Hollywood Witch Hunter

by Valerie Tejeda

[Angie]

Hollywood Witch Hunter was a super fun read like I expected it to be, but there something off about it. When it starts Iris has just killed her first witch. She carries the body home (I wonder how no one noticed this?) to show her father so that he'll stop denying that witches are real and that she was born to hunt them. Jump forward a bit and Iris is finally taking the tests to become the first lady witch hunter, but then she learns that a Hollywood starlet that she was suppose to be guarding was killed on her watch. By a witch, obviously. Now Iris needs to find out how that happened and secure her place with the witch hunters.

I adored the Tinseltown setting of Hollywood Witch Hunters. It added an extra something and made the concept feel fresh. Witches around this area don't just cast spells and wreck havoc on human lives. They actually sacrifice the rich, beautiful, and bratty to extend their own lives and enhance their beauty. But they do stay away from those in the spotlight to not reveal themselves, which is why that murder is such a big deal. I never figured out who was behind it, and actually learning who it was is part of why I dropped a star. I didn't quite feel believable or make much sense. It felt more like it was for shock value, but nothing came of it at all with that abrupt ending.

Something else that didn't feel right about Hollywood Witch Hunter was the interactions between witches and hunters. Iris and her brother just stroll into the witches lair to have a chat. No one raises a hand or their voice. Um...what? There really wasn't any hostility at all. There are moments where Iris is shown that things aren't so "black and white" but no one ever even acted that way. They more acted like old friends who had a falling out, but can still talk to each other amicably when things are happening. It was weird.

Hollywood Witch Hunter was a fun, quick read, but it did leave me a little unsatisfied. I loved Iris and the way witches in Hollywood operated, but I do wish the witches and hunters actually acted like enemies who were forced to come together for a common goal. The ending was original, but super sudden. I have no idea if this is a standalone with a shock ending or if that was a cliffhanger for following books (which I would definitely read to see what comes next).

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.