Stay for a Spell

 

Stay for a Spell- Amy Coombe

Ace

Release Date: April 14, 2026

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Princess Tanadelle of the Widdenmar is disillusioned with life as a princess. She longs for real conversation, the chance to build a life of her own making, and uninterrupted reading time.

During a routine royal visit to the town of Little Pepperidge, Tandy’s dream comes true when she finds herself cursed to remain in a run-down bookshop until she unlocks her heart’s desire. Certain that someone will figure out how to break the curse eventually, and delighted by the prospect of an entire bookstore of her own, Tandy settles into life among the stacks. She finds it easy to exchange balls and endless state dinners for teetering piles of books and an irritatingly handsome pirate who seems bent on stealing her stock.

She even starts to believe she's stumbled into her very own happily ever after.

There's just one, minor problem: as Tandy's royal duties go unfulfilled, her frantic parents start sending princes to woo her, each one of them certain their kiss will break the curse. After all, what more could a princess want but a prince?

____________________________________________________

We've all had the dream: if you were locked in a bookshop overnight, what would you do?

Tandy (Princess Tanandelle of Widdenmar) gets to find out the answer. She pops off for what should be a quick visit to a local bookshop in between royal duties on the road and finds herself cursed to stay in the shop until she finds her heart's desire. What's a book-loving woman to do when literally unable to leave a bookshop?

She dives right in and finds herself loving the quiet life. Before long it's just Tandy; a goth teenage assistant; a magical bookshop cat (every bookshop should have one); and a hot (also-cursed), pirate who seems to enjoy hanging out with them. Chaos and hilarity ensues when Tandy's parents start sending princes out to kiss her and break the curse. Because what else could a princess want? 

Stay for a Spell is a cozy fantasy that I can best describe as utterly delightful and adorable. Tandy is completely down-to-earth in a slightly naive way. Used to trying to make everyone but herself happy, she's suddenly confronted by the one question she's never asked: what does she want in life? Is the solution to all her problems a prince, the way her parent think? (Never mind that she's known them all for most of her life and would already know if she loved one). What else is she allowed to have? 

The secondary characters are well-done. Goth draconae Sasha is a classic teen, but once she drops the initial act she and Tandy get along really well and she's more of a delight than she'd want to know. Bash the cursed pirate gives off Once Upon a Time Captain Hook-lite vibes—so I completely fell for him. The slow build relationship between Bash and Tandy was completely charming. And though the competent Honey doesn't get much page time, she rocks what time she has.

If you're a cozy fantasy fan, and especially a fellow book-lover, make sure you read Stay for a Spell. 

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Beast's Heart

The Beast's Heart-Leife Shallcross
Ace
Release Date: February 12, 2019

Rating:
📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: I am neither monster nor man—yet I am both.

I am the Beast.

He is a broken, wild thing, his heart’s nature exposed by his beastly form. Long ago cursed with a wretched existence, the Beast prowls the dusty hallways of his ruined château with only magical, unseen servants to keep him company—until a weary traveler disturbs his isolation.

Bewitched by the man’s dreams of his beautiful daughter, the Beast devises a plan to lure her to the château. There, Isabeau courageously exchanges her father’s life for her own and agrees to remain with the Beast for a year. But even as their time together weaves its own spell, the Beast finds winning Isabeau’s love is only the first impossible step in breaking free from the curse . . .

____________________________________________________________________________

Beauty and the Beast is one of my all time favorite fairy tales.  I love reading new variations on the tale as old as time- whether it is in 14th century France, Regency England, or a science fiction adventure far in the future- and watching the heart of the story remain.  Because the heart of the story is one we seem to need to be constantly reminded of: no matter what you look like on the outside, no matter the cold or selfish person you once were, it is always possible to discover the good person inside yourself and change.  It is always possible that someone can see who you are and love you for it, no matter what.

The Beast's Heart, the first published novel by Leife Shallcross, returns to the original fairy tale and gives us the Beast's version of it.  He wanders the forests for over a century as more animal than man before being drawn back to his (once grand) chateau.  As he begins to try and become a man again, magic returns the chateau to its former spender and invisible servants assist the Beast.  But he is lonely and when a lost traveler stumbles onto the chateau, the Beast sees an opportunity.  We all know (or do we?) what happens next: the man's youngest daughter trades a year of her life for her father's freedom, the Beast falls in love with her, and if Isabeau will fall in love and agree to marry him the curse will be broken.  

