Dot Slash Magic by Liz Shipton

 

AI and magic…. Oh the possibilities….

Seven Jones is a coder who finds herself making a deal with her parents. She’s got no better prospects at the moment, so a flight home from half a world away and college sound a whole lot better.

Finding herself taking an AI class, and then accidentally joining a weird magic circle leads to a completely unexpected and new future. Coding magic into an AI app that she built allows her to use it as a conduit for her magic… or, is it her magic?? It’s hard to know and Seven finds herself in a little trouble with the Board. Is her magic, if it is hers safe, or is it black magic? Does it matter? 

Shit hits the proverbial fan as her friends begin to die.  Naturally Seven Jones is the first to fall under suspicion, her possible ‘bad magic’ to blame. The roller coaster ride begins, and it’s going way too fast for anyone to get off.

Liz Shipton is a tick tokker and previously unknown to me. I am SO grateful that I have found her. I found myself laughing out loud in public at the dry humour and the beautifully snarky protagonist. I would have enjoyed a fuller look at some of the side characters, but honestly, there just wasn’t room to do so. I can appreciate the fast pace of the plot as the story gets deeper

‘Dot Slash Magic’ had me laughing, crying, and even feeling like I’d been punched in the gut at one point… I am praying that there will be a sequel!!!! Seven Jones is far to amazing to just vanish after one tale. A really human character, with flaws and all!

If you like urban fantasy, tech, and magic… this is definitely the book for you!

Thanks NetGalley for the audio ARC, and Mary Pochatko for doing such a great job with the reading. 

#Dot Slash Magic

#Liz Shipton

#NetGalley

#Urban Fantasy

#Tantor Media

Framed in Death by JD Robb

Thankfully there’s an immediate “hook” or I would’ve had an extremely difficult time getting past the first chapter. It’s just my personal opinion, but I find Susan Ericksen’s narration rather off-putting. One character often sounds more Transylvanian than Irish… again, a very personal opinion. 

However, JD Robb is a solid writer and the tale is written and plotted with her masterful hand. Ensuring that the audio can still be enjoyed. For those of you who don’t know, JD Robb is the pseudonym for #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts. She is the author of over 240 novels, including the futuristic suspense ‘In Death’ series that began in 1999, of which ‘Framed in Death’ is #61 of. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

The year is 2061, the setting is Manhattan… 

The killer, a much needed part of any mystery/thriller is targeting LC’s or Licensed Companions. He seems to have the misguided belief that he is an unrecognized artistic genius. He has begun a very twisted portrait series of death imitating art, beginning with an extremely lurid copy of Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring.” 

 

The demented killer’s series isn’t following just one artist, which makes things a little harder for the police on the case. The unlucky models are posed outside art galleries, creating ‘living’ dead copies of the paintings. Not too mention making a very strong, if mentally misguided, statement. 

Lt. Eve Dallas is doing her best with her partner Dt. Delia Peabody to stop this serial killer before it goes any further. Pulling her Irish Billionaire, Roarke, into helping them with his knowledge of art. Two murders in two days is far too fast!

This story rolls along full bore with a short pit stop at Dt. Delia Peabody’s new home that Roarke helped make a reality. It will keep you reading or listening right along to the end, whichever format you happened to choose. 

Thanks to St Martin’s Publishing Group, MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for letting me review this ARC in return for an honest review.

#JD Robb

#Macmillan Audio

#Susan Ericksen

#Mystery

#St. Martin's Publishing Group

The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst

 

The Enchanted Greenhouse literally be-spelled me. I couldn’t stop thinking about it when I had to set it down for mundane things, like work. Sarah weaves a wonderful fantasy tale and as she stated in an interview with fantasy-hive.co.uk —“Cozy fantasy is designed to be a refuge, an escape, and to say ‘Everything is going to be okay.’ I couldn’t leave Terlu not okay!”

Well, this refuge left me wishing I could actually enter the world in reality, not just in a beautifully written tale.

Terlu Perna, a lonely librarian in Alyssium was guilty of casting a simple spell to create a magically sentient spider plant. For her first and only crime she was turned to a statue, for what she had thought would be eternity. Apparently, not all is as it should have been…

Terlu awakens, cold and alone. Standing in the snow in a place she doesn’t recognize, with only a large and rather curious greenhouse in the area. Thankfully it isn’t locked and she enters only to run into a rather grumpy gardener, Yarrow Verdane. As she uncomfortably susses the details from Yarrow, she learns this is the Greenhouse of Belde, built by a sorcerer, and she is there to repair what is rapidly crumbling without the deceased wizard. Being a librarian and not a sorcerer, Terlu is rather confused and confuddled.  

What follows is a delightful and enchanting story involving magical greenhouses all linked together, providing different climates,environments and species. Terlu stumbles upon a sentient resurrection rose whose name is Lotti, and who was once a companion to the sorcerer. They’re joined by delightful characters including, Dendy the sentient philodendron, and a beautiful sea turtle in the ocean greenhouse. 

Immerse yourself in this not to be missed cozy fantasy, you won’t regret it, at all. I went with the Audio version, read by Caitlin Davies. A huge thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this piece of magic. Best novel by far in a very long time!

Spellshop #2

Macmillan Audio

Bramble 2025

SarahBethdurst.com

Coming up Spellshop #3 Sea of Charms (2026)

#sarahbethdurst

#cozyfantasy

#audiobook

#Spellshopseries

Brigands and Breadknives by Travis Baldree

This is a great rollicking tome of fiction … swords, fantasy, and all wrapped up in a rather cozy and even amusing tale! Baldree has done it again! Sadly, I missed Bookshops and Bonedust, but will make a point of hunting it down now.

Fern, the endearing rattkin bookseller (with a mouth to make a sailor blush), is accidentally swept up in an adventure after an extremely drunken night. She finds herself travelling with a legendary Elven warrior and her sentient sword, Nigel. Zil, is the Elf’s goblin prisoner, whose native tongue is most definitely unintelligible. Zil has a coat of bottomless pockets, within which is a sentient breadknife, and numerous other fascinating items.

Adventure abounds as the trio journey along, and as tends to happen when strangers spend time together, a friendship begins to build. 

This is a wonderful cozy tale for those who love sword and sorcery genre of adventure and don’t mind Fern and Zil’s expletives (which can be quite hilarious). 

I quite enjoyed the audiobook, read by the author himself, and managed to scare a couple of innocent shoppers at a store when I burst into laughter for no apparent reason. If they only knew… 

Do yourself a favour and INDULGE!

#Netgalley

#Brigands and Breadknives

#Travis Baldree

Volume #2 Legends and Lattes series

PanMacmillan