Sangu Mandanna

An enchanting novel about a witch who has a second chance to get her magical powers—and her life—back on track, from the national bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. Sera Swan was once one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her magical Guild. Now she (slightly reluctantly and a bit grumpily) helps Aunt Jasmine run an inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guest’s shenanigans, tries to keep the talking fox in check, and longs for the magical future she lost. When she learns about an old spell book that could hold the secret to restoring her power, she finds herself turning to Luke Larsen, a gorgeous and icy historian who might be the only person who can help her unlock the book’s mysteries. The fact that he also happens to be her one-night stand from years ago is totally irrelevant. Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and trying not to fall in love is a lot for anyone, but Sera is about to discover that she doesn’t have to do it alone...and that the weird, wonderful family she’s made might be the best magic of all.

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping

"Your magic knew exactly who you were. That’s why your spell was a shield, not a sword."

This was very adorable and exactly what I needed right now. I've had a terrible slumpy reading month, the books haven't been bad but I just haven't felt thrilled by most of them, so this was the type of heartwarming fluff I really wanted to sink into and it filled that need just right. This is a story about believing in yourself and realising you are enough just the way you are, that striving for more is admirable and hard work but that people love you and respect you for who you are without that too. Sangu Mandanna's writing has this beautiful way of bringing to life cosy, whimsical places and people that I absolutely love. That being said, this book didn't sweep me away as much as The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, unfortunately, and I found myself not picking this book up as regularly as I was hoping I would. There were just a few little things about it that made it just good, but not great.

The way this story was written was really lovely, I highlighted a lot of really wonderful quotes and there some really good messages in this story. For one, the way Sera speaks about losing her magic worked as a really good metaphor for growing up and losing faith in humanity, but at the same time it spoke about there always being a little magic in good people. It was about being able to find the community that gets you and accepts you, while defiantly standing up for yourself, your rights and the rights of others, and overthrowing stale pale male institutions. Most of the characters in this book have many intersecting aspects, such as being Indian living in the UK, being disabled, having autism, being gay etc. All of the characters who live at Batty Hole Inn are the outcasts and black sheep of the world, who get judged for just being their authentic selves and have found a home and family at the inn. And because of Sera's spell that makes the place a beacon for those who need it, only the purest hearts are supposed to be able to find it. I really loved this, but I did find that some of these characterisation were a little bit shallow, Clemmie for example was, I think, meant to be a witty and slightly darker character who in many ways was the same as the others, but was also incredibly selfish and, frankly, pretty annoying. I think maybe there were just too many side characters to keep track of and it sort of diluted the story a little bit.

I liked the storyline, for the most part, but there is a trope in this book which is really is not my favourite at all, so the ending disappointed me a bit. I got that the idea was that just because you lose some part of you doesn't mean you're not still strong and valuable without it, that we can adapt and still be successful and surrounded by love, but I did find the message, while pretty, got a bit repetitive, and that round in circles feeling started to get a little bit boring after a while. I also really loved Sera and Luke's friendship, the way they supported each other was really sweet but I did feel like their romance was a bit rushed, and the same as with The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, I found the spice didn't quite match the tone of the rest of the book.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, I think it was beautifully written and so cosy and sweet, but it didn't hit quite as powerfully as I was hoping it would and I didn't fall in love with it quite as much as the previous book. That being said, it would be my dream to live in an old heritage building with a beautiful garden, with people I love, baking bread and sitting by the fire reading books at night, sounds like a dream to me and that aspect of Mandanna's books is absolutely exquisite and will keep me returning to read anything she writes just for those vibes. Definitely a good palette cleanser read!

Genevieve 

"Your magic knew exactly who you were. That’s why your spell was a shield, not a sword."

3.75⭐️

This was very adorable and exactly what I needed right now. I've had a terrible slumpy reading month, the books haven't been bad but I just haven't felt thrilled by most of them, so this was the type of heartwarming fluff I really wanted to sink into and it filled that need just right. This is a story about believing in yourself and realising you are enough just the way you are, that striving for more is admirable and hard work but that people love you and respect you for who you are without that too. Sangu Mandanna's writing has this beautiful way of bringing to life cosy, whimsical places and people that I absolutely love. That being said, this book didn't sweep me away as much as The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, unfortunately, and I found myself not picking this book up as regularly as I was hoping I would. There were just a few little things about it that made it just good, but not great.

The way this story was written was really lovely, I highlighted a lot of really wonderful quotes and there some really good messages in this story. For one, the way Sera speaks about losing her magic worked as a really good metaphor for growing up and losing faith in humanity, but at the same time it spoke about there always being a little magic in good people. It was about being able to find the community that gets you and accepts you, while defiantly standing up for yourself, your rights and the rights of others, and overthrowing stale pale male institutions. Most of the characters in this book have many intersecting aspects, such as being Indian living in the UK, being disabled, having autism, being gay etc. All of the characters who live at Batty Hole Inn are the outcasts and black sheep of the world, who get judged for just being their authentic selves and have found a home and family at the inn. And because of Sera's spell that makes the place a beacon for those who need it, only the purest hearts are supposed to be able to find it. I really loved this, but I did find that some of these characterisation were a little bit shallow, Clemmie for example was, I think, meant to be a witty and slightly darker character who in many ways was the same as the others, but was also incredibly selfish and, frankly, pretty annoying. I think maybe there were just too many side characters to keep track of and it sort of diluted the story a little bit.

I liked the storyline, for the most part, but there is a trope in this book which is really is not my favourite at all, so the ending disappointed me a bit. I got that the idea was that just because you lose some part of you doesn't mean you're not still strong and valuable without it, that we can adapt and still be successful and surrounded by love, but I did find the message, while pretty, got a bit repetitive, and that round in circles feeling started to get a little bit boring after a while. I also really loved Sera and Luke's friendship, the way they supported each other was really sweet but I did feel like their romance was a bit rushed, and the same as with The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, I found the spice didn't quite match the tone of the rest of the book.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, I think it was beautifully written and so cosy and sweet, but it didn't hit quite as powerfully as I was hoping it would and I didn't fall in love with it quite as much as the previous book. That being said, it would be my dream to live in an old heritage building with a beautiful garden, with people I love, baking bread and sitting by the fire reading books at night, sounds like a dream to me and that aspect of Mandanna's books is absolutely exquisite and will keep me returning to read anything she writes just for those vibes. Definitely a good palette cleanser read!



Set in England. A kooky magical inn, a talking fox, a love story, and a girl trying to get her magic back only to discover what is truly important; family. A very sweet and funny story about found family and how no matter what life will always be magical!! 

Leah Diaz 

The summery version of a tight hug, BLESS 

Annabella

Cozy fantasy that deals with trauma, racism, patriarchy, and found family.

I love how Sangu combines strong women with book-nerdy men.

Rabia Sitabi

Cozy fantasy that deals with trauma, racism, patriarchy, and found family.

I love how Sangu combines strong women with book-nerdy men.



A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping

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