It was really great to read this book! I really enjoyed the first one, these characters are interesting, and I really enjoy this world! The writing is a little dense, which makes reading a bit slow, which means you have to be cautious of your mood, if you're into a fast-paced book, even though this book is pretty quick, well, it reads slow, so read it when you're in that kind of mood!

I really enjoyed diving more into this world with Tessa. She has the stone in her hand, which is causing a few interesting developments. There's her need to free her dad, to square up the professor, and now a quest to find a missing artifact. So that was a heavy load of work to do!

Yeah, there was a lot going on, and I really enjoyed the various developments, including the relationship ones. Oh, and one of her birthday gifts, that was fantastic, and I can't wait to see how that will all play out! I had such a great time reading it!

Oh, wow, that ending! There's so many question marks, and man, it was just an evil, killer cliffhanger ending! I mean, there's what happens just as it ends, but also lingering questions about the fate of some of the other characters, and I just want to know!

This was a really great book, and I can't wait for book 3!

Tessa’s life keeps getting more complicated. While still struggling to learn how to use the Maelstrom Stone it absorbs a book of the Dark Arts making her a sorceress albeit a sorceress without training. When Hiram Broadstone asks her to find the lost Eye of Nimora she cannot turn him down, the fee he offers will solve so many of Tessa and her mom’s mundane problems. Hiram’s late father gave the Eye to his wife, a harpy, who disappeared before Hiram’s father died along with the Eye. Of course, things are more complicated than expected as Tessa has to find Germanigold before she can begin to track down the Eye. Then there are still the problems of the Professor who still has not performed his phoenix ritual, Tessa’s dad is still a ghost in the basement and mundanely, Tessa’s mom is being told to finish her dissertation or look for another job and Tessa’s hockey team is on track for the championships if Tessa can avoid her opponents being inhabited by demons out to get her. There are also elves to fight and a new dog to help Tessa in her magical quests.

A great second outing in this series. Things are coming to a head on several fronts, we have a cliff hanger ending and I can hardly wait for the next book. Highly recommended.

Hanover weaves a tale of a young woman, ignorant of magic, thrust into a magical world. Talk about trying to swim upstream and learning to swim on the way.

Tessa had no idea that there was magic in the world until a magical gem embeds in her hand. The gem, an ancient artifact, gives her the ability to call on its powers erratically, because she has no idea what she’s doing. Finding balance in a world completely unknown to Tessa, she discovers that relying on her closest friends might be the key to her and those she loves survival.

I found The New Improved Sorceress a fun frolic into a world where magic exists but so does the basic everyday family and friend dramas that surrounds us all. Hanover provides a strong plot, delightful heartfelt characters and a highly creative twist to Arthurian Fantasy.

I received this copy of The New Improved Sorceress from Berkley Publishing Group - DAW. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This book was received as an ARC from Berkley Publishing Group - DAW in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

When I read this book I was immediately drawn to it because the main character Tessa reminded me of the main character Zoey in the House of Night series but instead of being a vampire, Tessa is a sorceress or at least until she knows. Getting through high school and the complications that come with it including making friends is very complex to handle especially when your power and well being depends on it and not only do you have to get human friends, you have to make magical friends as well. A lot of our YA patrons will appreciate this book and will be fascinated with Tessa's journey. Can't wait to pitch this to our Teen Book Club.

We will consider adding this title to our Fantasy collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.