Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong

Summary: (Goodreads)

Forget the cackling green hag in The Wizard of Oz, forget Samantha fromBewitched. Real witches are nothing, NOTHING like this. For years real witches have hidden their powers, afraid of being persecuted. They have integrated so well into the community, you could have a witch living right next door and never know about it. Take Paige, for instance, whom we first met in Kelley Armstrong's novel Stolen. Just an ordinary twenty-something who runs her own website design company, worries about her weight and wonders if she'll ever find a boyfriend. Okay, so she's leader of the American Coven and guardian of Savannah, the teenage daughter of a black witch. Really, life is ordinary. But then a telekinetic half-demon, Leah O'Donnell, shows up to fight for custody of Savannah. And although Paige is ready for her, she's not quite so prepared for the team of supernaturals that Leah brings with her, including a powerful sorcerer who claims to be Savannah's father.

When all hell breaks loose -- literally -- and Paige is accused of witchcraft, Satanism and murder, the Coven, fearing exposure, abandons her. Cut off from her friends, Paige is forced against her better judgment to accept the help of a young sorcerer lawyer. And she quickly comes to realize that keeping Savannah could mean losing everything else.

It was so hard to read this book without comparing the characters to Elena and Clay from the first two books in the Women of the Otherworld series. I felt that Paige wasn't as strong of a character and was a pushover in comparison.

I'm still going to try to rate it without relating Dime Store Magic to Bitten or Stolen but it's so HARD!

I loved reading about the history of the witches in Dime Store Magic; especially when it came to the sorcerers getting involved.

I also loved how the romance in this story didn't dominate the plot. It was a great change to be honest because otherwise, I feel like the story-line would have become too messy and all over the place if that makes sense.

What's great is that if a reader started the Women of the Otherworld series from Dime Store Magic they wouldn't be lost at all, simply because it seems like it could be a separate series competely.

I loved Savannah's character. She was so sassy and naive that Paige had to  run around after her like a headless chicken half the time!

I also liked Lucas's character. He was so calm and composed throughout which was great for a little change. You could also see how he would be great for Paige as they're kind of opposites in a way but complement each other.

However, I did find Paige to be a bit irritating; she just did some stupid things at times that didn't have to happen.

The world that Dime Store Magic  is set in is flawless. The idea of the rivalry between sorcerers and witches, covens and Lucas's family story were all brilliant.

Above all though, Dime Store Magic was a really fast-paced and exciting all the way through. I couldn't put it down.

About the author:

Kelley Armstrong is a Canadian author, primarily of fantasy works. She has published twelve fantasy novels to date, most set in the world of Women of the Otherworld series, one crime fiction novel, and the Darkest Powers Trilogy. The latest novel in the Women of the Otherworld series is called Waking the Witch. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two children.

My Rating: 8/10

Author: Kelley Armstrong