I loved this short story. I found it to be really clever and fun. I really liked the main character and found her to be enduring. I would not have minded one bit if this had been a full length novel!

Sarah Penner’s latest is a short story told from the point of view of a famous magician’s wife. Olivia’s observations show us that her husband, Oscar, is a conjurer who does amazing feats of magic and is controlling in all aspects of his life. Olivia is growing frustrated with his nonsense and begins to poke around in his life. What she discovers changes everything.

This is a quick and satisfying read, but I so wish it was a full length novel. There is SO much to explore here. I like the setting and find the characters intriguing.

This is a great story for fans of Sarah Penner and readers who enjoy fantasy/mystery types of stories.

I received an advance review copy for free from Netgalley and Amazon Publishing, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to Sarah Penner, Amazon Originals and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This short story (34 pages) packs a punch! Young olivia is the assistant in her older husbands magic show. Suffering from amnesia after an accident at their wedding she remembers nothing from before and relies and her husbands stories to fill in the blanks about what she was like before the accident.

During the course of several magic shows, Olivia becomes more and more irritated by the control of her husband and finds herself wanting more from her life. One night, after coming home from a "after party" she finds a secret her husband has been keeping about himself, his magic and her past.

Beautifully written and captivating from the start! I look forward to reading more from Penner in the future and will be recommending this short story to many reader friends this year!

Love how I am instantly transported to 1800s Venice. I was instantly intrigued by the story and liked the twist. I, however, still have questions so I wish it was a little longer!

Sarah Penner is becoming one of my favorite authors that I look forward to reading her books. Normally I am not a short story reader, but I read this because it was written by Sarah Penner.

I loved it!! The downside of a short story is that I want more!! I loved Olivia and Marmalade! This was a great quick read!

I love this short story about a magician’s wife and her discovery of how he conjures up his magical displays. It’s got vibes of empowering women and embracing the life you’re dealt and taking control of your own destiny.

A magician’s wife that discovers how his magic works in atmospheric Venice. The writing was lovely and perfect for a short story like this, but the ending was a bit abrupt for my liking. If you’re just looking for a fun short read this will do the trick!

I am very impressed with how this author was able to captivate me in such a short amount of time. The character building and suspense was wonderful. I would definitely read more work from Sarah Penner. This was a pleasant introduction to her work. Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Conjuerer's Wife is a short story surrounding mystery and illusions.

I enjoyed this one. I honestly would have preferred this to be a novella so there could have been more of a backstory and events leading up to the twist. Olivia was a compelling character who was easy to root for. I was really invested in her search for the truth.

Overall, I felt the magic and mystery tied in well with the setting and characters. The ending does not feel finished so I would have liked more closure. I have a feeling the quick mention regarding the witches is due to Sarah Penner's upcoming release The Amalfi Curse, so I am looking forward to checking it out!

—Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing, for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.—

I'm a huge Sarah Penner fan, so I was excited to get a small dose of her writing in The Conjurer's Wife. Like Penner's other books, this story features magic and strong women. I was impressed with her ability to pack so much atmosphere and character development into only 34 pages!

Thank you to Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for the digital copy of this short story in exchange for my honest review.

Yeah... I need this as a full novel now.

This is the first work I've ever read by this author, but it definitely won't be the last. The way Sarah Penner manages to build up a character this well in only 34 pages is incredible. The scenes and the atmosphere were amazingly written, and especially the events in the theater and on stage were absolutely mesmerizing. Honestly, I cannot believe how much I like Olivia after such a short amount of time, and Marmalade too!
So, if all of the authors' books are nearly as good as this, I have found a new favorite

Sarah Penner is one of my favorite thriller writers. Her latest, The Conjurerer’s Wife, was everything I wanted.

This short story is mysterious and intriguing. I very much enjoyed this short story from beginning to end.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sarah Penner for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Conjurer's Wife out January 1, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

It was definitely shorter than I thought! I enjoy this author’s work, so I wanted to check this out. Sometimes I really love short stories in between longer books. It helps to break up things. I enjoyed the formatting of the book. I’m obsessed with Venice. It’s a beautiful city. I loved the setting. I really enjoy the theater and plays setting. I loved it! I would definitely read more books by this author.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys short historical stories!

The Conjurer's Wife is a spellbinding short story that blends historical fiction with a touch of the supernatural. The tale centers on Beatrice, the wife of a renowned 19th-century magician, who discovers her husband’s darkest secret—a pact with otherworldly forces that threatens both their lives. As Beatrice delves into her husband’s hidden world of magic and danger, she must make a choice that could save or destroy them both.

Sarah Penner’s atmospheric writing brings the Victorian era to life, immersing readers in a world of secrets, illusions, and forbidden power. The story's rich detail and suspenseful plot make it a quick yet captivating read.

This short story is perfect for fans of Penner’s The Lost Apothecary, as well as readers who enjoy historical fiction with gothic and magical elements.

I requested this because I am a big fan of Sarah Penner's 2 novels. This short novella was definitely in the same vein as her previous works. My only complaint is that it was too short and I wanted to find out more about what happened to the main character(s). But obviously that is not the purpose of this format (a SHORT story).
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun, little read! I have not read anything by this author before, and this certainly makes me want to pick up one of her other works. I love the little hints of magic we get, and I think Olivia could have a fascinating full-length tale to tell. Oscar’s character is not as well-developed, and I totally understand why. This isn’t his story. I really enjoyed the author’s voice. This was a quick, enjoyable read!

A quick novella about magic and finding yourself. If you like Sarah Penner’s other stories, you’ll like this one. I would love to read more about Olivia.

I received a copy from netgalley and the publisher.

I am not typically a historical fiction reader, but Sarah Penner is always an exception. The Conjurer's Wife is less than thirty pages, but it is still a complete and interesting story. The writing is beautiful, and the descriptions make this easy to picture, making this read like a short film I couldn't put down. While I could see some not liking it, I enjoyed the ambiguity towards the end. It works because this is a short story. However, this could have easily been a longer story to allow more of her ideas to develop, and I would have eaten it up. Either way, this was a wonderful, quick read, and I will highly recommend it.

The Conjurer's Wife is a short story about a woman whose husband is a magician, specifically a conjurer. Even Olivia has no idea how he does his tricks, which adds to the allure of the live shows. Olivia also suffered an accident that has rendered her with amnesia, but as the anniversary of the accident approaches, Olivia becomes more curious and defiant of her husband. Naturally, she wants answers. Because this is a short story, it moves very fast. It easily could have been a full novel, so it was fun to see the story in a short story format. All of the elements - set up, rise, fall, etc. are all there, which was really cool to see in this format. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.