4.5 stars for this magical novel!

The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman is the final book in her “Practical Magic” series, involving the Owens family and their practice of magic, the Unnamed Art.

“All the best stories begin in a library,” and this story begins in the Owens Library, in Essex County, Massachusetts. Elderly Jet Owens hears the deathwatch beetle and knows she has just seven days to live. She resolutely decides use that time to change her family’s destiny and break the curse on love set by Maria Owens in the 17th century.

After the dramatic beginning, the book recaps the past activities and members of the Owens family. Then the action really takes off as Franny (Jet’s sister), nieces Sally and Gillian, and Sally’s daughter, Kylie, go on a quest to Europe and the family’s roots in Essex County, England, to cast some spells, break the curse, and resolve the family’s problematic history in matters of the heart. Along the way, Franny’s brother, William, is found after many years of living in France and joins the group. I especially appreciated William’s appearance and participation, involving all three siblings into this story. Other quirky characters add interest, like Professor Ian Wright and evil Thomas Lockland. No spoilers here—the action moves with intensity to a partly bittersweet, but satisfying, conclusion.

It is clear that the author has researched the history of magic, and the ingredients involved in remedies and spells. There are many details about the background and uses of herbs. The historical note at the conclusion is fascinating, as Amelia Bassano, author of the Book of the Raven in the story, is revealed to be based on the actual woman Emilia Bassano Lanier, a mysterious character and author in the court of Elizabeth I in England.

Like the other books in Hoffman’s “Practical Magic” series, this story is ultimately about strong women and their families, wisdom, love, loyalty, and the seemingly never-ending quest by women for independence and equality. As Ian remarks, “If a woman doesn’t write her own history, there are very few who will.” Whether it is 1664 or 2021, the effort continues.

This can be a stand-alone novel, but I believe it is more impactful when read as the conclusion of the series of four novels. I continued to be awed by Hoffman’s command of language and thought-provoking prose. Her skill at setting scenes with atmospheric writing keeps me immersed in the story, the locale, and the characters.
I highly recommend this book to admirers of Alice Hoffman, and readers interested in herbal and natural remedies, as well as intelligently written women’s historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC. This is my honest review, and it was a great pleasure to preview this wonderful novel.

When I heard that there was going to be one more book in the Practical Magic series I was INSANELY excited. I jumped at the chance to get an early copy of this book because I love the stories of the Owens women. The story picks up with Franny and Jet in their 80s, Gillian and Sally in their 40s, and Antonia and Kylie in their 20s. Jet hears the infamous deathwatch beetle and knows that it’s almost her time to go. She spends her remaining time with those she loves and after discovering something in the Owens Library, sets up Franny to find a way to break the family curse that their ancestor Maria set upon them centuries ago. But it’s not Franny who finds what Jet leaves behind for her. Let me tell you that when that happened, I knew that all sorts of things were about to happen and not all of them good. Kylie finally discovers the truth about who she is and who her family is after her mother, Sally, had spent all those years hiding it from her daughters.

If you have read and loved one of the previous books in this series, The Rules of Magic, then you will be very happy to find that a familiar face has returned to the story. Franny and Jet’s brother Vincent! Vincent is also the absentee grandfather to Gillian and Sally. Before they were born, Vincent had faked his own death to escape being drafted into the army during the Vietnam War. He fell in love with a man named William and the two of them absconded to France, leaving behind everything and everything they ever knew. When Kylie goes off in search of answers, Franny, Gillian, and Sally board a plane to France to see Vincent and enlist him to help them find her. Seeing them all together again was wonderful even if the circumstances weren’t the best. Add another plane ride and another character later and we have the incredibly interesting Professor Ian Wright in England.

