The House Witch and When The Cat Spells War

The House Witch #3

by Delemhach, Emilie Nikota

House witch Finlay Ashowan is pulled out of the kitchen—and into the fire—as war, family, and love collide in the third book of this fantasy romance series.--Having somehow convinced Lady Annika Jenoure to marry him, all Finlay Ashowan wants to do is settle down, cook some good meals, and enjoy a quiet life in Daxaria.But fate has different plans . . .Fin’s father, Aidan Helmer – servant of King Matthias of Troivack – has arrived in the kingdom with devastating Annika’s brother Charles has been taken prisoner, and the only way his life will be spared is if she or Fin pleads his case.Now it’s up to Fin, with the help of his wily kitten, Kraken, to attempt a daring mission of rescue and espionage.But he’ll need to move quickly before his kingdom, and life, goes up in flames.There will be twists and turns aplenty in the final instalment in this spellbinding trilogy.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Cozy, Magic, Cozy Fantasy, Audiobook, Fiction

363 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 28, 2023

About the author

Delemhach is the Canadian author of the popular online series, The House Witch, and is already hard at work on the sequel series, The Burning Witch. When they aren’t following the whims of their unfortunately intelligent cats, Kraken and Pina Colada, they are teaching music privately to their students. In their spare time outside of writing and work, they enjoy cooking, reading, hiking, spending time with family, and trying not to remember their socially awkward moments.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty sure this is my favorite fantasy series in recent memory, and probably in my top 5 of all time. Funny, well-written, well-plotted, and I actually *cried* in this one. My only complaint is that I want *more*.

[Nikola · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5

[shelly north · Rating 5 out of 5]

outstanding!!!

Please ignore the earlier reviewer who was a little disgruntled by the fact that this book was not all sunshine and roses. There were some dark moments and some sad things happened but the book in no way is a disappointment or just a set up to a follow up trilogy. This was a magnificent finale to the trilogy. I loved it. Please please don’t let the other reviewer poison your anticipation of the book. It was perfect! No go buy the book and read it! I can promise you will love it.

[Paulette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall rating for these 3 books is a 3. I found them interesting but flawed. The protagonist is a feminist humanitarian male house witch which provides a lot of entertainment and contrast. These books could have used some extensive editing and I view them as a developmental exercise in this writer's career.

[DonutAssassin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know how to review this. I adored the first book, really liked the second. But surprise/unplanned pregnancy plots are annoying, and Kate deserved better.

Kraken is the MVP for sure. I'll give it a 3.5, but rounding down to a 3⭐️ because I'm still a little salty.

Also these could do with better editing. I can overlook a lot, but it was rough at times.

[Kaylee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This fantasy world which has modern day foods that are accepted to exist, dragons and all sorts of magical beasts, talking cats, acceptance for all people of differing races, creeds, and sexualities, and nuanced discussions about mental health, still falls into the same tired trap of treating women like they would have been treated 500 years ago to I guess achieve a medieval vibe like so many fantasy properties. The few named female characters (which are out ranked by named male characters 4 to 1) in these books get to have no power in important discussions, looked at as a nuisance, or have the narrator roll his eyes about “women”. Their biggest plot points include being killed off, being married off, or having babies. So it really speaks to the warm characters, gentle conflicts and the relaxing pace that I keep coming back. Here’s to hoping the female main character in the next one has some sort of depth because I guess, like it or not, I’ll keep reading.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been a fun series. The writing might not be the most polished, but I was able to get past that and enjoy the story. Thankfully, there was less of Fin being referred to as "the red head" in book 3 - that got really annoying in the second book.

I'm not sure book 3 managed to hang onto the 'cozy' feel. There was less of Fin cooking, less banter with side characters, and more death and sadness than I expected from a feelgood story. That said, I still enjoyed it and do acknowledge that every story has to have some higher stakes in it to be interesting... but I would be happy to continue reading about Fin and his friends with lower stakes and every day happenings.

It seems like this is the end of a trilogy? But there are some strings left for some kind of continuation to be possible, which I would definitely pick up.

[MagicalBookShelbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is everything it promises to be - a humorous romantic cozy fantasy. Even when there’s hard subjects discussed, it never felt too heavy or intense. The characters are well rounded and have hilarious interactions with one another and the storyline is pleasant and enjoyable! Definitely recommend this series!!

P.S. my new favorite side character is a sassy, scheming, and egotistical cat 😂

[Neveah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can’t make another 8 hours. I just can’t.

Content warnings for ‘this is not how domestic abuse works’ and the worst plotline in the world aka ‘if you’d communicated like adult people using their mouth words… or in this case, eyes, then none of this would have happened’. This is just drivel at this point. Fin is sent to the land of the evil baddies because nobody including the author understands how to write a political plot. There’s this weird assumption that being married will resolve things, rather than everyone saying ‘so what, we don’t care because that’s irrelevant’. Fin has to write a daily letter home, on a ship, which arrives immediately and… I can’t go on. Throw me to the seas, I’m done with this series.

