Review Detail

What worked: Unique twist on a fantasy tale where the author drew a tarot card to set the mood of each chapter. Originally this was an e-serial where readers got to vote on the direction of the next chapter. I've always loved whenever authors write outside of the box. In this case, Revis gives readers once again an engaging fantasy where a young girl finds out that magic not only exists, but she has it within herself.

Emmi Castor helps her grandfather at a Museum of Magic. Then her grandfather goes missing. Things happen fast. A bottle breaks and releases a fae named Punk. Emmi knows the stories to not trust the fae, but this one somehow seems different. When a Hunter appears and tries to harm Punk, Emmi's former opinions against magic take a sudden twist.

I really liked the energy of this story. Emmi has to trust Punk in order to find out more about her own ancestor Elspeth, who in fact was a witch. What's harder for Emmi to accept at first is the fact that she's also a witch. There's lots of paths and adventures Emmi and Punk go on to solve a mystery on how to redo a protection spell around the Museum and also on how to find her missing grandfather.

There's historical fact mingled within this story as well. Readers learn about how innocent women were targeted and killed as witches. How salt in fact does deter fae. Spells and mysteries of faedom are revealed with haunting consequences.

Readers are swept away through portals to different magical lands. I love how we find out that some fairy tales had a little truth.

Also, a huge plus is how this story originated as an e-serial where readers chose where Emmi and Punk go next. The adventures of Emmi and Punk continue in House of Hex on Kindle Vella.

Fantasy intermingles with historical fact to deliver one captivating tale.