A Curious Kind of Magic

De: Mara Rutherford

Narrado por: Anna Burnett

"If anyone's looking for me, I live in this book now." - Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of Strange the Dreamer and Daughter of Smoke & Bone

Howl's Moving Castle meets Little Thieves in this cozy fantasy about the teenage owner of a (mostly fake) magical curiosity shop and a girl cursed to turn everything she touches into magic.

Everyone in Ardmuir knows that Willow Stokes is a charlatan, including Willow herself. Her father’s shoppe hasn’t sold anything magical in decades, and it’s only hanging on by the skin of the fake dragon’s teeth Willow sells as charms, along with “enchanted” ostrich eggs, taxidermied chimeras, and talismans made of fools’ gold.

Until outlander Brianna Hargrave appears and turns Willow’s fakes into exactly what they’re purported to be. But try as Willow might to enlist Bri’s help, she wants nothing to do with Willow and her curiosities.

Because Brianna is harboring a secret of her own: everything she touches turns to magic, and the consequences have chased her all the way to Ardmuir. All she wants to do is find a particular missing grimoire, which contains a spell that can finally put an end to her curse.

Desperate to keep her father's shoppe, Willow proposes a bargain that could save them both. Together with the frustratingly handsome printer's assistant, the girls will uncover a plot that goes far deeper than either could have imagined. But when Willow is forced to participate in an ambitious collector's quest for the rarest magical object in the world—a quest that risks almost-certain death—she learns that not all treasure is for sale, and that true magic is closer than she ever could have imagined.

A Macmillan Audio production from Wednesday Books

Reseñas de la Crítica

Goodreads, "Readers' Most Anticipated Fall Books"

“Rutherford’s sweetly wrought fantasy is bespelling in itself, combining magic, witches, an enchanted dragon egg, a heist, and a swoonworthy friends-to-lovers romance. From a visit to a grimoire library to a tempestuous journey on the high seas, fantasy fans will find much to enjoy here.” - Kirkus

"The novel features lovably rendered characters, sharp wit, and a slow-burning friends-to-lovers romance, making for a delightfully cozy tale." - Publishers Weekly

“The twists and turns will keep readers engaged…Willow is highly relatable—flawed but wants to be a better person—and easy to root for as she grows on her journey to save the shop and herself.” - Booklist

"A Curious Kind of Magic is like a rare find in a curiosity shop—unique, intriguing, and irresistible. With a feisty heroine, a budding friendship, a warmhearted romance, and a risky hunt for a mysterious grimoire that leads to adventures and revelations, this story held me spellbound."—Elly Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Forest King's Daughter

"A Curious Kind of Magic enchanted me from the first page. Brimming with so many bits and bobs of treasure—just like Willow's almost-magical shop!—this is a book for readers who want to root for their heroines and soak in the coziness of a slow burn fantasy. I adored it."—Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author of House of Roots and Ruin

"Heartwarming and whimsical, A Curious Kind of Magic is packed full of scams, schemes, adventure, and love of every kind. At its heart, it is—as all my favorite stories are—about the power of friendship. Don’t miss this one!"—Allison Saft, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of A Fragile Enchantment

"This is cozy fantasy at its best: a charming concept; an earnest, endearing heroine; and her equally lovable found family. Reading A Curious Kind of Magic feels like sipping rose hot chocolate while nestling under a fuzzy blanket on a rainy day. It made me so happy, and I can’t wait for my own copy!"—Shveta Thakrar, author of the Andre Norton Nebula Award finalist Star Daughter

"If anyone’s looking for me, I live in this book now. Seriously, I would love to stow away in A Curious Kind of Magic, eat Fin’s pies, tidy the shop with Willow and Bri, and get into the best kind of trouble. Mara Rutherford’s sixth book is like a warm hug from an ornery friend. It’s sweet and bitter, whimsical and poignant, cozy and also laugh-out-loud funny. Look for me lurking around page 230, taming the ravenous cats."—Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of Strange the Dreamer and Daughter of Smoke & Bone

Good YA Fantasy

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pacing: 🏎️🏎️🏎️🏎️
Main Characters:
Willow Stokes and Brianna Hargrave and Finlay
This is a good YA Fantasy. I liked this story even though I didn’t love how untrustworthy the MC was for almost the entire book. Finlay is better than anyone deserves but I still love the romantic element in this. It took me a while to come around on Brianna but once I loved her, I reeeeeally loved her.




SPOILERS POSSIBLE IN TROPES

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Tropes and Triggers:
✍️ Found Family
✍️ Single POV
✍️ Grumpy/Sunshine

Charming story, amazing narrator

This narrator was absolute perfection. I could listen to her read me the phone book. And this story was so charming and whimsical!

Good for age group 12-15

It would be good for boy or girl, but particularly girls, aged 12-15.
Female main character with male and female supporting main characters.
Equal importance is placed on the friendship with the girl as it is on the boy who the FMC has a crush on. The main characters are 17-18 yrs old, so it could be good for kids older than 15, but it is on more of the younger reading level in my opinion and has helpful demonstrations of tough situations that would prepare someone younger to deal with certain issues before they happen rather than after.

It deals with topics like death of a parent, rejection/not being accepted by a parent for who you are, bullying, boundaries, the importance of allowing yourself to trust people, how to be a good friend, the boy is a positive example of a supportive, caring son, friend, and potential boyfriend. It deals with Jealousy, lies, and how those affect your friendships, as well as honesty and forgiveness.

There are two kisses in the book between the boy and the FMC, in both everyone keeps their hands to themselves, it is not sexualized in any way.

I feel like this is a good transition out of young reader for that age group. Obviously, not everyone will agree, but it was a cute story with good ethical lessons that many kids could relate to, even those not dealing with some of the harder issues, it could help them empathize with a friend who may be experiencing something similar.

Great pace - easy read

Interactions between characters was good. Well written. Enjoyed the story. Light romance- suitable for anyone.