Devi Nair
🎧 Listened in audio 📢 Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld ⏱ Duration: 9 hours 🏷️ Publisher: Penguin Audio 📅 Published: October 28, 2025 🧿 Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery
I wanted Witches of Dubious Origin to completely sweep me away. A small-town librarian with the power to read books and raise the dead, but who refuses to use it for moral reasons? A secret archive of dangerous magical books? A morally challenging, attractive teacher among a group of educators who actually debate ethics? I was sold. Hard. The premise screamed “cozy paranormal fantasy with a magical fight and heart” which is exactly the kind of witchy read I usually devour.
The first half absolutely sparkles. The banter between Zoe and Jasper is witty, their chemistry sharp, and the world-building rich with promise. Saskia Maarleveld’s narration adds warmth and wit, making Zoe’s hesitant dive into the magical unknown genuinely enjoyable. But somewhere around the 60% mark, the pacing casts a bit of a snooze spell. The energy dips, the stakes blur, and scenes that should pulse with urgency feel like leisurely page turns. I kept waiting for the momentum to return, but it never fully did.
By the end I was finishing out of sheer stubbornness rather than excitement.
Would I recommend it? I wish I could say I was under its spell the whole time, but Witches of Dubious Origin ended up as a “good but almost great” read. The first half shines, the second fizzles.
Bookish confessions: did the spell wear off for you too? Would you have kept reading if the pacing dragged, or do you DNF the moment the magic fades?
Originally posted at www.goodreads.com.
🎧 Listened in audio 📢 Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld ⏱ Duration: 9 hours 🏷️ Publisher: Penguin Audio 📅 Published: October 28, 2025 🧿 Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery
I wanted Witches of Dubious Origin to completely sweep me away. A small-town librarian with the power to read books and raise the dead, but who refuses to use it for moral reasons? A secret archive of dangerous magical books? A morally challenging, attractive teacher among a group of educators who actually debate ethics? I was sold. Hard. The premise screamed “cozy paranormal fantasy with a magical fight and heart” which is exactly the kind of witchy read I usually devour.
The first half absolutely sparkles. The banter between Zoe and Jasper is witty, their chemistry sharp, and the world-building rich with promise. Saskia Maarleveld’s narration adds warmth and wit, making Zoe’s hesitant dive into the magical unknown genuinely enjoyable. But somewhere around the 60% mark, the pacing casts a bit of a snooze spell. The energy dips, the stakes blur, and scenes that should pulse with urgency feel like leisurely page turns. I kept waiting for the momentum to return, but it never fully did.
By the end I was finishing out of sheer stubbornness rather than excitement.
Would I recommend it? I wish I could say I was under its spell the whole time, but Witches of Dubious Origin ended up as a “good but almost great” read. The first half shines, the second fizzles.
Bookish confessions: did the spell wear off for you too? Would you have kept reading if the pacing dragged, or do you DNF the moment the magic fades?
Originally posted at www.goodreads.com.