The Witch's Quest

Valor Hearst, a witch, has always been one of the guys, and she liked it just fine, until she realised that none of the men she knew would ever love her. So, Valor decided to cast a spell to make herself lovable, but she was missing an ingredient that she could only find in the Darkwood forest, where witches are warned not to go. And it was unfortunately true, as Valor is grabbed by a faery tree, which is slowly dragging her into the ground. Kelyn Saint-Pierre was racing a deer in the forest, oblivious to the world around him, when he sees a woman in trouble: Valor, whom he has fancied for years. He never seemed to catch her eye, as she preferred bad boys, which he decidedly is not. Kelyn rushes to her rescue, and he is despairing from saving her, when a Wicked One, a demon, affirms he can, on one condition: he wants Kelyn’s wings. Kelyn accepts, even though he knows he will never be the same again. It was worse than he ever expected; Kelyn is but a shadow of his former self. Valor tried repeatedly to apologise, and when she finally catches up with Kelyn, she tells him she has found a way to get his wings back. What an adventure! Valor and Kelyn search high and low, to Australia, Wales, Paris, to get everything they need, and Michele Hauf makes it all vividly come alive: the bright colours, the wonders, the magical elements, the marvellous creatures. THE WITCH’S QUEST is startlingly different in tone from the previous book in The Decadent Dames series: it’s snappy, lively, a bit stark at times and at others blindingly colourful, which suits the characters and the story. Ms. Hauf adds to her already extraordinary world building, and expands the mythology. Valor and Kelyn are not your usual romantic couple: she is more the alpha, and he more the romantic type; I thought it was a nice change and they are superb together. The romances progresses slowly, as there are many variables in the equation, yet it is very tender and romantic amidst the danger they encounter, particularly one gigantic hurdle that seemed impossible to overcome. The secondary characters are again exceptionally well-drawn, and I wish the charismatic and ever so intriguing Never gets his book. The least I can say is that he made a lasting impression. I find astonishing how an author can conjure colours, scents, and sensations the way Michele Hauf does. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.