A Spoonful of Aether

Beaumont and Beasley #3.7

by Kyle Robert Shultz

Chester hasn't seen his previous nanny since she went up to investigate that odd scratching noise in the attic. She never returned, but Chester's parents refuse to believe his story. They think she just left without giving notice. Fortunately, the new nanny is a much better listener—even though she has an odd habit of throwing baked goods at people, and there appears to be a monster in her carpet bag. But who is she? And can she really defeat the creature upstairs, or will she and her monster be the next ones to disappear?

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Humor, Clean Romance

ebook

First published October 31, 2018

About the author

Kyle Robert Shultz is the creator of the Aftermythos, an interconnected collection of stories set in an alternate universe where fairy tales and mythology are history. Shultz is a completely ordinary human being with no remarkable qualities whatsoever. Accounts suggesting that he is a dangerous wizard exiled from a parallel reality, a cleverly-disguised magical creature passing off the history of another world as original fiction, a mysterious trickster entity described in the folklore of a circumscribed region of Wales, or a pseudonym adopted by three talking otters stacked up in a trench coat should be dismissed as not entirely accurate.

Note: I'm not active on Goodreads, so I may not see messages or other notifications. I only use this profile for business, so don't be offended if I don't accept your friend request. If you want to get in touch with me, email me at kyle@aftermythos.com.

Reviews

[Christine Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be my favorite of the Beaumont and Beasley short stories yet! Mixing Beaumont and Beasley with Mary Poppins was genius, and the whole tone of this one had me grinning with nearly every. single. sentence. These stories are just the best!

[Katelyn Buxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Poppins meets the Afterverse? Yes, please! I was super excited when I found out that Shultz was indeed integrating everyone’s favorite magical nanny into the world of Beaumont and Beasley, and this little short story did not disappoint. If I had a comment, I thought it could have used a little more on-page “family fixing.” It focused more on the monster on the attic—and even though solving that little conundrum did help Chester’s family, it still felt a little abrupt. However, A Spoonful of Aether delivered that same brand of witty adventure that has made the Afterverse so successful, and made me love Beaumont and Beasley that much more.

[Merenwen Inglorion · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful short story set in the world of Beaumont and Beasley. It's in a different POV than the mainstream stories (resulting in some characters coming off a tad like caricatures) but still an undeniably enjoyable read. I loved it, and it was hilarious. 😍

[E.B. Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! It was everything I had secretly hoped it would be when I heard the premise. Very Doctor Who meets Mary Poppins. Cordelia makes the perfect unorthodox nanny and her interactions with Chester are sweet. Plus getting to see Nick and Cordelia from Chester's perspective was a treat. I loved that he got to come along for the adventure. Some great quotes in here too! It is the perfect, bite-sized fairytale/monster adventure.

[Grace Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars! =D

I can't even tell you how much I love Nick Beasley and Cordelia Beaumont. They are favorites of mine, they are amazing, and they are hilarious. I LOVE THEM, OKAY!?!

Uh-hmm. Well, with that out of the way, let's continue. I really like how the author took two stories that are not normally made into retellings and made them into a retelling. "Mary Poppins" and the story of "Hansel and Gretel". It was very clever, I still laugh of how Nick was under that poor kid's bed.

And even though I love this book and it did wrap up very nicely, I wanted more. But that is common with short stories. I think I was just caught up in this wonderful story that I just wanted more. Thank goodness that I still have the other books in the series to read. It's one of those things that I never want to end.

Content in Book:

1. A creature trying to fatten up people to eat them.

2. Scary creatures.

3. Magic.

Who Would I Recommend This Book Too:

Those who have first read The Beast of Talesend, you won't get much out of this book without first having the context from the first book in the series that does, in fact, happen before this book. Those who like "Mary Poppins". Those who like "Hansel and Gretel". Those who want a fun book with magic, creatures, and good humor.

[Sarah Cnossen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an adorable retelling of a beloved film! Beaumont & Beasley meshes with the story of Mary Poppins. In order to uncover the mystery of a nanny’s disappearance and rescue a household from the grip of a monster and its sugary aether, Cordelia poses as a replacement nanny hiding Nick in her unusual carpetbag. They make a little friend in Chester, and together they braves the new dangers of the attic...

[Grace T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hurrah for broccoli.

[Tess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wheeeeeee! Another Beaumont and Beasley! Happy Afterween to me!
This was certainly a treat. Cordelia and Nick go to investigate the disappearance of a nanny with Cordelia as the new nanny and Nick in a carpetbag.
This was a really fun and really sweet story. If you love B&B you need to read this!

Also, this story and a few others are available for Mr. Shultz's newsletter subscribers. And he has opened up a patreon page which will mean more short stories. For all those interested.

[Jacqueline Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, quick read that takes us deeper into the delightful world of Beaumont and Beasley.

[The Jesus Fandom]

You can find a full review of all of the Afterverse books here.

[Joseph Leskey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of very top quality, this is. The way the author mixes stories and retells them is simply unmatched.