This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Rande Goodwin is a full-time IT professional and part-time raptor trainer (the prehistoric kind). In his free time, he enjoys reading and travel, restoring vintage Borg drones, dusting vamps in Sunnydale, and being one with the Force. Oh, and writing is fun too. He lives in New England with his wife, two daughters and four dogs.
Reviewed by Rosie Malezer for Readers' Favorite
The Witchfinder's Serpent is the first installment in The Witches of Windsor series by Rande Goodwin. In the mid-seventeenth century, Malleus Hodge, Witchfinder General, is thrilled to finally execute an honest-to-goodness witch. His only regret is missing out on catching the witch's daughter, who would have been a mighty grand find for his collection. Almost 400 years later, Nate and Marc Watson bury their father, who'd just died of cancer. Shortly after, Nate and Marc move in with their Aunt Celia and are given just one rule of the house to obey: the locked room on the second floor is strictly out of bounds. After hearing voices from the forbidden room, the boys give in to their curiosity and steal their aunt's key, unleashing a world they never thought possible. Everything beyond the door looks magical and mysteriously innocent, with trinkets and tools possibly relating to witchcraft. But after a snake buries its fangs in Nate's arm, and a bottle falls from its shelf, cracking and unleashing the deadly prisoner from within, the boys learn the hard way what true evil looks like.
The Witchfinder's Serpent, Rande Goodwin's first installment of the series, was captivating, mysterious, sad, and shocking, and it was not long before my loathing of the evil Witchfinder hit its peak. I enjoyed how the book's chapters jumped between the hysteria of the witch trials to the present day, as it helped me become immersed in the story quite nicely. The bullying aspect of the book was very well written and detailed what had caused the school bullies to become so vicious and spiteful at such a young age. Life is difficult for young teens at the best of times after the death of a parent, but putting bullying into the mix certainly added to the strain of trying to fit into a scary new world. I could easily relate to the two boys in the storyline, and my heart went out to them as they grieved. The fact that the boys could accept the new circumstances that life was now throwing at them made for a wonderful read, and I very much look forward to the second installment in The Witches of Windsor series—a tale that I truly believe fans of magic and witchcraft stories will most definitely enjoy.
