Aimless Witch (Questing Witch #1)

Gwen

Rating: really liked it
Felt a bit bad about this book, there was nothing really wrong with the story or the characters, it all just felt a bit .......aimless

Pagan

Rating: really liked it
Rating: 4/10
Couldn't Get On Board with the Novel

Warning: This review may contain spoilers.

There was nothing really that screamed that there was anything wrong with Aimless Witch. It had an interesting premise - but that was really all. It never delivered anything.

Never at any point in reading the novel did I ever feel engrossed. The book felt (without nessarily doing so) that it seemed to drag on aimlessley without any real intention. The other problem was the world building. I never felt that it was developed or described. It felt confusing and vague - never did you feel like you had an understanding of the world and how it looks, feels, tastes and operates waiting to discover more.

I wanted to enjoy Aimless Witch, but couldn't get invested in the world, characters or plot - it felt aimless.

Denisa

Rating: really liked it
Not bad, but I still expect more from this author...



It's a good intro to the series.
The main char has a lot of potential, I really like her. Ohhh, and the cat is AMAZING!


And the world is really great, especially if you've read the other series (this one is a side story from the main one).

Why am I disappointed?
Frankly, I have no idea. It was good, decent, nice. Maybe my expectations were too high, I dunno.

Anyway, I will go on with the series, see what's going on.

Elisa

Rating: really liked it
It really shouldn't be so hard to write a review for such an awesome book but you know what, it's not that easy when I don't want to give spoilers away, you really need to read this one yourself, but first if your new to Shannon Mayer start with the Rylee Adamson books, then pick up the Elemental series follow those up with the Rylee Chronicles and don't forget all the novella shorts as your going through they are magical gap fillers and just make the whole world come to life... Just before it all falls apart..lol

That then brings us to Aimless Witch and a personal favourite character of mine from the Rylee books Pamela the super witch, even Pamela didn't know exactly how powerful she was before she helped Larkspur the Destroyer re-start the world but now after all that, just what kind of world are they really left with??

Pamela and Oka are on there own and trying to figure out what is going on with the new world and how she fits into it and you know what it is an absolutely fantastic story that will make you feel lots of feels for Pamela and her new pack and the ending, the ending is worth waiting for ....

Beth

Rating: really liked it
A lot darker than I expected. Intense from start to finish.

Jillianl_Booklover

Rating: really liked it
The Rylee and the Elemental series are some of my all time favs .... so for that alone I love this book, more of that world is just wonderful. This however has a fresh feeling to it Pamela is such a strong diverse character that I can’t wait to see what is in store for her.

This book started a little slow but my love for the other books in this world made it easy to push through the beginning, and as the story progressed and developed and became clear that it was going to be the same world but remade anew 😉.

Absolutely worth the read! But if you haven’t read the Rylee Adamson novels or the Elemental series I wouldn’t start here you will have no context of the world or the characters and their histories that make this book great. Read the whole series it’s phenomenal!!! They’re books that I keep going back to because the character and world building and the story itself is one of the best I have ever read, it really has a lot of everything you could hope for in a series. They suck you in to the point you forget to eat and find yourself holding your book with one hand while trying to do literally everything with one hand so you don’t have to put the books down and stop reading!!

Ashley

Rating: really liked it
I haven't read any of the other books in this world, I started with this one because the cover was so pretty. But this was so good, I need to go back and read all the other ones now. I wasn't confused or anything by not reading the other books first. Obviously some stuff happened that I had no clue about, but it was explained well enough. This world was really cool, and I liked the magic. Pamela was a really great character too, I'm kind of excited that I have other books to read with her in it from the other series. I loved the familiars in this!

I listened to the audio of this and the narration was great.

Aira

Rating: really liked it
2.5 stars
its been a while since I read the Tracker series, and Although I enjoyed the first half I never finished it because I simply lost interest in the world. I didn't realise that Aimless witch was set in the same universe as Rylee's and there were points where I felt like I had started in the middle of a story with the world building not exactly clear, but not to the point where it completely throws you off, so this could be read without reading Miss Mayer's other series.
The first half of the book was excrutiatingly slow, I was terribly bored. The plot picks up around the 20th chapter, I have nothing against slow moving plots, sometimes it adds to the character or develops relationships, but here all the developed relationships seem to die and thus felt slightly 'aimless'
Pamela is cool, but her 'maturity' wavered, sometimes she came across as someone who had no clue what was going on, or a whiny teenager, or an old magical soul who totally had her shit together.
I could have done without the romance, nothing wrong with Mac, i just felt it was added for the sake of being added and it was almost an instalove which is my second least favourite thing. Romance based on 'magic' bonds always feel like a cop out.
This book is very dark, I liked that about it, and it doesn't pull punches.
Don't know if i'll continue the series

Just Jese

Rating: really liked it
Not what I expected

Hmmmm. Where do I start?
I did not read the Rylee or Elementals series before starting this. The synopsis assured me that I wouldn’t need that kind of prior knowledge to enjoy this series, for the most part it is very true, I didn’t have the urge to wonder what the back story was with her mentor or her dad, because it wasn’t really paramount to the current story being told. That being said, this had a slow build to it and I kept waiting to get carried away with this story and I simply wasn’t.
I only recently discovered This author and i noticed that this book didn’t seem too different from her Desert Cursed series. A powerful girl, cursed/chained to keep her from reaching her true potential, joined on her journey by a small sized quick witted friend (who *gasp* can take on a much larger form, and a “helper” is introduced on the journey that she becomes a potential love interest.
This story, so far, is not really unique. But I will read book 2 just to see if things pick up:

Robin

Rating: really liked it
This one took some time for me to get into it. Pamela was, of course, in The Rylee books but I was very aggravated by some of her choices near the end. I was not able to connect to the elemental series so I’m sure I missed a part of the story as a whole.
Pamela is still very young and she really does not understand her gifts. She is waiting for everyone else to teach her and help her and hold her hand. She wants to be grown but she doesn’t think things through. Oka is a fantastic familiar and I love the relationship they have. Mac is an interesting addition especially with my favorite appearing at the end. And I’m very curious to know if Richard is indeed connected to Liam. I really hope this story is bringing us back to the family because I really need more rylee and crew in my life.

Wendy

Rating: really liked it
Set in a broken world, plague devastating humanity and technology lost, “Aimless Witch” begins three years after the layers separating mankind and the supernatural were ripped apart. Fighting to survive in a hostile environment, caravans hire witches to keep them safe from the unnatural forces roaming the earth. Left with only the dark magic of her bloodline after her elemental powers were stolen eighteen-year-old Pamela with her familiar Oka have joined a caravan looking for the safety of Shamballa, joining a weak human witch in the protection of three toddlers who are immune to supernatural powers.

Well-written and absorbing the plot heats up, a storm brewing as the caravan faces earthquakes and attacks from zombies, trolls, gargoyles and werewolves. Tension continually builds as the action escalates when Pamela is faced with using her dark powers to save the Immunes, seeking help in dreams to find the answers she needs to unlock the elemental magic stripped from her by the bracelets she’s been forced to wear.

The language gritty as the conflict grows deadly and the violence increases, Pamela aimless since the breaking of the world begins to find purpose in her determination to save the children and in her friendship with adults in the caravan. In a roller-coaster ride you can’t put down until finished, the young witch not only discovers the pain of loss in a self-sacrifice she never expected, but as her heart develops an attachment to Mac a shapeshifting bear. The writing style fluid, the plot progresses quickly and smoothly to a surprising ending that promises an exciting sequel.

Among a wealth of compelling, and multifaceted characters is Pamela, a catalyst for change that brings hope in a dark world. She’s strong-minded, smart but often impulsive and dependent on Oka, her cat who’s shrewd, protective and loyal. Richard is the stoic, fair and rational leader of the caravan; Macy a troubled and bitter fighter; and Macmahon (Mac) her second familiar who’s understanding, encouraging and supportive. All infuse the plot with depth, high-energy and emotional tension.

I liked “Aimless Witch” and look forward to the next story in the “Questing Witch” saga.

Cate

Rating: really liked it
Pammy!

I don't know how Shannon does it, but she's got another winning series starting here! I love that most of her series are intertwined while being separate story lines. And, I can't wait for the final mind-blowing book that ties them all together either! (At least I hope there will be one. ;) )

This series has us following Pamela after she and Lark have "broken" the world in order to save it. Like any post-apocalyptic story, society - and life in general - have fallen apart. Groups of people called caravans are what society is now made of instead of cities. Most caravans are small as supplies are hard to come by, and while some are truly trying to live in the new world, others are all too happy making life a living hell.

Fans of Rylee and Lark will not want to miss this spin off!

Vicki Poll

Rating: really liked it
Well bugger me that was awesome! What an unexpected journey Pamela has been on in the first book. Absolutely loved the references to previous series by this author, adding to the poignancy of Pam’s journey with each triumph mastered. What a fearless and bad ass character to follow! I love Oka and Mac and can’t wait to see how this all pans out.
But by god Shannon - that ending?!?!

Lučka

Rating: really liked it
3.5*

Wish I knew this was a spin-off before I started reading it as my first book in the series. I would definitely rate it more. As this is a side story, you're thrown in to the what feels like the middle of story and you should already know the background and characters. Which I didn't and I was a bit confused at the beginning with the missing plot. My fault. The book was still an enjoyable read, but I recommend reading the main series first.

Alix

Rating: really liked it
3.5 - slogged through the first half, but then couldn’t put it down!