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garnetofeden 's review for:
Dime Store Magic
by Kelley Armstrong
Dime Store Magic is the first Otherworld novel from the perspective of a character other than Elena. In this case, our point-of-view character is Paige, who was introduced in the previous book. It’s been 9 months since the events of Stolen, and Paige is struggling with her newly inherited responsibilities as Coven leader and being a 23-year-old parenting the 13-year-old Savannah Levine.
Kelley Armstrong’s talent for writing unique and well-developed characters shines again. Paige is clearly distinguishable from our previous point-of-view character Elena, with different strengths and weaknesses yet no less compelling as a character. This shows through in even small details like wardrobe preferences. Where Elena is athletic and cares nothing for fashion, Paige is curvy and chooses dresses and skirts and feminine underwear because her mother was a dressmaker. This is true of the male characters as well.
More details of the Otherworld are revealed as readers learn alongside Paige about the sorcerer Cabals when Savannah’s father attempts to get custody of her. There is a long and complicated history between witches and sorcerers (think Inquisition), but it quickly becomes clear that the Coven’s fear is causing them to become the very things they claim to be against.
There is a strong theme of mothers throughout the book. Paige and Savannah are both grieving the deaths of their respective mothers in Stolen. Paige takes her responsibility as Savannah’s guardian very seriously, but she wrestles with the difference between what Paige’s mother taught Paige and what Savannah’s mother taught Savannah. Savannah tries to follow what her mother wanted for her, but Paige’s ideological confusion and the onset of puberty make things emotionally fraught.
I was curious to see if no longer being the same age as Paige and Lucas would make me identify less with them, but I still found their struggles relatable. In fact, I found the way people treated them as incapable due to their youth just as infuriating as ever.
The story satisfactorily wraps up all of the needed plot points while still leaving plenty of seeds for future books. What will be the fallout with Savannah’s biological family? What (if anything) will become of the American Coven? The series maintains its steam, so I eagerly continued on to the next book.
Rating reviewed 1/20/2023.
Kelley Armstrong’s talent for writing unique and well-developed characters shines again. Paige is clearly distinguishable from our previous point-of-view character Elena, with different strengths and weaknesses yet no less compelling as a character. This shows through in even small details like wardrobe preferences. Where Elena is athletic and cares nothing for fashion, Paige is curvy and chooses dresses and skirts and feminine underwear because her mother was a dressmaker. This is true of the male characters as well.
More details of the Otherworld are revealed as readers learn alongside Paige about the sorcerer Cabals when Savannah’s father attempts to get custody of her. There is a long and complicated history between witches and sorcerers (think Inquisition), but it quickly becomes clear that the Coven’s fear is causing them to become the very things they claim to be against.
There is a strong theme of mothers throughout the book. Paige and Savannah are both grieving the deaths of their respective mothers in Stolen. Paige takes her responsibility as Savannah’s guardian very seriously, but she wrestles with the difference between what Paige’s mother taught Paige and what Savannah’s mother taught Savannah. Savannah tries to follow what her mother wanted for her, but Paige’s ideological confusion and the onset of puberty make things emotionally fraught.
I was curious to see if no longer being the same age as Paige and Lucas would make me identify less with them, but I still found their struggles relatable. In fact, I found the way people treated them as incapable due to their youth just as infuriating as ever.
The story satisfactorily wraps up all of the needed plot points while still leaving plenty of seeds for future books. What will be the fallout with Savannah’s biological family? What (if anything) will become of the American Coven? The series maintains its steam, so I eagerly continued on to the next book.
Rating reviewed 1/20/2023.