I love Smith’s writing style, it has an almost classical/lyrical feel to it and it’s so smooth and lovely to read. I feel like it really fits the time period setting as well (early 20th century). The whole series has a fairytale quality to it as well that I love and I think this is my favourite of the trilogy. The story has some Romeo & Juliet themes, but is definitely it’s own unique story, with twists of fate, vengeful Jinnis, and three powerful women brought together by circumstance and magic. If you’ve read the others in the series, this is Sidra’s story, but of course features Elena and Yvette as well. Sidra is a great character, forced to confront the love and heartbreak of her past. The three women are so different, and it was great getting to know them all throughout this series.
There are definitely twists, and Sidra’s story is revealed slowly throughout the book, with a very climactic, and somewhat unexpected, ending. There may have been a couple of predictable things, but I just loved every minute of reading this. There isn’t a lot of action, but there is magic, secrets and dire consequences if the three friends can’t find a way to stop Jamra.
The descriptions of everything in this book are so vivid and evocative, especially about the perfumes, which features heavily in the plot. This book just pulled me in and wouldn’t let go, and with this series complete, I can’t wait to see what Smith writes next!
If you like historical fiction, I can’t recommend this series enough! Even if you don’t read a lot of fantasy, it is so easy to slip into this world.

I first heard about this author on BookTok. The Vine Witch series was mentioned as someone's favorite book from their TBR list, and after I saw the cover, I knew I had to read it. I rushed to request the first and second books from the library and couldn't put them down. The third book in this series I read on my kindle. I have read this entire series just this week.

The third book was beautifully written with detailed story building that continued throughout all three books. . However, it is my least favorite out of the series. It could be that the first book I would most defiantly sell my firstborn child that I do not have to read again for the first time.

This book follows the story of Sidra, which seems like a hot mess express who doesn't want to face her past. Will she be freed for good and find out what actually happens to her husband? Confronting his brother? Honestly, it is my least favorite plot of the three books, but I enjoyed how Luanne wrapped up the plot points and questions I had throughout the entire series. I am the type of reader that wants the author to wrap up the story instead of leaving me to dream it up myself.

I will be suggesting this series to many of my friends, re-reading the first two books on kindle while flagging my favorite moments, and memorizing the entire first book.

I was provided this book from NetGalley for my honest reviews. I suggest if you have Dyslexia or a reading disability to read this on an e-reader. With open dyslexia font for ease to read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this book.

WARNING SPOILERS BELOW:
Sidra is falsely accused of murdering her husband, Hariq. After his death, his brother, Jamra, assumed he was killed because of their fighting and will kill her. When she is sent to jail, she meets a witch name Elena and a fairy Yvette. After they escape from the prison, she goes with Yvette to the land of the fee, where she hides while Jarama hunts for her. To understand the holes in this book, you need to read the first two books.

The Conjurer by Luanne G. Smith is the last part of the series. The novel is about a witch, a genie, and a fairy. The genie is facing a life threat from another powerful genie who intends to destroy her and also cause harm to humans. It is up to the trio to stop the powerful genie and save the world. I liked the diversity in this book, the linking of witch, genie, and fairy from different worlds seamlessly and the setting being in the modern world. They live among humans undetected by them. For some reason, I was not so interested in the motive of the characters and did not care about what really happened to them. It could be because I did not read the first two novels. The Conjurer is a series that can be picked up if you are interested in the fantasy genre.

This was such a fun, light-hearted read. Though the plot and tone are dark at times, it was the perfect escape from ~looks out my window at America and waves hand~ all of that.

Sidra, introduced in a jail cell in the first book, is such a complicated character and Luanne G. Smith does well by her: the more we learn of the jinni's past, her loves, her family, and her ultimate goals, the more complex she becomes. The anger displayed in the previous two books is wonderfully justified, while we even get to delve into her feelings towards her flippant, bubbly, fae companion. She is slow to love and even slower to admit that love to herself, which makes for a compelling character to follow throughout the novel.

