When an evil witch does not want to be evil anymore; and also gets romantically involved
4 stars
A cozy fantasy involving a witch who doesn't want to be evil any more, a distractingly handsome neighbour, and a welcoming town. Violet Thistlewaite was the Thornwitch, a witch with the power over plants, who was the favourite of the now dead Guy Shadowfade. Expecting punishment, she is instead set free, with the request to be good.
Left to her own devices, she decides to settle in the nearby town of Dragon's Rest, using her magic to open a flower shop, rented from an apothecary shop now being run by an alchemist, who is also distractingly handsome. The two do not hit it off; her use of magic to create flowers does not sit well with a person used to mixing solutions to prepare medicines. And it doesn't help when the apothecary shop is in debt and may be foreclosed by the bank. As for Violet, she doesn't want …
A cozy fantasy involving a witch who doesn't want to be evil any more, a distractingly handsome neighbour, and a welcoming town. Violet Thistlewaite was the Thornwitch, a witch with the power over plants, who was the favourite of the now dead Guy Shadowfade. Expecting punishment, she is instead set free, with the request to be good.
Left to her own devices, she decides to settle in the nearby town of Dragon's Rest, using her magic to open a flower shop, rented from an apothecary shop now being run by an alchemist, who is also distractingly handsome. The two do not hit it off; her use of magic to create flowers does not sit well with a person used to mixing solutions to prepare medicines. And it doesn't help when the apothecary shop is in debt and may be foreclosed by the bank. As for Violet, she doesn't want to use her 'evil' magic, and finds another way to use magic to do her creations.
Then things turn dark, when a blight hits Dragon's Rest, causing plants to rot away. Getting to the bottom of things would require them to put aside their differences and work together, using their magic and analytical skills, to try to find a solution to the problem. And it doesn't get any better when another former henchman of Shadowfade appears at the town, with plans that Violet does not think will go well for her.
Violet Thistlewaite and, as it turns out, the alchemist also, have a history that shaped who they are. But now both of them want to be something else. But it would need them to open up about themselves and to learn to trust each other before they can come together (along with some other people from the town) and put a stop to the henchman's plan. Along the way, they also resolve a legend about the town's name and how to put their skills to good use.
A book with interesting characters, a consummated romance and puzzles that come together once the pieces are fully revealed.