demon thing bit the writers new twists and somewhat irrational perspective made it incredible. Sometimes irrational is just that and sometimes it turns magical. Well written

Nothing life changing. I noticed a couple misspellings. Her sister "yawed" and instead of thing it was "think." It was entertaining to pass time. Very glad the plot didn't require a boyfriend to jump in to rescue her.

5 stars. This was fun, well written, great characters, great storyline and adventurous. The characters each and every one are so well done from the grandma to the uncle to Alison. I was and am hooked.

I could not relate to the main character, Sydlynn. If I had powers I would want to learn everything about them if for no other reason then to not accidentally expose myself and risk not fitting in which seems to be all our heroine cares about in her life. Her mother is too weak and short sighted which is a let down considering how she is built up to be a super-powerful witch. The sister is my favorite character because she has guts and a true reason to want to fit in. This story line had promise but after reading the book I was left feeling only so so.

If book 1 had been set back a few more years and show all the characters to be stronger and more likable rather than starting with a petulant teenager, a midlife crisis mom, a nutty grandma...then maybe I would consider reading on but since that is not how things started I just do not see myself going on to the next book let alone 19 more books and a spin off that may too produce 20 books. I like sequels but at some point you need to stop and try something new.

The title really draws you in. hehe Although I did not get the chance to do anything except brief it, the title just hopefully makes my family happy by magic through God's grace! Thank you to the writer and the people who made it possible for a preview so far.

Despite the negative reviews I thoroughly enjoyed this book I found sydlynn to be very spirited and realistic I also though the ya element was well done the only thing I don't like us that there are 20 more books to complete the story I think that is much too excessive I mean I understand marketing agendas behind it but sheesh

I'm not surprised Ms. Larsen dedicated this book to her main character, Syd. It's been a long time since I've read a YA novel, but I found myself identifying with Syd from the beginning. She is a heroine worth cheering for.

Filled with suspense, magic, demons, and so much more, Family Magic, above all, is an intelligent read I would have loved as a young girl.

Patti Larsen is an advocate for smart and imaginative stories aimed at young adults, but I suspect many adults will fall in love with her stories too.

it never gets boring and keeps you begging for more.take it from a book critic when I tell you it's amazing and it's a book that will keep you late up at night, and I don't lie when it comes to books.(and by no means am I saying I've never lied before and by no means am I admitting to a lie I might have told ;) Jokes apart it is an awesome read.

A very good read, real eager page turner. Vamps, fae, magic, demons, witches. A lot of my favorite supernatural mixed into one book. Good plot, action, humor. Teenage, high school life portrayed very well. The only problem I had with it was at times it was a bit anticlimactic. But overall an excellent read.

Started reading and could not stop, I love Patti's style of writing and have purchased all the books in this series because yes they are that good , it will keep you up saying just one more page! So buy the book you will not be disappointed I promise