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Shadow Vale Witches #1
Dust Off Your Magic
Welcome to Shadow Vale, where the locals bite, monsters are real and the witches play fast and loose with the rules.
Kristen O’Mead left behind grief and the magical shenanigans of Shadow Vale ten years ago. Now she’s back, to dust off her magic and solve the riddle of her ex-husband’s ghost. Unfortunately he’s not the only ghost from her past she has to deal with.
Shadow Vale isn’t your usual town tucked away amongst the rolling hills.
It’s a haven for paranormals, protected by a Forget-Me spell, and the old stomping grounds of her teenage hormones.
She’s barely settled into the woodland cottage she grew up in, when her long-forgotten arch nemesis turns up dead and the over-zealous sheriff points the finger at Kristen. Can she solve the murder before she finds herself cuffed and tossed into the dungeons of Montferno?
Kristen O’Mead left behind grief and the magical shenanigans of Shadow Vale ten years ago. Now she’s back, to dust off her magic and solve the riddle of her ex-husband’s ghost. Unfortunately he’s not the only ghost from her past she has to deal with.
Shadow Vale isn’t your usual town tucked away amongst the rolling hills.
It’s a haven for paranormals, protected by a Forget-Me spell, and the old stomping grounds of her teenage hormones.
She’s barely settled into the woodland cottage she grew up in, when her long-forgotten arch nemesis turns up dead and the over-zealous sheriff points the finger at Kristen. Can she solve the murder before she finds herself cuffed and tossed into the dungeons of Montferno?
- GenresParanormal
163 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 11, 2023
About the author
Claire Robyns
38 books124 followersClaire Robyns writes mystery, romance and adventure, because sometimes one life really can have it all (between the pages of a book, at least.)
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 24, 2026
Enjoyable quick read with potential.
January 3, 2024
Interesting and entertaining
August 1, 2023
Dust off Your Magic by Claire Robyns is a relatively short book and a fun one. It's a paranormal story as the heroine, Kristen O'Mead, has to go back to the magical village that she rejected and left ten years previously to deal with the problem of her ex husband's ghost.
This was an odd read for me. It's sort of like a taster book, or a part of a book, but it was also a complete story. Two more in the series are already cued up and it's obvious that there's more to learn. There are so many strands and hints that are hanging tantalisingly in the air. However the story begins with Kristen being framed for murder, and the murder is solved in this book so it's sort of an incomplete complete story. There is also a slow burn romance going on, unless I miss my guess, and I think that will be interesting to read more of.
Technical details - it's set in the modern day with witches and werewolves existing but unknown to the general population. It's written in the first person, but not the present tense so it stays in my happy place zone. There is a lot of worldbuilding going on, but it's tucked away in the background and not info dumped into the story. The pace is good, the description clear and the dialogue is crisp. I enjoyed the writing a great deal. For example: 'Being a non-practicing witch was basically the equivalent of coloring your hair. Who cared what your natural color was? That wasn't what defined you.'
If you want a longer and completely standalone book, this isn't for you. It's still a fun read, however, and later on it will be a wonderfully bingeable series. I definitely recommend this one.
This was an odd read for me. It's sort of like a taster book, or a part of a book, but it was also a complete story. Two more in the series are already cued up and it's obvious that there's more to learn. There are so many strands and hints that are hanging tantalisingly in the air. However the story begins with Kristen being framed for murder, and the murder is solved in this book so it's sort of an incomplete complete story. There is also a slow burn romance going on, unless I miss my guess, and I think that will be interesting to read more of.
Technical details - it's set in the modern day with witches and werewolves existing but unknown to the general population. It's written in the first person, but not the present tense so it stays in my happy place zone. There is a lot of worldbuilding going on, but it's tucked away in the background and not info dumped into the story. The pace is good, the description clear and the dialogue is crisp. I enjoyed the writing a great deal. For example: 'Being a non-practicing witch was basically the equivalent of coloring your hair. Who cared what your natural color was? That wasn't what defined you.'
If you want a longer and completely standalone book, this isn't for you. It's still a fun read, however, and later on it will be a wonderfully bingeable series. I definitely recommend this one.
September 11, 2024
It was an okay read. I hopped straight over after reading the Fade Island series, all exited about this rather similar one. The problem is, everything was less. Kristen less spunky and interesting as Senna. Grey a shadow of Gabriel - and a werewolf, sorry, wolf shifter, that are generally not my cup of tea. Sorry, to me, werewolves are the Klingons of the supernatural world: boring, growling, too lost in pack mentality and hierarchies. Jazz as her familiar is worlds away from Ebren - and not talking at all, which feels like a letdown after the snarky glory of Ebren.
The concept of reaper witches was interesting, and I guess there’s potential there for a better look into the paranormal than we got in Fade Island, but while most elements of that world seem the same, I felt it almost less magical than in Fade Island where Senna had to go looking for most everything.
The case too was on the weaker side. But it wasn’t overly dragged out and there’s still the mystery of Noel to solve.
So I will read on, but I do miss the slightly sharper and h more enticing wit of Fade Island. If you haven’t checked that out yet, do it if you generally like this one.
The concept of reaper witches was interesting, and I guess there’s potential there for a better look into the paranormal than we got in Fade Island, but while most elements of that world seem the same, I felt it almost less magical than in Fade Island where Senna had to go looking for most everything.
The case too was on the weaker side. But it wasn’t overly dragged out and there’s still the mystery of Noel to solve.
So I will read on, but I do miss the slightly sharper and h more enticing wit of Fade Island. If you haven’t checked that out yet, do it if you generally like this one.
July 17, 2023
Can you ever leave your past behind you?
Kristen left home right after her Grandmother died, she had no one left. Or did she? Her best friend Grey had always stood up for her since she arrived in town shortly after her Mom died. She left him too. Now she was back trying to rid herself of her ex husband's ghost. But her high school nemesis found her first. Or rather her ghost did. Because unknown to everyone alive Kristen is a reaper witch.
Kristen left home right after her Grandmother died, she had no one left. Or did she? Her best friend Grey had always stood up for her since she arrived in town shortly after her Mom died. She left him too. Now she was back trying to rid herself of her ex husband's ghost. But her high school nemesis found her first. Or rather her ghost did. Because unknown to everyone alive Kristen is a reaper witch.
October 3, 2024
Great tale.
Really enjoyed this book and thought it was excellently put together. I do hope that she manages to real her ex. Then she can start her knew future with her pervious love.
Really enjoyed this book and thought it was excellently put together. I do hope that she manages to real her ex. Then she can start her knew future with her pervious love.
November 30, 2024
Brilliant Series
Dust Off Your Magic (Shadow Vale Witches Book 1) by Claire Robyns. Kristen O’Mead is a reaper witch and returns to Shadow Vale when her ex husband turns up as a ghost who was killed in Shadow Vale.
Dust Off Your Magic (Shadow Vale Witches Book 1) by Claire Robyns. Kristen O’Mead is a reaper witch and returns to Shadow Vale when her ex husband turns up as a ghost who was killed in Shadow Vale.
October 31, 2023
magic
Good story. The characters and storyline are very good. You learn that you don’t want to meet up with an old girlfriend and that money kills.
Good story. The characters and storyline are very good. You learn that you don’t want to meet up with an old girlfriend and that money kills.
July 25, 2024
Dust Off Your Magic
This was a very entertaining story. I loved our heroine. I thoroughly enjoyed her little cat , Jazz. Little with a big ferrous meow.
This was a very entertaining story. I loved our heroine. I thoroughly enjoyed her little cat , Jazz. Little with a big ferrous meow.
June 13, 2025
Looks like a good start to a fun series!
September 16, 2025
Cute. I do wonder what the rest of the series will entail.
January 22, 2026
A Very Good Read
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, a good who dunnit, with all the magical chaos to highlight the twists and turns.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, a good who dunnit, with all the magical chaos to highlight the twists and turns.
June 27, 2026
mildly cozy fantasy
Only mildly as it is murder and mayhem but not real enough to be troubling. A gentle read. Not bad.
Only mildly as it is murder and mayhem but not real enough to be troubling. A gentle read. Not bad.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews