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Magic & Mead: A Cozy Mystery in a Fantasy World
High fantasy meets cozy mystery with a baked-in lesbian romance.
When Clara O’Connell decided it was finally time to shake things up, she had envisioned getting an edgy haircut, renewing her quest for the perfect girlfriend, or maybe just canceling her cable.
What she couldn’t possibly have imagined was being dropped into another world, one that resembled the magical role-playing game fantasy realms she had loved playing in for years.
Other things Clara could not have imagined:
- The dead body she bumped into within minutes of arriving in the new world.
- Being a murder suspect.
- Coming face-to-face with dwarves, dragonkind, orcs, and more.
And definitely not realizing that maybe she had been unlucky at love because her “type” was apparently a sexy, gorgeous lady elf named Lore.
One thing is certain. Clara is shaking things up in every way. Will this new world be what she hadn’t even known she was looking for?
When Clara O’Connell decided it was finally time to shake things up, she had envisioned getting an edgy haircut, renewing her quest for the perfect girlfriend, or maybe just canceling her cable.
What she couldn’t possibly have imagined was being dropped into another world, one that resembled the magical role-playing game fantasy realms she had loved playing in for years.
Other things Clara could not have imagined:
- The dead body she bumped into within minutes of arriving in the new world.
- Being a murder suspect.
- Coming face-to-face with dwarves, dragonkind, orcs, and more.
And definitely not realizing that maybe she had been unlucky at love because her “type” was apparently a sexy, gorgeous lady elf named Lore.
One thing is certain. Clara is shaking things up in every way. Will this new world be what she hadn’t even known she was looking for?
180 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2024
22 people are currently reading
1723 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 12, 2025
Sweet and cute story with medium(to me) stakes, just couldn't fully connect with everything the way I wanted to.
Likes:
The town and the residents really felt alive and reminded me of the Weary Dragon Inn series.
Lore and Clara's connection felt real but didn't take over the plot, walking hand in hand with it instead.
Dislikes/ so-so's:
Parts of the story in the beginning up to when Clara found Cedric dead, felt awkward (in writing too) and rushed... once the story hit its rhythm though, everything came together nicely 👌.
I think this could have expanded on some things more but all in all, I enjoyed this one and glad I read it.
Not sure if I'd read another book in this world or not, see how I feel when the time comes.
Likes:
The town and the residents really felt alive and reminded me of the Weary Dragon Inn series.
Lore and Clara's connection felt real but didn't take over the plot, walking hand in hand with it instead.
Dislikes/ so-so's:
Parts of the story in the beginning up to when Clara found Cedric dead, felt awkward (in writing too) and rushed... once the story hit its rhythm though, everything came together nicely 👌.
I think this could have expanded on some things more but all in all, I enjoyed this one and glad I read it.
Not sure if I'd read another book in this world or not, see how I feel when the time comes.
February 29, 2024
Magic and Mead was a very cute fantasy murder mystery. If you want something a little cosy to cleanse the ol book palate.
We follow Clara who has given up her life as a lawyer to pursue something she loves, gaming. Opening Epic Nexus was a leap of faith she desperately needed, at least she thought she did, until a giant portal opened next to the store offering so much more.
What self respecting gamer wouldn't leap through and see what was on the other side right? That is where Clara met the breath-taking Lore, seconds before getting caught up in the murder of the week.
This usually peaceful town will need the assistance of the truth finders to get to the bottom of this crime, and Clara couldn't be more thrilled to spend time in this new world.
Full of friendship, cute awkward moments and a slow burn, this one is easily enjoyed in one or two sittings.
Leave reality and expectations at the door and just have fun.
We follow Clara who has given up her life as a lawyer to pursue something she loves, gaming. Opening Epic Nexus was a leap of faith she desperately needed, at least she thought she did, until a giant portal opened next to the store offering so much more.
What self respecting gamer wouldn't leap through and see what was on the other side right? That is where Clara met the breath-taking Lore, seconds before getting caught up in the murder of the week.
This usually peaceful town will need the assistance of the truth finders to get to the bottom of this crime, and Clara couldn't be more thrilled to spend time in this new world.
Full of friendship, cute awkward moments and a slow burn, this one is easily enjoyed in one or two sittings.
Leave reality and expectations at the door and just have fun.
March 5, 2024
This was a very fun and cute novel. Overall, I enjoyed it, although I must admit that it had some issues. If you turn off your brain a little and just enjoy the ride, then this was a delightful cozy mystery with a feel-good happy ending. It was a quick read and I enjoyed that it added some variety to my reading list; I don’t know that I would recommend it to anyone. It wasn’t bad, but there are simply other novels that I would recommend instead.
The novel was fun and very cute, just to repeat myself. I think this was the overall point of the novel, so they succeeded there. The mystery was also well done; the clues were all there so the reader was able to solve it before the reveal and it wasn’t too obvious. There were also some very fun references thrown in throughout the novel.
My complaints are mostly nitpicky things however they personally got in the way of my enjoyment of the novel. In general, a lot of the details were just weak, unrealistic, or inconsistent. The worldbuilding and plot were phoned in and didn’t really make sense if you thought about it too much (example: there is a magic dome over the town that’s preventing airflow to the point where its killing plants, but the people are fine and like this plan?). The pacing was all over the place, particularly with the relationship. The time difference between the two worlds was wildly inconsistent between the two times she went between worlds.
