We Endorse ‘Taken By Witches’ by Nick Iuppa

READERS/FOLLOWERS TO DATE AND COUNTING: 240

Taken By Witches by Nick Iuppa.

When he was a child, Niko Madonie was terrified of his over-protective grandmother. Somehow, he knew she was a witch possessed of overwhelming supernatural powers and determined to save him from the real and imagined dangers of the modern world.

Now a successful writer in Hollywood, Niko is helping create an animated version of Hansel and Gretel while he struggles to protect his beautiful young wife from sexy, New Age witches who hope to sacrifice her to please the ancient crone.

This is an epic horror romance set against a background of legends, with complex villains, a magical young couple, and a storyline straight from the darkest pages of the Brothers Grimm.

5 Stars: Better Keep The Lights On While Reading!

If you have ever thought that reading Grimm’s Fairy Tales to your children or grandchildren might frighten them, then you’d better keep the lights on while reading Taken by Witches to yourself.

Author Nick Iuppa asks questions you might not ask aloud. “Do witches exist; where does their power come from, and to what ends will they use it?”

Masterfully written, this multifaceted story begins in the small Polish village of Zakopane high in the Carpathian Mountains. A warlock skillfully tells the story to a shopkeeper and his young daughter after he returns a collection of gruesome masks that the shopkeeper once sent to America so they wouldn’t fall into the hands of the Nazis. The masks are all images of the same woman, a witch named Babcia (pronounced Bob-cha) the Polish name for grandmother.

The warlock’s story begins with a young boy named Niko Madonie who realizes that his grandmother has supernatural powers that terrify him up until the day she dies. As an adult, Niko marries and becomes a successful writer in Hollywood. But even there he is haunted by memories of Babcia and he finds he must struggle to protect his wife from new age witches who decide to sacrifice the beautiful young woman to please the ancient crone.

Imagine Babcia’s evil smell: (the stench of blood sausage mixed with the spicy sweetness of gingerbread) and realize that ancient history doesn’t always stay in the past. Centuries after Niko’s grandmother lost her first baby to medieval witch hunters, she bears a new family to a new husband in a new land, America. But even in this future place and time, she remembers the vow she made when the infant was murdered: “Atrocities to her loved ones will never happen again,” no matter what the consequences.

Author Nick Iuppa has impressive credentials as the former Creative Director of Paramount Pictures’ Digital Entertainment, Head of Apple Computer’s Learning Technologies Group, and Writer for the Wonderful World of Disney.

I enjoyed Taken by Witches by Nick Iuppa as a modern horror story based on Grimm’s Fairy Tales, which first brought the essence of ancient witchcraft into America’s bedtime stories. Nick’s other novels include Alicia’s Ghost, Alicia’s Sin, Alicia Bewitched, Bloody Bess and The Doomsday Games, and Avenging Adelita.

Editorial Review and Endorsement by Book Marketing Global Network.

Review by Celia: 5.0 out of 5 Stars Thrills & Chills. Reviewed in the United States ?? on November 2, 2017. Verified Purchase. Taken By Witches skillfully breathes fresh life into an age-old archetype, combining ancient myths with modern storytelling. As told by a mischievous warlock, the story tells the tale of Niko, a young man struggling to free himself from the watchful and jealous eye of his dead grandmother, a witch named Babcia. Kidnapped by witches as a young girl, Babcia develops an intense devotion to her grandson Niko, which he feels looming over him even after her death. Murderous and prone to fits of rage, the ghost of Babcia causes more than a few crises in Niko’s life. Will he ever be free of her? Or will his grandmother continue to control his life forever, eternally working her witch magic from the grave?

Nick Iuppa has an innate talent for translating the human sense of fear into stunning vivid descriptions on the page; I found myself completely unable to look away. Babcia conjures up feelings of both pity and repulsion in the reader, which is always the sign of a well-crafted complex character. The pace is kept at a steady climb as we are transported between two different time periods, and staying true to the classic horror genre, Iuppa channels his personal fascination with the Brothers Grimm into contemporary themes of love, loneliness, and loss.

