Witches Protection Program is an urban fantasy/adventure novel written by Michael Okon. The program had been around for a long time, having been established by George Washington in reaction to the threats posed by the Willas to his own wife. It was top-secret, even more of a secret than the special undercover Federal division started by Wes Rockville’s grandfather and currently headed by his dad, Harris Rockville. Wes had worked and trained all his life to become a part of that team, but it hadn’t been easy. Now that Wes had failed in his first assignment, Harris’ wrath seemed boundless. But his demand for Wes’ shield -- that was far more painful than the anger and withering scorn. Harris then explained that he was reassigning his son. Wes was in for a surprise, however, when he reached the address and reached Alistair Verne, his contact for his new position. As Verne explained it, Wes was now in the Black Ops equivalent of his family’s agency -- and, by the way, witches were very real and he would be charged with protecting the good ones.

Michael Okon’s urban fantasy/adventure novel, Witches Protection Program, is an enthralling and fast-paced novel that demonstrates how the police procedural and urban fantasy genres can work quite well in tandem. Okon’s plot is clever and unpredictable, and his characters are authentic and well defined, with some who are suitably evil, as Willas are wont to be. The author doesn’t take things too seriously either, and the fun that’s implicit in the genesis of this book shines out throughout the reading experience. This well-written urban fantasy was a big surprise; one that has me hoping for further adventures. Witches Protection Program is most highly recommended.

In Witches Protection Program by Michael Okon, we meet Wes. A failed law-enforcement agent, Wes has been given one last chance by his boss to prove himself. Assigned to the Witches Protection Program, Wes is skeptical, to say the least. He learns that there are two witch factions – the Davinas who are good witches and the Willas, the bad ones. His first job is to stop a multi-billion-dollar cosmetics company from using witchcraft to take over the world and, partnering Alistair Verne, Wes must learn to believe. It’s his job to take down the bad witches while protecting the cosmetic company heiress, Morgan Pendragon. Welcome to a world of fantasy – or is it the real world?

Witches Protection Program by Michael Okon is a brilliant piece of work, one that I thoroughly enjoyed. Set in modern New York, the story has created an alternate reality, one where witches reign, casting spells and fighting one another for domination. This story has it all – humor, romance, adventure, plenty of non-stop action and mystery too. There are lots of twists in this plot, a couple of excellent ones that you won't see coming either. The characters are wonderful – well-developed, diverse and you can't help but like them, especially the main protagonists. You even find yourself falling under the spell of the baddies too. This is a laugh-out-loud story, one that will hook you from the first page and give you a lot of fun along the way. Take Men in Black, add a little Harry Potter and a dose of Steampunk and you have Witches Protection Program. Excellent story; I really hope the way it ended indicates a sequel.

“There are women who believe in using their power to protect love and life. And then there are some who use their powers for all the wrong reasons.” In Witches Protection Program by Michael Okon, 25-year-old law-enforcement agent Wes Rockville is not making his family proud. He failed to do a simple assignment that forces his boss－who’s also his dad－to reassign him to a secret government organization, established centuries ago to protect good witches. Paired with veteran witch protector Alastair Verne, Wes’s task is to stop powerful witch Bernadette Pendragon from using her billion-dollar cosmetics company's products for world domination, while protecting her niece Morgan Pendragon from her and her dangerous underlings.

Okon's story premise is undeniably intriguing, developed into a fast-paced plot with memorable characters. Spells, shape-shifters, magic mirrors, flying brooms and even a stew with questionable ingredients, young Wes Rockville is having a hard time believing the truth about witches while trying to survive his first job on the special program. He's impatient and, being the youngest in the family, trying to level up to the success of his older siblings doesn't help in tackling tricky witches. He lacks Alastair's finesse, one of my favorite protagonists, but nevertheless is easy to root for. The motive behind antagonist Bernadette Pendragon's diabolical plan is credible and gives depth to the storyline. I love the Jennifer Aniston bit in the story and find the names for the specialized weapons against witches ingenious. Funny and imaginative, Witches Protection Program is highly entertaining and I look forward to reading the sequel.

“Two weeks ago, you didn’t believe in witches. What will it take for you to understand that freedom is fragile, and we must never forget what man, or woman, is capable of?” Witches Protection Program is an enthralling novel by Michael Okon. Wes Rockville, a law enforcement officer, has failed to perform satisfactorily for the last time and is reassigned—this is his last chance before he loses his job. The assignment? A top-secret division dedicated to the protection of witches. Wes, however, doesn’t believe any of this to be real. Is it a joke? Are they crazy? As his reassignment begins to unfold, Wes discovers that witches are in fact real, and are in danger if they are not adequately protected. Witches are essentially divided into two categories; Davinas who use their power for good, and Willas who use their power for dark magic. Morgan Pendragon, a colorful Davina Witch, whose mother is the proud owner of Pendragon Cosmetics, finds that all is not as it seems with a new facial cream coming into production. With her family not on her side and things seeming so wrong, Morgan finds herself on her own… at least until she encounters Wes Rockville.

Okon has delivered a truly one of a kind story. I found it difficult to stop reading once I started. From page one, you can sense the emotion and tension with Rockville’s predicament. Okon does an excellent job of making this fantasy novel come to life. The strange, unexplainable, and unbelievable become possible in Witches Protection Program. I particularly enjoyed the gray areas of the novel, meaning that not everything is black and white—good and bad. There are many characters, such as Wes and Morgan, who find themselves in many challenging situations and gray areas. I found the inclusion of celebrities and societal leaders to be particularly intriguing. Witches Protection Program has accomplished something that many others fail to do—it made me wonder and believe.