Che-Michelle Tales

I recently finished Luanne G. Smith’s series The Conspiracy of Magic, a two-book series,” The Raven Spell” and “The Raven Song.” If you have been following this blog for a while, you know I have mixed feelings about Smith’s protagonist. I either love the Protagonist (Sidra, Yvette), or I find the protagonist frustrating (Elena). This book series shows Smith’s character development and historical context growth. We are introduced to the Blackwood Sisters (Mary and Edwina), who own a shop to maintain their lifestyle in the city. We, the readers, find out early they are witches with a particular set of skills that forces them to keep a low profile. Furthermore, a mysterious fellow who has lost his memory begins investigating the Blackwoods to determine what happened and why he was in the city. I believe these books are set in 19th-century England and Scotland. As the story progresses, the twists and turns are delightful, yet not over the top.  I enjoyed learning about the Blackwood sisters and watching how they grew apart yet still protected each other in their way.  The main characters in both books are Edwina Blackwood and Ian Cameron.  Mary, unfortunately, is a side character, but I would love Ms. Smith to write a spin-off story about Mary.  In my opinion, Mary had so much untold story and feeling that I would love to see more of it, if possible, a side story, a diary that Edwina receives one night mysteriously.

Smith does something unique with her main characters by allowing them to be strong while vulnerable. The sisters are strong-willed and emotionally strong. As the story progresses, they can cry, be scarred, and even be frustrated, with slight chastisement. This whole idea can be a critical analysis of the differences in characters based on race and geographical location. ( New Blog idea…)

I loved the pacing; the book wasn’t controversial and didn’t go too fast. Even though the two main protagonists always seem to be two steps behind.  Overall, their storylines didn’t feel forced and evolved nicely between the two books. Again, I would love to see a one-off story focused on an aspect of their lives. As for how the story is written, Ms. Smith can return and add a third book to the mix or small one-offs for certain characters if she decides that nature deserves a new adventure.

This selection is a fantastic read; I completed this series in, dare I say, two weeks.  The transition between the two books is seamless. I would not suggest this for a book club discussion, but it reminds me of an Amazon Prime Series.  It could be a 3 -4 season series; it has an excellent beginning, middle, and end and is a complete story. This is one series where I would suggest investing in both books; sometimes, with a series, we may fall off the next book doesn’t come out until five years later. This series was published back-to-back. Get both books and read them as a pair; you will be happy that you did.  In a previous post, I discussed this book as a Halloween read (cause of witches and mystery, not because it’s Halloween-themed.)

The wine that topped off this series was the “The Witching Hour” Sweet Red Blend.  I love how this wine complimented the sweet moments in the books; sipping “The Witching Hour” enhanced Edwina’s memories of her family. Now, if Sweet Red wine is not for you, you can also try “The Witching Hour” Red blend, which is just as wonderful and has an excellent finish. The Witching Hour red blend. These are terrific books to read over a long weekend or listen to on a long car ride.

Another Good Wine that would complement this book is from In Good Taste’s “Balance of Powers.” It’s much more substantial and reminds me more of Mary’s personality. Quick, mysterious, strong with bite.  Any of the three wines I mention will complement the characters and mystery around the Blackwood sisters.

P.S. There is a quote from book two that I love, but I returned the book before copying and saving the section. I believe it’s a quote that many should live by. You must read the book to determine the selection.

Until Next Time,

Che Michelle

P.S.S.  I will stop using the Grammarly web Browser for edits. It butchered my post. I had to re-edit it in Microsoft Word!

Another note: I thought I published the clean-up edited version of this post. I just looked at the blog. It still had several significant errors. I have gone back and tried to clean up this post. This also proves to me the philosophy of Quality over Quantity all the time ( Can I trademark that?). So, after this week of Ultra posting or by January 7th, 2024, I will post once or twice weekly.