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Ladies Occult Society #1
A Magical Inheritance
Miss Elizabeth Knight received an unexpected legacy upon her uncle’s death: a collection of occult books. However, when one of the books begins talking to her, she discovers an entire world of female occultist history opened to her—a legacy the Royal Occult Society had purposely hidden from the world.
However, the magic allowing the book to speak to Miss Knight is fading and she must gather a group of female acquaintances of various talents. Together, they’ll need to work to overcome social pressures, ambitious men, and tyrannical parents, all to bring Mrs. Egerton, the book ghost, back.
However, the magic allowing the book to speak to Miss Knight is fading and she must gather a group of female acquaintances of various talents. Together, they’ll need to work to overcome social pressures, ambitious men, and tyrannical parents, all to bring Mrs. Egerton, the book ghost, back.
252 pages, ebook
First published May 20, 2019
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June 30, 2019Another entry in the magical English Regency era, this one thoroughly enjoyable. It moves at a stately pace as our heroine, a spinster resisting being pushed into marriage by a mostly-repellent family, inherits a library of magical books.
The women are terrific in this story, from the acerb Mrs. Egerton to Elizabeth's bestie Maria Thorne. I also liked the way magic is being developed; it appears that women had once dominated the field, but men have taken it over as well as dominating politics.
In this first volume, the world is mostly set up, and Elizabeth manages to establish herself in spite of some fairly persistent challenges. The prose is easily accessible, a mix of contemporary with some period expressions, couched in complete sentences as was expected in the period.
It'll be fun to see where the series goes.
The women are terrific in this story, from the acerb Mrs. Egerton to Elizabeth's bestie Maria Thorne. I also liked the way magic is being developed; it appears that women had once dominated the field, but men have taken it over as well as dominating politics.
In this first volume, the world is mostly set up, and Elizabeth manages to establish herself in spite of some fairly persistent challenges. The prose is easily accessible, a mix of contemporary with some period expressions, couched in complete sentences as was expected in the period.
It'll be fun to see where the series goes.
July 6, 2019
I enjoyed this a lot more than the 3 stars would indicate. The characters are sympathetic, the basic premise intriguing. It is very much the first in a series, doing more to lay groundwork than complete a dramatic arc, although there are a couple of small personal achievements before the rather abrupt end. Mostly what prevented me from giving this a higher rating was a lot of what I considered careless diction. Why bother having a regency setting and trappings if you allow interjections such as "okay"? Also it needed more careful proofreading, as there were frequent typos and small errors.
However, this is a world that I will happily visit again and I will look forward to reading the next book in the series.
However, this is a world that I will happily visit again and I will look forward to reading the next book in the series.
September 22, 2020
Interesting concept that never leaves the station to be executed. Whatever happens in the second book could have been combined with this one for a novel where something actually happens. The plot of A Magical Inheritance is the main character taking inventory of her dead uncle's occult books and meticulously writing down how much money she makes from selling them. That's it. She's not even finished by the end of the novel! You know how in most books and movies, there will be scene cuts to imply the passage of time? For over half of this, we don't get to cut away. Every. Single. Step. of the MC's day is detailed. I started to cry inside whenever she got another letter, because for no reason at all, every single time, we had to sit through the actual contents of the letters. The only thing I didn't read about was the MC going to the bathroom, leading me to believe that this is a version of Regency England where no one takes a dump, because god knows every other sleep-inducing detail about these people's days gets put directly on the page. The dialogue is also a bunch of as-you-know-Bob dull exchanges of information, sometimes about stuff we just read about them doing.
The concept of lady occultists is cool, and I loved the little Avengers-style group Elizabeth puts together by the end, but the worldbuilding is so sketchy I am really not sure what "occult" is supposed to mean here, or how spells work. This stuff can't be a secret, since there's a Royal Occult Society openly running around (providing the book's only attempt at action that isn't fucking sorting books), but I didn't get a strong sense of how changed the world would be if the paranormal/magic actually existed. It was just a random word that got thrown around a lot, for all that Mrs. Egerton-the-ghost-book made an appearance.
There are a handful of typographical errors (my personal favorite is gentile/genteel, with the interesting but surely unintentional implication that all female occultists were previously Jewish). While not excessive, they and some stray punctuation mishaps make me think there was no editor for this past a spellcheck. Really the least of this book's problems, though.
