A review by evarinya
A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Originally was thinking about anything between 4 and 4.5 for the book. It's a cozy, whimsical tale about a girl who lost most of her (immensely powerful) magic to save a family member - and how, as a woman, she still needs to heal from that.
 There was also a lot of different characters with different sorts of traumas (some were definitely handled better than others, though - and there really wasn't enough time to have more than surface level development for... pretty much everyone besides Sera...) but mostly those characters were interesting and likeable.

I was a bit... confused about Posey and the portrayal of her autism. I'm no expert with autistic children but I have researched a lot about it in adults and... it just seemed a little off to me, not sure why exactly.
Still a very precocious child, though!

The romance was... fine, I guess? I found the "first kiss" scene pretty weird, honestly (there's a time and a place for everything and that was not it. Dunno if I'm too Ace for this but honestly, it was ridiculous. And not in a good way!) but all in all, Sera and Luke were a cute couple and the conflict and resolution were mostly sweet and their interactions were nice to read.
The sex scene was... meh, and I wish there wouldn't have been one, but it wasn't horrible either. I just don't get the need fir having one in every single romance book in general...


Sadly the ending was really a big downer for me. Up to... around 90% I believe, I was sure that this book would end equally cozy as it had been for the whole duration. Some conflict was there, yes, but never truly bad consequences. Simply a "feel good book".
Alas, it was not to be.
And... honestly, the ending "conflict" and its resolution were... horribly executed. Instead of any sort of actual plan, the "solution" ends up being
"Yeah lose an integral part of yourself that you spent years trying to fix... so one guy can "only" use his money and influence to fuck up more people, but not his magic"
... Great.
Feels like her
final sacrifice was too much for what they got out of it. And that, in the end, while Grey lost his powerbase, he still got what he wanted: Sera powerless. (And I know it's a bit simplified and sure, it did screw him over, but... it still felt like way to much of a sacrifice for her to make)

I would have probably accepted it easier if
she had kept at least some of her magic... maybe the same amount as before? As in, her quest still was, ultimately, a success and her sacrificing its result is meaningful, but... it doesn't end up being a "oh your magic loved you, so you will FOREVER have a reminder of just what you lost. Every time you close your eyes. Unable to EVER move on. Congrats!" kind of thing?? (Again, very simplified, but still technically true! As if she can move on from having lost her magic if she has a constant reminder in that one star? How is that supposed to be comforting in the long run?)
Honestly, at this point, why didn't they just kill him? It would have solved all their problems, he could never mistreat other people again and Sera would have kept her magic. Boom. (Certainly not less whimsical than permanent mutilation. For that's, in essence, what Sera did to herself.)

 
I don't know. The ending was really bittersweet (though more bitter than sweet, really) so in the end, the rating for the whole book suffered, since... well. The ending is what tends to stay in mind the longest, isn't it?
Quite a pity, for I truly loved The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. (Also, I somehow thought both books played in the same universe, but... I guess not? Or The Very Secret Society was taking place in a very different location as the vibes I got from the magic and everything were very different... and not really in a good way. Meh.) 
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