I enjoyed seeing through the eyes of the Beast and watching him come to understand not only why he was cursed in the first place, but what true love is.  Weaving in the stories of Isabeau's two sisters as they find their places in small village life and discover love of their own kept the pace strong and was an excellent way to bring in new characters, conflicts, and plot twists. 

 But one of the things that I loved the most, and stood out so strongly to me, was the writing.  The writing and language in The Beast's Heart was wonderfully well done and made me feel like I was entering a truly magical fairy tale each time I picked the book up. Shades of Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters mix with original, classic fairy tales to create something both highly original and completely classic at the same time.

This is a must-read for fairy tale lovers, those who love new versions of fairy tales, romance readers, and will become a classic go-to read for adults and children alike.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Ragnarok Unwound

Ragnarok Unwound- Kristin Jacques
Sky Forest Press
Release Date: January 8, 2019

Rating:
📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Prophecies don’t untangle themselves. Just ask Ikepela Ives, whose estranged mother left her with the power to unravel the binding threads of fate. Stuck with immortal power in a mortal body, Ives has turned her back on the duty she never wanted.

But it turns out she can’t run from her fate forever, not now that Ragnarok has been set in motion and the god at the center of that tangled mess has gone missing. With a ragtag group of companions—including a brownie, a Valkyrie, and the goddess of death herself—Ives embarks on her first official mission as Fate Cipher—to save the world from doomsday.

Nothing she can't handle. Right?

______________________________________________________________

Unraveling fate might sound like a good job, but Ikepela Ives has been ignoring her own fate since her absentee mother dropped that surprise on her three years ago.  Until now Ives' closest contact to the supernatural has been her best friend, the brownie Jules.  Now an insistent Valkyrie is claiming Ives needs to use her abilities as the Fate Cipher to help stop the Norse apocalypse, Ragnarok.  Seeing outside the box and possessing high-level snark may be two of Ives' biggest talents, but will they be enough to help her survive her first day on a new job?

I went into Ragnarok Unwound not entirely sure what I was getting into, or if it was a good idea.  One chapter in and I knew this book was going to be a winner! Ives (don't call her Ikepela!) is a heroine full of snark, courage, and a fantastic ability to roll with weirdness.  Completely unprepared for her job and in total denial of her heritage, Ragnarok forces Ives to confront her destiny.  Like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, Ives has no clue what she's doing, but before long is fully committed to doing it anyway and trusting that luck and fast-talking will help her stall until she's figured it out.  And it works.  She's completely believable, and absolutely who you'd want at your side for an impending apocalypse.  

Ives comes at Ragnarok thinking that it doesn't make a lot of sense and that Loki and his children got a pretty lousy deal through it all.  What if they aren't the monsters the legends have turned them into?  On meeting Hel, goddess of death, Ives knows there is far more to the story than what's on the surface.  She becomes determined to figure out her abilities, to save Hel's family and to stop Ragnarok. Things are complicated since Hel's brothers are a giant wolf and the World Serpent; they've lost Hel's father; there are frost and fire giants destroying Las Vegas and Hawaii; the Hound of Asgard protecting Ives' father is completely incompetent; and it turns out that using her Fate Cipher abilities too many times will kill the mortal Ives.

I can only hope we get more of Ragnarok's cast of secondary characters in future books. Hel and Loki in particular are wonderfully entertaining and scene-stealing.  There were enough touching moments to see that Jacques has talent for emotional depth as well as humor and is good at doling those moments out just when they are needed.  Unexpected twists and turns, surprise allies and enemies, characterize a book full of non-stop action that you won't be able to put down once you've started!

Full knowledge of the mythology isn't needed to enjoy Ragnarok Unwound, but is always a good excuse to re-read Neil Gaiman's magical Norse Mythology.

Norse and Hawaiian legends meet in a way that Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Xena & Hercules/Marvel fans will love in this first book of a new and delightful series! 

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Mortal Word

The Mortal Word (Invisible Library Series 5)- Genevieve Cogman
Ace/Penguin Group
Release Date: November 27, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚📚

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Synopsis: When Irene returns to London after a relatively straightforward book theft in Germany, Bradamant informs her that there is a top secret dragon-Fae peace conference in progress that the Library is mediating, and that the second-in-command dragon has been stabbed to death. Tasked with solving the case, Vale and Irene immediately go to 1890s Paris to start their investigation.

Once they arrive, they find evidence suggesting that the murder victim might have uncovered proof of treachery by one or more Librarians. But to ensure the peace of the conference, some Librarians are being held as hostages in the dragon and Fae courts. To save the captives, including her parents, Irene must get to the bottom of this murder--but was it a dragon, a Fae, or even a Librarian who committed the crime?

_________________________________________________________________________

In The Mortal Word Irene must once again step out of her role as a simple book thief and prevent war between the Fae and the dragons.  The Library is attempting to get both sides to sign a peace treaty and one of the dragon envoys gets murdered.  Irene and Vale are brought in to solve the murder- as long as they come up with the "right" answer.  The simplest villain (and the one everyone wants to be guilty) is the notorious Blood Countess- a powerful Fae who has taken on the story of Elizabeth Bathory.  But Irene wants to get more than the convenient answer, she wants the truth.  Even if the truth leads her to question the loyalty of some of her fellow Librarians.

Irene has become much more than "just" a book stealing librarian since we've met her.  She's tangled with both dragons and Fae and come out alive, she's fought the worst politics has thrown at her and come out sane.  Readers to the series know what it seems none of Irene's superiors at the Library know: she might do anything to protect the Library and her friends, but she is also increasingly willing to question authority when she sees something wrong.  In Mortal World she's backed up by Vale, one world's equivalent of Sherlock Holmes, who cuts through politics and authority to reach the truth and sorts out what to tell people later.  It's not an approach the dragon king Ao Ji or the Fae treaty leader the Cardinal really like, which leads to plenty of subtle (and not so subtle) threats against Irene's family, friends, and personal and mental well being. But Irene is quick thinking, willing to walk into a trap to get information, and always thinking outside the box.  I love these characteristics about her (along with her professionally awesome levels of sarcasm and snark in the face of extreme situations of all kinds).  

Mortal Word gives us more of Vale than we've seen in many of the other books, which I enjoyed. He's not a Sherlock-clone, but is becoming more his own person and I hope we get to see him develop more in future books.  He and Irene work well together and I think brought out a level of humanity in each other that did a good job balancing against the powerful beings they were investigating, as well as reminding each other that ultimately it is the mortal worlds who would suffer in the peace treaty fails.

I was disappointed that Cogman followed up on one idea she left dangling in The Lost Plot.  That of Irene and Kai becoming lovers.  The idea didn't work for me then, and didn't work for me here.  The two worked well as mentor-student, and now that Kai isn't part of the Library the idea of them becoming more equal as partners (along with Vale) worked for me.  But (in my personal opinion) there is absolutely no chemistry between the two and no good reason to force something that isn't there.  Irene doesn't need a romantic interest, she needs someone she knows she can trust when she finds herself questioning everyone else around her.

Overall a well-written and fast-paced book, possibly second to The Invisible Library as my favorite in the series.  The enemies are sneaky, the mystery is twisty, and while the cats can't top Library's alligators, they get points for creepiness.  By the end Cogman has opened interesting possibilities for future books and characters.  Hopefully in the future we will continue to see more of Vale, drop the Irene/Kai 'ship, and continue to enjoy the overall awesomeness that is the Invisible Library. While you don't need to have read the rest of this series to enjoy Word, there are enough recurring characters that I think you'd enjoy it more if you read at least The Lost Plot beforehand.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Gift of Griffins

Gift of Griffins- V.M. Escalada
DAW/Penguin Group
Release Date: August 7, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚📚📚

Warning: Potential Spoilers Ahead!

Synopsis: Kerida Nast and her companions have succeeded in finding Jerek Brightwing, the new Luqs of Farama, and uniting him with a part of his Battle Wings, but not all their problems have been solved. Farama is still in the hands of the Halian invaders and their Shekayrin, and it's going to take magical as well as military strength to overcome them. 