I don’t want to say a whole lot more in regards to the plot because once you hit that point in the story, it’s hard to keep out the spoilers. But let me tell you that it was absolutely incredible. I loved being with these characters again in their story and the new characters that were introduced to the story, with the exception of Tom Lockland (you know what you did, Tom!). The writing is everything I’ve come to love from Alice Hoffman. Everything flows so easily and so descriptive that I have no trouble playing the story out as a movie in my head which is one of my favorite parts about reading. She has a way of making it feel as though the reader was right there in those moments. I fell in love with these characters more than I had loved them before. As sad as I am that this is the end of this series, I believe it was the perfect conclusion. I highly recommend reading this book. I can’t wait to re-read the entire series again in the near future from Maria’s tale in Magic Lessons, to the introduction of Franny, Vincent, and Jet in The Rules of Magic, with Gillian and Sally in Practical Magic, and finally this continuation of Franny, Jet, Vincent, Gillian, Sally, Antonia, and Kylie’s story in The Book of Magic.

“Read as many books as you can. Choose courage over caution. Take time to visit libraries. Look for the light in the darkness. Have faith in yourself. Know that love is what matters most.”

Alice Hoffman has gifted readers with one last beautiful and enchanting tale about the Owens family! It was such a treasure to be back amongst their magic and see generations of Owens family members unite for what matters most. Love.

The Owens curse has followed the family for generations and where there was once resignation, there is now determination to be freed from it. What must be lost in order to gain what matters most? And is this family willing to pay the price? This story is beautifully told with all of your favorite flawed family members accounted for, will answer questions you’ve always had, and leave you with a heart that is full.

I am sad this is the last of the Owens series, but am so grateful that I am able to return to them anytime I feel the want of magic. Afterall, “Books may well be the only true magic.”

📚 Book Review 📚
Title: The Book of Magic
Author: Alice Hoffman
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
@simonandschuster
Genre: Fantasy
Pub Day 10/12

I’ll admit I wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to the Owens family, but felt extremely satisfied with the story author Alice Hoffman gave us. It’s filled with her signature lyrical writing, vivid & strong characters, and of course...magic!

“Curses are like knots, the more you struggle to be free, the tighter they become, whether they’re made of rope or spite or desperation.”

The Book of Magic brings The Practical Magic series full circle shining a spotlight on the strong woman in the Owens family and the curse that has haunted their family for 300 years. Pour yourself a cup of courage tea, grab yourself a slice of tipsy chocolate cake (cake is best for breakfast!), and reunite yourself again with Jet, Franny, Vincent, Sally, Gillian, Kylie and Antonia Owens as they each use their gifts to try to break the curse started by their ancestor Maria Owens.

“Some stories begin at the beginning and others begin at the end, but all the best stories begin in a library.”

Kylie has fallen in love, putting her boyfriend’s life at risk. Sally has kept their powers from her daughters, but with the help of her Aunts and the library Kylie begins to uncover the truth. Jet hears the deathwatch beetle. Knowing she only has seven days to live. Franny feels the pull and understanding of sacrifice. Sally is ready to give up everything for love. My oh my oh my.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 This book celebrates families and love. I loved the messages woven around the magic. The bonds of sisters. Sacrifice. Being a protector. I loved traveling to London and Paris in this one. I also loved the use of plants in all the magic and spells. Whenever I see or smell lavender I will always think of the Practical Magic series.

Thank you @netgalley and @simonandschuster for honoring my request to read and review this title.

If you’ve read or are planning to read The Book of Magic this is a #mommaleighellensbookclub October pick. We will be chatting on Saturday October 30th at 6pm.

This is the final book in the Practical Magic series that started over twenty years ago and gives readers the happily ever after the Owens family deserves.

I struggled with the inconsistencies in this book from the previous (Practical Magic) and I wish Hoffman would have taken a little more time to smooth them out with explanations instead of just dropping new things into the story.

Other than that, this book had what I love about all Hoffman’s books in this series: intense love and friendship, the bond of family and sisterhood specifically.

Hoffman writes a tale of bewitching magic bound up in the love of family and I’ll always enjoy that in a book! 💕 She also writes so atmospherically that I always inevitably feel like I could be part of the family or the story. That magic can be found in all of us, especially in readers.

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for my arc!!

“To end a curse, be prepared to give up everything.”

Thank you @simonandschuster & @netgalley for the #gifted copy of The Book of Magic, which made my heart so happy this week.