Rumours that getting better and not having a fever, a broken bone, a sick cat and a UTI may have dramatically affected my ability to tolerate this series should not be understated.

[Marita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series.
I finished the 2nd book and have such a series-hangover that I’ve found it quite impossible to get into something new.
Book 3 is coming out in February and I’m seriously frustrated by the wait!

[Dee Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I LOVED the first two House Witch books. But author Delemhach is now writing too fast, sadly, madly cranking 'em out for the money, as so many authors do. This third book was distracting because of its numerous grammatical errors. More to the point, although protagonist Fin Ashowan continues to shine, the tone of the first books darkens considerably in the third, diminishing a good deal of the story's charm.

Hopefully, Fin's next generation can return to the high standards and best humor of the first two novels.

[Joshua Cullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the second book was a slight decline in quality and engagement for me - book three was back to perfect. The way each character’s storyline’s played out was fantastic.

It’ll make you laugh out loud and you’ll struggle to hold back the tears in parts.

Amazing series.

[Jules Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will continue to read the author’s books as I do enjoy them, but I must say the author is not skilled in writing. Sentence structure is odd and full paragraphs are sometimes incomprehensible. This is not a writing style issue, it is a lack of knowledge of English language diction and syntax. These issues are much harder to detect in the writings of skilled authors. I was forced to re-read until I either understood or just needed to move on. The author is able to come up with a story but unable to express it well on paper.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just as well written as the first two

However, I struggled to finish. I hate to say that, and it’s very much personal preference, but about half way through it took a tragic turn I personally didn’t care for, which caused the remainder of the tale to be dulled for me. Still very well written, but it lost its shine. The humor that I had thoroughly enjoyed in the first two books, as well as the first half of this one, felt misplaced in the latter half of the book.

[maité · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐ — I immensely enjoyed this series and I loved all the characters and their developments but I absolutely despise suprise/unplanned pregnancy tropes, especially during a war like this. overall, the writing style and switching povs were great but it could've used some editing. alsooo, kate deserved so much better. I was really looking forward to the family dynamis between her, captain antonio, fin and annika.

[Nouran Shokry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastical cozy journey, I only wish it was longer

[Geertje ~ witchybookmom · Rating 5 out of 5]

some things happened!

[Amy Broeckaert · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is really nice and a satisfying end of the main story, even though I liked book 2 more. I did have lots of moments where I was feeling along with the characters both laughing and crying, which I really appreciate.

[Jenna Vance-Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a nice ending to this trilogy! Very action packed and exciting!

A few things, I wish we’d seen more of Fin in the kitchen doing kitchen things. That’s what made the first book so cozy and seemed to be missing from the second two. I wish we’d had a Kraken chapter or two just to have insight on that. Again, I’m pretty sure we had his POV in book one and it felt weird not having that now. And finally, I wish there had been more moments between Captain Antonio and Fin after Kate’s death. We saw a bit of Fins grief but I feel like the captain was left out of grieving his own finance.

Still, good series overall!

[kirstin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little more serious and less cozy than the first two books, but still a satisfying read!

[Dawn ♡♡♡♡♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This booked gets 4.5/5 - Almost 5 stars but not quite.

This entire series gets a 4.5/5. I LOVED it.
I remember starting the first book and liking it, thinking to myself it's a little cringe in some spots. The more I read, the more I fell in love with those spots because this series is the best feel good series I've read. It's funny, heartwarming, and makes your draw job with some of the characters do.

This overall series was the best escape from the world for me. It's so easy to get sucked into this book and lose yourself for a few hours, just lost in Finlay Ashowan's world. I found myself smiling while I was reading this book, especially because I do feel like this is the perfect ending to Annika & Fin's story. Even though their lives are just starting together, I feel like it was a perfect ending for me.

I will be reading the spinoffs.

Second read!
4.5 ⭐ again! This book is so great. It makes me so happy whenever I read it, and I genuinely laugh out loud which doesn't happen that often with books.
I'm so happy I decided to reread this series before moving on to the other books in this world. I'm truly excited for them and I have higher hopes because of how much I enjoyed this series.

[Marcos “MSMDragon” · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the back of this book says it best, “With twists and turns around every corner, The House Witch 3 brilliantly concludes this irresistible trilogy, replete with romance, magic, courtly intrigue, mystery, and humor.”

This was such a good ending to this story. And the cozy elements were still there, though with the much higher stakes that usually come with fantasy novels. A couple chapters even left me in tears. I loved all of the characters; it’s hard to choose a favorite. Although, I will say Kraken was the real star of the book! 😂

[Traci Otte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this finale of the House Witch saga! It was so exciting, but also touching, sad, funny, and full of surprises. There are so many good characters, but I think my favorite is Kraken. Even though we had some of his POV in the series, I REALLY want this story completely from his perspective!

I'm looking forward to more books by this author, in this world or any other!

[Kristin B. Bodreau · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some interesting hints dropped about what to expect in the next books. Unfortunately, as curious as I am, I can't bring myself to stumble through more meandering plots full of holes. The story needs to be tightened up considerably. Two epilogues? Who does that?

[Gillian Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author seems overly fixated on the weight gain of a pregnant character, and the quality of writing has not improved from the previous books.

[Renata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nie macie pojęcia jak bardzo czekałam na Magię Domową 3 i jak smutno mi było, gdy okazało się, że to finał histori Fina.


Tak samo jak z drugim tomem „Magia Domowa 3” zaczyna się od momentu zakończenia poprzedniego i nie ma co liczyć na przypominajkę kto jest kim i co się wcześniej działo. Ja momentami potrzebowałam chwili żeby sobie przypomnieć o co chodziło. Całe szczęście większość elementów układanki, przynajmniej tych bardziej istotnych, wskakiwała na swoje miejsce.

Możecie też od razu nastawić się na szaloną emocjonalną przejażdżkę. Ja przechodziłam od śmiech do płaczu, czasem niemal ze strony na stronę. Fabularnie myślę, że też nikt nie będzie rozczarowany. Finowi przyjdzie się zmierzyć z własnym ojcem, klasycznie na jego wyjątkowy sposób, a i Kraken nie zostawi swojego czarodzieja w potrzebie. A skoro już przy Krakanie jesteśmy – dużo bym dała za powieść z jego perspektywy, albo chociaż kilka rozdziałów! Ten kot jest boski i jest go zdecydowanie za mało!

Szkoda, że to już finał historii Fina, bo bawiłam się znakomicie. Już dawno książki nie zafundowały mi takiej dawki emocji jak Magia Domowa, która z każdym kolejnym tomem bardziej wkradała się do mojego serca. Ja Wam serię gorąco polecam, a jeśli się skusicie potraktujcie wszystkie trzy tomy jako całość i czytajcie ciągiem. To Wam zapewni maximum frajdy z lektury bez konieczności rozkminiania o co chodziło!

P. S. Autorka wróciła do tego świata i bohaterów – 20 lat później (podpatrzyłam na Goodreads). Jeśli te książki pokażą się u nas na bank dam im szansę, ale nie ukrywam, że mam obawy, że to już nie będzie to samo.

[WSPÓŁPRACA REKLAMOWA]

Dziękuję Wydawnictwu Prószyński i S-ka za egzemplarz do recenzj.

Moja ocena 9/10

[Miki’s⚠️ Safety Reviews & Rants⚠️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was cozy, cute, magical and whimsical.
Overall I enjoyed it but book 3 took a dive for me. A bit long but since I did the audiobook 🎧 it worked for me.
Told in 3rd person multiple POV this book mostly follows Fin our hero while he navigates his magic and love.

This says a humerous romance but I felt it was more about Fin discovering more about his magic, finding acceptance and friendship and then SOME mild romance. And even then the romance wasn’t very deep or well developed.

This is very Cozy with lots of characters and overarching plot that wraps up in book 3. These are NOT STANDALONE. It’s like one long book broken up into 3.

‼️I would have liked ALOT more romance and connection with our characters. The romance plummeted in book 3. These characters spent little time together or on page and had little connection. I was expecting them to grow and see them blossom instead it’s stayed stagnant.

‼️Also there was stuff that was getting annoying like the constant push of everyone thinking Fin was gay and him playing it up constantly. Or Fin just throwing his life away and only coming back for his kids… I mean was his new wife not worth coming back from the dead for?

Safe
Neither virgins
Closed door
h had a husband that died
No real talks about their past

[Laura Bone · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Overall, I enjoyed the House Witch series. It was cute and light hearted, however by the end of this book I was feeling a bit fatigued with the story and style. It could be that recently I have been reading heavier novels and was not in the right mindset for the lightness of this series. Who knows? I also had a few issues with some of the interactions and character dynamics. But in the end, The House Witch is an inoffensive read that focuses on the theme of kith and kin. (I did enjoy that this novel had more plot/action than the previous one.)

Also, the author's writing has improved over the course of this trilogy and I am interested in seeing how they further develop. This was a solid beginning effort, and they demonstrate potential for growth and improvement.

P.S. I liked the inclusion of "good" rats. That's, always a bonus for me.

[Shaina Daly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love this series. I can’t wait for the next book to come out. Fin is my jam. I know the next isn’t about him but the world that was built is neat. I love his use of magic. And Kraken is awesome.

[Shai S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would give this one million stars if I could. This was the most perfect cozy story while still maintaining an interesting plot. I don’t think I’ve laughed out loud while reading as much as I did with this book. I loved it so so so much. UGH I loved it.