Unexpected help comes from Bakura, the Princess Imperial of the Halians, whose Gifts have been suppressed.  As the Voice of her brother the Sky Emperor she has some political power over the Halian military, and she will use it to aid the Faramans, if Kerida can free her from what she sees as a prison. But whether Kerida can help the princess remains to be seen. If she succeeds, Bakura may prove their salvation. But should Kerida fail, all may be lost....

__________________________________________________________________

In Gift of Griffins V. M. Escalada continues to show her talent in world building, weaving together well crafted characters and a beautifully textured, intricate, magically real world. You feel the wind in your face and the ground beneath your feet.  Her characters continue to be entirely believable- imperfect people in a far from perfect world, learning what they are capable of in overwhelming circumstances.  Kerida Nast and the Princess Imperial Bakura are especially well-written- watching them grow into strong, confident women who are willing to stand up to adversity even when they are terrified made it easy to forget how young they are in pure years.  They have had to grow up quickly and are the equal to any of the more experienced adults by the end of the book.

Unlike many second books in a series, Griffins didn't disappoint after Escalada's amazing first book, Halls of Law.  The emphasis has shifted from mere personal survival to the overthrowing of the Shekayrin determined to control the people, but the story is still told through the personal experiences of a few people.  We also got to see a lot more of the griffins here than in Halls, which was a lot of fun.  I thought Escalada did a great job giving us a griffin's point of view of things, and having the griffins and their way of thinking and prioritizing being very different from that of humans.  I also appreciated how nuanced the motivations among the humans themselves were- we don't get a generalized 'good' versus 'evil', but layers of loyalty and betrayal that will keep the reader guessing until the very end.    

Gift of Griffins is a must read for fantasy lovers looking for a new series to enjoy. You may first be drawn to Griffins because of the beautiful cover art, but you'll stay immersed in this wonderful fantasy world thanks to Escalada's beautiful writing style and amazing characters.  I hope to see many more books to come in this series!

 I would recommend starting with Halls of Law, since Gift of Griffins is very much a sequel instead of a stand alone book.

Black Gryphon

The Black Gryphon (Mage Wars Book 1)- Mercedes Lackey
DAW/Penguin Group
Release Date: January 1, 1995

Rating:
📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Skandranon Rashkae is perhaps the finest specimen of his race, with gleaming ebony feathers, majestic wingspan, keen magesight and sharp intelligence. Courageous, bold, and crafty, Skan is everything a gryphon should be. He is the fulfillment of everything that the Mage of Silence, the human sorcerer called Urtho, intended to achieve when he created these magical beings to be his champions, the defenders of his realm--a verdant plain long coveted by the evil mage Maar. 

Now Maar is once again advancing on Urtho's Keep, this time with a huge force spearheaded by magical constructs of his own--cruel birds of prey ready to perform any evil their creator may demand of them. And when one of Urtho's Seers wakes from a horrifying vision in which she sees a devastating magical weapon being placed in the hands of Maar's common soldiers, Skandrannon is sent to spy across enemy lines, cloaked in the protective of Urtho's powerful Spell of Silence.

___________________________________________________________________

Before Valdemar, there were the mages.  Urtho, the Mage of Silence, created wonderful new creatures like gryphons and seeks knowledge to help others. The Mage Maar seeks power above all things.  Slowly Maar has taken over lands and people, until only those who stand with Urtho are left.  The Black Gryphon takes place at the end of this war, as people and gryphons try to claim small moments of joy and peace among the relentless grind of war and death. Skandranon, the Black Gryphon, and his close friend Amberdrake serve in Urtho's armies in their own ways.  Skan on the front lines, fighting the enemies and getting into and out of impossibly dangerous situations; Amberdrake among the Healers, working to keep mind, body, and soul together for the fighters. But among those loyal to Urtho are traitors, and even the Black Gryphon and the Mage of Silence may not be enough to stop Maar's terrible forces.

