55) A Hiss-tory of Magi by Harper Lin

The Blurb :

Cath Greenstone, her cousin Bea, and her hippie aunt Astrid live in Wonder Falls, a small town near the mystical Niagara Falls. They run the Brew-Ha-Ha café, and naturally, they’re witches hiding in plain sight along with their three magical cats, Treacle, Peanut Butter, and Marshmallow.

When Brew-Ha-Ha's baker is burnt to a crisp, along with their beloved café, Aunt Astrid lets out a big family secret: a powerful spell book, a Greenstone heirloom from the Salem days, has been stolen from its secret hiding spot in the café. If it’s fallen into the wrong hands, black magic could destroy not only Wonder Falls but the world.

A secret society… A new detective with a shady past… A once-bullied local returning to town as a multimillionaire.

Who in town could know Cath’s family secret? Cath, Bea, and Astrid must use their witch powers to uncover the deadly truth. Cath communicates with their cats, also magically inclined, and they help uncover more than one secret lurking in wonderful Wonder Falls.

My Thoughts :

This book has been on my radar for a while and on my Kindle waiting for me.  As part of a challenge to read some of those older to be read books on the pile, this book was picked for me to read in the month of July and I managed to be pretty punctual about it!

A Hiss-tory in Magic is the debut book in the Wonder Cats Mysteries and I have to say I really enjoyed it.  There was a great combination of magic, cats and mystery to keep me hooked until the very end and I found myself reading this one really quickly.  Actually it was just one morning of curled up in bed with this one, it was that lovely.

Not a totally new concept, witches, cats and all but this series certainly has some nice little twists here and there to keep it feeling fresh.  Also the lovely characters and cats made this one even more enjoyable to read and I can't wait to read more in the series.

Well worth checking out if you love a good paranormal cozy mystery and also a nice quick read for your Summer reading pile.  I am sure I will be reading the next book in the series very soon!

45) Once Upon A Crime by P.J. Brackston

The Blurb :

Gretel (yes, that Gretel) is now 35, very large, still living with her brother Hans, and working as a private investigator. The small, sleepy town of Gesternstadt is shaken to its pretty foundations when the workshop of the local cart maker is burnt to the ground, and a body is discovered in the ashes. It is Gretel who notices that the cadaver is missing a finger.

At first, she does not see this as significant, as her mind is fully focused on a new case. Not that she wouldn’t far rather be investigating an intriguing murder, but her client is willing to pay over the odds, so she must content herself with trying to trace three missing cats. It is not until she is further into her investigations that she realizes the two events are inextricably and dangerously connected, and that the mystery of the missing cats will lead her into perilous situations and frightening company.

Very soon Gretel finds herself accused of kidnapping Princess Charlotte, twice locked up in the cells at the Summer Schloss, repelling the advances of an amorous troll, strapped to a rack in Herr Schmerz’s torture chamber, and fleeing a murder charge. With dubious help from her brother (whose scant wits are habitually addled by drink), she must prove her innocence, solve the puzzle of the unidentified corpse, and find the stolen cats before they meet a grisly end.

My Thoughts :

So let's start this one with how Goodreads confused me completely by listing this book as #2 in the Brothers Grimm Mysteries when it is indeed the prequel of Gretel and the Case of the Missing Frog Prints. If I had known this I certainly would have read the books in the correct order but in the grand scheme of things it didn't make much of a difference. Also this prequel isn't your typical novella prequel but a normal sized novel and it also didn't ruin the story.

Now let's go onto how funny and inspiring this series is. Paula Brackston is well known for her serious and incredible Witch books but this fantasy filled cozy mystery series is completely different! There's a lot of humour weaved into this interesting twist on the good old Hansel and Gretel tale from the Brothers Grimm and for any German speakers some cute language usages as well. Granted this prequel didn't make me laugh as much as Gretel and the Case of the Missing Frog Prints but the mystery kept me intrigued and most of all it kept me reading until the end.

I look forward to reading more in this series. It is something different with historical twists and lots of fantasy. It makes for very light reading and the story flows really well with some very funny characters and amusing situations. Well worth checking out and a must read for fans of the author.

43) Ink & Bone by Rachel Caine

The Blurb :

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.

Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.

When his friend inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn…

My Thoughts :

I don't know what I expected from Ink & Bone but it definitely wasn't what I got.  A follower of Rachel Caine, I couldn't miss the beginning of a new series but the blurb was already slightly off putting.  However I got a copy and I finally got around to reading it this weekend.

Everything was confusing from the beginning.  It was hard to follow how the world that Caine has invented really works.  Books are good? Bad?  I wasn't sure what the point was but after about a fifth of the book I started to understand what this world was like but I still didn't quite understand everything.

There is a lot of new jargon that was lost on me for most of the book and I didn't feel like everything was explained to a high enough level to really enjoy the obviously brilliant concept that the author has come up with.  Despite my problems following every single piece of the puzzle I did find myself quite engrossed in the story and eager to see what happened.

You can tell when an author has put substantial effort and research into a book when you realise that one of her characters names actually translates to 'Writer' which fits to the story extremely well.  However it made me wonder if I should take things personally as a Welsh person living in Vienna when in this world the Welsh are hated (or loved? another thing I wasn't sure of) and Austria doesn't exist anymore.

All in all this was a nice strong start to a series that is more complicated than it is enjoyable.  I won't say I will not continue the series but I do know that this is definitely a series that needs to be read close together.  I think the longer you leave between installments, the harder it will be to keep the facts straight and understand everything that has happened and is happening.

42) Wickedly Dangerous by Deborah Blake

The Blurb :

Known as the wicked witch of Russian fairy tales, Baba Yaga is not one woman, but rather a title carried by a chosen few. They keep the balance of nature and guard the borders of our world, but don’t make the mistake of crossing one of them…

Older than she looks and powerful beyond measure, Barbara Yager no longer has much in common with the mortal life she left behind long ago. Posing as an herbalist and researcher, she travels the country with her faithful (mostly) dragon-turned-dog in an enchanted Airstream, fulfilling her duties as a Baba Yaga and avoiding any possibility of human attachment.

But when she is summoned to find a missing child, Barbara suddenly finds herself caught up in a web of deceit and an unexpected attraction to the charming but frustrating Sheriff Liam McClellan.

Now, as Barbara fights both human enemies and Otherworld creatures to save the lives of three innocent children, she discovers that her most difficult battle may be with her own heart…

My Thoughts :

This series has been on my radar for a while and the first book on my Kindle for what seems like years.  Well actually it may have been years but who is counting...Anyway I finally picked this one up months after reading the amazing prequel and I wish I hadn't waited so long to read it.  It was a wonderful read.  One of those Paranormal Urban Fantasy books that really makes an impact and I really am kicking myself for not getting to this one earlier.

Why was this so good?  Here a re a few reasons.  Firstly, this is a nice original story.  Baba Yaga isn't a well known paranormal tale and I haven't come across anything like this take on the story.  Secondly, there are dragons.  This is, without a doubt, a huge plus point.  We definitely don't have enough dragons these days and especially not ones who can talk and make jokes or ones who turn into sexy motorbike riders.

Thirdly, and maybe most importantly, the plot was exciting, interesting and unusual.  I couldn't get enough of this story and kept picking up my Kindle whenever I could.  I even ended up downloading the book to my phone when I had time to read and didn't have my Kindle with me.  This has never happened before, usually I would just play a game. This one was a very addictive read.

I can't wait to delve into the next book and nearly just picked up the next one because I wanted more.  However, as you readers out there know, it isn't always that simple.  There are other books that have priority or are next in line for some reason or another so I have to put off book two for now but I will definitely be picking it up with the next month.  I don't think I will be able to wait longer than that.

If you haven't already tried this one then start with the prequel to get the lay of the land.  Make sure you don't wait too long because this one has the makings of an all time favourite series!