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Enchanted, Inc. #5
Much Ado About Magic
Book 5 in the Enchanted, Inc. SeriesTo Manage Magical Mayhem, Save the Company, Save the World Katie Chandler is back in New York and at Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc. – and just in time. The city’s in the grip of a magical crime wave from spells that wizarding whiz Owen Palmer thinks look awfully familiar, and the rogue firm Spellworks is raising its profile in the magical world by selling protective amulets. It’s Katie’s job as the new director of marketing for MSI to fight this battle of public perception while Owen and the other wizards try to uncover what’s really going on.What Katie doesn’t realize is that her idea to stage a showcase for MSI’s magical achievements is playing right into a devious plot more than three decades in the making. Now Katie has to do damage control that has nothing to do with marketing. To save the magical world, she’ll have to prove who the real enemy is, and doing that will require digging deeper into Owen’s mysterious past than he wants anyone to go. If she fails, she not only stands to lose a magical war, but she could also lose the man she loves.“Fresh, charming, and addictively readable, MUCH ADO ABOUT MAGIC is just what I was waiting for!” –Rachel Aaron, author of The Legend of Eli Monpress
293 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 15, 2012
137 people are currently reading
1364 people want to read
About the author
Shanna Swendson
45 books1,138 followersOnce upon a time ...
A little girl learned to amuse herself by making up stories in her head. She turned everyday activities into exciting adventures, and she made up new adventures for characters from her favorite movies, TV shows and books. Then one day she realized that if she wrote down those stories, she'd have a book! But that was crazy, she thought. Real people don't become novelists. That was like deciding you were going to be a movie star. You couldn't just go and do it.
But, it turns out, you can, and she did. She realized her dream of becoming a novelist and seeing her stories in bookstores.
And then she started to wig herself out by writing about herself in the third-person.
This is her story.
The Novelist's Journey
As I said above in that bit of silliness, I've always been a writer at heart. My favorite way to play was to create stories and act them out with my Fisher-Price people, my Barbie dolls or myself and a box of play clothes. If none of those things were available, I could just sit and make up stories in my head. I occasionally got into trouble for being a little too creative, such as the time when I embellished a bit on my kindergarten experiences (where's the dramatic hook in coloring, cutting out and pasting?).
When I was in seventh grade and a bit old for Fisher-Price people, Barbie dolls or the dress-up box, I started writing these stories down in spiral notebooks. Later, I found an old manual typewriter, taught myself to type, then wrote a lot of first chapters of novels on it. I still hadn't figured out how to actually be a working novelist who gets paid for writing (finishing a book instead of writing a lot of first chapters might have been a good start), so when it came time to go to college, I went to journalism school at the University of Texas. While getting my degree in broadcast news, I managed to structure a curriculum that might also help me in my real career plans. I took fencing (which I thought would be useful for writing fantasy novels), an astronomy course on the search for extraterrestrial life (in case I wanted to write science fiction), psychology, interpersonal communication, and parageography (the geography of imaginary lands).
I got serious about pursuing my novel-writing ambitions soon after I got my first job in public relations (TV reporting, it turns out, would have taken away from my writing time) when I started joining local writing organizations and reading books on how to write a novel. Then I took the big step of registering for a writing conference. With the registration fee, you could enter two manuscripts in a contest that went with the conference. I figured if I was paying that much money, I'd get the most out of it, so I wrote two entries. At the conference, I met a real, live editor, who encouraged me to submit, and one of my entries won the science fiction/fantasy category of the contest. I hurried to finish the novel the editor had asked for, then mailed a proposal.
She ended up rejecting the book, but encouraged me to keep trying. I ended up selling that novel elsewhere, then sold two more books to that publisher before I had another idea for that original editor. That book ended up selling, and then one more.
And then I hit the wall. Due to a number of circumstances, some of which weren't my fault and some of which were, I didn't sell anything else for eight years. But then I had the idea that became Enchanted, Inc., I wrote it, sold it, and here I am.
Other Life Stuff
I think I need to get a few more hobbies or something else going on in my life that isn't related to reading or writing because currently my bio in my books is shorter than the "about the typeface" section. Yes, a typeface has a more interesting life than I do.
When I'm not writing, I'm most often reading. Otherwise, I enjoy watching science fiction TV shows and then discussing them on the Internet, working crossw
A little girl learned to amuse herself by making up stories in her head. She turned everyday activities into exciting adventures, and she made up new adventures for characters from her favorite movies, TV shows and books. Then one day she realized that if she wrote down those stories, she'd have a book! But that was crazy, she thought. Real people don't become novelists. That was like deciding you were going to be a movie star. You couldn't just go and do it.
But, it turns out, you can, and she did. She realized her dream of becoming a novelist and seeing her stories in bookstores.
And then she started to wig herself out by writing about herself in the third-person.
This is her story.
The Novelist's Journey
As I said above in that bit of silliness, I've always been a writer at heart. My favorite way to play was to create stories and act them out with my Fisher-Price people, my Barbie dolls or myself and a box of play clothes. If none of those things were available, I could just sit and make up stories in my head. I occasionally got into trouble for being a little too creative, such as the time when I embellished a bit on my kindergarten experiences (where's the dramatic hook in coloring, cutting out and pasting?).
When I was in seventh grade and a bit old for Fisher-Price people, Barbie dolls or the dress-up box, I started writing these stories down in spiral notebooks. Later, I found an old manual typewriter, taught myself to type, then wrote a lot of first chapters of novels on it. I still hadn't figured out how to actually be a working novelist who gets paid for writing (finishing a book instead of writing a lot of first chapters might have been a good start), so when it came time to go to college, I went to journalism school at the University of Texas. While getting my degree in broadcast news, I managed to structure a curriculum that might also help me in my real career plans. I took fencing (which I thought would be useful for writing fantasy novels), an astronomy course on the search for extraterrestrial life (in case I wanted to write science fiction), psychology, interpersonal communication, and parageography (the geography of imaginary lands).
