#2) The Witch's Tears ★☆☆☆☆

• Unrealistic romance. It was not quite instalove but it was still rushed. Merry and Jack did not have any connection. They barely knew each other before they started to randomly make out, let alone before they were supposed to be in love. Jack barely knew himself.

• There was no real plot. I was underwhelmed by the witch lore but the fact that the story basically consisted of Merry sitting around or waiting for something to happen did not excite me. It was boring.

• The brief dual timeline was a nice touch, though. It did not flow well between chapters but it kind of worked for me.

• Good villains have to be complex and nuanced so that you can empathise with their actions. This story’s antagonist was salty because he got friend-zoned and… kept terrorising witches for hundreds of years? He was inconsistent and about as terrifying as a wet paper bag. He definitely could have been more fleshed out.

• Merry was irritating. I did not connect with her on any level. Leo should have narrated this story. I cared about him so much more. Jack was flat. He also lacked any sort of personality.

• The writing was not atmospheric enough. I was not pulled in by this world or its characters. I wanted more emotion, more immersion, just more.