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Combination magical fantasy, generational saga, and romantic bodice-ripper, this novel weaves a tale of witches caught up in spells, curses, death, love, and lust. Tragic themes play out over years as this story of star-crossed lovers follows individuals born to battle both their history and their fate.
The tale is set in a parallel universe, on a land called Magika. In this kingdom by the sea, the inhabitants are witches—capable of heightened senses, flight, self-healing, and more. The plot involves two sets of siblings. Rose and Rosa are twin beauties born into nobility and raised as princesses. The Dawsons—Derrick, Teresa, and Francesco—are outcasts. They are all victims of a terrible demon named Zancho. His murderous ways take their parents from them as children. As the survivors grow, their lives intertwine. While it is not acceptable for the twins, coming from a sheltered and privileged position, to fraternize with the notorious Dawsons, youth, hormones, and hunger prove too irresistible, and soon the couplings begin.
The Casablancas mix time-proven storytelling conventions with contemporary settings. Much of the action takes place in and around a high school. Yes, even witches are required to attend. Their prose is intensely romantic and particularly descriptive—especially when chronicling the many amorous liaisons that occur. Yet they studiously avoid gratuitous specificity or what some might label vulgarity. Fans of romance and fantasy genres will likely find both the content and style of this novel appealing. If so, they may also be pleased to learn that the ending hints that there is more of the story to be told.