The POVs, though a bit jerky at times with a late introduction, were well-utilized to keep the reader from being needlessly confused while also heightening the suspense in a solid way. I especially enjoyed Jean-Paul's development and a line from Elena in the latter third of the book: "He kissed her hand, held her tight, then got out of the way."

YES. Standing ovation for our good lawlerly buddy, J-P.

Wonderful escape, greatly enjoyed.

Stars: 3/5

First review for 2021!

Thank you to the publishers for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Characters: 8. I love the three women of the Vine Witch Series, however, I think we lose them a little bit as the series progresses as the focus shifts to the events slightly more than the characters. It's hard to maintain the demand for Elena to be featured - as we fell in love with her in the first book - when the story is about another character. For that, I commend Smith. I did enjoy learning more and more about each woman and how more about them was revealed in each story.

Atmosphere: 6. I feel like the atmosphere was lost in this last book, particularly since the first book at the Vineyard with Elena. The setting just wasn't as descriptive and I didn't have the same need to travel to France instantly, however, I enjoyed the perfume focus of this story. It was unique and interesting.

Writing: 7. Smith definitely kept to her writing style though there's something missing from the second and third book that was there in the first. Her writing is incredibly descriptive and does set the scene so well. I love the magical realism of myth created real.

Plot: 7. I enjoyed the plot of this story though I can't say I loved it. In the first one I had a need to know the next scene and the outcomes... this one I found I was reading it just to finish it, sadly. It just didn't keep me on the edge of my seat as much as the first.

Intrigue: 7. I had pretty high expectations going into this novel and where the novel met those expectations, I can't say I enjoyed the conclusive novel to these ladies' stories.

Logic: 7. As I previously said, the incorporation of real-world myths into the historical real-world was amazing and done so well. The world building was simple but detailed enough for readers to understand and be invested. We didn't see as much of that in this novel as it was more fantasy-focussed but I have no complaints.

Enjoyment: 6. As previously mentioned, I enjoyed this novel but not as much as I hoped to. For the reasons above.

WARNINGS: fake death/ suicide (may be triggering for those who are sensitive)

RECOMMEND: for 15+ who enjoy fantasy and paranormal beings, magical realism and the tiniest bit of romance.

i read the first book in this series—the vine witch—and enjoyed it a lot; skipped the second book, apparently; and saw this one, the third one, on netgalley and figured i might as well.

we first met sidra in book one, as a prisoner set for execution for the murder of her husband. here, her world is turned upside down as she attempts to stop her brother-in-law—hellbent on taking revenge on her for killing his brother—from unleashing chaos upon the world (with a little help, of course!). sidra is such a fun character—devoted, but fierce, and a definitely little mean.

the conjurer is a massive improvement over its predecessors; it reads like a fairytale. i still am so thrilled by how beautiful and lush luanne smith’s writing is, and her world-building—especially with regards to magic—is so well done.

that said, when i say it reads like a fairytale i mean it. if you’re looking for a fantasy novel that’ll keep you thinking and on your toes, or something incredibly intricate and twisty, this book isn’t it. it’s relatively predictable (and i am really bad at predicting things in books), but not in a way that detracts from the story—it really leans into that, and i didn’t mind it. the ending could also use a little bit of padding. it’s not that things came together too easily—which i expected to happen—but that we never really get a emotional conclusion for these characters. they go through all this turmoil, and then... everything is fine? i just don’t think it was punchy enough to satisfy me.

overall, this is a light, exciting read and i’m super happy about it. i’d definitely recommend reading at least the first book before this one. 4 stars!!

*arc provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

A very satisfying conclusion to the Vine Witch series. Sidra's story is explored. The three friends, Sidra, Elena, and Yvette fight for their survival against a mad Jinni with the help of a perfume witch and others.

An enjoyable, fantastical read. I have to admit that some of the peculiarities in this book of the series was beyond my realm of knowledge, it didn't take away from my enjoyment of this book. The characters are well written and their interactions and personalities brings this story along at a great pace that keeps you engaged. I will read more from this Author and I recommend this series and this particular installment. Thank you for the opportunity to provide my thoughts in exchange for an advance copy of this fun book.

