The House Witch
Series: The House Witch #1Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / General
Published on June 21, 2022
Format: eBook Source: Kindle Unlimited
A heartwarming and humorous blend of fantasy, romance, and mystery featuring a witch with domestic powers and the royal household he serves . . . dinner.
When Finlay Ashowan joins the staff of the King and Queen of Daxaria, he’s an enigma. No one knows where he comes from or how he came to be where he is, which suits Fin just fine. He’s satisfied simply serving as the royal cook, keeping nosy passersby out of his kitchen, and concocting some truly uncanny meals.
But Fin’s secret identity doesn’t stay hidden for long. After all, it’s not every day a house witch and his kitten familiar, Kraken, take to meddling in imperial affairs. As his powers are gradually discovered by the court, Fin finds himself involved in a slew of intrigues: going head-to-head with knights with less-than-chivalrous intentions, helping to protect the pregnant queen, fending off the ire of the royal mage, and uncovering a spy in the castle. And that’s only the beginning—because Fin’s past is catching up with him just as his love life is getting complicated .
A cozy fantasy book set in the kitchens of a castle? Yes, please, thank you very much!
Fin doesn’t want anyone to know that he is a witch. It has only been illegal to hunt witches for fifty years and old attitudes die hard. He isn’t even safe from other witches. Pure elemental witches call his type deficient witches. He isn’t aligned with an element. His power is to make a house homey. In his case that means that he able to cook amazing meals. He also makes people feel safe and protected. If that means standing up to knights who are harassing his kitchen maid, then that is what he is going to have to do.
He’s grumpy and rude to anyone to bothers him. He needs people out of his space in order to use his magic. It is hard to cook for hundreds of people a day without letting anyone see you use magic. But Fin isn’t as good as he thinks at hiding his true self and despite his best efforts he’s starting to build a family around himself.
This book has spies and intrigue and lots of really good insults. Fin is most certainly not a people person even if people are drawn to him.
“The word ‘affable’ is quite complex for a lowly cook.”
“Would you like me to use shorter words for you?”
I also love his familiar, Kraken. He’s just a kitten but he is starting to work out his own network with the local cats to gather intelligence. Alley cats know everything!
The House Witch 2
Series: The House Witch #2Genres: Fantasy & Magic
Published on October 18, 2022
Format: eBook Source: Kindle Unlimited
As a wielder of domestic magic, Finlay Ashowan likes to keep his affairs as neat and orderly as his kitchen. But between his work for the King and Queen of Daxaria and a new (secret) relationship with Lady Annika Jenoure, his life is anything but tidy.
For one thing, if Annika and Fin are to continue their romance, they’ll need to sort out the pesky issue of Fin’s being a commoner—before Annika is forced into a political marriage that interferes with her own carefully laid plans.
For another, pressure is mounting as the war with Troivack draws ever closer. When Fin requests time away from the castle to rest, the King agrees but under a very particular condition: Fin must brave the streets of Austice as a spy, sleuthing out the plans of the Troivackian troops allegedly hidden there.
Further complicating things, Fin’s estranged father is on his way to Daxaria, an unexpected and unappreciated arrival that’s bound to wreak even more havoc in his son’s life.
As Fin forges new friendships and alliances—magical and non-magical alike—he becomes even more enmeshed in courtly intrigues, old feuds, and very personal problems. And the more he tries to clean up the various messes in his life, the more apparent it becomes that his troubles are only just beginning . . .
War is coming. Fin is breaking down from trying to be everything to everyone. The King gives him a week off of cooking but sends him out to do some light spying in the city. Fin doesn’t know how to do that so ends up causing mayhem – like when he starts a marriage counseling session in a brothel.
Kraken is coming into his powers as a familiar. He is organizing the city cats to defend their territory in the war, including a little light arson as needed.
These books are so much fun. My only complaint – and it is a major one – is that I found them before the third book is published. That is supposed to happen in February 2023. I can’t wait.
Sounds like fun books. I’m going to look them up. Thanks.