I got serious about pursuing my novel-writing ambitions soon after I got my first job in public relations (TV reporting, it turns out, would have taken away from my writing time) when I started joining local writing organizations and reading books on how to write a novel. Then I took the big step of registering for a writing conference. With the registration fee, you could enter two manuscripts in a contest that went with the conference. I figured if I was paying that much money, I'd get the most out of it, so I wrote two entries. At the conference, I met a real, live editor, who encouraged me to submit, and one of my entries won the science fiction/fantasy category of the contest. I hurried to finish the novel the editor had asked for, then mailed a proposal.
She ended up rejecting the book, but encouraged me to keep trying. I ended up selling that novel elsewhere, then sold two more books to that publisher before I had another idea for that original editor. That book ended up selling, and then one more.
And then I hit the wall. Due to a number of circumstances, some of which weren't my fault and some of which were, I didn't sell anything else for eight years. But then I had the idea that became Enchanted, Inc., I wrote it, sold it, and here I am.
Other Life Stuff
I think I need to get a few more hobbies or something else going on in my life that isn't related to reading or writing because currently my bio in my books is shorter than the "about the typeface" section. Yes, a typeface has a more interesting life than I do.
When I'm not writing, I'm most often reading. Otherwise, I enjoy watching science fiction TV shows and then discussing them on the Internet, working crossw
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 293 reviews
August 12, 2012
FINALLY!!! I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS BOOK FOREVER!!! JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT IT A SECOND AGO AND IT HAS MADE MY WHOLE DAY!!!! I CAN'T WAIT!
Just finished!!! LOVED IT!!! Can I please have book 6 RIGHT NOW!!! Katie & Owen are so great together! So glad book 6 is out this year... not too long of a wait to get back to my FAVORITE series!
Just finished!!! LOVED IT!!! Can I please have book 6 RIGHT NOW!!! Katie & Owen are so great together! So glad book 6 is out this year... not too long of a wait to get back to my FAVORITE series!
February 10, 2013
This is a good read as the previous books in this series have been. It's not my favorite and I find myself thinking that the plot line is occasionally too simplistic. As a supernatural type book, the books are pretty good. As a romance book it is less than ideal. I like all types of romance books from the steamy steamy novels to the very old fashioned 1800's little house on the prairie type stuff. This book makes me want to have any other two characters get together though because neither one seems to really be that anxious to be a couple. I find myself not caring one way or another. Honestly I think Katie would have more romance with Rod! That might be a little more interesting since Owen is rather boring. Anyway, I don't dislike the books as I've read them all including this one and will read #6 as soon as I've had a little break from the characters. I would recommend this book but again, I wouldn't recommend it as a romantic read. It's not what I'd call a page turner but it does provide some entertainment! (It's amusing to see what all poor Katie is going to find herself having to deal with next!) I hope that in the future stories the Owen character is either further developed (we saw a glimpse in this one) or maybe Katie could find a new love interest! (Owen's a great character but he needs to have some work done to make him more interesting and likeable, he blushes every time she says something to him!)
May 4, 2016
I really love this book (and this series). It made me smile; I laughed and cried, too. :-)
In this story, Katie is back in New York and off to try to get her old job back. But she finds that Spellworks has been busy while she was away when she runs into trouble on the subway. Once she finally made it to the office,
I really liked Perdita, Katie's new elf assistant. She is endearingly clumsy and made me smile on several occasions and laugh out loud on one: On page 20, Katie is at a sales party for her department when Perdita comes up to her with a drink, "You can barely taste the rum." Katie
I cried in the end. I don't think the scene was sad, but it was beautiful for me to read so I shed a few tears to find that that was the end. What happened was this:
Anyway, the final lines of the book are what brought out the tears in me:
We learned a huge piece of information in this book: When this knowledge was leaked, it led to all sorts of problems for Owen. I really enjoyed everything that followed. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I didn't (read: couldn't) go to sleep until I finished the book. . .at 4:00 in the morning. ;-)
It's been awhile since I read a book in "one sitting." - My "one sitting" for this book wasn't truly one sitting, as I had to pause occasionally for visits to the necessary, to let my dog out and back in, to refill my beverage. . .but still, I read without any "major" distractions from about 8p to 4a. It was wonderful. ;-) - Like I said, though, I really loved this story. :-)
More happened in the story than those things I talked about above, but I think I've said enough to make this review worthy of being called a review. ;-)
For one more - last - time, though. . . I really loved this story. :-)
In this story, Katie is back in New York and off to try to get her old job back. But she finds that Spellworks has been busy while she was away when she runs into trouble on the subway. Once she finally made it to the office,
I really liked Perdita, Katie's new elf assistant. She is endearingly clumsy and made me smile on several occasions and laugh out loud on one: On page 20, Katie is at a sales party for her department when Perdita comes up to her with a drink, "You can barely taste the rum." Katie
took a tentative sip of the drink and went into a coughing fit. "How much rum would it take for her to taste it?" . . .lol! I just had to laugh at this. :-)