The third book in @luannegsmith's Vine Witch series, The Conjurer, is such a delight! Like the previous books, it's an adventure of the senses. This book focuses especially on scent where Vine Witch and Glamourist explored taste and touch. The Conjurer tells the story of a jinn with perfume witches and scent magic in the periphery.

Smith's characters are each so distinct and complex! While each book is a quick read, her writing is sophisticated and moody. It's a wonderful adult fantasy that reads like historical fiction. She has quickly become an :auto-buy author for me. Her stories make me want to swirl a good red wine in a giant glass and pretend like I know what I"m tasting, maybe a roast a whole chicken with fresh herbs from the grocery store that I pretend I picked fresh from the garden. She makes me want to done a linen apron with deep pockets that I hide treasures in.

I am so thankful to have gotten an arc through @netgalley and 47North in exchange for my honest opinion!

The Conjurer is the last book in The Vine Witch trilogy. The previous books focused on two of the three women who were jailed together. As I expected, this book focused on the third woman, Sidra. As learnt in the first book, Sidra is a jinn, a magical being of Islamic folklore. She is determined to prove she did not kill her husband and has returned to her adopted home in France. However, her brother-in-law, Jamra is searching for to exact vengeance for his brother's death. He also is determined to get an ancient relic that Sidra has which is capable of releasing chaos into the world. Jamra hates mortals for the ways they took advantage of jinni over the years. Sidra hopes to finally defeat Jamra with the help of her two friends, a perfume witch and a dog who appeared out of nowhere.

I found the scenery in this book to be the most enchanting in the series. The descriptions used by the author made me feel like Sidra was in a tropical oasis with the most enchanting perfumes. I also loved the little history lesson about jinni included in this book.

The bond between the three women was showcased quite well in this episode. I also found myself loving how the romance between Elena and Jean-Paul had grown. The ending in this book was beautiful and fitting.

This is an extremely strong debut series in my opinion and I look forward to future works by this quite talented author.

This book should be read by older teens and adults.

A satisfying ending to a charmed series, THE CONJURER, offers readers a final installment in the saga of three magical friends tied together by chance. Author Luanne Smith has done a wonderful job of creating characters that are fascinating individually and work well together as they overlap enough to carry forward an ingenious tale. I enjoyed the entire series and would urge readers to start at the beginning rather than reading the books out of order. There is a big juicy ending that is best appreciated by reading the books in order. I enjoyed the series enormously. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

A wonderful conclusion to this supernatural series! The magic is fun but the story of the power of friendship is the real star of this book.

The Conjurer is the third book in the Vine Witch series. If you haven't read the other two, I would suggest reading them, otherwise, you will miss quite a bit. I love books about witches and, magic. I especially enjoyed the Vine Witch and Elena's character. I was happy to have read the first 2 in the series so I could follow along with the characters. Though, I did think the story dragged in some places.
I received a copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC for free in exchange for an honest review.

This book was the third in a series, which was not as clear as I had hoped. I loved the premise of the book, but it was hard to soak up certain details because I missed some obvious backstory for some of the characters. Because of that, the book itself felt poorly developed and the characters shallow. I was also not a big fan of the writing style in general. I enjoyed the premise of the story, but it was not fleshed out enough and had some places that felt so slow, and made me skip pages because I was dragging through.

A solid ending to this series. I’m more of a plot kind of girl than a beautiful writing one, but of course that’s personal. I’m not saying this book doesn’t have any plot, it actually starts pretty early in the very beginning of the book, but it was quite stagnant and steady in its pacing.

I think I preferred this book over the first two, because of Sidra, the main character in this one. I really enjoyed reading about her and her backstory, although I wished there was more of that. <spoiler>I also wish Sidra wasn’t as quick to forgive Hariq. I would have been furious after the stunt he pulled!</spoiler> I would have given this 3,5 or even 4 stars were it not for the predictability. But again a solid ending to a series.

