Finlay

Review of The House Witch 3 by Delemhach

/ authoramysbrown / Leave a comment

Synopsis:
House witch Finlay Ashowan is pulled out of the kitchen—and into the fire—as war, family, and love collide in the third book of this fantasy romance series.

Having somehow convinced Lady Annika Jenoure to marry him, all Finlay Ashowan wants to do is settle down, cook some good meals, and enjoy a quiet life in Daxaria. But fate has different plans.

Fin’s father, Aidan Helmer, fire witch and servant of King Matthias of Troivack, has arrived in the kingdom with devastating news: Annika’s brother Charles has been taken prisoner, and the only way his life will be spared is if Annika or Fin goes to plead his case. Given that an attack from Troivack is imminent, there’s no way some trickery isn’t involved in this plot.

Now it’s up to Fin, with the help of his family, friends, and wily kitten familiar, Kraken, to attempt a daring mission of rescue and espionage. But he’ll need to move quickly—because if he can’t find a way to fend off his father and keep Daxaria safe, all his dreams might go up in flames.

With twists and turns around every corner, The House Witch 3 brilliantly concludes this irresistible trilogy, replete with romance, magic, courtly intrigue, mystery, and humor.

Review:
Despite some sad parts, I would say that this book was an absolutely phenomenal end of Finlay’s adventures. Kraken shows that, just like Annika and Finlay, opposites can attract. His tenacity and ingenuity always leave one laughing and amused, though also thoroughly impressed. I absolutely adored seeing everyone come into themselves and realize that you don’t have to compromise yourself or your morals to be the best you can be. I also 100% love seeing Annika through this book, and the reminder that she is a very capable person, but that sometimes even hyper capable people end up being softened.

I love this series so much, and I cannot wait for the next two series, Princess of Potential and The Burning Witch. You can even join Delemhach’s Discord server.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of The House Witch 2 by Delemhach

/ authoramysbrown / Leave a comment

Synopsis:
House witch Finlay Ashowan must contend with matters of the heart, hearth, family, and kingdom in the second book of a whimsical and winning fantasy series.

As a wielder of domestic magic, Finlay Ashowan likes to keep his affairs as neat and orderly as his kitchen. But between his work for the King and Queen of Daxaria and a new (secret) relationship with Lady Annika Jenoure, his life is anything but tidy.

For one thing, if Annika and Fin are to continue their romance, they’ll need to sort out the pesky issue of Fin’s being a commoner—before Annika is forced into a political marriage that interferes with her own carefully laid plans.

For another, pressure is mounting as the war with Troivack draws ever closer. When Fin requests time away from the castle to rest, the King agrees but under a very particular condition: Fin must brave the streets of Austice as a spy, sleuthing out the plans of the Troivackian troops allegedly hidden there.

Further complicating things, Fin’s estranged father is on his way to Daxaria, an unexpected and unappreciated arrival that’s bound to wreak even more havoc in his son’s life.

As Fin forges new friendships and alliances—magical and non-magical alike—he becomes even more enmeshed in courtly intrigues, old feuds, and very personal problems. And the more he tries to clean up the various messes in his life, the more apparent it becomes that his troubles are only just beginning . . .

Review:
This book was absolutely everything I didn’t know I wanted and needed in a continuation of Fin’s story. Fin seems to get himself into quite a lot of trouble while managing to also work his way into good graces and freedom in most cases. The story is quite intriguing, and Fin just feels a bit like home. I believe most people can relate to him and would love this portion of his story because the journey was very much about what he can do and believe himself capable of outside of merely being a witch and having magical powers. Everyone goes through imposter syndrome at some point in life, and it’s good to see that when you learn to trust in yourself, things may work out better than you had dreamt.

A few quotes I absolutely adored regarding home and Fin are, “You found your own reason and strength to go after your fate. You didn’t let others push it upon you, or let it be taken away.” (Chapter 6, page 48) As well as Fin’s own thought that, “A true home gives people hope.” (Chapter 17, page 133) Of course, we cannot forget his quip that “Anything a mage can do, a witch can do better.”

At the time of posting this review I had already finished this book as well as the conclusion of the trilogy. I cannot wait to get both reviews out so I can get the next book by Delemhach, The Princess of Potential, but unfortunately it isn’t out until June 27th!!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of The House Witch by Delemhach

/ authoramysbrown / Leave a comment

Synopsis:

A heartwarming and humorous blend of fantasy, romance, and mystery featuring a witch with domestic powers and the royal household he serves . . . dinner.

When Finlay Ashowan joins the staff of the King and Queen of Daxaria, he’s an enigma. No one knows where he comes from or how he came to be where he is, which suits Fin just fine. He’s satisfied simply serving as the royal cook, keeping nosy passersby out of his kitchen, and concocting some truly uncanny meals.

But Fin’s secret identity doesn’t stay hidden for long. After all, it’s not every day a house witch and his kitten familiar, Kraken, take to meddling in imperial affairs. As his powers are gradually discovered by the court, Fin finds himself involved in a slew of intrigues: going head-to-head with knights with less-than-chivalrous intentions, helping to protect the pregnant queen, fending off the ire of the royal mage, and uncovering a spy in the castle. And that’s only the beginning—because Fin’s past is catching up with him just as his love life is getting complicated . . .

Filled with fascinating characters, courtly intrigue, political machinations, delicious cuisines, cuddly companions, magical hijinks, and will-they-won’t-they romance, The House Witch is the first in a captivating new series, guaranteed to satisfy the tastes of any reader.

The first volume of the hit romantic-fantasy series—with more than a million views on Royal Road—now available on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible!

Review:
This book pick was a luck of numbers, where I asked my husband to pick a number and the number he picked was the one for this novel!

Fin is everything we didn’t realize we need in a character. He’s absolutely perfect, and from the beginning his distinct personality had me chortling. Fin is both sarcastic and incredibly defensive over the people he cares about. While he might be slow to open up, given his unique abilities, he finds himself making friends where he least expects it when they realize he just wants everyone to be respectful and caring. This book is cozy and wholesome; a story where people realize they are more than just what they appear to be on the outside and that everyone has the potential to greatness.

I absolutely adore the way the magic system in this world works. Magical people have an affinity, but how strong and capable they are also depends on their own feelings towards themselves and their powers. I also quite love the hidden sides to all the characters we meet and get involved with along the way; you never know what people may be hiding. There was one blaring error throughout this novel, however, in that Finlay’s mother’s name changes from Katherine to Katelyn from the beginning to the end of the novel. It does stay consistently Katelyn from chapter 46 on, but I do wish the author had gone back and changed the name in the beginning. A great quote from Katelyn during this book is: “The Goddess talks to you about what you alone can do.”

At the time of writing this novel I am already the majority of the way done with book 2. I highly recommend this book for a nice cozy humourous fantasy with a hint of romance and a little mystery.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