Rainy March is a proud, third-generation Book Witch, sworn to defend works of fiction from all foes real and imaginary. With her magical umbrella and feline familiar, she jumps in and out of novels to fix malicious alterations and rogue heroes like a modern-day magical Nancy Drew.
Book Witches live by a strict code: Real people belong in the real world; fictional characters belong in works of fiction. Do not eat, drink, or sleep inside a fictional world, lest you become part of the story. Falling in love with a fictional character? Don’t even think about it.
Which is why Rainy has been forbidden from seeing the Duke of Chicago, the dashing British detective who stars in her favorite mystery series. If she’s ever caught with him again, she’ll be expelled from her book coven—and forced to give up the magical gifts that are as much a part of her as her own name.
But when her beloved grandfather disappears and a priceless book is stolen, there’s only one person she trusts to help her solve the case: the Duke. Their quest takes them through the worlds of Alice in Wonderland, King Arthur, and other classics that will reveal hidden enemies and long-buried family secrets.
Meg Shaffer has another standout book on her hands, and this one is especially targeted for book lovers who love stories about stories and familiar literary worlds. This is a fantasy novel with elements of magical realism, mystery, and a strong romance subplot—but at its core, it’s really a story about why books matter so much! Compared to her previous books, she really takes her writing up a notch with more intricate storytelling and characters that are more complex. The idea of “Book Witches,” who are responsible for maintaining the integrity of fictional worlds by jumping into books to save them from threats of being destroyed, feels fresh and highly imaginative from the first chapter. And the tropes—portal fantasy, book within a book, forbidden romance, found family, magical object, chosen one, reluctant hero, and fictional characters crossing into reality—don’t they all sound amazing?! Some meaningful themes are also lightly and cleverly woven in, including grief and loss, family legacy, identity, and belonging.
The story is told in Rainy’s first-person POV, and she’s such a wonderful protagonist to follow along. She’s clever, observant, and self-aware, but also someone trying to find belonging—her mother died when she was born, and her father is a mystery. Right off the bat, she explains what book witches are, the rules they live by, and how her powers work, which is everything that comes easy to follow. Her magical familiar, a cat named Koshka, is always with her, adding warmth and humor. The story begins with a new assignment—jumping into the Duke of Chicago book to save the Duke from a “book burner.” She’s been a longtime fan of the Duke series, so meeting him feels like meeting a crush, and there’s an immediate connection. One mishap leads to another, and suddenly they’re in a forbidden romance that she knows can’t last because he’s a fictional character. But when her grandfather goes missing and sends cryptic messages, Rainy and the Duke embark on a quest to find him, leading them to jump into well-known literary classics and interact with characters like Alice and Nancy Drew. The “book within a book” concept becomes more complex and interesting as the story unfolds, and there’s a slow reveal of information about Rainy’s past and identity. Don’t even attempt to predict what unfolds because it really does feel like falling down a rabbit hole and not knowing where you’re going to land!
One of the book’s strengths is the pacing—and funny enough, there’s even a chapter where Rainy talks about where she is in the story structure and how the pacing and conflict are about to ramp up. Rainy’s magical umbrella allows her to move between worlds, and it gives the book a whimsical feel reminiscent of Mary Poppins. While the entire story is engaging, the second half is definitely more intricate, with hidden truths and unexpected twists tied to Rainy’s family, her past, and the real purpose of what she’s been doing all along. Expect the unexpected and to feel that sense of bookish magic as you read. The final chapter suddenly shifts POV in a clever twist and leaves readers wondering what is actually real!
Overall, The Book Witch is another standout imaginative story from the author and the perfect magical weekend binge read. You can easily see this becoming popular among book lovers, and hopefully we’ll see some future beautiful special editions, as there are so many visuals in this book. If you enjoy imaginative fantasy, metafiction, book-within-a-book narratives, and whimsical plots with mystery and romance, then this is definitely one you’ll want to pick up!
Narrator Performance
The audiobook of The Book Witch is narrated by seasoned narrator Mia Hutchinson-Shaw.
