I quite liked A Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches but I also struggled with most cozy fantasy I read last year, especially if it was an author’s second or third cozy fantasy. I’m happy to report that this novel was just as good as A Very Secret Society. You can read these two in any order – I believe they are set in the same universe but I am not sure if they even share any of the same characters.
Sera Swan was once one of the most powerful and promising young witches in the UK and the magical Guild until she did a resurrection spell to bring back her beloved great-aunt Jasmine when she collapsed in the garden (and also brought back their dead rooster with her). After the forbidden spell, Sera lost access to all but a trickle of her magic and the Guild expelled her.
Now, years later Sera and Jasmine continue to run the inn with their long term guests. Many years ago, when she was a child, Sera cast a spell over the inn to draw in the people that needed it for shelter and keep away people that would harm it or be mean. As a result, the guests form quite a whimsical found family.
Luke is a historian at the Guild, and has recently brought his younger sister to live there with him. She is autistic and magical, so Luke’s parents can’t handle her but it turns out the Guild isn’t that tolerant of a child with her own needs and approach to life, either. As a result, he and his sister end up at Sera’s inn, drawn in by the spell, when his boss sends him into the general vicinity of the area.
I think there are a few reasons this worked so well for me compared to some other recent cozy fantasies: it had a decent balance between whimsy and quirk and actual plot, and the characters were just enjoyable on their own. They were flawed but trying to be kind or make the world around them better. Luke and Sera were a fun mix of grumpy and grumpy, and we got to see their vulnerabilities so well. Also, I think it helped that this was first and foremost a romance novel with the way it approached its characters and it simply happened to be set in a magical world.
I have read contemporary romance that only had one POV and some that has dual POV. In general, I don’t think I have a preference but it totally depends on the story and the author, and I have read a few recently where I think having a dual POV would have strengthened the narrative (Love is a War Song comes to mind). The fact that we got that the deeper perspective into Luke and his baggage absolutely helped make this a deeper story, and made Luke more than just a bland love interest with no real personality or motivations of his own.
