Try it Tuesday (2)

'Try it Tuesday' is our brand new feature cooked up by yours truely.

Each week myself and Ninfa will alternate turns and recommend a book we think you should try and why we think you should.

This weeks pick is:

"A chalice of wind" by Cate Tiernan

Book one in the "Balefire" series.

After seventeen-year-old Thais Allard loses her widowed father in a tragic car accident, she is forced to leave the only home she's ever known to live with a total stranger in New Orleans. New Orleans greets Thais with many secrets and mysteries, but none as unbelievable as the moment she comes face to face with the impossible -- an identical twin, Clio. Thais soon learns that she and the twin she never knew come from a family of witches, that she possesses astonishing powers, and that she, along with Clio, has a key role in Balefire, the coven she was born into. Fiery Clio is less than thrilled to have to share the spotlight, but the twins must learn to combine their powers in order to complete a rite that will transform their lives and the coven forever.

Why I'm recommending this book:

Cate Tiernan is mostly famous for her "Sweep/Wicca" series and more recently for her "Immortal Beloved" series. The "Balefire" series is not as well known and yet is one of my favourites. It's full of magic, intrigue, romance and it has a dark edge that makes it different from other Young Adult books I've read.
I love books about Witches and "A chalice of Wind" is a great example of how to keep supernatural characters fresh and original.

Five reasons why I love it:
1)It has a great plot that stretches across 4 books that are really easy and quick to read.
2) It's fun in places but has a dark edge that keeps the story fresh and interesting.
3)It's a book about magic, discovery and personal relationships. The two leads, Clio and Thais are your typical teenagers but there's so much more about them that you discover throughout the 4 books.
4) It has some really interesting characters and some twists and turns in the plot that will surprise you!
5) It's about Witches and let's face it, there're never enough books about Witches in ones bookshelves ;)

Who I think would love this book:
I'd recommend it to both young and older readers who like stories about Witches. Also anyone that loves Young Adult Fantasy books, especially people that like Cate Tiernan's "Sweep/Wicca" series, "The House of Night" series by PC and Kirsten Cast, the "Darke Academy" series by Gabriella Poole and others in the same genre.

I hope this encourages you to pick up the book and give it a try and when you do

Come and let me know what you think!