This is Nota's review of a vegan supernatural novel "Sigils & Secrets" by Whitney Metz. It is the first entry in the Black Magick series 🖤
#fantasy #paranormal #supernatural
Sigils and Secrets combines the supernatural, thriller like atmosphere and intensively focuses on the inner lives of its characters. Not only that, but it is deeply conscious of the environment and at the core it connects with nature and animal rights.
It starts off with a character deeply smoking which signifies their intense distress over events that happened. It creates an atmosphere similar to that of TV series, comics and it also has a survival element to it, focusing on all the supply gathering which reminds me of the zombie apocalypse genre although the scale of the problems is not on that level, at least not yet. It is gritty and violent, but also contrasts this with other moments that are joyful and picturescue.
It’s a kind of story that’s right up my alley, although the only thing missing is that it’s not set in a fantasy world, it does have its own other world and I hope that it gets explored later. Magical elements inside grounded and mature stories are the best, I devour them. I hope to see more magic users as this series progresses.
The main relationship in this first book got to me, it was so wholesome to read their dynamic that it hurt. The flashbacks were placed at the right times providing stark contrasts to bring out a ton of emotion. An interest in psychology shows in this book and some of the characters' backgrounds and the way their mental health problems are dealt with has these little details that could hit close home to a lot of people. Some of the characters are close minded in contrast to the main ones and they reflect the kinds of people you could meet in real life. I am curious what other social issues the series will touch on later on.
I don't think there were moments that shocked me, but there were moving ones. The main lead Carrie usually says or does something relatable or says touching words. This book provides backstories and I hope they get relevance later on because they seemed purposeful.
The vegan parts are the best parts. It is so wild for them to happen in such a story and it really makes me conscious of how many times I read stories and nothing related to animal rights happened. It is also so nice for the animals to be so recognized in a book, there may be even a stronger focus later, but one animal had quite a strong presence.
This song in the novel captures the highlights well, it is a feeling that drives the whole plot and you can feel it linger everywhere:
“There's got to be more than this
There's got to be something else
There's got to be more
There's got to be more.
I want to see strange sights.
I want to see bright lights.
I want to see more.
I've got to see more.
There's something hidden deep beneath the darkness.
There's something there that I can't seem to find.
It calls to me from somewhere in the distance.
It tells me that the choice is only mine.
I want to do brave things.
I want to do great things.
I want to do more.
You know I've got to do more.
I want to be wiser.
I want to be stronger.
I want to be more.
Oh I need to be more.
There are other worlds behind the one we live in.
There are other worlds that we may never know.
We cower lost and scared within our cages.
Afraid to let the truth of ourselves show.”
I am very excited to find out where the story is heading and what turns it will take. I hope more people give it a chance.
#veganfiction #veganauthor #veganwriter #vegancharacters #vegancharacter #mainveganlead #magic #occult #pagan #naturemagic #greenmagic #nonbinary #cigarettes #smoking #nosmoking 
