Friday, May 01, 2020

2020/047: Star Witch -- Helen Harper

"You saw what happened yesterday. I have to be careful not to overdo it." It sounded like the perfect excuse for not trying very hard. I’d hallucinate every day of the week if it meant I didn’t have to put in too much effort. [p. 219]

Second in the 'Lazy Girl's Guide to Magic' series, which started with the enjoyable Slouch Witch. Having renewed my Kindle Unlimited membership, and being in need of something cheerful, this seemed a great time to read Star Witch ...

In this volume, Ivy Wilde is sent undercover by the Order to investigate a gruesome magical murder on the set of a magic-oriented reality TV show, Enchantment. Ivy starts off as a runner -- despite the unpleasant connotation of physical exertion -- but ends up as a contestant, typecast as The Bitch. Watching over her -- and vice versa -- is sapphire-eyed Order magician Raphael Winter, who has been remarkably cool since the events at the end of Slouch Witch. But Ivy is not deterred, because Rafe has exhibited signs of jealousy, which must mean he cares. Right?

Meanwhile Brutus, Ivy's feline familiar, is doing what cats do best, i.e. sucking up to someone else. (I do like Brutus. I wish he would talk more to Ivy though.)

I wasn't quite as convinced by the events, and especially the emotions, in Star Witch as in the previous volume. Ivy takes an immense risk without really arguing about it; and she doesn't seem to be as good at communication as before. There's a certain amount of romantic development, but it felt rather like an afterthought -- the murder mystery, which was really quite twisty, was foregrounded.

Despite the murder and villainy, though, this was a fun read. Sheep! Potions! Backstabbing in the metaphorical sense! And a suitable put-down for Ivy's slimy ex... I'll probably grab the third one soon (though I hope it's better proof-read: there are a lot of missing words, scrambled sentences et cetera herein.)

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