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The Spellwork Syndicate #2
Sugar Spells
For fans of Hex Hall, The Magicians, Practical Magic, and Food Wars!
After her run-in with a jealous warlock, apprentice baker Anise Wise can’t wait to get back the kitchen where she belongs. But thanks to her brush with death, the land of the living isn’t all cupcakes and marshmallows.
Anise’s magical mojo is way out of whack and her evolving powers are stirring up trouble. As the town buzzes with news that Anise can bake deathly spells, unsavory characters start lining up for a taste. They’ll stop at nothing for the chance to use Anise and her witchcraft to further their own plots.
She plans to hole up researching magic recipes until the attention dies down, but then she discovers the horrifying terms of her bodyguard’s contract. Wynn has saved her life so many times, she can’t leave him trapped. But doing the right thing will mean risking death or worse—being cast out of her dream job.
For this witch, justice might not be as sweet as advertised.
After her run-in with a jealous warlock, apprentice baker Anise Wise can’t wait to get back the kitchen where she belongs. But thanks to her brush with death, the land of the living isn’t all cupcakes and marshmallows.
Anise’s magical mojo is way out of whack and her evolving powers are stirring up trouble. As the town buzzes with news that Anise can bake deathly spells, unsavory characters start lining up for a taste. They’ll stop at nothing for the chance to use Anise and her witchcraft to further their own plots.
She plans to hole up researching magic recipes until the attention dies down, but then she discovers the horrifying terms of her bodyguard’s contract. Wynn has saved her life so many times, she can’t leave him trapped. But doing the right thing will mean risking death or worse—being cast out of her dream job.
For this witch, justice might not be as sweet as advertised.
270 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 30, 2018
14 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
October 19, 2018
If you haven't read Deadly Sweet, you definitely should do it!
This second book is so sweet, inspiring and just fun to read. On one of my status I mentioned that the cover represents really well the inside and it's because everything feels like a princess fairytale and I would definitely read these books to my kids if I had them ❤️.
"Is there anything else I can do?" "Live" Peggy said. "Dance, kiss, love and don't fixate on what's wrong. If you can be passionately yourself, death will never hold sway over you."
Our main character, Anise, is still one of my favorites. I love how she's always paying attention to the people around her trying to help and the beautiful way she uses her powers. It was heartbreakig to see her struggling to bake, the thing she loves doing the most. However, at the same time, it made me realise how there was so many people trying to help her because everyone just adore her like I do.
"Could you just try not killing as a go-to? At least in the name of protecting me?" "No."
One of those people protecting Anise is our Shield, Wynn. I love him and I would love to be like him too, such a badass and always trying to start a fight haha. Here we get to know a little bit of his past because he starts opening up bit by bit and let me tell you, saying I got angry and I wanted to protect him (IDK how I would do it haha) is an understatement.
Another character we get to know better was Gabi, one of Anise best friends. I just adore their friendship, how all three of them have each others back and would do anything at anytime to help. Also, I would love to live in Gabi's house since she's a vet her house is full of unique creatures that just take your breath away 😍.
The character that made me laugh at loud anytime it was there was Carrot hahaha, she goes straight to the point and doesn't hesitate when she has to say somenthing.
However, the aspect I loved the most was the ending, it was heartwarming and left me wanting to go and do stuff because we are so lucky we're alive 😍. I have to admit it was a little bit unrealistic but I didn't mind.
I don't like writing a review with everything positive so I'll say some things other people maybe won't like but that for me it was fine :P One of them that I noticed was, it only has two conflicts and one is a result of the other so I'll probably would count it as only one, therefore if you're looking for a lot of action this may not be it. Another one is that Anise isn't such a badass but because that's just her personality, she doesn't like fighting and I think it was ok since not everyone has to be a badass (like me 😂)
All in all, I would 100% recommend this trilogy to everyone! It's sweet, heartwarming, it talks a lot about desserts and it has magic, what else could make it better?
This second book is so sweet, inspiring and just fun to read. On one of my status I mentioned that the cover represents really well the inside and it's because everything feels like a princess fairytale and I would definitely read these books to my kids if I had them ❤️.
"Is there anything else I can do?" "Live" Peggy said. "Dance, kiss, love and don't fixate on what's wrong. If you can be passionately yourself, death will never hold sway over you."
Our main character, Anise, is still one of my favorites. I love how she's always paying attention to the people around her trying to help and the beautiful way she uses her powers. It was heartbreakig to see her struggling to bake, the thing she loves doing the most. However, at the same time, it made me realise how there was so many people trying to help her because everyone just adore her like I do.
"Could you just try not killing as a go-to? At least in the name of protecting me?" "No."
One of those people protecting Anise is our Shield, Wynn. I love him and I would love to be like him too, such a badass and always trying to start a fight haha. Here we get to know a little bit of his past because he starts opening up bit by bit and let me tell you, saying I got angry and I wanted to protect him (IDK how I would do it haha) is an understatement.
Another character we get to know better was Gabi, one of Anise best friends. I just adore their friendship, how all three of them have each others back and would do anything at anytime to help. Also, I would love to live in Gabi's house since she's a vet her house is full of unique creatures that just take your breath away 😍.
The character that made me laugh at loud anytime it was there was Carrot hahaha, she goes straight to the point and doesn't hesitate when she has to say somenthing.
However, the aspect I loved the most was the ending, it was heartwarming and left me wanting to go and do stuff because we are so lucky we're alive 😍. I have to admit it was a little bit unrealistic but I didn't mind.
I don't like writing a review with everything positive so I'll say some things other people maybe won't like but that for me it was fine :P One of them that I noticed was, it only has two conflicts and one is a result of the other so I'll probably would count it as only one, therefore if you're looking for a lot of action this may not be it. Another one is that Anise isn't such a badass but because that's just her personality, she doesn't like fighting and I think it was ok since not everyone has to be a badass (like me 😂)
All in all, I would 100% recommend this trilogy to everyone! It's sweet, heartwarming, it talks a lot about desserts and it has magic, what else could make it better?
November 3, 2018
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.
WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW
Maybe..
Okay, yes this review will have some.
Read at your own risk!
For the love of baking and all kinds of fun magic!
Sugar Spells was a pretty quick and cute book to dive into. I loved getting to see the darker side of magic with this book - even if it is with baking yummy treats! Anise is so lovable and I liked seeing her go through every day troubles. Baking can be hard (for some people) and it sucks when you've slaved all day (or an hour or two) baking and it all just dies. Burnt to a crisp. Inedible basically. Unless you like food like that..
Well Anise's magic has definitely gone through something. It's not her magic anymore really. Of course, when you try to bring people back from the "dead" they tend to change. At least she still had her humor and Wynn. OH WYNN - I definitely was seeing some tension between them. I was hoping for some kind of romance but I think their friendship actually becoming a thing was beautiful to read.
Of course I still ship them and I hope they are a thing in the next book .. because you can't hint such things and not give me anything!! I will be distraught guys. Besides the baking and the hints of romance, there were familiars and vampires! The vampire bats in that damn cave kind of creeped me out (a bit) .. yet they were oddly adorable at the same time. Well, when they weren't trying to suck the blood from ya!
Overall, it was a cute book with some danger, twists, turns, and some wicked vampires. I loved seeing her friends again and more about their lives. I kind of wish I was in this little town because it sounds awesome!
WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW
Maybe..
Okay, yes this review will have some.
Read at your own risk!
For the love of baking and all kinds of fun magic!
Sugar Spells was a pretty quick and cute book to dive into. I loved getting to see the darker side of magic with this book - even if it is with baking yummy treats! Anise is so lovable and I liked seeing her go through every day troubles. Baking can be hard (for some people) and it sucks when you've slaved all day (or an hour or two) baking and it all just dies. Burnt to a crisp. Inedible basically. Unless you like food like that..
Well Anise's magic has definitely gone through something. It's not her magic anymore really. Of course, when you try to bring people back from the "dead" they tend to change. At least she still had her humor and Wynn. OH WYNN - I definitely was seeing some tension between them. I was hoping for some kind of romance but I think their friendship actually becoming a thing was beautiful to read.
Of course I still ship them and I hope they are a thing in the next book .. because you can't hint such things and not give me anything!! I will be distraught guys. Besides the baking and the hints of romance, there were familiars and vampires! The vampire bats in that damn cave kind of creeped me out (a bit) .. yet they were oddly adorable at the same time. Well, when they weren't trying to suck the blood from ya!
Overall, it was a cute book with some danger, twists, turns, and some wicked vampires. I loved seeing her friends again and more about their lives. I kind of wish I was in this little town because it sounds awesome!
July 16, 2019
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I need to start with how much I loved the title, the cover and the blurb of this book. In fact, that was the sole reason why I even read the first part of "The Spellwork Syndicate". I really liked the idea of a witch whose magical mojo is all messed up because of a brush with death. I mean, let me not even get into why I like the "Vampire Academy" series.
Anyway, moving to Sugar Spells, this is the second part in "The Spellwork Syndicate" and it had me floored. Like, I'm not going to go far as to say that I loved it because like in Deadly Sweet, I found the writing a little too descriptive and I had reached almost 50% of the book before I started getting really interesting. But I'm not going to say that I didn't enjoy it either. In fact, I found it quite addictive and it was a decent enough read for me.
What I liked the most was how Anise and Wynn's friendship developed throughout the course of the book. In the previous one, I had expected both of them to have a rather hard time, but with this book, things kind of improved. And I was very much happy for that. Even when Anise wasn't his fan, I kind of liked him. Especially when he tried to fight the Hand in the previous novel, all on his own. Even though it was his job, he didn't have to.
I guess the fact that Agatha was more or less missing from this one didn't go well with me. I mean, what's the point of the Syndicate if they can't save you when you need saving? I have noticed this in two works continuously. The Syndicate makes you feel like you are a kid who doesn't know a thing and it acts like a bunch of people who can do everything on its own while Anise is left to fight for her own self. I mean, WHERE IS THE JUSTICE IN THAT?
So yeah, the book bothered me a little but it was a great one and I ended up liking it. A full 4-star review for it.
I need to start with how much I loved the title, the cover and the blurb of this book. In fact, that was the sole reason why I even read the first part of "The Spellwork Syndicate". I really liked the idea of a witch whose magical mojo is all messed up because of a brush with death. I mean, let me not even get into why I like the "Vampire Academy" series.
Anyway, moving to Sugar Spells, this is the second part in "The Spellwork Syndicate" and it had me floored. Like, I'm not going to go far as to say that I loved it because like in Deadly Sweet, I found the writing a little too descriptive and I had reached almost 50% of the book before I started getting really interesting. But I'm not going to say that I didn't enjoy it either. In fact, I found it quite addictive and it was a decent enough read for me.
What I liked the most was how Anise and Wynn's friendship developed throughout the course of the book. In the previous one, I had expected both of them to have a rather hard time, but with this book, things kind of improved. And I was very much happy for that. Even when Anise wasn't his fan, I kind of liked him. Especially when he tried to fight the Hand in the previous novel, all on his own. Even though it was his job, he didn't have to.
I guess the fact that Agatha was more or less missing from this one didn't go well with me. I mean, what's the point of the Syndicate if they can't save you when you need saving? I have noticed this in two works continuously. The Syndicate makes you feel like you are a kid who doesn't know a thing and it acts like a bunch of people who can do everything on its own while Anise is left to fight for her own self. I mean, WHERE IS THE JUSTICE IN THAT?
So yeah, the book bothered me a little but it was a great one and I ended up liking it. A full 4-star review for it.
October 21, 2018
You can also read my review here: https://devouringbooks2017.wordpress....
4 1/2 stars
This book might have been better than the first book in the series. It had the same amazing characters in the amazing world that was built with a whole new plot. Anise's baking magic wound up entangled with death magic from her near death experience in the previous book. She still makes baked goods, but now with death enchantments. Mannikans also come into play, they are non-human supernaturals, like vampires and werewolves.
I loved the character growth in this novel. We got to know Wynn bettere and also got to see what Gabi's magic was like. Anise also continued to grow as a witch. I love these characters and I will follow them through the rest of this series because they are so much fun to read about,
What I think made this novel better than the first is the plot. Don't get me wrong, the first book is amazing, but this one was even better. I was a little scared, because typically sequels suffer from second-book-syndrome, but that wasn't the case here at all. While in the first book I felt that the climax was diminished by prior big events in the book, in this book the climax was executed perfectly. I also loved the addition of vampires to the world.
I am so glad to have discovered this series. I absolutely love these characters and am so glad to have gotten to read about them in two novels and will continue to follow them through the rest of the series. This world is so unique and the plot was amazing. I can't wait to read the next book in the series and hopefully read other books by Lola Dodge.
4 1/2 stars
This book might have been better than the first book in the series. It had the same amazing characters in the amazing world that was built with a whole new plot. Anise's baking magic wound up entangled with death magic from her near death experience in the previous book. She still makes baked goods, but now with death enchantments. Mannikans also come into play, they are non-human supernaturals, like vampires and werewolves.
I loved the character growth in this novel. We got to know Wynn bettere and also got to see what Gabi's magic was like. Anise also continued to grow as a witch. I love these characters and I will follow them through the rest of this series because they are so much fun to read about,
What I think made this novel better than the first is the plot. Don't get me wrong, the first book is amazing, but this one was even better. I was a little scared, because typically sequels suffer from second-book-syndrome, but that wasn't the case here at all. While in the first book I felt that the climax was diminished by prior big events in the book, in this book the climax was executed perfectly. I also loved the addition of vampires to the world.
I am so glad to have discovered this series. I absolutely love these characters and am so glad to have gotten to read about them in two novels and will continue to follow them through the rest of the series. This world is so unique and the plot was amazing. I can't wait to read the next book in the series and hopefully read other books by Lola Dodge.
October 10, 2018
A fun, quick read, filled with bits of magic and sweetness.
Anise again finds herself in danger for reasons beyond her control, but once again with the help of her loyal friends and her somewhat reluctant bodyguard she will overcome all the obstacles in her way.
*Full review to Come*
Anise again finds herself in danger for reasons beyond her control, but once again with the help of her loyal friends and her somewhat reluctant bodyguard she will overcome all the obstacles in her way.
*Full review to Come*
September 28, 2018
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.
I read the first book, Deadly Sweet, at the start of the year and was quite pleased to see this second book appear on Netgalley. While I did have some critics on the first book it was still an enjoyable read. The second book moved on in the same direction and it was just what I needed.
Don’t go into these books expecting a very complex magical system or very complex plot. What you see is what you get. Sugar Spells is a true cozy, feel good, magical book. These books are perfect to curl up on the couch under a blanket and read in one sitting this Winter. Sugar Spells isn’t too long nor does it move to fast. The baking and the main character give of something homely and comforting, and that is what I needed at the time of reading.
What I also appreciate is how the romance is being approached. I suspect there is a slow burn romance at work here and the ground work for that was laid down in this book. One can’t be in a relationship if there is an unequalness in the relationship. ‘Employer’, and employee that can’t leave. This was talked about without the romance in it actually. That is how slow burn it is.
Anise also reminds me of myself. The bad luck, the complete unflattering wardrobe when she stays in, the constant push to fix what is wrong, feeling crap so eating ice scream it is. And yes she is clearly the ‘heroine’ who wants to fix everything and always chooses the right thing. But there is more to her than that and that is why I enjoy her character.
This book is being targeted at young adult however I do have my questions regarding that. Anise is out of high school and working on a career. So I would say this series also borders on new adult in that context. Having said that there is also barely anything triggering in these books.
I read the first book, Deadly Sweet, at the start of the year and was quite pleased to see this second book appear on Netgalley. While I did have some critics on the first book it was still an enjoyable read. The second book moved on in the same direction and it was just what I needed.
Don’t go into these books expecting a very complex magical system or very complex plot. What you see is what you get. Sugar Spells is a true cozy, feel good, magical book. These books are perfect to curl up on the couch under a blanket and read in one sitting this Winter. Sugar Spells isn’t too long nor does it move to fast. The baking and the main character give of something homely and comforting, and that is what I needed at the time of reading.
What I also appreciate is how the romance is being approached. I suspect there is a slow burn romance at work here and the ground work for that was laid down in this book. One can’t be in a relationship if there is an unequalness in the relationship. ‘Employer’, and employee that can’t leave. This was talked about without the romance in it actually. That is how slow burn it is.
Anise also reminds me of myself. The bad luck, the complete unflattering wardrobe when she stays in, the constant push to fix what is wrong, feeling crap so eating ice scream it is. And yes she is clearly the ‘heroine’ who wants to fix everything and always chooses the right thing. But there is more to her than that and that is why I enjoy her character.
This book is being targeted at young adult however I do have my questions regarding that. Anise is out of high school and working on a career. So I would say this series also borders on new adult in that context. Having said that there is also barely anything triggering in these books.
December 16, 2018
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest review.
First off, I wish I'd realized this was the second book in a series (and it was probably made clear in the books description when I requested it, but I was so spellbound by the cover that I wasn't even paying attention to that). There was definitely some backstory I was missing out on, and while I felt like the major points that were necessary for this story to make sense were covered, I still felt like I was playing catch-up for most of this story. I think I probably missed out on some of the excitement of this story because I was playing catch-up.
I was drawn to this book because it was pretty clearly about magic and baking, so I was disappointed to find out that there just wasn't a whole lot of baking going on, at least not the type of baking that would result in treats I would want to eat.
Read the rest of my review on my blog. --> https://justanothergirlandherbooks.bl...
First off, I wish I'd realized this was the second book in a series (and it was probably made clear in the books description when I requested it, but I was so spellbound by the cover that I wasn't even paying attention to that). There was definitely some backstory I was missing out on, and while I felt like the major points that were necessary for this story to make sense were covered, I still felt like I was playing catch-up for most of this story. I think I probably missed out on some of the excitement of this story because I was playing catch-up.
I was drawn to this book because it was pretty clearly about magic and baking, so I was disappointed to find out that there just wasn't a whole lot of baking going on, at least not the type of baking that would result in treats I would want to eat.
Read the rest of my review on my blog. --> https://justanothergirlandherbooks.bl...
January 25, 2021
Anise’s brush with death has left her magic all out of whack. Her aunt won’t let her near the bakeshop until she can get control of her new death magic. Anise turns to her friends and bodyguard to help her get her powers under control. Of course nothing is easy.
Book 2 is another cozy and magical story. Simple and predictable, yet lots of fun. It picks right up where the first book left off, and we get more back story on Wynn, see him start to have a little more character development (and have actual emotions) learn more about The Shield’s, and a little more how the Magic’s work.
I wish we got a little more on the dearth magic. Anise ends up baking the same thing over and over and over, and it got a little old.
I love the new character, Carrot, and I’m very disappointed to see book 3’s release now seems to be indefinite. I would have jumped right into the next book to see what happens next!
Book 2 is another cozy and magical story. Simple and predictable, yet lots of fun. It picks right up where the first book left off, and we get more back story on Wynn, see him start to have a little more character development (and have actual emotions) learn more about The Shield’s, and a little more how the Magic’s work.
I wish we got a little more on the dearth magic. Anise ends up baking the same thing over and over and over, and it got a little old.
I love the new character, Carrot, and I’m very disappointed to see book 3’s release now seems to be indefinite. I would have jumped right into the next book to see what happens next!
October 28, 2018
Lola Dodge delivers a sweet follow-up through her next book in the Spellwork Syndicate series. Sugar Spells is fun, magical, and everything I wanted from the previous book and more!
The story begins right where Deadly Sweet ended and we find that Anise is now at odds with her magic after the previous events occurred. She’s finally found a sense of home and feels more like herself than she ever has, but now she’s afraid she’ll have to leave the bakery because of this magic she possess.
“Is there anything else I can do?”
“Live,” Peggy said. “Dance, kiss, love and don’t fixate on what’s wrong. If you can be passionately yourself, death will never hold sway over you.”
It was easy to dive back into this world Lola Dodge has created and follow along with the story. I felt for Anise and how she’s constantly finding herself in trouble, but at the same time I loved reading about her magic in this book. There were certain areas in the first book where I wanted more from the magic descriptions, but in Sugar Spells there were fantastic explanations behind everything! Lola Dodge’s writing continues to grow and that makes me super excited to read the next book in this series!
And the baking!! We get to see a different side to Anise’s baking this time around. Her new magic helps her create what she describes as “killer Oreos” and it strangely made me want to eat some? You’ll understand why that’s weird once you read the book.. But in all seriousness, you probably shouldn’t read Sugar Spells while hungry.
As usual, the girl power and friendships in this series are on point. But the most interesting part of this book was the relationship between Anise and Wynn, her bodyguard. We learn more about mysterious Wynn and his back story as the story progresses and I loved it all.
“When we get out of here, I’ll take you to a real movie. A comedy. And we’ll eat all the snacks.”
We popped out of the tunnel I hadn’t paying attention to and Wynn paused to look back at me. His lips tilted in the rarest of Wynn-spressions.
A smile.
“Promise?”
Anise learns the truth of how the two of them are connected and what the terms of his Shield contract are. And with that, they form a somewhat friendship as they try to achieve the same goal of releasing him from his duties. This is really when the story started to pick up for me. Honestly, if Anise and Wynn end up together this has got to be one of my favorite slow-burn romances EVER. (Thank you, Lola.)
“You think you can experience what you experience and not be changed? You went through the fire again, cupcake. Never expect things to be the same on the other side.”
Overall, I really enjoyed this book! It was the perfect weekend read when I needed a quick escape from the world. I recommend it to anyone looking for some magic in their lives!
The story begins right where Deadly Sweet ended and we find that Anise is now at odds with her magic after the previous events occurred. She’s finally found a sense of home and feels more like herself than she ever has, but now she’s afraid she’ll have to leave the bakery because of this magic she possess.
“Is there anything else I can do?”
“Live,” Peggy said. “Dance, kiss, love and don’t fixate on what’s wrong. If you can be passionately yourself, death will never hold sway over you.”
It was easy to dive back into this world Lola Dodge has created and follow along with the story. I felt for Anise and how she’s constantly finding herself in trouble, but at the same time I loved reading about her magic in this book. There were certain areas in the first book where I wanted more from the magic descriptions, but in Sugar Spells there were fantastic explanations behind everything! Lola Dodge’s writing continues to grow and that makes me super excited to read the next book in this series!
And the baking!! We get to see a different side to Anise’s baking this time around. Her new magic helps her create what she describes as “killer Oreos” and it strangely made me want to eat some? You’ll understand why that’s weird once you read the book.. But in all seriousness, you probably shouldn’t read Sugar Spells while hungry.
As usual, the girl power and friendships in this series are on point. But the most interesting part of this book was the relationship between Anise and Wynn, her bodyguard. We learn more about mysterious Wynn and his back story as the story progresses and I loved it all.
“When we get out of here, I’ll take you to a real movie. A comedy. And we’ll eat all the snacks.”
We popped out of the tunnel I hadn’t paying attention to and Wynn paused to look back at me. His lips tilted in the rarest of Wynn-spressions.
A smile.
“Promise?”
Anise learns the truth of how the two of them are connected and what the terms of his Shield contract are. And with that, they form a somewhat friendship as they try to achieve the same goal of releasing him from his duties. This is really when the story started to pick up for me. Honestly, if Anise and Wynn end up together this has got to be one of my favorite slow-burn romances EVER. (Thank you, Lola.)
“You think you can experience what you experience and not be changed? You went through the fire again, cupcake. Never expect things to be the same on the other side.”
Overall, I really enjoyed this book! It was the perfect weekend read when I needed a quick escape from the world. I recommend it to anyone looking for some magic in their lives!
November 5, 2018
Lola Dodge’s Sugar Spells is a quick, entertaining, and well-written read filled with magic and delicious baked treats. Although I wish some of the characters and certain elements of the plot were more developed, this is a great read. It’s an excellent second addition to The Spellwork Syndicate series.
Our protagonist is teen baker and kitchen witch Anise Wise who is recovering from her brush with death at the hands of a murderous warlock. She can’t wait to get back to whipping up magical treats but life isn’t so simple. She is tainted with death magic and everything she bakes turns out disastrously. Her new powers also attract the attention of unsavoury magical beings. She’s also trying to find a way to free her Shield, Wynn from servitude. When Anise combines baking the death magic out with attempting to earn enough money to free Wynn, things go terribly wrong.
I love that this book delves deeper into the magic world. Dodge gives us enough to keep us invested but does not overwhelm us. The introduction to the other magical beings in Taos is really well-done. The plot is interesting and well-paced. But, I would have liked more mystery with regards to the creepy Girrar. I also wish the main villain’s storyline was more developed and better explained.
Dodge touches on heavy issues but deftly avoids being heavy-handed or too superficial. The book explores indentured servitude in the magical world as well as how Anise copes with the changes within herself and her magic.
Anise is a great and likable protagonist. She’s relatable and realistic. I like Wynn’s character development and I enjoyed seeing him show more personality than just being grumpy. I love how the relationship evolves between Wynn and Anise as they grow to trust and understand each other. I sense Dodge may be heading towards a romance and I’m looking forward to it because she’s taken the time to build up a great rapport between them. I actually really like that Dodge barely features romance in this series but instead, focuses on character development and platonic relationships which is so rarely seen in YA literature.
But, I would have liked more of Anise’s friends, Gabi and Blair. They are interesting but underutilized. I would have also liked a more substantial relationship between Anise and great-aunt Agatha.
Sugar Spells is a fun magical read. Although I would’ve liked some more development of character and plot, I absolutely recommend this book. I cannot wait for book three!
Thank you to NetGalley and Ink Monster, LLC for this book in exchange for an honest review.
Our protagonist is teen baker and kitchen witch Anise Wise who is recovering from her brush with death at the hands of a murderous warlock. She can’t wait to get back to whipping up magical treats but life isn’t so simple. She is tainted with death magic and everything she bakes turns out disastrously. Her new powers also attract the attention of unsavoury magical beings. She’s also trying to find a way to free her Shield, Wynn from servitude. When Anise combines baking the death magic out with attempting to earn enough money to free Wynn, things go terribly wrong.
I love that this book delves deeper into the magic world. Dodge gives us enough to keep us invested but does not overwhelm us. The introduction to the other magical beings in Taos is really well-done. The plot is interesting and well-paced. But, I would have liked more mystery with regards to the creepy Girrar. I also wish the main villain’s storyline was more developed and better explained.
Dodge touches on heavy issues but deftly avoids being heavy-handed or too superficial. The book explores indentured servitude in the magical world as well as how Anise copes with the changes within herself and her magic.
Anise is a great and likable protagonist. She’s relatable and realistic. I like Wynn’s character development and I enjoyed seeing him show more personality than just being grumpy. I love how the relationship evolves between Wynn and Anise as they grow to trust and understand each other. I sense Dodge may be heading towards a romance and I’m looking forward to it because she’s taken the time to build up a great rapport between them. I actually really like that Dodge barely features romance in this series but instead, focuses on character development and platonic relationships which is so rarely seen in YA literature.
But, I would have liked more of Anise’s friends, Gabi and Blair. They are interesting but underutilized. I would have also liked a more substantial relationship between Anise and great-aunt Agatha.
Sugar Spells is a fun magical read. Although I would’ve liked some more development of character and plot, I absolutely recommend this book. I cannot wait for book three!
Thank you to NetGalley and Ink Monster, LLC for this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 31, 2018
These is the second book in the Spellwork Syndicate series. I enjoyed reading this story and thought it was well written and a good storyline.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a honest review the opinions are of my own.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a honest review the opinions are of my own.
October 31, 2018
Sugar Spells fulfills the promise of Deadly Sweet, becoming everything I had hoped this series would be!
Don’t you just love these covers? The first one sucked me right in, and I love this one even more. But what’s true of the covers is just as true of the books!
Anise is still in Taos, but her previous adventures did not leave her unscathed. Without spoilers (for either this book or book one), she finds herself more deeply immersed in the world of magic, becoming more aware of its darker side—whether she wants to or not. Now she’s struggling to figure out how she fits in, who she’s going to be, and what exactly is happening to her powers.
The first book, Deadly Sweet, intrigued me enough to request the second. With Sugar Spells, Lola Dodge’s Spellwork Syndicate series has become one of my fun-read favorites. I wanted to see Anise come more into her own, learning from past mistakes and making better choices, and she’s definitely doing her best to rise to the hero’s call. Better yet, she’s doing it believably, with her own personal style. Anise is never going to be a smooth, cut-off-your-head-with-a-scimitar kind of heroine, and she isn’t trying to be. She just Anise, only, you know, more heroic.
The world also becomes richer in this novel. We get to see a bit more of the different kinds of magic, and we’re introduced to a few new venues. But my personal favorite thing is that we get to delve deeper into characters who weren’t fully explored in book one. Anise’s future in Taos is on the line, and while she’s had friends here from the beginning, it’s time for her to start building a real team—if she wants to survive.
Loved it, loved it, loved it! Can’t wait for book three!!!
Don’t you just love these covers? The first one sucked me right in, and I love this one even more. But what’s true of the covers is just as true of the books!
Anise is still in Taos, but her previous adventures did not leave her unscathed. Without spoilers (for either this book or book one), she finds herself more deeply immersed in the world of magic, becoming more aware of its darker side—whether she wants to or not. Now she’s struggling to figure out how she fits in, who she’s going to be, and what exactly is happening to her powers.
The first book, Deadly Sweet, intrigued me enough to request the second. With Sugar Spells, Lola Dodge’s Spellwork Syndicate series has become one of my fun-read favorites. I wanted to see Anise come more into her own, learning from past mistakes and making better choices, and she’s definitely doing her best to rise to the hero’s call. Better yet, she’s doing it believably, with her own personal style. Anise is never going to be a smooth, cut-off-your-head-with-a-scimitar kind of heroine, and she isn’t trying to be. She just Anise, only, you know, more heroic.
The world also becomes richer in this novel. We get to see a bit more of the different kinds of magic, and we’re introduced to a few new venues. But my personal favorite thing is that we get to delve deeper into characters who weren’t fully explored in book one. Anise’s future in Taos is on the line, and while she’s had friends here from the beginning, it’s time for her to start building a real team—if she wants to survive.
Loved it, loved it, loved it! Can’t wait for book three!!!
October 15, 2018
Rating: 3.5 stars
OK, maybe this wasn't the best book to read while on a low carb diet, haha. Once again this book goes pretty heavily into the details of the things Anise is baking, so if you're into watching The Great British Bake-Off and Charmed then this book might be for you! If cooking shows bore you, you might want to move along...
After her exploits in Deadly Sweet, Anise's fire magic is left tainted with death magic and she can't bake. If you've read the first book in the series, this is basically game over, life is ruined for Anise. (And if you haven't read the first book in the series, what are you even doing here? This is the second book in a series, and no, it can't be read as a stand alone. Go read Deadly Sweet first, then come back, you weirdo.) She's desperate to get her baking mojo back - by any means necessary, even it if means baking murder macaroons for a local vampire who is not-quite-right-in-the-head. Especially once she finds out the terms of Wynn's contract, and realizes that there's a way she can use this unwanted power to his advantage.
