No Quest for the Wicked by Shanna Swendson

****

Now that the Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc. team has defeated the nefarious Spellworks, the only “competition” in town, Katie Chandler doesn’t have much to do as director of marketing, and she’s starting to question her role at MSI. Her boyfriend Owen Palmer, on the other hand, is in hog heaven, translating an ancient and powerful magical manuscript.

But then he finds that the cryptic text describing the location of an enchanted gem known as the Eye of the Moon has radically changed. This deadly stone gives its holder enhanced power over others and a craving for more power. It once caused a terrible war before it was safely hidden and then lost – and now it seems to be in New York and set in an elven brooch that renders its wearer invulnerable. Whoever has this brooch could take over the world.

Katie and Owen must find it before anyone else does, and they’re not the only ones searching. They’ll need all the help they can get, including Katie’s visiting grandmother. But who can they trust when their allies fall under its spell? Not to mention the new enemies who are deadlier than anything they’ve faced before.

It's no secret that I love the Enchanted, Inc. series and I am beyond thrilled that Shanna Swendson has self-published more of the books.  NQFTW is book 6 and the story continues to be fresh and engrossing.  At the end of Much Ado About Magic, I had no idea where the story would go and I am happy to say that I'm still guessing after NQFTW.  

After Owen loses his magic at the end of Much Ado, he goes from being the most powerful wizard of his generation to an immune with no trace of power.  NQFTW deals with Owen's adjustment while he, Katie and Rod embark on a quest with a cast of characters, Lord of the Rings style, that would make Gandalf wince.  This is definitely a comical look at the Fellowship of the Ring and Swendson has no problem pointing out the similarities and making quips.

The entire story takes place over less than 24 hours that will change Katie and Owen's lives in ways they cannot imagine.  With Granny, an elf and a dwarf tagging along, there's no trouble they won't stumble into.  NQFTW is funny, action-packed and full of the kind of crazy we've come to expect from the MSI gang.  

If you haven't read the series, I cannot recommend enough that you pick up Enchanted, Inc.  I've been mesmerized by this story for years and am looking forward to seeing what happens next in Kiss and Spell (book 7).  Check out Shanna's website for more info:

http://www.shannaswendson.com/index.html

~Shel

Much Ado About Magic by Shanna Swendson

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From Author’s website:

To Do: Manage Magical Mayhem, Save the Company, Save the World

Katie Chandler is back in New York and at Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc. – and just in time. The city’s in the grip of a magical crime wave from spells that wizarding whiz Owen Palmer thinks look awfully familiar, and the rogue firm Spellworks is raising its profile in the magical world by selling protective amulets. It’s Katie’s job as the new director of marketing for MSI to fight this battle of public perception while Owen and the other wizards try to uncover what’s really going on.

What Katie doesn’t realize is that her idea to stage a showcase for MSI’s magical achievements is playing right into a devious plot more than three decades in the making. Now Katie has to do damage control that has nothing to do with marketing. To save the magical world, she’ll have to prove who the real enemy is, and doing that will require digging deeper into Owen’s mysterious past than he wants anyone to go. If she fails, she not only stands to lose a magical war, but she could also lose the man she loves.

The Bad:

I gotta be honest folks, I don’t have anything that can be categorized as “The Bad” here, except perhaps that I had to wait too long to read it and I wish it were not over so quickly.

The Good:

Much Ado was well worth the wait.  The story was action-packed, intense and thoroughly enjoyable.  If you had asked me two weeks ago which of the Enchanted, Inc books was my favorite, I would have gone back and forth between the books because I love them all in their own ways.  Now, Much Ado About Magic is the clear winner.  Not only do we get some long due answers about our cutie Owen, but the story arc with Idris comes to a head, ending with a shock!  Luckily, Book 6 comes out in October, so we will not have long to wait to see where in the world the series is going.  There’s not much more I can say without giving things away, and you all know how I hate spoilers, so I will leave you by saying – get Much Ado About Magic now!  And check out our interview with author Shanna Swendson, who was gracious enough to talk Enchanted, Inc., boys, brownies and Joss Whedon with us! 

~Shel

Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson

From Ballantine Books:                                              

DON’T MESS WITH HEXES

Katie Chandler had always heard that New York is a weird and wonderful place, but this small-town Texas gal had no idea how weird until she moved there. Everywhere she goes, she sees something worth gawking at and Katie is afraid she’s a little too normal to make a splash in the big city. Working for an ogre of a boss doesn’t help.

Then, seemingly out of the blue, Katie gets a job offer from Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc., a company that tricks of the trade to the magic community. For MSI, Katie’s ordinariness is an asset. Lacking any bit of magic, she can easily spot a fake spell, catch hidden clauses in competitor’s contracts, and detect magically disguised intruders. Suddenly, average Katie is very special indeed.

She quickly learns that office politics are even more complicated when your new boss is a real ogre, and you have a crush on the sexy, shy, ultra powerful head of the R&D department, who is so busy fighting an evil competitor threatening to sell black magic on the street that he seems barely to notice Katie. Now it’s up to Katie to pull off the impossible: save the world and–hopefully–live happily ever after.

The Enchanted, Inc. Series ranks as one of my all time favorite series.  It's one of my fall back comfort series (unfortunately, one of my sisters - you know who you are - borrowed my copies of the first four books like two years ago and has not returned them).  I even made Bel read Enchanted, Inc. long before we had the blog because I would not shut up about it. 

I love the legends of Merlin and King Arthur, so this modern day story about such beloved characters was a natural for me.  Also, it was a paranormal romantic comedy/mystery before the market became flooded with the genre.  Swendson is a decent writer, but the true catch of this series is the story.  This is a fantastic story.  Unfortunately, after the fourth book, 2008's Don't Hex With Texas, Ballantine decided not to pursue the series any further.  Which sucked.  Flash forward to 2012, the age of self-publishing and I am over the moon to say that Swendson is publishing not just book 5, Much Ado About Magic, but also book 6, and depending upon the success, she may publish a 7th!  WOOHOO! 

Using any excuse to re-read a favorite series, I will be reviewing the first four in the series leading up to the release of Much Ado About Magic on August 15th. 

So, Book 1, Enchanted, Inc. introduces us to Katie, a down to earth Texan transplanted to New York working for a tyrannical despot at a Manhattan office, when she mysteriously gets a job offer from MSI, Inc.  When she agrees to meet with the HR rep (and the gorgeous Owen), she is introduced to a world of myth and magic.  But even in a world with magic, people try to cheat, so MSI needs someone like Katie, who can see through the magic to know the truth, whether its a clause concealed in a contract, or someone trying to sell dangerous spells disguised as harmless items, it takes all Katie's common sense and business know how to keep these wizards in check.  This is such a fun world with wizards, talking gargoyles and fairies, all set in an otherwise normal, modern Manhattan.  A place where the most powerful person may be the one with no magical powers at all. 

You can find out more about Enchanted, Inc. and Shanna Swendson at her website www.shannaswendson.com.   Next up, I will review Book 2, Once Upon Stilettoes. 

~Shel