Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - The House Witch

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The House Witch by Delemhach

22 reviews

k_bb's review

adventurous lighthearted

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

These are not good books. I suppose it does qualify as cozy fantasy, but the characters are flat, the plot lacks conviction and I felt that the humour intends to be more funny than it actually is. There are plenty problematic elements as well, but I can’t be bothered with an extensive review. If this weren’t on Kindle Unlimited I’d be very disappointed in spending money on it. I’ve read most of the second book too and it only gets worse.

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emma_reading_love's review

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The House Witch was the surprise runaway hit of my cozy magical bookclub! Everyone loved it, and it was the liveliest conversation we’ve had so far in the group. The premise is that Fin is a house witch who has moved to the castle to be the head cook, but he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s a witch. I was nervous when I picked it up, because this book is long, 461 pages in print and 18 hours on audio. That’s a lot of book for a cozy, but it ended up being super fun the whole time. There were lots of plots and subplots that stayed clear and coherent throughout the story, and the characters were all interesting. It was lighthearted and funny, while also having real depth. I highly recommend it if you want to get lost in a new fantasy world while also reading lots of descriptions of delicious food. I do have a couple notes, though. This is a series, and though some plots get wrapped up in this first book, a lot is left open at the end. Plus there are a couple content warnings you might want to look up on StoryGraph. I’m a highly sensitive reader and was fine, but there are certain themes that might not be for every reader.

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wanderonwards's review

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funny lighthearted reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I loved the concept of a male domestic witch, especially one working as a royal cook! I'm also excited to see more slice-of-life, low stakes fantasy. However, this was originally webfic and it still reads like something that was written in installments rather than one cohesive narrative, and some chapters with different POVs really read like filler rather than building depth or advancing the plot. While the premise was wonderful, the novel would have benefited from more polishing and a sensitivity read for some problematic things. My biggest issues were with the supporting characters (of which many felt like caricatures rather than developed individuals) and the world building (which acknowledged that things like homophobia, sexism, and strict class divides were awful and shouldn't exist in the world...but then went ahead and included them anyway and didn't satisfactorily address them).

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chrisljm's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Really enjoyed the book when I first started reading, and the coziness it evoked, but it started feeling dragged out after half way. I think it could’ve been improved with less side stories and more investment in showing the romance develop.

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jennaem27's review

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funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

4.30 // This is the kind of “low-stakes” fantasy that I like. This was way better than Legends & Lattes. It had good humour and surprising tropes you wouldn’t normally find in a fantasy novel.

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lackyducks's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was engaging from start to end. On the first page, when Fin is introduced, he makes a big impression. His characterisation makes him a delight to read as he stands off against other characters. He's the lovable asshole written right, and this is only cemented as the book continues and you learn more about him and see him soften. As a neurodivergent person, I saw a lot of my own traits in him.

The rest of the characters similarly are quick to become favourites. The kitchen aides are funny and it's heartwarming to watch them grow and learn throughout the story. There's a lot of side relationships that switch and change throughout the story. Even the antagonists are written well, intimidating in the scenes they appear but still multidimensional.

Despite the light-hearted and humourous nature of the book, there's also darkness to balance it out. The story follows a country on the verge of war, with all the court drama and political espionage that comes with it. We also delve into Fin's backstory, discovering his origins and how they are coming back to haunt him.

The main romance took a while to grow on me, and the 'will they won't they' dominates the latter half of the book. But I found the conclusion to this enjoyable and look forward to seeing how the relationship develops in the sequels. Both of the characters keep the core aspects of their personality whilst learning to make room for the other.

The worldbuilding for the magic is basic and understandable, built on the elements. There are ruling covens that play a minor role in the plot. A level of depth, though, comes from the mutations away from the four elements and the realisation Fin may be a lot more powerful than first appears.

Also, the cat has his own point of view and political drama. This is with an entirely separate cast of characters (cats) whilst still tying into the main plot. It's incredible.

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