A huge thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Sarah Penner for providing me with an ARC of The Conjurer’s Wife in exchange for my honest review.

The Conjurer’s Wife is a novella set in 1820s Venice. The story unfolds over the course of two nights, following the captivating performances of Oscar, an illusionist, and his wife Olivia, his beautiful and charming stage assistant.

Despite the brevity of the story, Sarah Penner skillfully develops the characters, making them engaging and memorable. The writing is richly descriptive, immersing the reader in the enchanting setting of Venice and bringing the characters to life with vivid detail.

This was a short yet delightful read with just the right touch of magic. I could easily see this story being adapted into a TV show or movie, given its intriguing premise and atmospheric backdrop.

If you’re looking for a quick and enchanting read, The Conjurer’s Wife is sure to charm you.

An enticing short story about Olivia, the wife of a famous magician, whose own life has some holes it in that she cannot piece together.

I absolutely loved this short story and wish there was more. The magic, the imagery, and Olivia really drew me in. The back drop for the setting was perfection and Olivia’s reaction to the art was such a pivotal moment for her character. I will definitely be reading more from Sarah Penner.

Loved this novella! I don’t believe in writing too much of a synopsis for a novel under 50 pages so I’ll give you a little. Italy, 1800s, magician (actual conjurer or just really good at his act?), and his wife. A fun little ride but I did see the ending coming.

This made me look even more forward to the Amalfi Curse book that’s up next! And also made me want a fox for a pet. 🦊 Review to come!

Thank you Sarah Penner, NetGalley, and the publishers for this ARC. Will be back for Amalfi Curse!

This short story is straightforward to read, and I would say that this was its biggest flaw. The events feel too rushed, especially towards the end. The ending itself leaves a lot of questions unanswered. 

That being said though, I liked Olivia, and she felt really "alive" to me. I was invested in her quest to find out what happened to her and in her well-being as well, so I had fun reading this story. And the author did a good job creating this atmosphere of slow dread, and showing with slight details just how wrong the relationship between Oscar and Olivia was.

But questions still remain. How did Oscar come into possession of the magic box? And what do the witches have to do with anything in this story? At first, I thought maybe Olivia was one of the witches that Oscar kidnapped somehow, but the ending seems to tell us that it isn't so. And if that's the case, then I am not sure why the witches are even mentioned.

The author could have taken the witches out of this story and used those pages to develop the reveal a bit more. We got a lot of preparation and descriptions of Olivia's small rebellions against her controlling husband, but when she discovers the source of his magic, she takes it a little bit too quickly in stride. And figures out how to use it a bit too conveniently as well. 

PS: I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah Penner has given us bits of magic and sorcery in her historical fiction books “The Lost Apothecary” and “The London Séance Society” and she’s gifted us with another glimpse of another lyrical scene in the short story “The Conjurer’s Wife.”

It’s 1821 in Venice, Italy. The main characters are Olivia and Oscar Van Hoff — the ethereally beautiful magician’s assistant/ spouse (and a 24 year old with amnesia) and the 38 year old prestidigitator with a red bulbous nose that hints of his over-drinking.
As we meet her, she’s off her mark (a real “x marks the spot”) and she wants to stay there even if it's only 3 inches. It’s a small act of rebellion since even she doesn't know how Oscar does his impossible magic. She only has memories since her wedding day, when she suffered the fall that supposedly caused her memory loss. After a year, Olivia is curious — and what will she find as she starts snooping around? It’s a wonderful and astonishing glimpse into the consequences of the magical world. Short, but terrific! 5 stars!

Oh, and while Olivia is hunting for clues, she sees an article about the red haired sea witches of Positano. She’s obviously hinting that we should read Sarah Penney’s “The Amalfi Curse” being published in late April.

By the way, Bravo! to Amazon Publishing for getting popular authors to do original and short stories. I understand the marketing strategy, but I’m still thankful for getting more works from a lot of my favorite authors. This short story is available for free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription, and I’m glad I have one.

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO The beady black eyes belong to a baby red fox.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO If Oscar is conjuring a peony, it can bloom at any time.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

With this lovely cover and an author I adore, I had to grab this one!

A conjuring magician and his assistant. I loved our POV as the assistant. Her sass and curiosity were great and, even though it was a short story, I thought the author did a great job of really giving us the world and the personality of our narrator. I did this as an audio and was hooked right from the start.

The magic was so mesmerizing, I didn't even try to guess where it was going and was completely shocked by the twist. Is this a hint at what our author is researching and that we might get more? I'd LOVE to read more of this story, this world, and definitely this main character.

Charming, dark and dangerous - I loved this one!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

What a delightful and slightly creepy short story. Short stories are awesome when you can only read for a short amount of time.

3.5 stars - a quick short, I believe it's a prequel of sorts to the author's next novel, but I just sort of felt like I was missing something? It had a twist & I liked the fox cub, Marmalade, a lot. Many thanks to the publisher & Net Galley for my advance readers copy

I appreciated the chance to read this short story, which I assume is a teaser for Sarah Penner's upcoming novel The Amalfi Curse. Unfortunately this story didn't work for me at all, but I hope it will find its audience. I think folks who like very light magical realism may enjoy this, and I'm guessing fans of Penner's other work will like it too.

For myself, I'm sorry to say that this story was really a miss on every level. I thought the writing and characterization was very flat, and I saw every plot point coming from a mile away. This felt like a story written by someone who was unfamiliar with both short stories and the fantasy genre. I'm sure that's not the case, but that's how it read for me. It simply didn't have the depth, characterization, or prose that is needed in order to tell a meaningful story within a short page count.

I did think the main concept was promising, although I didn't think it was executed as well as it could have been. And I liked Marmalade the fox! But otherwise, this just wasn't for me. I'm sorry I don't have more positives to share.

Thank you to Sarah Penner, Amazon Publishing | Amazon Original Stories, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review!

A fun short story with a bit of mystery and wonder. I could see this story being expanded on, but also works well on its own. I enjoyed the not knowing exactly what was going on until the big reveal. I look forward to more works from this author.

An enjoyable, magical short-story from a great author.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Conjurer's Wife is a mysterious little story set in nineteenth-century Venice. Olivia is the wife and assistant of Oscar Van Hoff, a renowned magician known for his amazing illusions. No one knows Oscar's secret, not even Olivia. She has amnesia from an accident she had on their wedding night and can't remember her life from before Oscar. She has started to rebel against Oscar in little ways, standing a few inches away form her mark on stage or going off script in their performance, but her rebellion ultimately leads to her uncovering a devastating secret.

I did like this little story, but it felt a little bit flat. There wasn't really a whole lot of the setting as it was mostly in the Van Hoff's house or in the theaters where they did their performances. Since the story was mainly focused on the Van Hoffs it would have been nice if there was more buildup to their characters, but obviously the page count was limited. The twist was predictable, but I still found it fun. This would be a quick read for people who are interested in magicians or illusionists.