I’m not sure if there’s anything better than hot tea and a good book on a cold and rainy day. Yesterday I started “The Line” by J.D. Horn and I’m already more than halfway done. And it’s not that there weren’t other things I could have been doing, like sleeping. This really is one of those books where, had I not needed to get up for work today, I would have forgone sleep and read the whole thing in one go.

The book starts off moving, with the palatable and refreshing main character, Mercy Taylor, setting the stage of life in Savannah by taking some tourists on her Liars Tour. It’s a great device to open with, and the author was able to show rather than flat out tell, which is always preferable. Mercy, as the storyteller, is great. Her voice is witty and honest, and totally believable. My only issue is that she’s supposedly 20, but from the way she talks about life experiences and the future, I thought she would be older.

I love how the story is Southern, and its characters are Southern without being overdone. There’s a hint of an accent without needed to sound out each word to figure out what’s being said (I’m looking at you, Mark Twain). It doesn’t beat down tired stereotypes, but rather shows what I’ve experienced being from the South – how hard it is sometimes to follow through with Southern hospitality. It’s quite tongue-in-cheek, but grounded in truth, as far as the mannerisms go (from my experience).

The story is told by Mercy Taylor, a member of the Taylor family of witches. Mercy is the first in the line to not have any powers, as her twin sister, Maisie, seemed to get all the juice. The story is basically about the supernatural, but I don’t get the feeling, while reading it, that that’s the focus. It seems like this story is more character driven, each developed fully with distinct intricacies – who also happen to be witches. It seems like the supernatural elements are there for plot, and it’s not dripping with occurrences that are just too unbelievable. It’s quite refreshing.

The story does remind me of American Horror Story: Coven. It’s not exactly the same, but the conflict between witches and those who practice Voodoo is in both, and central to the conflict. I’m interested to see how similar the two story lines end up being with the book is over. Though I believe this is a series, so I may just have to read those next to really know. So far, I would definitely recommend this book.

Stay tuned.