RIYL YouTube videos about people cleaning out hoarder houses, or if you are somehow someone who derives joy out of using QuickBooks.
The concept of lady occultists is cool, and I loved the little Avengers-style group Elizabeth puts together by the end, but the worldbuilding is so sketchy I am really not sure what "occult" is supposed to mean here, or how spells work. This stuff can't be a secret, since there's a Royal Occult Society openly running around (providing the book's only attempt at action that isn't fucking sorting books), but I didn't get a strong sense of how changed the world would be if the paranormal/magic actually existed. It was just a random word that got thrown around a lot, for all that Mrs. Egerton-the-ghost-book made an appearance.
There are a handful of typographical errors (my personal favorite is gentile/genteel, with the interesting but surely unintentional implication that all female occultists were previously Jewish). While not excessive, they and some stray punctuation mishaps make me think there was no editor for this past a spellcheck. Really the least of this book's problems, though.
RIYL YouTube videos about people cleaning out hoarder houses, or if you are somehow someone who derives joy out of using QuickBooks.
May 18, 2019
First off, I loved this book! I’ve been, somewhat patiently, waiting for a year to read this and it did not disappoint.
The thing I loved most about this book, at absolutely no surprise to myself, is the characters. This author is great at writing characters and I think she is particularly in her element here with characters navigating society in early 19th century England. Elizabeth Knight is such a wonderful character. She’s a woman in a particular difficult situation in life, getting older and not married, having become a ‘burden’ to her family. There are times when I was frustrated by Elizabeth’s situation, wishing she’d be able to take certain actions and then realizing how constraining her situation within society has given her little choice concerning certain aspects of her life. Sometimes you want her to be a little more rebellious but then you know she can’t because she’ll risk too much. I do love that she’s practical how she approaches these things. Besides Elizabeth, there are many other fantastic characters. I loved her best friend and her best friend’s husband, it’s fun to see a married couple banter. And Elizabeth’s aunt is so much fun! She’s a woman who, due to her situation in life, has a lot more freedom and is willing to pull others under her umbrella of protection. She’s kind of fierce and I love it.
The main plot of the book focuses on Elizabeth sorting through the library of occult books she’s inherited from her beloved uncle while fending off attacks from others who want to get their hands on certain books (namely, The Royal Occult Society). The story also deals with Elizabeth’s situation within her family, which is seen as unfortunate and a burden and allows her little ability to make decisions for herself regarding her own life. But, above all things, this is a story of friendships, some old and some new, between women. We don’t always get a ton of stories like that, especially in the fantasy genre, so I really appreciated that aspect of the book. I love how they recognize each other’s places in society and are willing to be a support group for each other rather than tearing one another down (as so often is common in stories). This first book really focuses on the formation of the Ladies’ Occult Society, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of their adventures once they become established as a group.
As far as world-building, well, this is pretty much what’s advertised–early nineteenth century England with a magical twist. The fantasy elements are interwoven into this familiar world pretty seamlessly. There is a Royal Occult Society, run by men of course. Because magic exists, magicians and magical items exist as well, but the magic is very much in the background of society with not everyone approving of it despite the crown endorsing it. The historical elements are wonderfully written, from the food they eat, to the carriages they ride in, to the money, to the way society works and everyone’s roles within it. And I think for something such as this, a historical fantasy, the historical elements are just as important to the world-building as the fantasy.
I also want to note that I think this is the first time I have fallen completely in love with Krista’s prose. She really nails the fantasy of manners thing with the witty banter between characters and the sharp observational humor. The style of the writing itself is just so much fun to me.
If you like fantasy of manners, books featuring friendships between women, or books about sorting books, this is a book you’re going to want to check out. I’m already looking forward to the next one. 5/5 stars.
Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author for review purposes, this did not affect my review the contents of my review in any way.
The thing I loved most about this book, at absolutely no surprise to myself, is the characters. This author is great at writing characters and I think she is particularly in her element here with characters navigating society in early 19th century England. Elizabeth Knight is such a wonderful character. She’s a woman in a particular difficult situation in life, getting older and not married, having become a ‘burden’ to her family. There are times when I was frustrated by Elizabeth’s situation, wishing she’d be able to take certain actions and then realizing how constraining her situation within society has given her little choice concerning certain aspects of her life. Sometimes you want her to be a little more rebellious but then you know she can’t because she’ll risk too much. I do love that she’s practical how she approaches these things. Besides Elizabeth, there are many other fantastic characters. I loved her best friend and her best friend’s husband, it’s fun to see a married couple banter. And Elizabeth’s aunt is so much fun! She’s a woman who, due to her situation in life, has a lot more freedom and is willing to pull others under her umbrella of protection. She’s kind of fierce and I love it.
The main plot of the book focuses on Elizabeth sorting through the library of occult books she’s inherited from her beloved uncle while fending off attacks from others who want to get their hands on certain books (namely, The Royal Occult Society). The story also deals with Elizabeth’s situation within her family, which is seen as unfortunate and a burden and allows her little ability to make decisions for herself regarding her own life. But, above all things, this is a story of friendships, some old and some new, between women. We don’t always get a ton of stories like that, especially in the fantasy genre, so I really appreciated that aspect of the book. I love how they recognize each other’s places in society and are willing to be a support group for each other rather than tearing one another down (as so often is common in stories). This first book really focuses on the formation of the Ladies’ Occult Society, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of their adventures once they become established as a group.
As far as world-building, well, this is pretty much what’s advertised–early nineteenth century England with a magical twist. The fantasy elements are interwoven into this familiar world pretty seamlessly. There is a Royal Occult Society, run by men of course. Because magic exists, magicians and magical items exist as well, but the magic is very much in the background of society with not everyone approving of it despite the crown endorsing it. The historical elements are wonderfully written, from the food they eat, to the carriages they ride in, to the money, to the way society works and everyone’s roles within it. And I think for something such as this, a historical fantasy, the historical elements are just as important to the world-building as the fantasy.
I also want to note that I think this is the first time I have fallen completely in love with Krista’s prose. She really nails the fantasy of manners thing with the witty banter between characters and the sharp observational humor. The style of the writing itself is just so much fun to me.
If you like fantasy of manners, books featuring friendships between women, or books about sorting books, this is a book you’re going to want to check out. I’m already looking forward to the next one. 5/5 stars.
Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author for review purposes, this did not affect my review the contents of my review in any way.
July 22, 2019
So cozy and cute! I love stories of women helping each other succeed!
September 23, 2021
2.5 stars
Overall I enjoyed this book and I think the idea behind inheriting a stash of books that the MC then tries to sell off is cute. But more editing and proofreading should have been done, and I'm not sure closets in Regency England were that common, so I'm downgrading it somewhat.
Overall I enjoyed this book and I think the idea behind inheriting a stash of books that the MC then tries to sell off is cute. But more editing and proofreading should have been done, and I'm not sure closets in Regency England were that common, so I'm downgrading it somewhat.
February 3, 2021
Ahoy there me mateys! Somewhere I heard this book described as Jane Austen with magic. So color me curious. When I wanted a light-hearted fun read, I scooped this one up. No disappointment here!
The main character, Elizabeth Knight, is a spinster who, of course, is a burden on her family. When her beloved uncle dies, he leaves her with an unusual gift - his occult library. Women are not really supposed to do magic. Brides and babies are the expectation. And when one of those bequeathed books turns out to have a ghost living in it, it seems that every male is out to steal what is rightfully Elizabeth's.
I loved Elizabeth! As always it was lovely to have an intelligent female to follow. It was annoying to watch how stymied her life was by the men in it but also fun to watch the women work around it. I loved her feisty Aunt, her newfound friendships, and the commentary on society. I loved that one of the relationships of the book is a married couple who banters and are such excellent friends. I love that it becomes a story about women gaining agency through their hard work and those friendships. It was also nice to see Elizabeth's grief being dealt with in the story because she really did love her uncle.
But above all I loved the occult library. A lot of this book discusses sorting through her uncle's gift. I found this to be excellent fun, especially when the ghost starts giving her opinions. So many of the books seemed real and like they would be fun to get a hold of. And of course who doesn't like a women's secret society set up to read all about the forbidden magic.
The negative for some is that the plot is slow moving and there is not a ton of action. The focus be on the relationships with a bit of a foray into social commentary. I was certainly okay with that. There be a second book out. I need to track it down. Arrr!
The main character, Elizabeth Knight, is a spinster who, of course, is a burden on her family. When her beloved uncle dies, he leaves her with an unusual gift - his occult library. Women are not really supposed to do magic. Brides and babies are the expectation. And when one of those bequeathed books turns out to have a ghost living in it, it seems that every male is out to steal what is rightfully Elizabeth's.