I. . .looked for a place to stash my coconut shell before the drink ate its way through and got on my skin.
I cried in the end. I don't think the scene was sad, but it was beautiful for me to read so I shed a few tears to find that that was the end. What happened was this:
Anyway, the final lines of the book are what brought out the tears in me:
We learned a huge piece of information in this book: When this knowledge was leaked, it led to all sorts of problems for Owen. I really enjoyed everything that followed. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I didn't (read: couldn't) go to sleep until I finished the book. . .at 4:00 in the morning. ;-)
It's been awhile since I read a book in "one sitting." - My "one sitting" for this book wasn't truly one sitting, as I had to pause occasionally for visits to the necessary, to let my dog out and back in, to refill my beverage. . .but still, I read without any "major" distractions from about 8p to 4a. It was wonderful. ;-) - Like I said, though, I really loved this story. :-)
More happened in the story than those things I talked about above, but I think I've said enough to make this review worthy of being called a review. ;-)
For one more - last - time, though. . . I really loved this story. :-)
October 30, 2015
So not to sound like a perv, but the relationship between Owen and Katie is moving unrealistically slow. We're not five books in and the couple hasn't passed the kissing stage of the relationship, even when they go out of town together they sleep in separate rooms and when she spends the night as his house which has only happened rarely and not in this book, she sleeps in the guest room. She's somewhere around 27 and he's 30. The idea that holding hands was a big step for them is kind of ridiculous. Maybe if she was one of those people that wanted to wait until marriage I'd understand how slowly this relationship is progressing, but she's not a virgin and she wasn't with Evan nearly as long as Owen before she planned to sleep with him the same day that he decided to dump her. Fortunately he dumped her first, but it's pretty clear that she wants it to matter but love and marriage aren't required and hell they are in love so even if love was required it's there so when exactly is their relationship going to pass junior high status?
I had to take a break from this one because despite Owen kind being the center of the story, he wasn't really in a lot of the book if you think about it. When he's under the influence of the spell he's fighting with her and avoiding her or working too much and after the conference he's in hiding and his biggest part of the book is her thinking about him or wishing she could spend time for him or trying to save him. Maybe I'm the only one but while I love the zany stories the biggest draw for me about this series is the relationship between Owen and Katie so I'd kind of like to see a series in which Owen and Katie are together and behaving like an actual couple instead of almost like siblings. I'd like to see them have an adult relationship, no I don't need details of what goes on behind closed door but at some point shouldn't someone be closing said doors? I want to see the two of them interact and actually spend time together. It's like Owen's already married to MSI and Katie's a sometimes welcome stalker.
I will admit that a lot of the story was interesting and I enjoyed the changes in Gloria's character more than anything else. But overall the story wasn't really what I was looking for from this series and doesn't really progress the character arcs forward other than in her case. While the truth behind Spellworks is revealed in this I don't find that nearly as interesting as the character arcs so while I'd recommend reading it as it's part of the series I wouldn't say it's the best book in the series.
I had to take a break from this one because despite Owen kind being the center of the story, he wasn't really in a lot of the book if you think about it. When he's under the influence of the spell he's fighting with her and avoiding her or working too much and after the conference he's in hiding and his biggest part of the book is her thinking about him or wishing she could spend time for him or trying to save him. Maybe I'm the only one but while I love the zany stories the biggest draw for me about this series is the relationship between Owen and Katie so I'd kind of like to see a series in which Owen and Katie are together and behaving like an actual couple instead of almost like siblings. I'd like to see them have an adult relationship, no I don't need details of what goes on behind closed door but at some point shouldn't someone be closing said doors? I want to see the two of them interact and actually spend time together. It's like Owen's already married to MSI and Katie's a sometimes welcome stalker.
I will admit that a lot of the story was interesting and I enjoyed the changes in Gloria's character more than anything else. But overall the story wasn't really what I was looking for from this series and doesn't really progress the character arcs forward other than in her case. While the truth behind Spellworks is revealed in this I don't find that nearly as interesting as the character arcs so while I'd recommend reading it as it's part of the series I wouldn't say it's the best book in the series.
December 26, 2021
Much Ado About Magic on Books On Track
It's been many years since I read the previous book of the series, which at the time I thought was the last one, so my recollection of the world and characters was vague to say the least.
Katie, a magical immune, is offered a new position in the magic company she used to work for, Magical Illusions, Inc, and she is thrown right into the deep end.
A villain appears to have cast compulsion spells all over the magical community, including her boyfriend Owen, and Katie will do everything in her power to make sure he is stopped.
When Owen is .
Katie and Owen are now closer than ever and .
The series is light and engaging, with all sorts of magical shenanigans happening, and I am looking forward to reading about Katie and Owen's next adventures in the next book in the series, No Quest For The Wicked.
Previous book reviews:
✦ Don't Hex with Texas (Enchanted, Inc. #4) ~ ★★★★ (17/01/2012)
✦ Damsel Under Stress (Enchanted, Inc. #3) ~ ★★★ (19/11/2011)
✦ Once Upon Stilettos (Enchanted, Inc. #2) ~ ★★★★ (25/01/2010)
✦Enchanted, Inc. (Enchanted, Inc. #1) ~ ★★★★ (23/01/2010)
May 30, 2017
Everything gets wrapped up in a bow in this (the fifth) book in the series. Not a lot of it makes sense. I think the author just took parts of Harry Potter and just reworked it here and there.
In "Much Ado About Magic" we finally figure out who the big bad is that is trying to take out MSI Inc. and Merlin.
Katie is back in New York in this one. She's happy to be back with her roommates and to be dating Owen. Honestly this book should have focused more on him since the majority of the plot was about Owen's real parents and his adopted ones. Also once again, not impressed about Merlin.
I don't want to get too spoilery in this review, but honestly this book should have been the end of the series. Things get wrapped up so to me it didn't make a lot of sense why this book has 8 books in the series from what I could see.
The writing is so so for me. And I have to say that the book/series has become rather repetitive. We have Katie and Owen not communicating that well. Bad guy does something. MSI Inc. tries to respond. Bad guy does something. MSI, Inc. tries to respond. There is talking. Then there is a lame magical fight.
In "Much Ado About Magic" we finally figure out who the big bad is that is trying to take out MSI Inc. and Merlin.
