Simon took Asha to Witches Wood to scare her.

They sat on a bench by the river.

They noticed the bench was dedicated to Katherine Bethany Blake, who drowned in the river in 1987.

Simon thought everything was going great, a little kissing, a little touching. Then Asha screamed.

A girl stepped towards them, dripping water from her clothes and hair, covered in blood.

In a blink, she was gone.

~~~~~~~

***Spoiler Alert*** I do not believe there is anything here that will spoil A Class Apart, Book I of the Class Heroes series, so feel free to read on.

The cover speaks to me, a girl in the woods. Simple, yet lends an aura of mystery.

This is the second book of the Class Heroes series . They tell the story of teenage superheroes, James and Sam, and the people that want what they have and what they would do to get it.

I liked that Stephen had more than one storyline going. James and Sam would have their trials and tribulations with G-Netik and Lolly. But what about Katherine? Who is she and why does Sam feel the need to solve the mystery?

James and Sam’s parents had told them to never go into the woods. Do you think they would be able to resist? Tell a teenager not to do something and it usually creates more curiosity and sometimes a desire more urgent than was there before.

Sir Rosewood is a respected businessman who is used to getting whatever he wants. His daughter, Lolly has learned all his evil lessons. The corruption in the upper echelons has allowed him so much leeway in his abuse of power that no one has foreseen how far he will go. He thought he had the right to do whatever it takes to get what he wants.

As the people gather to party in the woods while looking for ghosts, it made me think of the Squatchers. If you have never see this Discovery show, check it out and prepare to laugh your way through the woods with the squatching crew as they hunt for Bigfoot.

Stephen describes Sam running. She wasn’t supposed to be doing it, because it cannot be explained. His description made me think of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman. I can hear the theme music playing now. I love it when I can relate the story to a movie or TV show, making it easier to visualize the scene, as if it is a mini movie playing through my mind.

Sometimes Book II in a series can fall a little short and I felt What Happened in Witches Wood did not let me down. Action packed, multiple storylines, characters I’m loving and hating and I am unable to put the book down. What more can I ask for?

Where’s Lolly? This villainess is still on the loose and I aim to hunt her down.

I love this series and am so happy to know that Lolly has her own story coming up next. It will be free on Amazon on January 15, Wednesday, and Thursday, January 16, 2014.

I was given a copy of What Happened In Witches Wood by the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
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Originally Reviewed At: Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 5 Controllers
Review Source: Author Submitted
Reviewer: AimeeKay

What Happened in Witches Wood is the second book in the Class Heroes series by Stephen Henning. Unlike the first book, this one didn’t seem to drag in the beginning. I’m not sure if this was because I already had an interest in the characters or because there wasn’t jumping back and forth from present to past and back.

I again enjoyed watching Sam and James interact and learn to use their powers. Plus, there were some new characters introduced in this one that were entertaining as well. I liked Simon and Asha and I hope they are in future books. Also, the twins finally get to really interact with Lolly. More is revealed about who she is and where she came from.

The story itself this time revolves more around one of the newly introduced characters, the twins Aunt Katie. ***spoiler alert*** I have to say I kinda saw the ending for this one coming. But it was still fun to read and I still got attached to Katie, even though her being dead and all kinda meant she wasn’t going to be around forever, I had hoped maybe I was wrong.***end spoiler alert***

A lot of the twins family history was also revealed. Things like where their powers came from and why others have powers as well. I enjoyed the ending more in What Happened in Witches Wood. Last time the ending was very cliffy and it felt like there wasn’t really a conclusion. But in What Happened in Witches Wood, while there are definitely some strings left untied, it didn’t feel so incomplete. Plus there is a bonus easter egg attached to my Kindle edition. There is a link to check out 24/7 Interactive News. (The news that James and Sam are always tuning into) I think that was really cleaver as it gives a way for readers to further interact with the story.

I still would definitely recommend this one to mid-grade/younger teen readers and on up. The book itself can stand on its own, but I think that if you haven’t read the first one yet, A Class Apart, you should certainly pick it up! Overall, I think I enjoyed this one more than the first. It didn’t seem to drag in the beginning and the ending was solid. I give this one 5 out of 5 controllers and if I had to rate the whole series I would give it 5 out of 5 as well. ( )