I love that we get a look inside Gabi's family's cryptozoology vet clinic in this book! I'd have loved to get a little more of a look into that aspect of the world, but they pretty much say that because of Anise's fire magic (to say nothing of being tainted with death magic) she'll have a hard time getting the creatures to warm up to her, so she doesn't get to go exploring much. It feels like there are a lot of little threads of possible storylines that get sort of picked up in this book and then never actually lead anywhere, which was disappointing. Still, it was a fun story, and I enjoyed reading about Wynn opening up a little more with Anise, as well as reading about her power continuing to grow. BUT WHAT ABOUT SCHOOL?! SHE MISSED SO MUCH CLASS AND NOBODY CARES!! AHHH! The Ravenclaw in me is not OK with this!!
OK, maybe this wasn't the best book to read while on a low carb diet, haha. Once again this book goes pretty heavily into the details of the things Anise is baking, so if you're into watching The Great British Bake-Off and Charmed then this book might be for you! If cooking shows bore you, you might want to move along...
After her exploits in Deadly Sweet, Anise's fire magic is left tainted with death magic and she can't bake. If you've read the first book in the series, this is basically game over, life is ruined for Anise. (And if you haven't read the first book in the series, what are you even doing here? This is the second book in a series, and no, it can't be read as a stand alone. Go read Deadly Sweet first, then come back, you weirdo.) She's desperate to get her baking mojo back - by any means necessary, even it if means baking murder macaroons for a local vampire who is not-quite-right-in-the-head. Especially once she finds out the terms of Wynn's contract, and realizes that there's a way she can use this unwanted power to his advantage.
I love that we get a look inside Gabi's family's cryptozoology vet clinic in this book! I'd have loved to get a little more of a look into that aspect of the world, but they pretty much say that because of Anise's fire magic (to say nothing of being tainted with death magic) she'll have a hard time getting the creatures to warm up to her, so she doesn't get to go exploring much. It feels like there are a lot of little threads of possible storylines that get sort of picked up in this book and then never actually lead anywhere, which was disappointing. Still, it was a fun story, and I enjoyed reading about Wynn opening up a little more with Anise, as well as reading about her power continuing to grow. BUT WHAT ABOUT SCHOOL?! SHE MISSED SO MUCH CLASS AND NOBODY CARES!! AHHH! The Ravenclaw in me is not OK with this!!
October 11, 2018
The story picks up exactly where Deadly Sweet left off. Anise has death magic rattling through her body and can no longer bake at her great-aunt's bakery until the magic is dispelled. Her friends try and help wean the green coated magic from Anise, but the process is relentless. No matter how much Anise drains the magic through baking charred concoctions, it still remains inside of her. Upon meeting a shady vampire named Giraar and learning more about Wynn's past, Anise decides to strike a deal with the vamp so everybody wins: her necromancy magic will be drained through constant baking, the macaroons she bakes will be given to Giraar since he loves death magic, and in payment Giraar will hand over gems and gold coins that will be saved up and used to buy Wynn's freedom from his Shield life. So what could go wrong?
There's something magical swept into the pages of this series, and it took me so long to finish because I knew I had to wait until March for the next installment. We learned about Wynn's past which resulted in a friendship slowly blooming between Wynn and Anise (and hopefully something more in the next book). Unlike Deadly Sweet, the main focus was on Wynn and Anise as they struck a deal with the devil and paid the consequences. I didn't mind not having the other characters in the spotlight since I loved the interactions between Wynn and Anise. The only reason I rated this four stars was because the last ~15% felt weird compared to the rest of the story.
March cannot arrive fast enough and I excitedly look forward to the next adventure!
Thank you Edelweiss for an ARC.
There's something magical swept into the pages of this series, and it took me so long to finish because I knew I had to wait until March for the next installment. We learned about Wynn's past which resulted in a friendship slowly blooming between Wynn and Anise (and hopefully something more in the next book). Unlike Deadly Sweet, the main focus was on Wynn and Anise as they struck a deal with the devil and paid the consequences. I didn't mind not having the other characters in the spotlight since I loved the interactions between Wynn and Anise. The only reason I rated this four stars was because the last ~15% felt weird compared to the rest of the story.
March cannot arrive fast enough and I excitedly look forward to the next adventure!
Thank you Edelweiss for an ARC.
November 6, 2018
SUGAR SPELLS is a fun, light read as long as you don't look too far into the ingredients of its sweet frosting. Readers who enjoyed Anise's voice and relationship with her bodyguard will be delighted to find more of the same in this sequel. As they grow closer, Wynn opens up about his past, adding more complications to Anise's story.
However, SUGAR SPELLS suffers from many of the same problems as its predecessor. The ethics of using spelled treats to influence emotions is never discussed. Wynn points out that witches are manipulative, but the discussion ends there. A plot point briefly comes up where SUGAR SPELLS could have addressed the problematic power of raising the dead and using them as servants, but the issue is side-stepped and never brought up again.
Like the first book, Wynn and Anise end up in trouble despite the obviousness of the villain's plot; however, Anise's voice is such a delight, that I kept reading. At this point, I'm not sure that I'll pick up the third. With the second book following the same mistakes as the first, it's difficult to imagine the last book in the trilogy will manage all the heavy lifting of fleshing out the world building and addressing the problematic issues that Anise has blithely ignored.
However, SUGAR SPELLS suffers from many of the same problems as its predecessor. The ethics of using spelled treats to influence emotions is never discussed. Wynn points out that witches are manipulative, but the discussion ends there. A plot point briefly comes up where SUGAR SPELLS could have addressed the problematic power of raising the dead and using them as servants, but the issue is side-stepped and never brought up again.
Like the first book, Wynn and Anise end up in trouble despite the obviousness of the villain's plot; however, Anise's voice is such a delight, that I kept reading. At this point, I'm not sure that I'll pick up the third. With the second book following the same mistakes as the first, it's difficult to imagine the last book in the trilogy will manage all the heavy lifting of fleshing out the world building and addressing the problematic issues that Anise has blithely ignored.
October 17, 2018
This book was just the recipe of magical fun I was looking for! Sugar Spells is the second book in The Spellwork Syndicate Series, the first is Deadly Sweet, which I have not read yet, and works fine as a stand alone. The third book, Wicked Tasty comes out next March. I am going to be adding Deadly Sweets to my TBR!
This fast read is a story about Anise and her baking spells. She is all of a sudden unable to whip up her usual yummy pastries and discovers evil magic is running through her veins. As she tries to discover a solution to her baking and magical troubles she also tries to save her bodyguard from a lifelong debt he is repaying.
This book is an easy and fun little story of baking and spells. Plenty of magical creatures fill the pages of this fun story along with lots and lots of BATS!🙀 This story finds me at the right time, before Halloween and going into baking season!
I received this advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. This book will be published October 30th, go check it out!
This fast read is a story about Anise and her baking spells. She is all of a sudden unable to whip up her usual yummy pastries and discovers evil magic is running through her veins. As she tries to discover a solution to her baking and magical troubles she also tries to save her bodyguard from a lifelong debt he is repaying.
This book is an easy and fun little story of baking and spells. Plenty of magical creatures fill the pages of this fun story along with lots and lots of BATS!🙀 This story finds me at the right time, before Halloween and going into baking season!
I received this advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. This book will be published October 30th, go check it out!
November 11, 2018
Recommended to lovers of heartwarming fantasy series. I just love everything about this book. To start with , the world building. I didn't have the chance to read the first book "Deadly sweet" , but i read the excerpt and some reviews to get an overall idea. The world is so amazing with supernaturals of all forms , witches , vamps , mallikins . They all live in harmony with the syndicate on power. Characters:
Anise , the protagonist - book lover- baker - introvert. The perfect combo ever..
Wynn , the shield of Anise is soooo cute and hot ( am assuming) . He is the strong silent mesysed up type of guy.
Gabi , the life saver in the previous book is given priority and time.
Agatha , with her messed up priorities and silently caring heart , rocks and rules.
My review
Sugar spells was a unique book I've ever grabbed and its so cute.
Anise , the protagonist - book lover- baker - introvert. The perfect combo ever..
Wynn , the shield of Anise is soooo cute and hot ( am assuming) . He is the strong silent mesysed up type of guy.
Gabi , the life saver in the previous book is given priority and time.
Agatha , with her messed up priorities and silently caring heart , rocks and rules.
My review
Sugar spells was a unique book I've ever grabbed and its so cute.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2018
I’ve seem to read more YA than usual, and as I’ve said in those reviews, they aren’t my favorite genre. I like them, but to me they can a little too YA. However, this second book in this series strikes the exact right tone. I read the first book of the series, and I really enjoyed it. However, as has been the case lately, I liked this second one even better. The characters are really starting to grow and become very real characters to me. They aren’t carbon copies of each other, and each has their own uniqueness. Not only that, the book is well-written and kept my interest up throughout the whole book, even when the book took a strange turn towards the end. I just went with the plot twist and came to appreciate the interesting twist. And, I loved what Anise gained at the end (you’ll have to read the book to find out what). I can’t wait to see what Anise and company get into the next book! I give this one 4 ½ starts and highly recommend it! I was provided the e-book which I voluntarily reviewed.
December 4, 2018
Absolutely loved this book, but the ending made me a little sad. After everything that they had been through together. Just made for a wrong sorta ending. Still cannot wait until I read book three. Bring on next year!
November 3, 2018
Sugar Spells is the second installment in a cozy little witch series. It's perfect if you want to celebrate the spooky season without actually reading spooky books. Or just want a cute little book about witches, baking, and lots of magic.
I read the first book nearly a year ago and I quite enjoyed it. If you want to you can check out my review of it here.
But to quickly recap (no spoilers, don't worry) the first book Deadly Sweet was a lot of fun and a very new reading experience for me. Usually, I gravitate towards dark and gritty books not a lot of cozy, or happy books. But that's exactly what both books are. Now there is trouble Anise the mc has to go through. But the atmosphere is just ... so homey. It was very predictable though.
Now, this book, Sugar Spells, has the same atmosphere with some darker undertones mixed in. And it was a little less predictable. I enjoyed reading it a lot. It's still a very quick read, but was great for that. I am curious to see what happens in the third books. Towards the end, a lot of things happened where I want to see how they play out. And I've grown to care for these people.
I love the characters and how helpful everyone is. That's soo good to see. The family relationships are great and the friendships! It a huge strength of these books and something I very much appreciate. It's not that often to see in books (especially the kind of books I usually read)
Just a thing you should know ... you'll have a lot of baking to do.
I baked brownies the day after finishing Sugar spells.
There is so much talk about all the delicious things Anise bakes or Agatha, her great-aunt, sells in her shop and just ..I mean you just have to look at the covers to know what to expect.
they represent perfectly how the books are. And their stunning!
I read the first book nearly a year ago and I quite enjoyed it. If you want to you can check out my review of it here.
But to quickly recap (no spoilers, don't worry) the first book Deadly Sweet was a lot of fun and a very new reading experience for me. Usually, I gravitate towards dark and gritty books not a lot of cozy, or happy books. But that's exactly what both books are. Now there is trouble Anise the mc has to go through. But the atmosphere is just ... so homey. It was very predictable though.
Now, this book, Sugar Spells, has the same atmosphere with some darker undertones mixed in. And it was a little less predictable. I enjoyed reading it a lot. It's still a very quick read, but was great for that. I am curious to see what happens in the third books. Towards the end, a lot of things happened where I want to see how they play out. And I've grown to care for these people.
I love the characters and how helpful everyone is. That's soo good to see. The family relationships are great and the friendships! It a huge strength of these books and something I very much appreciate. It's not that often to see in books (especially the kind of books I usually read)
Just a thing you should know ... you'll have a lot of baking to do.
I baked brownies the day after finishing Sugar spells.
There is so much talk about all the delicious things Anise bakes or Agatha, her great-aunt, sells in her shop and just ..I mean you just have to look at the covers to know what to expect.
they represent perfectly how the books are. And their stunning!
October 12, 2024
In the sequel to DEADLY SWEET, SUGAR SPELLS bakes up a fun adventure and develops its heroine and main characters. A must-read for baking fans, magic fans, and a little bit of mayhem fans.
SUGAR SPELLS was simply a lot of fun. Problems from the last novel run over into this one: awkward writing mainly being the main problem, underdeveloped side characters taking second place. Anyone but Anise and Wynn are the human equivalent of white bread: boring, bland, and stale, with no discerning character traits between them.
But, having said that, SUGAR SPELLS is undeniably silly and charming, and sometimes runs with its absurd premise. It was so interesting to learn more about Wynn and his history, and I enjoyed seeing how tentative professionalism blossomed into a sweet friendship between him and Anise.
This is a perfect series for someone who just wants to read something fluffy.
WILL I READ ON? Yep! WICKED TASTY next year some time!
ARC sent by NetGalley and Inkmonster LLC in exchange for an honest review. This title released 30th October 2018.
LAST REVIEW || 1: DEADLY SWEET
SUGAR SPELLS was simply a lot of fun. Problems from the last novel run over into this one: awkward writing mainly being the main problem, underdeveloped side characters taking second place. Anyone but Anise and Wynn are the human equivalent of white bread: boring, bland, and stale, with no discerning character traits between them.
But, having said that, SUGAR SPELLS is undeniably silly and charming, and sometimes runs with its absurd premise. It was so interesting to learn more about Wynn and his history, and I enjoyed seeing how tentative professionalism blossomed into a sweet friendship between him and Anise.
This is a perfect series for someone who just wants to read something fluffy.
WILL I READ ON? Yep! WICKED TASTY next year some time!
ARC sent by NetGalley and Inkmonster LLC in exchange for an honest review. This title released 30th October 2018.
LAST REVIEW || 1: DEADLY SWEET
November 9, 2018
I read the first book, Deadly Sweet, after being approved to read second book on Netgalley.
I enjoyed the first read and this book continued and was as enjoyable. These are simple stories with lots of wonderful tasty bakes and a cozy magical feel. Perfect read for on the couch with a snuggle blanket on a wet afternoon.
Thank you to NetGalley, Inscribe Digital and Lola Dodge for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication.
All reviews are available on my blog www.momobookdiary.com
Merged review:
I read the first book, Deadly Sweet, after being approved to read second book on Netgalley.
I enjoyed the first read and this book continued and was as enjoyable. These are simple stories with lots of wonderful tasty bakes and a cozy magical feel. Perfect read for on the couch with a snuggle blanket on a wet afternoon.
Thank you to NetGalley, Inscribe Digital and Lola Dodge for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication.
I enjoyed the first read and this book continued and was as enjoyable. These are simple stories with lots of wonderful tasty bakes and a cozy magical feel. Perfect read for on the couch with a snuggle blanket on a wet afternoon.
Thank you to NetGalley, Inscribe Digital and Lola Dodge for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication.
All reviews are available on my blog www.momobookdiary.com
Merged review:
I read the first book, Deadly Sweet, after being approved to read second book on Netgalley.
I enjoyed the first read and this book continued and was as enjoyable. These are simple stories with lots of wonderful tasty bakes and a cozy magical feel. Perfect read for on the couch with a snuggle blanket on a wet afternoon.
Thank you to NetGalley, Inscribe Digital and Lola Dodge for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication.
January 22, 2019
Sugar Spells continues from where Deadly Sweet ended. Anise had close encounter with death, and coming back had it’s consequences – she can not bake a thing without putting the customers in danger. What to do? There are couple of opinions, but none of them help. Her only opinion is to bake the death touch out of her. But who would buy a deadly sweets? Well turns out, there is somebody who is willing to buy and to eat her cooking.
So she moves from kitchen to kitchen and bakes her deadly macron, especially since in addition to her baking out the unwanted new ability, she has also discovered, that her bodyguard could really use the money.
So in this fast and interesting and thrilling story Anise bakes and learns and fights her and Wynn’s way to freedom and gets more friends and a familiar.
Really good YA paranormal story.
So she moves from kitchen to kitchen and bakes her deadly macron, especially since in addition to her baking out the unwanted new ability, she has also discovered, that her bodyguard could really use the money.
So in this fast and interesting and thrilling story Anise bakes and learns and fights her and Wynn’s way to freedom and gets more friends and a familiar.
Really good YA paranormal story.
November 12, 2018
-thank you to the publisher and to netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review-
A sequel (I didn’t know going into it).
This books tried, really hard. The magic system was a bit confusing to me, which could be because I mistakenly requested the second book in the set without having read the first, or because it just isn’t fully explained.
Although categorized as YA, I’d almost put this in the middle grade area, with an aim at older middle graders. I will try again to read this but at this time...it didn’t feel well with me.
A sequel (I didn’t know going into it).
This books tried, really hard. The magic system was a bit confusing to me, which could be because I mistakenly requested the second book in the set without having read the first, or because it just isn’t fully explained.
Although categorized as YA, I’d almost put this in the middle grade area, with an aim at older middle graders. I will try again to read this but at this time...it didn’t feel well with me.
October 31, 2018
3.75/5 stars
The second book in a series, Sugar Spells follows up where Deadly Sweet left off. Anise, a baking witch, lives in a world not that unlike our own, except, well… the witch thing. Everyone knows they are there, but no one is thrilled to have the in their town. When she is forced out of her town and sent to work and apprentice for her Aunt Agatha, she finds that witches are more common in Taos, New Mexico. After a run in with a warlock in Deadly Sweet that held her at the brink of death, Anise is left with death magic she doesnt want, and certainly doesn’t know how to use. Trying her best to get rid of it, Anise strikes a deal with the town vampires and in doing so may lean closer into her new necromancy powers.
First I will say that I read both of these novels in a day. They are compulsively readable. These are the kind of books that are so fun and whimsical that it is easy to lose track of time. Though I will say that I enjoyed the first book much more than the second in terms of the overall plot as the characters remained in the same arc throughout both novels. I felt that Sugar Spells lost some of the charm of Deadly Sweet, deviating from the reasons why Anise was in Taos in the first place. The book seemed almost like a novella or a side-quest, taking the reader on a journey before actually moving on with Anise’s story and her original quest to learn baking magic.
I really enjoyed the dynamic between Anise and Wynn in this books, we definitely got to see more of their growing friendship in this book which was nice, though it would have been good to see more of her growing friendship with Gabi and Blair as well as they seemed glossed over in this. I enjoyed Anise as a character, she is someone you cant help but love and root for because she makes mistakes and holds herself accountable for them and it brave without being too brash. I find her to be a good example of a realistic heroine, understanding her own limits as a person and, though she gets herself into sticky situations, she uses her strengths to help when she can and knows when to let others help her as well.
Sugar Spells is another fun and exciting book by Lola Dodge and I am excited to pick up the third installation when it is released. Magic and baked goods, what’s not to love?
The second book in a series, Sugar Spells follows up where Deadly Sweet left off. Anise, a baking witch, lives in a world not that unlike our own, except, well… the witch thing. Everyone knows they are there, but no one is thrilled to have the in their town. When she is forced out of her town and sent to work and apprentice for her Aunt Agatha, she finds that witches are more common in Taos, New Mexico. After a run in with a warlock in Deadly Sweet that held her at the brink of death, Anise is left with death magic she doesnt want, and certainly doesn’t know how to use. Trying her best to get rid of it, Anise strikes a deal with the town vampires and in doing so may lean closer into her new necromancy powers.
First I will say that I read both of these novels in a day. They are compulsively readable. These are the kind of books that are so fun and whimsical that it is easy to lose track of time. Though I will say that I enjoyed the first book much more than the second in terms of the overall plot as the characters remained in the same arc throughout both novels. I felt that Sugar Spells lost some of the charm of Deadly Sweet, deviating from the reasons why Anise was in Taos in the first place. The book seemed almost like a novella or a side-quest, taking the reader on a journey before actually moving on with Anise’s story and her original quest to learn baking magic.
I really enjoyed the dynamic between Anise and Wynn in this books, we definitely got to see more of their growing friendship in this book which was nice, though it would have been good to see more of her growing friendship with Gabi and Blair as well as they seemed glossed over in this. I enjoyed Anise as a character, she is someone you cant help but love and root for because she makes mistakes and holds herself accountable for them and it brave without being too brash. I find her to be a good example of a realistic heroine, understanding her own limits as a person and, though she gets herself into sticky situations, she uses her strengths to help when she can and knows when to let others help her as well.
Sugar Spells is another fun and exciting book by Lola Dodge and I am excited to pick up the third installation when it is released. Magic and baked goods, what’s not to love?
October 12, 2018
This is a delicious mixture of sweet magic, some dark creatures, and spicy adventure.
Anise has survived the adventure of the first book...a book I truly enjoyed...and now, finds herself at odds with her own magic. Thanks to her brush with death, death magic has intertwined with her own cheerful sparks. It makes for deadly baking, which really is killing her mood. Her necromancy friends are doing their best to help out, but it's slow. When she discovers a way she can still bake even with death magic seeping in, it appears that more than one problem might be solved. But nothing is as easy as it seems.
This is not a deep book but simply an enjoyable read with lots of sugary treats, magic, paranormal creatures, a very light dust of romance-ish, and tons of fun. In other words, a great read to simply escape reality.
Anise struggles with her magic, and her frustration comes across natural and very understandable. The attempts of her friends to help her is inspirational, and it's refreshing to see that these witches definitely have their borders on what they can do. There's a nice community feel as they stand together, even when it's not enough. The scenes carry danger, but also a bit of humor to even things out. It's a lovely mix.
Imagination flows freely in these pages, especially in the way of magical creatures. While Anise and her magical problems remain serious, the author has added a bit of childish wonder on the side. I enjoyed reading about the fantastical creatures and Anise's interactions as much as the more serious and action filled scenes.
Anise does have a tough adversary especially toward the end, and action scenes keep the suspense high. Some moments are more of a surprise than others, but there's enough of a unexpected twist to keep the tension flowing. The ending scene hit a little sudden, but then, it fits the tale and promises more to come. I'm looking forward to see what Anise will face next.
I received a complimentary copy through Netgalley and enjoyed diving into this story so much that I wanted to leave my honest thoughts.
Anise has survived the adventure of the first book...a book I truly enjoyed...and now, finds herself at odds with her own magic. Thanks to her brush with death, death magic has intertwined with her own cheerful sparks. It makes for deadly baking, which really is killing her mood. Her necromancy friends are doing their best to help out, but it's slow. When she discovers a way she can still bake even with death magic seeping in, it appears that more than one problem might be solved. But nothing is as easy as it seems.
This is not a deep book but simply an enjoyable read with lots of sugary treats, magic, paranormal creatures, a very light dust of romance-ish, and tons of fun. In other words, a great read to simply escape reality.
Anise struggles with her magic, and her frustration comes across natural and very understandable. The attempts of her friends to help her is inspirational, and it's refreshing to see that these witches definitely have their borders on what they can do. There's a nice community feel as they stand together, even when it's not enough. The scenes carry danger, but also a bit of humor to even things out. It's a lovely mix.
Imagination flows freely in these pages, especially in the way of magical creatures. While Anise and her magical problems remain serious, the author has added a bit of childish wonder on the side. I enjoyed reading about the fantastical creatures and Anise's interactions as much as the more serious and action filled scenes.
Anise does have a tough adversary especially toward the end, and action scenes keep the suspense high. Some moments are more of a surprise than others, but there's enough of a unexpected twist to keep the tension flowing. The ending scene hit a little sudden, but then, it fits the tale and promises more to come. I'm looking forward to see what Anise will face next.
I received a complimentary copy through Netgalley and enjoyed diving into this story so much that I wanted to leave my honest thoughts.
