OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Very Swift Witches" by Stormy Summers.]

The Very Swift Witches by Stormy Summers is primarily a feel-good comedy set in the small town of Claxton. After her husband leaves her, Katie is forced to move back to her parents' farm with her two children. Her life is changed drastically when three witches from 1712 suddenly appear at her doorstep. She decides to take them in, and they quickly grow to be a part of the family. The witches help Katie set up a grocery store, and their magic causes a great deal of excitement and adventure for Katie and the people of Claxton.

Right off the bat, I would be remiss not to mention the wonderfully vivid main characters. The witches consist of Annalee, an apprentice in her early teens, Mary, a romance-minded widow, and Emma, an older woman who is an extremely practiced witch. Each of them has their own ambitions, flaws, and secrets, all of which are slowly revealed throughout the course of the book. Katie, too, is a well-rounded character. Because of her empathetic nature, it doesn't feel forced that she took in the witches, and her struggle with overcoming the mistakes of her past while trying to take care of her family is quite relatable for those of us who have children.

The plot itself is remarkably well-paced and thorough. Many events do revolve around coincidences, but they are always explained thoroughly and never take agency away from the characters - if anything, they provide more difficult situations for them to overcome. The narrator has a unique voice that is engaging without getting in the way of the story, despite their mildly annoying tendency to refer to most of the conflicts as "Unavoidable Disasters." While the premise is incredibly wild, it's still believable due to the perfect combination of thorough research and personal experience on the part of the author.

If there's any significant flaw with this book, it's that the male love interests are usually relegated to the sidelines. Despite the number of stories that do this to female love interests, I still feel like it's a shame that their goals and fears were hardly explored. This would make the book's romantic relationships, particularly Katie's, feel much more compelling. The romantic themes are overshadowed by the themes of family, though, so this isn't too egregious. There are a few other rough spots, too, like when Katie has a pointless internal monologue that lasts multiple pages, or the handful of grammatical errors that I could find. However, these are minor and don't impede the overall flow of the book.

The Very Swift Witches is certainly one of the most memorable books I've read in a while. Though it does have a few flaws, I still rate it 4 out of 4 stars for its incredible execution of a very unusual concept, and Stormy Summers is one of the few self-published authors whose work I will be actively following from now on. For adults fond of small-town life, particularly mothers, this is a must-read - and I don't use that term lightly! I doubt younger audiences will be engaged with this book, though, and there are some mild dark and sexual themes that they probably shouldn't be exposed to, anyway.

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The Very Swift Witches
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In my opinion, the contents of the story are less interesting to read in the conflict section, which is less "wow", so that people continue reading corrections in the conflict section (problem in the story) so that many people are interested in reading it.

This sounds like a bit more than just a romance. I love that the witches bring excitement into Katie's life. I'm sure the fact that they are from 1712 makes it even more interesting. I'm a bit leery of the dark/sexual themes, but I might have to try this one anyway. I'll give it more thought. Thanks for the review.

Thank you for the review! The book seems to be a light, interesting read. And the involvement of the three witches makes it an ultimate fantasy classic I would love to check it out even in spite of the dark and sexual themes you've mentioned above.

A comedy with witches and some romance on the side, what is there not to like? I think I would love this book. Thanks for a wonderful review!

The book sounds amazing. At first, I simply expected this to be just another tale where the main character discovers she is the witch of the century, magical powers that have lain dormant her life so far are awakened, she finds true love, et cetera. I'm glad this isn't the case. It's a shame though about the sidelined love interests, and rather unfortunate how often such situations occur in novels.
Irrespective of this, I'll definitely read this one, and that's thanks to your compelling review.

The fact that the main character goes through such a horrible life-changing experience and then is thrust into a highly comedic situation, sounds appealing to me. Despite the potential laughs, I don't think this one will make the top of my reading list anytime soon, but I'm glad you enjoyed it. It is very telling that you will continue to follow this self-published author. Thanks for this well-done review.

This seems like a great book to read, there is comedy, interesting characters and an unusual storyline. Thank you for the great review.

A light-hearted comedy set in a small town sounds like a book I could read right now. The storyline about three witches dropping in on Katie and her two children provides a fascinating concept. Thanks for the great review!

We often depict witches as bad entities, doing black magic and all. I'm glad that this book offers a fresh look at them.

Great review, I actually want to purchase this book right now and imurge into this fascinating story. Katie having gone through so much and trying to do best for her children, invites three witches from 1712 sounds interesting in its self. The Very Swift Witches by Stormy Summers not only has comedy, but has light heartedness, conflict, witches, and magic. Makes for a wonderful story.

This sounds like the kind of book I like to read. I read lots of paranormal mysteries and romance. I like that the story is complicated with secrets the three witches are carrying. I've not read a book where witches show up and change the world if mortals. I like a book that on some level seems realistic as well.

That's interesting. The dark themes seem at odds with the light heartedness of it but I'm sure it works for the book. Katie's struggles and time with the witches seem like they would be a fun read.