Hollywood Witches tells the story of a coven of witches conspiring to take over Hollywood to impose their notions of racial and cultural diversity. Led by a minor industry vice president named Diana Däagen, the witches are working to install their own members at the major studios in order to advance their politically correct agenda. Standing against them is actress/part-time tabloid reporter Vanessa Cortez and her celebrity beat reporter/ex-boyfriend Hank Willow....

Hollywood Witches is filled with just the sort of people one would expect to find in the industry and those in its orbit hoping for their slice of the Hollywood dream. Power players occasionally and uncomfortably rub elbows with those too old – which the industry apparently defines as mid to late 20s – or untalented enough to ever be more than barely paid extras in a movie. Tabloid reporters prowl around and use any tool – ethical or otherwise – to get a story while narcissistic celebrities totter between overdose and obliviousness to anyone around them....

Hollywood Witches does inject blatant sexual behaviour by some characters, particularly Däagen. And given that it's set during the Bush administration and Sipos is a libertarian, one shouldn't also be surprised that there is some editorializing against the war in Iraq by both the villains and heroes of the book, though for different reasons. By the standards of some mainstream novelists, however, Sipos' effort isn't at the far end of the spectrum for either sex or politics.

Though the inner machinations of Hollywood have been well explored by both writers and filmmakers for decades, Hollywood Witches is still an entertaining read if only because of its unique premise. It obviously targets the liberal pretensions of Hollywood and one could argue that its villain, Däagen, has a point when she argues that diversity in Hollywood is a myth – though her agenda promises to do little to rectify the problem.

It has genuinely humorous moments and although the witchcraft angle leads to some rather incredulous plot twists, overall it serves its subject matter well.

-- Steven Martinovich, Enter Stage Right, August 23, 2010

The chief eponymous witch of the story is Diana Däagen, a figure of satire, gargantuan in her vices and terrifying in her lack of self-awareness. A failed actress, she now works as “development executive” in a movie studio. She believes herself intensely spiritual and full of love for all humankind, but that doesn’t prevent her from treating her underlings like dirt, using black magic to thwart or kill her enemies, and planning to murder thousands of people at once -- all for enlightened, politically correct purposes, of course....

Facing off against Diana are Vanessa Cortez, a struggling actress, part-time tabloid reporter, and phone psychic, and her boyfriend, tabloid reporter Hank Willow. Vanessa’s impulsive theft of two books from a casting director’s office sets off the action: they are ancient hermetical sorcery texts which Diana needs for the great spell she is planning to cast, a spell which (she believes) will remake the world and put her in her rightful place as global ruler.

In spite of stealing books and working as a phone psychic, Vanessa is presented as a devout Catholic, one whose faith is a source of power in her struggle against Diana. From a Christian point of view, Hollywood Witches is solidly on the right side -- Christianity is unequivocally good, witchcraft utterly evil....

Hollywood Witches is a commendable effort, which will entertain readers with strong stomachs.

-- Lars Walker, The American Culture, June 22, 2010