Devil's Playground

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Author(s)

Heather Eagar

Publisher

Clean Reads

Age Range

14+

Release Date

January 12, 2016

ISBN

9781621354864

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Sixteen-year-old Elizabeth Winters may be a witch, but she doesn’t know the first thing about magic—unless you count accidental bouts of spontaneous combustion. Elizabeth’s father, a wizard himself, has forbidden the use of her powers for her own protection, but when accusations of witchcraft start flying through Salem Village, she wishes she was more prepared. Despite her lack of magical knowledge, Elizabeth appoints herself to save innocent women from the demise the village has in store for them. Elizabeth finds, however, that she is not the hero Salem needs her to be. She meant to save them. She cursed them instead.

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YA Fantasy that offers you more

April 08, 2016

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5.0

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I could literally feel the magic in the air. The words on the pages gave an aura of realism in each phrase. I felt line I was back in the Salem Witch Trials. I took my time reading this one but it still was not slow enough. I was done and it was all over. I eagerly await more. This was a very good YA Fantasy read. I have had the pleasure of greatly enjoying this debut offering from Heather Eagar.

Elizabeth was in no way your typical sixteen-year-old. She was a witch. Not allowed to practice her craft. She was living in a time when witches were feared, misunderstood. She finds a way around the father's decree of no magic use. With the rampid accusations flying around Salem, Elizabeth found that she needed to do something. But was her something the thing that was needed by the town. Jump in to this magical read of a brave sixteen-year-old girl and her attempts to make a difference in her community.

This was not your typical read that you could predict 90% of what was coming around the corner for you. You will enjoy this journey you will share with Elizabeth, her family, and the community of Salem.

**This ARC was provided from Heather Eagar in exchange for an honest review.**

Good Points

YA Fantasy that will captivate you senses . . .
This was not your typical read that you could predict 90% of what was coming. . .
I was one of the first to read and review. . .

The Book Junkie Reads . . . Top 500 Reviewer 3 reviews

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Review by Amber

February 29, 2016

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5.0

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I hope to see more from this author.

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review by the author.

The author takes you on an unexpected, and very realistic journey filled with magic, danger, and survival. Free up your time, because this one will keep you up all night. This book was impossible to put down!

I loved this book thoroughly. This book had me from page one. This read was so compelling, and I found myself so addicted to the book that I lost track of time. It was one of those books where you sink in, and don't come out of it till 5:00 am.

I am amazed with this authors work already. This debut author has literally made my night/day. I am stunned by how realistic all the magic was, and everything else as well. Everything I went through in this book was nothing but pure awesome sauce.

Survival, family, magic, and some really unexpected moments that left me baffled, yet totally in sync with the book. In the end it gracefully pulled itself together. Not only was this book beautifully written, but also worth way more than 5 stars easy. If I could rate it 10 stars I would.

Amber M Adkins Top 1000 Reviewer 1 reviews

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Devil's Playground by Heather Eagar

February 29, 2016

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5.0

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Recommended Read.

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Non-Spoiler Review - Devil’s Playground revolves around sixteen-year-old Elizabeth Winters who even though may be a witch, but doesn’t know the first thing about magic. Her father, a wizard himself, has forbidden the use of her powers for her own protection. But when accusations of witchcraft start flying through their Salem Village Elizabeth attempts to save the innocent women from the horrible demise the village has in store.

I found Devil’s Playground by Heather Eagar wonderfully written. The Salem Witch trials were a dark time in American history. During this “Witch Hysteria” people feared that the Devil was trying to find ways to infiltrate and destroy Christians and their communities. The storyline was well plotted and what made it all the more scary was that it came across as quite realistic. Whether you love them or absolutely hate them, Heather Eagar’s intricate characters completely draw you in. Thank you for giving me an outstanding story with characters that have stayed with me long after the end of the book. If Devil’s Playground was meant to capture the struggle of what we view as TRUE good and evil then the author has very much succeeded.

Kristina Oden Runyon Top 1000 Reviewer 1 reviews

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Amazing

February 10, 2016

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5.0

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I love this book.

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If you love the reading about Salem witch trials and the book the crucible, then this is the book for you. This book was amazingly well written, and I love the characters. While the characters are flawed and have issues, the fit with the story and setting really well. This story kept me on the edge and kept ms turning pages the entire Time. I loved it.

Highly recommend to everyone

Haille Michelle McKown Top 1000 Reviewer 1 reviews

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If you liked The Crucible, you’ll love this YA re-imagining of the Salem Witch Trials.

February 02, 2016 (Updated: February 10, 2016)

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5.0

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If you liked The Crucible, you’ll love this YA re-imagining of the Salem Witch Trials.

Elizabeth is sixteen, and she and her family have been hiding the fact that she’s a witch her entire life. There’s a good reason: they live in Salem, and it’s the late 1600’s. Theocracy rules, and any citizen who stands out seems not only peculiar but suspicious. The town is religiously extreme, isolated, and one false accusation of witchcraft away from mass hysteria, which is where DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND opens.

Ever wonder what would’ve happened during the Salem Witch Trials if there actually WERE a witch in town? I know I did. DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND serves up some well-imagined supernatural justice without destroying the emotionally unsettling mob-mentality phenomenon in 17th century Salem Village. With all of the historically accurate figures playing their role, Eagar injects into the town an actual witch, whose most “supernatural” facet at times is ironically, her reason.

There were exactly two moments in the story, when I wished Elizabeth would would’ve shown more compassion for the gravity of injustice that was happening. To me, it seemed as if she’d too quickly dismissed her horror at the looming executions. Other than those two moments, I found the characters perfectly lovable or hateable and even more perfectly developed as the story progressed. The writing suited me. The dialogue was genuine. And the ending left just enough mystery. My skim factor was low.

With a touch of romance, plenty of action, and more than one heart-rending betrayal, DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND is a great supernatural YA read that had me glued to the pages.

For me, DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND fixed something emotional that THE CRUCIBLE had broken. 5 stars.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Good Points

A page-turner. Emotionally satisfying. Complex characters. Beautiful writing.