Synopsis: The Owens family has been cursed in matters of love for over three-hundred years but all of that is about to change. The novel begins in a library, the best place for a story to be conjured, when beloved aunt Jet Owens hears the deathwatch beetle and knows she has only seven days to live. Jet is not the only one in danger—the curse is already at work. A frantic attempt to save a young man’s life spurs three generations of the Owens women, and one long-lost brother, to use their unusual gifts to break the curse as they travel from Paris to London to the English countryside where their ancestor Maria Owens first practiced the Unnamed Art.

I devoured this book in a day. Alice Hoffman is such an incredible storyteller. Her writing is mesmerizing and really transports the reader into the world she’s created. Her skill for writing is definitely magical. I loved all of the generations that tapped into this book, this might be my favorite.

This was my first time reading the series and The Book of Magic was the perfect ending. I so badly wanted a happy ending for this series and the characters, and that’s what I got. The life lessons in this book are also timeless, and I can definitely pull many of them into my own life.

It is going to be so hard saying goodbye to the Owens family, and I sincerely hope this is not the last time we see a member of the Owens family. If you loved any of her other books, love books and libraries, or just want to lose yourself in a witchy read this October, this is for you.

To say that I highly anticipated this book is an understatement. I’ve read the previous two books in the series and loved them both. Traveling through other worlds that Alice Hoffman created has also enriched my reading life and allowed me to live in other places and times. Her ability to envelop you in the place and characters is remarkable and this book is no exception. We start with the aunts, particularly Jet. They are older and still the closest of sisters. At a high level, we learn what Sally and Gillian have been doing in the years since we last read about them, we pick back up with Vincent, Antonia and Kylie as well. It’s a story of family love, romantic love and love of this life. We see the beauty of our world through their eyes and it is beautiful. It can be heartbreaking, uplifting and validating all at the same time. Many thank to the author for giving us this final piece and bringing some closure to the Owens curse.

I love the Owens family minus Sally. A nice albeit non-urgent sendoff for the Owens crew.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

The Book of Magic is the stunning conclusion of Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic series! I absolutely loved how the story wraps up into a suberbly woven tail that follows the Owen's family throughout history! The story tugs at all of your heartstrings and one will NEVER guess how it ends!! Ms. Hoffman truly is a master storyteller! I really hope that the entire set is put to film in the near future! What's nice... even if you haven't read the prior two books, you will still be able to easily follow along. Beautifully written... and the timing is perfect!! If you start reading it on its release date... you will easily finish around Halloween!!

I don't want to give away spoilers. Just know that ALL of your questions should be answered by the end of the book! I have to wonder how much of the book is a story and how much is actual history! I found myself researching books from the 1500s and 1600s. Hard to believe that so many deaths came about due to someone being accused of being a witch. I cannot wait to buy the set in hardcover! This is one set that I want to grace my actual bookshelves!

What a roller coaster of emotions! If you are like me and have been invested in the Owens family story, then I'm sure you cried a lot while reading The Book of Magic...No? Just me?! The last installment story about the family curse that was placed on the Owens woman for over 300 years has finally been lifted...or has it? The Book of Magic follows Kylie, as you know is Sally's daughter who is all grown now and set on finding out how to break the curse. But at what cost?
The Book of Magic, is devastating, hopeful and leaves your heart aching. I cried I don't know how many times while reading this book, because it was sad? Partly, but mostly because I wasnt ready to say good bye to the Owens woman, who (I know its ridiculous) have formed a bond to...I think with every great story there needs to come an end, but I hope one day Alice Hoffman gives us an update on how the Owens woman are doing.
Read the book, and buy it for your sister.
" Once upon a time there were two sisters, as different from each other as night and day. In their family a sister was everything, your heart and soul..."

This series is very dear to me. I love them all! My favorite is the one about Maria Owens but The Book of Magic is a close second. This was a wonderful ending to a magical story, I couldn't have chosen a better way to finish the Owens' story.

Absolutely fabulous book that brings to a close the story of the Owens family when they are finally able to break the curse that has followed them forever.

I think this was my favorite of the series. I love how Hoffman gives time and space to so many different characters. Each character is described so well and given their own distinct personality. Ian is a great addition!

