“Witches of Lychford” by Paul Cornell

Here’s a book I chose at random to read. I forgot how I went about doing so, maybe I used a random number generator, or closed my eyes and pointed. Either way, it’s not a book I planned on reading anytime soon or was in the mood for or was told to read.

It was recommended to me through Rachel at Kalanadi’s review of it years ago. She’s a booktuber. I forgot what she said to entice me to read the story — maybe it was a simple mention of witches — but it got me curious enough to add it to my collection.

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GENRE

Fantasy — Paranormal

Series

Lychford, book 1

Pubbed

2015

Quick summary

The people of Lychford, a sleepy small town in the U.K. somewhere, are divided. A major supermarket chain would like to build a branch there, but some folks welcome the change and the employment opportunities it would bring, while others would rather things remain the same, authentic. Still there are others who see that the supermarket’s construction would destroy the supernatural boundaries in their town, opening up portals to others worlds — and the malevolent beings there.

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“Black Witch Magic” by Mila Nicks

I found out about this through a review on NPR. I was going through a reading and blogging slump at the time and wanted something quick and fun to read, and Black Witch Magic seemed like it would fit that bill. Plus, I liked the book’s title. I hardly ever come across a romance novel that focuses on a witch of color much less a Black witch, so I quickly bought myself a copy and got to reading.

Reading this got me hooked on contemporary romance novels for the foreseeable future, which is a huge deal because I hardly ever read romance. I mean, I read ton of them when I was in high school, but then I got tired of how formulaic the ones I read were and have avoided then for years, although every now and then one would sneak across my radar and I’d read it. But Black Witch Magic really kicked off a romance mood in me, so I’ve been reading mostly that genre ever since picking this up.

Genre

Contemporary Romance; Paranormal

Series

Paranormal Hunters, book 1

Pubbed

2020

Goodreads summary

Librarian by day, cursed witch by night:

Selene Blackstone spends her days camped out in library corners with her nose glued to books. In a town like Brimrock, where she’s an outcast, she prefers her book friends to her real-life enemies. They’re a lot less judgmental. The rest of town believes she descends from a family of witches—including her evil witch grandma, Luna. In this case, the truth is stranger than fiction. She is a witch, and she’s cursed for all of eternity. Good thing her to-be-read list is pretty long…

“Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts” by Nancy Campbell Allen

I was looking forward to reading this novel. I started listening to Allen’s Steampunk Proper Romance novels last year on audio and took a quick liking to the first book, Beauty and the Clockwork Beast, which is influenced by both the fairytale Beauty and the Beast and the classic novel Jane Eyre. I liked the second book as well, but the third one wasn’t as engrossing as the first two. However, I was still interested in the series and even more so because the fourth book, this one, hinted at some Cinderella influences. Unfortunately, my reading experience with Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts was not as great as I thought it would be. I didn’t like it. 🙁

(Btw, I received an ARC through NetGalley to review, but my thoughts below are my honest reaction to the book.)

Genre:

Paranormal; Romance; Historical Fiction; Steampunk

Series:

Steampunk Proper Romance, book 4

“The Angel Stone” by Juliet Dark

This is the first time in years that I started and completed a series in the same year. I usually start a series, maybe read the second book, and don’t complete the series until years later. Of course, Robin Hobb’s novels are exceptions. The only reason why I’ve made it so far in them (I’ll begin the Rain Wild Chronicles soon) is because I’m buddy-reading them with Emily from Embuhlee liest. If not for this buddy-read, I’d probably be stuck at the beginning of the Liveship Traders books.

Genre:

Paranormal; Romance

Pubbed:

September 2013

Series:

Fairwick Chronicles (book 3)

Goodreads summary:

A can’t-miss read for fans of Deborah Harkness and Karen Marie Moning, The Angel Stone weaves a tale of ancient folklore and thrilling fantasy with a passionate love story that transcends time.

For Callie McFay, a half-witch/half-fey professor of folklore and Gothic literature, the fight to save the enchanted town of Fairwick, New York, is far from over. After a hostile takeover by the Grove—a sinister group of witches and their cohorts—many of the local fey have been banished or killed, including Callie’s one true love. And in place of the spirit of tolerance and harmony, the new administration at Fairwick College has fostered an air of danger and distrust.

“The Demon Lover” by Juliet Dark

Oh my gosh, this book. 😀

Anyone who knows me for any length of time knows I love fantasy, magic, and the supernatural. It’s one of the first things I’ll either tell you or you’ll deduce within 10 mins of meeting me.

When I was in middle/high-school, I would hurry home after school activities or hanging out with my friends to catch episodes of Charmed, a TV show about powerful witches living in Los Angeles. In college, I procrastinated on homework and projects by watching reruns of Ghost Whisperer, a TV show about a woman who can see and interact with ghosts, and when I got my first job and had the opportunity to work from home, I’d do so while watching reruns Supernatural, a TV show about brothers who’re bounty hunters of supernatural creatures.

I loved all those shows and continue to watch reruns of them to this day. Charmed is the one that started it all and since discovering it and watching its episodes so many times that I know a few by heart, I’ve tried to find TV shows and novels that are similar and are about witches.

Witches of East End, the TV show that aired on Lifetime back in 2013, came close, but the plot and characters started out weak and became worse as the story progressed. I thought the novel, written by Melissa de la Cruz, would be better, but unfortunately it wasn’t. Since then, I’ve continued trying to find TV shows and novels similar to Charmed without luck until I saw The Water Witch on my library’s Overdrive app. It’s the sequel to The Demon Lover and it sounded so interesting that I decided to give the series a try.