The Road to Farringale

Modern Magick #1

by Charlotte E. English

Can British magick be saved? Hell yes.Imagine modern Britain without magick.No fae enclaves. No flying chairs. No magick wands. Giddy gods, no unicorns.Who wants to live in that world?Me neither. But with magick on the decline, that's the world we're ending up with.Meet the Society for Magickal Heritage. Our boss is a disembodied voice. Our headquarters is a sentient house. You could say we've a vested interest in keeping magick alive.Can a ragtag bunch of magicians, necromancers and fae prevail against inevitable ruin and decline?Hell yes. Try and stop us.First mission? Find the source of a magickal disease that’s decimating Britain’s troll enclaves — and fix it. Simple.Or... maybe not. For the only place that might hold the information we need is the ancient and inconveniently lost enclave of Farringale...Join Cordelia “Ves” Vesper and the enigmatic Society in the fight to save modern magick! Urban fantasy with attitude — and fantastic hair.

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Mystery, Magic, Fiction, Paranormal, Fae

114 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 12, 2017

About the author

English both by name and nationality, Charlotte hasn’t permitted emigration to the Netherlands to change her essential Britishness. She writes colourful fantasy novels over copious quantities of tea, and rarely misses an opportunity to apologise for something. Spanning the spectrum from light to dark, her works include the Draykon Series, Modern Magick, The Malykant Mysteries and the Tales of Aylfenhame.

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Road to Farringale (Modern Magick, #1)
by Charlotte E. English
I purchased this from Chirp for practically nothing and enjoyed the heck out of it. Great characters that are fun and flawed, even the main house is a sentient being! Unique and witty plot and setting, situations, and characters. A breath of fresh fantasy air!
Great narration!

[Intisar Khanani · Rating 4 out of 5]

A humorous and engaging heroine who knows her flaws and takes them in stride, a diverse supportive cast, plus a strange malady affecting the troll enclaves, very clear directives not to investigate, and a sentient House that disagrees? This novella is a treat. There are a few flaws, to be sure, but I have no interest in splitting hairs. It's not a perfect book, but it's fabulous fun. And this first installment is free, so stop reading this review and go get it!

[Lukasz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual rating: 2.5/5

Cordelia “Ves” Vesper, an agent of the Society for Magickal Heritage, has an important job - she tracks down and rescues endangered magickal creatures, artefacts, books and spells. 

Together with her new partner - the Waymaster Jay she must identify the source of a magickal disease that’s decimating Britain’s troll enclaves - and fix it. Simple in theory, tricky in practice. 

The Road to Farringale is episode one of the contemporary fantasy web serial, Modern Magick. It's a quick and light read that doesn't require much brain power to get through it. 

The story and the plot are simplistic and linear. The tone of the book is generally fun, but Ves' jokes and comments become tiring after some time. 

Nice ideas are here, sentient (?) House being the most intriguing, but the execution is lacking. The book is 200 pages long. Plot-wise and concept-wise it's a material for 50 - 80 pages. Ves is very talkative and her comments about everything will charm some readers, tire others. Unfortunately, I'm in the second group.

It's an ok book for me. Perfect for a commute but rather unmemorable and simplistic. I'm sure that readers looking for lighter and accessible magical adventure will enjoy it much more than I.

[Thibault Busschots · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s something wrong with the trolls, there’s a magical disease going round. Two agents of a magical society investigate and quickly realize the information they need might only be found in Farringale, an ancient troll’s enclave lost in time.


A cool little mystery, a fascinating urban fantasy setting and characters with potential. It’s a childish kind of fun with trolls and flying unicorns that you can’t help but enjoy. Overall a light, quick and easy read.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (11/2/2019)! 🎁

[BRT · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a series of four short stories,in an ongoing serial series, in one book. The Road to Farringale, Toil & Trouble, The Striding Spire, and The Fifth Britain. It's a light, enjoyable series about a British Society whose purpose is to preserve & protect the magic that is dying out. Definitely young adult, perhaps even middle school or higher level elementary readers would enjoy this. Being that these are so short and the remaining episodes in the series are available for free on the author's website, I'm loath to purchase any more.

[Annezo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll admit, up front, that I wasn't aware this was a web serial when I started it. I'm not generally a fan of that format and prefer to wait until a book is finished before I dive into it.

Having said that, let me add that I thoroughly enjoyed Ves, Jake, Alban, House, and all of the other characters. The stories are fairly lightweight, even whimsical. The world-building is casual but you get enough detail not to be lost in the action.

Without being dark, bloody, or overly dramatic, English has managed to give us a series of thoroughly enjoyable stories.

Recommended for when you're in the mood for something lighthearted and well-written.

[Heatherinblack · Rating 3 out of 5]

pleasant but abrupt

felt more like a short story. and we don’t really learn about the fix. and obviously there is the relationship with the baron aspect. light and fun.

[Arnaud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did not expect such an original story!

This first novel in the series of Modern Magick has everything you would want from a story about magic and fantasy :-) I wasn't quite sure what I was expecting off of it, but it was a quick and pleasant read. Interesting characters, excellent world building and an intriguing plot that goes on in the further volumes. Jumping on volume 2 right away.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun, and I enjoyed it. I have to admit that I have liked other books from this author more, especially the House of Werth series, which I adore, but this was good.

There's an interesting world, some spunky, likeable characters - especially Ves - and a quest for everyone to go on. Like I said, this wasn't my favourite from this author but it was good. I bought the full set of this, and I will read the others at some point.

[Aphelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize that this is the first of a web serial, but I really enjoyed it and will look for the next installments! Light, fluffy and funny with a lot of potential. Very interesting magical creatures too.

[Ramona Lazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it.

[John Madill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read all the books in the Modern Magick series captivating story, great characters great story with a touch of humour, worth reading and priced right.

[Nicole (bookwyrm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun start to a series, with plenty of magic and a humorous narrator MC (even though she does focus on fashion a little more than I do). I enjoyed the references to different magical creatures and modes of travel. Ves is a really fun MC, and I'm curious to see where her adventures lead her and Jay next.

(I listened to the audiobook version available on Kobo, but at the time of posting this review, that edition was not listed in Goodreads.)

[David Baird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlotte E. English is back with a new fantasy tale and once again it’s a real treat for us readers.

Magic is real, hidden away and on the decline. There are a few out there who are doing their best to keep the community alive..Ves is one such person. She’s a rather intriguing character. She’s quite an internal person so in the inner thoughts of Ves really help you learn what kind of person she is, she strong and capable and you can’t help but grow to like her.

While Ves is on a mission she discovers an alarming issue with the Troll community..something that is threatening to wipe them out..could the answer to this mystery lie in a long-buried enclave?

Along the way we meet some fun characters. Jay who has a rather special ability to transport over great distances using ancient portals. Val had to be the character I enjoyed most.. anytime you need to know something she’s the one to go to and if you find anything juicy she will be the first there to investigate further. 

I really enjoyed Milday and House..yes I said house. House is where Ves works for the Society for Magickal Heritage, and this house isn’t like any other you’ve been in. It’s magical and if it likes you it will be kind, if not don’t expect to get to where you plan to go anytime soon as this house can change itself, move and adapt. Ves reports to Milday and Milday and house work in partnership, but like any good partnership they don’t always agree and it’s this very unique dynamic that I really loved.

With the help Baron Alban Ves sets out to save the Trolls from extinction and while doing so she may just solve a long forgotten mystery. I loved the Baron, like all good chracetrs you learn more about him as the tale unfolds and his mysteriousness is what really entriged me.

The book builds its pace nicely and you are left hoping more will come. I enjoyed the ending but knowing how good the author is you are left in no doubt there must be more tales to come.

Charlotte is the queen of the short story for me and she’s done it again. She effortlessly manages to suck you and give you so much story in so few pages..I never feel short-changed when I buy her work, if anything I’m just eager to read it and to find out when the next instalment is due J

English has given me another 5* book, the tale is quirky and fun and I couldn’t ask for more. Anyone who is a fan of the authors work will love it as it has her usual unique charm but at the same time gives the reader a fresh tale.

Charlotte E. English has to be top of list for author you need to read!

[K.B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really enjoyable read. It was short, at a mere 120 pages, which fitted my reading schedule nicely, but it didn't feel short. The story was fleshed out, the characters had depth, and there was resolution to the book even as it paved the way to the next (I believe there may be 10 such books, also available as a free online web serial?).

My favourite part of the book was undoubtedly the location, as it was set across the moors and rolling hillsides of Britain, bringing back severe nostalgia. It's a setting not often seen outside of local detective stories, so I really enjoyed how much the countryside formed part of the book.

Oh, wait. A contender for favourite parts is also House, a sentient Yorkshire mansion which provides constant chocolate, transports you from room to room, and gives you the biggest sense of home. At long as House is okay with birds, I'm moving in.

A third favourite (shush) is the MC's upbeat attitude and sass...and she actually has the skills to justify that sass (which is extremely rare. I hate confident characters if they have no reason to be. You know, the ones that go looking for trouble and can never handle it?)

"There proved to be a little square in the centre of the town (or shall I call it a round? For it, like everything else in the place, was pleasingly curvaceous). A cluster of trolls had gathered in an eager knot around a fire pit — or what passed for eager around here; they were at least visibly breathing, which gave them the edge over the rest of the townspeople."

[Saffron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book. The writing style is exquisite, the story is very enjoyable and entertaining chock-full with interesting and very well drawn characters. Ves is a genuinely smart person with some really outstanding deduction skills that readers can see and enjoy. These series is I think set in the same world as the Tales of Aylfenhame, the trilogy I enjoyed reading immensely, by the way, only here it is contemporary times instead of regency. So, so far so good, and Modern Magick series are progressing really beautifully, and I mean here book one and book two. Initially I read only a few chapters from the Road to Farringale, had a long reading hiatus until book two came out, and then I was too impatient to read the next in the series, so I’ve finished reading books in the wrong order. Worked for me anyway. I’ll admit now it’s inexplicable to me why I was so slow to finish it. Great series.

[Steven Tryon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlotte manages to have way too much fun writing quite serious mysteries. Her created worlds are eminently believable.

Highly recommended.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the sort of read we NEED half-stars for: I liked it, but...

I should maybe round up to 4 stars on Amazon (though not on Goodreads): I liked it, but...

It was neither long nor deep, but generally fun, though Ves's tendency to dwell on more than one male's attractive features or form, while trying not to be obvious about it, occasionally became excessive. Ves even asks, re. her choice of adjectives early on (in one of her breaks of the "fourth wall"), "Should I stop making Jay sound edible...? Okay, then."

Some readers might also Tsk at the author's having chosen to give her heroine a laughable lack of sense of direction, but since I resemble that too closely myself, and don't believe that it makes me less intelligent, or less capable in other ways, *I* can hardly complain.

There were a few interestingly unusual bits of world-building, especially re. the culture and appearance of healthy trolls (one of their nobles being the gorgeous, if green-skinned, object of Ves's admiration!), though troll settlements found to be in an apathetic, wasting state are the crisis at hand.

The plot of this episode involved going from troll enclave to enclave, then an unauthorized quest into the dangerous, hidden locale of the title. It wrapped up fairly quickly, ending with the curing of the curable still in progress off-stage, in order to give us a teaser of the next remarkable problem demanding Ves's immediate attention. I definitely intend to read on.

The character I was perhaps most intrigued by was House, the society's apparently sentient (though non-verbal) headquarters; I was reminded of the TARDIS. I look forward to more being revealed as the series progresses, as to House's creation and nature — and also re. just who and what Milady is, of course!

I bought this volume for only 99 cents, via Amazon, and I certainly can't claim that I haven't gotten my money's worth. I believe the web serial (which I have not yet visited) is still available wholly free online, but I had hoped that the process of formatting for Kindle would also include another editorial pass vs. something posted week by week. I still caught a handful of errors, though, in its under 200 pages. I'll list them here not so much as criticism as to reassure potential readers that they are minor, and to help Ms. English find and fix them.
1) location 46: with Jay and I — object of preposition, ergo should be "me". (Obvious if you remove "Jay and".)
2) loc. 662: trawl our way back — Huh? How can net-fishing, literal or metaphorical, refer to making one's way on foot (hurriedly, cross-country)? I suspect the author had another word in mind, which I can't intuit in this case.
3) loc. 711: a la sous vide — missing the accent on the "à".
4) loc. 827: "Hello, the Baron," I said — Delete "the", never used with titles in direct address! Would you say, "Hi, the Mom"?
5) loc. 941: question just by what means his lordship secured them — S/b "by just what means".
6) loc. 1032: I cast a slightly trepid glance — I'm not sure this form is *wrong*, but it's certainly uncommon! "Intrepid" (fearless) is like uncouth and unkempt, isn't it? I believe the proper adjectival form is "trepidatious" (though I might've used simply "wary", instead of "trembling, alarmed").
7) loc. 1360: vivid green, like emerald, or peridot — Decide what color it was! Dark, bluish green is nothing like light, yellowish green!
That's it. If you make the corrections (or can explain some of your choices), Ms. English, please let me know, and I'll update my review.

[Soirbleu · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Modern Magick, Part 1: The Road to Farringale" is the first book I have read by Charlotte English set in the modern world, which makes for a refreshing change of pace. Having a fantasy story set in today's world means that magick and technology exist side by side -- and that makes the contrast between the two all the more striking. The style of the book also seemed very different from others of Ms. English.

The main character, Cordelia Vesper, or "Ves," is lively, entertaining, and eccentric. She is intelligent, observant, snarky, and has a truly terribly sense of direction. Ves is addicted to anachronistic clothing paired with funky hair colors, and has a magnificent sense of style that others don't always understand. She is a bit of a magpie, refusing to return her magickal items to the communal storeroom when she is done with them. All these traits endeared her to me; she is badass but imperfect, charming and endearing and the kind of friend who might sometimes drive you crazy but whom you would always want to have your back. Most of all though, she possesses insatiable curiosity, and a keen sense of what is right. If "The Road to Farringale" were a D&D game, Ves would certainly be Chaotic-Good aligned. She always does what is right, but not always what is expected, and sometimes trespasses on the bounds of both her employer's rules and law.

With all Ves's quirks, she makes a delightful narrator, not least because she seems ever-so-slightly impure in her motivations. The effect of Ves-as-narrator is heightened because the tale is told in first person. As readers, we are subjected to her slightly acerbic inner monologue, wit, and mischievous tendencies. There is no way to doubt her except by removing oneself from the story-- and the story is so engaging, that such a task seems quite odious.

At the heart of "The Road to Farringale" is a puzzle. All the other trappings -- the requisite Mysterious House, handfuls of delectably handsome men (and troll!), Ves's observations, unusual and humorous magickal objects -- all these are merely diversionary. And they do an excellent job. The natures of the characters, and the lively style of the writing, draw the readers into a world that is memorable and interesting. It is only when it is almost too late, does one realize that something darker must be afoot. "Modern Magick" was released free in serial form, or for sale as an e-book. As I was both broke, and intrigued by the (unknown!) pleasure of NOT plowing through a book in one setting, I vowed to wait until each chapter came out weekly. I started reading when Ms. English was already at chapter nine or ten; I made it to precisely chapter 13 before I succumbed to temptation and purchased the whole book.

I was never sorry I did.

[A.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I had to describe this book in one word it’d be whimsy.
This is one of those hidden magick in the real world things. It feels like modern times, there are cars and sat-nav for instance, but magick people sometimes travel by chair… I guess it’s an older version of Harry Potter? Kind of?
The heroine is super chatty, which I didn’t mind. Her new partner is Jay Patel, [yay a man of colour!] and he is a Waymaster with a bit of a Jonathon Strange ability to walk the ‘other ways’ and take people with him.
But her eye is caught by a handsome troll; they exist in this world.

I received an unimpeded view of by far the most gorgeous troll I have ever beheld, and I mean gorgeous in the sense of spectacularly well-presented as well as… well, rather handsome. All height and muscle and perfect posture was he, his bulky shoulders encased in a dark blue velvet coat over a silk shirt. He wore a kind of cravat, and an actual top hat lay on the table beside him. A top hat. No wonder he and Milady were acquainted. His skin was a pleasing jadeish hue, his features perfect. All this splendour and privilege might lead one to suppose he’d have an attitude problem, but his vivid green eyes twinkled with good humour as he looked the two of us over. His gaze lingered upon the vibrant mass of my hair.

Baron Alban is the troll ambassador and he’s at The House to get info from them as there is a mysterious affliction affecting troll towns and they saw it for themselves.
Farringale is the closed off troll palace, and no one even knows where it is, or how they could get there to ask them for information or help.

‘Unicorns?’ said Jay, incredulous. ‘You just whistled a quartet of winged unicorns out of your bra?’
‘Never underestimate the benefits of a good bra,’ I told him with dignity. ‘As many a lingerie company will tell you.’

It was just fun.
4 stars
Oooh… and I have a boxed set.

[Joanne Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the opening of this fantasy. It promised interesting characters and juicy world-building. But within a few chapters, something felt amiss. The endnotes reveal this book is a web fan fic—which explains why it was so plodding in places, why much of the text has repetitive phrases, and why the main character is a Mary Sue. If I'd known the origin of The Road to Farringale, I certainly wouldn't have wasted my time. As it was, it took me weeks to wade through to the conclusion. The world-building was indeed creative and fascinating, and the secondary characters showed lots of promise, but the author's approach got in the way. It wouldn't have taken huge amounts of effort to transform this into a gripping novel. Read through and edit to reduce the episodic redundancies. Slim down the character introductions (and there are a LOT of characters) and craft it to read more like a book and less like an online roleplay. And rework the main character. Ves is attractive, and always right. She charms everyone into going along with her roguish ways, she knows everything, though she often "consults" with experts (hence the need for all those extra characters), she displays an amazing range of physical skills, and she considers every male character she encounters based on the attractiveness. Oh. and at one point she pulls out a magic flute which saves the day. whatever. Her flaws are being headstrong, having unruly curly hair, and being a rule-breaker—those are not flaws which carry a narrative, they are assets which readers envy. MC flaws have to be things which cause obstacles to reaching the goal. The main character sabotaged this story to the point I doubt I'll be reading book 2. I really wanted to explore more of this author's intriguing premises, but looks like I'll have to do a bit of research beforehand. She has a beautiful imagination and promise, so let's hope the other offerings show more writerly maturity.

[Tristan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first came across the author as the writer of the gorgeous Spindrift webcomic (check it out!), so was intrigued as to her narrative work. I’m not disappointed.

This novella is a pleasant cosy-mystery-in-magical-places fantasy with all the usual tropes and a fair few fresh flourishes. We follow the adventures of an operative of a hidden ministry that manages the secret magical heritage of Britain (hence my classification as alternate world fantasy rather than urban / paranormal). The protagonist and narrator is a prim and proper, posh and eccentric flibbertigibbet whose company is amusing and irritating in equal measures, and who is thereby perfectly depicted.

The first person narration directly addresses the audience with a wealth of haughty, flighty commentary that says more about the commentator than the commented upon - which is a welcome departure from the usual teenage paranormal snark, and a good example of first person narration done well. There’s personality in this narration, real ownership of the telling, not just the apparent cut and paste substitution of a first person voice for an all-seeing impersonal narrator which afflicts most paranormal novels.

Originally presented as a webpage series, there are a few editorial clangers (e.g. after a first meeting with the big boss, the protagonist is told to return that evening, but turns up in the morning, and the poshness of the narration occasionally slips into colloquialism) but, frankly, that hardly matters. This tale frolics along as lighthearted easy reading fun, an inconsequential feel-good entertainment. It’s light and frothy, pleasant to read, but not sufficiently involving as to read again. I’d gladly follow the series, however.

[Gary Holt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is mostly enjoyable for the banter between the people, and the heroine's personality. So much so that I'm certainly planning to read the next one. Not a pulse-pounding book that will sweep you off your feet and keep you up far too late. It's not the sort of book where you finish the last page and let out a stunned "Wow." But it was a pretty thoroughly enjoyable piece of fluff.

The magical world is kind of intriguing, not annoying. That's pretty good, I guess, given the hundreds of magical worlds I've consumed; it gets hard to tell them apart sometimes. There's not a lot of complex world building in this book (which is fine, it would take away from the charm of the characters); probably there will be more in the sequels.

The characters are more interesting, and have lots of personality, in a good way. The people are just fun. Not "complex": no nasty back-story of abuse or abandonment from their childhood, no revenge for having their family wiped out, or stuff like that. No hidden agendas, at least in this book. Not nasty to each other, either. Basically, they're all people you might actually enjoy being around, if they weren't always running off to do something crazy.

I picked this up because I was jaded from I don't know how many other novels, and I just wanted something unpretentious and enjoyable. (By "pretentious" I mean a humorless tome like "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell", or some ponderous imitation of LotR where each volume is 500 pages.) Fluff is sometimes what you need, and this delivers splendidly.

[Clive F · Rating 3 out of 5]

We live in the 21st century, we don't have flying cars, so can't we at least have magic? Maybe it's that sort of desire that has produced such a wave of "contemporary magic" books in the last decade or two. Or maybe we've all read too much Harry Potter, I'm not sure. Either way, this is a nice example of the genre: there's magic, it's out there, but it's been fading for hundreds of years, and now us ordinary people can't see it - and those who can, like Cordelia "Ves" Vesper, the hero of this book, seem to have a whale of a time with it.

Here, we follow Ves as she works with her new partner, Jay, to discover what's ailing the troll communities of Britain, many of whom seem to be turning in on themselves in a rather alarming way. We're in book 1 of a series here, so there is some development of the characters, with Ves receiving most of the spotlight, and Jay less so. I liked the setting, too, with the ancient manor house where their organisation is headquartered also playing a significant role. The writing flowed smoothly, but I did feel a little short-changed when the whole thing wrapped up in about 120 pages, all a little too neatly, and with perhaps not enough time for me to get properly engaged with the world.

Still, lots of enjoy here, so three stars for some engaging writing and interesting segments.

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 I Don't Object To A Little Villainy, Mind. I Only Draw The Line At A Lot Stars

The Road To Farringale is the first book in the Modern Magick series by Charlotte E. English.

I'm a spoil stuff.

I'm honestly far too exciting simply considering the possibilities behind the Magick system of this literary world. Where we've already discovered the existence of Unicorns and Griffins, magical sentient Houses, magic eating parasites, and the mysteriousness of charms.

I wonder if these parasites are responsible for the more far reaching decline of magic, as well as the disappearing Troll enclaves? If they do in fact burrow into the earth and search out reservoirs of magical energy to devour, its not too far of a leap.

More immediately concerning however is Baron Alban and his mysterious purposes for journeying to Farringale in the first place. Why he possessed a very detailed map? What he found, and what he was looking for, beyond their shared mission?

I think there is potential for romance between our, still secretive, Cordelia Vesper and Baron Alban. They both seem fascinated with each other... But, I do get the impression he may have ulterior motives behind his interest...

I hope we learn so much more about the creatures of this world, and the magical system. Especially, the charm making process. And Ves' magical abilities, beyond her flute playing.

[Carrie Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read several of English's books now, and I've finished every one of them marvelling at her imagination. My only criticism about this particular story is its brevity, but despite me longer being a young adult, I'm going to use any upcoming birthday money I get to continue with the series. I suppose you could say I'm happy to be hooked, as was undoubtedly the intention!

I loved Ves as she reminds me of a friend of mine from long ago. In fact, I saw and heard my friend in the role of Ves with ease. I think Jay will prove to be a dark horse, as perhaps Baron Alban will be, too. I can't help wondering about Milady. Will we see her? Is she, as my imagination was wont to imagine, a bit like Cate Blanchett's Lady Galadriel?

All in all, it was good fun, despite being quite short. What I liked most was the sense of togetherness throughout the magickal kingdom: the will to help the troll enclaves and the acceptance of the role of the Society in that effort was lovely - no mention or hint of any kind of racial difference, just the overriding notion that all were working as one. Well worth a read no matter how old you are!

[EmmaMay · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars - Light, bordering on the charming, but lacking any real depth or an intricate plot.
Several things to like about this book, the tone, the heroine - Vesper, is funny and capable. But despite being front and centre in this tale I really don't feel like I know her or understand - other than her wish to save magick/creatures - what drives her and why.
Jay, her partner, was one dimensional. And while the Troll envoy had potential, once again the author remained in the kiddie pool when it came to character development.
The sentinent house was an excellent idea, but the author failed to differentiate b/w it and Milady.
The plot for this story is rather simple and straight forward - there is a problem, go to point a, b and then c to check up on it. Resolve it by going to point d. No real tension is ever created. No real twists or anything unexpected.
A light, short read that borders on the charming, but the h becomes a little tiresome, too many characters remain one dimensional and the plot lacks intrigue. Nothing here that makes me want to read book 2.

[C.K. Beggan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful read, full of magical creatures (trolls in particular) and a truly unique heroine. I think the best test for if you’d like this is what you think of the following line from narrator Ves: “I don’t object to a little villainy, mind. I only draw the line at a lot.” This book has a lot of offbeat exchanges like that, a sentient house, an unseen society leader and one gushingly handsome and well-dressed troll.

What The Road to Farringale did lack was backstory for its lead characters, the directionally challenged Cordelia Vesper (Ves) and overwhelmed new-hire Jay Patel. I think not knowing the roots of the characters, and not knowing exactly why they were so driven to join the Society for the Preservation of Magickal Heritage, made it harder to connect to them, even though I really wanted to. Jay especially is a stand-in for the reader as he experiences many aspects of the magical world—and Ves—for the first time.

Still, it’s a fun read and I enjoyed meeting all the magical creatures, including House. I have a longer review forthcoming on the blog.

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This felt very unfinished, like a few chapters of a larger story. I understand this is meant to be a serial but the book left off in what was essentially the middle of the story.

Its a modern fantasy story of sorts, with a young woman paired with a young man she is crushing over sent out by a secret society to investigate a troll village. Trolls, in this world are sophisticated, urbane sorts who are handsome and hide away from society and apparently something is afflicting their hidden communities.

Like most urban fantasies the whole "secret world under the surface" bit doesn't feel plausible or in any way believable, and the main character who goes by the name Vesper is described as very capable and respected but shows basically no special ability other than overdressing and having useful devices to use at times.

Her partner is a teleporter, able to use gates set throughout the British Isles (at great personal cost and difficulty) but that seems to be the extent of the magical abilities of everyone involved.