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Battle of the Hexes
Out of print
92 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 30, 2020
218 people are currently reading
137 people want to read
About the author
Morgana Best
205 books431 followersUSA Today best-selling author Morgana Best survived a childhood of deadly spiders and venomous snakes in the Australian outback. Morgana Best writes cozy mysteries and enjoys thinking of delightful new ways to murder her victims.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
September 2, 2020
I fell in love with a series, (His Ghoul Friday), by this author and now want to read everything she writes. I loved Battle of the Hexes. This story is set in Australia and our sleuth is Adeline Bloomwood. She lives in a town with other magical beings, unknown to the mundane residents. She has a familiar, who I adore, named Pudding. One thing I love is that the author includes an explanation of the different spellings and a list of Australian slang and terms, (some of these are so fun, I’m going to use them). I’m never lost when I read her books. I had a fun time reading this mystery. The time flew by as I read. I want to tell you all about it. I’m dying to. But you won’t have any reason to read it if I do. I’m so hoping this isn’t the last we hear of Adeline, Pudding and some other interesting characters I’ll let you discover. If you are looking for a fun story that is a fast read this is perfect!
*First read last year as part of an anthology, Curses and Cauldrons. I’m so happy to see this has been released as a stand-alone.
*First read last year as part of an anthology, Curses and Cauldrons. I’m so happy to see this has been released as a stand-alone.
September 12, 2020
Perfect fun!
I can count on Morgana’s books for entertainment and a mystery to solve. There’s always humor. Enjoyed revisiting this story. I love her series.
I can count on Morgana’s books for entertainment and a mystery to solve. There’s always humor. Enjoyed revisiting this story. I love her series.
November 1, 2020
Quick read
A short but exciting book with paranormal characters. Good action and a strong plot. I enjoy Morgana Best books. They are fun .
A short but exciting book with paranormal characters. Good action and a strong plot. I enjoy Morgana Best books. They are fun .
November 1, 2020
Plot spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.
I tend to avoid novella because I feel that they tend to be too short for my liking, but a novella was exactly what I was looking forward at the time. The fact this was Halloween cozy mystery that I was reading on Halloween made this right up my alley.
The length of this story didn’t bother me. Yes, it was really fast paced and not a lot of suspense or development character wise or plot wise, but I felt it was just enough to keep my interest. It advanced the plot in a quick yet smart way. It gave the crime right away. It presented some clues along the way, leading to suspects along the way. There was an agent, Jackson that was helping Adeline solve the crime of the death of her neighbor. The crime was solved with plausible logic. It hit all the cozy mystery requirements just in a shorter format. I really appreciated that.
Another thing that I really appreciated about this story was the element of the paranormal. Adeline was a witch. She had vampire friends. She had a familiar in form in Pudding the cat, who was freaking hilarious and made me snort laugh a couple times. There was the whole underground world of the paranormal that had to kept from the human world because if these supernatural creatures were discovered they were thrown into an isolated prison away from the human kind even if they weren’t a threat. So, there was secret keeping going on between Adeline and Jackson as she tried to keep her identity of a witch a secret from him while trying to use her gifts to help solve the crime, which was very interesting. There were also a couple of twists that revolved around the paranormal that I didn’t see coming, and it was a very nice surprise. I enjoyed that very much.
As for the slight romance between Jackson and Adeline. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t need it either. If it was just the two of them just working together to solve this murder, I think it would have worked fine. I liked that they had a connection and attraction to each other, but necessarily need it to go beyond that. When this kiss came at the end, it just felt little abrupt and out of place. I think I would have preferred if he just asked her out on a date, instead going for that kiss. I just needed more substance between the two before they went there. It just threw me off a little bit.
What I was most disappointed by was the fact that I didn’t get the Halloweeny feels like I was wanting and expecting especially since this was labeled as a Halloween novella. I get that this was done as a shorter format and really needed to get to the point without dwelling on things too, too long, but I just wanted more Halloween feeling. Halloween was more of an afterthought than anything else. Yes, paranormal/witchy vibes, but that doesn’t always spell Halloween for me. I needed like ghosts, haunted house, costume parties, or pumpkins, but like that was in here that bummed me out because that was what I wanted.
Overall, I did really like the story. Yes, it was a quick novella that had a really fast pace without a lot of development or buildup, but in the case of this book it really worked. Aside from not having those Halloween feels that I wanted, it really wasn’t missing anything. It had a beginning, a middle, and an end, which was all could ask for in a novella. It those great cozy mystery vibes in a condensed format. There was interesting crime with interesting clues with a bit of the paranormal thrown in just to give it a little extra flavor. I was surprised that there were a couple twists that I didn’t see coming. I wasn’t expecting that especially from a novella. As for the romance, I was neutral about it because I didn’t fell like it was needed. I think it could have worked fine if just Jackson and Adeline worked together and nothing more, but it was okay even if was abrupt by the kiss at the end. This impressed me and did more than I thought it would do in this short format. So, it was a good quick, easy cozy mystery read that I enjoyed, which was the most important thing.
I tend to avoid novella because I feel that they tend to be too short for my liking, but a novella was exactly what I was looking forward at the time. The fact this was Halloween cozy mystery that I was reading on Halloween made this right up my alley.
The length of this story didn’t bother me. Yes, it was really fast paced and not a lot of suspense or development character wise or plot wise, but I felt it was just enough to keep my interest. It advanced the plot in a quick yet smart way. It gave the crime right away. It presented some clues along the way, leading to suspects along the way. There was an agent, Jackson that was helping Adeline solve the crime of the death of her neighbor. The crime was solved with plausible logic. It hit all the cozy mystery requirements just in a shorter format. I really appreciated that.
Another thing that I really appreciated about this story was the element of the paranormal. Adeline was a witch. She had vampire friends. She had a familiar in form in Pudding the cat, who was freaking hilarious and made me snort laugh a couple times. There was the whole underground world of the paranormal that had to kept from the human world because if these supernatural creatures were discovered they were thrown into an isolated prison away from the human kind even if they weren’t a threat. So, there was secret keeping going on between Adeline and Jackson as she tried to keep her identity of a witch a secret from him while trying to use her gifts to help solve the crime, which was very interesting. There were also a couple of twists that revolved around the paranormal that I didn’t see coming, and it was a very nice surprise. I enjoyed that very much.
As for the slight romance between Jackson and Adeline. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t need it either. If it was just the two of them just working together to solve this murder, I think it would have worked fine. I liked that they had a connection and attraction to each other, but necessarily need it to go beyond that. When this kiss came at the end, it just felt little abrupt and out of place. I think I would have preferred if he just asked her out on a date, instead going for that kiss. I just needed more substance between the two before they went there. It just threw me off a little bit.
What I was most disappointed by was the fact that I didn’t get the Halloweeny feels like I was wanting and expecting especially since this was labeled as a Halloween novella. I get that this was done as a shorter format and really needed to get to the point without dwelling on things too, too long, but I just wanted more Halloween feeling. Halloween was more of an afterthought than anything else. Yes, paranormal/witchy vibes, but that doesn’t always spell Halloween for me. I needed like ghosts, haunted house, costume parties, or pumpkins, but like that was in here that bummed me out because that was what I wanted.
Overall, I did really like the story. Yes, it was a quick novella that had a really fast pace without a lot of development or buildup, but in the case of this book it really worked. Aside from not having those Halloween feels that I wanted, it really wasn’t missing anything. It had a beginning, a middle, and an end, which was all could ask for in a novella. It those great cozy mystery vibes in a condensed format. There was interesting crime with interesting clues with a bit of the paranormal thrown in just to give it a little extra flavor. I was surprised that there were a couple twists that I didn’t see coming. I wasn’t expecting that especially from a novella. As for the romance, I was neutral about it because I didn’t fell like it was needed. I think it could have worked fine if just Jackson and Adeline worked together and nothing more, but it was okay even if was abrupt by the kiss at the end. This impressed me and did more than I thought it would do in this short format. So, it was a good quick, easy cozy mystery read that I enjoyed, which was the most important thing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2020
𝑩𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒆𝒙𝒆𝒔: A Standalone Halloween Cozy Mystery Novella
by Morgana Best
Another very short novella written around the backdrop of the Halloween season. I didn't hate it, but I also didn't love it. There was a glossary in the front detailing differences in spelling, in word usage, and even phrasing between the English spoken in the U.S. and that spoken in Australia. It was entertaining, but unneeded. First most of the words never showed up in the story, some of the spellings did (but as that is usually the same as UK English, also really unneeded), and the odd phrase or two. I mean, I doubt I am in the minority of US English speakers who already know that the boot is the trunk of the car, and the part covering the engine in front is the bonnet. Most of us also know that women's underwear is referred to as knickers (and, we in the US use that word, too). We also, especially in rural areas, "tuck" into our food. In fact there was only one word in the novella I had to look up because, of course, it was not included in the glossary. SMH What was the word? It was the brand name Tim Tam, which are chocolate covered wafers. And yes, I got that from the context as well.
