A decent third book in the Vine Witch series, this one focuses on Sidra the jinni who I'd preferred out of the main characters because of her snarky attitude. If you enjoyed the last two you'll equally love this. I find them a little on the forgettable and predictable side, there's not quite enough high stakes, character depth or even romance, but they are comforting fantasy easy reads which sometimes is the only sort of novel I feel like reading... I'd definitely read other novels by Luanne G. Smith, especially if I'd just read a really bleak one!

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

What a fantastic end to our story of these jail birds.

While I was a little iffy on this one as the second one kind of dragged for me. I adored this one and getting to follow the characters into the last chapters of their happiness.

I also enjoy about half way through when I realized something. So that made me that much more anxious to get to the end of the story to see if I was right.

But as we only got a little bit of Sidra in the first and second book. The moment she turned into fire I knew I needed more.

There is a genre of books that has been conquering me little by little and Conjurer is an excellent representation of it! The moment I received the arc, I discovered that it was not the first book in the series and went to read it in order AND I AM IN LOVE! That's exactly what I like to read when I just want a good read.

The Conjurer by Luanne G Smith

9781542019606

240 Page
Publisher: 47North
Release Date: January 12, 2021

Fiction, Fantasy, Witches, Magic

Sidra is stuck in Paris and still wanted for the murder of her husband. Both of their families were enemies and were against their marriage. Her brother-in-law is looking for her to kill her. Yvette has found her family and her magic and is trying to help Sidra. Elena is kidnapped from the vineyard and her husband is put under a curse by Sidra’s brother-in-law. She must go with him to Paris or else he will not recover. Elena sees a big dog at the vineyard and then while she was on the train. Then she sees the dog again in the city. Is it an omen or a helper?

This is the third in the Vine Witch series and is best if read in order. The book is fast pace with a lot of action. It is written in third person point of view and the characters are well developed. This was a great series and if you like books about magic, you will really enjoy this book.

Jinni, ifrit, witches, and fae. Perfume, France, and the middle East. All blended together.

Sidra, a jinni, snuck into the fae lands to hide from the magical law authorities, who believed her responsible for having murdered her husband. When she is banished back to mortal lands, an even worse and older enemy hunts her down. Jamra, her brother in law, an evil jinni who hates that Sidra married his brother, and that she's hiding something he wants very much. Forced back into the mortal realm, Sidra & Yvette must elude capture, while fate brings Elena back into their midst when her husband is put into danger unless Elena helps the evil jinni find Sidra.

As with the prior book, the story telling here is lush with nearly perceptible descriptions of the setting. One almost feels as if they're walking through the countrysides of 20th century France, smelling the perfumes, feeling the magic, and even experiencing a few Arabic spices of culture mixed in.

There story is slow paced, but captivating. While another book might need nonstop fighting scenes, these books draw the reader in with excellent prose and lots of sensory elements.

The story follows the same characters as in the prior two books, but this time focuses on Sidra, the jinni, and her past, her losses, and her secrets. It's amazing how much more background and character was added when Sidra had already shown up and played a significant role in the previous books. Even though the book is still set in France, there's a strong middle Eastern tone brought in.

These books are good heartwarming reads, with lots of friendships, allies, and magic. Plus, this book can stand on its own. One doesn't need to have read either of the prior books in order to jump in here. Sure, there's good reason to read them, but there's plenty of background mentions and explanations to for those who need it.

This book is great for anyone looking for a comfortable book that will take them on a magical journey, transporting their senses and imagination to a land of danger, of good and evil jinni, of fae, witches and sorcerers, friends, enemies, and beyond them all, secrets and plots and deceptions.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

A conclusion of the "Vine Witch" trilogy was not something outstanding or better than previous installments, but it is totally worth the read, especially if you're craving to be immersed in a whirlpool of magical twists and jinni enchantments.

Like many I mistook this book and its amazingly written synopsis for being the first book in a series rather then a third which might I add that it is in fact the third book in a series. Even with the mistake I found this book to be really well written. I fully enjoyed the characters and the world being so well described. I will defiantly be diving back into this world in the correct order soon,

I love this series and am so sad to see it come to an end.

Check out my full review here: https://booksteahealthyme.home.blog/2021/01/14/book-review-the-conjurer-by-luanne-g-smith/

The Conjurer was yet again a wonderful installment to the Vine Witch trilogy by Luanne Smith. Sidra runs from her past in this novel after she was falsely accused of murdering her husband. Now, a vengeful jinn comes after Sidra and her friends in an attempt to gain an artifact that will bring the human race to its knees. Now, Sidra must work with the Vine Witch Elena and the fee Yvette to survive this new attempt on her life, and to keep the world from this dastardly plot. But it turns out that there are forces at work that Sidra and her friends are unaware of, and events both in the present and in the past are not what they seem.
I think that Smith's Vine Witch trilogy is one of those underratted and hidden gems that people don't talk enough about. Masterfully understated world-building, unique and interesting magic, and compellingly strong female characters and relationships make The Vine Witch, The Glamourist, and The Conjurer really fun books to read. I think that Sidra's story was really interesting, and I loved how Smith incorporates the legend of the jinn and a whole other type of magic to the mix. I love how vividly the author brings this world to life, and how the magic system in these books engages all of the senses. I found perfume magic to be really interesting and unique to learn about. The Conjurer not only tells Sidra's story, but wraps up this entire series in a decadent litte bow. The Conjurer is a story about running from the past and the consequences that can take place when that is done, and what power lies in true friendships between women supporting each other.

A great and satisfying ending to the series. I wasn't sure if the Jinni would grow on me but she did.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to 47 North for providing me this arc via Netgalley!
I really tried with this series. I wasn't a fan of the first book, but because of the ending, I read the second book, which once again, was a total disappointment. I had an arc of The Conjurer, so I decided to give it a chance, but still I didn't like it. The only reason this book deserves 2 stars (as the rest of the series) is because of the world building and the magic system, which are quite unique. The plot, the characters and the romance didn't do it for me and I would not recommend this book.

The story is very beautiful and heart touching conclusion. You cannot go wrong with any of the main characters in this story. From the first few pages this was a 5 star read for me. I was hoping that it will hold up to that and with some bumps in the road, it very nearly did! The writing style is enchanting because it will capture your heart in a big way. This kind of story and wonderful multilayered characters are usually expected to be seen in the writings of experienced authors, and in my book, Smith is exactly that. It's a fabulously enchanting trilogy of 3 women who became fast friends throughout the trilogy's constant challenges. Perhaps almost too neatly tied off, I refuse to complain because I just enjoyed these books far too much to have desired anything BUT a perfect ending.

This trilogy was one of those stories that lingers and that you hate to know is over, because you can't keep coming back to continue it once it's done, but was so delightful, you don't mind as much that it's over.

I had The Vine Witch on my TBR for a while, so when I received an arc for the third book in the series, The Conjurer, I went ahead and binged the whole trilogy. Although the first book remains my personal favorite, each is strong in its own right. I think The Conjurer fell a bit below the expectations I had for it, but it’s still a diverting read that should satisfy as a conclusion to the series.

Each of the books is based on one of three women in a group of unlikely friends: Elena, a vine witch, Yvette, a fae, and Sidra, a jinn. These women are initially brought together in prison in The Vine Witch, and their paths keep crossing after that. With help from her friends, each character embarks on her own journey toward greater self-understanding, deepening her magical abilities and uncovering more about her respective family history.

The Conjurer is Sidra’s story, and although she is over 300 years old, and has until now appeared mysterious and nearly omnipotent in comparison to Elena and Yvette, this book reveals her vulnerability and fallibility as well as her relative youth (as a jinn.) With an ancient relic hidden on her person, Sidra is pursued by her dead husband’s brother, a power-hungry jinn named Jamra who will unleash vengeance on the mortal realm if he succeeds in getting what he wants from her.

