Review + Giveaway: Julia Vanishes by Catherine Egan

Julia Vanishes
(Witch's Child #1)
by Catherine Egan




Julia has the unusual ability to be . . . unseen. Not invisible, exactly. Just beyond most people's senses.

It's a dangerous trait in a city that has banned all forms of magic and drowns witches in public Cleansings. But it's a useful trait for a thief and a spy. And Julia has learned--crime pays.

Her latest job is paying very well indeed. Julia is posing as a housemaid in the grand house of Mrs. Och, where an odd assortment of characters live and work: A disgraced professor who sends her to fetch parcels containing bullets, spiders, and poison. An aristocratic houseguest who is locked in the basement each night. And a mysterious young woman who is clearly in hiding--though from what or whom?

Worse, Julia suspects that there's a connection between these people and the killer leaving a trail of bodies across the frozen city.

The more she learns, the more she wants to be done with this unnatural job. To go back to the safety of her friends and fellow thieves. But Julia is entangled in a struggle between forces more powerful than she'd ever imagined. Escape will come at a terrible price.

Julia Vanishes has a very interesting plot. It's been a while since I read a book about witchcraft which happens to be a favorite paranormal aspect of mine, and because I've been in a thriller kick lately, Julia Vanishes was just the right book for me. I was surprised when I started reading it and found out that it is actually a historical fiction. Not that there is anything wrong with that but I was fully expecting a contemporary thriller with a mix of paranormal. Nevertheless, I did end up enjoying it a lot.

Julia -- there is so much more to know about her power. As a character she is very practical -- a cynic -- which is what makes her good at her job, stealing and spying, not to mention her ability to become 'invisible'. She's pretty much perfect for her role. She isn't someone you would easily like as a heroine. For her, being a thief and a spy is her life. Unlike most people in this predicament, Julia doesn't dream of getting out of it, and in the kind of world they live in and their status in society there really isn't much to consider. She grows so much in this book. What makes me so excited is that her ability hints at something bigger than just being unseen and I am really looking forward to more of that.

There were some parts in the story that I didn't really understand and I hope for those to get clearer in the next book. There isn't much action but it has a potential to be Heist Society (Ally Carter) kind of badass. There is romance but very little of it and not your typical romance, either. All in all, Julia Vanishes is worth the read. I will definitely be adding the sequel to my TBR.

Giveaway:

This giveaway is open to Philippine residents only.
International readers can enter another giveaway of this book HERE.

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*Thank you Penguin Random House for the review and giveaway copies.