I have a hard time writing book reviews: what am I supposed to talk about first? With this book, I was tempted to start with the cover, which I think is pretty. Of course that has nothing to do with the quality of the writing, so I figured I needed something else. And then I discovered three editorial reviews that mention how nice the cover looks(!). So okay, it's a thing: judge this book by its lovely cover.

Despite the title, Protection Spells isn't a book of super-intense magic. This is a short cookbook of spells for dealing with everyday situations, mainly for guarding against stress and feeling more secure. The first and last chapters cover the basics of spellcasting. Between them, the heart of this book is the protection spells themselves, organized by what's being protected (you, your home, your loved ones, and when you're away from home). The spells themselves are pretty simple and straightforward. They cover a variety of issues, from the usual ("Mirror Spell to Deflect Negativity" and "Talisman for Travel Protection") to the modern ("Defense Against Social Media Overload" and "Navigating Office Politics"). Many of the spells call for components. Most of them didn't seem really expensive, but even little things can add up, I'm not sure the chapters on the basics say enough for someone to feel comfortable customizing a spell. Occasionally, the author refers readers to her earlier book Power Spellcraft for Life for a more detailed explanation of a point. Certainly this makes sense: why write the same book twice? But as of this writing, Power Spellcraft for Life is out of print in paper (still available as an ebook), so finding a copy may be a bit challenging.

This would be a good introductory book, as it isn't overwhelming. But readers wanting more depth and discussion will probably have to find another book. ( )