The Chocolatier's Wife

I received this book as an Early Reviewer and I'm glad I did because I absolutely loved it! The writing was lyrical and reminiscent of the very best fantasy tales. The characters felt real, with depth and layers continued to unfold about them all as the story progressed. I found myself wanting to go to bed early so I could read and find out what was going to happen next! :-)

The story takes place in an imaginary world where life mates are found through a yearly Mating Spell that begins when they are born. A wise woman, with a drop of the infant's blood, some herbs, a bowl of water, and a magical ritual, eventually the intended life mate will appear on the liquid's surface. For William, the male protagonist, it takes more than a few show more years, but eventually his bride-to-be is revealed, much to his Mother's dismay when she learns that the girl resides in the dreaded North where magic is abundant and they are all "barbarians". And so begins the relationship between William and Tasmin, through letters and gifts as they get to know each other through their words while they grow into adults, William a captain on a merchant ship sailing dangerous seas, and Tasmin a Mistress of herbal magic and teacher at a magical university.

When Tasmin receives a letter from William that he has given up the sea to open up a shop that makes chocolate she is somewhat surprised, but it's the next communication that throws things upside down when her family receives word that William has been arrested for murder and that Tasmin is free from her obligation to marry him if she so chooses. Her family is overjoyed, not happy that she was bethrothed to one of those "barbarians from the South", but Tasmin has grown to know William through his letters and decides that the man she knows is not guilty of what he is accused and she sets out to go to him and help prove his innocence. What follows is a story of of humour, romance, magical creatures, loyalty and deceit. Twists and turns made me want to keep turning the page (the virtual page, as this was an ebook - my first!), and Speer keeps the story flowing in all directions from a love between two soul mates to the twists and turns of murder and greed.

Filled with whimsical and creative inventions, I found this book a true delight to read and would not hesitate to recommend it highly! In fact, Speer firmly takes her place among my most favourite writers of fantasy, Diana Wynne Jones, Nina Kiriki Hoffman and Robin McKinley. In a world filled with so many fantasies that seem duplicates of each other, The Chocolatier's Wife stands out as something different and imaginative.

I am definitely going to pick up the author's other books and I can only hope that she will write more about William and Tasmin. I miss them already! show less

Oh, this was fun. It's probably the very definition of a 'nice' story: well-written, well-grounded, omitting a great deal of the emotional angst that seems so popular, and exploring real-world concerns and dangers in a way almost gentle. I can't tell you how refreshing it was to read a book that runs so counter to current publishing norms — If you've been anywhere near as sick of reading stories of how Teenage Girl 1 will inevitably choose Sexy Boy A but only after wangsting for 300 pages on Sexy Boy B, this is the book for you.

I found the world this novel was set in extraordinarily interesting. I really liked how Speer characterized her protagonists, and her explorations on her magical marriage law — how it worked and how it didn't show more — was deeply fascinating to me. The Chocolatier's Wife is a solid, stand-alone novel, but I think there's a lot of room there for more and further stories. I really hope I get to read them.

Four stars. I am marking this down a bit because I found the character interactions at times quite unpolished and the mystery element, while enjoyable (particularly some of the twists), seemed shallowly handled. Still. Highly recommended for pre- and young teenagers. Reminds me quite a bit of the worlds of Patricia C. Wrede (particularly her Sorcery and Cecelia); reminds me as well of a straight-forward, teenaged-friendly take on the classic Chocolat.

Speer has also published the companion novella, The Chocolatier's Journal, telling a couple additional stories set before her characters had met. I haven't read it — yet — but as it's all of a two-dollar download off Amazon, I will certainly be reading it soon. show less

I received this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program, so huge thanks to LT and the author.

In the world where The Chocolatier's Wife is set, marriage is not left up to chance: every newborn is brought to a Wise Woman, who casts a spell to find out who that child's destined spouse is to be. This doesn't guarantee Twoo Wuv; it also doesn't guarantee happiness. In fact, I think I need to go back and read that bit again to see if it guarantees anything. Regardless, it's considered binding; it just isn't done to marry someone other than the person who shows up when that spell is cast.

When small William of Almsley is brought for the spell … nothing happens. Not to worry, his mother is told; his wife-to-be hasn't been born show more yet. It's when this sequence is repeated year after year that everyone does begin to worry… And when I settled in happily, pretty sure I was going to enjoy this book: "This did not mean, as years passed, that the boy was special. It meant that he would be impossible to live with." Heh.