 Focusing on those trying to create lives in the midst of death, Black Gryphon shows both the best and the worst humans have in them.  Amberdrake in particular is a deeply sympathetic character, trying to bear his own emotional burdens as well as those others have confided in him, working to remain strong when grief or exhaustion overwhelm him. Seeing behind the facade Amberdrake and Skan show the world, you see how true leaders and good people are forged in the heart of adversity. 

 The Black Gryphon is a fast-paced, deeply emotional, and tightly written adventure. A fantasy novel both high fantasy lovers and those new to the genre will appreciate, and a book that stands up to many re-readings and the test of time.  Among Lackey's best! 

From Unseen Fire

From Unseen Fire- Cass Morris
DAW? Penguin Group
Release Date: April 17, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: The Dictator is dead; long live the Republic.

But whose Republic will it be? Senators, generals, and elemental mages vie for the power to shape the future of the city of Aven. Latona of the Vitelliae, a mage of Spirit and Fire, has suppressed her phenomenal talents for fear they would draw unwanted attention from unscrupulous men. Now that the Dictator who threatened her family is gone, she may have an opportunity to seize a greater destiny as a protector of the people—if only she can find the courage to try.

Her siblings—a widow who conceals a canny political mind in the guise of a frivolous socialite, a young prophetess learning to navigate a treacherous world, and a military tribune leading a dangerous expedition in the province of Iberia—will be her allies as she builds a place for herself in this new world, against the objections of their father, her husband, and the strictures of Aventan society.

Latona’s path intersects with that of Sempronius Tarren, an ambitious senator harboring a dangerous secret. Sacred law dictates that no mage may hold high office, but Sempronius, a Shadow mage who has kept his abilities a life-long secret, intends to do just that. As rebellion brews in the provinces, Sempronius must outwit the ruthless leader of the opposing Senate faction to claim the political and military power he needs to secure a glorious future for Aven and his own place in history.

As politics draw them together and romance blossoms between them, Latona and Sempronius will use wit, charm, and magic to shape Aven’s fate. But when their foes resort to brutal violence and foul sorcery, will their efforts be enough to save the Republic they love?

______________________________________________________

I can't lie, it was the cover that first caught my attention for this book.  It made me want to read the synopsis, which made me want to read the book- which led to one of the best fantasy books I've read in quite some time.  A book that lives up to its potential, From Unseen Fire takes place in an alternate, fantasy, version of ancient Rome.  The cruel dictator who governed the empire and terrorized its people is dead and now it is time to pick up the pieces- socially, politically, personally, and militarily.  

Latona of the Vitelliae is one of those who suffered under the dictator in order to protect her family.  Now freed from his shadow, she finds she cannot fit easily back into the life she led before.  No longer can she hide herself or her talents, or her wish to do more to rebuild the Republic and help its people.  All her life Latona has been held back by other people: her parents, who worried that unscrupulous men would use her and her magic; her husband who wants only a quiet life in the country focusing on his business; and Aventan society itself, which says that a woman who is not a priestess should focus her life and her magic only on her family.  Then she meets Sempronius Tarren, an ambitious man who hates to see talent wasted, and sees in Latona huge potential- if only she can find the courage to reach for it.  Sempronius is the first person to see Latona as she is, not as he wants her to be, so it can be no surprise that their friendship grows into a magnetically compelling attraction.

Sempronius is among those who want to rebuild Aven, and he joins the political clash on what the Republic should look like.  He hopes to break down barriers and allow people to thrive as their talents allow, without being trapped by class or citizenship restrictions.  Others want to return to the glory days of the old Aven, and the ways of the city's founders hundreds of years ago.  Some want to focus only on home while others worry about growing disturbances in the provinces.  Iberia becomes a hotbed of chaos with Aven's allies threatened by a new war-chief determined to protect his land and his people.  

At first glance, these seem like too many different story lines to work, but Morris weaves them together into a brilliant, seamless novel.  From Unseen Fire kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time, wondering what would happen next, if favorite characters would succeed in their personal quests. I was constantly worried that the book would end on a cliffhanger and I'd be left waiting desperately to find out what happened next.  True, the book doesn't wrap everything up in a neat bow- this is the start of a series.  But neither does Morris leave her readers yelling "How could you end it there!?" when they reach the last page.  I was struck throughout the entire book by how each of the characters believes completely that their actions are for the good of their land and their people.  Looking at it like that, none of them can be really considered 'villains', although some are more willing to take questionable paths to reach their idea of the greater good.

