Magic and the Modern Girl

Jane has been neglecting her talents and discovers that what isn't used can be taken away. I disliked David and his unwillingness to be honest about the growing feelings Jane and David have for each other. I feel like he was responsible at least in part for the trouble Jane gets into. But the magical crisis brings Jane closer to her mother and grandmother in important ways and she is able to claim her power and love in lasting ways.

While it would not do to take this series seriously, especially with regards to the arcane, it's a fun set of books.

Jane is a well-rounded and complex protagonist, and the other characters are well-drawn as well. In this one the plot threads go a bit wild, but are resolved reasonably well. Jane's relationships with her friends, family, and co-workers are interesting and complex.

Now, on a purely magical note- I figured her Big Spell to exercise and thus regain her powers would go off when she and her warder and familiar called the quarters widdershins. (Also- WTH about the quarter attributes??? The directions are not consistent with either the classical or the physical elements in her region!) Now, in the book this is not the problem... show more but if Klasky wants to use a few elements of ceremonial magic and/or witchcraft, it might behoove her to get a couple of the basics right!

Still, it's a fun novel, with a lot of character growth and development on all sides, and big changes at the end.

Recommended for fans of magical chick lit. show less

This is the 3rd and final book in the series that started with "A Girl's Guide to Witchcraft."

This is a satisfying (and not unexpected) end to a very fun series. I'm sad to see the last of our librarian-turned-witch but it was very nice to see the threads of story wrap up for both her and her wonderful cast of family and friends.

I noticed another review suggesting this would make a great little mini-series and I totally agree!

I loved elements of this book, I really enjoyed Gran indulging in what SHE needed and wanted for once!, but the does she want to still be a witch/doesn't she didn't 100% work for me.

This trilogy was hard to finish for me. It really was a good idea, I just don't think (in my lowly opinion) that it was executed well. The books had this sense about them that the author followed a checklist to writing. Klasky wrote in minute detail what the story was, she didn't let it unfold naturally. And all the books were filled with this forced sense of cramming "class" into it. From the name dropping, to information, to what should be served on menus, the opera this and that, the "arts" as a whole. It would have been different if it was introduced in a natural way, but it wasn't, and so was annoying. I'm just relieved to have finished them.

I enjoyed this book. The plot was not the strongest but I still found it entertaining. I so wanted to see how it ended so that kept be reading through the slow parts.

This is one of those books that is a light read and can be finished super quick.

Synopsis: It’s six months after Jane Madison has survived the test set for her by the coven and found that she is indeed a powerful witch. She has taken that time to focus on her ‘day job’, that of reference librarian. When her mother calls and asks to borrow some runes, Jane finds that her bags of runes, as well as her personal magic books are moldering. As it turns out, since she hasn’t used her magic, it has nearly vanished. Now she must decide if she is to take the steps necessary to regain her magic, or if she is going to let it, her warder, and her familiar all go. To jump start her powers, she creates a anima to start energizing her magic, but loses control of it. Once again, she meets the ‘man of her dreams’ and show more finds he falls short of what she needs. Jane’s grandmother and her mother get their familiars, and they all work together to get Jane’s magic back. Jane discovers that using their powers together creates very strong magic. Finally Jane realizes that she’s in love with her warder, David.

Review: Another piece of brain candy. show less