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The Witches of Dark Root: A Contemporary Witchy Fantasy (Daughters of Dark Root Book 1) Kindle Edition

by April Aasheim (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 3,181 ratings
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"There are some secrets darker than witchcraft." - Dora Maddock

My name is Maggie Maddock, and I'm a wilder—a natural born witch who cannot control her powers. A dirty word, in our community; hardly better than a warlock.

My sisters and I were trained in the old ways of magick by my coven-leading mother, my Aunt Dora, and various members of The Council. With Dark Root's steady supply of magick, and our talents, we were deemed the generation destined to save the world.

But there was a rift in the Council, between those wanting to follow a darker path, and those committed to the light. When The Council fell apart, Mother stopped caring, and the town, and it's magick, began to die.

One by one, we moved away, leaving the ghosts of our childhoods behind, and forging new identities for ourselves.

Now, 7 years later, I've been called home: Back to my overbearing mother, who has succumbed to her delusions; back to my sisters and our childhood rivalries; back to the boy who carved our initials into a tree; and back to the demon that tormented me since childhood.

But there is even more waiting for us in Dark Root—secrets Mother and The Council went to great lengths to keep hidden.

Secrets that change everything.

***
Welcome to Dark Root. We've been expecting you.

Books in The Daughters of Dark Root series:
The Witches of Dark Root
The Magick of Dark Root
The Curse of Dark Root: Part One
The Curse of Dark Root: Part Two
The Shadows of Dark Root

The Children of Dark Root Series (Sequel Series):
Inherited Magick: The Children of Dark Root, Book One
Gifted Magick: The Children of Dark Root, Book Two

Alchemy of a Witch Series: (Prequel Series)
Alchemy of a Witch: Part One--Calcination and Dissolution
Alchemy of a Witch: Part Two--Separation and Conjunction
Alchemy of a Witch: Part Three--Fermentation
Alchemy of a Witch: Part Four--Distillation and Coagulation

Other Dark Root Novellas and Short Stories:
The Council of Dark Root: Armand
A Dark Root Christmas: Merry's Gift
A Dark Root Halloween: The Witching Hour
A Dark Root Halloween: The Pumpkin Problem
The Mystery of Ice Pond Road
A Dark Root Samhain: A Lesson in Magick
Magick Mistletoe

Miss Sasha's School of Magick Series:
Abracadabra and Alchemy
Bloodlines and Bindings
Constellations and Candles
Dowsing and Demons
Elm Trees and Elementals
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Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 5
    Daughters of Dark Root
  2. Print length
    365 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    May 31 2013
  6. File size
    1715 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Next 3 for you in this series See full series
Total Price: CDN$12.63
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Popular Highlights in this book
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  1. What is it about our childhood that makes us want to run from it––and return to it––all in one breath?
    Highlighted by 75 Kindle readers
  2. Wilder was a slang word, used to describe a witch who had no control over her magic.
    Highlighted by 70 Kindle readers
  3. “Music is a form of magic, I suppose,” Paul said. “It can take you back in time, change your mood...and some even claim, calm the savage beast.”
    Highlighted by 46 Kindle readers
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Product description

About the Author

April Aasheim spent her childhood traveling around the Southwestern portion of the United States with her gypsy mother and her get-rich-quick stepfather. During those years she spent time traveling with the carnival, living in an abandoned miner's shack, and learning to read Tarot Cards. After spending her early adult years in California, Tennessee, and Arizona, she finally settled down in Oregon where she has lived for the last decade. April is a mother, a wife, and a reluctant homemaker. She has written several short stories and maintains an active blog. The Witches of Dark Root is her second novel.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00D6OUDDG
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dark Root Press (May 31 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1715 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 365 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 3,181 ratings

About the author

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April Aasheim

April Aasheim

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***USA Today Best Selling Author. Avid Reader. Amateur Ghost Hunter. Author of Witchy Things.***

April Aasheim is an avid researcher, and a believer in all things magick. April lives in Portland, Oregon, with her family and her familiar: Boots the Cat.

Books by April Aasheim

(MAIN SERIES)

The Daughters of Dark Root Series.

Book 1: The Witches of Dark Root (2013)

Book 2: The Magick of Dark Root (2014)

Book 3: The Curse of Dark Root: Part 1 (2015)

Book 4: The Curse of Dark Root: Part 2 (2016)

Book 5: The Shadows of Dark Root (2017)

(DAUGHTERS OF DARK ROOT SEQUEL SERIES)

The Children of Dark Root Series:

Book 1: Inherited Magick: Coming Fall 2018

Book 2: Gifted Magick: Coming Fall 2019

(DAUGHTERS OF DARK ROOT PREQUEL SERIES)

ALCHEMY OF A WITCH-PART ONE: Calcination and Dissolution

ALCHEMY OF A WITCH--PART TWO: Separation and Conjunction

ALCHEMY OF A WITCH--PART THREE: Fermentation

ALCHEMY OF A WITCH--PART FOUR: Distillation and Coagulation

Dark Root Companion Short Stories and Novellas

Prequel: The Council of Dark Root: Armand (Novella, 2014)

Prequel: A Dark Root Christmas: Merry's Gift (Novella, 2015)

Prequel: A Dark Root Halloween: The Witching Hour (Short Story, 2016)

Prequel: A Dark Root Samhain: A Lesson in Magick (Short Story, 2017. Available in Witch or Treat multi-author anthology)

Prequel: A Dark Root Solstice: Aunt Dora's Dilemma (Short Story, 2017. Available in Jingle Bells and Spells Multi-Author anthology)

The Pumpkin Problem

Magick Mistletoe

The Reed Hollow Chronicles:

Touch of Light: A Baylee Scott Paranormal Mystery

Touch of Shadow: A Baylee Scott Paranormal Mystery

Touch of Lace: A Baylee Scott Paranormal Mystery Short Story (Available Summer 2018 in Spell or High Water)

Also available from April Aasheim:

The Universe is a Very Big Place (A quirky romantic comedy)

The Good Girl's Guide to Being a Demon (Part of The Woodland Creek Series).

The Last Soldier (A short story in The Ghost and the Cigarette.) June 2018.

Follow April Aasheim on Facebook:aprilaasheimwriter

Sign up for April's newsletter at aprilaasheimwriter.com to receive information on new releases, book promotions, contests and giveaways, and more about the author and her books.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
3,181 global ratings

Top reviews from Canada

Debra Purdy Kong
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story, Beautifully Written
Reviewed in Canada on September 8, 2020
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It’s always a treat to come across the work of an author I’m unfamiliar with, as is the case with this book. The Witches of Dark Root is the story of four sisters and their difficult mother who happens to be a witch and coven leader. Family dysfunction is at the heart of this urban fantasy. Dark things and dark people are blended into a plot that involves saving the town of Dark Root, Oregon from falling into complete darkness, where evil could truly take over.

The story centers around Maggie, the third eldest daughter. Maggie has some magical abilities, but because she doesn’t understand them and can’t control them, she rejects everything to do with witchcraft and witches, especially her mother. She and the three sisters still living at home are anxious to move away, so when Maggie falls for a man and leaves, she thinks she’s found herself. Seven years later, that belief abruptly changes.

Her mother’s illness, among other things, bring three of four sisters home, but it’s an unhappy reunion as unresolved issues still fester. Each daughter must find her truth path which is both a painful and enlightening journey. Not many urban fantasies delve this deeply into characters and backstory but this author does, and she does it beautifully. Highly recommended.
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WL Hawkin
4.0 out of 5 stars Hated the Cover . . . Loved the Book
Reviewed in Canada on August 14, 2020
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If you’re a fan of Alice Hoffman’s novel, Practical Magic, you’ll like this series. I picked up Book One on a free promotion. I’m not fond of the cover; in fact, I wouldn’t have bought it based on the cover. But I was intrigued by the teaser and it was free, so I gave it a chance.

It turns out that The Witches of Dark Root is one of the few paranormal fantasies I’ve read that offers a great storyline, believable magic, clever writing, and enough light to balance the darkness.

Maggie-Mae Maddock, with wild red hair hanging to her waist, is sarcastic, complex, and funny. Some folks call her a wilder. I warmed to this Welsh witch right away.

In the beginning, Maggie and her boyfriend, Michael, are religious leaders living in Woodhaven Compound in Northern California. She followed him out of Dark Root, Oregon seven years before.

Then her older sister, Merry, calls to say their mother, Sasha Shantay, is quite ill and they need her to come home. (Merry is the Herald.) Michael has become way too friendly with Leah, another woman in the compound, who’s threatening to replace Maggie as star of the religious show and seems to have Michael under her thumb. So Maggie decides to leave Michael and goes home.

This is a family of women. There are four sisters: Ruth Ann, Merry, Maggie, and Eve. They all meet up in Dark Root, except for Ruth Ann who left years ago and hasn’t been heard from since. The sisters all have witchy gifts. Maggie’s is electrokinesis, the ability to manipulate the energy of electrical devices like the radio and cell phone. Eve is an actress who can create potions and spin love spells. Merry is a healer and mother to sweet little June Bug. Their mother, Sasha, once led the coven, but now she’s old, frail, and near comatose. The family have been living in Dark Root for generations since their witchy ancestor, Juliana Benbridge, escaped there with her children. A few men appear as love interests but the romance is second place to the relationships between the women.

This book is contemporary urban fantasy, spliced with flashbacks and dreams where Maggie reveals her memories and family history. There are a few scary moments but the antagonists are quite tame and easily vanquished.

April Aasheim is a clever writer. Music is interwoven through this book’s pages. Chapter titles are all 70s songs so you’ll find yourself singing along. Really, this book has its own built-in soundtrack as some of the characters are performers. I’m a fan of cool chapter titles and this gimmick caught my eye.

Aasheim also has an excellent grasp on Wicca and spices up the brew with gems of magical knowledge:

“all homes were said to be alive and should thus be named” (I like to name my home.)

“There are no coincidences … there are forces in the world at work, whether we see them or not” (Too true.)

“a witch never cuts her hair … the longer her hair, the more powerful the witch” (I didn’t know this Sampson twist.)

“one can never stay down long when there’s music in the house.” (Yes!)

When drawing a pentagram with white powder “the star must be inside the circle, but the two shapes must not touch.” (Always good to know for when you’re drawing pentagrams.)

“the symbol of the cross predates Christianity. It has been used since the dawn of civilization as a means of keeping the dark at bay … Symbolism, like any form of Magick, is reliant on a collective belief system.”

At Halloween “the veil between the worlds was lifted. Spirits moved freely between planes, spells were stronger and a witch’s power was doubled.” (True. It’s the beginning of the witch’s new year.)

“Magic could be found through music and laughter and love and, above all, family. This everyday magic was more powerful than any incantation or spell or working of the craft. This was the magic that lit up the world.” (This, I believe, is the story theme.)

If you’re curious about witchcraft, The Witches of Dark Root is a great place to start. And if you’re knowledgeable, you’ll enjoy the romp. Because it’s a series, when you finish one, there’s another waiting. I might just buy the boxed set. I feel like this is the kind of series that blossoms and grows with each book, filling in holes and letting us sink into the complex characters. And I like this cover!
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars The witches of Dark Root
Reviewed in Canada on October 6, 2019
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Really great that perhaps we can go home again and that not all men are self centred and self aggrandizing jerks.
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Monica Cuartero
3.0 out of 5 stars Not a bad read.
Reviewed in Canada on August 2, 2021
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I give this book a three stara because it ended happily, most of the loose ends were tied neatly and the mystery for the next book is set.

For the cons, the pacing of the story felt rushed overall. The characters I felt were not fleshed out very well so when the more emotional scenes happened, it felt over acted because I didn't feel a connection to them. There was character development but it felt rushed too, the motivations not enough to warrant the change. Most of the conflict scenes also fell short and it felt anti-climactic.

I still enjoyed the story though and I loved the last scene from the festival.
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Joann G
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in Canada on November 11, 2017
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I most enjoyed the way Maggie's character dosen't suddenly change but it remains true. Not what you expect . Great cast of characters each with their own story to tell. Can't wait to read the next book. Thank you
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JJ Bateman
4.0 out of 5 stars GREAT FINISH!
Reviewed in Canada on January 18, 2022
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It started slowly and I’m unclear how the beginning served the story. The beginning gave a history of leaving and returning but, could have been less detailed or connected better to the main part of the storyline. Even looking back, it still doesn’t work for me and I almost gave up on it.
I’m glad I persevered because once it got to Dark Root, I didn’t want to stop reading. It had some good twists and emotional ups and downs. I’m about to start the second book in the series.
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Julie Hammett
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book
Reviewed in Canada on October 22, 2018
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Once you start reading this you won't be able to stop, it is a real page turner, I would definitely recommend this book
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Michelle
3.0 out of 5 stars Not enough magic
Reviewed in Canada on April 20, 2020
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More about family drama than magic. Also there seems to be some thinly veiled references to environmentalism. The magic element is such a small part of this book that you could take it out and it wouldn't be missed.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent First Book in a Great Series
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2024
Verified Purchase
Wonderful characters who come to life as you read about them. Uplifting tale of light overcoming darkness and love being the strongest magick of all. A very satisfying read.
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AM Brum
5.0 out of 5 stars Book 1 Witches of Dark Root.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 19, 2022
Verified Purchase
Good as a standalone or to carry on with the series.
I enjoyed the characters, the background details and the little journeys back to their past.
Really good read, like I said it does not finish on a cliff hanger so can be enjoyed on its own, however, I think I will carry on with the series.
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Gabi
5.0 out of 5 stars Wunderbar
Reviewed in Germany on December 22, 2021
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Spannend, herzzerreißend, humorvoll und wundervoll geschrieben. Ich freue mich schon auf die nächsten Teile. Ich habe das Buch auf Englisch gelesen und wurde jedem der Englisch versteht empfehlen das ebenfalls zu tun. Jede Uebersetzung nimmt etwas vom Orginal imho.
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janita monteiro
3.0 out of 5 stars atirei no que vi e matei o que não vi
Reviewed in Brazil on October 17, 2017
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Aconteceu o clássico caso de julgar um livro pela capa ou assunto.
Lamento mas não correspondeu as minhas expectativas. Many tks to the author for the deal.
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Wallace Hill
5.0 out of 5 stars Bewitching story
Reviewed in Australia on September 27, 2017
Verified Purchase
A slow start almost had me put this book down but I kept coming back to it as the story built with as many twists as a crime mystery this book should appeal to a diverse group of readers. The next book is definitely on my must get list.
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