Although a debut novel, From Unseen Fire reads like it was written by a veteran author.  I greatly look forward to Cass Morris' next Aven book, both to keep following these characters and this world, and to see if Morris can keep to the high bar she set for herself here. 

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Burn Bright

Burn Bright (Alpha & Omega #5)- Patricia Briggs
Ace/Penguin Group
Release Date: March 6, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Synopsis: They are the wild and the broken. The werewolves too damaged to live safely among their own kind. For their own good, they have been exiled to the outskirts of Aspen Creek, Montana. Close enough to the Marrok's pack to have its support; far enough away to not cause any harm.

With their Alpha out of the country, Charles and Anna are on call when an SOS comes in from the fae mate of one such wildling. Heading into the mountainous wilderness, they interrupt the abduction of the wolf--but can't stop blood from being shed. Now Charles and Anna must use their skills--his as enforcer, hers as peacemaker--to track down the attackers, reopening a painful chapter in the past that springs from the darkest magic of the witchborn...

_____________________________________________________

With the Marrock out of town, werewolves Charles and Anna are in charge of their pack- which means when trouble arises, they're the ones who have to deal with it.  Someone is making trouble for the most damaged of their pack members, hunting them, and killing them.  Charles and Anna will have to use all their skills and trust in each other to solve the problem because something even worse than death is stalking them now.

I ended up having very mixed reactions to this book, which surprised me.  I'll start by admitting, I haven't read all the books in the Alpha and Omega series yet.  The short story that started it off ("Alpha and Omega" in On the Prowl) is a favorite of mine, although I've only followed it up with the first two books in the series so far.  So it was frustrating reading Burn Bright when things would get referred to that happened in one of the earlier books (or Briggs' Mercy Thomson series) but Briggs never filled out what those events were, so you were left not sure if it was important or not. There were also a lot of things happening that I never figured out if they were red herrings or actually important: why were there so many surveillance devices hidden around Jonsey and Hester's home? How did the people planting them never get caught when werewolves are supposed to be so sensitive? Was it a coincidence that Anna knew several of the attackers from her time in Chicago or was there something else going on there that I never figured out?  Was some of what was happening so subtle and tricky I wasn't smart enough to figure it out, or did it leave everyone confused?

The beginning of Burn Bright got off to a slow start- strange because we start with an attack on a werewolf and a Fae.  I kept waiting for Hester, and especially Jonsey, and their pasts to become more important to the story.  Jonsey had a house full of hoarded Fae artifacts after all!  By the end of the book I still had no idea if some of the loose threads to the story were going to be picked up in the next book or were just never going to be dealt with, which was frustrating.  Nearly three quarters of the way through the book I was still waiting for things to really get started.  But when things got going it was impossible to put the book down until the last page.  You figure out pretty much at the same time as Anna and Charles who the bad guys are and I was just as surprised as they were!  

There was a lot of unnecessary repetition throughout the book, although as much as some things were explained over and over there were other things that seemed to be dropped.  I think the reader would definitely get more out of this book if they read the rest of the series first.  If you're like me and dropping into this series late in the game I think you have to just accept that you're not going to follow all of it completely and enjoy the book for what it is- a book you'll understand more the second time around, after reading the rest of the series.  But for all its frustrating bits, Burn Bright was very clever and compelling, with some wonderfully dry and witty humor, and made sure that once you got caught in its spell, you didn't want to come out.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Isis Orb

Isis Orb (A Xanth Novel)- Piers Anthony
Open Road Media
Release Date: October 18, 2016

Rating (Out of 5):
📚📚📚📚

Warning: Potential Spoilers

Synopsis: In Xanth, everyone has a talent. But that doesn’t mean everyone loves his talent, and no one understands that better than Hapless. Endowed with the ability to conjure any instrument he wants, Hapless could be an extraordinary musician if only he could play a tune that didn’t fall ear-piercingly flat. His one desire is to find an instrument he can play—and maybe a girlfriend or three. But like music, women have never been his forte.
 
When the Good Magician hears about Hapless’s desperate desire, he sends the young man on a quest to find the elusive Isis Orb, a magical talisman that could fulfill his wish. But the mysterious Egyptian goddess for whom the orb is named guards the enchanted object and won’t let anyone see it—let alone use it.
 
Setting out to achieve the impossible, Hapless meets an eclectic mix of creatures that join him on his journey. Like the musically challenged Hapless, they all have wishes they hope the Isis Orb will grant. But the only way they can control the orb is to capture the five totems from the regions of Xanth: Fire, Earth, Air, Water, and the Void. Together, this motley crew will heroically fight dragons, a six-headed griffin, and even a beautiful, seductive water gorgon who tries to rain on Hapless’s parade.

____________________

I have to start out this review with a confession.  I am a lover of fantasy, and Isis Orb is the first Piers Anthony novel I have read.  Hard to believe, but sadly true.

Isis Orb follows the Quest of the unlikely Quest Leader Hapless.  Hapless has no social skills, no self-confidence, and no useful talent.  In a magical realm where everyone has a talent, Hapless has the ability to conjure any musical instrument every thought of.  But he can't play them.  Any attempts end in horrific results.  So the Good Magician sends him on Quest that will not only grant his wish, but will change the lives of five other people.  Each companion Hapless meets is considered a misfit among their people, they all have wishes, and all join in to gather the five totems and retrieve the powerful orb said to be guarded by the goddess Isis herself.

The world of Xanth is not only full of magic, it is full of puns.  Flying Thoughts, Wanna Bees, clothes horses, and more.  I particularly liked the bowling Alley Cats.  Although none of the Questers start out as real leaders or heroes, they learn to think "outside the box" and work as a team and to have the confidence in themselves to succeed in individual challenges. By the end of the journey they learn that sometimes the journey really is the point and magic isn't always as necessary to get your wish as believing in yourself.  Although I occasionally felt like there was a little too much repetition, and some of the jokes got a little old after the twentieth time or so, this was a great introduction to the world of Piers Anthony.  Isis Orb is a quick, light read, full of humor that Terry Pratchett fans will especially enjoy.    

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Old Magic- Nicholas Clapp

Old Magic: Lives of the Desert Shamans- Nicholas Clapp
Sunbelt Publications
Published: 2015

Synopsis: For a thousand generations, desert shamans of the far West sought order in the stars and in the mysteries and wonder of their grand, if unforgiving landscape. When summoned, they doctored the stricken, be they stoic elders or frightened little children. They conjured rains. Taking leave of reality, they rode whirlwinds and soared in magical flight. They epitomized a Native American ability “to relate to the land in ways beyond a Western way of thinking.” They’re gone now. But there remain telling accounts of how, day-to-day, they lived how omens foretold a shaman’s destiny, how he learned his craft, how he could exercise his power for both good and evil. How a shaman could travel to the land of the dead and (hopefully) return. Drawing on the lore of a dozen tribes, Old Magic conjures the year-to-year life of a shaman – a life of service to his people, a life fraught with torment and danger, a life often taking a man or woman to the edge of madness.

Old Magic is one of those rare books that combines careful research with a poetic, flowing, storytelling style of writing that makes a book not only educational, but enjoyable.  Clapp’s descriptions of the desert landscape draw the reader in, entice those who are unfamiliar with the desert, and connect to the experiences of those who have hiked and explored even a fraction of the desert.   The beautiful photographs included in the book evoke the beauty and harshness of the desert, and are perfect additions to experience the mysteries of the land and its’ magic.

Clapp describes experiences that have been related to him or recorded by early ethnographers from shamans, including coming of age ceremonies, dream quests, and healing ceremonies.  He explores what is known about different forms of magic among the Kumeyaay, Cahuilla, and Quechan, and how the culture of the shamans had to change and adapt with the coming of the Spanish. There are beautifully told early creation stories and explorations of the different roles gods and shamans played in the every day lives of the people.

 His careful research and sensitivity towards the subject matter offer respectful insight into shamans and magic in Southern California.  It encourages respect, understanding and additional interest in the enthralled reader.