I also have enjoyed the different kinds of magic that appear in these books, but especially in this one, as well as the different ways that people become involved with magic.

I don't want to spoil anything, but it is a great ending for the Owens family saga and I could have asked for anything more fitting. A great witchy read for October, though not necessarily a spooky one, though there are quite a few hexes and curses throughout.

The Book of Magic releases 10.12.2021. thank you so much @netgalley for this amazing advanced reader.

#bookreview #bookstagram #alicehoffman #thebookofmagic #simonandschuster #bookishlife #reading #instabooks #girlswhoread #bookphotography #bookrecommendations #bibliophile #fantasybooks

As I’ve loved the other books in this series, I wasn’t surprised to find this one truly fantastic. It was bittersweet to say goodbye to the Owens family. What I love about this series is the substance behind the writing and the story. It’s always so well thought out and draws the reader in to it’s world with charm and enchantment. A magical conclusion to an astonishing journey.

Oh @ahoffmanwriter what a perfect end to the Owens family story and the Practical Magic series. Thank you @simonandschuster for the #giftedcopy - this book is available now!

The Book of Magic brings us back to the present, and back to the lives of Jet, Franny, Sally, and Gillian. Sally has kept secrets from her daughters - both about their bloodline and about the curse that was placed on their family over 300 years ago. Only, her daughter Kylie has fallen in love, and now her boyfriends life is at risk. On top of that, Jet hears the death watch beetle and knows she only has a matter of days before her time is up.

Three generations come together to save lives and break the curse so the Owens family is free to love how they please.

I really think this was a great way to end the series and tie everything together, as heartbroken as I was towards the end of this book. I want to go back now and read these in chronological order, instead of publication order! I hope I get the chance to do that one day.

On a side note, I adored the way plants were used in the spells and potions in this book! I love my #doterraoils and incorporate them into my everyday life. It’s interesting how many remedies stem from nature. (No I do not use them in place of modern medicine, I use them in conjunction.) All of the oils shown here are used in this book (the plant, not necessarily the oil).

I love this series and I am a reader who normally doesn't like fantasy books. I do enjoy books about Witches evert now & then though. Alice Hoffman is the queen of witchcraft books in my opinion though. I do recommend reading these books in order though. I highly recommend this book and this series.

I have read every pooka in this series and this finale book does not disappoint! We see our favorite characters from previous books and go along with them in their journey to finally end the Owens curse. This is the perfect book to read and get you ready for the delicious autumn and all its witchy vibes. There is love of all kinds and the bonds between the Owens women is something that grows stronger through the years. A great autumnal book!

As all serious readers know “the best stories begin in a library” and there should be love somewhere inside every story. Throughout the series there have been strong women, bloodline witches, devoted sisters, all of the Owens clan, descendants of Maria and Hannah Owens. This is to be Jet and Franny’s finale with a bow to Sally and Gillian those youngsters who arrived on their aunt’s doorsteps years ago. Much of this story is circles around Sally’s daughters, Kylie and Antonia.

If it is to be a story of the Owens’ women, magic and love have to play crucial parts in the story. What Sally will do to deny her magic, what Gillian will do to win her deepest desire, what Kylie will do to save her love, what Antonia has to learn from her disbelief. Sisters as different as could be imagined are everything to the other. There are no boundaries when a sister needs help. Nothing need be asked - everything is given. “This is what love was, you stayed when you wanted to run away. You held on when you knew you had no choice but to let go.”

The rhythm of the first third of this book felt slightly off. The balance was smoother and reminiscent of the previous books in the series. The introspection of each character was necessary and deftly handled. The reintroduction of Jet and Franny’s brother, Vincent and his history was a fresh breath of a life lived for love and devotion. Through Sally and Gillian, Alice Hoffman reminds us of what is truly important in this world as they hold hands and walk home.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for a copy.

Last year close to Halloween I took the time to read Practical Magic and Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman and really enjoyed them. So when NetGalley and Simon and Schuster offered me the chance to read and offer my honest review of The Book of Magic, I applied and was thrilled to have been chosen. While last year’s Magic Lessons went back in time to the start of the Owens family curse, The Book of Magic is set in present day, with the characters from Practical Magic aged about 20 years.

