Table of Contents Show
Spoilers for Black Witch Magic and Black Moon Rising if you have not read either of them. You can check out Mila Nicks’ other work/life on Amazon, her personal website, and Goodreads. You can also find her social media: Twitter & Instagram. She is a wonderful author who creates lovely BWWM books or interracial literature, I have read the others, and you should too!
If there is one type of literature I am constantly searching for, it is interracial or minority-focused. It not only shows representation but also gives a fanciful view of another form of relationships that can exist in the world. Despite being scarce, when found, the good ones are outstanding. Recently I read The Brown Sisters series by Talia Hibbert, and it is wonderful. It features a lot more than representation, as it also imparts information regarding other issues and topics, which I won’t spoil here. Nevertheless, at the end of last year, after reading the Hibbert series, I came across Black Witch Magic: A BWM Paranormal Romance (Paranormal Hunters Book 1) because I was looking for something interracial about witches for young adults (it was back in November-December of 2020). I originally searched for just a young adult novel about witches but ultimately found Mila Nick and have been devoted ever since.
After looking around on Amazon, I came across BWM and instantly fell in love with Selene and Aiden, and most importantly, with the storyline between the two of them. I was immediately hooked on the story of a Black witch who falls in love with a paranormal hunter, and I read it in just one night. I was eagerly awaiting the next release, and that was when I discovered Mila Nicks. An author with a warm heart who makes interracial novels with worthwhile characters, I ended up reading much more than The Black Witch Magic series, but that is another day. Once I discovered that Black Witch Magic was an ongoing series and would be releasing a new book, I wanted to read it immediately. Because it will be released on April 23, 2021, Mila was gracious enough to release an advance review of Black Moon Rising: A BWWM Paranormal Romance (Paranormal Hunters Book 2). This review contains spoilers for the first and second books; there aren’t too many of them, but it is hard to gush about Selene and Aiden without giving away a lot.
Black Witch Magic, Book 1
Here is a brief summary of the events from the last episode of Black Witch Magic — Selene Blackstone dreams of a day when she will be able to leave her hometown behind, but until then she fulfills her role as a librarian by day, and as a witch by night. In a town like Brimrock, where she is an outcast, Selene prefers books in order to maintain sanity. After all, most people believe that she is the product of a long line of witches, including her grandmother, the evil witch Luna. While this is partly true as she is a witch, she is cursed for the rest of her life despite her will.
Aiden O’Hare, who is too cute for words, is a “Paranormal Investigator.” He speaks two languages fluently; sarcasm and sarcasm — often with a side of sarcasm. He travels all over the world and investigates strange phenomena with Eddie his best friend. As their investigation brings them to Brimrock, they search for the Luna Blackstone. You read that correctly, the Blackstone. As they search for Luna, so does Selene… and the rest is history. They also have a complete meet-cute in an Uride, which is always adorable. Although Selene thinks it was the opposite. Aiden is a sweet, charming, and attentive boyfriend (despite the fact that he does not see it) for Selene.
Black Moon Rising, Book 2
Selene and Aiden finally break the curse, allowing Selene to explore the entire world and travel as much as her time permits. Selene and Aiden are traveling cross-country in their trusty van, Ghost, and filming for their show, Paranormal Hunters. As Selene slowly gets used to Paranormal Hunters, the show brings her to Maresburg, Virginia. It is located where the Mhoon Hotel is said to be one of the most haunted hotels in the country. At the century-old hotel, guests experience nightmares so terrifying they literally stop their hearts.
“Selene and Aiden only have a couple of weeks to figure out if this case is a scammer at work, or if there’s some truth to what they say: dreams do come true. And so do nightmares.”
(( “Black Moon Rising: A BWWM Paranormal Romance (Paranormal Hunters Book 2) – Kindle Edition by Nicks, Mila. Paranormal Romance Kindle EBooks @ Amazon.com.” Amazon.com, 2021. )).
I really enjoyed this plot; not only was the addition of the Black Moon noteworthy, but in addition, Selene’s development of her skills as a character is evident in this book. I think the growth from the first novel to this one is apparent as well. I loved the aspects of the story where she looked at the sky or saw the black moon, which was described so well, so it captured me in the setting.
Selene + Aiden: Black Witch Magic To Black Moon Rising
Despite the fact that Aiden displays humanistic tendencies, Selene is still beautiful in spite of her witchiness. I find these characters to be fascinating, as these two seem to have a very amazing relationship — or, at the very least, a patient and loving one. Black Moon Rising gives us a lot of insight into these characters’ relationships and I love that, mostly because there are dual narratives. I appreciate dual narratives the most when they can be written in a way to give you a clear picture of who the characters are. Mila has a unique way of making the reader understand what narrative is what which brings great enjoyment to reading the book. Aiden has a delightful section where he gushes over Selene but also admits his difficulty communicating his feelings. There is something so pure at this moment. Selene states in a prior scene that Aiden is very closed off and wonders if he will open up to her. Those elements of their relationship are what I especially love about them, they bring life to them.
