Witch Hearts: A Novella (Magic and Mage Series Book 1) ~ Angharad Thompson Rees

"The mysterious Cheval triplets live a peaceful life in a secluded cottage on the edge of the Mystic Wood. Yet when their mother’s illness creeps her closer to death, the three sisters, Morganne, Amara, and Fae must leave their quiet sanctuary in search of a rare cure within the darkened forest.

But they are not the only ones lurking in the midnight shadows, so when fiendish witch hunters capture the sisters, their search for a cure turns into a desperate escape attempt. Their only hope rests with the exhausted, worn out horses pulling the cart to the witch trial, and the secrets the sisters keep locked in the deepest chambers of their hearts.

When they unleash the truth will it set them free, or send them closer to the burning witch pyres?" ~Amazon Description

Brittney Joy's Review ~ I'm so happy I stumbled on this novella because Angharad and I have two of the same loves: horses and magic! When I saw Witch Hearts' beautiful cover, I was immediately intrigued, but then I read the synopsis and downloaded it right away. Captured sisters must discover their magic before witch hunters burn them at stake? And their escape lies within the horses that pull the cart leading them to the witch trial? Yep. Sign me up for this story.

Angharad's novella reminded me of the Grimms' fairytales - a dark premise with evil lurking in the shadows and villains that are creepy and cringe-worthy. This is not a light and fluffy story, but the dark beginning makes the ending that much sweeter.  I loved the three sisters (triplets) and watching them discover their magic and then fight the bad guys. The last half of the story is full of action and Angharad's writing is vivid and flowery. It was easy to picture the fight scenes and to see the magic as the sisters discovered it. Not to mention, the type of magic in Witch Hearts is horse-related. My favorite kind!

This was a quick read and was full of beautiful descriptions. And, there's two more novellas in the series. Perfect for fans of Grimms' fairytales or Once Upon A Time.

A quote from my favorite scene:
"Her hands pulsed, ice blue and gold swirling to form globes within her palms, and she flung the energy spheres toward both horses. Like blue fire and glittering lightning, Amara's energy and love and hope reached out to the horses."