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Summary: There is something scarier than giant bird things from hell
Review: Wither (the 300-year-old witch we first met in Wither) is back and she's pretty grumpy. Okay, there's more to it than that, but that is what kind of gets the ball rolling. She escaped her previous host and has found a new one who will not fight her. All the usual suspects are back: Wendy, Alex, Karen, and Abby, along with a couple of new ones, like Karen's baby Hannah and Gina this kind of uber-skank girl who is possessed by Wither and gets this "Dark Willow" thing going with the black veins and stuff. This book was a fast and fun read. Even if you haven't read Wither, you won't be lost for long, though I do recommend reading Wither first.
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Summary: The Storm is Brewing!!!
Review: Wither's Rain is a veritable storm of events and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. All of our favorite characters like Wendy Ward and Elizabeth Wither are back and some new faces as well. John Passarella does not disappoint his fans and even if you have not read Wither (Although I can't imagine why you wouldn't have!) this is a wonderful blend of mystery, horror, romance, and drama. Gather up your umbrella and galoshes, because Wither's Rain is fixin' to pour.
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Summary: Good sequel but not as good as the original.
Review: Wither's Rain is for all intents and purposes a really good novel. That being said i don;t really think it holds a candle to the first book Wither. Wither was a spectacular horror novel that was actually quite scary. Rain doesn't succeed simply for the fact that the coven in this book isn't monstrous like they were in Wither. They are perfectly ordinary people with a great capacity for evil and tremendous powers (actually Wither is more powerful yet less intimadating in this).All of the main characters are back once again but with major changes. Alex is still suffereing from his injuries, Abby still isn't right, Hannah is growing too fast,Art and Karen have moved, and Wendy is scared to practice the rituals that once helped her. This all provides for a very interesting ride that includes the introduction of a "new" character called The Crone that must help Wendy prepare for Wither. The action in Rain is a bit of a let down especially when compared to the first book, this story is more about prepping for the final battle than anything else. And when that final battle comes it is a MAJOR disappointment. All that being said probably makes me look as if i didn't like the book which is not in the least bit true. It's just that i enjoyed Wither so much that i expected more. Wither is such a great novel that anything in the horror genre would have trouble comparing with it let alone a sequel. I recommend this book to everyone but i say pick up Wither before you buy this and enjoy that first maybe you will see how i feel.
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Summary: Wither's Rain is a great Continuation of the Wendy Ward saga
Review: Wither's Rain picks up shortly after the end of Wither. It delivers us even more into the lives of our favorite characters and shows that old evils are not so easy to kill as you might think. It is an wonderful followup to Wither and should be read if you loved that book. If you are a John Passarella fan from his Angel or Buffy books, check out Wither and see how well he handles an origianl story and become a fan like we are. Wither's Legacy, the third book in the series, comes out Halloween 2004.
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Summary: Wither's Rain is a great Continuation of the Wendy Ward saga
Review: Wither's Rain picks up shortly after the end of Wither. It delivers us even more into the lives of our favorite characters and shows that old evils are not so easy to kill as you might think. It is an wonderful followup to Wither and should be read if you loved that book. If you are a John Passarella fan from his Angel or Buffy books, check out Wither and see how well he handles an origianl story and become a fan like we are. Wither's Legacy, the third book in the series, comes out Halloween 2004.
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Summary: Passarella weaves a tale that can't be missed!
Review: Wither's Rain, the second book in the Wendy Ward saga, begins with Wendy and her friends resuming their lives after their confrontation with Elizabeth Wither. While they are battered, injured, and exhausted, they are relieved to move on with their lives again, free of the evil that was Wither. Their relief is short lived, however. Wither's black essence was able to escape the fire that supposedly destroyed it, and it strives to live again. Wither is an ancient evil which awakens every century from its slumber to wreak havoc upon Windale, Massachusetts. Wendy Ward is a practicing witch and is beginning to realize that there might be more to the powers that awoke in her on All Hallows Eve, during her battle with Wither. These two adversaries are destined to fight again, although Wendy is unaware of her destiny. Will she realize what is going on before it's too late? Jack Passarella weaves a tale of Horror and Suspense that keeps you turning the pages. His writing style is smooth and engrossing. It pulls you into the world of Wendy Ward and won't allow you to leave until you live the tale with her. This second book in the series expands upon the main character of Wendy, but also focuses in on the others who opposed Wither: Alex, Hannah, Karen, Abby, and Sheriff Nottingham. We see the lingering effects of Wither's curse upon these unlikely heroes, and we know their lives will never be the same again. If you are a fan of horror and suspense, strong characters and story, then you can't miss Wither's Rain and its predecessor, Wither. You will find yourself unable to tear away from this masterful tale. Jack Passarella is making his mark on the literary world; expect more to come from this talented author.
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Summary: Passarella has a hit!
Review: [CAUTION: minor spoilers!] I was elated upon my discovery of Wither, Passarella's first novel in what I believe will be a trilogy of horror/thriller novels centered around the ever-diabolical witch Elizabeth Wither. I had searched high and low for a quality story about witches, and here it was, embodied in this wonderful novel. You can imagine, then, the absolute euphoria that swept over me when I read Wither's Rain, the sequel to Wither, and found that it involved not one, but two of my mythical interests, beautifully adding a young werewolf to the mix. Well, maybe not a werewolf per se. Nine year-old Abby MacNeil, changed irrevocably by her first encounter with Wither, has become a shape-shifter, taking on the form of a white wolf. Also changed by their earlier encounters with the evil witches of old Windale, Massachusetts are Karen Glazer and her daughter Hannah, who seems to be maturing in both body and mind at an exceptionally accelerated rate. And, of course, there's Wendy Ward, the teenage Wicca whose body had been chosen by Wither herself to inhabit after her three-hundred-year nap in a farm outside of the city. Wendy thought she'd rid herself of the evil witch, crushing her in the final chapters of Wither, but she was wrong. Now, Wither has taken refuge in the body of high school student Gina Thorne, and continues on with her chaotic behavior, and her prideful pursuit of Wendy, the woman who almost destroyed her. With the aid of a watchful old woman from the future, Wendy must destroy Wither once and for all, before its too late and no matter the cost. Passarella is incredible in his ability to make his characters come alive on the page. I could literally feel the fear that swelled through Wendy as she raced to save her parents from Gina's wrath, and oxygen seemed a rare commodity to me as little Abby lie dying on the cold floor of Wendy's cabin. More than once I found myself whispering such phrases as No, don't go in there! Hit him, hit him! Look out! You'll be okay, it'll all be okay. Passarella has a rare knack for making his readers empathize with his characters, and an even rarer talent for scaring the hell out of us. The characterization of Gina Thorne was purely magical. The indifference with which she regarded her victims, the whimsical way she expelled them and moved on, the sexy wiles with which she engaged her intended "Keepers" or simple play things. Never have I liked a villain so much, she has become my newest guilty pleasure. My only qualm with this book was that it had to end, as do all good things, they say. From page one to the final confrontation, the chills never stopped coming. Passarella is making a name for himself in the horror writing industry. If it were up to me, that name would be bathed in light, the light reserved for only the best.
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