Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet

Happy Sunday!  We had about one hour of sunshine and then rain again.  I had to turn lights on all over the house.  Does a dreary day make you happy or sad?  Does sunshine affect our mood?  I thought I would share Deanna Chase's novels with you today.  Ms. Chase writes humorous, paranormal novels.  They will have you laughing out loud (and getting those strange looks from people sitting next you when you are in public).  Deanna Chase writes The Jade Calhoun series (currently seven books in the series) and the Pyper Rayne series (two books and a novella).  Her latest novel is Magic and Mayhem:  Witched to Death.  If you like paranormal novels with humor, you should look into Ms. Chase's works.
  

Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet is the latest book by Charlie N. Holmberg.  Mairie is a baker in Carmine.  She has no memory of her past.  Mairie was found by Franc and Arrice.  They took in Mairie and helped her.  It has been four and a half years since they found her.  Then one day Mairie is out and notices a strange glow.  It is a type of being glowing before her but is not whole (cannot touch him).  He seems to know Mairie, but she (of course) does not know who he is.  He tells her to run. Their village is being attacked by marauders (they ransack, kill, and kidnap people).  Mairie (runs in the wrong direction) hides in a cupboard inside her bakery.  The men quickly find her and take her along with Cleric Tuck (who Mairie was interested in).  The marauders make them walk for days until they put the people in cages.  They are selling them as slaves.  Mairie is bought quickly by Allemas after examining her (he seems to know her).  Allemas takes Mairie to his cottage where he locks her up (and forgets about the basic needs of humans—food, water, etc.).  Allemas soon returns with baking supplies.  Mairie has a special gift.  She can make people feel things with her baking.  Mairie is not sure what Allemas wants at first.  Then when Allemas discovers that there is more to Mairie and her talents, he sets out to exploit them.  This turns out to be a journey for Mairie.  She looks out for the apparition and sees it again (after she finds half a beautiful crystal).  The apparition knows Mairie, but he cannot tell her anything.  Mairie has to discover her past for herself.  She ends up going full circle in her discovery to find out what happened to her, how Allemas knows her, and her relationship to the unusual apparition that goes by Fyel. 

Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet was a sleeper novel.  It is slow paced, strange (just plain odd), and confusing.  I have to admit that it never did completely make sense and the ending did not help (maybe it is just me).  I give Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet 2.5 out of 5 stars (good idea, but did not like the final product).  I prefer Charlie N. Holmberg’s first books.  They had something special, magical in them that this novel was lacking.  The writing is good (which helps), but beware there is abuse in the book (physical and mental).  The book does have a good message if you make it to the end.  Ms. Holmberg makes scenes come alive with her words (which is why she got the 2.5 stars).  The book does have a good message if you make it to the end.  I am not sure if I will be reading any more books by this author.  They would have to sound really good for me to try them.  I’m sorry but Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet was just not for me.  Charlie N. Holmberg's books that I enjoyed the most are The Paper Magician series.

Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet is available on Kindle Unlimited.  I received a complimentary copy of Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel.  The opinions and comments expressed above are strictly my own.

May all of you have a special Sunday.  I am off to relax, read (Death at the Day Lily Cafe by Wendy Sand Eckel), and watch Home Fires and the latest Signed, Sealed, and Delivered movie. Take care, stay dry, and Happy Reading!

Kris
The Avid Reader

P.S.--please ignore the one paragraph that looks different from the others.  I have no idea why it decided to go wonky!  It refused to cooperate.