Blood Magick (Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy, #3)

by Nora Roberts

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts comes the final novel in a trilogy about the land we’re drawn to, the family we learn to cherish, and the people we long to love…

Book Three of The Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy
Blood Magick

County Mayo is rich in the traditions of Ireland, legends that Branna O’Dwyer fully embraces in her life and in her work as the proprietor of The Dark Witch shop, which carries soaps, lotions, and candles for tourists, made with Branna’s special touch.

Branna’s strength and selflessness hold together a close circle of friends and family—along with their horses and hawks and her beloved hound. But there’s a single missing link in the chain of her life: love…

She had it once—for a moment—with Finbar Burke, but a shared future is forbidden by history and blood. Which is why Fin has spent his life traveling the world to fill the abyss left in him by Branna, focusing on work rather than passion.

Branna and Fin’s relationship offers them both comfort and torment. And though they succumb to the heat between them, there can be no promises for tomorrow. A storm of shadows threatens everything that their circle holds dear. It will be Fin’s power, loyalty, and heart that will make all the difference in an age-old battle between the bonds that hold their friends together and the evil that has haunted their families for centuries.

Don’t miss the other books in the Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy
Dark Witch
Shadow Spell

• ISBN10: 0425259870
• ISBN13: 9780425259870
• Publish Date: 28 October 2014
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Berkley Publishing Corporation,U.S.
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780425259870

Reviews

[Kim Deister]

Blood Magick I love Nora Roberts and I have loved this series. The characters are rich and interesting. The story line was engrossing, the epic battle between good and evil that has been going on for centuries. But this last book disappointedd me a bit, which is not something I expected.
 
The story of the battle, of magic, and of the intrigue was just as engrossing in this nove as the previous two. It was the romance, I think, that suffered in this book, as well as the individual stories of Branna and Fin. In each of the first two books, we really got to know the two central characters, both as a couple and individually. We watched them grow and change. There wasn't a lot of that in this book. Branna spent most of it pushing Fin away if it started to get too emotionally charged. He was completely seondary to her story right up until the end.
 
The ending, too, felt a bit anticlimatic. There was such build-up and then it was over almost before it began. It is not like Nora Roberts to end a series like that, rushed and a bit flat.
 
My Recommendation
 
It wasn't a bad book. It just wasn't as rich as most of Nora Robert's novels. I gave it 3.5 mugs.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Espresso Review of Blood Magick

“As we will, so mote it be"

I love the Ireland setting and the good verse evil theme throughout the Cousins O’Dwyer trilogy. There is witchy magic and spells to cast. We time travel a wee-bit as the cousins visit their bloodline from the past as they prepare for their final battle with Cabhan. The plot offers nothing new regarding witches but Roberts’ knows how to tell a story, and I quickly became caught up. The group as a whole has a great dynamic. Their friendships, and the way in which they support each other made me envious. Roberts’ uses language to give the spells power and it also enhances the Ireland countryside setting. Finn has been a favorite for me and his storyline tugged at my heart. Branna and Finn’s relationship overpowered the overall arc in Blood Magick. Both are strong and burdened by who they are and the hand fate dealt each. Despite their story overshadowing the outcome, Blood Magick was a wonderful conclusion to the series. This is a light, easy read and while I adore Roberts, I craved more depth.This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[EBookObsessed]

This final installment of the Cousins O'Dwyer trilogy features Branna O'Dwyer and Finbar Burke. So far the descendants of the Dark Witch have failed in their attempts to destroy Cabhan. But with each failure, they learn a little more what his weaknesses are. In their last attempt, they crossed dimensions and added the combined power of the original three, Sorcha's children. They need to find a way to once again cross time and draw the power of the original three to Branna, Connor and Iona's magic.

But there is more to be done this time and the answer to Cabhan's power is revealed. A dreamwalk with Branna and Fin take them to the time when Cabhan first received his dark powers and merged his body and power with a demon. It is the power of the demon that has allowed Cabhan to regenerate time and again. This time they will be prepared to destroy not only Cahban, but the demon inside giving him power.

In the past, Cabhan has attempted attacks on the women of the group. He has no respect for women who he considers to be weak. Only a year ago Iona was new to her powers and Meara has no magic so in Books 1 and 2, Cabhan attempts to destroy their circle through them. Since Branna and Fin are the two most powerful witches in the group, he does not attempt to attack Branna through magic, but through seduction. He uses Fin and Branna's denied love for each other against them. He offers to disguise himself as Fin to get Branna into bed. When seduction doesn't work, he tries the same approach on Fin. He offers him a gift of the witch he desires to join forces against the circle.

The epic battle should be the big draw to the third book, but to me it was more about Fin and Branna. We watched them battle their feelings through the first two books. Fin was Branna's first kiss, first lover and first love. As teens, they planned out their future together until the mark of Cabhan came upon Fin and tore them apart. The descendant of the Dark Witch couldn't be with the blood of Cabhan. As a girl, Branna felt betrayed by Fin, that he kept this knowledge from her, but Fin was as unaware as Branna until the mark appeared.

Fin has been wandering the world searching for a way to remove the mark and to get away from Branna. He couldn't stay so close to the only one he ever loved and have nothing but her scorn. Even the house Fin built was based upon the plans they discussed, and designs that he thought Branna would like.

At the beginning of Book #1, Branna was still holding onto some of that childhood pain and punishing Fin. She refused to trust in him but after fighting side by side, she knows that although they can never be together, deep down Fin is still the boy she loved and trusted. Because she has set aside her anger, she is now overwhelmed by those feelings of the loss of their connection and the life they can never have.

As they go into their final battle, both hold a secret hope in their hearts, that if they can succeed in destroying Cabhan and his demon, and Fin's mark is removed, there might just be a chance for a future for them.

THOUGHTS:
I loved Branna and Fin throughout the trilogy and was excited to finally get more of them. In the first two, you really felt Fin's pain and how much he longed to be with Branna. In this book we finally see how badly Branna pines for Fin as well once she realizes that blaming him for their loss was wrong.

For an epic battle, there really wasn't too much too it. It was mostly the spells and prep needed and a good portion of the book dedicated to Branna and Fin. Aside from the not very epic battle, it was an enjoyable paranormal trilogy.

Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.