She gives protagonist Rainy March a curious, determined voice layered with an edge of defiance that perfectly conveys a character on a magical assignment whose emotions can get the better of her. As the story unfolds, Hutchinson-Shaw gives a dynamic portrayal of Rainy, making her voice shift from bold to flirtatious to anxious as she has a romance with the Duke and is then thrust into a race-against-time mission.
She voices The Duke of Chicago with a calm, charming, noir-style tone that suits his 1940s world. The dialogue between Rainy and the Duke is a major highlight—their banter is delivered with lots of expression and a playful, flirtatious energy that makes their scenes together so fun to listen to!
The best part of Hutchinson-Shaw’s performance is how she makes the different literary worlds that Rainy and the Duke venture into come alive—she gives the 1940s Chicago a “noir detective” vibe, while Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass feel chaotic and whimsical, and The Great Gatsby is delivered with a polished elegance! By the final chapters, she emphasizes Rainy’s growth and acceptance of truths she discovers by using a more self-assured, calmer tone. The final chapter has an open ending, and the delivery is perfectly executed, leaving listeners in awe and not wanting it to end! This audiobook will likely be a big hit with listeners who love magical, whimsical stories, as well as fans of Meg Shaffer’s previous novels!
Narrator Performance
The audiobook of The Book Witch is narrated by seasoned narrator Mia Hutchinson-Shaw.
She gives protagonist Rainy March a curious, determined voice layered with an edge of defiance that perfectly conveys a character on a magical assignment whose emotions can get the better of her. As the story unfolds, Hutchinson-Shaw gives a dynamic portrayal of Rainy, making her voice shift from bold to flirtatious to anxious as she has a romance with the Duke and is then thrust into a race-against-time mission.
She voices The Duke of Chicago with a calm, charming, noir-style tone that suits his 1940s world. The dialogue between Rainy and the Duke is a major highlight—their banter is delivered with lots of expression and a playful, flirtatious energy that makes their scenes together so fun to listen to!
The best part of Hutchinson-Shaw’s performance is how she makes the different literary worlds that Rainy and the Duke venture into come alive—she gives the 1940s Chicago a “noir detective” vibe, while Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass feel chaotic and whimsical, and The Great Gatsby is delivered with a polished elegance! By the final chapters, she emphasizes Rainy’s growth and acceptance of truths she discovers by using a more self-assured, calmer tone. The final chapter has an open ending, and the delivery is perfectly executed, leaving listeners in awe and not wanting it to end! This audiobook will likely be a big hit with listeners who love magical, whimsical stories, as well as fans of Meg Shaffer’s previous novels!
The audiobook of The Book Witch is narrated by seasoned narrator Mia Hutchinson-Shaw.
She gives protagonist Rainy March a curious, determined voice layered with an edge of defiance that perfectly conveys a character on a magical assignment whose emotions can get the better of her. As the story unfolds, Hutchinson-Shaw gives a dynamic portrayal of Rainy, making her voice shift from bold to flirtatious to anxious as she has a romance with the Duke and is then thrust into a race-against-time mission.
She voices The Duke of Chicago with a calm, charming, noir-style tone that suits his 1940s world. The dialogue between Rainy and the Duke is a major highlight—their banter is delivered with lots of expression and a playful, flirtatious energy that makes their scenes together so fun to listen to!
The best part of Hutchinson-Shaw’s performance is how she makes the different literary worlds that Rainy and the Duke venture into come alive—she gives the 1940s Chicago a “noir detective” vibe, while Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass feel chaotic and whimsical, and The Great Gatsby is delivered with a polished elegance! By the final chapters, she emphasizes Rainy’s growth and acceptance of truths she discovers by using a more self-assured, calmer tone. The final chapter has an open ending, and the delivery is perfectly executed, leaving listeners in awe and not wanting it to end! This audiobook will likely be a big hit with listeners who love magical, whimsical stories, as well as fans of Meg Shaffer’s previous novels!
