Remedial Magic
by Melissa Marr
Remedial Magic is the new novel by Melissa Marr. In the creative world Marr shaped, people only find their magic when they are in the most dangerous of circumstances such as about to be in a fatal car accident or falling off a cliff while hiking. Their magic saves them and they are then brought to a magical realm, Crenshaw, where they are enrolled in the equivalent of magical community college. Hobs, manifestation of magic are there to assist them. Unfortunately all is not currently right in Crenshaw. Prospero, a long time resident hopes that amongst the recent arrivals Ellie, a small town librarian, may be the prophesied savior; sparks fly between the two women as well as between several of the other characters. If you are looking for a romantacy series more adult than Harry Potter, but more whimsical and fun than the Magicians than this novel will delight. The book ends on a cliffhanger so I’m interested to see what book two in The Course of Magic series has in store for its diverse cast of characters.
Assistant to the Villain
by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Assistant to the Villain begins with out of work Evie Sage happening upon a very unusual job opportunity to assist the empire’s most notorious villain. If you enjoyed John Scazi’s recent Starter Villain, you should also enjoy this more fantastical spin on the concept. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook version read by Em Elridge. As with any story where the villain is in the protagonist role, often Evie is left looking more like the hero and less truly evil as is her boss and love interest, The Villain, whose perspective we are also given in the novel. Warning though, this one also ends on quite a cliffhanger. I’m glad to see that we are beginning to have more humor and less grimdark in Fantasy works that are coming out recently. While there is a place for serious speculative fiction, many of my favorite works manage to slip in a few laughs and smiles rather than keeping things bleak.
Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager
Hoboken Library Staff Picks 