Katie is back in New York in this one. She's happy to be back with her roommates and to be dating Owen. Honestly this book should have focused more on him since the majority of the plot was about Owen's real parents and his adopted ones. Also once again, not impressed about Merlin.
I don't want to get too spoilery in this review, but honestly this book should have been the end of the series. Things get wrapped up so to me it didn't make a lot of sense why this book has 8 books in the series from what I could see.
The writing is so so for me. And I have to say that the book/series has become rather repetitive. We have Katie and Owen not communicating that well. Bad guy does something. MSI Inc. tries to respond. Bad guy does something. MSI, Inc. tries to respond. There is talking. Then there is a lame magical fight.
August 28, 2012
CANNOT WAIT!!!! I LOVE this series and was devstated when book 5 was not forthcoming. Thank you Shanna.
Updated after reading. Great to see the end of the main story arc. As always I enjoyed Katie's practical views of the magical world. Would have like to see a little more interaction with characters from previous books but loved the addition of Nita. I especially loved how she had a plan in place at the hotel for moving celebs.
Updated after reading. Great to see the end of the main story arc. As always I enjoyed Katie's practical views of the magical world. Would have like to see a little more interaction with characters from previous books but loved the addition of Nita. I especially loved how she had a plan in place at the hotel for moving celebs.
January 4, 2019
I dearly love this series and this book was no exception. Katie is back in NY and back at MSI but things are not the same. Lots of intrigue and twists and as the story wound down I'm very glad I have the next book on hand to see where everything goes.
June 3, 2020
Totally enjoyed this book too in the series. Not happy with the ending, but hoping that the next book will resolve the problem.
March 21, 2021
I really like this series. I don't remember how I came across it, but I'm glad I did. I think this as the best instalment yet. I never thought I would enjoy a magical story line, but it's great.
October 19, 2022
Up to the end, this was my favorite of the series. There were still things that made me laugh, but this one had a more serious plot than the others. There were only a couple of mild innuendos, and for the most part this story focused on good vs evil. I'm not totally sure how I feel about the ending of this book. Considering there are still 4 more to go, I'm guessing she's going to resolve this in a happy way, because I can't imagine the rest of the series continuing with the problem she created at the end. The evil person was relatively predictable, but I didn't have the whys of it all figured out.
I'm really looking forward to the next one in the series.
I'm really looking forward to the next one in the series.
August 25, 2012
This book was a long awaited 5th book in a series. I read the first four books 2 years ago and have been dying for this 5th book. So, finally it came! Yay!
I love the characters in this book and the ending was awesome and not predictable!
Everything else I have to say contains spoilers, so please skip this if you haven't read the series.
Please scroll for the spoilers:
I loved how the book started out and just dived into the main conflict. The characters are so much fun and have been well developed.
I never liked/trusted Ramsey the whole time and suspected him of being the force behind all the trouble all along. I had caught that he was using a charming spell early on. He was definitely a dude with quite a plan, gotta give him credit for that, lol! He really had it out for Merlin, and basically had a 30+ year grudge and plan that took that long to fulfill. Ramsey was pretty darn smart with how he fought Merlin in the end, and thank goodness for Owen's intervention, otherwise, I think Ramsey would have won.
I loved the whole background on Owen being revealed and that he could finally find out his own story that he never had answers to until now. I think his parents really weren't bad people, they were just young, clueless and believed Ramsey at the wrong time and were used and turned bad. I thought it was cool the mom figured out a way to leave evidence for Owen. I also loved that James and Gloria could explain why they were co cold during Owen's growing up years, and how they had been told he would be taken from them if they became to attached and lovey dovey. It made me like those characters so much more and appreciate why they were the way they are. I love that they doted on Owen when he was recovering from loosing his powers, and how they were gushy and lovey, finally, what they had wanted all along.
I loved that Katie stepped up to the plate and was not so helpless as she was in previous books. Now that she has a clue, she is a much stronger heroine and more fun to follow. I love that her not having magic makes her just as valuable as those who do have magic, not to mention, she is very streetwise and can figure out scheming plotting from SpellWorks. I loved that Katie went poking around even though Owen told her not to and that she told him she loved him while she was yelling at him (he needed it) and giving him a kick in the pants, since he was being so clueless. I love that he always loved her and was so sweet when he came around to seeing the spell lifted from Ramsey.
I just love that it ended with Owen loosing his powers and that Merlin had a serious need for Owen to do some very top secret/specialized stuff that only a past super wizard who has no powers now, would be amazing at. Very cool. I'm totally excited for the 6th book that is due to release in the next month or so. I will be highly anticipating it! :)
One last note... it burns my hide that the publisher of the first four books would not publish book 5 & 6 and leave all the fans hanging on the edge of their seat for years. It made me thrilled that Shanna self published these books. Yay, Shanna - so glad you did that! Thank you!
I love the characters in this book and the ending was awesome and not predictable!
Everything else I have to say contains spoilers, so please skip this if you haven't read the series.
Please scroll for the spoilers:
I loved how the book started out and just dived into the main conflict. The characters are so much fun and have been well developed.
I never liked/trusted Ramsey the whole time and suspected him of being the force behind all the trouble all along. I had caught that he was using a charming spell early on. He was definitely a dude with quite a plan, gotta give him credit for that, lol! He really had it out for Merlin, and basically had a 30+ year grudge and plan that took that long to fulfill. Ramsey was pretty darn smart with how he fought Merlin in the end, and thank goodness for Owen's intervention, otherwise, I think Ramsey would have won.
I loved the whole background on Owen being revealed and that he could finally find out his own story that he never had answers to until now. I think his parents really weren't bad people, they were just young, clueless and believed Ramsey at the wrong time and were used and turned bad. I thought it was cool the mom figured out a way to leave evidence for Owen. I also loved that James and Gloria could explain why they were co cold during Owen's growing up years, and how they had been told he would be taken from them if they became to attached and lovey dovey. It made me like those characters so much more and appreciate why they were the way they are. I love that they doted on Owen when he was recovering from loosing his powers, and how they were gushy and lovey, finally, what they had wanted all along.