It is undeniable that humankind’s fascination with witches is timeless; it is one of those obsessions not bound by time or space, ever-present and creeping in the back of our minds. As with all things magical and mysterious, all it takes is a curious mind to slowly peel back the curtain, and peer warily into the unknown.

Review by DT: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Beautifully written horror. Reviewed in the United States ?? on October 29, 2015. Verified Purchase. This is a beautifully written horror book about a little boy who realizes that his grandmother is a witch. The story is told by a warlock to a shopkeeper and his young daughter after he has delivered a collection of hideous masks to the shopkeeper. Once the boy has grown and his grandmother has died, he feels he is finally free of her. But this is not the case. The tension kept building, and I couldn’t figure out how it would end. There are some gruesome events and some witch clichés which are to be expected. My true review is 4.5 but I rounded up because it drew me in even though I’m not a fan of horror. I highly recommend this book for horror fans. I voted for this book in the Kindle Scout program and received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review by Henry Shilell: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Wonderful read. Reviewed in the United States ?? on December 3, 2015. Verified Purchase. “This is an excellent horror story, or rather, a story within a story. It reels you in with its dark sexiness, but ultimately, it’s the graphic and gruesome horror that stays with you. The Old-World witch Babcia may be dead, but her presence still controls the modern-day living characters in this book, for better or worse — generally better for Niko, but oh, so much worse for all those unfortunate others. If you’re a fan of Grimm’s Fairy Tales (an adult version – forget any watered-down kid’s version) or even the TV show Grimm, this could be right up your alley. Make that one dark and very creepy alley.”

Review by ALY: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Taken by Witches. Reviewed in the United States ?? on November 15, 2015. Verified Purchase. I enjoyed this book very much. Nick Iuppa did it again! I loved the story about a little boy who has a witch for a grandma. I love horror books and movies and this is no exception! I loved every minute for this book. Thanks, Nick, for a great book! * I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

Review by Bruce Brachna: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Amazingly original! Reviewed in the United States ?? on November 10, 2019. Verified Purchase. What the hell can I say? This is some of the finest writing I have ever come across. Completely original, work, totally unique, un-put downable. I lost a night’s sleep with this book, and I’m more than ready for the next one!

Review by paragirl: 5.0 out of 5 Stars. Excellent Read. Reviewed in the United States ?? on October 17, 2017. Verified Purchase. Excellent read. I enjoyed the interplay with the warlock, the witch, and her grandson. The way he told the story and elaborated on the masks forced me to stay awake and read it in one night. I look forward to getting book 2. Well done, characters fully formed!

Product Details:
Paperback: 382 Pages
Publisher: Iuppa Creative Group (October 31, 2015)
Language: English
Romance (Fantasy)

Amazon Print:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0986324140/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0986324140&linkCode=as2&tag=colcofpre-20&linkId=MGHKOZ5WQRO2324D

Kindle:
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Customer Ratings:
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About The Authors:

Nick Iuppa is the former: Creative Director of Paramount Pictures’ Digital Entertainment, Head of Apple Computer’s Learning Technologies Group, Writer for the Wonderful World of Disney and apprentice animator on How The Grinch Stole Christmas. He’s the author of 9 novels, 4 technical books on new media, and a humorous compendium of management tactics called MANAGEMENT BY GUILT. Nick’s an avid international traveler, hiker, and adventurer. He and his wife, Ginny, live in the San Francisco Bay Area.

John Pesqueira studies at the University of Arizona, Columbia, and Stanford prepared him for an impressive career in media design and development. His passion for the visual arts and popular culture continue to inform his creative efforts and still inspire his writing and photography. John grew up in the Sonoran Desert and his love of the history, legends, and people of the American Southwest and Mexico remain a major focus of his work. John lives with his wife in Northern California.

Novels by Nick Iuppa and John Pesqueira: