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Modern Magick #1-3
Modern Magick Volume 1
Can British magick survive?
As the pace of modern life accelerates, the old ways wither and die. But to the Society for Magickal Heritage, that just isn’t good enough.
The Witch: Friend to the unicorns, lover of pancakes, and wielder of potent artefacts, star agent Cordelia “Ves” Vesper will stop at nothing — okay, very little — to drag ancient magicks back out of the grave.
The Waymaster: New recruit Jay Patel has some rare and powerful arts at his disposal. With a penchant for old books and motorbikes in near equal measure, he’s a force to be reckoned with.
The Necromancer: Prankster Zareen Dalir may be high-spirited but she’s got a darker side. A much, much darker side. Head of the Toil and Trouble division, Zar’s the best kind of bad news.
The Baron: Is Baron Alban the handsomest troll alive or... forget it, yes. Yes, he is. But he’s not just a pretty face. With the powerful Troll Court at his back and a smile to slay an army, Alban’s a staunch ally.
Join these four champions, the enigmatic “Milady” of the Society, and the sentient house they call Home as they fight to keep magick alive!
This compendium includes the first three wild adventures all in one:
The Road to Farringale
Toil and Trouble
The Striding Spire
As the pace of modern life accelerates, the old ways wither and die. But to the Society for Magickal Heritage, that just isn’t good enough.
The Witch: Friend to the unicorns, lover of pancakes, and wielder of potent artefacts, star agent Cordelia “Ves” Vesper will stop at nothing — okay, very little — to drag ancient magicks back out of the grave.
The Waymaster: New recruit Jay Patel has some rare and powerful arts at his disposal. With a penchant for old books and motorbikes in near equal measure, he’s a force to be reckoned with.
The Necromancer: Prankster Zareen Dalir may be high-spirited but she’s got a darker side. A much, much darker side. Head of the Toil and Trouble division, Zar’s the best kind of bad news.
The Baron: Is Baron Alban the handsomest troll alive or... forget it, yes. Yes, he is. But he’s not just a pretty face. With the powerful Troll Court at his back and a smile to slay an army, Alban’s a staunch ally.
Join these four champions, the enigmatic “Milady” of the Society, and the sentient house they call Home as they fight to keep magick alive!
This compendium includes the first three wild adventures all in one:
The Road to Farringale
Toil and Trouble
The Striding Spire
389 pages, Paperback
First published September 9, 2018
328 people are currently reading
278 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte E. English
77 books353 followersEnglish both by name and nationality, Charlotte hasn’t permitted emigration to the Netherlands to change her essential Britishness. She writes colourful fantasy novels over copious quantities of tea, and rarely misses an opportunity to apologise for something. Spanning the spectrum from light to dark, her works include the Draykon Series, Modern Magick, The Malykant Mysteries and the Tales of Aylfenhame.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 9, 2020
seriously people, some closure for once?
again! it isn’t even like a tv show. even season finales leave you something. the final book had SO many topics that just dropped off it is absurd! seems like the most recent headmistress having the house with the window would be important to follow up on! she could not have just given up! argh. it is a serial i suppose.
again! it isn’t even like a tv show. even season finales leave you something. the final book had SO many topics that just dropped off it is absurd! seems like the most recent headmistress having the house with the window would be important to follow up on! she could not have just given up! argh. it is a serial i suppose.
September 10, 2019
Bad Advice on How to Escape Your Humdrum Life
A plucky, rule-breaking practitioner of Magic, a trusty sidekick or two, a sentient House and all manner of Magical Beasts conspire to break you out of your dreary daily doldrums into a land crackling with intrigue and wonder. Ves takes you on a meandering episodic journey through a Time when Magic on the earth has begun to wane, in an effort to preserve what is left of it. Engaging, imaginative, and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, you will not be able put this book down until the end (3 separate adventures/assignments and a prequel). I immediately downloaded the next installment! After all, who wouldn’t want fly a Unicorn, play with an enchanted puppy with a nose for Treasure, or consult with their own personal talking ancient tome of boundless knowledge?
I
A plucky, rule-breaking practitioner of Magic, a trusty sidekick or two, a sentient House and all manner of Magical Beasts conspire to break you out of your dreary daily doldrums into a land crackling with intrigue and wonder. Ves takes you on a meandering episodic journey through a Time when Magic on the earth has begun to wane, in an effort to preserve what is left of it. Engaging, imaginative, and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, you will not be able put this book down until the end (3 separate adventures/assignments and a prequel). I immediately downloaded the next installment! After all, who wouldn’t want fly a Unicorn, play with an enchanted puppy with a nose for Treasure, or consult with their own personal talking ancient tome of boundless knowledge?
I
October 30, 2024
House Missions
Ves and Jay work together to save magical animals and artifacts. The volume has 3 stories where they help save a pair of Alikats and make huge moves to help save the troll realms. The second mission is where they encounter a very valuable proof in an ancient library that goes on to help them in their third mission to reveal who let an extinct four-hundred year old species survive a ban kept in all the people/troll/fae realms.
The House where the magikal society agency is located has dormitories for the employees, and it can seem invisible to outsiders. There are non-magikal people who don't know of all that occurs outside their norms. Cordelia Vesper and Jay Patel show their loyalty to the Society and veer when Ves sees a huge need to. Miranda, Val, Zareen, and noble troll Baron Alban help the duo meet goals.
Ves and Jay work together to save magical animals and artifacts. The volume has 3 stories where they help save a pair of Alikats and make huge moves to help save the troll realms. The second mission is where they encounter a very valuable proof in an ancient library that goes on to help them in their third mission to reveal who let an extinct four-hundred year old species survive a ban kept in all the people/troll/fae realms.
The House where the magikal society agency is located has dormitories for the employees, and it can seem invisible to outsiders. There are non-magikal people who don't know of all that occurs outside their norms. Cordelia Vesper and Jay Patel show their loyalty to the Society and veer when Ves sees a huge need to. Miranda, Val, Zareen, and noble troll Baron Alban help the duo meet goals.
May 8, 2024
Cute, entertaining, kinda exactly what I expected
I procured this book, on stuff your kindle day, based on 4+ stars and covers. I'm surprised how many 5 stars this has, but great for everyone that enjoyed it that much. I think I read that this is translated, or written with English as a second language.....and it shows. If not, I can't quite explain it, but it's hmmmm..... interesting(?) the way it's worded/written. If you're looking for spice, you won't find a lick of it here. I Just wanted to clarify that immediately. Fun world building, interesting magic and characters. The end is like....oh ok, so that's the end of this book. Def set up for the next, but I'm in no hurry to continue the series. Fun little read, just kinda scattered.
I procured this book, on stuff your kindle day, based on 4+ stars and covers. I'm surprised how many 5 stars this has, but great for everyone that enjoyed it that much. I think I read that this is translated, or written with English as a second language.....and it shows. If not, I can't quite explain it, but it's hmmmm..... interesting(?) the way it's worded/written. If you're looking for spice, you won't find a lick of it here. I Just wanted to clarify that immediately. Fun world building, interesting magic and characters. The end is like....oh ok, so that's the end of this book. Def set up for the next, but I'm in no hurry to continue the series. Fun little read, just kinda scattered.
May 23, 2024
Charlotte English's Modern Magick novellas are joyful, exuberant romps following the adventures of Ves (Cordelia Vesper), an Acquisitions expert for the Society of Magickal Heritage who is full of great ideas that frequently fill her companions with dread - but which are SO much fun to read about! This volume collects the first three adventures, taking Ves and her colleagues all around the contemporary UK and deep into the hidden enclaves of various kinds of magical creatures, and I just devoured it. I'm so glad I already own Volume 2!
August 12, 2020
Glorious fun!
Harry Potter meet Bridget Jones. Totally fun, super imaginative and terrifically entertaining. Lovely, lovely fantasy. Ves and jay and the cast of characters at the society live in a magical house and go on important business for the preservation of magical heritage all of which causes Great adventures and madcap moments.
Harry Potter meet Bridget Jones. Totally fun, super imaginative and terrifically entertaining. Lovely, lovely fantasy. Ves and jay and the cast of characters at the society live in a magical house and go on important business for the preservation of magical heritage all of which causes Great adventures and madcap moments.
January 5, 2021
Utterly delightful
I got sucked into this delightfully whimsical and fascinating story. Ves is a gem. She is such a fun head to be in. I love all the supporting characters, too. The plot is engaging and unpredictable. The world building is well-done and very intriguing. Is highly recommend this to people who enjoy lighter urban fantasy and whimsical stories.
I got sucked into this delightfully whimsical and fascinating story. Ves is a gem. She is such a fun head to be in. I love all the supporting characters, too. The plot is engaging and unpredictable. The world building is well-done and very intriguing. Is highly recommend this to people who enjoy lighter urban fantasy and whimsical stories.
July 17, 2020
Really fun!
We all need a little fun right now, and the insouciant meanderings and adventures of Cordelia Vesper and company, deliver! Mystery, adventure, silliness, fantastical discoveries, and much humor. Can't wait to read the next!
We all need a little fun right now, and the insouciant meanderings and adventures of Cordelia Vesper and company, deliver! Mystery, adventure, silliness, fantastical discoveries, and much humor. Can't wait to read the next!
March 7, 2021
Upbeat and entertaining. It feels like stories ended without a lot of closure though. Also characters weren’t as fully developed as they could have been, relying on stereotypes for the strong silent type and not a lot of backstory.
December 22, 2022
fun magical investigations
Fun series of adventures, mainly following Vesper and her new partner Jay as they investigate magical mysteries. There are trolls, unicorns, a conscious House and a disembodied voice as the boss.
Fun series of adventures, mainly following Vesper and her new partner Jay as they investigate magical mysteries. There are trolls, unicorns, a conscious House and a disembodied voice as the boss.
October 24, 2019
This was good fun. Mixing magic with the modern world was done well. I don't normally warm to fantasy but the humour drew me into this one.
August 16, 2020
Light fun
Got the book on a whim and was well rewarded. Just enough tension without gore, just enough relationship without being sickeningly sweet of trashy.
Got the book on a whim and was well rewarded. Just enough tension without gore, just enough relationship without being sickeningly sweet of trashy.
September 15, 2020
Love the world Charlotte created!
February 26, 2021
Modern Magick is light, fun reading, almost a romance-with-a-capital-R and that's not a bad thing. The main character, Cordelia "Ves" Vesper works for a magickal (note the spelling) company finding rare artifacts and treasures. This three-in-one collection of her adventures introduces a cast of interesting characters and a familiar yet new setting. Add in quick, straightforward plots and you have a fun read suitable for just about any age.
December 23, 2022
A Satisfactory Chain of Adventures
A reckless heroine careens from insight to insight, pulling friends into enlightenment and us into further adventures. I like her well.
A reckless heroine careens from insight to insight, pulling friends into enlightenment and us into further adventures. I like her well.
June 1, 2024
Adorable!
Absolutely adorable book series! Very British and a lot of fun. I love magic houses! I can't wait to read the rest of the series!
Absolutely adorable book series! Very British and a lot of fun. I love magic houses! I can't wait to read the rest of the series!
July 30, 2024
Good 3rd book. Lots of adventures
There is a lot of adventure and getting out of trouble
The other characters blend in well. Will look forward to reading another!
There is a lot of adventure and getting out of trouble
The other characters blend in well. Will look forward to reading another!
September 21, 2024
Great read
Once I got "into" the book I did great b ut it took me a little time to get into the book.
Once I got "into" the book I did great b ut it took me a little time to get into the book.
October 30, 2024
Light hearted fun fantasy. Really enjoyed it. Loved the characters. Overall a lot of fun.
September 20, 2025
3.5 stars A cozy magical series with lots of quirky characters. The narrator on audiobook is exactly how I imagine the FMC Ves sounding.
December 3, 2023
A fun, and despite the occational dangers, light read. Must be read in order.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews