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Unnatural Magic #2
The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry
A charming historical fantasy with a tender love story at its core, from the author of Unnatural Magic.
Hard-drinking petty thief Dellaria Wells is down on her luck in the city of Leiscourt—again. Then she sees a want ad for a female bodyguard, and she fast-talks her way into the high-paying job. Along with a team of other women, she’s meant to protect a rich young lady from mysterious assassins.
At first Delly thinks the danger is exaggerated, but a series of attacks shows there’s much to fear. Then she begins to fall for Winn, one of the other bodyguards, and the women team up against a mysterious, magical foe who seems to have allies everywhere.
Hard-drinking petty thief Dellaria Wells is down on her luck in the city of Leiscourt—again. Then she sees a want ad for a female bodyguard, and she fast-talks her way into the high-paying job. Along with a team of other women, she’s meant to protect a rich young lady from mysterious assassins.
At first Delly thinks the danger is exaggerated, but a series of attacks shows there’s much to fear. Then she begins to fall for Winn, one of the other bodyguards, and the women team up against a mysterious, magical foe who seems to have allies everywhere.
371 pages, Paperback
First published January 12, 2021
785 people are currently reading
31932 people want to read
About the author
C.M. Waggoner
4 books727 followersC.M. Waggoner grew up in rural upstate New York, where she spent a lot of time reading fantasy novels in a swamp. She studied creative writing at SUNY Purchase and lived in China for eight years before moving with her husband to Albany, NY. In her spare time, she volunteers, performs kitchen experiments, asks if she can pet your dog, and gardens badly. You can voice your complaints to the management (or sign up for her mailing list) at cmwaggoner.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,428 reviews
May 2, 2024
Well! It’s another brilliant, action packed, well written story takes us back to Unnatural Magic’s world which was one of my favorite, underrated gems of the last year.
So as soon as I saw the author’s name and this hypnotizing cover, I clicked the request button so fast ( I think I might have broken my mouse! No, I’m not talking about my computer mouse: I’m mentioning my house mouse who serves as a muse when I’m writing horror scripts!) I got so excited to start the new book of the series!
The storyline is also original with her struggling heroine Delly who is con artist, a thief, carrying the burden of her addict mother, working hard to find a way out. Then her prays get answered and she sees a want add for bodyguard and she applies without thinking a second because the payment is satisfying and this job can open her doors to say goodbye to her old miserable life.
And dear Delly gets the job which includes protecting a young rich lady against the assassins. She thinks this job easy as pie. There is no real threat and that lady is just a drama Queen who overreacts about her situation and she couldn’t be so wrong! The threat is so real!
And of course falling for Winn who is one of the other bodyguards will make things so much complicated in her life!
Delly seemed like a complex, a little dislikable anti heroine at first. She was confused, a typical walking talking disaster. I’m so pleased to witness how she learns to face the challenges and be mature by taking more responsibilities in her life or facing the consequences of her actions.
I liked the first book more but I still enjoyed the world building, creative and original storyline and lovely queer characters already stole my heart. Especially character of Delly’s evolvement was entertaining to read.
So I’m rounding up my 3.5 stars to 4 supernatural, magical , query, high fantasy stars! I’m looking forward to return back this universe with new books of the series!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
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So as soon as I saw the author’s name and this hypnotizing cover, I clicked the request button so fast ( I think I might have broken my mouse! No, I’m not talking about my computer mouse: I’m mentioning my house mouse who serves as a muse when I’m writing horror scripts!) I got so excited to start the new book of the series!
The storyline is also original with her struggling heroine Delly who is con artist, a thief, carrying the burden of her addict mother, working hard to find a way out. Then her prays get answered and she sees a want add for bodyguard and she applies without thinking a second because the payment is satisfying and this job can open her doors to say goodbye to her old miserable life.
And dear Delly gets the job which includes protecting a young rich lady against the assassins. She thinks this job easy as pie. There is no real threat and that lady is just a drama Queen who overreacts about her situation and she couldn’t be so wrong! The threat is so real!
And of course falling for Winn who is one of the other bodyguards will make things so much complicated in her life!
Delly seemed like a complex, a little dislikable anti heroine at first. She was confused, a typical walking talking disaster. I’m so pleased to witness how she learns to face the challenges and be mature by taking more responsibilities in her life or facing the consequences of her actions.
I liked the first book more but I still enjoyed the world building, creative and original storyline and lovely queer characters already stole my heart. Especially character of Delly’s evolvement was entertaining to read.
So I’m rounding up my 3.5 stars to 4 supernatural, magical , query, high fantasy stars! I’m looking forward to return back this universe with new books of the series!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
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January 14, 2021
3.75 Stars. This was oddball book but I enjoyed it anyway. I don’t get to read a lot of historic fantasy so I’m always excited to read them when I can. This has a Victorian feel but with witches, trolls, necromancers, and an animal shifter. I have read other fantasy books that take place in a similar time period and place, but I really liked the different mix of beings and magic. It’s been a while since I have read a book that even had a troll in it, and then you put them in this kind of setting and the book felt more unique because of it.
Like most fantasy books, especially ones that have a different way for characters to speak and even new names for things, it took me a little while to get into the story. I actually felt comfortable faster than I expected because most of the new names and phrases where very easy to understand. While it was annoying that the troll character said What? at the end of every other sentence -even when a question was not asked- I thought all the other differences where well done. I also thought the world building was intergraded pretty seamlessly. I don’t recall thinking ‘oh here comes another info dump’, instead I found myself pretty immersed and felt like I learned everything that I needed know.
One of the main reasons I wanted to read this, besides it being historical fantasy, was that this promised a sapphic romance. The main character, Dell, is a petty criminal, bisexual, fire-witch. When Dell takes a job to be a magical bodyguard, she meets a fellow bodyguard, our troll, Winn. Dell sees Winn as a mark, someone wealthy to buy her gifts or maybe even the long game to wife up with her, but things start to change when real feeling get involved. I was actually surprised how much time was spent on the romance. It was more than I expected and I was happy with it. There were no explicit sex scenes. It was a little annoying that Dell slept with a couple guys but never with her potential love interest, but that’s because Winn wanted to treat her like a lady. There were a couple passionate scenes but nothing really explicit.
It was interesting that this book had a bit of a darker feel, one of the storylines is about the drug trade, there is some death, attempted revenge, and people that have it tough in life. But this book was also quirky and had humor that made you feel like this wasn’t dark fantasy at all. It was a really interesting and well done balance. I always talk about how I struggle with book humor, but here I found quite a few things funny and I didn’t even realize that they were jokes. It was subtle dark humor and it leads me to my favorite character, Mr. Buttons, a dead mouse that is being inhabited by something…. I’m being vague here not to spoil anything but it was so damn bazaar and unique that I completely loved the thing.
I would recommend this book to historic fantasy fans. There are not a ton of books in this category so it is always nice when a good new one comes out. This did have a few pacing issues. It’s funny, but after the first one third of the book, it almost felt like the book should be ending, but then it climbs up again for another adventure. So the pace was a bit up and down and I think I would have edited a few parts out. On the other hand, some of the slower parts where nice because it gave time for Winn and Dell to grow closer. Anyway, I think most sapphic historical fantasy fans will enjoy this even with the few bumps it has. I don’t know if there will be a sequel but I would absolutely read more about Winn and Dell. In the meantime, I will read Unnatural Magic that takes place in the same world but with different characters.
A copy was given to me for a honest review.
Like most fantasy books, especially ones that have a different way for characters to speak and even new names for things, it took me a little while to get into the story. I actually felt comfortable faster than I expected because most of the new names and phrases where very easy to understand. While it was annoying that the troll character said What? at the end of every other sentence -even when a question was not asked- I thought all the other differences where well done. I also thought the world building was intergraded pretty seamlessly. I don’t recall thinking ‘oh here comes another info dump’, instead I found myself pretty immersed and felt like I learned everything that I needed know.
One of the main reasons I wanted to read this, besides it being historical fantasy, was that this promised a sapphic romance. The main character, Dell, is a petty criminal, bisexual, fire-witch. When Dell takes a job to be a magical bodyguard, she meets a fellow bodyguard, our troll, Winn. Dell sees Winn as a mark, someone wealthy to buy her gifts or maybe even the long game to wife up with her, but things start to change when real feeling get involved. I was actually surprised how much time was spent on the romance. It was more than I expected and I was happy with it. There were no explicit sex scenes. It was a little annoying that Dell slept with a couple guys but never with her potential love interest, but that’s because Winn wanted to treat her like a lady. There were a couple passionate scenes but nothing really explicit.
It was interesting that this book had a bit of a darker feel, one of the storylines is about the drug trade, there is some death, attempted revenge, and people that have it tough in life. But this book was also quirky and had humor that made you feel like this wasn’t dark fantasy at all. It was a really interesting and well done balance. I always talk about how I struggle with book humor, but here I found quite a few things funny and I didn’t even realize that they were jokes. It was subtle dark humor and it leads me to my favorite character, Mr. Buttons, a dead mouse that is being inhabited by something…. I’m being vague here not to spoil anything but it was so damn bazaar and unique that I completely loved the thing.
I would recommend this book to historic fantasy fans. There are not a ton of books in this category so it is always nice when a good new one comes out. This did have a few pacing issues. It’s funny, but after the first one third of the book, it almost felt like the book should be ending, but then it climbs up again for another adventure. So the pace was a bit up and down and I think I would have edited a few parts out. On the other hand, some of the slower parts where nice because it gave time for Winn and Dell to grow closer. Anyway, I think most sapphic historical fantasy fans will enjoy this even with the few bumps it has. I don’t know if there will be a sequel but I would absolutely read more about Winn and Dell. In the meantime, I will read Unnatural Magic that takes place in the same world but with different characters.
A copy was given to me for a honest review.
August 15, 2024
Entertaining, unusual, and quite possibly problematic; your mileage may vary. Main narrator is younger woman who is a fire-witch and who isn't particularly careful about the law.
"Now she was down a job and forced to live off of her wits alone. Her wits, as it turned out, made for very unsatisfying dining."
She applies for a lucrative job as a guard for a well-to-do woman on the way to her betrothed, setting off a long chain of events. She has a mother with a drug addiction and a job of this size will give her the cash she needs to not only pay off her overdue rent, but send her mom to a recovery place.
"You were always stuck fussing around the edges of things, steering her toward a bad decision now because you hoped it’d keep her from a worse one tomorrow."
I like the voice and feel, the eventual character development that feels organic, and the slow-burn lesbian romance. It has a surprisingly modern feel to a fantasy story.
"She didn’t want Winn to come away with a poor impression of what Delly’s moans could sound like when she was at her best."
See Emma's review for a solid analysis. I'd add that the eventual tack the crew takes to come to the attention of the villain is somewhat problematic and definitely made me uncomfortable. I think Waggoner handled it well, but it is the kind of plot point that could lead to book-banning. Mild spoiler with sub-spoiler:
I'd say I enjoyed it because I was never quite sure where it was going to go next, the undead mouse, and the sweetness of the romance. I would definitely read the next in the series.
“Come on old thing. No time for sleeping now. You can sleep after we’ve all been thrown in jail for engaging in wizarding battles with known murderesses in the streets of Leiscourt.”
"Now she was down a job and forced to live off of her wits alone. Her wits, as it turned out, made for very unsatisfying dining."
She applies for a lucrative job as a guard for a well-to-do woman on the way to her betrothed, setting off a long chain of events. She has a mother with a drug addiction and a job of this size will give her the cash she needs to not only pay off her overdue rent, but send her mom to a recovery place.
"You were always stuck fussing around the edges of things, steering her toward a bad decision now because you hoped it’d keep her from a worse one tomorrow."
I like the voice and feel, the eventual character development that feels organic, and the slow-burn lesbian romance. It has a surprisingly modern feel to a fantasy story.
"She didn’t want Winn to come away with a poor impression of what Delly’s moans could sound like when she was at her best."
See Emma's review for a solid analysis. I'd add that the eventual tack the crew takes to come to the attention of the villain is somewhat problematic and definitely made me uncomfortable. I think Waggoner handled it well, but it is the kind of plot point that could lead to book-banning. Mild spoiler with sub-spoiler:
I'd say I enjoyed it because I was never quite sure where it was going to go next, the undead mouse, and the sweetness of the romance. I would definitely read the next in the series.
“Come on old thing. No time for sleeping now. You can sleep after we’ve all been thrown in jail for engaging in wizarding battles with known murderesses in the streets of Leiscourt.”
May 8, 2022
The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry
By C.M. Waggoner
I have read this before but failed to review it. But read it again and still liked it but not any better. It is a good read for one time.
A poor magical gal that has a drunken mother, is desperate to find a job. She ends up forced to try for a job as a escort and protection for a rich girl that needs to be in seclusion before marriage. No one is to see the bride before the wedding except her escorts.
The story has interesting characters, plot, mystery, a gay romance, and touch of magic in the air.
By C.M. Waggoner
I have read this before but failed to review it. But read it again and still liked it but not any better. It is a good read for one time.
A poor magical gal that has a drunken mother, is desperate to find a job. She ends up forced to try for a job as a escort and protection for a rich girl that needs to be in seclusion before marriage. No one is to see the bride before the wedding except her escorts.
The story has interesting characters, plot, mystery, a gay romance, and touch of magic in the air.
January 13, 2021
whimsical. Magical. Fantastical. C. M. Waggoner completely pulled me into this enchanting story with her quirky and unique writing style. before you start this book I think it is important that you are aware of the fact that the dialogue in the story is highly original. It is almost as if they are speaking a different language but they aren’t. At first this threw me off a little but by the end of the book I was completely acclimated to the style. I have to think The colorful language drew me into this world even more. The colorful language also was perfectly suited for our antiheroine Delly. Delly is a sharp, spunky, spirited fire witch who is in need of funds fast. When Delly sees an ad for a job as a bodyguard of a rich lady in need of being guarded before her wedding she is eager to apply. How hard can this be? Delly is certain the lady is exaggerating her peril. But Delly soon finds out the threat is real and it has put herself and her new friends in danger. because Delly never anticipated making new friends and meeting a possible romantic interest.
This was just so much fun! Definitely not my usual genre but it was such an enjoyable story. loved the relationship between Delly and Winn. Winn was half troll half female and one of the most kind caring characters I’ve ever read. The characters in the story were so accepting. Everything was so fluid your appearance, your gender, your sexuality. The mystery was interesting and made even more complex by everyone’s ability to change their appearance. A little magic... a little historical fiction... a little romance... a little mystery... and a whole lotta fun!
This book in emojis 🧙🏻♂️ 💰 🧪 🚰 🐭
*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
This was just so much fun! Definitely not my usual genre but it was such an enjoyable story. loved the relationship between Delly and Winn. Winn was half troll half female and one of the most kind caring characters I’ve ever read. The characters in the story were so accepting. Everything was so fluid your appearance, your gender, your sexuality. The mystery was interesting and made even more complex by everyone’s ability to change their appearance. A little magic... a little historical fiction... a little romance... a little mystery... and a whole lotta fun!
This book in emojis 🧙🏻♂️ 💰 🧪 🚰 🐭
*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***
January 22, 2021
The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry found a way to be disappointing in every single aspect of the story, the only exciting thing was that long title, to be honest. Characters had one personality trait, romance was very underdeveloped, there was not world-building and the mystery was so predictable. The book had no stakes or investment, wastes a lot of time in pointless discussions, and the resolution was so unsatisfying that almost feels like a personal offense.
I was promised sapphic bodyguards trying to protect their lady from a mysterious enemy. Instead, that whole plot was resolved in the first chapters, spending the rest of the book in a quest for revenge, but not really. This was so slow that it was ridiculous. As I said, a lot of wasted time in pointless descriptions that went nowhere. Although we know who and how is committing the crimes, I thought at least we could get some excitement from the why. I WAS SO WRONG. There was nothing to resolve, nothing to address and I couldn't wait to be over of this dreadful experience.
It's such a linear novel, we have no plot-twists or character development. The romance was laughable. I'm a romance fan and when someones tell me romance, I'm expecting emotion, care, maybe some flirt, and a lot of swoons. Here I got nothing. Maybe because I had no investment in these caricatures of characters, but their romance was so bland. And let's not talk about that whole break-up and how the book never addresses Delly's actions. This story said we don't like consequences here.
So yes, disappointing mystery and plot, boring romance, terrible characters but the worst was the world-building. Or better said, the lack of. This is supposed to be a Victorian fantasy, I guess, with magic, wizards, and all types of magical creatures. Even if I want to tell you more about it, I can't. There are no explanations about the magic, they briefly talk about social class and that's it. I don't understand how this society works and I don't get why they talk so annoyingly. It was bland and mediocre, it gives me nothing exciting. The characters would keep mentioning places or names that I guess I should recognize? Or rememeber? I didn't because this is one of those books that are just not memorable. Except for the headache that gave me.
The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry was nothing special, the longest 300 pages I have ever read. THROW TO THE GARBAGE!
I was promised sapphic bodyguards trying to protect their lady from a mysterious enemy. Instead, that whole plot was resolved in the first chapters, spending the rest of the book in a quest for revenge, but not really. This was so slow that it was ridiculous. As I said, a lot of wasted time in pointless descriptions that went nowhere. Although we know who and how is committing the crimes, I thought at least we could get some excitement from the why. I WAS SO WRONG. There was nothing to resolve, nothing to address and I couldn't wait to be over of this dreadful experience.
It's such a linear novel, we have no plot-twists or character development. The romance was laughable. I'm a romance fan and when someones tell me romance, I'm expecting emotion, care, maybe some flirt, and a lot of swoons. Here I got nothing. Maybe because I had no investment in these caricatures of characters, but their romance was so bland. And let's not talk about that whole break-up and how the book never addresses Delly's actions. This story said we don't like consequences here.
So yes, disappointing mystery and plot, boring romance, terrible characters but the worst was the world-building. Or better said, the lack of. This is supposed to be a Victorian fantasy, I guess, with magic, wizards, and all types of magical creatures. Even if I want to tell you more about it, I can't. There are no explanations about the magic, they briefly talk about social class and that's it. I don't understand how this society works and I don't get why they talk so annoyingly. It was bland and mediocre, it gives me nothing exciting. The characters would keep mentioning places or names that I guess I should recognize? Or rememeber? I didn't because this is one of those books that are just not memorable. Except for the headache that gave me.
The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry was nothing special, the longest 300 pages I have ever read. THROW TO THE GARBAGE!
April 6, 2021
3.5 stars
I had a lot of fun with this book, which has an entertaining protagonist and is also very funny—at least, if you enjoy a faux-Victorian writing style and the wry humor that comes with it. There are some definite plotting issues, but the book overall left me with warm feelings.
In a fantasy world bearing some resemblance to 19th century England, Dellaria (Delly) Wells grew up in poverty and is a generally disreputable, scrappy, foul-mouthed fire witch and sometimes petty criminal, who can’t be bothered to hold down any job for long and enjoys drinking gin and casual sex. Her portrayal is leavened by her amusing habit of making up big words that she thinks sound fancy when talking to higher-class people (who are generally unimpressed), her devotion to her neglectful drug addict mother, and the tendency of the narrative itself to mock Delly’s shortcomings—because the narrative is inflected with Delly’s voice and even sometimes uses her made-up words, it gives the impression of self-awareness from her and of a book that isn’t above laughing at itself.
I enjoy flawed characters, and I really enjoyed seeing a character type usually confined to male protagonists on a woman. At the same time, Delly is a more realistic portrayal than usual in fantasy of someone living in generational poverty, and her strategies for dealing with her social “betters” come across as very realistic, as is her preoccupation with money and with establishing some security for herself and her mother. This being a fantasy book there is of course some effort to have her grow into a hero, to which my response is somewhat mixed—some of Delly’s choices seem a little over-the-top , but mostly I think it’s a good balance of the better side of her nature coming out without transforming the character beyond recognition.
The plot I was less thrilled with. The first third is very fun, as Delly takes a short-term job on a team of female bodyguards protecting a lady targeted by mysterious assassination attempts. However, it later bogs down in a slow-moving quest to capture the culprit, based on a bizarre plan to apprehend a drug addict by taking down her suppliers root and branch, which seems a bit like killing a spider with an 18-wheeler—major overkill, and also there’s a good chance you’ll miss the spider altogether. (This comparison is very much in the spirit of the book, by the way, except it’s a quasi-Victorian world so doesn’t actually have trucks!) The end, when it comes, is rushed and feels devoid of a truly exciting climax. The same is true of Delly’s romance with fellow bodyguard Winn: starts off interestingly due to the social divide, but bogs down in repetitive interactions before tying off somewhat abruptly.
I did enjoy the worldbuilding, which is in the background rather than explained: the world feels three-dimensional, and the use of at least four different ways of speaking depending on context and social class is particularly striking. Those who have already read the companion book, Unnatural Magic, might have an easier time understanding the world: there doesn’t seem to be any connection between the plots though I believe Winn’s mother was a prior protagonist, but some cultural concepts were perhaps explained further there. It took me a good chunk of the book to deduce that “householding” can refer to either adoption or to some sort of civil union (the difference between this and marriage is never explained; given that no one in this world seems to attach any significance whatsoever to the choice of same sex vs. opposite sex relationships, I wouldn’t have guessed they had separate institutions, yet it does appear to be the case).
At any rate, this book is worth a read if you enjoy fantasy with quasi-19th century settings and language, bands of female adventurers, rough-and-tumble female protagonists, or sapphic romance. The plotting issues make me hesitant to recommend, but I definitely did enjoy it.
I had a lot of fun with this book, which has an entertaining protagonist and is also very funny—at least, if you enjoy a faux-Victorian writing style and the wry humor that comes with it. There are some definite plotting issues, but the book overall left me with warm feelings.
In a fantasy world bearing some resemblance to 19th century England, Dellaria (Delly) Wells grew up in poverty and is a generally disreputable, scrappy, foul-mouthed fire witch and sometimes petty criminal, who can’t be bothered to hold down any job for long and enjoys drinking gin and casual sex. Her portrayal is leavened by her amusing habit of making up big words that she thinks sound fancy when talking to higher-class people (who are generally unimpressed), her devotion to her neglectful drug addict mother, and the tendency of the narrative itself to mock Delly’s shortcomings—because the narrative is inflected with Delly’s voice and even sometimes uses her made-up words, it gives the impression of self-awareness from her and of a book that isn’t above laughing at itself.
I enjoy flawed characters, and I really enjoyed seeing a character type usually confined to male protagonists on a woman. At the same time, Delly is a more realistic portrayal than usual in fantasy of someone living in generational poverty, and her strategies for dealing with her social “betters” come across as very realistic, as is her preoccupation with money and with establishing some security for herself and her mother. This being a fantasy book there is of course some effort to have her grow into a hero, to which my response is somewhat mixed—some of Delly’s choices seem a little over-the-top , but mostly I think it’s a good balance of the better side of her nature coming out without transforming the character beyond recognition.
The plot I was less thrilled with. The first third is very fun, as Delly takes a short-term job on a team of female bodyguards protecting a lady targeted by mysterious assassination attempts. However, it later bogs down in a slow-moving quest to capture the culprit, based on a bizarre plan to apprehend a drug addict by taking down her suppliers root and branch, which seems a bit like killing a spider with an 18-wheeler—major overkill, and also there’s a good chance you’ll miss the spider altogether. (This comparison is very much in the spirit of the book, by the way, except it’s a quasi-Victorian world so doesn’t actually have trucks!) The end, when it comes, is rushed and feels devoid of a truly exciting climax. The same is true of Delly’s romance with fellow bodyguard Winn: starts off interestingly due to the social divide, but bogs down in repetitive interactions before tying off somewhat abruptly.
I did enjoy the worldbuilding, which is in the background rather than explained: the world feels three-dimensional, and the use of at least four different ways of speaking depending on context and social class is particularly striking. Those who have already read the companion book, Unnatural Magic, might have an easier time understanding the world: there doesn’t seem to be any connection between the plots though I believe Winn’s mother was a prior protagonist, but some cultural concepts were perhaps explained further there. It took me a good chunk of the book to deduce that “householding” can refer to either adoption or to some sort of civil union (the difference between this and marriage is never explained; given that no one in this world seems to attach any significance whatsoever to the choice of same sex vs. opposite sex relationships, I wouldn’t have guessed they had separate institutions, yet it does appear to be the case).
At any rate, this book is worth a read if you enjoy fantasy with quasi-19th century settings and language, bands of female adventurers, rough-and-tumble female protagonists, or sapphic romance. The plotting issues make me hesitant to recommend, but I definitely did enjoy it.
May 27, 2023
Quirky, fun, and surprising--I had so much fun reading this!
I wasn't sure what to expect. Waggoner has built a fantasy world that seems to be set historically in a Victorian-esque period where the divide among classes couldn't be more prominent, identity and romantic interests are fluid, and magic is a gift bestowed on a few!
Delly is a girl born in a dustbin in the ally behind a brothel (aka not the wealthy part of town) and she is constantly struggling to pay rent and keep her mother off of the red drip. Of course, it doesn't help that her landlady can cast a wicked binding spell for her rent that will cause her to break out in pustules if she doesn't pay on time!
So when Delly is looking for a way to earn some quick cash, she stumbles across the need for a band of female wizards to protect a wealthy lady as she prepares for her wedding. The band of women couldn't be more strange--but they are just the sort to protect their charge from someone who seems intent on attacking her.
Soon Delly and the others are embroiled in quite an adventure as the case takes twists and turns that lead Delly closer to her home than she realized. She may just be able to afford her rent, save the lady in waiting, and rescue her mother while she's at it!
I loved how delightfully strange this book was! The hardest thing to get used to was the writing, or I should say the dialogue. Delly and the others adapt their speech quite a bit depending who they are speaking to and it took a bit to get used to their style. Once I did, I really had so much fun!
The magic in and of itself was secondary to the other parts of the book, which is a world in which people don't seem to be thrown by a half-troll-half-woman, a shape-shifter, a mouse skeleton who seems to be alive, and much more. The characters that inhabit this world are refreshingly open to one another and to finding a connection with any creature, male, female, or otherwise.
Fans of historical fantasy will love this story! Thank you to Berkley for my copy. Opinions are my own.
I wasn't sure what to expect. Waggoner has built a fantasy world that seems to be set historically in a Victorian-esque period where the divide among classes couldn't be more prominent, identity and romantic interests are fluid, and magic is a gift bestowed on a few!
Delly is a girl born in a dustbin in the ally behind a brothel (aka not the wealthy part of town) and she is constantly struggling to pay rent and keep her mother off of the red drip. Of course, it doesn't help that her landlady can cast a wicked binding spell for her rent that will cause her to break out in pustules if she doesn't pay on time!
So when Delly is looking for a way to earn some quick cash, she stumbles across the need for a band of female wizards to protect a wealthy lady as she prepares for her wedding. The band of women couldn't be more strange--but they are just the sort to protect their charge from someone who seems intent on attacking her.
Soon Delly and the others are embroiled in quite an adventure as the case takes twists and turns that lead Delly closer to her home than she realized. She may just be able to afford her rent, save the lady in waiting, and rescue her mother while she's at it!
I loved how delightfully strange this book was! The hardest thing to get used to was the writing, or I should say the dialogue. Delly and the others adapt their speech quite a bit depending who they are speaking to and it took a bit to get used to their style. Once I did, I really had so much fun!
The magic in and of itself was secondary to the other parts of the book, which is a world in which people don't seem to be thrown by a half-troll-half-woman, a shape-shifter, a mouse skeleton who seems to be alive, and much more. The characters that inhabit this world are refreshingly open to one another and to finding a connection with any creature, male, female, or otherwise.
Fans of historical fantasy will love this story! Thank you to Berkley for my copy. Opinions are my own.
March 6, 2021
Lex said it well in her review, when she said this was an oddball of a book! It's like fantasy adventure, in a strange Victorian-esque world but with magic and necromancing, and a mystery with the drug-trade underworld... But also wealth disparity in the classes, and snobbery of the set time period... But there's also a lot of humour and heart, too.
Dellaria aka Delly is our anti-hero. She's very much a pauper just struggling with her lot in life, to keep her head above water, doing anything she can to keep her in coin and gin. Her mother, it would seem never did much to help raise her, and does little to stay sober and in one place. Delly herself likes the gin, too, but at least she keeps herself in a room and decent hygiene! Even if it means making cursed promises to the landlady incase she defaults on the payments. She's a little foul mouthed, but cares about her old Mam. She is also quite adept at being a fire witch. But with little formal training, that means she is seen as 'feral' or a gutter witch. Her powers performed more on instinct, than any real mastery behind it.
But this skills enables her to get a job chaperoning and bodyguarding a wealthy woman, with the assistance of others with different powers. I enjoyed getting to know the host of characters and their skill-sets.
Our Delly is bisexual, and basically does who and what feels good at the time. She's not ashamed and simply takes what happiness and pleasure she can wherever she is, so she may not dwell on the depths of hopeless of her life and stature. With this in mind, she sets her mark on a half troll woman who is also bodyguarding. She comes from big money and is from the higher classes, named Winnifer, aka Winn.
Winn is a 'plum pudding' of a broad shouldered, tall spectacle, that has an endearing calm and sensitivity to her. Yet also is very adept at horse-riding, fighting, and shooting. Delly endears herself to Winn, thinking it might be nice to become essentially a kept woman for her. Winn in turn endears herself to Delly, by never looking down on her, and infact standing up for her numerous times. She speaks without airs and judgements. Both enjoying the easy banter and similar mindedness they have, despite their very different backgrounds and stations.
Winn insists on doing things all proper like. Delly finds herself feeling out of sorts because of it. Not used to being treated well and being defended by such a lady of both gumption and moral fibre. Delly soon starts feeling like a fraud, and guilty because of how she is feeling toward Winn and how Winn feels back. I only WISH we had seen far more of their relationship blossom, and more of Winn's insights into why she likes Dell.
The mystery into the drug trade is quite drawn out, and I found it a tiny bit tedious. The book is a long one, I think 8 hours or more? So definitely not one I could do in one sitting. Delly's mother also gets involved, which is bittersweet.
The ending was a tiny bit anticlimactic, which I think is to be expected with how long the process was in getting to the end. Don't get me wrong I did enjoy it, but sometimes it got a tiny bit bogged down and the passages became VERY wordy with not much actually happening to progress the story along... But I did find most of it amusing.
There's some references to other mysteries that Winn and Delly might investigate next, so perhaps this may become a series of novels? I would definitely enjoy that, especially if we get more insight into Winn and her family structure, and her own attitudes and feelings!
Not a perfect novel, but very solid and interesting overall.
Dellaria aka Delly is our anti-hero. She's very much a pauper just struggling with her lot in life, to keep her head above water, doing anything she can to keep her in coin and gin. Her mother, it would seem never did much to help raise her, and does little to stay sober and in one place. Delly herself likes the gin, too, but at least she keeps herself in a room and decent hygiene! Even if it means making cursed promises to the landlady incase she defaults on the payments. She's a little foul mouthed, but cares about her old Mam. She is also quite adept at being a fire witch. But with little formal training, that means she is seen as 'feral' or a gutter witch. Her powers performed more on instinct, than any real mastery behind it.
But this skills enables her to get a job chaperoning and bodyguarding a wealthy woman, with the assistance of others with different powers. I enjoyed getting to know the host of characters and their skill-sets.
Our Delly is bisexual, and basically does who and what feels good at the time. She's not ashamed and simply takes what happiness and pleasure she can wherever she is, so she may not dwell on the depths of hopeless of her life and stature. With this in mind, she sets her mark on a half troll woman who is also bodyguarding. She comes from big money and is from the higher classes, named Winnifer, aka Winn.
Winn is a 'plum pudding' of a broad shouldered, tall spectacle, that has an endearing calm and sensitivity to her. Yet also is very adept at horse-riding, fighting, and shooting. Delly endears herself to Winn, thinking it might be nice to become essentially a kept woman for her. Winn in turn endears herself to Delly, by never looking down on her, and infact standing up for her numerous times. She speaks without airs and judgements. Both enjoying the easy banter and similar mindedness they have, despite their very different backgrounds and stations.
Winn insists on doing things all proper like. Delly finds herself feeling out of sorts because of it. Not used to being treated well and being defended by such a lady of both gumption and moral fibre. Delly soon starts feeling like a fraud, and guilty because of how she is feeling toward Winn and how Winn feels back. I only WISH we had seen far more of their relationship blossom, and more of Winn's insights into why she likes Dell.
The mystery into the drug trade is quite drawn out, and I found it a tiny bit tedious. The book is a long one, I think 8 hours or more? So definitely not one I could do in one sitting. Delly's mother also gets involved, which is bittersweet.
The ending was a tiny bit anticlimactic, which I think is to be expected with how long the process was in getting to the end. Don't get me wrong I did enjoy it, but sometimes it got a tiny bit bogged down and the passages became VERY wordy with not much actually happening to progress the story along... But I did find most of it amusing.
There's some references to other mysteries that Winn and Delly might investigate next, so perhaps this may become a series of novels? I would definitely enjoy that, especially if we get more insight into Winn and her family structure, and her own attitudes and feelings!
Not a perfect novel, but very solid and interesting overall.
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December 17, 2020
DNF at 70%.
I don't know if it was the writing, the pacing, my mood or what, but despite being one of my most highly anticipated reads of 2021, this fell flat. I can't believe I pushed through until 70% and DNF'd, and that I didn't push through for the rest, but after a several-day slog where I was skimming more than reading, I had to call it quits.
Victorian writing—much less pseudo fantasy Victorian writing—is a hard sell for me, and I'm not certain if I would have requested this or put it on my TBR had I known. However, I LOVE f/f fantasy, although I was scratching my head over the randomness of trolls in an otherwise fairly standard Victorian-esque fantasy setting (which makes me nervous for the companion novel, which I bought and have not read yet).
I enjoyed the characters, but the pacing felt super off. It went from going at a good clip until the grand reveal, and then it became nothing but waiting, practicing, waiting, looking for mam, waiting, bathhouses, a convoluted drug-making plot, more waiting, much angst with Winn, a weird mouse, and more waiting. About 30% of it was waiting or talking about what they were going to do and planning, and it was just so damn boring.
I did appreciate the worldbuilding, which had some unique twists alongside the standard mock-Victorian, and the commentary on polite young ladies, privilege and poverty.
Maybe I would have enjoyed this if I was in a better mindset, but I needed something that connected me to the writing better, and this wasn't it.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review
I don't know if it was the writing, the pacing, my mood or what, but despite being one of my most highly anticipated reads of 2021, this fell flat. I can't believe I pushed through until 70% and DNF'd, and that I didn't push through for the rest, but after a several-day slog where I was skimming more than reading, I had to call it quits.
Victorian writing—much less pseudo fantasy Victorian writing—is a hard sell for me, and I'm not certain if I would have requested this or put it on my TBR had I known. However, I LOVE f/f fantasy, although I was scratching my head over the randomness of trolls in an otherwise fairly standard Victorian-esque fantasy setting (which makes me nervous for the companion novel, which I bought and have not read yet).
I enjoyed the characters, but the pacing felt super off. It went from going at a good clip until the grand reveal, and then it became nothing but waiting, practicing, waiting, looking for mam, waiting, bathhouses, a convoluted drug-making plot, more waiting, much angst with Winn, a weird mouse, and more waiting. About 30% of it was waiting or talking about what they were going to do and planning, and it was just so damn boring.
I did appreciate the worldbuilding, which had some unique twists alongside the standard mock-Victorian, and the commentary on polite young ladies, privilege and poverty.
Maybe I would have enjoyed this if I was in a better mindset, but I needed something that connected me to the writing better, and this wasn't it.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review
March 9, 2021
This book was an absolute fucking delight. Exactly what I needed to cheer me up after a rough week.
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Love sapphic books, too? Let's be friends! Bookstagram | Booktube | Booktok | Book Blog | Twitter
January 9, 2021
I did not expect to love Dellaria Wells as a character as much as I did, I was pleasantly surprised. Delly is a petty thief who thinks very little of herself due to the way she was raised. She soon finds out that your "station" in life doesn't make you.
I enjoyed this world filled with magic. The characters were well written and worked well together. I enjoyed the banter, the mystery, and learning more about everyone's backgrounds.
I hope the second book of the series comes out soon because I can't wait to see what is next for this group!
*RECEIVED BY NETGALLEY FOR AN HONEST REVIEW*
I enjoyed this world filled with magic. The characters were well written and worked well together. I enjoyed the banter, the mystery, and learning more about everyone's backgrounds.
I hope the second book of the series comes out soon because I can't wait to see what is next for this group!
*RECEIVED BY NETGALLEY FOR AN HONEST REVIEW*
August 11, 2021
A few decent ideas buried in atrocious writing. The author has no worldbuilding skills at all and it took me awhile to figure out when/where this book was supposed to be happening. Characters start as very distinct but their speech patterns are not consistent and as the book progresses it's hard to tell who is who. In my case I did the audio book and it seemed to me that narrator was having a similar problem.
As a Brit, the British slang thrown in at the beginning really grated on my nerves. Luckily the author lost interest in this for he later 3/4 of the book.
I'm being very generous giving this 2 stars. Overall I would describe this as 'the dogs bollocks without the dog':)
As a Brit, the British slang thrown in at the beginning really grated on my nerves. Luckily the author lost interest in this for he later 3/4 of the book.
I'm being very generous giving this 2 stars. Overall I would describe this as 'the dogs bollocks without the dog':)
July 31, 2021
...eh. I wish I liked this book more, but though some pieces all were nice (good character voice, sweet romance, hard character learning to love, ensemble heist cast, casual necromancy, and a deep dedication to [if not a great description of] sense of place), in the end I just couldn't get past some of the choices the author made about the plot and plotting.
As others have said, this book has weird pacing and a strange bifurcation of the plot about 40% of the way through. The plot summary on the cover is basically just that first 40%, and after that things A) slow down considerably and B) start taking headscratching turns in the plot department. I mean, I'm not saying that Delly wouldn't come up with that plan (though see below, I have doubts), but why no one else said, "um...why not this less ethically fraught and simpler way instead?" is utterly beyond me. That just really broke my interest in the book. Additionally, not only did they follow what I thought was a boneheaded plan, but they apparently didn't think at all about what I thought were the obvious repercussions of that plan.
Also, the romance? I just...it was there. It was nice to see a lesbian romance be the focus, but Winn's characterization was a bit too one-note and never progressed past "cheerful and nice". I never really GOT It didn't really click with me.
As others have said, this book has weird pacing and a strange bifurcation of the plot about 40% of the way through. The plot summary on the cover is basically just that first 40%, and after that things A) slow down considerably and B) start taking headscratching turns in the plot department. I mean, I'm not saying that Delly wouldn't come up with that plan (though see below, I have doubts), but why no one else said, "um...why not this less ethically fraught and simpler way instead?" is utterly beyond me. That just really broke my interest in the book. Additionally, not only did they follow what I thought was a boneheaded plan, but they apparently didn't think at all about what I thought were the obvious repercussions of that plan.
Also, the romance? I just...it was there. It was nice to see a lesbian romance be the focus, but Winn's characterization was a bit too one-note and never progressed past "cheerful and nice". I never really GOT It didn't really click with me.
March 29, 2021
Dellaria Wells can manipulate fire, struggles to find a way to help her drug addict mother while taking care of herself, and get enough money together to pay her landlady so she won’t be homeless. So that means finding a lucrative job, which involves signing on as a bodyguard for a lady.
Delly’s fire wizardry, and her moderate ability at talking her way in and out of situations, has her working fairly well with the other female wizards also contracted as bodyguards. The job turns out to be very dangerous, and the one benefit, other than the pay, is that Delly catches the eye of one of the other female bodyguards, a half-troll, Winn, whose parents we met in C.M. Waggoner’s first novel.
When it’s revealed that the security job actually connects with a series of drug-related deaths in Delly’s Leiscourt neighbourhood, this gives her a leg-up on understanding the stakes and potential players in the situation, unlike the wizards, who are of a higher economic and social class than our protagonist.
Dellaria Wells is utterly charming. She may think she has a turnip for a head and is a bad person, but she’s actually smart, clever, caring, and has a host of qualities that make her ideal at leading the band of wizards, and solving a series of problems.
This book is full of humour, and though Delly finds herself frequently in situations way over her head, she’s incredibly brave and good at improvising. Her growing relationship with Winn is lovely; they have an ease in how they work together, and respect, even while Delly feels horrible about lying about her personal circumstances and motivations behind many of her actions.
I loved Dellaria, and her often incredibly funny word constructions (she has no formal schooling), and Winn was just so wonderful and kind; the supporting characters were also well-drawn.
I love what I’ve seen so far of Waggoner’s world and its characters. I can’t wait to read what’s next by this author.
Delly’s fire wizardry, and her moderate ability at talking her way in and out of situations, has her working fairly well with the other female wizards also contracted as bodyguards. The job turns out to be very dangerous, and the one benefit, other than the pay, is that Delly catches the eye of one of the other female bodyguards, a half-troll, Winn, whose parents we met in C.M. Waggoner’s first novel.
When it’s revealed that the security job actually connects with a series of drug-related deaths in Delly’s Leiscourt neighbourhood, this gives her a leg-up on understanding the stakes and potential players in the situation, unlike the wizards, who are of a higher economic and social class than our protagonist.
Dellaria Wells is utterly charming. She may think she has a turnip for a head and is a bad person, but she’s actually smart, clever, caring, and has a host of qualities that make her ideal at leading the band of wizards, and solving a series of problems.
This book is full of humour, and though Delly finds herself frequently in situations way over her head, she’s incredibly brave and good at improvising. Her growing relationship with Winn is lovely; they have an ease in how they work together, and respect, even while Delly feels horrible about lying about her personal circumstances and motivations behind many of her actions.
I loved Dellaria, and her often incredibly funny word constructions (she has no formal schooling), and Winn was just so wonderful and kind; the supporting characters were also well-drawn.
I love what I’ve seen so far of Waggoner’s world and its characters. I can’t wait to read what’s next by this author.
to-read-so-bad-it-hurts
April 26, 2020A petty thief turned bodyguard to a rich young lady falling in love with another bodyguard, the WLW we all deserve 🙏🙏
February 11, 2021
See this review and more at my blog, The Scribe Owl!
Thank you to Edelweiss+ and Ace for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
3/5 stars
I requested this book so long ago that by the time I read it I forgot what it was about. Oops. But it's all good because going into books blind can be fun too! That said, this book was nothing like my, albeit limited, knowledge of it presumed it would be.
Hard-drinking petty thief Dellaria Wells is down on her luck in the city of Leiscourt—again. Then she sees a want ad for a female bodyguard, and she fast-talks her way into the high-paying job. Along with a team of other women, she’s meant to protect a rich young lady from mysterious assassins.
At first, Delly thinks the danger is exaggerated, but a series of attacks shows there’s much to fear. Then she begins to fall for Winn, one of the other bodyguards, and the women team up against a mysterious, magical foe who seems to have allies everywhere.
This book was, for lack of a better word, unique. I'm having trouble even coming up with comprehensive sentences to describe it! The writing gives it a quirky sense of humor, making it very unlike other books I've read. There have always been more or less two categories: poetic prose and juvenile yet humorous writing. The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry seemed to be somewhere in the middle. There was nothing juvenile about the writing, but the dry humor was more characteristic of that kind of novel. I loved it! It's so hard to come by new things now. The writing was the best part of the book.
As the story is told from Delly's point of view, I loved to look at the world created through the lens of part of the underbelly! Delly is honestly such a fun narrator. The setting seems to be in a late 1800-ish kind of world, with the noticeable inclusion of magic. The world is decently well built and paints a historical background with a light brush.
The characters match the writing style in every sense. The writing style was quirky and fun, but so were the characters! Delly is not your usual protagonist. She's a little bumbling, but endearingly so. I've read about characters that were meant to be like Delly, but the execution was off. Thankfully, the execution was fantastic and Delly was exactly how intended.
Where The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry lost me was the plot. I enjoyed the characters, but not enough to let them carry the book. The first third or so was interesting, but then we pivoted on our heal and started choosing down another road. Books with multiple plots annoy me to no end, and this was no exception. The pacing was a little off too. Once the cast got back from everything that happened in the first third of the book, they did pretty absolutely nothing for way too long.
All in all, this was a decent read. It was unlike anything I've read before and has great potential! A few things were off for me, but I had a good time in the end.
Thank you to Edelweiss+ and Ace for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
3/5 stars
I requested this book so long ago that by the time I read it I forgot what it was about. Oops. But it's all good because going into books blind can be fun too! That said, this book was nothing like my, albeit limited, knowledge of it presumed it would be.
Hard-drinking petty thief Dellaria Wells is down on her luck in the city of Leiscourt—again. Then she sees a want ad for a female bodyguard, and she fast-talks her way into the high-paying job. Along with a team of other women, she’s meant to protect a rich young lady from mysterious assassins.
At first, Delly thinks the danger is exaggerated, but a series of attacks shows there’s much to fear. Then she begins to fall for Winn, one of the other bodyguards, and the women team up against a mysterious, magical foe who seems to have allies everywhere.
This book was, for lack of a better word, unique. I'm having trouble even coming up with comprehensive sentences to describe it! The writing gives it a quirky sense of humor, making it very unlike other books I've read. There have always been more or less two categories: poetic prose and juvenile yet humorous writing. The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry seemed to be somewhere in the middle. There was nothing juvenile about the writing, but the dry humor was more characteristic of that kind of novel. I loved it! It's so hard to come by new things now. The writing was the best part of the book.
As the story is told from Delly's point of view, I loved to look at the world created through the lens of part of the underbelly! Delly is honestly such a fun narrator. The setting seems to be in a late 1800-ish kind of world, with the noticeable inclusion of magic. The world is decently well built and paints a historical background with a light brush.
The characters match the writing style in every sense. The writing style was quirky and fun, but so were the characters! Delly is not your usual protagonist. She's a little bumbling, but endearingly so. I've read about characters that were meant to be like Delly, but the execution was off. Thankfully, the execution was fantastic and Delly was exactly how intended.
Where The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry lost me was the plot. I enjoyed the characters, but not enough to let them carry the book. The first third or so was interesting, but then we pivoted on our heal and started choosing down another road. Books with multiple plots annoy me to no end, and this was no exception. The pacing was a little off too. Once the cast got back from everything that happened in the first third of the book, they did pretty absolutely nothing for way too long.
All in all, this was a decent read. It was unlike anything I've read before and has great potential! A few things were off for me, but I had a good time in the end.
December 3, 2020
A big thank you to the publisher and the author for providing me with an arc of this book!
"Oh is there breakfast?" Delly said, enormously relieved. "I thought that perhaps it was just toast and tea and self-denial, for the gentler classes."
Perhaps you've been waiting on a sign on whether or not you should pick this book up. Well this is it. I'm telling you to preorder this book RIGHT NOW because it is 100% worth it. I loved this so much I can't even put it into words, and the only thing I'm conflicted about right now is whether to put this on my 2020 or 2021 favourites list.
There's a slow burn sapphic bodyguard romance between two witches. Need I say more?
I picked this book up without having read any other books by this author and besides needing maybe the first 20% of the book to get a little used to the world this proved no problem at all for me. The writing style is amazing, it might not be for everyone but it definitely was my cup of tea. I literally smiled like an idiot or laughed out loud every other page, I'm not kidding.
"Good night, Winn," Delly whispered, feeling a warm surge of somethingness in her generally stony-hearted breast.
Yep, I'm melting too.
"Oh is there breakfast?" Delly said, enormously relieved. "I thought that perhaps it was just toast and tea and self-denial, for the gentler classes."
Perhaps you've been waiting on a sign on whether or not you should pick this book up. Well this is it. I'm telling you to preorder this book RIGHT NOW because it is 100% worth it. I loved this so much I can't even put it into words, and the only thing I'm conflicted about right now is whether to put this on my 2020 or 2021 favourites list.
There's a slow burn sapphic bodyguard romance between two witches. Need I say more?
I picked this book up without having read any other books by this author and besides needing maybe the first 20% of the book to get a little used to the world this proved no problem at all for me. The writing style is amazing, it might not be for everyone but it definitely was my cup of tea. I literally smiled like an idiot or laughed out loud every other page, I'm not kidding.
"Good night, Winn," Delly whispered, feeling a warm surge of somethingness in her generally stony-hearted breast.
Yep, I'm melting too.
January 1, 2021
Delightful, whimsical, witchy fun!
Hard-drinking petty thief Dellaria Wells is down on her luck in the city of Leiscourt—again. Then she sees a want ad for a female bodyguard, and she fast-talks her way into the high-paying job. Along with a team of other women, she’s meant to protect a rich young lady from mysterious assassins.
At first, Delly thinks the danger is exaggerated, but a series of attacks shows there’s much to fear. Then she begins to fall for Winn, one of the other bodyguards, and the women team up against a mysterious, magical foe who seems to have allies everywhere.
This was just a breath of fresh air. Right of the bat, I loved the writing style and magical world within this story. I’m always a sucker for historical fiction, paired with fantastical elements. I loved Delly’s spunk, and everything about this book to be utterly enchanting. Would definitely pick this one up if you’re looking for a fluffy read!
Big thank you to Berkley Publishing Group + Netgalley for sending me an ARC copy of this book!
Hard-drinking petty thief Dellaria Wells is down on her luck in the city of Leiscourt—again. Then she sees a want ad for a female bodyguard, and she fast-talks her way into the high-paying job. Along with a team of other women, she’s meant to protect a rich young lady from mysterious assassins.
At first, Delly thinks the danger is exaggerated, but a series of attacks shows there’s much to fear. Then she begins to fall for Winn, one of the other bodyguards, and the women team up against a mysterious, magical foe who seems to have allies everywhere.
This was just a breath of fresh air. Right of the bat, I loved the writing style and magical world within this story. I’m always a sucker for historical fiction, paired with fantastical elements. I loved Delly’s spunk, and everything about this book to be utterly enchanting. Would definitely pick this one up if you’re looking for a fluffy read!
Big thank you to Berkley Publishing Group + Netgalley for sending me an ARC copy of this book!
November 13, 2025
I cannot remember the last time I felt so catered to by a book. It has all of my favorite things. Characters who really need hugs but also have anger issues, f/f romance, an interesting magical system, good world building, found family, crime, banter. Loved this so much.
January 25, 2021
3.5 stars, but on the weak side.
I have conflicting feelings about this book.
On one hand I found it quite entertaining and somehow homely and welcoming, but on the other hand I don't think it will stay with me. The impression it left wasn't all that deep.
I have not read Waggoner's first book, Unnatural Magic, and at times I felt as if I might have benefited from having read it, just to have a firmer grasp of the world-building.
If there were any hints at backstories in this book, that had been touched upon in Unnatural Magic, they passed by miles over my head. It wasn't a real problem though. This book worked well on its own.
In many ways I found it a strange book. It mixes and matches and takes whatever genres it feels like and just goes with it. This is both successful and at times a bit of a miss, at least for me. The way I saw it, the book couldn't really settle into whether it wanted to be a mystery or a cosy buddy story or a romance or an endless description of meals.
I mean, it worked, but it made the book feel far longer than I thought it needed to be and by the time it actually ended I was sure I had just finished a book the size of 700 pages or so. I was a bit amazed when I checked and saw that it's "only" around 400.
The plot puttered on in a slow, but steady pace most of the time. To be frank, it felt like it could go on forever with the ladies cooking drip, Delly and Winn courting and Delly thinking about her mother, but then suddenly the ending came crashing in and it was over pretty quickly.
I already had mild whiplash from the moment where all the ladies somehow goes: "You know what! Going 100% Breaking Bad is the only way to solve this problem! Let's cook the bestmeth Drip in town!"
Ehh.... Well, I'm still not sure why they actually came to that particular conclusion, maybe I spaced out or something, I don't know, but of course it worked out so... *shrug*
But seriously, some of the food descriptions felt like they had more depth to them than the minor characters on the sideline. The only two in the cast that are well-formed characters are the main character, Delly, and her love interest, Winn. These two are treated very nicely by the author and especially Delly gets to grow and find herself and her worth within the span of the story.
Sure, the other characters have lots of spunk and are fun ladies, but most focus is on Delly.
However, I found the whole "Delly is a fire witch" to be a bit of a let down. She has the sort of magic that at times seems to produce wonders, but then at other times Delly somehow forgets she even has (powerful) magic and can use it to defend herself or someone else.
Magic of Convenience, I call that. It comes and goes when it's convenient for the story - a.k.a. I'm not a huge fan of it.
Early on in the book there's this part that says "NO MEN" and that's a noticeable theme all the way through. There are hardly any male characters at all and certainly not in any bigger roles.
I found myself actually missing male characters, to be honest. I didn't mind the all-female cast, but it is now clear to me that it's not a setting I personally would want to stay in. I'd rather have more diversity.
The audiobook was good, but the narrator sounded very American and that wasn't really suiting for such a pseudo-British story. The whole hoity-toity style of the fake-Victorian era and different dialects sounded like ... yeah, an American trying to do different British accents and not getting it quite right.
Still a good narrator with lovely voice and storytelling, but not a perfect fit for the setting.
Unsure if I'll try more of this author in the future. I guess I'll wait and see what she writes next.
I have conflicting feelings about this book.
On one hand I found it quite entertaining and somehow homely and welcoming, but on the other hand I don't think it will stay with me. The impression it left wasn't all that deep.
I have not read Waggoner's first book, Unnatural Magic, and at times I felt as if I might have benefited from having read it, just to have a firmer grasp of the world-building.
If there were any hints at backstories in this book, that had been touched upon in Unnatural Magic, they passed by miles over my head. It wasn't a real problem though. This book worked well on its own.
In many ways I found it a strange book. It mixes and matches and takes whatever genres it feels like and just goes with it. This is both successful and at times a bit of a miss, at least for me. The way I saw it, the book couldn't really settle into whether it wanted to be a mystery or a cosy buddy story or a romance or an endless description of meals.
I mean, it worked, but it made the book feel far longer than I thought it needed to be and by the time it actually ended I was sure I had just finished a book the size of 700 pages or so. I was a bit amazed when I checked and saw that it's "only" around 400.
The plot puttered on in a slow, but steady pace most of the time. To be frank, it felt like it could go on forever with the ladies cooking drip, Delly and Winn courting and Delly thinking about her mother, but then suddenly the ending came crashing in and it was over pretty quickly.
I already had mild whiplash from the moment where all the ladies somehow goes: "You know what! Going 100% Breaking Bad is the only way to solve this problem! Let's cook the best
Ehh.... Well, I'm still not sure why they actually came to that particular conclusion, maybe I spaced out or something, I don't know, but of course it worked out so... *shrug*
But seriously, some of the food descriptions felt like they had more depth to them than the minor characters on the sideline. The only two in the cast that are well-formed characters are the main character, Delly, and her love interest, Winn. These two are treated very nicely by the author and especially Delly gets to grow and find herself and her worth within the span of the story.
Sure, the other characters have lots of spunk and are fun ladies, but most focus is on Delly.
However, I found the whole "Delly is a fire witch" to be a bit of a let down. She has the sort of magic that at times seems to produce wonders, but then at other times Delly somehow forgets she even has (powerful) magic and can use it to defend herself or someone else.
Magic of Convenience, I call that. It comes and goes when it's convenient for the story - a.k.a. I'm not a huge fan of it.
Early on in the book there's this part that says "NO MEN" and that's a noticeable theme all the way through. There are hardly any male characters at all and certainly not in any bigger roles.
I found myself actually missing male characters, to be honest. I didn't mind the all-female cast, but it is now clear to me that it's not a setting I personally would want to stay in. I'd rather have more diversity.
The audiobook was good, but the narrator sounded very American and that wasn't really suiting for such a pseudo-British story. The whole hoity-toity style of the fake-Victorian era and different dialects sounded like ... yeah, an American trying to do different British accents and not getting it quite right.
Still a good narrator with lovely voice and storytelling, but not a perfect fit for the setting.
Unsure if I'll try more of this author in the future. I guess I'll wait and see what she writes next.
January 11, 2021
Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Annie Deo
The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry is an adult historical fantasy novel that takes place in a pseudo-Victorian setting which has been turned on its head. Picture a noir-inspired protagonist starring in a quirky regency romance with witches and trolls and you’ll have the beginnings of an understanding of this colourful, whimsically inventive story.
While the author has previously published a novel Unnatural Magic which first establishes the world in which we meet our ruthless heroine Dellaria Wells, this book can easily be read as a standalone. Delly is a self-described gutterwitch who grew up in the poor part of town and was raised by a neglectful mother too focused on her drug addiction to worry about her daughter. The author adopts a unique writing style to match Delly’s crass street cadence and tendency to mash together words making up non-existent terms like ‘considerationary’ or ‘productivication’ which may be off-putting to some readers at first, but I quickly acclimatised and found it made the reading experience much more immersive.
Read the FULL REVIEW on The Nerd Daily
The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry is an adult historical fantasy novel that takes place in a pseudo-Victorian setting which has been turned on its head. Picture a noir-inspired protagonist starring in a quirky regency romance with witches and trolls and you’ll have the beginnings of an understanding of this colourful, whimsically inventive story.
While the author has previously published a novel Unnatural Magic which first establishes the world in which we meet our ruthless heroine Dellaria Wells, this book can easily be read as a standalone. Delly is a self-described gutterwitch who grew up in the poor part of town and was raised by a neglectful mother too focused on her drug addiction to worry about her daughter. The author adopts a unique writing style to match Delly’s crass street cadence and tendency to mash together words making up non-existent terms like ‘considerationary’ or ‘productivication’ which may be off-putting to some readers at first, but I quickly acclimatised and found it made the reading experience much more immersive.
Read the FULL REVIEW on The Nerd Daily
January 11, 2021
Dellaria Wells is a petty thief and sometimes drunk who is living in Leiscourt. She has two immediate goals. Get her mother off the drip and pay the landlord the rent before she breaks out in boils. Dellaria is a fire witch, and when she sees an advert for a bodyguard, it seems like a dream come true. She joins a team of other women, to protect a rich young lady from mysterious assassins.
From the world to the assorted group of females, I loved this story. Part investigative mystery, and part magic, it offered a delightful slow-burning LGBT romance that fans of historical fantasy will want to add to their shelf.
Most of the characters are female, from the landlord to the villain. Each woman on their team brought unique magic skills. The threat was freaky and involved the use of necromancy. Perhaps my favorite character was of all things a rat… but I will let you learn about that on your own.
We see character growth, friendships develop, and watch the romance between Dellaria and Winn. Their relationship felt genuine, as did the struggles Dellaria went through. Winn was a peach.
I would love to see this gang get together again, but loved how the story wrapped up. This was my first experience with C.M. Waggoner. I would not hesitate to read her again. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
From the world to the assorted group of females, I loved this story. Part investigative mystery, and part magic, it offered a delightful slow-burning LGBT romance that fans of historical fantasy will want to add to their shelf.
Most of the characters are female, from the landlord to the villain. Each woman on their team brought unique magic skills. The threat was freaky and involved the use of necromancy. Perhaps my favorite character was of all things a rat… but I will let you learn about that on your own.
We see character growth, friendships develop, and watch the romance between Dellaria and Winn. Their relationship felt genuine, as did the struggles Dellaria went through. Winn was a peach.
I would love to see this gang get together again, but loved how the story wrapped up. This was my first experience with C.M. Waggoner. I would not hesitate to read her again. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
March 1, 2021
The book's description does not do it justice; what it actually describes is the exposition. There are two parts to the book: the love story between Winn and Delly, and the hunt for the people creating and peddling the new "red drip" that has cornered the drug market, severe side-effects and, sometimes, deadly consequences.
From the get-go we see that Delly is a hustler trying to keep her head above water financially. A fire witch, she goes after a bodyguard job she sees advertised because the salary will help her pay off some debts. One of her fellow bodyguards is Winn and Delly quickly identifies her as a potential mark.
Something happens during their assignment that results in someone's death and a reward is offered for finding the people responsible for the death. Delly, who always has dollar signs in her eyes, decides to take on this dangerous endeavor.
In terms of the love story, Winn is almost Victorian in how she shows Delly her affection. It was also interesting to see how Delly's heart melted as she was fighting to keep the walls around her heart intact.
Overall, this was a very satisfying read, but it felt a bit longer than it actually was.
From the get-go we see that Delly is a hustler trying to keep her head above water financially. A fire witch, she goes after a bodyguard job she sees advertised because the salary will help her pay off some debts. One of her fellow bodyguards is Winn and Delly quickly identifies her as a potential mark.
Something happens during their assignment that results in someone's death and a reward is offered for finding the people responsible for the death. Delly, who always has dollar signs in her eyes, decides to take on this dangerous endeavor.
In terms of the love story, Winn is almost Victorian in how she shows Delly her affection. It was also interesting to see how Delly's heart melted as she was fighting to keep the walls around her heart intact.
Overall, this was a very satisfying read, but it felt a bit longer than it actually was.
June 9, 2021
A fun and charming investigation into a drip operation. The characters were likeable, if not the most nuanced, and I especially enjoyed Buttons. Delly and Winn's romance was cute, although it happened rather quickly; I enjoyed seeing them grow as a couple. The plot was fun, if not terribly complex, but I wish we got to see more of the antagonist. I liked the world, but the world-building was a bit lacking and I was often slightly confused by new words or phrases (I was especially confused about the trolls and Winn being half-troll. What are trolls like in this world? Are they treated the same as humans?).
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
September 10, 2023
DNF with about 130 pages to go bc I simply can’t take it anymore. Characters are one dimensional, romance is meh, but the writing is really what’s pushed me over the edge. For example, “…the number syllables in her personal lexicon being proportional to her perception of egregious enfucktation in her current, present, and unfortunate familial circumstances.” What???ENOUGH!!!!!!!
December 11, 2021
What a brilliant premise and cast of characters, what a damnably irritating execution.
October 7, 2024
3.5 stars
This was such a fun, cozy, sapphic historical fantasy! I really enjoyed the characters & the world. It was my perfect kind of cozy fantasy too, because the vibes were there, but there were also stakes and things happening in the plot that were kind of wild and crazy and fun to read about. Really enjoyed it!!
This was such a fun, cozy, sapphic historical fantasy! I really enjoyed the characters & the world. It was my perfect kind of cozy fantasy too, because the vibes were there, but there were also stakes and things happening in the plot that were kind of wild and crazy and fun to read about. Really enjoyed it!!
March 19, 2024
Reminded me of Legends and Lattes (in a bad way) which I only half finished but didn't mark on goodreads. I only half finished this one too so let me add them up to count as one.
November 30, 2020
I received an ARC of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
"'Oh, is there breakfast?' Delly said, enormously relieved. 'I thought that perhaps it was just toast and tea and self-denial, for the gentler classes.'"
4/5 stars: ★★★★☆
In The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry, Delly, an untrained fire witch barely scraping by in life while trying to care for her drug-addicted mother, takes up a position as a personal bodyguard in hope of turning her life around with the payout. When the young woman Delly has been assigned to protect begins facing regular and dramatic threats to her life, however, things get complicated- and close to home. Suddenly, Delly and the other bodyguards find themselves dragged into a winding search for a violent and desperate murderer, though they uncover much more along the way.
This was just as much fun as Waggoner's previous book, Unnatural Magic, though I think I enjoyed Ruthless even more. Waggoner's writing style is quirky and unique, never taking itself seriously while always making its points clear to the reader. I also loved this plot structure- just when the mystery appears solved, it launches off into yet another unexpected turn toward a detailed and dastardly plot that I certainly did not see coming.
Also, did I mention that nearly every character, from the heroes to the villians and everyone in between, is female? And that many are queer, nonbinary, and generally accepting of all and even against heteronormativity? Or that this book has both lgbt romance AND female friendship? Exceptional!
Which also brings me to the romance between Delly and a fellow bodyguard-turned-fellon, Winn. While I feel like some of Delly's introspective thoughts about her doubts regarding the relationship came a bit out of nowhere, I did relate to them a tiny bit, too, so overall, I think I like the relationship and the path it took. I would have just felt better, I think, if Delly had expressed her "self-serving" concerns (keeping it vague to avoid spoilers) a little earlier and more clearly, even if those concerns were just in her own head. She did a little bit, but I don't know...something feels like it got lost in translation between seeing Winn as a "mark" and a means of improving her life financially at the beginning of the book, and actually falling in love with her by the end (though I think that happened much earlier). It felt a bit muddled.
Overall though, The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry is a fun, twisty, female-dominated tale full of wit, romance, and a very nasty villain. It shows women in nearly every stage of life, every level of role in a story, and through every vulnerability and every strength imaginable- even those traditionally reserved for men. Oh, and did I forget to mention the "wizardry" while rambling on about all the "ruthless ladies"? Because yes, there's magic, too, and so much else to love in this forward-thinking romp of a book.
"'Oh, is there breakfast?' Delly said, enormously relieved. 'I thought that perhaps it was just toast and tea and self-denial, for the gentler classes.'"
4/5 stars: ★★★★☆
In The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry, Delly, an untrained fire witch barely scraping by in life while trying to care for her drug-addicted mother, takes up a position as a personal bodyguard in hope of turning her life around with the payout. When the young woman Delly has been assigned to protect begins facing regular and dramatic threats to her life, however, things get complicated- and close to home. Suddenly, Delly and the other bodyguards find themselves dragged into a winding search for a violent and desperate murderer, though they uncover much more along the way.
This was just as much fun as Waggoner's previous book, Unnatural Magic, though I think I enjoyed Ruthless even more. Waggoner's writing style is quirky and unique, never taking itself seriously while always making its points clear to the reader. I also loved this plot structure- just when the mystery appears solved, it launches off into yet another unexpected turn toward a detailed and dastardly plot that I certainly did not see coming.
Also, did I mention that nearly every character, from the heroes to the villians and everyone in between, is female? And that many are queer, nonbinary, and generally accepting of all and even against heteronormativity? Or that this book has both lgbt romance AND female friendship? Exceptional!
Which also brings me to the romance between Delly and a fellow bodyguard-turned-fellon, Winn. While I feel like some of Delly's introspective thoughts about her doubts regarding the relationship came a bit out of nowhere, I did relate to them a tiny bit, too, so overall, I think I like the relationship and the path it took. I would have just felt better, I think, if Delly had expressed her "self-serving" concerns (keeping it vague to avoid spoilers) a little earlier and more clearly, even if those concerns were just in her own head. She did a little bit, but I don't know...something feels like it got lost in translation between seeing Winn as a "mark" and a means of improving her life financially at the beginning of the book, and actually falling in love with her by the end (though I think that happened much earlier). It felt a bit muddled.
Overall though, The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry is a fun, twisty, female-dominated tale full of wit, romance, and a very nasty villain. It shows women in nearly every stage of life, every level of role in a story, and through every vulnerability and every strength imaginable- even those traditionally reserved for men. Oh, and did I forget to mention the "wizardry" while rambling on about all the "ruthless ladies"? Because yes, there's magic, too, and so much else to love in this forward-thinking romp of a book.
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