I loved Elizabeth! As always it was lovely to have an intelligent female to follow. It was annoying to watch how stymied her life was by the men in it but also fun to watch the women work around it. I loved her feisty Aunt, her newfound friendships, and the commentary on society. I loved that one of the relationships of the book is a married couple who banters and are such excellent friends. I love that it becomes a story about women gaining agency through their hard work and those friendships. It was also nice to see Elizabeth's grief being dealt with in the story because she really did love her uncle.
But above all I loved the occult library. A lot of this book discusses sorting through her uncle's gift. I found this to be excellent fun, especially when the ghost starts giving her opinions. So many of the books seemed real and like they would be fun to get a hold of. And of course who doesn't like a women's secret society set up to read all about the forbidden magic.
The negative for some is that the plot is slow moving and there is not a ton of action. The focus be on the relationships with a bit of a foray into social commentary. I was certainly okay with that. There be a second book out. I need to track it down. Arrr!
May 14, 2019
This is not an action-packed book. If the cover and premise didn't prepare you for that, I'm sorry.
It is, however, quite an enjoyable book. Elizabeth is a lovely woman and I kept threatening to set people on fire for her or hoping she would do it herself. The characters are all great. Everyone has their own personality and quirks. Everyone has something to offer. Krista's always really good with three things: characters, dialogue, and food. All the antagonistic men in the story scream to be punched in the face and/or genitals repeatedly. Mostly, though, this is a story about a woman figuring out who she is and who she wants to be and the beginning of her journey there. If you love the Regency era, or maybe want to read something where the occult is far more benign (even benevolent), you'll probably enjoy this.
It is, however, quite an enjoyable book. Elizabeth is a lovely woman and I kept threatening to set people on fire for her or hoping she would do it herself. The characters are all great. Everyone has their own personality and quirks. Everyone has something to offer. Krista's always really good with three things: characters, dialogue, and food. All the antagonistic men in the story scream to be punched in the face and/or genitals repeatedly. Mostly, though, this is a story about a woman figuring out who she is and who she wants to be and the beginning of her journey there. If you love the Regency era, or maybe want to read something where the occult is far more benign (even benevolent), you'll probably enjoy this.
July 17, 2019
4.5, rounding up.
Coaxed me out of my reading slump! A gentle novel that succeeds in capturing the spirit of Jane Austen's playful style, and laced with scathing social commentary. Highly recommended for people suffering grimdark fatigue. :)
Coaxed me out of my reading slump! A gentle novel that succeeds in capturing the spirit of Jane Austen's playful style, and laced with scathing social commentary. Highly recommended for people suffering grimdark fatigue. :)
April 28, 2022
I never quite warmed up to this book like I thought I would, because Elizabeth's situation hit too close to home (organizing books after a beloved father figure died). I do like the intent behind the book, though--strong friendships between women are always nice to see, especially in light of a patriarchal society that won't even let them control their own finances.
June 25, 2020
So full disclosure - I absolutely love this book and can't think of a single thing to complain about. Let's just keep this in mind as I write this review. :P
We follow Elizabeth, an unmarried woman in a time where that was looked down on. She's a strong, amazing lady who has a tough lot in life, but fights through it and continues being her stubborn self (that's a compliment, by the way).
I absolutely love Elizabeth. And Maria. And Aunt Cass. And Susan. And Alice. And Sally. And Henry. And Mr. Osbourne. And I even have a sliver of like in me for Charles. The characters in this story are just amazing, and we learn to love them as time goes on. The characters really shine in this story (as they should!).
The story starts with Elizabeth losing her uncle, and inheriting his library of occult books. And she goes and sorts them. And that's kinda the entire plot, which is absolutely magnificent. We also have a society trying to steal them from her, and lots of womanly chat. It's just... so lovely, honestly.
Elizabeth's mourning for her uncle feels real, which I very much appreciate. It's not just glossed over, forgotten about. Stuff still has to go on, but she also has emotions, basically. It's so nice to see, especially when books seem to show mourning in an unrealistic way sometimes.
This book is just so good. And exactly the kind of book I love. Which made it perfect for me, so yay!
Basically, I love it and I want you to read it.
We follow Elizabeth, an unmarried woman in a time where that was looked down on. She's a strong, amazing lady who has a tough lot in life, but fights through it and continues being her stubborn self (that's a compliment, by the way).
I absolutely love Elizabeth. And Maria. And Aunt Cass. And Susan. And Alice. And Sally. And Henry. And Mr. Osbourne. And I even have a sliver of like in me for Charles. The characters in this story are just amazing, and we learn to love them as time goes on. The characters really shine in this story (as they should!).
The story starts with Elizabeth losing her uncle, and inheriting his library of occult books. And she goes and sorts them. And that's kinda the entire plot, which is absolutely magnificent. We also have a society trying to steal them from her, and lots of womanly chat. It's just... so lovely, honestly.
Elizabeth's mourning for her uncle feels real, which I very much appreciate. It's not just glossed over, forgotten about. Stuff still has to go on, but she also has emotions, basically. It's so nice to see, especially when books seem to show mourning in an unrealistic way sometimes.
This book is just so good. And exactly the kind of book I love. Which made it perfect for me, so yay!
Basically, I love it and I want you to read it.
May 27, 2021
The book got entirely too bogged down in the minutia of daily life. There are many things that happen in a day that I as a reader do not really need to know. I should have known this was going to go south when the author opened the book with an explanation of the pound. I do not need that information to understand anything about the book, I mean if I didn't understand the concept of money sure then that would be a useful explanation. The details of a pound and how many pence are in a pound is really irrelevant information. It's these kinds of details that just weigh the book down. I ended up skipping large passages and skimming most of the book. I can tell that Ball is trying to create a realistic world, but she needs to learn the difference between the things the author needs to know and the things the reader needs to know.
July 21, 2021
I discovered this author last year, and it was love at the first sight. And since then I kept this book on my TBR, but I kept procrastinating. I really, really, really wanted to read it, but lately, it seems like I am constantly on a book buying ban of a sort or another and so I waited and waited for the right moment for it. And then here it was, after finishing Solomon’s Seal, what I discovered there?? So, I was planning to read the next book in this box in August or September, because my TBR is pretty full at the moment but… I needed to read it! And I have no willpower whatsoever when we are talking about books so… here we are!
I loved this book, and I was enthralled by it from the beginning. And I devoured it. It was magical, it was funny, it was sweet, it was all I was hoping for and even more! I have to confess that my favorite series by this author remain The Dark Abyss Of Our Sins, but this one was good. Really, really good!
This is an adorable Regency story about magic, but especially about women, and friendship. I think that, in the end, friendship is the best thing in this book.
Elizabeth is an interesting MC, she has the patience of a Saint. She is just so good at heart (and yes, she can be too good sometimes). And this is her best trait, but it is also her major “fault”. If I have a complain with this book is that sometimes she is too much good. She is always trying to help, and she is the most considerate person in the world, and this is not a bad thing, but sometimes a bit of egoism, or if not as far as that, at least a bit less of it would have been good (but maybe this is just because I am not as good a person as she is!). Anyway, she is really a good person, and she has the best support team ever! I loved her aunt (she is just amazing!), and I loved Mary and her husband. They are sweet, they are also one of the best married couple around (and let me tell me, that I appreciated so much seeing a married couple that is in love, in their own unique way, and that function so well as a team. It is not a common thing, and I think that we need more of them around!).
And then we have a ton of books, and also a magical one. And a ghost, sort of. We have also bad men who are trying to bully Elizabeth. A big inheritance, a family that is not really the best one out there (and okay, they are not the worst, but really, they are not good!), and some new friendships blooming. And occultism. So, yes, we have quite a lot going on, and even if this is a quiet book, in some ways, because it is not an action or adventure book, this is for sure, it is also not a boring book. I loved it. And I am eager to continue this series. So I think I know which books I would buy next!
I loved this book, and I was enthralled by it from the beginning. And I devoured it. It was magical, it was funny, it was sweet, it was all I was hoping for and even more! I have to confess that my favorite series by this author remain The Dark Abyss Of Our Sins, but this one was good. Really, really good!
This is an adorable Regency story about magic, but especially about women, and friendship. I think that, in the end, friendship is the best thing in this book.
Elizabeth is an interesting MC, she has the patience of a Saint. She is just so good at heart (and yes, she can be too good sometimes). And this is her best trait, but it is also her major “fault”. If I have a complain with this book is that sometimes she is too much good. She is always trying to help, and she is the most considerate person in the world, and this is not a bad thing, but sometimes a bit of egoism, or if not as far as that, at least a bit less of it would have been good (but maybe this is just because I am not as good a person as she is!). Anyway, she is really a good person, and she has the best support team ever! I loved her aunt (she is just amazing!), and I loved Mary and her husband. They are sweet, they are also one of the best married couple around (and let me tell me, that I appreciated so much seeing a married couple that is in love, in their own unique way, and that function so well as a team. It is not a common thing, and I think that we need more of them around!).
And then we have a ton of books, and also a magical one. And a ghost, sort of. We have also bad men who are trying to bully Elizabeth. A big inheritance, a family that is not really the best one out there (and okay, they are not the worst, but really, they are not good!), and some new friendships blooming. And occultism. So, yes, we have quite a lot going on, and even if this is a quiet book, in some ways, because it is not an action or adventure book, this is for sure, it is also not a boring book. I loved it. And I am eager to continue this series. So I think I know which books I would buy next!
October 12, 2021
Real cozy, real cute! Women supporting each other and sorting through way too many books! Highly recommended for a day where you just want something nice and friendly to read.
January 2, 2020
Turns out, I love regency fantasy. A Magical Inheritance was witty and delightful to read, I loved the geeking out over books, the fantasy of manners style, and the great characters. We might all moan about the size of our TBRs, but Miss Knight’s doesn’t even fit in her house.
I can see how someone might expect a book where the entire plot revolves around cataloging, storing and occasionally selling books, and counting pennies while worrying about the condition of women in regency England, to be a little slow or boring. Not for me, I love that stuff! Sure it’s no action adventure, but all the great, and some of the horrible, characters and relationships meant I could barely put it down, I’m very much looking forward to the sequel. And I swear I want to punch that one guy so much, gah, that guy.
I really liked how the story shows both very good and very bad relationships. Apart from her aunt and uncle Elizabeth’s relationship with her family is bad, with her father being particularly loathsome, though her sister and cousin are awfully self centered too. On the other hand is her very competent badass aunt, and her found family, the lovely and supportive Maria and husband Henry, as well as the other women who come to form The Ladies Occult Society. Of course I can’t mention characters without the awesome book ghost, a good no-nonsense woman.
Although it started off grimly reminding me that fantasizing about fancy dresses is all well and good, but having been born in another era as anything but a rich man isn’t dreamy at all, I found A Magical Inheritance hopeful. Despite being dismissed, threatened and attacked by the men of Royal Occult Society, and getting no support from her father, Elizabeth uses her very practical and sensible nature to succeed, with a group of other like minded intelligent competent women.
I highlighted a lot of passages in this book, but I leave you with my favorite:
“There comes a point in every woman’s life where she must accept if she is indeed the smartest person in the room or not. I have accepted that I am, present company excluded, of course, one of the most intelligent people in any room. And since that will never be acknowledged by the world, I refuse to hide my candle under a bushel, to use the holy words of the bible.”
I can see how someone might expect a book where the entire plot revolves around cataloging, storing and occasionally selling books, and counting pennies while worrying about the condition of women in regency England, to be a little slow or boring. Not for me, I love that stuff! Sure it’s no action adventure, but all the great, and some of the horrible, characters and relationships meant I could barely put it down, I’m very much looking forward to the sequel. And I swear I want to punch that one guy so much, gah, that guy.
I really liked how the story shows both very good and very bad relationships. Apart from her aunt and uncle Elizabeth’s relationship with her family is bad, with her father being particularly loathsome, though her sister and cousin are awfully self centered too. On the other hand is her very competent badass aunt, and her found family, the lovely and supportive Maria and husband Henry, as well as the other women who come to form The Ladies Occult Society. Of course I can’t mention characters without the awesome book ghost, a good no-nonsense woman.
Although it started off grimly reminding me that fantasizing about fancy dresses is all well and good, but having been born in another era as anything but a rich man isn’t dreamy at all, I found A Magical Inheritance hopeful. Despite being dismissed, threatened and attacked by the men of Royal Occult Society, and getting no support from her father, Elizabeth uses her very practical and sensible nature to succeed, with a group of other like minded intelligent competent women.
I highlighted a lot of passages in this book, but I leave you with my favorite:
“There comes a point in every woman’s life where she must accept if she is indeed the smartest person in the room or not. I have accepted that I am, present company excluded, of course, one of the most intelligent people in any room. And since that will never be acknowledged by the world, I refuse to hide my candle under a bushel, to use the holy words of the bible.”
December 22, 2020
Read as part of SPFBO, review originally posted at Thoughts Stained With Ink:
I simply adored this book–to the point where I immediately went to Goodreads after I finished it to check and see if a sequel had been written and if it was published yet. I am a huge fan of the regency time period and finding a book that fit well into that time period–yet was a fantasy, which I haven’t had a chance to read a lot of that combo–in my batch was refreshing and exciting. It was well-written and flowed very easily, with a tone that matched the setting perfectly and obviously did a lot of research to make it period-appropriate. Every time I’d read it, I’d find myself surprised to see I’d flown through 100 pages in a sitting and quite enjoyed this read!
Unfortunately, I am cutting it from the contest now. Though I did love this story–and obviously hope to read more from the author, as I’m already looking for more of her work–there were a few things that made me like it less, comparatively, to my finalist.
It did read quickly, however, it also took us to 65% of the story to truly get to the meat of it, so I do wish it the main conflict/plot would have picked up sooner. And the constant talk of money is a bit exhausting, at times, albeit understanding that this was a main concern for our character and a really big factor in this society. However, I was more interested in her studies of the occult than what she did with her books and wished the book had focused on that, instead. I also thought the lasering-in on money got repetitive and made the pace start to drag a bit–which is interesting, because I felt the ending too rushed.
This was an enjoyable story that I liked–well written and fits the time period it’s reflecting perfectly. I loved seeing women come together to help one another and really admired our main character and seeing her growth. If you’re a fan of period pieces with fantasy elements thrown in, I recommend giving Kristia D. Ball a shot!
I simply adored this book–to the point where I immediately went to Goodreads after I finished it to check and see if a sequel had been written and if it was published yet. I am a huge fan of the regency time period and finding a book that fit well into that time period–yet was a fantasy, which I haven’t had a chance to read a lot of that combo–in my batch was refreshing and exciting. It was well-written and flowed very easily, with a tone that matched the setting perfectly and obviously did a lot of research to make it period-appropriate. Every time I’d read it, I’d find myself surprised to see I’d flown through 100 pages in a sitting and quite enjoyed this read!
Unfortunately, I am cutting it from the contest now. Though I did love this story–and obviously hope to read more from the author, as I’m already looking for more of her work–there were a few things that made me like it less, comparatively, to my finalist.
It did read quickly, however, it also took us to 65% of the story to truly get to the meat of it, so I do wish it the main conflict/plot would have picked up sooner. And the constant talk of money is a bit exhausting, at times, albeit understanding that this was a main concern for our character and a really big factor in this society. However, I was more interested in her studies of the occult than what she did with her books and wished the book had focused on that, instead. I also thought the lasering-in on money got repetitive and made the pace start to drag a bit–which is interesting, because I felt the ending too rushed.
This was an enjoyable story that I liked–well written and fits the time period it’s reflecting perfectly. I loved seeing women come together to help one another and really admired our main character and seeing her growth. If you’re a fan of period pieces with fantasy elements thrown in, I recommend giving Kristia D. Ball a shot!
May 27, 2019
Fans of Fantasy of Manners, the Occult, Jane Austen, Regency books, etc. will be enthralled with this new series. I had it pre-ordered and read it in practically one sitting. It hit all the right buttons. Ms. Elizabeth Knight is the Austenian heroine we need, and I can't wait to get even more of the world developed. My only beef is in the fact that she had the audacity to actually sell books. I do believe books are meant to be hoarded, right?
March 12, 2025
Two and a half stars
I must say the pacing of this book is practically glacial. I like the setup of inheriting a library of occult books both as a means of financial support for an unmarried woman in this era with no rights of her own separate from the men in her family as well as a doorway into the magical world. Initially I was quite enjoying all the details of the time, from the money to the fabrics and the other domestic nitty gritties, but the writing itself is such an odd mix of period and modern that I started doubting the authenticity of the period details a bit. And then it also just got rather repetitive.
So a rather mixed experience. I like how there are such a lot of women characters and how they are setting up their own society to teach themselves the secrets of the occult. But I also feel rather ambivalent about quite a few of these women. Anyway, I might read the next one at some point to see what they do next.
