Major Magic

by Debra Castaneda

A day of celebration turns into a nightmare as a long-simmering mystery comes to a head. The moment Maddy’s been dreading finally new and dangerous creatures appear in Chavez Ravine. They don’t respond to Maddy’s arsenal of entity-taming weapons, and they are far more aggressive than regular entities. She fears they may be the Entity 2.0’s everyone worried would one day emerge.

What are these terrifying things? Why did they surface in Chavez Ravine? And will her magic be enough when they go on a murderous rampage?

To find the answers, Maddy must draw not only on her inherited magic, but also on the land of her ancestors and the generations of brujas that came before her.

And she must answer one final did she somehow summon the beasts?

The epic conclusion to the Maddy Madrigal Mysteries series delivers a new breed of monster, an ancient bloodline, and a final battle that will change everything.

265 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 30, 2026

About the author

Debra Castaneda is an award-winning author of urban fantasy and dark fiction based on the central coast of California.

Her works include Barely Magic, the first book in the Maddy Madrigal Mysteries series of urban fantasy novels; The Spore Queen, The Devil’s Shallows, The Root Witch, The Copper Man, Circus at Devil’s Landing, and A Dark and Rising Tide, which comprise the Dark Earth Rising series of standalone novels, and The Monsters of Chavez Ravine, an International Latino Book Awards gold medal winner.

Debra loves writing character-driven stories about people who experience scary or magical things, and how they react when confronted with the unexpected. She’s committed to representing Latinas and Latinos in her books.

For inspiration, she draws from her experience as a TV and radio journalist, and as a third-generation Mexican American

Debra now lives on the central coast of California with her husband. She enjoys rediscovering the Mexican dishes of her childhood and texting her two daughters about her latest binge-watch.

~Subscribe to her newsletter for the occasional giveaway and the latest news at www.debracastaneda.com;
~Stay in touch with her at: @castanedawrites on Facebook & @castanedawrites on Instagram .

Reviews

[Kate | Date With A Thriller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the perfect way to end this series!! 🥰

This is hands down one of my favorite series - part cozy mystery, part urban fantasy! I can’t say much without giving it away, but at one point near the end I teared up! 🥹 I also love that we finally learn what makes Sam the cat so special! ❤️ Am I sad it’s over? Yes! But there is a prequel coming so I’ll be happy again when I can step back into Maddy’s world - this time with Occult Affairs!! Cannot recommend this series enough, book peeps! 👏

Thank you to the amazing Debra Castaneda for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️

[Rhonda Bobbitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I'm deeply sad that my journey with Maddy Madrigal has come to an end. My time in Chavez Ravine has been nothing but amazing. Maddy is up against the biggest and ugliest creature yet. The growth of these characters throughout the series is astonishing. Book six wraps up so effortlessly.
Dear,
Maddy, Steve, Malena, Stu, Cora, Jo, Augustina, Olga, Liam, Justin, Bailey, Malik, Julia, Hernan, Ben, Clare, Dria, Ron, Charlie, Eileen, Leo, Toby, Rory, Becca. I'm sure I'm missing a few. Thank you for a fabulous journey.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Major Magic is the sixth and final book in Debra Castaneda’s supernatural series, and I think she saved the best for last. The action begins immediately, picking up where the fifth book left off. Maddy is face-to-face with terrifying creatures that don’t behave as any entity ever has. Nothing from her magical arsenal or the Occult Affairs division will touch them. Has entity 2.0, long feared, finally emerged? Maddy must work quickly to solve the mystery behind the horrifying new entities. It’s a journey that takes her deep into the past of the generations of brujas that came before her, culminating in a battle that will change everything Maddy knows.

This has been one of my favorite series, and I’m sad to see it end. Major Magic has everything you’ve come to expect from the previous books, but the tension and fear were amped up significantly. It starts with a bang and doesn’t let up until the end. The monsters were gruesome, the Mexican food delicious, and Maddy’s strength and perseverance shone through, cementing her as an inspiration and absolute chingona.