William's not impossible, though; stubborn, yes, and not Speshul, but not impossible. He's rather sweet, as is revealed through his reaction to the eventual discovery that his intended is from - *gasp* - the barbaric North. Everyone knows how wild and bizarre those people are – they use magic, and probably eat their dead, and oh dear, couldn't you try the spell again?

Meanwhile, a good ways North in Tarnia, the parents of a baby girl named Tasmin are having much the same reaction as the same spell is cast for their daughter: Not - *gasp* - the barbaric South! Why, everyone knows how uncivilized and bizarre those people are – they have hardly any magic at all, and they probably eat their dead, and … oh dear.

William, however, is sanguine about the whole thing, and starts off by writing to his wife-to-be right away (even though she won't be able to read it for a while). And this begins a correspondence (one-sided until Tasmin is able to respond) that lasts some twenty-four years as William grows into his place as the eldest son of a well-to-merchant, eventually captaining a ship of his own through pirate-filled waters, and then – to the bafflement and indignation of his family, gives over his place in his father's company to his younger brother Andrew in order to open a shop selling chocolates ("I've never liked anything half so well as I like chocolate." – See? He's not impossible! He's wonderful). Meanwhile, in the North, Tasmin grows into her abilities as an Herb Mistress – and waits for William to send for her.

Which he doesn't. Years pass after she comes of age, and their letters continue back and forth, often accompanying gifts both large and small, but he doesn't call for her to come and marry. And then suddenly gossip reaches her family that – lucky girl! You're off the hook! Your barbarian intended is sure to be hanged for murder, so – such good fortune! – now you never have to go into the wilds and marry one of them!

Far from the relief of her parents, Tasmin's reaction is to pack a couple of bags and enlist the aid of the tribe of air sprites who have adopted her to whisk her southward. The William she has come to know from his letters can't be a murderer – and she plans on proving it.

There were some minor typos (I remember "gigging" instead of "giggling" (which I kind of liked), and a minor amount of punctuation abuse), but all in all far better than most Kindle books I seem to be reading lately. The writing is just this side of lyrical, with a sense of humor underlying it that reminded me – yes, it did: it reminded me of Robin McKinley. If you take a look at the ratings I've given Ms. McKinley's books, you'll see that this is high praise indeed.

Cindy Lynn Speer was able to make characters unpleasant and unlikable without turning them into cardboard cutouts or one-note things constructed of a few ugly tics and nasty characteristics strung together. William's mother, for example, is thoroughly un-live-with-able, but there's something behind it, a love for her family and reasons for her crankiness ("still, that don't make it right") which rounds out her character and gives her weight and depth in the narrative. The Bad Guy of the story could easily have been two-dimensional, but is neatly saved by clever writing. On the flip side, Tasmin isn't perfect, and nor is William, and the doubts and pettinesses and impatient moments and so on make them more three-dimensional as well, and I was very fond of both of them.

Ms. Speer is also very good at keeping things from her readers. It's a skill, that, or an art; it takes a fine touch to reveal a little bit of something, pique a reader's interest, and then evade the topic for a while without ticking the reader off – and then do it again a couple more times before paying off the built-up suspense. That happens here: there's a reason William gave up the sea besides a deep and abiding love for chocolate, and it's not told until William is good and ready to explain it to Tasmin.

And that takes a little while, because (skip this part if you want to remain utterly spoiler-free, because this might impact your enjoyment of their relationship, and I don't want to do that >>>) …

… these two don't succumb to Insta-Love. I love the way their relationship is handled. They have been writing back and forth for years now, and may – may, mind you – have fallen in love through the correspondence. If so, neither is about to admit it, being as nobody's ever confessed to loving the other, and so neither is really sure how the other feels. Also, Tasmin is at least a little injured by the fact that it's taken so many years for William to send for her, and while she admits even to herself that she was happy at home doing good work that she loved, still: he could have sent for her when she turned eighteen, and that was a while ago, and it went unacknowledged. And that he made a major life decision without telling her first. He is a little uncertain about how she feels about leaving that good work that she loved – does she really want to give it up to come live an unmagical (or at least less magical) life with him? And then of course the whole circumstance of their finally meeting face to face – through the bars of a jail cell – are … awkward. He says he didn't do it. She says she believes him (and that's why she's there). Does she? He says she can consider herself released from their contracted betrothal, and go home and fulfill her potential free of the shame of being attached to an accused murderer… She says she'll do no such thing. But why? I was so happy with the landmine these two had to negotiate before they came anywhere near a happily-ever-at-all.

