Today's Oldie but Goodie is....
Spellbound in Seattle
by Garthia Anderson
Released March 2003
In an alternate reality, Earth is inhabited by full-blown wizards, folks with just a dose of magic, and folks like Petra W. Field, who couldn't weave a spell if her life depended on it. She is new to Seattle, having moved quite abruptly from her hometown, and strange things have started happening to her.
The strangest being the gigantic hole in the rug she just bought at the market. An ugly rug with pigs on it. (Petra thinks pigs are adorable).
The hole in the rug leads to a strange desert. (like having a regular desert in your rug isn't strange enough?)
Enter Vorador, Grand Wizard of Seattle, who arrives to help Petra figure out what the hole is doing there. What he doesn't tell Petra is that the rug belongs to an Amazon who was killed, and the hole in the rug may hide the clues to her murderer. (Vorador thinks pigs are cool.)
This story centers around the search for clues as to who put the hole in Petra's rug, but evolves into a search for a killer. Added into the mix is a feline with a really bad attitude, a wizard who like to use charm spells to make himself more...well...charming, and an Amazon with a chip on her shoulder. This may seem like a heavy-handed story, but it really is not. The entire cast of characters reminds me of the TV show Friends, but with a magical twist.
Right off, the interaction between Petra and Vorador had me smiling. She is kind of a smart-ass, and Vorador is quite solemn most of the time. The cutest thing is when Vorador tries to cast spells around Petra but they don't work. (She's kind of a 'black hole' around spells because she has no magical ability whatsoever) There are also a few surprises in store for this couple as they work out their differences and find the path to true love.
There are quite a few twists and turns in this story. It keeps you guessing until close to the end who exactly the killer is. The heat level is sensual, but is appropriate to the story. (Nothing kills a story for me quite like a random love scene thrown in for the heck of it.). Spellbound in Seattle is Garthia Anderson's debut novel, and it is a fun one!
You can find out more about the author at her website www.garthiaanderson.net
Happy reading!
4 comments:
Friends with a magic twist, huh? That sounds interesting... I think I'll have to try this one out.
Thanks,
Gwyneth
Oh, this sounds like a funny one! You know, I'm a tough-sell on fantasy, especially urban fantasy. In fact, this is the only urban fantasy which has ever appealled to me. Great find, Lady B!
I just realized something and I'm a little miffed about it too! The purpose of this blog is to help each other find the authors who consistantly write well-balanced love stories...
...AND to encourage readers to try something new. Well, I hate urban fantasy! And now you got me wanting SPELLBOUND IN SEATTLE. I hope you're proud of yourself, Lady B! I've just been caught in my own trap!
Okay, I'm done being miffed now.
;)
It is the cast of characters, and the way they interact that definitely reminds me of Friends.
Gwyneth - as always, thanks for stopping over! This story was a lot of fun.
Madame Kimber - hehehe...
My evil machinations are working!
Mwahahahaha! ;0)
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