The murder investigation was the absolute worst! Again, I’m likely taking this too seriously, but it bothered me. No analysis of the body, murder weapon, or scene? Particularly the weapon, considering there were not supposed to be any in the town so where did it come from? Waiting days to get started? Barely interviewing anyone? Immediately believing everything that anyone says?
The novel was fun and very cute, just to repeat myself. I think this was the overall point of the novel, so they succeeded there. The mystery was also well done; the clues were all there so the reader was able to solve it before the reveal and it wasn’t too obvious. There were also some very fun references thrown in throughout the novel.
My complaints are mostly nitpicky things however they personally got in the way of my enjoyment of the novel. In general, a lot of the details were just weak, unrealistic, or inconsistent. The worldbuilding and plot were phoned in and didn’t really make sense if you thought about it too much (example: there is a magic dome over the town that’s preventing airflow to the point where its killing plants, but the people are fine and like this plan?). The pacing was all over the place, particularly with the relationship. The time difference between the two worlds was wildly inconsistent between the two times she went between worlds.
The murder investigation was the absolute worst! Again, I’m likely taking this too seriously, but it bothered me. No analysis of the body, murder weapon, or scene? Particularly the weapon, considering there were not supposed to be any in the town so where did it come from? Waiting days to get started? Barely interviewing anyone? Immediately believing everything that anyone says?
January 22, 2024
For those who want something light to read but with a touch of intrigue.
The mystery was quite good imho, I was completely clueless as to who did it until the very ending.
The pace was a bit on the skids side, but it fitted because it has this feel of splice of life going on and for it to work the pace cannot be too frenetic.
The romance is kinda "instalove"and pg 13 so no sexy time, which is alright.
For those who need some very detailed world building in their fantasy, that's not the case here, you won't have many answers as to why some things are the way they are, you gotta take everything at face value, as is.
I quite liked it and was happy to know they'll come back, mainly because I liked the characters, but also because of some answers to things like Clara's world and Portal are still open and I'd like to know how it'll be dealt with.
The mystery was quite good imho, I was completely clueless as to who did it until the very ending.
The pace was a bit on the skids side, but it fitted because it has this feel of splice of life going on and for it to work the pace cannot be too frenetic.
The romance is kinda "instalove"and pg 13 so no sexy time, which is alright.
For those who need some very detailed world building in their fantasy, that's not the case here, you won't have many answers as to why some things are the way they are, you gotta take everything at face value, as is.
I quite liked it and was happy to know they'll come back, mainly because I liked the characters, but also because of some answers to things like Clara's world and Portal are still open and I'd like to know how it'll be dealt with.
February 23, 2024
3 stars. Not bad. I liked the mystery and the characters were pretty interesting. There’s a little bit of a romance between Clara, a human who has travelled to this world through a portal, and Lore, an Orc. It’s more in the background but I liked it. They’re very cute together. My main gripe was the world building in this was severely lacking. I couldn’t get a clear grasp on what things looked like. I also thought the pacing was a bit uneven but this is only the first book so I’m hoping the author will smooth these things out in book two. Overall, this was a quick and entertaining read and I’ll definitely pick up book two when it comes out.
March 12, 2024
A good start
I thought this book was a little too short to accomplish all it set out to accomplish. It was missing some of the key elements of a cozy mystery and cozy fantasy. We’re told that Clara has found a new family more than see it. There’s also instalove between Clara and Lore. I wanted to see more relationship development. The mystery really takes a back seat in this story- they don’t put much effort into solving the murder and the truth seems to fall into their laps. A good editor could have fixed a lot of these issues. I hope the author will keep writing and continue to improve.
I thought this book was a little too short to accomplish all it set out to accomplish. It was missing some of the key elements of a cozy mystery and cozy fantasy. We’re told that Clara has found a new family more than see it. There’s also instalove between Clara and Lore. I wanted to see more relationship development. The mystery really takes a back seat in this story- they don’t put much effort into solving the murder and the truth seems to fall into their laps. A good editor could have fixed a lot of these issues. I hope the author will keep writing and continue to improve.
February 4, 2024
Orcs, Elves, Dryads, Dwarves, Thieves, and Magic Users, oh, my. 'A who done' it in the world of Dungeons and Dragons. There's a murder to solve and a motley crew of D and D citizens are on the case. Lore the elf and the modern-day human Clara made a cute couple. There's even an Orc lady who loves cats. This was a fun read. If you're looking for an escape from the mundane, this story will please. Oh, barkeep, I'll take a Moonshadow Mocha, please.
August 16, 2025
DNF. I really tried to like this book, but I couldn't get into it. From the beginning it felt like being dropped into the middle of the story, and plot/character/world building didn't happen. The murder and subsequent investigation seemed like a passive plot device, and when I realized I was uninterested in the plot and the characters, I stopped reading.
Did not finish
June 3, 2024DNF p 17
June 14, 2025
The story was good. Some of the characters were way underdeveloped. If this is the start of a series, maybe they get more developed along the way.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews