The Reading Seamstress reviewed Accidental Magic by Iris Beaglehole (Myrtlewood Mysteries, #1)
A fun and engaging series with some flaws.
4 stars
Now that I've read all eight books, I want to briefly summarise my thoughts on the Myrtlewood Mysteries and my reading experience. (This is not about a specific book in the series, but the series as a whole.)
The Bad: Many typos, missing or wrong words, unnecessary repetitions, and a few times there were contradictions; for example: The characters go to the pub at the beginning of a chapter, and one of them leaves, having other things to attend to, and a few pages later, that same character is sitting at the table with the others like he'd never left. Or: Someone being saved by person A, and then we're learning a few chapters later that the same Someone was saved by person B while person A was absent. These books would have needed thorough editing, and it's a pity these mishaps were missed by the author because...
The Good: …
Now that I've read all eight books, I want to briefly summarise my thoughts on the Myrtlewood Mysteries and my reading experience. (This is not about a specific book in the series, but the series as a whole.)
The Bad: Many typos, missing or wrong words, unnecessary repetitions, and a few times there were contradictions; for example: The characters go to the pub at the beginning of a chapter, and one of them leaves, having other things to attend to, and a few pages later, that same character is sitting at the table with the others like he'd never left. Or: Someone being saved by person A, and then we're learning a few chapters later that the same Someone was saved by person B while person A was absent. These books would have needed thorough editing, and it's a pity these mishaps were missed by the author because...
The Good: ... this series was quite engaging, I liked the characters, the magical town, the LGBTQIA+ representation, the sometimes funny dialogues, and the experience of being transported into the world of Myrtlewood. The fact that I bought all eight paperbacks and binge-read them, despite the abovementioned flaws, speaks for the story, I think. It was sometimes goofy and over the top, and still I wanted to read on and follow the characters through their ordeals. (I'm not sure if this was intended by the author, but it seems the whole thing should not be taken too seriously...) I found it fun to read and I'm thinking about getting the "Myrtlewood Crones" series by the same author, too, because I love Marjie (who wouldn't?). So if you want to dive into a magical town with quirky and annoying and funny characters, all kinds of magical beings, gods & godesses, weirdos, and ghosts, this is the series for you. There's chocolate and pastries! There's tea! There's murder! And magic!
I'd love to see these books being re-published some day after revision & editing. But as I said before, they're still an enjoyable read and I'd give the series a solid 4-star-rating.