The book was well paced; the characters were reasonably fleshed out given that this was a short novella. The editing and proofing were good (I did find one error). There was action and danger to the two main characters. But the writing was immature, like it was written for a child, so I never really felt the danger either from the agent to the paranormals, or to the agent and main character because of the gang of robbers they encounter.
So, again, 3 stars cause I wasn't impressed, but know how hard writing, no matter if it's done well or badly, can be.
by Morgana Best
Another very short novella written around the backdrop of the Halloween season. I didn't hate it, but I also didn't love it. There was a glossary in the front detailing differences in spelling, in word usage, and even phrasing between the English spoken in the U.S. and that spoken in Australia. It was entertaining, but unneeded. First most of the words never showed up in the story, some of the spellings did (but as that is usually the same as UK English, also really unneeded), and the odd phrase or two. I mean, I doubt I am in the minority of US English speakers who already know that the boot is the trunk of the car, and the part covering the engine in front is the bonnet. Most of us also know that women's underwear is referred to as knickers (and, we in the US use that word, too). We also, especially in rural areas, "tuck" into our food. In fact there was only one word in the novella I had to look up because, of course, it was not included in the glossary. SMH What was the word? It was the brand name Tim Tam, which are chocolate covered wafers. And yes, I got that from the context as well.
The book was well paced; the characters were reasonably fleshed out given that this was a short novella. The editing and proofing were good (I did find one error). There was action and danger to the two main characters. But the writing was immature, like it was written for a child, so I never really felt the danger either from the agent to the paranormals, or to the agent and main character because of the gang of robbers they encounter.
So, again, 3 stars cause I wasn't impressed, but know how hard writing, no matter if it's done well or badly, can be.
October 15, 2025
Adelaide is aghast when she checks on the neighboring shopkeeper, only to find him dead. The police question her, which makes her nervous, even though they’re only getting her statement. She saw a nun fleeing the scene, but beyond that she has no information to impart. When a handsome witch hunter arrives in town to investigate the murder, Adelaide is even more concerned, as are her vampire BFFs, Ursula and Isabelle. Even Pudding, her snarky feline familiar, tells her to be cautious. Jackson recruits Adelaide to visit the local convent, reasoning that the nuns will be more at ease with a local. What they discover there doesn’t make a lot of sense and may lead to solving the case...if Adelaide can keep her witch nature a secret.
This was a fun story, but too short to really get into it. Characters were portrayed well enough for a novella, but the narrative was a tad choppy. Some things I guessed and others surprised me.
Average rating of three.
This was a fun story, but too short to really get into it. Characters were portrayed well enough for a novella, but the narrative was a tad choppy. Some things I guessed and others surprised me.
Average rating of three.
September 4, 2020
I read this a while ago, when it was a part of the collection Curses and Cauldrons.
Adeline finds the dead body of her neighbour, the pawnshop-owner. It is important that the authorities don’t find out she’s a witch; paranormals get captured and imprisoned in terrible conditions. So she investigates the murder herself.
I would have liked more magic, but Adeline had to hide her witchy abilities, which was too bad. But the story was interesting and intriguing, suspenseful and entertaining. Albeit a little simple. The characters need to be fleshed out more. But keep in mind that this is a short novella. It’s a standalone story. Enjoyable!
Adeline finds the dead body of her neighbour, the pawnshop-owner. It is important that the authorities don’t find out she’s a witch; paranormals get captured and imprisoned in terrible conditions. So she investigates the murder herself.
I would have liked more magic, but Adeline had to hide her witchy abilities, which was too bad. But the story was interesting and intriguing, suspenseful and entertaining. Albeit a little simple. The characters need to be fleshed out more. But keep in mind that this is a short novella. It’s a standalone story. Enjoyable!
October 22, 2020
A short fun mystery
Adeline Bloomwood finds her neighbour dead in his shop. She wants to solve his murder and gets help from someone who could arrest her too for being a witch so can she keep her secret and solve the murder.
This was a short fun mystery with a paranormal feel to it. I love the cat he's brilliant. The story was too short to get a real feel for the characters but I enjoyed it all the same. The mystery was fun and the football game so funny. Spooky fun mystery.
Adeline Bloomwood finds her neighbour dead in his shop. She wants to solve his murder and gets help from someone who could arrest her too for being a witch so can she keep her secret and solve the murder.
This was a short fun mystery with a paranormal feel to it. I love the cat he's brilliant. The story was too short to get a real feel for the characters but I enjoyed it all the same. The mystery was fun and the football game so funny. Spooky fun mystery.
October 28, 2020
Entertaining, Fun, and Hilarious
An entertaining standalone witch cozy mystery. A cute, clean, fun read filled with witches, vampires, and shifters. Hilarious, too, with a spark of romance. Definitely worth the read.
I took away one star due to lack of detail and description as well as confusing parts at the end. I feel this story could be longer and more involved rather than massively fast paced, but it is good, nonetheless. I didn't have the heart to give less than four stars as I enjoyed the story more than expected.
An entertaining standalone witch cozy mystery. A cute, clean, fun read filled with witches, vampires, and shifters. Hilarious, too, with a spark of romance. Definitely worth the read.
I took away one star due to lack of detail and description as well as confusing parts at the end. I feel this story could be longer and more involved rather than massively fast paced, but it is good, nonetheless. I didn't have the heart to give less than four stars as I enjoyed the story more than expected.
September 2, 2020
In this Book By Morgana Best...
Murder at the Pawn shop...
The Body of my Neighbor Harrison..
A run away Nun.. and a nun with hair legs..there's Definitely something funny going on.I have Read Books By This Author I've Loved each one .. This one well I have to say they get better every time I pick one up.
I loved the talking kitty in this one Pudding... I love paranormal..
This was simply a fun read.
I definitely Recommend Books By this Author....
Murder at the Pawn shop...
The Body of my Neighbor Harrison..
A run away Nun.. and a nun with hair legs..there's Definitely something funny going on.I have Read Books By This Author I've Loved each one .. This one well I have to say they get better every time I pick one up.
I loved the talking kitty in this one Pudding... I love paranormal..
This was simply a fun read.
I definitely Recommend Books By this Author....
September 5, 2020
Fun story about supernaturals in a mixed world, nuns with hairy legs, and an opinionated cat named Pudding! Mix this all together "Aussie" style by the very witty Morgana Best, and you have a terrific read for Halloween or any time-because who doesn't want to laugh and escape their own life for awhile? Terrific characters, I especially liked the confusing widow, Rosalind. From start to surprising finish this was a wonderful treat for enjoying now!
September 7, 2020
Perfect fun and entertaining novella to read for Halloween. The owner of a pawnshop has been murdered. Just so happens, it’s right near Adeline’s store and she witnessed a nun running from the scene.
Adeline decides she and her friends need to figure it out, but a complication shows up that’s also looking into the murder.
This is a really fun and easy read. A great escape, just in time for Halloween.
Adeline decides she and her friends need to figure it out, but a complication shows up that’s also looking into the murder.
This is a really fun and easy read. A great escape, just in time for Halloween.
September 5, 2020
Adelaide is a witch in Australia. When the owner of the pawn shop next door is found murdered, Adelaide sees a nun in orange sneakers running down the street. Since the only nun in town is elderly, something looks fishy. An investigator shows up looking for a gang who possibly was using the victim to launder their goods.
This is a fun read by one of my favorite authors.
This is a fun read by one of my favorite authors.
September 8, 2020
Adeline Bloomwood finds Harrison dead in his pawnshop that's next door to her up-cycled furniture store. Jackson Scott who works for Australian Visa Control (AVC) asks Adeline to help solve the mystery of Harrison death and find The Squad. Adeline needs her keep of being a witch or she will end at Tartarus Island!
I really enjoyed this Novella and will be reading more books by Morgana Best.
I really enjoyed this Novella and will be reading more books by Morgana Best.
January 24, 2022
Battle of the hexes.
A short story about a witch who runs a small town. One day she has a visitor who turns out to be an agent who put paranormals in prison. He is looking for a gang of men who escaped custody on the way to prison. Although the witch is afraid the agent will find out she’s a witch, she thinks helping him would be less suspicious. A mystery with a happy ending.
A short story about a witch who runs a small town. One day she has a visitor who turns out to be an agent who put paranormals in prison. He is looking for a gang of men who escaped custody on the way to prison. Although the witch is afraid the agent will find out she’s a witch, she thinks helping him would be less suspicious. A mystery with a happy ending.
September 7, 2020
Short novella set in Australia, where Adeline is a witch that can't be exposed and as she finds a dead body, she has to solve the murder.
Every book of Morgana Best that I've read has left me wanting more of her books to read.
I can not stress enough she's a wonderful writer!
Every book of Morgana Best that I've read has left me wanting more of her books to read.
I can not stress enough she's a wonderful writer!
September 16, 2020
I always love to read the books Morgana Best writes!! They're always fun. This one is no exception. If you like witches and mysteries, you'll like this cozy mstery. I know I do. It's short but full of fun.
October 22, 2020
It's so refreshing to read work by another author who is true to her roots and sticks to the spelling and vocabulary of her own country, rather than adopt that of the US for the sake of expediency. It really gives a more authentic feel to the book.
Add a good story with interesting characters and you get a definite page turner.
Add a good story with interesting characters and you get a definite page turner.
October 25, 2020
An okay mystery.
This is a quick read. The plot is okay. I like the humor and Pudding, the cat. The soccer game is funny. Because it is so short, there isn't much character development.
This is a quick read. The plot is okay. I like the humor and Pudding, the cat. The soccer game is funny. Because it is so short, there isn't much character development.
October 4, 2021
2.5 stars (seriously goodreads how can we still not do half stars in 2021)
This was a fever dream. An entertaining fever dream but a fever dream. Suddenly a woman has bat wings, shifters, nuns. It was like how many odd things can you stuff into less than 100 pages.
This was a fever dream. An entertaining fever dream but a fever dream. Suddenly a woman has bat wings, shifters, nuns. It was like how many odd things can you stuff into less than 100 pages.
September 11, 2020
Charming story with a witch, a detective and suprizing bad guys. I loved it !
September 11, 2020
short, but hooked me, I will read the series
Read
September 16, 2020Nice short story!
Cute intro for reader. Enjoy Morgana's stories. Her characters are likeable. Wish it was a little longer. Just got interested and bam it was over!
Cute intro for reader. Enjoy Morgana's stories. Her characters are likeable. Wish it was a little longer. Just got interested and bam it was over!
September 18, 2020
A short fun read but wish there was more to the plot
September 19, 2020
Okay story. I like a little more magic.
September 22, 2020
Love it
I love the story. But to me it was to short. Would like to know more about the characters. Another book maybe.
I love the story. But to me it was to short. Would like to know more about the characters. Another book maybe.
September 29, 2020
Such a cutie cozy read
October 1, 2020
Fun and easy read
This was a fun read and the plot moved right along. It didn’t lag or disappoint from a reader’s standpoint.
This was a fun read and the plot moved right along. It didn’t lag or disappoint from a reader’s standpoint.
October 17, 2020
Basic fun story
October 18, 2020
Fantastic story
Enlighten and haunting . The investigators were very good and the witches were very different from other people and country
Enlighten and haunting . The investigators were very good and the witches were very different from other people and country
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews