A while back, I wrote a break-up letter with this author and told her we were done. I meant it, too. I had given her so many chances with the Paper Magician and all that series, and they were competent enough, just lacking in the emotional depth and connection I craved. then I read Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet and decided we just weren’t compatible, and I meant it.
Trouble is, Ms. Holmberg has such good ideas. She’s got some of the most original, interesting ideas I’ve seen. Darn her. So, I gave her another chance. Because this one sounded like so much fun. Haunted house, lonely writer, female ghostbuster… How could I resist?
Turns out that third (or whatever, who’s counting) time is the charm. This is the book I’ve been waiting for from this author and didn’t even know it.
The characters glow, the story sparkles, and the evil is truly evil while also being a little sad. I was so excited to see how fully-formed and believable each of the characters were, with motives that made sense and made them feel real. Even minor characters had purpose beyond the basics of the plot. The magic system was fascinating and fully-formed, but never dumped in a mindless swirl of data, just explained only when needed and only in enough detail to serve the story.
The idea, of course, is fresh and original. I never doubted the author’s creativity, but, in this book, her ability to write the people in her book finally caught up to her ability to write story, and the results are lovely.
I love that Hulda is competent, intelligent, and forceful while also harboring some insecurities of her own while poor Merritt is really carrying a ton of weight from his past. I thought their romance unfolded naturally and never felt forced and I was rooting for them hard by the end.
I know there are more books in this series, and I can finally say, I’m looking forward to reading more of this author’s work. Turns out, we didn’t need to break up, we just needed a break.
4.5 Gotta-love-the-last-minute-addition-of-a-dog stars
