Member Reviews
A wonderful story filled with magic and mystery. I loved the immersive setting, the amazing characters, and the narrative journey that they all go on.
A really enjoyable series. I recommend it without hesitation to the magic lovers out there. Look forward to more from this author.
The Conjurer The Vine Witch is the final volume of the Vine Witch series by Luanne G. Smith, a historical fantasy trilogy that takes place in France at the beginning of the 20th century. The Conjurer The Vine Witch is an excellent and gratifying finale to the Vine Witch series, and an essential read for aficionados of historical fantasy, magic, and romance. This book presents a compelling and original narrative, a vivid and immersive setting, a well-crafted and appealing ensemble of characters, and a fluent and refined writing style. It's a harmonious combination of magic, mystery, romance, and history, and a book that I would strongly endorse to others.
My thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, this one just didn't really work for me. On the whole I have to say that the first one is definitely the one I enjoyed the most and that the two companion novels have felt a bit redundant to me.
This third one was one I even actively struggled with. I just couldn't find myself caring about the stakes or character development in this third installment.
I was really looking forward to this book and opening up the world of magic more with the jinn and learning more about Sidra. But the end result was a little dissapointing.
I liked that the main characters from before were around and they had the same voice as previous. I enjoyed how the mythology of the jinn was explored and the artful descriptions of how their magic works and how they came into being. I also liked that this witchy world expanded a bit more to include the perfume witches and how that magic works.
But there were also a few things that were disappointing. The biggest one was Sidra herself, who seemed very passive the whole book. She "looks into the fires" and worries, but when it comes to fighting the big bad and proving herself, she just doesn't. Someone as powerful as her still needed saving but she didn't seem to care that much. She's definitely a stoic character dealing with deep derpession, but the sparks of personality from the previous books was lackluster in this one.
Secondly, how the major conflict comes together and the resolution of fighting the "big bad" seemed anticlimactic. Not only do you see the "big revelation" coming a mile away, but it seemed awfully simple. And the worst part of it is that it didn't really have anything to do with the magical trio who-were-oddly-bound-by-fate. Their magic was inconsequential to the whole fight and resolution. If they weren't there, there'd be little difference in the outcome, so it deflated the urgency and immediacy of the villainy.
Overall, the magic and description of how this world comes together was enthralling enough to keep going. I read it pretty fast and it wasn't as slow-going as I remember the others, so it was a pleasant read.
A hypnotic book full of smells and sounds, this is the story of Sidra, a jinn, running from her brother-in-law who is intent on her destruction. Jamra is bent on destruction, and nothing in the world will stop him from unleashing chaos. With her two friends, Sidra must protect herself, her friends and all she holds dear.
I didn't realize this book was part of a series, but it didn't make a different in my enjoyment of the book. The book is very descriptive and well written. I enjoyed it a lot.
Luanne G. Smith always gets me with her books! She crafts such a wonderful, lush atmosphere that I just can't seem to put her books down. The prose is beautiful, and her character-work is great. There were a few plot holes here and there that I noticed, but overall, still a great read!
I have fallen in love with this series! I would highly recommend the entire series to any magic lovers out there, but this third book may be my favorite. I will be looking for more from this author!
This book was a little out of my comfort zone and while it had some good components, I don't think it was the book for me.
Several things drew me into this book. The cover for one, the premise is another and the fact that it's part of a trilogy is just a bonus. Now, going into this, I did not know this book was the third installment in the series but that was not a determent, because things were explained enough throughout the story to cover the bases from the previous books. So, in my opinion, yes it can be read as a standalone.
The storyline, the worldbuilding, the magic.. it all draws you in and keeps you hanging on the edge of your seat wanting more. Since this book is the last installment, I find that it makes a pretty good ending and wraps up quite nicely. I did go back and read the other two installments, and even though there wasn't much of a surprise to the ending, it was very enjoyable.
I enjoyed this and managed to get through it quite quickly. I found it to be a nice wast comfort read and it made me want to read some more from this author.
I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book had an amazing plot, but I felt the characters were a bit hard to connect to.
Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.
After thoroughly enjoying books 1 and 2, I went into The Conjurer optimistic and only slightly cautious (I always a little wary as a series continues that any future books will fail to live up to the hype). I really didn't have to worry about this one. Sidra was such an intriguing character in the first two books, and reading her story was such fun. She always seemed a little darker and a little melancholier, which is not a bad thing. Her book lived up to her character without losing the fun and lightness of the first books. There were some events that I predicted well before I knew, but that didn't bother me at all. This was a perfect book for the mood I wanted, and I'm pretty sure Luanne G. Smith will be on my automatically buy list when she has new books come out. I highly enjoyed this entire series.
I DNF’d this book. I loved the first one in the series but couldn’t get through 2 or 3. I felt like not much was happening to keep me invested in the story.
