House of Spells and Secrets

It’s always been Rowan, her sisters, and her mother. They’ve never stayed in one place for long, but Rowan never considered that they were running from something until her Mother’s death led the sisters to their ancestral home, Swallow Hall, which is falling apart. They meet the grandmother they never knew about, and get more questions than answers. With time running out to save Swallow Hall from itself, Rowan must dig into the past to find out why her mother ran away, never to return to her home and family. And just maybe, she’ll find her own magic along the way.

Swallow Hall is an entire character in itself; it feels alive with emotions. The rest of the characters, though, are kind of bland. Rowan is the only character who has more than one personality trait, and even she’s bland. Half the characters aren’t necessary and could have been combined. The idea that Rowan can taste feelings is really cool and never goes away for convenience, but the way it works is constantly changing. It’s said that she can’t taste her sister’s feelings, yet half the time she can. Most of the magic system is this way; one thing is said, then the rules are broken.