The Vine Witch Trilogy by Luanne G. Smith
A young witch emerges from a curse to find her world upended in this gripping fantasy set in turn-of-the-century France.
For centuries, the vineyards at Château Renard have depended on the talent of their vine witches, whose spells help create the world-renowned wine of the Chanceaux Valley. Then the skill of divining harvests fell into ruin when sorcière Elena Boureanu was blindsided by a curse. Now, after breaking the spell that confined her to the shallows of a marshland and weakened her magic, Elena is struggling to return to her former life. And the vineyard she was destined to inherit is now in the possession of a handsome stranger.
Vigneron Jean-Paul Martel naively favors science over superstition, and he certainly doesn’t endorse the locals’ belief in witches. But Elena knows a hex when she sees one, and the vineyard is covered in them. To stay on and help the vines recover, she’ll have to hide her true identity, along with her plans for revenge against whoever stole seven winters of her life. And she won’t rest until she can defy the evil powers that are still a threat to herself, Jean-Paul, and the ancient vine-witch legacy in the rolling hills of the Chanceaux Valley.
I got this from Audible for $2.90. There must have been a huge sale in the beginning of March 2020.
My expectations were that Elena and Jean-Paul would combine magic and science to save the vineyard and also fall in love. They did fall in love but the rest of the story went a completely different way.
Elena is accused of a murder she did not commit and she investigates to clear her name. I also like how Jean-Paul was willing to use his skills as a lawyer to help her.
The romance is a minor subplot, which I didn't mind. [Spoiler (click to open)]Though I did like the she cleans his wounds trope and the reversal damsel in distress. She rescues him.
The climax at the end was predictable, in a cozy supernatural way. But I do have to criticize Elena for being so naive. [Spoiler (click to open)]How can Elena not realize that the bad witch was like Dorian Gray old? Elena was so shocked which was so dumb. The reader is not stupid so neither should Elena be.
I did LOL when the bad witch was trying to fool the cops in a Palpatine scenery-chewing like way. (I'm a weak old lady and she's hurting me!)
Some other lines made me laugh too. I have to look up the one about the Harlequin imp.
ETA: As if sensing his stare, she turned her gaze upon him, held a finger over her lips, and winked. He decided then he must have transcended into hallucination, because there was no other explanation for seeing a harlequin imp toting three glinting axes in her hands while lurking inside a world-class wine cellar.
The story also introduces the witches that are featured in the sequels. I'm curious about them and will probably borrow them from the library.
The narrator was pretty good. I thought she did the accents well and I could tell the characters apart.
The pacing was good too. I was able to listen to it in 2 days.
3 out of 5 Grapes.
A spellbinding novel of bloodlines, self-discovery, and redemption by the author of the Washington Post bestseller The Vine Witch.
Abandoned as a child in turn-of-the-century Paris, Yvette Lenoir has longed to uncover the secrets of her magical heritage and tap her suppressed powers. But what brave and resourceful Yvette has done to survive the streets has made her a fugitive. With a price on her head, she clings to a memento from her past-what she believes to be a grimoire inherited from the mother she never knew. To unlock the secrets of her past, Yvette trusts in one woman to help solve the arcane riddles among its charmed pages.
Elena Boureanu is the vine witch of Château Renard, noted for its renowned wines. Even as she struggles with her own bloodline-and its poisonous threat to her future-Elena can’t ignore a friend on the run. Joined by a cunning thief, the proprietor of an enchanted-curio shop, and a bewitching black cat, Elena and Yvette are determined to decode Yvette’s mysterious keepsake. But what restless magic will be unleashed? And what are Yvette and Elena willing to risk to become the witches they were destined to be?
After I listened to The Vine Witch audiobook I checked my local library and saw they had the whole trilogy. So, I borrowed books 2 and 3 while the story is fresh in my memory.
I brought The Glamourist with me on vacation to France so it took me a bit longer to read but it was on theme because the story takes place in France.
I enjoyed this sequel a bit more than the first book. It still had that cozy fantasy feel. It still focused more on the women than the romance. I think I liked it more because of the mystery surround Yvette and the book her mother left her. Each chapter switched POV between Yvette and Elena and there was a parallel between both women finding their true paths forward while discovering their past.
I also like the supporting characters who were introduced, Alexander and Henri. They were helpful sidekicks.
The villains were less campy this time and more thuggish. That raised the stakes a bit.
Jean-Paul's mother was not what I expected. I thought she would be a total snob but she was funny, and (I thought) an accurate depiction of a turn of the century socialite who was fascinated with the occult and séances.
Speaking of funny, I got a kick out of some of the quotes at the expense of bureaucrats.
[Spoiler (click to open)]Page 269: "I expect my grand-daughter to be fully exonerated in the matter. However, if your paper-pushing superiors in the Bureau have any objection to my decision concerning her father, they are free to send an extradition request to my representatives." The creatures in the robe again exploded in gales of laughter. "I'm sure they'll give it its due attention."
4 our of 5 Shimmers
Sidra didn’t murder her husband. Yet even a jinni can’t wish away a wrongful imprisonment. Determined to prove her innocence, she returns to her adopted home-a French village renowned for its perfume witches-with her friends Elena and Yvette by her side. Here is where Sidra’s true destiny awaits, but danger also lurks in the village’s narrow lanes.
On her trail is Jamra, another jinni, who’s after more than revenge for the murder of his brother. He also seeks vengeance for the indignities inflicted on jinn by mortals over the centuries. When he learns of an ancient relic capable of unleashing chaos on the world, and that the weapon is in the hands of his murderous sister-in-law, he vows to destroy Sidra to get it.
Relying on a sisterhood of magic, a mysteriously faithful dog, and a second-rate sorcerer, Sidra defends herself using the village’s greatest asset: its perfume. It’s as beguiling a lure as it is a formidable shield. But is it enough for Sidra to protect herself and those she loves from powers yet to be released?
After I listened to The Vine Witch audiobook I checked my local library and saw they had the whole trilogy. So, I borrowed books 2 and 3 while the story is fresh in my memory.
I liked book 2, The Glamourist, best but also thought this was a good conclusion to the trilogy. Thing were wrapped up in a nice bow.
Once again the women came together, each with their own unique talents and specializes, to vanquish their enemy. I've been calling this trilogy a cozy fantasy story because:
a) while the sakes are high the final battles with the villains are not epic. Which is totally ok, I don't want the book to drag on forever. But the enemy is not as threatening because he takes forever to carry out his threats, especially in this last book. It's pretty obvious no one on the good side will be sacrificed to defeat the enemy. Everyone gets a happy ending, which I like for these books. Sometimes I just want to walk away with a pretty bow.
b) they are a bit predictable. [Spoiler (click to open)]I guessed early on that the dog was Sidra's thought-to-be-dead husband, Hariq. I didn't guess why he faked his death, nor did I guess that his companion was the Fairy Queen (Yvette's grandmother).
I loved the descriptions about the perfume in the south of France. Just coming from a trip there and buying some perfume myself, this book fit my summer theme just right. I loved this quote about perfume on page 197: The way nature's essences could elicit both emotion and memory by a single inhaled molecule depending on the combination of a flower's most intimate identity, was a delicious sorcery to contemplate.
Other Favorite Quotes:
Page 44: Fairies were nothing but narcissists glowing for all the world to see, Sidra thought with an eye roll.
Page 61: For events to unfold in the manner intended, it was usually best to face life's twists and turns bereft of the knowledge of prophecy.
Page 108: Just because someone wrote something down in a book doesn't make a lie a truth, though it may reveal the depth of the author's ignorance.
Page 231-2: Elena pondered, upon their farewell from the perfumed village, that Yvette was like a citrusy high note in the floral tonic of their rare and remarkable friendship. First to shine, first to see the luster of value in others. And Sidra, with her oft overpowering personality, was without question the solid base that would always be there for them, now and in the future. As for herself, Elena supposed she fell somewhere in the middle, the heart note infusing her influence where she could to bind and keep them all together.
4 out of 5 Perfumes