Going into a book and knowing it is the end of a series is a little bittersweet, because the Owens family has grown on me. I was first introduced to them with the movie (Shock! Horrors! She watched the movie first!) but didn’t read the book until last year, right before Magic Lessons came out. I quickly became a fan of Alice Hoffman’s writing.

Let me just say that I could totally see the same actresses reprising their roles for the movie version of this book. Because I was introduced to the Owens family through the film, that’s how I picture them. But who would I picture as Vincent? Hard to say. Because I haven’t read The Rules of Magic, where we see Vincent as a younger man, I’d be hard-pressed to imagine. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see if they make a movie out of this book, too.

The gist of this book is Kylie, one of Sally’s daughters, trying to break the Owens curse Maria hoisted upon the family 300 years before, because the man she loves was in a terrible accident and is in a coma. She gets ahold of the book of dark magic that Faith Owens used hundreds of years ago and heads to England, where the original Sussex County and Owens family originated.

Franny and Jet and Sally and Gillian and Antonia know they have to stop Kylie, but before they can go after her, the death watch beetle appears. Who is it for? As the publisher’s blurb mentions, it is for Jet, and you know there’s no escaping death, no magic that can reverse the inevitable conclusion.

For a book series that deals with curse for loving someone, you do feel a lot of love between the characters. The familial bond, the instant connection to strangers who won’t be strangers much longer. There’s a lot of emotion in this book, so if you’re one who cries at books, have some tissues on hand because there are plenty of instances where one could shed a tear.

There’s also this incredible darkness in this book that I also found in Magic Lessons when the subject deals with the dark arts, a feeling of helplessness that can only be evoked by an author of the caliber of Alice Hoffman. I had a hard time with these sections, because my heart has never felt so dark, not even when suffering personal loss. What motivates someone to hurt others? It certainly makes for a more interesting story, let me tell you that!

Is the curse finally broken? Can the Owens family truly love someone without fear of death? You’ll just have to read the book to find out. While the beginning of the book gives some of the backstory, it felt incomplete to me, so I do recommend you read Practical Magic and Magic Lessons first before you tackle The Book of Magic for a more fleshed out explanation of who is who and what is what.

What I love about the Practical Magic books is that even though in my everyday life I don’t believe in magic, it’s totally believable in the books because of the weaving of tales and depth to the stories. I want to try some of the herbal concoctions for illness that are mentioned throughout the books. I will definitely be going back and reading The Rules of Magic (Amazon), which deals with Franny, Jet and Vincent’s earlier lives when they began unraveling the mystery and curse of the family.

There are some books I know I'll give five stars to before I even start. These include all of the books in Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic series.

The most press these books have gotten, and the way I've mentioned them to most people, are the book that the Practical Magic movie was based on, and then more of the glorious, magical back story. Which of course is now followed by the what happens next for Aunt Jet and Aunt Franny, and Gillian and Sally.

This book (book 2, because Practical Magic was book 1, and The Rules of Magic and Magic Lessons actually took place before Practical Magic), tells of Aunt Jet and Aunt Franny leaving their magical legacy to Gillian and Sally (although Sally really doesn't want it), and also to Sally's daughters (who don't know about their magical history). The biggest conflict of The Book of Magic is the curse - is it real even if you don't believe it? And if some don't believe it exists, can it still be eliminated? The Owens women deserve to give and receive love, but no solution has been found in hundreds of years.

I don't want to spoil the details for those who haven't yet read the series. Of course, I can't recommend the series strongly enough. It doesn't quite need to be read in order (it wasn't written that way), but I can't imagine reading just part of the series. I read Practical Magic first, then the two prequels, and last week I finished The Book of Magic. I don't know if there are more coming or not. There are reasons to continue, and reasons to say the story is now complete. We'll just have to leave that up to Alice Hoffman.

Thank you again, Ms. Hoffman, for another great and engaging book. Definitely 5 out of 5 stars again from me. While I don't have time to read them all again yet, I'm looking forward to watching the Practical Magic movie again and see how the newest installment influences my views of the characters, by knowing what comes next.