And here's something I haven't said much lately: I like the cover very much. show less

Magic and murder, what more could I ask for? I really enjoyed this. My only minor complaint is that occasionally the author used expressions which were too British for the fantasy world -- why would the people of Berengeny refer to bedlam as madness for example?

I will look for more books by Speer!

This was a really sweet book (good to read myself to sleep with).

Tamsin was matched to William shortly after her birth by a mating spell cast by the village Wisewoman (he was seven at the time, surely an indication he'd be hard to live with). The spell didn't show your true love (such foolishness), it showed your best match. The thing was that Tamsin was from the North (you know, they're savages! Just think of what they did in the war) so it wasn't exactly a usual match.

William was happy enough though
I suppose she'll do. I'm just glad 'tis over, and that I can go on with my life

They started a correspondence and got on with growing up. Then William didn't send for Tamsin when she turned 18 (other things to do for both of them) and they show more kept on living apart. Then, William was arrested for murder.

Based on his letters Tamsin didn't believe it so she gathered her wind sprites (befriended as a child) and rushed down to see what could be done.

I needed to suspend disbelief a touch (she seemed awfully trusting and the authorities were either astoundingly dim or extremely well bribed) but I really enjoyed this book. There was the whole mystery not only of who did it but why (revealed just in time for the climax)? Who's honest? What about other possible murders?

Basically I really liked it. I don't know if the author wrote more books in this universe but I intend to read more of her work when I'm in the appropriate mood again. show less

Tasmin and William live in a country where marriages are arranged by magic: at birth, a spell is cast to see if the child's most suitable mate has been born yet. If they have, the parents make contact. If not, the spell is repeated yearly. After seven years, William's future wife has been born - unfortunately, he lives in the nearly-unmagical south, and she lives in the magical north.

Despite the fact that neither of their families are happy with the match (the author has a certain amount of fun with the fact that the north and south of the country - which were once divided by war - each believe almost identical evil things of each other) Tasmin and William exchange letters throughout their youth. We get to read the letters throughout show more the story, so you do have to get used to a bit of back-and-forthing in time, but it's a good touch which helps us to get to know the two main characters. William is a merchant sea captain in his family's business; Tasmin is a herb-witch with a possible high-status future in front of her at the university - but only if she manages to get out of the betrothal to William.

Then William gives up his position in the family business and buys a shop intending to sell chocolate. Swiftly after that - within the first week of the shop opening - he is accused of the murder-by-chocolate of the local bishop. When Tasmin's family hear about this, they are thrilled - of course this is a reason to repudiate the betrothal. Tasmin, however, immediately packs her bags and leaves for the south to support William and try to find out who the real killer is.

There are many ways that this scenario could have been written; as it is, in many ways this is more of a love story than anything else. There are many issues that the author touches upon: arranged marriage (the advantages and disadvantages of), the problem of being married to someone you hardly know (even if you do know that s/he is your best match), and the problems of infertility in a society that values the ability to pass on property 'down the line'. There is deceit, and the question of what is honourable conduct. However, I never really doubted that Tasmin and William would win through in the end. This is not a book that puts you through the emotional wringer. Nor is it particularly deep. But it's a pleasant read and the author has constructed an original setting. I enjoyed it, and I've now read it more than once. I'll almost certainly read it again. show less

Good story. Interesting culture clashes (at least three ways, plus the sprites). The way neither of them wanted to admit they were actually happy with the planned marriage was a little annoying, but it didn't actually derail anything so OK - and it was much better than the standard romance tropes of sudden attraction and instant love. The reasons for the plots were - weird. Secret babies and magical artifacts - and what exactly did the Bishop intend to do with it, hiding it that way? But it all made sense as I read, eventually. I kind of agree with William about his brother - he could try harder. Though they found a good solution by the end. Lots of good characterization, description, and plot - I think I'll be looking for more by show more Speer. I got this as an ER book, I've no idea why it took me so long to read it. Glad I finally got around to it! show less