There is an incredibly sweet scene (( Chapter 1. “Black Moon Rising: A BWWM Paranormal Romance (Paranormal Hunters Book 2) – Kindle Edition by Nicks, Mila. 2021. )) when Aiden picks up a cherry blossom for Selene while the two are walking through the tour. It reminded me a lot of the puppy-love stage of a relationship. I think every moment is adorable, but this particular one stands out and for some reason came back to me after I finished Black Moon Rising. However, even though they are in a romantic relationship, Selene is Black and she is portrayed quite well. Not only is Selene a witch, but her hair is always spectacular (on the cover and in the novel). The attention to detail that goes into her nightly routine is my favorite part, it is so accurate. Since Selene has such representation within its storyline, I believe it is very relatable, especially in terms of niche genres. (These days these books are becoming increasingly popular but are still hard to locate in the bookstore.)
Specifically, it is Aiden that praises the portrayal of Selene repeatedly, and not in any sense of fetishization. It is so pure, and to display it so beautifully in Black Moon Rising is quite an accomplishment. I loved it in the first book as well. (The intimate parts are also presented so tastefully.) While it has sexual scenes between Aiden and Selene, they are quite good. They are portrayed in a manner that is appropriate. I dislike the overly intimate scenes that take place in a way that does not make sense. I believe that they are better when the two are able to do so naturally. When the intimacy between the two is well written and conducted in a manner that is affectionate and sensual, it shows so much about how compatible they are on all levels, not just romantically.
A Magnificent Second Installation
Like Black Witch Magic, Black Moon Rising features an element of spookiness. Though it is playful and spooky, not so much frightening (but still pretty spooky nonetheless). While there can be a few buffer scenes and background information that may take a bit of time to develop, I appreciated that the story had enough depth to make sense in the time allotted. In the beginning, this can feel overwhelming due to the fact it is a brand-new book with completely different characters. The novel is comprised of only two characters from Black Witch Magic (meaning they are not mentioned, but they are present in the narrative), so we are dealing with an entirely new cast. I enjoyed that, as I preferred the characters and case. Only Aiden’s family and Eddie are mentioned, along with Noe. Luna appears in a dream sequence. Nonetheless, there is also an emphasis on learning more about Luna, which is also very enjoyable. I think Luna is a great character, and I also appreciate the in-depth witch lore like witch packs. The third will also be based in California or toward Arizona and I cannot wait.
Also, I think Selene appears more naturally outside of her “cynicism” or “loner” persona in the second book. One thing about Selene in the first book was she felt so quirky, which is expected, as each new character is introduced. I did not dislike it, but I wanted more of her beyond reading or her glasses. The second book shows much of who she is as well as what she is. The second book has a charm of its own in that we know the characters and if you do not know them it is well explained so that you understand. A whole section is dedicated to explaining what happened in Witch Magic. “When Eddie’s aunt turned out to be an evil succubus witch out for revenge against Selene, they had a falling out” (( Chapter 7. “Black Moon Rising: A BWWM Paranormal Romance (Paranormal Hunters Book 2) – Kindle Edition by Nicks, Mila. 2021. )). Rising is a stand-alone book, so it is my favorite so far in the series, although the first book is very good as well.
As we will not give away the plot, we want you to have fun reading it. By the fifteenth chapter, you will be on the edge of your seat. At that point in the book, it was so complex and full of suspects that it reminded me of Clue. I, personally, had no clue who the perpetrator was. I was engrossed in the story just as Aiden and Selene were. Much of their allure is due to their status as Mulder and Scully characters. At some point, you have both the skeptic and the realist, and both are right. I think the narrative as a whole is magnificent. The plot is well-developed, and I appreciated Mila’s voice; I also appreciated the YA narrative within the dialogue and how it felt human. As if they were real people and maybe that’s why I remember them so long after reading. As with the first, the characters were so well-formed and compelling you wanted to follow their progress as people. I love that aspect of Black Moon Rising.
Onward To California… Or Book 3: Black Siren’s Song
Men are going missing, and their bones are washing up onshore. But is it the witches who are responsible, or another mysterious creature at sea?
(( “Black Siren’s Song: A BWWM Paranormal Romance (Paranormal Hunters Book 3) – Kindle Edition by Nicks, Mila. Paranormal Romance Kindle EBooks @ Amazon.com.” Amazon.com, 2021. )).
What Is Next For Mila Nicks?
With the appearance of the third book, I am excited to know that there is more coming for the series. Based on the premise alone, I feel that this will be a fun ride. I am excited about seeing more of Aiden and Selene. But I think that the series has tremendous potential namely since it is based around the world with various cases, each showcasing Selene’s power and lore.
The overarching narrative of Luna is also great in the sense that there is so much to explore with it. As one of the most powerful witches, it will be quite interesting to see where Luna is placed in the series. I do not know how long the overall series will be — but I am looking forward to at least one more.