Book: The Council (The Witch’s Ambitions Trilogy #1)

Author: Kayla Krantz

Genre: Supernatural

Synopsis:

The Council is the governing Coven over the Land of Five, a region entirely inhabited-and split apart-by witches with varying powers. Lilith Lace, a witch thought to be born powerless, happily resides in Ignis, the Coven of Fire, until she suddenly develops telekinesis, an ability only seen in some witches born in Mentis, the Coven of the Mind. When The Council finds out about her odd development, she’s taken under their wing and is finally told the truth-everything she’s learned about the Land of Five, herself included, have been nothing but lies.

Review Against the ARC provided by the Author:

IT’S A 4 STARRED BOOK

The story revolves around our protagonist, Lilith Lace. She is just a normal teenager girl who presumably thinks and has seen that she is one those Unequipped people in her oven as similar to her best friend Helena. 

The concept of the book is built upon the life of Lilith as an Unequipped, Equipped, witch, apprentice to her mentors, adventurer, wanderer for answers and opportunistically the future SAGE.

Now, what’s unique about the book is that the story itself runs along focusing on Lily, while there are minor romantic scenes and interests in her life, she has been seen as the major and the most influential character in Kayla’s first book of the trilogy.

As it is one of the maiden reads for me in the genre of supernatural, I didn’t have much expectation except the proverbial characterisation of the category being too dramatic, obscene and redundant. 

But, but, but, this book specifically for anything but.

It was a refreshing story for me where I could see and decipher the real Li, hidden beneath the veil of being a witch or a member of the council for which she gets appointed soon after. The ride and joy of reading this book takes the reader to different stages of beliefs, assumptions, trusts and misconceptions she held about herself, the coven and her own family.

The author has framed not only her character, but also all the supporting characters quite thoughtfully and strategically otherwise the story would have been bland and uninteresting. Instead, it turned out eliciting enough for me wanting to finish it all at once. 

As for the other characters like,

Helena: She is one of the best friends of Lily and she is also born and brought up as Unequipped but she was the immense knowledge about the magical powers that surrounds her and her life. She is determined to practice and earn a title of a witch who is equipped unlike Li, who doesn’t care about magic at all except she just want to feel confident about her past which cannot bring out in front of her memory lane.

Clio: He is another best friend of Li and has shared a slight romantic interest with Li. He has beautiful green eyes and black hair and is a typical hero of sorts. He is a helpful, compassionate person. He is the adept of the Ignis Coven and has been shown quite an impressive qualities of leadership as he trains his people with passion and virility. His friendship with Li matters to him, though at a certain point of time I once or twice started doubting him in order to know who was being the mastermind behind the mess of everything going around.

Crowe: He is Li’s mentor and a shapeshifter. He belongs to the Aquais Coven but has none of the power those witches possess. His first conversion was into a crow, hence the name.Otherwise, he goes by a beautiful name, Alexander. He belongs to one of the richest families who literally run the Aquais Coven. His parents are from the Unequipped background but he ain’t.  He is a compassionate, focused and sorted out guy who plans how to bring about the full potential in his mentor, Li. He has been growing closer and friendlier than initially with Li as they get to spend the time together during various chapters of the book. He is one of the influential members of the council and I hope he has a major role to play in the coming books because I secretly want him to pair with Lilith! YIPPIE!!

And there are other characters that fulfil the need of the magical, daunting, intimidating, thriller and maize like world of the land of five consisting of the five covens.

All in all, the Grove and the Land of Five, is something you wouldn’t want to miss reading out on if you are seeking a slight adventurous novel where you to get use your brain cells and think about what is happening around and feel the irritation the protagonist goes through when the answers are beneath her reach but she cannot hold onto them because of her inability to head into the right direction. 

The ending is a cliffhanger, obviously as it is a trilogy and I am looking forward to what is going to happen to Lilith when she witnesses the climactic ending of the people around her as the end approaches and the Elementalists wreak havoc in the Ignis Coven.

The scenes of this story are imaginative with the help of the words relating to the world of magic and mysteries.

Moreover, each and every character of this novel is influential if not being in main headlights. In my opinion, Lilith solely on her powers and self doubt and the journey of discovering who she was, who she is going to be and whom she needs to trust and not to trust steals the show away. The reader can be engrossed in the poignant voice of the girl who Li is in real. She is unsure, self doubting, insecure and confused. She wants the world peace and collaboration but will she be capable of being a liaison she meant to be? Will she be able to survive the fight when there are people who probably want her dead at sight? Will she be able to trust the people around her anymore? Will she be able to realise her potential before it’s too late to save anyone including herself?

For the answers, you must read this book!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33528637-the-council

With Love and Regards,

Romanceofilia