I utterly fell in love with Luanne G. Smith's The Vine Witch the moment I read it. There was something so lush and gentle about it, despite the high stakes, that I was addicted. I wondered whether the rest of the series would give me the same experience and 2020's The Glamourist proved that that was indeed the case. But how would I fare with the story of our prickly Jinni Sidra? Thanks to 47North and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The lovely thing about The Vine Witch-trilogy is that each of the books is its own, fully-formed story. While the three relate, each book focuses on a different character which means that you discover a whole new side to the story you already know. When reading The Vine Witch, Elena was my favourite. I adored her craft, her grit, and her dedication. When I read The Glamourist I fell in love with Yvette and her sass and pluck. Throughout these two novels, Sidra is a shadowy presence who is both helpfull and stubborn. She flames up quickly, but there is a lot of warmth to her as well. I wondered how this would be once she had a whole book dedicated to her. I should not have doubted Luanne G. Smith, who already proved in the previous two books she is more than capable of letting each character shine. The set-up of this trilogy, then, with its intertwining yet separate tales, is a beautiful thing that feels very well crafted.
Sidra is hiding, wallowing in memories. But even if she wants to ignore the world, her fate is not finished with her yet. And so she finds herself back where it all started, a French village full of history and pain. Sidra must now face of against Jamra, her brother-in-law, who is convinced she killed his brother, her husband. Thankfully she is not alone, as both Yvette and Elena find that fate is also drawing them towards this final confrontation. And why is that dog lurking around? Could it be that nothing, after all, is coincidence? The Conjurer manages to both be a fully independent novel that tells us Sidra's tale, as well as a great concluding novel to the whole The Vine Witch-trilogy. It devotes a lot of time towards making Sidra more understandable to the reader, lets her shed some of her prickly layers, until we meet the real woman herself. At the same time, it places the two other women where they're meant to be, letting them show what they learned in their own novels. The Conjurer was a lovely book and a lovely ending to the trilogy.
As I said above, there is something lush and gentle about Luanne G. Smith's writing that instantly makes me feel comfortable. Although the stakes are high, although chaos looms, Smith does not make her characters suffer needlessly. While the weight of the world hangs in the balance, I don't feel like I have to worry either of the three women will be crushed under it. These books are not too focused on the suffering or the difficulty and manages to remain warm and inviting without ignoring the hardships of the world. Smith's attention to detail also remains one of my favourite aspects of her writing. Especially when it comes to Sidra's powers of conjuring, Smith weaves such complete pictures of her achievements and her surroundings that you can't help but feel transported. Add to that a beautiful French village famous for its perfume and you can imagine the kind of stunning descriptions that await you in these pages. I must admit I took my time starting this book, in part because I didn't want to be left without any Luanne G. Smith to read. Thankfully, her newest book is on its way! The Raven Spell, here I come!
The Conjurer is a lovely read, a book I raced through yet also found rest in. It is the perfect ending to The Vine Witch trilogy and I can't wait to read more by Luanne G. Smith.
This was a fun, quick read that was exactly what I was in the mood for! I enjoyed the characters & the writing style - I’ve also enjoyed the author’s other books.
It’s not a favourite of mine - but it was still an enjoyable read.
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Bertha Alicia Leon rated a book it was amazing
about 15 hours ago
The Conjurer (The Vine Witch #3)
by Luanne G. Smith (Goodreads Author)
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Read in March 2022
A witch, a fairy and a jinni together in a prison cell...
No, it is not the beginning of a bad joke, but the beginning of a strong friendship between three very different women and around which the stories revolve.
There are three books in this trilogy: The Vine Witch, The Glamourist and The Conjurer. With The Conjurer the cycle is closed by telling us the story that was missing: the story of Sidra, the jinni, why she was accused of murdering her husband and why his brother seeks revenge on Sidra.
The end of this series is a bit bittersweet, as it comes too fast, at least for me. I would love to know more about the story of Yannis the sorcerer, but in the end, time and the author will decide if that story is worth writing.
Book three and this series is still so good! It's different than the fantasy I usually read and I appreciate that. The prose is beautiful. I also really enjoyed that this book focused on different characters - ones we have met but didn't know as much about! I mean we all wanted to know more about our favorite jinn, Sidra.
Absolutely amazing! I've fallen in love with the author's vivid and imaginative writing and each book is better than the previous one! After reading both The Vine WItch and The Glamourist, I was really excited for Sidra's story! I think she's a very complex character and it was fun meeting her and seeing her intersections with everyone! I was a little sad to see it ending, but I had so much fun meeting these characters and falling in love with their stories! Would definitely recommend these books and as a bonus, they're available on KU as well!
This is the story of Elena, Yvette & Sidra. As the third book of the series the pacing was fast and furious with lots of twists and turns.
Overall super fun and lovely