Strange Magic

by Ruby St. George

Most witches have cute, fluffy kittens as their familiar. Not me. I’ve bonded a cranky wolf shifter. And if he finds out, I’m toast.

Darcy’s got one chance to win her freedom from the Witch clan who raised her. All she has to do is the convince a cranky wolf shifter, Jones, to help her forge a truce between the Witches and the Wolves.

When her magical gift of seeing auras evolves into the ability to influence people, she must keep it a secret or she'll never escape from the clan.

There’s only one option – secure the truce before they find out, then disappear. If only Jones would co-operate.

Jones left his pack for a reason, and if she uses her strange new magic to force him to help, then she's no better than the clan. If she doesn't, she’ll be trapped in a life of servitude. And if he learns that she's accidentally bonded him as her Familiar, she'll be toast.

Fans of Ilona Andrews, Faith Hunter and Keri Arthur will love this slow burn paranormal romance.

306 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 24, 2025

Reviews

[Laure · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darcy has only one way to be free of the witch clan where she was raised. Find the wolf shifter, Jones, and convince him to help her broker a truce between her witch clan and the wolf shifter pack. Unfortunately, things don't go exactly how she would have wanted and she ends up with a familiar bond with Jones. To top it off, for a witch who has always been considered a failure, her only magic of seeing auras, has suddenly and unexpectedly evolved and she is able to influence people with her new and strange magical ability. Her only option is to get Jones to help her form the truce and then disappear, the only problem is that the bond forged between her and Jones seems to be much more than a familiar bond.
Wow, I loved this book and these characters. Darcy is a considered weak by everyone she knows but will find out just how strong she truly is, she is also snarky, sarcastic, and at times lets her emotions rule her at the worst possible time. I was highly entertained by the relationship between Darcy and Jones they made me laugh out loud and it was fun to see how their connection evolved. I highly recommend this book to other readers. It has magic, shifters, witches, some exciting action, and surprising twists in the plot with a cliffhanger that has me eagerly awaiting the next book.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary ARC provided by Hidden Gems.

[Rosie Rizk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Darcy's grandfather is the head of the witch clan, but Darcy is a failure at magic. Given a chance to go to college in exchange for completing a difficult task, Darcy jumps at the opportunity. But the local werewolf isn't happy to help her out, and Darcy's non-existent magic suddenly decides to show itself in unusual ways. Ways that will drag her back to her witch clan once they realize how valuable she suddenly is.

This was a nice light read. The romance built up slowly. The magic was lightweight. It was present and magical, especially when Darcy explored her new abilities, but there wasn't a heavy focus on spells or other traditional methods.

I enjoyed this book at first. It felt cozy. But at some point, Darcy's relationships began to feel unhealthy. She hangs around groups of mean girls, the girl she tries to befriend is alternatively mean & nice to her, and her ex is a creep. She does have a healthy relationship with her brother, and the romance is cozy, but the bad relationships turned me off. Also, Darcy was way too sympathetic to her enemies.

Overall, this book was a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed the first half of the book, before everything turned sour. Be warned: it ends on a cliffhanger.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange Magic had a lot of potential that it never quite lived up to. The main character, Darcy, seems attracted to unhealthy relationships, whether with friends or love interests. The story was ok, but never completely found traction for me. I set the book down a few times before I finished it. I kept hoping that the ending would make the effort worthwhile, but sadly, I really didn't like the ending. The author tries to set up a cliffhanger, but it just left me feeling like this book was a waste of time. Not the worst thing I've ever read, but I don't think I'll read any more of the series in the future.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Desi Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an adventure from start to finish. Witch seeking help from wolf shifter, getting caught up in politics and running for her life?
The FMC was funny but a bit stubborn, leading her into more danger than necessary. I will be interested to see more about her aura magic and her fate in upcoming books.

Also loved the relationship between Darcy and Jones, Darcy and her brother, fingers crossed for her and Clara.

Thank you for the arc Hidden Gems and Ruby St. George. This is a voluntary review.

[Mary Ann Bulloch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Paranormal romance with witches and wolf shifters. MFC is a witch that doesn't have any of the typical witch powers. Her only magic is seeing people's auras and reading their emotions, or so she thought. She is on a mission to be allowed to live apart from her clan and gain her freedom when she accidentally gets bonded to a wolf shifter.

Content: pretty frequent swears, and things were steamier than I'm comfortable with.

i received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

She has accidentally bonded a wolf to her as her familiar and she needs him to help her. She wants to leave the witches clan behind. Life is going to get very interesting for them both. See if they will help the other to get what they both wants
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a wonderful read

[Sissy Satterfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that this was a good start to a new series. I really did enjoy this story, and really connected to the characters! I recommend! I Loved It!!! No Spoilers!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.