November 9, 2018
Review originally posted on A Keyboard and an Open Mind 9 November 2018:
I have a pretty terrible memory for the details of books, and I read the first one back in March. But I’m pretty sure I liked this one even more than the first!
Lola Dodge’s culinary descriptions continued to make me drool and once again, the cover is really stunning. The way Anise’s magic is infused with the baking was also described in detail and Dodge was able to expand on the magic system she established in book one. We also got to see more of Blair’s necromancy and Gabi’s cryptoid veterinary clinic, both of which were enjoyable.
Character-wise, my favourite part was the burgeoning friendship between Anise and her bodyguard, Wynn. I love begrudging friendships! And this was definitely begrudging on Wynn’s part. We also got to learn how he ended up in his contract as Anise’s bodyguard and what that meant for him. I loved Anise’s attempts to help him and how he opened up as he realised she was genuine about it.
I never saw the twist coming, but in hindsight, I should have known something was up. And those are the best sorts of twists, I think. The different sub-plots of the story all wove together into the climax, and I ended up taking a longer lunch break than I should have to finish the book. From the sounds of it, it looks like book three in the series follows pretty closely from the events of this one, and I can’t wait until March to read it!
(Thank you to the Publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for a review)
I have a pretty terrible memory for the details of books, and I read the first one back in March. But I’m pretty sure I liked this one even more than the first!
Lola Dodge’s culinary descriptions continued to make me drool and once again, the cover is really stunning. The way Anise’s magic is infused with the baking was also described in detail and Dodge was able to expand on the magic system she established in book one. We also got to see more of Blair’s necromancy and Gabi’s cryptoid veterinary clinic, both of which were enjoyable.
Character-wise, my favourite part was the burgeoning friendship between Anise and her bodyguard, Wynn. I love begrudging friendships! And this was definitely begrudging on Wynn’s part. We also got to learn how he ended up in his contract as Anise’s bodyguard and what that meant for him. I loved Anise’s attempts to help him and how he opened up as he realised she was genuine about it.
I never saw the twist coming, but in hindsight, I should have known something was up. And those are the best sorts of twists, I think. The different sub-plots of the story all wove together into the climax, and I ended up taking a longer lunch break than I should have to finish the book. From the sounds of it, it looks like book three in the series follows pretty closely from the events of this one, and I can’t wait until March to read it!
(Thank you to the Publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for a review)
October 26, 2018
Sugar Spells is book 2 in The Spellwork Syndicate series. Lola Dodge is a must read author for me, I love her writing style. Her characters are entertaining and lively, and her world building is great.
After the events in book 1, Anise is left with her powers acting a bit wonky. She's trying to bake and everything is turning into gooey sludge messes and she can't figure out why. She's off kitchen duty at her Aunt's bakery until it all gets sorted out. After consulting with a family friend they realize a bit of her friend's death magic is in Anise and that's what is throwing everything out of wack. She has to find an outlet for the magic or who knows how long this will last. So Anise does the thing she's best at and winds up making deadly macarons. This draws the attention of a creepy mannikin (vampires and other things that go bump in the night). Something is up with the mannikin though and Anise is more focused on helping Wynn, her bodyguard out of a situation he was forced into.
Sugar Spells was a strong sequel to a magical series you won't want to put down. We got some light shed on the other abilities we got glimpses on in book 1. I was very pleased with learning more about Wynn this time around too. All in all this was a great read, I recommend it if you like YA Fantasy novels with magic mixed in.
After the events in book 1, Anise is left with her powers acting a bit wonky. She's trying to bake and everything is turning into gooey sludge messes and she can't figure out why. She's off kitchen duty at her Aunt's bakery until it all gets sorted out. After consulting with a family friend they realize a bit of her friend's death magic is in Anise and that's what is throwing everything out of wack. She has to find an outlet for the magic or who knows how long this will last. So Anise does the thing she's best at and winds up making deadly macarons. This draws the attention of a creepy mannikin (vampires and other things that go bump in the night). Something is up with the mannikin though and Anise is more focused on helping Wynn, her bodyguard out of a situation he was forced into.
Sugar Spells was a strong sequel to a magical series you won't want to put down. We got some light shed on the other abilities we got glimpses on in book 1. I was very pleased with learning more about Wynn this time around too. All in all this was a great read, I recommend it if you like YA Fantasy novels with magic mixed in.
November 3, 2018
I’ve yet to read something by Lola Dodge that I haven’t liked, and Sugar Spells is no exception. Although, I wonder why the names of the first two books aren’t swapped. I think that the titles describe each book better. Anyway, Anise continues in the employ of her great aunt, Agatha, but things are amiss, and well, Anise might never be the same again…
Like Deadly Sweet, Sugar Spells contains strong female characters, while allowing vulnerability that male protagonists are regularly not allowed to show in fiction. I didn’t groan at the mistakes Anise made in this second book. Unlike some series protagonists, Anise actually learns from her mistakes, and doesn’t repeat them over and over again.
Like book one, I requested this one from NetGalley, and my thoughts from my review of book one continue in regard to sexism and misandry, and the overall socio-anthropological view of the characters within the pages.
It’ll come as no surprise that I enjoyed Sugar Spells, and like its predecessor, I read the story as fast as I could pour the words into my brain. Even though the title just reminds me of the older brother in The Goldbergs, I look forward to reading Wicked Tasty in first quarter 2019. Four stars for Sugar Spells, and you should totally read these books.
Like Deadly Sweet, Sugar Spells contains strong female characters, while allowing vulnerability that male protagonists are regularly not allowed to show in fiction. I didn’t groan at the mistakes Anise made in this second book. Unlike some series protagonists, Anise actually learns from her mistakes, and doesn’t repeat them over and over again.
Like book one, I requested this one from NetGalley, and my thoughts from my review of book one continue in regard to sexism and misandry, and the overall socio-anthropological view of the characters within the pages.
It’ll come as no surprise that I enjoyed Sugar Spells, and like its predecessor, I read the story as fast as I could pour the words into my brain. Even though the title just reminds me of the older brother in The Goldbergs, I look forward to reading Wicked Tasty in first quarter 2019. Four stars for Sugar Spells, and you should totally read these books.
November 30, 2018
This second installment in the series is just as sweet as the first (ha!). While I’m sure you should always start from the beginning of a series, this can probably be read as your first foray into this world.
We join Anise as she reels from some side effects of her last misadventure into the world of baking and magic. She’s got a healthy (maybe?) dose of death magic mixed in with her normal magic that’s making her baking… bad. Really, really bad. So bad that she’s on the verge of being kicked out of the kitchen permanently. Lucky for her, she’s got super supportive friends, one of which is a specialist in death magic, and they’re all determined to get this out of her system.
Aside from Anise’s battle against her own magic (and baked goods), we’ve also got a front row seat to the show that is Anise and Wynn. Wynn may be essentially enslaved and bound to protect Anise, but we know very little about his past before the book starts. We get a nice in depth look and also get a nice development of their relationship here. The impetus? Well, how about a death eating big bad? That seems about par for the course in Anise’s life. All in all, this story was fun, interesting, and left me desperately craving baked goods (minus the death magic).
We join Anise as she reels from some side effects of her last misadventure into the world of baking and magic. She’s got a healthy (maybe?) dose of death magic mixed in with her normal magic that’s making her baking… bad. Really, really bad. So bad that she’s on the verge of being kicked out of the kitchen permanently. Lucky for her, she’s got super supportive friends, one of which is a specialist in death magic, and they’re all determined to get this out of her system.
Aside from Anise’s battle against her own magic (and baked goods), we’ve also got a front row seat to the show that is Anise and Wynn. Wynn may be essentially enslaved and bound to protect Anise, but we know very little about his past before the book starts. We get a nice in depth look and also get a nice development of their relationship here. The impetus? Well, how about a death eating big bad? That seems about par for the course in Anise’s life. All in all, this story was fun, interesting, and left me desperately craving baked goods (minus the death magic).
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