That Old Black Magic

That Old Black Magic by Laurie Carroll-Kuna was an intriguing mystery.
The cover and the title drew my attention and I was excited to begin reading it.
I read this as a stand alone as I have not read anything else by this author.

As a witch who lost all her powers, Endora Bast has spent the last 40 years being a familiar to her best friend.
When ordered to make a command performance at a tribunal meeting, Endora isn't sure what to expect. It was this very same tribunal group who tore her from her true love, banishing into a world without her powers.

When she is asked to help them, Endora is shocked and feels she owes them nothing, but the opportunity to regain her powers excites her. The thought of having to fight off Obsidian Ashmedai , a witch full of dark magic, makes Endora nervous, even more so when she finds out she has to work with the lover she has not seen for 40 years.

Marcus Morion is the man that stole her heart and connecting with him again makes Endora nervous.
What happens next will leave you giggling, especially when you meet Mav, a good friend to Marcus.

This book was great and I did enjoy all the twists and turns that kept the story going.

I voluntarily read an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

After reading Laurie Kuna’s last book I was very curious to check this out and see if she was able to recapture the ‘magic’ of the last one.

She actually did a good job and in some ways made it better than her first. There is definitely more action and she focuses on a different set of main characters so you get a wider look at the world she’s created. Her character development is just as good as the first so you have a decent idea of who the players are and how they fit within the movement of the story. Kuna does a good job in her romance scenes of getting the point across without having to get practically pornographic about it. Like the first, her dialogue is well written with witty banter that will have you laughing out loud at times.

The only real bad thing is that the author hasn’t written anything more yet in this series but here’s hoping she will!

This is the second book in the Familiar Magic series, and I really must say I liked this one even better than the first. Endora was a side character in the first book, but she steps up to be the main character in this one. Of course, we find out so much more about her in this one. She has so much depth that was hinted at in the first book and that depth came alive in this one. I really didn’t feel I got to know Marcus as well as Endora, but I didn’t really feel the lack. And, the addition of Mav (he is so funny!) and Glenna was wonderful. That added such a fun element to the story. All-in-all, this was a great cozy paranormal mystery that I enjoy it from beginning to end. There doesn’t seem to be any more in the series, and that’s a real shame. I would have loved to read more. Maybe, hopefully, there will be more soon. If this genre is your favorite, pick it up; you won’t regret it! Highly recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and Bell Bridge Books for the e-copy of the book. This same review will be posted on both Goodreads and Amazon.

Fabulous! Great world building, loving the characters, will be looking for more by this author!

buy buy buy buy buy buy! I could not write that enough! Even though this is not my normal preference in reads. I would of missed a lot of enjoyment not reading this book! This author is super! I totally enjoyed the pace, the characters the plot! It was fast paced and gave depth to all that was involved. For a book of this magic type, i would say it is was definitely enthralling! It is also a great addition to her series, which I have now read all of so far! While this is can be read as a stand alone book, do yourself a favor and read the first one ... then this one. I think the second was a fantastic addition and in some ways the author does a much better job with this one then the first. So .... if you are searching for a book that will make you laugh and keep you interested this is the one to buy. I was given this arc via netgalley from BelleBooks ImaJinn Books in return for an honest review. Anna

While I enjoyed Some Practical Magic, the first book of this series pretty well, I LOVED this one. As I read, I realized more and more I had some pre-conceived notions about how things were after reading the first book. I wondered what Endora was thinking on so deeply but we never found out about. In this one, we find out that and much more in spades. We meet Morion, Mav, and a lovable fur-buddy of Morion's, Glenna. I love the witchy references to names in this book as we meet more people. We do get to see a bit of what happened with Mick and Cassie in this book and a nice little time lapse that jumps us forward a bit. It was really wonderful to me, to read what Endora endured and what happened that caused all that. It also made me righteously indignant towards others in the book who shall not be named because of their role in all this. You're going to have to read to see what happened and what is happening. The last chapters of the book, from Chapter 12 on had me laughing, hard. Enjoy the book!

RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin' With M. Brennan.

OK so the first thing to say is that I haven't read the first in the series.
That did not make any difference to me in the slightest, the characters are full of depth and the way this is written with humour and romance make it a fun read.
Cannot wait to read the first one.

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.