Witch Eyes (Book #1)by Scott Tracey

Braden was born with witch eyes: the ability to see the world as it truly is: a blinding explosion of memories, darkness, and magic. The power enables Braden to see through spells and lies, but at the cost of horrible pain.After a terrifying vision reveals imminent danger for the uncle who raised and instructed him, Braden retreats to Belle Dam, an old city divided by two feuding witch dynasties. As rival family heads Catherine Lansing and Jason Thorpe desperately try to use Braden's powers to unlock Belle Dam's secrets, Braden vows never to become their sacrificial pawn. But everything changes when Braden learns that Jason is his father--and Trey, the enigmatic guy he's falling for, is Catherine's son.To stop an insidious dark magic from consuming the town, Braden must master his gift—and risk losing the one he loves. (goodreads.com)

Two things first:1) Yay! A book about witchcraft! I LOOOOOOOVE witches. They are my paranormal crack!2) Yay! A book with a gay protagonist that portrays him as any ol' character and doesn't make a Big Deal over the gay thing. You have no idea how refreshing that is!Witch Eyes has been on my radar since I first saw the title written on the list of 2011 Debut books a long time ago. I added it to my challenge list without even reading the summary. The title was all it took. Hello, WITCHES, baby! I pre-ordered it a while back and although there was mild trepidation over how I would like it, I sort of felt like September would never arrive.Well, it's here and I have read the book and it's pretty good. There were lots of aspects I loved about it (see points 1 & 2), as well as the story itself. There were parts I had trouble with (the teen boy leaving his uncle, showing up in a strange town and being the child of one of the most powerful people in the town? All in a few chapters? Hmm.)Honestly though, I could overlook the somewhat cookie cutter plot paths because I liked the characters. I liked Braden a whole bunch and I thought Trey was pretty cool. I loved both female characters, Jade and Riley  as well. The adults were sort of weakly written, and I find that happens a lot in YA books. This bothers me because although when you're a teen you think the adults don't know anything and you tend to ignore them, I prefer when the adults are more strongly written. It makes the story a little more full and believable.I sort of feel like the Witch Eyes series is going to go the route of "The Chosen One" as we find out more in following books. This worries me because it's a kind of tired plot device and I'd like to see something a little more original.Braden's powers, however, are original and his personality and decisions are also up there in the realm of originality. I liked him. He's a good guy, even though I find it hard to remember he's not even 18 yet.This was a pretty good debut story and I look forward to the sequel in a year's time. (Why is it always a year?!)Special kudos go out to the publisher for putting this book out in trade paperback, making it more affordable and easier to carry around. I hate hard covers and this is a rare gem to me! I hope book two doesn't come out in hard cover now. I'll have to wait even longer for Demon Eyes!!Witch Eyes

1. Witch Eyes
2. Demon Eyes - 2012