If you enjoy beautiful prose and reading about witches, jinn and other magical beings, The Vine Witch series is definitely a series for you!

The Conjurer, the third book in The Vine Witch series, is a wondrous look into the world of the jinni.

What I Loved

I love The Conjurer's rich tapestry of surprising simplicity, thrilling action, and imaginative world-building. This story focuses on Sidra, a jinni on the run due to accusations that she murdered her husband. She has been pulled into the realm of the fae with Yvette, the recently discovered granddaughter of Oberon and Titania. Unexpectedly, they are magicked away to the home of Sidra and her husband, Hariq, where Sidra is forced to confront her past. Along with Elena (the vine witch), the magical beings pull all their resources to fight the evil that threatens their lives.

I love the different Shakespearean allusions running through the story, particularly The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet. One of Shakespeare's plays' brilliance is the universality of the stories, which is showcased so extraordinarily well in The Conjurer. From Hariq and Sidra finding love despite their warring families and feigning death to Oberon, Titania, and the magical fae world, the Shakespearean references are beautifully executed and imagined.

In the early 1900s, witches who focused on trade were the norm, such as Elena, a vine witch born of poison witches. In this story, we meet Camille, a perfume witch. To add to the witches, jinni, and fae, a new magical creature is introduced in Yannis's character - a sorcerer. The expansion of the supernatural world as the series has progressed is remarkable and so much fun. It brings a great deal of enjoyment to the story.

The plot is impressive, and the pace is excellent, with short chapters aiding in the quick reading speed. The characters are all well-developed, particularly Sidra, as this story is her story. Sidra has the arrogance of the jinni, but underneath that superiority lays the heart of a woman who has loved and lost and is unsure why she keeps putting one foot in front of the other day-in-and-day-out. She had her magical love story, and she doesn't even begin to know how to grieve that big of a loss in her life.

To Read or Not to Read

The Conjurer will tug at your emotions as it delights your sense of wonder with its magic and thrills. It is a book not to be missed in 2021.

What an awesome follow-up to this series! The characters are amazing, and the world building is fabulous! I love the way the magical system is woven into the world so seamlessly. It makes everything feel so realistic.

I loved it!

I first heard of this series (I know it technically isn't a series) and read it on Amazon Kindle. I was happy to get my hands on this book to continue reading about this world. I liked it just as I liked the previous two.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for providing me with the ARC.

The Conjurer was such an intriguing read! The focus of the story was on Sidra, someone I’d always been curious about, and the way Luanne G. Smith presented and developed her story was lovely. Sidra was a bit of a mystery to me as a reader and getting to know more about her, from her powers to her backstory, made this my favorite book in the series. 😀

The writing was great and very easy to get into, but what I really liked most about this installment was the world-building. There were so many new elements that got thrown in the mix, but they never felt like too much or too out there with the way Smith developed the plot. There were so many cool tidbits about different kinds of magic and I loved reading about them.

Smith also made sure to address and tie every loose plot thread the series had. It was one twist I was not expecting re why Elena met Yvette and Sidra and why the three of them were drawn together. I actually really really liked how that came about and the way those reasons were explained to readers.

I did have slight issues with how predictable some story beats were and with the reveal regarding Sidra’s husband. Mild spoilers regarding the husband situation: his convoluted plan that started this whole thing? I would have murdered him for putting me through that 🙂 and having Sidra just… forgive him made me really angry lol. Even so, this was a solid ending to the series and I’m very happy with how everything turned out!

The third in a series, so I'm assuming if you have read this then you have read the other ones and already like Smith's style! If not, there's no harm in starting it here although it will take some time to get acclimated to the world since the reader is thrown right into it from the get go. There is something very cozy about this world; it doesn't have the weight of epic fantasy, nor the grittiness of other low fantasies, perhaps because it's set in a charming French village? Either way, if readers are looking for a low stakes (in my opinion), sun-soaked magical realm to sink into will definitely like this.