Review: Which Witch is Wicked? (The Witches of Port Townsend Book 2) by Kerrigan Byrne, Cindy Stark, Tiffinie Helmer, and Cynthia St. Aubin

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The seals are opening, one by one...

The quintuplet sisters Claire, Aerin, Tierra and Moira are back, and facing down stranger and scarier dangers as they inadvertently continue to open the seven seals, one at a time. The four horsemen are still trying to stop the Apocalypse (with a capital A), each knowing that at least one of witches must die in order to prevent it from happening.

Determining which witch is to be whacked is a difficulty – each horseman has a thing for one of four bewitching ladies, and none of the men can seem to fulfill their honor-bound duty. There's a new player in town, dividing loyalties, and straining relationships.

With the number of unbroken seals dwindling and tensions mounting, the choice of which of the sisters will die may be taken out of the horsemen's hands.

“Isn't that the ultimate goal here?” Julian asked. “To end this nightmarish Apocalypse?”
“They don't all have to die,” Dru reminded them. “Only one.”

Which Witch is Wicked? is the second book in the Witches of Port Townsend Series, and is a tight anthology penned by Cynthia St. Aubin, Kerrigan Byrne, Cindy Stark and Tiffinie Helmer. The first book in the series, Which Witch is Which? was released a year ago and ended on a semi-soft cliffhanger.

This second installment begins a week after the first book in the series ended. I highly recommend reading the first book before starting this one, even if you've already read it. While there is some exposition, there is not enough to cover all of the major events of the first book, and a refresher (or just plain fresh) read makes jumping into the story a lot smoother.

The stories are once again divided by sister, each written by a separate author. In the seamless style of the first book, there is a perfect flow without a discernible difference in overall voice from writer to writer. As a reader of all of these authors, I am amazed. They each have their own style, and the collaboration on this work is completely harmonious. None of their styles stand out, they just blend as though written by one person.

There is a little retreading of old ground here, in the form of reminders of the Apocalypse and the way to end it – causing the emotional turmoil of the couples. However, it is not tedious because it is woven into the intensifying of the relationships of the sisters, the men, as well as the romantic combinations.

More is at stake now, and that leads to character growth more on the part of the sisters than the horsemen. While the witches definitely stand out in my mind, I have trouble separating the horsemen. (Note: I fully admit, that may be a failure on my part.) The introduction of a new character acts as a catalyst for further discord. While not exactly being a fresh take on this particular villain, there's enough individuality and malice to keep the reader guessing.

The story moves along briskly and smoothly, with some short breathers. Due to the number of characters, there is a lot happening. I can't say I have the whole ending figured out, but there is some hefty foreshadowing which makes me wonder if it isn't a flashy red herring. Ending on another cliffhanger (not brutal, but obvious), the way is neatly paved for book three.

With humor, drama, action, and growing tension, this book has sidestepped the “sophomore slump”. I would say it's not quite as good as the first, but only by a very small margin. Along with other readers, I bemoan the time between releases, which attests to the power of the story.