Like the other two novels, The Conjurer is a historical fantasy, and the setting is a plausible time and place (south of France, early 1900s) with the addition of a magical dimension. I especially enjoyed The Glamourist (book 2) because it incorporates a lot of identifiable references to early 1900s Paris, even historical figures who have been re-named slightly; for instance, Yvette’s character is loosely “inspired” by a famous performer of the time, Yvette Guilbert. The Conjurer had a lot of potential in this regard too, as Sidra is presumably an immigrant to France from the Maghreb, and I don’t think a lot of the target audience is familiar with this particular history of immigration (especially concerning cities in the south of France like Nice and Marseille). I certainly haven’t come across a historical fantasy focusing on such a character. Unfortunately, this book seemed to “use” Sidra as a reason for incorporating magical elements from Islamic mythology, with less attention to detail on the historical side of things (what an immigrant’s life would have been like at the time). I think this was a missed opportunity on the author’s part, especially since her trilogy insists on the necessity of embracing a kind of magical multiculturalism and a solidarity among (magical) women. To claim this as the central message while engaging with Sidra’s historical specificity the least of all three women weakens the point a bit.

On the level of plot, there were also some issues for me. The antagonist felt two-dimensional, the threat a bit contrived, and Sidra’s own character development was shallow. The plot was relatively simple, but unnecessarily complicated at the end with a lot of tedious explanations. Although certain elements of the ending were foreshadowed, it all felt too convenient. I think that a lot of the problems I had with the plot feeling superficial could have been remedied by engaging more deeply with Sidra’s character and clarifying exactly what her personal journey is here. Even though I expected more, I still think that many readers will enjoy this book as a “light” read, and the perfume magic elements especially are sure to please.

First of all, a big thank you to Net Galley, as well as the author and the publisher, for the copy of this book!

When I got this book I went back and read the first two. Is this series for me? Maybe not, but I did enjoy them.
Sidra's story was fun, it's not very common to read about genies in fantasy and I appreciated being offered this new viewpoint. The world is interesting and characters are fun. It's quite easy and fast to read.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of 'The Conjurer' to review.

I found Luanne Smith's writing in the first two books to be rich and I was glad to continue with the series. Out of all three, I still enjoyed this book but not as much as the first two. I just wanted poor Elena to be left alone in her vinyard, and seeing her get tussled to the south of France to solve this mystery was a bit much for me. There was intrigue set up but I called the major reveals before the end. So while I still enjoyed the book and especially the writing, I'm glad that it feels like the series is at a conclusion.

Of the three books in Smith’s The Vine Witch series, The Conjurer is by far my favorite. The book is far more atmospheric than its predecessors and the character of Sidra has much more depth than Elena and Yvette. Definitely a five star read for me.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley, and actually started it without realizing it was the final work of a trilogy. As a first time reader, I was fascinated by the world that Smith built in this book, and will definitely be going back to read the first two. I enjoyed learning about the three main characters, and seeing Sidra's backstory unfold over the course of the books.

I found the writing and dialogue to be a bit wordy/"purple-prose" for my taste, but I think the book overall was a pleasant read.

First of all, a big thank you to Net Galley, as well as the author and the publisher, for the copy of this book!

I took a look at the cover and read the synopsis and thought this book was right up my alley, so I didn’t think twice before picking it up! Little did I know that it was the third one in a series I hadn’t even started yet! However, that didn’t dimish at all my love for this story and these characters.

Throughout The Conjurer, the major things that happened in the previous installments of the series are explained to us, so we never feel lost or just thrown into the story.

It is a really easy and fun read, filled with friendship, clan rivalry, magic and adventure. Even without having met the characters along with everyone else, I still fell in love with every single one of them! We get to meet a plethora of powerful women who would do anything to save those they love, unexpected allies and jinni magic, which I’d never read about before!

Additionally, even though it felt a tad bit predictable, I REALLY enjoyed the ending scenes and how the book wrapped everything up. I’m definitely thinking of reading the rest of The Vine Witch trilogy because I don’t want to part with this story.

Fantastic. The Conjurer is just as addictive as the first two in the series. Once you start you won't be able to put it down until you finish. I loved this series so much I now own it in ebook, print, and audio. It's definitely one of those series that you will want to reread again and again.

3.5 Stars! These books were such a quick and easy and enjoyable read! I got through them within a day or two and I enjoyed the listening experience of the audiobooks as well. I liked having the perspective of Sidra as she is such an interesting character to me. I liked finding out her story and how it all gets resolved in the end. I also enjoyed having both Elenas and Yvettes perspective in the story. I think it really brought it all together and I really enjoyed the friendship that was developed over time between them.
Overall this series is a great series if you want interesting characters with cool powers and if you want something quick and easy to read or listen to!