I loved that Katie stepped up to the plate and was not so helpless as she was in previous books. Now that she has a clue, she is a much stronger heroine and more fun to follow. I love that her not having magic makes her just as valuable as those who do have magic, not to mention, she is very streetwise and can figure out scheming plotting from SpellWorks. I loved that Katie went poking around even though Owen told her not to and that she told him she loved him while she was yelling at him (he needed it) and giving him a kick in the pants, since he was being so clueless. I love that he always loved her and was so sweet when he came around to seeing the spell lifted from Ramsey.
I just love that it ended with Owen loosing his powers and that Merlin had a serious need for Owen to do some very top secret/specialized stuff that only a past super wizard who has no powers now, would be amazing at. Very cool. I'm totally excited for the 6th book that is due to release in the next month or so. I will be highly anticipating it! :)
One last note... it burns my hide that the publisher of the first four books would not publish book 5 & 6 and leave all the fans hanging on the edge of their seat for years. It made me thrilled that Shanna self published these books. Yay, Shanna - so glad you did that! Thank you!
August 16, 2012
rom Author’s website:
To Do: Manage Magical Mayhem, Save the Company, Save the World
Katie Chandler is back in New York and at Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc. – and just in time. The city’s in the grip of a magical crime wave from spells that wizarding whiz Owen Palmer thinks look awfully familiar, and the rogue firm Spellworks is raising its profile in the magical world by selling protective amulets. It’s Katie’s job as the new director of marketing for MSI to fight this battle of public perception while Owen and the other wizards try to uncover what’s really going on.
What Katie doesn’t realize is that her idea to stage a showcase for MSI’s magical achievements is playing right into a devious plot more than three decades in the making. Now Katie has to do damage control that has nothing to do with marketing. To save the magical world, she’ll have to prove who the real enemy is, and doing that will require digging deeper into Owen’s mysterious past than he wants anyone to go. If she fails, she not only stands to lose a magical war, but she could also lose the man she loves.
The Bad:
I gotta be honest folks, I don’t have anything that can be categorized as “The Bad” here, except perhaps that I had to wait too long to read it and I wish it were not over so quickly.
The Good:
Much Ado was well worth the wait. The story was action-packed, intense and thoroughly enjoyable. If you had asked me two weeks ago which of the Enchanted, Inc books was my favorite, I would have gone back and forth between the books because I love them all in their own ways. Now, Much Ado About Magic is the clear winner. Not only do we get some long due answers about our cutie Owen, but the story arc with Idris comes to a head, ending with a shock! Luckily, Book 6 comes out in October, so we will not have long to wait to see where in the world the series is going. There’s not much more I can say without giving things away, and you all know how I hate spoilers, so I will leave you by saying – get Much Ado About Magic now! And check out our interview with author Shanna Swendson, who was gracious enough to talk Enchanted, Inc., boys, brownies and Joss Whedon with us!
~Shel
To Do: Manage Magical Mayhem, Save the Company, Save the World
Katie Chandler is back in New York and at Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc. – and just in time. The city’s in the grip of a magical crime wave from spells that wizarding whiz Owen Palmer thinks look awfully familiar, and the rogue firm Spellworks is raising its profile in the magical world by selling protective amulets. It’s Katie’s job as the new director of marketing for MSI to fight this battle of public perception while Owen and the other wizards try to uncover what’s really going on.
What Katie doesn’t realize is that her idea to stage a showcase for MSI’s magical achievements is playing right into a devious plot more than three decades in the making. Now Katie has to do damage control that has nothing to do with marketing. To save the magical world, she’ll have to prove who the real enemy is, and doing that will require digging deeper into Owen’s mysterious past than he wants anyone to go. If she fails, she not only stands to lose a magical war, but she could also lose the man she loves.
The Bad:
I gotta be honest folks, I don’t have anything that can be categorized as “The Bad” here, except perhaps that I had to wait too long to read it and I wish it were not over so quickly.
The Good:
Much Ado was well worth the wait. The story was action-packed, intense and thoroughly enjoyable. If you had asked me two weeks ago which of the Enchanted, Inc books was my favorite, I would have gone back and forth between the books because I love them all in their own ways. Now, Much Ado About Magic is the clear winner. Not only do we get some long due answers about our cutie Owen, but the story arc with Idris comes to a head, ending with a shock! Luckily, Book 6 comes out in October, so we will not have long to wait to see where in the world the series is going. There’s not much more I can say without giving things away, and you all know how I hate spoilers, so I will leave you by saying – get Much Ado About Magic now! And check out our interview with author Shanna Swendson, who was gracious enough to talk Enchanted, Inc., boys, brownies and Joss Whedon with us!
~Shel
August 14, 2012
Initial review appears on http://chicklitworthreading.wordpress...
4 years. That's how long I've been waiting for the conclusion of Shanna Swendson's Enchanted, Inc. series. I missed Katie Chandler. I missed Owen Palmer. And I missed the myriad of characters populating Swendson's world. And just when I'd come to terms with not knowing how these characters would end up, Shanna Swendson's 5th book of the series pops up on NetGalley. And all was well with the world. In this final installment, Katie is at it again. Not only is she drafted to save Enchanted, Inc. by coming up with a stellar marketing strategy her first day back on the job. But she has to help her super-wizardy, super-hot boyfriend, Owen Palmer, fight against the current crime wave crippling New York City. As with any long-awaited final installment of a series, there are certain questions the reader expects to be answered. What is Owen's true parentage? Will he and Katie end up together? And who is really behind the plot to takeover the magical world? Thankfully, Shanna Swendson answers all those questions. And overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It felt like sitting down with an old friend, I hadn't spoken to in years. There's a certain amount of awkwardness in the beginning. But after a time, there's a comfortable rhythm you settle into. Even though I REALLY did not like the end of Owen's storyline (side eyes Shanna), I thoroughly enjoyed everything else. Kudos to Swendson for writing chick lit worth reading.
4 years. That's how long I've been waiting for the conclusion of Shanna Swendson's Enchanted, Inc. series. I missed Katie Chandler. I missed Owen Palmer. And I missed the myriad of characters populating Swendson's world. And just when I'd come to terms with not knowing how these characters would end up, Shanna Swendson's 5th book of the series pops up on NetGalley. And all was well with the world. In this final installment, Katie is at it again. Not only is she drafted to save Enchanted, Inc. by coming up with a stellar marketing strategy her first day back on the job. But she has to help her super-wizardy, super-hot boyfriend, Owen Palmer, fight against the current crime wave crippling New York City. As with any long-awaited final installment of a series, there are certain questions the reader expects to be answered. What is Owen's true parentage? Will he and Katie end up together? And who is really behind the plot to takeover the magical world? Thankfully, Shanna Swendson answers all those questions. And overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It felt like sitting down with an old friend, I hadn't spoken to in years. There's a certain amount of awkwardness in the beginning. But after a time, there's a comfortable rhythm you settle into. Even though I REALLY did not like the end of Owen's storyline (side eyes Shanna), I thoroughly enjoyed everything else. Kudos to Swendson for writing chick lit worth reading.
August 17, 2012
I remember when I finished "Don't Hex with Texas" thinking, for the first time, 'she should self-publish the next book because the publishing houses are obviously too stupid to know a good thing when they see it'. So I was thrilled when I read earlier this year that Ms Swendson announced that she'd decided to do just that with the fifth book, Much Ado About Magic. I had it on my e-reader as soon as it was available, and finished it the same day.
The story didn't disappoint - long held secrets revealed, lots of magical action, and the same wonderful cast of characters. My only 'gripe' (and it's not really that) is the seeming distance between Merlin and Katie - in previous books she was a bit of a confidante to Merlin and I saw no evidence of that in this book. Still, an excellent read and if Ms. Swendson ever decides to physically publish, I'll buy another copy to add to my bookshelves at home.
I'm truly looking forward to the sixth book in October.
The story didn't disappoint - long held secrets revealed, lots of magical action, and the same wonderful cast of characters. My only 'gripe' (and it's not really that) is the seeming distance between Merlin and Katie - in previous books she was a bit of a confidante to Merlin and I saw no evidence of that in this book. Still, an excellent read and if Ms. Swendson ever decides to physically publish, I'll buy another copy to add to my bookshelves at home.
I'm truly looking forward to the sixth book in October.
August 30, 2012
I love this series. (Yes, it's flaky and offbeat, but sometimes one needs that...) This one wasn't my favorite in the set (that'd be "Once Upon Stilettos") but the plot drew me in as it went along. The ending took me COMPLETELY off guard - but not necessarily in a bad way. I'm curious to see where she takes the series next, though. [For those of you who read it: I'm guessing we're going to find out more about Sylvia Meredith and what goes on with Philip's family.] I must say, I loved getting Owen's backstory! :-)
March 12, 2026
Love this series!! It is so cute and fun! Can't wait till the next in October!
December 27, 2014
I am still loving this series and this crazy cast of characters!
July 30, 2015
The adventure ramps up in this installment of enchanted inc!
January 1, 2017
New Years Eve was quickly approaching. All around me people were proclaiming 2016 couldn't end early enough. The list of icons in theater and music who had died in the last twelve months felt staggering to so many, leading to chants of "Die 2016!" as well as the less common but passionately chanted "Protect Betty White!"
I, apparently alone in my cynicism, thought of The Horror Elect, and shivered with fear. "We will miss you 2016," I said softly, "very shortly, in a few months if not weeks, we will think of you fondly...we will wished you were still with us..."
My stated intention for 2017, as it related to Goodreads and my library card, is to read more books by POC, and by people of different faith. To read more substantial books, non-fiction. I want to read more books on government, and revolution. And feminism.
In short I want to read more books that will educate me and empower me to be part of resistance to the coming Horror. To be able to fight for what I love about this country.
I'm not pretending that my stated intentions are going to transform me into some sort of intellectual warrior who is going to have a significant impact on our Democracy. Or that at the end of this currently new year will make me a go-to book lover with a mile high list of reading suggestions.
My non-fiction reading during 2016 was sparce. The majority of my non-fiction reading was cookbooks...which I more often treated as fantasy, or more accurately food porn, rather than actual instructions for producing the dishes in the stunning photos. My reading goals for this year are not going to give me a personality transplant. The majority of my reading will undoubtedly contain female centric graphic novels, cozy English murder mysteries, engaging yet not challenging fiction, and of course food porn...I mean cookbooks. But at least a dozen of this years books placed on my "Read" shelf here at Goodreads will be tools to help me understand and navigate the world we are living in.
And.... I started to say "Right about now you may be wondering how all of this related to your opinion of Much Ado About Nothing" but, I'm guessing you started wondering that somewhere in the first few sentences.
With all my concerns (and occasional night terrors) over 2017 (and 2018-2020) I just wanted to hide inside the magical world that Shanna Swendson created. Clearly this is not a book to read out of sequence, as the story draws deaply on previous books. But it is the book to read if you want to relax into 'a goofy love story, a slightly vague on the big details (but not on long range planning) conspiracy, a in its own way sweet coming to terms with being a Foster Child, and friends cheerfully helping to save civilization as we don't really know it' non-taxing and relaxing book. With dragons.
As always I wish I could rate books in half stars, because Much Ado About Magic is more than a three, but not really a four. I rounded up because it was such a safe space to park my brain in the early hours of New Year's Eve.
And also in celebration of Betty White outlasting 2016. Everything seems a little better because of that.
I, apparently alone in my cynicism, thought of The Horror Elect, and shivered with fear. "We will miss you 2016," I said softly, "very shortly, in a few months if not weeks, we will think of you fondly...we will wished you were still with us..."
My stated intention for 2017, as it related to Goodreads and my library card, is to read more books by POC, and by people of different faith. To read more substantial books, non-fiction. I want to read more books on government, and revolution. And feminism.
In short I want to read more books that will educate me and empower me to be part of resistance to the coming Horror. To be able to fight for what I love about this country.
I'm not pretending that my stated intentions are going to transform me into some sort of intellectual warrior who is going to have a significant impact on our Democracy. Or that at the end of this currently new year will make me a go-to book lover with a mile high list of reading suggestions.
My non-fiction reading during 2016 was sparce. The majority of my non-fiction reading was cookbooks...which I more often treated as fantasy, or more accurately food porn, rather than actual instructions for producing the dishes in the stunning photos. My reading goals for this year are not going to give me a personality transplant. The majority of my reading will undoubtedly contain female centric graphic novels, cozy English murder mysteries, engaging yet not challenging fiction, and of course food porn...I mean cookbooks. But at least a dozen of this years books placed on my "Read" shelf here at Goodreads will be tools to help me understand and navigate the world we are living in.
And.... I started to say "Right about now you may be wondering how all of this related to your opinion of Much Ado About Nothing" but, I'm guessing you started wondering that somewhere in the first few sentences.
With all my concerns (and occasional night terrors) over 2017 (and 2018-2020) I just wanted to hide inside the magical world that Shanna Swendson created. Clearly this is not a book to read out of sequence, as the story draws deaply on previous books. But it is the book to read if you want to relax into 'a goofy love story, a slightly vague on the big details (but not on long range planning) conspiracy, a in its own way sweet coming to terms with being a Foster Child, and friends cheerfully helping to save civilization as we don't really know it' non-taxing and relaxing book. With dragons.
As always I wish I could rate books in half stars, because Much Ado About Magic is more than a three, but not really a four. I rounded up because it was such a safe space to park my brain in the early hours of New Year's Eve.
And also in celebration of Betty White outlasting 2016. Everything seems a little better because of that.
September 8, 2017
As a disclaimer I am reviewing the whole series (8 books) in this review because I read them all within a week, so while they are their own separate thing, I really view them as just one whole. I will likely cut and paste this review into each books review spot, with perhaps a comment or two about the individual book itself.
That said, I really enjoyed this book, and this whole series. It was a bizarre modern magical romp through New York (and occasionally Texas). I really appreciated the corporate take on the magical industry, and I really enjoyed all of the characters. It was especially interesting looking at this magical world through the eyes of a magical immune (someone unaffected by magic), our heroine Katie Chandler. She is an interesting character. I would have liked her better if she had been more secure and confident in herself and her abilities. I think one of my favorite parts of the entire series is Merlin, I love him. His character portrayal was fabulous. The romance is fun, and sweet. Occasionally I felt like descriptions of our hero's physical "hotness" was a bit repetitive, but that may have been due to the fact that I read all of these books back to back in such quick succession. On that note of repetitiveness, the beginning of each book felt a little like a babysitters club book in that the setting had to be reintroduced and it seemed like the first chapter of each book was a recap of up to that point. This is probably necessary, but when reading them all together, like I did, it becomes slightly boring (luckily it's only the first chapter of each book, then your right back into the action-which there is plenty of).
As far as content these books are quite clean. Despite the fact that this series is riddled with innuendo it's actual content on the steaminess scale is extremely low (nothing beyond kissing). I think the author did a really good job of portraying a modern working girls life, particularly love life, with out entering into sordid bedroom details. Don't get me wrong I like sex as much as the next person, but I feel no desire to watch or read about the details in anyone else's sex life.
Sorry, back off my soap box... All in all, I thought this was a fun series and I really enjoyed reading it. It was fast paced, funny, and light. Great books for when your in a lighthearted, funny, romance mood.
That said, I really enjoyed this book, and this whole series. It was a bizarre modern magical romp through New York (and occasionally Texas). I really appreciated the corporate take on the magical industry, and I really enjoyed all of the characters. It was especially interesting looking at this magical world through the eyes of a magical immune (someone unaffected by magic), our heroine Katie Chandler. She is an interesting character. I would have liked her better if she had been more secure and confident in herself and her abilities. I think one of my favorite parts of the entire series is Merlin, I love him. His character portrayal was fabulous. The romance is fun, and sweet. Occasionally I felt like descriptions of our hero's physical "hotness" was a bit repetitive, but that may have been due to the fact that I read all of these books back to back in such quick succession. On that note of repetitiveness, the beginning of each book felt a little like a babysitters club book in that the setting had to be reintroduced and it seemed like the first chapter of each book was a recap of up to that point. This is probably necessary, but when reading them all together, like I did, it becomes slightly boring (luckily it's only the first chapter of each book, then your right back into the action-which there is plenty of).
As far as content these books are quite clean. Despite the fact that this series is riddled with innuendo it's actual content on the steaminess scale is extremely low (nothing beyond kissing). I think the author did a really good job of portraying a modern working girls life, particularly love life, with out entering into sordid bedroom details. Don't get me wrong I like sex as much as the next person, but I feel no desire to watch or read about the details in anyone else's sex life.
Sorry, back off my soap box... All in all, I thought this was a fun series and I really enjoyed reading it. It was fast paced, funny, and light. Great books for when your in a lighthearted, funny, romance mood.
June 9, 2022
Katie Chandler has just come back to NYC from her hometown in Texas, back to MSI, Inc. where she hopes to get her job back; if not the one she had, then maybe something else. But hold on, there's a new guy in town, someone very powerful, someone who likes being in charge. The only problem is, Merlin is in charge, but defers to this guy, Ivor Ramsey. For some unknown reason, Katie is one of the only people who just doesn't like him, doesn't trust him; everyone else loves him. Is he someone to be trusted or is Katie just being paranoid? Petty crimes are taking over New York City, (not that they weren't always there), but now the magical community is involved in it. Things go from bad to worse...the company that was founded by the nemesis of Katie's boyfriend, Owen, Spellworks, was selling charms and amulets to fight off bad spells, but they were also selling bad spells-gets 'em comin' and goin'. These spells made pawns of innocent people, making them do things that they wouldn't normally do. There's good guys and bad guys, a friend from Texas named Nita, some dragons, some illusions, including one that has the entire magical community of NYC out sick with some sort of magic flu, a gargoyle named Sam, Owen's Mom & Dad, Mr. Merlin-yes, that Merlin, and a few other things that make for an interesting story. The bad guys try to take over, some get caught, others find a way to blame some innocent people. Believe me, the author does a much better job of telling this story than I am. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.
January 18, 2019
Great to see all the questions from the series answered, although surprised as well since there are more books.
What I enjoyed:
* Learning more about the magical world and the council
* Finding out who was behind everything since the beginning
* Nita is a blast!
* Owen's mom is a force to be reckoned with
* The villain was brilliant and stupid at the same time
What could have been better:
* Parts of the magical world really confuse me
* Katie is grossly underqualified for her position, she has even thought that many times.
* Merlin is a bit disappointing. He can't seem to get ahead of the competition
What I enjoyed:
* Learning more about the magical world and the council
* Finding out who was behind everything since the beginning
* Nita is a blast!
* Owen's mom is a force to be reckoned with
* The villain was brilliant and stupid at the same time
What could have been better:
* Parts of the magical world really confuse me
* Katie is grossly underqualified for her position, she has even thought that many times.
* Merlin is a bit disappointing. He can't seem to get ahead of the competition
June 4, 2018
First, a warning, you really need to read the series in order. This book would not be a good stand alone read because of the history of all the characters.
This book was an easier read for me than the last one. The heroine did a much better job of standing on her own two feet and not whining. I liked her new assistant also and hope the character will continue to show up in future books at least as a little comic relief. The book did a good job of wrapping up the sub story arc of Owen and his relationship to his adopted parents while using that to flesh out the unique and interesting plot line.
I would definitely read another based on this book
This book was an easier read for me than the last one. The heroine did a much better job of standing on her own two feet and not whining. I liked her new assistant also and hope the character will continue to show up in future books at least as a little comic relief. The book did a good job of wrapping up the sub story arc of Owen and his relationship to his adopted parents while using that to flesh out the unique and interesting plot line.
I would definitely read another based on this book
December 14, 2023
I love how this author makes each of the books like one continuous giant book but with major checkpoints that give you a sense of satisfaction about finishing a book but they remind you of little details in previous books and remind you of characters you met in previous books even if they haven’t been as strongly used in that book. It feels like a real world. In real life the main character would rely on all her acquaintances even if it had been a few months or weeks since she talked to them so it feels so natural to bring them back. I feel like loose ends that weren’t super necessary to resolve in previous books are finally getting resolved in future books. Love it.
January 27, 2020
I never finished this cute & fun series about a normal girl working in NYC who discovers she's magical immune living in a world with magic. She gets a job at the major magical spell company and is drawn into the magical conflicts. I've been slowly re-reading the first four and now got to one I hadn't read. There's a new villain for her boyfriend, Owen Palmer, to defeat and Katie is right there helping him out. It's funny and fun and ends up quite unexpectedly, so I'm interested in what the next book holds.
June 14, 2020
This was probably the best in the series, after the first book Enchanted Inc. hooks you in. I'll admit, my attention was waning, with too little action both on the magical and bedroom magical fronts. It's such a slow burn that it's almost infuriating. But the characters are endearing and I enjoyed seeing more of Owen's foster parents in this. A magical showdown was action packed, but of course it was action packed with a twist. I was debating about not continuing the series, but this book convinced me to see the rest through!
July 30, 2022
This book has plot - convoluted and rather pointless, but no story, unfortunately.
The characters are empty cutout silhouettes of themselves - no character development, no relationship developments between characters - just a regurgitation of all the same interactions we've seen before in the series.
I do enjoy the series premise and magic elements a lot, so that saved this book from a 1* rating or a DNF. But if things don't get narratively better in the next book, it might be time to abandon this ship.
The characters are empty cutout silhouettes of themselves - no character development, no relationship developments between characters - just a regurgitation of all the same interactions we've seen before in the series.
I do enjoy the series premise and magic elements a lot, so that saved this book from a 1* rating or a DNF. But if things don't get narratively better in the next book, it might be time to abandon this ship.
February 11, 2018
Wow! I loved this book and how all the action happened. Katie and Owen are great together, and FINALLY starting to make moves. We find out Owen's foster parents are really good and loving parents, that Merlin is extremely powerful, and that Owen is willing to sacrifice all to save the world (yet again). Nita is great! She is so much fun and such a wonderful friend. I felt all the characters have been pretty well defined by now so adding Nita to the group puts more oomph to the story.
October 14, 2018
Stuck in Texas in the previous book, at least this book was smart enough to send Katie back to New York. The city provides more possibility (and plausibility) for the outlandish magical stunts that always seem to pop up around her. But a lack of personal growth for our protagonist and little forward momentum in the looming battle building between magical sides makes this a rather forgettable entry in the series.
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