Heather’s Bookshelf: Dyer Street Punk Witches
Author: Phil Williams
Released: 09/12/22
Genre: Urban Fantasy Thriller
“This book is for the eagles. The ducks might dabble but are likely to be more comfortable floating. The penguins, for sure, aren’t supposed to be here. You, blessed reader, I trust are an eagle. You’re reading this now, you must’ve been inspired to get here! We’re a minority, those of us who soar. Treasure your magic, nurture it for the rare gift that it is, and recognise that you are not like everyone else. It’s how it should be, because if the sky was full of eagles, it’d be carnage.”
“Dyer Street Punk Witches” introduces Kit “Fadulous” Hamley, a successful magazine editor and political activist. Kit also happens to be well-known in her neighborhood for being a strong and fearless teenage troublemaker turned punk rocker. She wishes for better for her neighborhood but runs into new foes while her past also comes back to haunt her.
Kit meets up with an old acquaintance who reminds her about their past exploits and possible future problems—- including the return of an old enemy. There’s rumors of magic and missing people. She reaches out to others from her past, including an old bandmate from Dyre Grrls. Madison has moved on from those days and has settled down with a family, but eerie feelings and instincts lead her to meet up with Kit again.
Meanwhile, Aaron is assaulted on Dyer Street and saved by Kit’s intervention. Curious about his savior, he looks her up and finds her magazine, Incite, is hiring. He is quickly hired and becomes interwoven in Kit’s adventures. Kit and Madison know there’s something different about Aaron. But when a new witch come into town and things go off the rails, they find out exactly how different Aaron is. Will Kit and her friends be able to work together to save themselves and the neighborhood?
Trigger Warning: violence, adult language, death, gang violence, murder
Overall, I enjoyed this story. The main characters are distinctive and well-developed: especially Aaron, Mad and Kit. I loved the overall concept as well. Badass young women working to use magic and music to change their lives and their neighborhood? Yes, please! The story is told through a couple of perspectives- mostly Kit and Aaron’s- as well as flashbacks. The flashbacks are short and kick start the chapters, but they are very effective in developing back stories, personality traits, and reasons behind decisions for many of the main characters. They also serve to introduce characters not around in the present timeline who still had a major role in the overall story arch. The plot itself is easy to follow start to finish with a couple of secrets revealed along the way. I wish there more examples of their magic in the story. While it felt like a complete tale, it also kind of felt like a setup story for additional tales. I would love to see this turned into a series in order to hear more about Kit and her friends.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A tale about witches, friendship, and revenge with well-developed characters, and a couple of secrets.
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