[Josette Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world created by this author has been a real exciting experience. I loved hearing about the culture and food of this group of people. I feel like these characters are people I would love to meet. Each person played an intricate role in dealing with each kind of ‘entity’ that showed up on the heat map. The description of the demon bats; made them absolutely horrifying. Maddy knew there was something different about Sam and finding out his role was very important when thinking back to the other books’ creatures. Because Maddy was so likable; it was really nice to read how much people respected her and had faith that she would vanquish the demon creatures. Another example of how well the book was written; was how hungry for the food mentioned I became. I could smell the steaming food placed on the table. Even though Maddy and her team faced danger; this is still a place that I would like to live. I am real sorry this series is over.

[Katja 🇧🇪 · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG you guys what an epic awesome ride this has been!
With this sixth and last book in the Maddy Madrigal series you are in for a treat! And it’s bittersweet because in my opinion it is the best book of all 6 of them because so many things come full circle… And yet saddening because one would want to let Maddy’s stories to go on and continue on paper in what will be the next chapters of her life….
Maybe the author will come back to Maddy later on, when she realizes Maddy isn’t done with us readers and nor with her 🙏🏼

Anyway, I am so incredibly grateful for this wonderful series to have come my way. I enjoyed every letter of all 6 books. They flew by in a blip, that’s how it feels to me. But luckily, we don’t need to be sad for too long because Mady’s prequel is in the making and Debra Castaneda has other books up her sleeves for us to come!

What makes this series stand out is the magical blend of humor, suspense, mystery, mouthwatering Mexican food, characters you wished you knew in real life, and of course how well all was written in a way you forget time completely and get yourself completely sucked in and forget all about your own surroundings.
Trilling and yet so relaxing en enjoyable all at the same time!
I want more!!!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sixth and final in the Maddy Madrigal series. Maddy has come a long way - not just in development of her magic and her relationships, but her confidence in herself. I've enjoyed watching Maddy's life unfurl as creatures appear and trouble begins anew.
The book, and the series as a whole are well written with a marvelously developed plot line and characters you can relate to. This isn't just an amazing series to read but you also learn about the culture as a whole which is fascinating.
This is a funny, entertaining series that will keep you wanting more from the start of the first book. It's a laugh out loud - I want to eat that food type of series as you read about Mexican culture. I highly recommend it!
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book.

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so unhappy with this book, I didn’t want to even start reading it. Why, you ask? Because it’s the last book, and I was in no way ready for that. However, I couldn’t resist, and once I started it, I read it in one go. Poor Maddy and her friends have to deal with the latest entities, and this time they are very large, and there’s 18 of them. They have to use every tool in their arsenal to defeat them. I just loved this last book in the series, and I must confess I still really don’t like Maddy’s mother very much. LOL! I’m hoping that maybe the author might eventually come back to this series because it’s a favorite. Well-written, entertaining, and engaging, this series ender is fabulous. Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

[Jen Ramsden · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final book in the Maddy Madrigal Mysteries series, and another unputdownable story. Debra has created something truly wonderful with this series- magic, monsters, mayhem, food, and the sassiest of cats! It's one of my most favourite series ever written, and I have loved every moment of it.
This tale grips from the very beginning, and the cryptids are really spooky. Having gotten to know all the characters over the series, it was straight into action and didn't let up throughout the entirety of the story.
The whole series has left me feeling nostalgic in the best way for a place I feel I know and love through Debra's words.

[Lily Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful (last? - I hope not) book in the Maddy Madrigal series!. Maddy has come into her own in a big way. Her magic, her own sense of accomplishment, her friendships and family relationships. The action was exciting, the monsters were creepy, and her Mom reminded me of my own. A mustread!!

[Caty · Rating 5 out of 5]

another great read

The latest installment in this series was another great read. The characters rely not only on ancestral magic, but on their own ability to figure out solutions and repurpose what they can to save the day.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable series

Maddy Madrigal and her crew make for some thoroughly enjoyable hours. The reintroduction to some of the figures found in Mexican mythology has been great.

[Leslie Earnest · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 6th & final book in the Maddy Madrigal Mysteries book series, and it was such a good ending! I love this series so much, and this one was probably my favorite book of the 6. Amazing, relateable characters, great world-building and pacing, plenty of action and twists, monsters, mystery and Mexican food! Highly recommend!
Thank you to the author for this eARC copy in exchange for an honest review!