“Mark of the Wicked” centers around a young witch, Matilda, who tries to unravel the mystery of who is framing her for dark magic alongside her love interest and inspiring witch, Oliver. With an intriguing premise, I was more than ready to fall in love with the characters and storyline, but there was one major problem: Matilda.

I can’t remember the last time I came across such an unlikable character. The witch was extremely vengeful, selfish, naïve, petty, nasty to family/former friends and had all the traits you wouldn’t want to see and read about the main character. There were zero redeeming qualities and as the story progressed, the worst she became. And don’t let me get started on Oliver! It was blatantly obvious where his relationship with Matilda and the storyline was going.

What held me on this far was Nan May, the surprising TW content that I wasn’t expecting with a YA fantasy novel, and the writing style, which was consistent and flowed endlessly. All in all, this could be a hit or miss with most readers, and despite my dislike of the heroine, predictable plot, repetition, and easy to predict villain, I did to some extent enjoy this piece and look forward to what the authors releases next.

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With dark tones in every corner, this is a tale which lures in and keeps the tension high.

Matilda is a witch, and although she's only a junior in high school, she already wears the scars of the names of the many people she's injured with her magic. Unlike many witches, though, her family has a spell to hide the names etched in their skin. Just when she adds another name to her collection, she meets a boy, who not only dabbles in witchcraft himself, but also wants to be her friend. But dead animals are showing up everywhere, and her home situation is more than rocky. Add her upcoming birthday, which marks her adulthood as a witch...and romance seems to be more than just a simple impossibility.

This is a well-woven tale with more than a few dark secrets and mysteries. Matilda is already an edgy character, whose attitude toward magic and others makes her hard to like. She uses magic for her benefit, regardless of the consequences...and yet, the author still manages to make her somewhat sympathetic. Matilda knows she's on a bad path but struggles with several personal issues. While she does some terrible things, it's hard not to feel pity and hope she finds the light at the end of the tunnel.

The character arc in this one is clear and well done. Matilda has a lot to learn and a rough journey ahead of her. The characters around her are also well laid out and have as many secrets and gray areas as the plot itself. There are some huge twists in this one...some which I did see coming but still enjoyed. And there are enough side tales to add a little depth. I did have a hard time, sometimes, picturing Matilda and her friends as upper classmen in high school, though, since they often came across more as older middle graders in their actions, speech and thoughts. But the story and the plot are definitely solid YA themes.

It's an easy read with lots of surprises, magic and the darkness of a gothic read. I had no trouble reading this in one sitting and did enjoy it for the most part. I received an ARC copy and was grabbed in by the tale. ( )