Scan barcode
A review by ellelainey
Sugar, Spice, and Spellcraft by D. E. Paulson
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
TRIGGERS: brief mentions of the Holocaust, concentration camps; grief, violence, cancer, child death/danger; zombie-like creatures; mentions of Irish famine and very brief mentions of various natural disasters (literally a date and what it was, no detail)
Rep: gay, Jewish, Polish, Swedish, coming out, Irish
Positions: vers
~
This was a really great new-to-me-author and a total surprise.
I hadn't heard of the author or book before, and stumbled across it only because I had a GC to spend. I'm so glad I picked it. The blurb was intriguing and the story absolutely lived up to what was promised.
Sugar, Spice and Spellcraft is a pleasantly unique story, following Jakob Kuratowski - a Jewish, Polish witch, who keeps kosher and speaks multiple languages including Hebrew and Yiddish - as he accidentally sparks a mate bond with wolf shifter Erik Lindstrom - Swedish in origin, alpha or his pack and eager to secure their bond asap.
At first, the story progresses quickly, over multiple months, because Jakob doesn't want a mate bond but he can't avoid a wolf in trouble, and he helps the pack a few times, at various points, without succumbing to the mate bond. Then, after the halfway mark, he becomes more involved with the members of the pack and with Erik, allowing for a slower pace. In total, the story takes place over half a year, focusing on Christmas, Hanukkah and Valentine's Day.
The story is really well balanced between the romance - a sudden flash at first, then a slow burn as Erik and Jakob work out how to circle each other - and the plot, which involves an exploration of magic, of shifter packs, and an outside threat. There were zombie-like creatures that were a running theme as well as a final end-of-book big threat.
The cast of secondary characters was great. I really loved that Jakob's mother was almost a third central character, and we see flashbacks of Jakob's time with her, learning magic and learning about her experiences. I cried during the flashback to her death. Jakob's work partner, Cara, was super interesting and had a great family. The shifter pack was nice to see, both in snippets, and through a few focal characters like Terence, Alicia, Micah and Zoe.
It was really nice to see a shifter story where sex wasn't the main point, and where the human/witch made the smart choice for himself, putting himself and his safety first, making the shifter work for their affection rather than relying on a mate bond to magically make everything good between them.
The way Jakob was so careful about his word choices was a really great addition to his characterisation, but I will admit that swearing to cause damage to the unliving was a little cheesy, at the end. However, the way it was used with such caution and care, and used consistently throughout the novel was an interesting addition that made it stand out a little more.
As a solo novel, it had everything you could want - romance, adventure, a solid plot and likeable main characters. I'd have LOVED to see a book for Terence (maybe with Síomón, because I'm a literary masochist) and maybe something with Nathan, who could have led to another interesting side story. If the author does continue this world into a series, I'll be there for it.
~
Favourite Quote
"If the situation had been less dire, less potentially dangerous, it could have been funny. Instead, a witch, a banshee, and a teenaged werewolf sat in a crude circle, trying to think of ways to avoid a War."
Rep: gay, Jewish, Polish, Swedish, coming out, Irish
Positions: vers
~
This was a really great new-to-me-author and a total surprise.
I hadn't heard of the author or book before, and stumbled across it only because I had a GC to spend. I'm so glad I picked it. The blurb was intriguing and the story absolutely lived up to what was promised.
Sugar, Spice and Spellcraft is a pleasantly unique story, following Jakob Kuratowski - a Jewish, Polish witch, who keeps kosher and speaks multiple languages including Hebrew and Yiddish - as he accidentally sparks a mate bond with wolf shifter Erik Lindstrom - Swedish in origin, alpha or his pack and eager to secure their bond asap.
At first, the story progresses quickly, over multiple months, because Jakob doesn't want a mate bond but he can't avoid a wolf in trouble, and he helps the pack a few times, at various points, without succumbing to the mate bond. Then, after the halfway mark, he becomes more involved with the members of the pack and with Erik, allowing for a slower pace. In total, the story takes place over half a year, focusing on Christmas, Hanukkah and Valentine's Day.
The story is really well balanced between the romance - a sudden flash at first, then a slow burn as Erik and Jakob work out how to circle each other - and the plot, which involves an exploration of magic, of shifter packs, and an outside threat. There were zombie-like creatures that were a running theme as well as a final end-of-book big threat.
The cast of secondary characters was great. I really loved that Jakob's mother was almost a third central character, and we see flashbacks of Jakob's time with her, learning magic and learning about her experiences. I cried during the flashback to her death. Jakob's work partner, Cara, was super interesting and had a great family. The shifter pack was nice to see, both in snippets, and through a few focal characters like Terence, Alicia, Micah and Zoe.
It was really nice to see a shifter story where sex wasn't the main point, and where the human/witch made the smart choice for himself, putting himself and his safety first, making the shifter work for their affection rather than relying on a mate bond to magically make everything good between them.
The way Jakob was so careful about his word choices was a really great addition to his characterisation, but I will admit that swearing to cause damage to the unliving was a little cheesy, at the end. However, the way it was used with such caution and care, and used consistently throughout the novel was an interesting addition that made it stand out a little more.
As a solo novel, it had everything you could want - romance, adventure, a solid plot and likeable main characters. I'd have LOVED to see a book for Terence (maybe with Síomón, because I'm a literary masochist) and maybe something with Nathan, who could have led to another interesting side story. If the author does continue this world into a series, I'll be there for it.
~
Favourite Quote
"If the situation had been less dire, less potentially dangerous, it could have been funny. Instead, a witch, a banshee, and a teenaged werewolf sat in a crude circle, trying to think of ways to avoid a War."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Violence
Minor: Xenophobia, Stalking, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Genocide, War, Terminal illness, Child death, Cancer, and Antisemitism