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A review by carlyoc
Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper
funny
lighthearted
medium-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? Yes
4.25
A cute Sapphic romance and coming-home story with John Tucker Must Die vibes.
Who would ever leave a town steeped in magic and run by families of witches? Emmaline "Emmy" Harlow, that's who. When your family is the least powerful of the four founding witch families and your first love breaks your heart by driving home that you will never amount to anything because of your family background, the opportunity to run a magic bookstore and supernatural ability always heat your tea to just the perfect temperature just don't seem like enough to staying stuck in your pigeonhole.
Emmy has created a life for herself in the big city of Chicago, cut off from her magic and family for nine years. But she decides to return home to Thistle Grove one last time to participate in a traditional ancient competition between the witch families, in which House Harlow act as mystic emcees/referees.
Once there, she learns that her asshole ex has since broken the hearts of her best friend and also the intriguing and intimidating bisexual it-girl from her high school days, Talia. Since he is House Blackmore's champion for the competition, the trio of scorned witches conspire to make his family lose for the first time in decades.
I love that each of the four families has a different magic system, and Talia's magic through attunement with dead spirits is particularly interesting. I love to see a necromancer be one of the good guys.
Who would ever leave a town steeped in magic and run by families of witches? Emmaline "Emmy" Harlow, that's who. When your family is the least powerful of the four founding witch families and your first love breaks your heart by driving home that you will never amount to anything because of your family background, the opportunity to run a magic bookstore and supernatural ability always heat your tea to just the perfect temperature just don't seem like enough to staying stuck in your pigeonhole.
Emmy has created a life for herself in the big city of Chicago, cut off from her magic and family for nine years. But she decides to return home to Thistle Grove one last time to participate in a traditional ancient competition between the witch families, in which House Harlow act as mystic emcees/referees.
Once there, she learns that her asshole ex has since broken the hearts of her best friend and also the intriguing and intimidating bisexual it-girl from her high school days, Talia. Since he is House Blackmore's champion for the competition, the trio of scorned witches conspire to make his family lose for the first time in decades.
I love that each of the four families has a different magic system, and Talia's magic through attunement with dead spirits is particularly interesting. I love to see a necromancer be one of the good guys.
Content Warnings
Minor: Infidelity