A Chalice of Wind by Cate Tiernan

This is the first novel in the Balefire series by Cate Tiernan.

After traveling across Europe for 4 weeks, Thais Allard returns home to find out her father was killed in a car accident. Since she has no other family, she was going to stay with her neighbor for her senior year and then figure out where to go to college.

But a stranger comes in and says that her father wanted Thais to stay with her if anything had happened to him. Thais has no idea who this woman (Axelle) is, but she is forced to leave Connecticut and move to New Orleans.

Once Thais goes to school, everyone is looking at her as if they've seen a ghost. Some act as if they already know her, others are bewildered by the sight of Thais.

It just so happens that there is another girl who looks exactly like Thais. Down to the birthmark on their cheeks.

Clio Martin is stunned when she sees her reflection looking back at her at school, just with a different hairstyle.

The girls find out that they are twins separated at birth. Clio grew up with her heritage - they are wiccans and practice magick. Thais is thrown into the wiccan world, not knowing if she believes in magick or not.

Things become clearer when other witches explain their history - the girls are part of the original 15 families of witchcraft and, because they are twins, their circle is now 13 - the number they need to complete their circle. Without 13, their circle is nothing and they cannot perform circle magic.

But things are not always as they seem. Both girls have fallen in love with an older, mysterious boy - but later find out that not only is their love the same person, but he is also part of their new circle.

And events are happening that make it seem like someone is trying to kill one or both of the twins. Can Clio and Thais trust these complete strangers? Will joining the circle be the best thing, or the worst mistake of their lives? Read A Chalice of Wind by Cate Tiernan to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
I adore Cate Tiernan. I read her series Sweep when I was in high school and loved every novel, so it goes without saying that I enjoyed the first book in this other series she wrote.

This book reminded me of Sweep but also the series T*Witches by H.B. Gilmour and Randi Reisfeld with the twins separated at birth that are witches.

There was a part in the story where I was completely lost. Names were being thrown out of the pages left and right and I wasn't sure who they were or how they related to the two girls, but after getting through the book I see the connection. It was just frustrating to not know who was who when I first started the book.

I like both Clio and Thais in their different ways.

Clio is brave, outgoing, sexy, and smart when it comes to magick.

Thais is shy, polite, reserved but also smart and brassy when she has to be. She knows nothing about magick but is willing to learn and learns fast.

Their reaction when first meeting one another was to be expected and I'm glad that Tiernan didn't make them over excited to find out they have a long-lost sister. That wouldn't have been realistic and she made my wishes come true.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes stories about magic or witches. There are other side stories in this novel, but you have to like magic and witches to appreciate this series.

The good thing about this book is I bought the Ominous novel, so I have all 4 volumes of this series in one book! And I'm going to jump into the next one right...now! :D