I must say the pacing of this book is practically glacial. I like the setup of inheriting a library of occult books both as a means of financial support for an unmarried woman in this era with no rights of her own separate from the men in her family as well as a doorway into the magical world. Initially I was quite enjoying all the details of the time, from the money to the fabrics and the other domestic nitty gritties, but the writing itself is such an odd mix of period and modern that I started doubting the authenticity of the period details a bit. And then it also just got rather repetitive.
So a rather mixed experience. I like how there are such a lot of women characters and how they are setting up their own society to teach themselves the secrets of the occult. But I also feel rather ambivalent about quite a few of these women. Anyway, I might read the next one at some point to see what they do next.
May 29, 2020
This is a cozy Regency + magic which is mostly about the way in which women navigate through a world entirely constructed for the benefit of men. (God, there were times when I wanted to strangle Elizabeth's family). Much of the plot concerns the specifics of sorting books - it's about as low stakes as one can get, which is a comfort that quite frankly I appreciate these days. I was also glad to have such a variety of female characters of different types and stations (plus a couple token Good Guys), and have the book be mostly about their relationships. The fantasy touch in this volume is quite light, as the young women are only just beginning their studies of the occult, but the last few chapters of the book indicate promising developments on that front for the sequel(s).
What I liked less was how repetitive the prose was (some phrases appear in almost identical form mere sentences from each other) and how heavy the beginning was with "As you know, Bob" conversations.
I enjoyed the read and I likely will pick up the sequel when I'm in the mood, but it probably won't be for a little while.
What I liked less was how repetitive the prose was (some phrases appear in almost identical form mere sentences from each other) and how heavy the beginning was with "As you know, Bob" conversations.
I enjoyed the read and I likely will pick up the sequel when I'm in the mood, but it probably won't be for a little while.
June 28, 2019
Charming and well-researched. I've read a lot of books set in this time period--but they were romances which this book isn't. Elizabeth is unmarried and (at least in book one) there isn't even a hint of romance. The tension in the book comes from how very vulnerable unmarried women were to their male relations--forced to give up their money, made to work as unpaid servants, shuttled to different residences. It's very heartening to see Elizabeth emerge out from under her father's thumb.
September 19, 2019
Fantasy of manners where the protagonist inherits a collection of occult books and spends the rest of the book cataloging, selling and defending the choicest ones from the male dominated Royal Occult Society. I enjoyed the characters and the feisty protagonist. The book comes into it's own in the second half, when the Ladies Occult Society begins to form.
June 10, 2024
Krista! I told you I would write another review once I finished this book. (Shantel from Calgary Expo here)
This book was wonderful, at first I wasn't sure about the occult. But the further I got into the book the more I understood. The ending was written great, and I related a lot to this one. Being 32 myself, no kids of my own, and no husband yet...it was nice to read about a young lady trying to be independent in a world that does not always approve of that.
I took a picture of this page because it hit home. "She was taught at a young age, that she was just a girl. Then a young woman. The someone to be dismissed and complained about. Soon, she would become the ridicule of the world: the old maid with a cat. A life of obscurity" As a 32 year old woman with two cats and a dog, I relate but I absolutely love my old maid life. LOL.
Off to purchase the next book!
This book was wonderful, at first I wasn't sure about the occult. But the further I got into the book the more I understood. The ending was written great, and I related a lot to this one. Being 32 myself, no kids of my own, and no husband yet...it was nice to read about a young lady trying to be independent in a world that does not always approve of that.
I took a picture of this page because it hit home. "She was taught at a young age, that she was just a girl. Then a young woman. The someone to be dismissed and complained about. Soon, she would become the ridicule of the world: the old maid with a cat. A life of obscurity" As a 32 year old woman with two cats and a dog, I relate but I absolutely love my old maid life. LOL.
Off to purchase the next book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2022
Delightful: Regency-era setting, female friendship, awful men, decent men, and magical books.
The plot included a lot of inventorying books, which I found especially relatable :)
The plot included a lot of inventorying books, which I found especially relatable :)
September 3, 2020
4.5 stars - rounding up for sheer enjoyment. This was such a great, refreshing, change-of-pace read. I've been binging the Dresden Files books and this could not be more of a palate cleanser if I'd been intentionally trying for one.
If you love Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Fantasy of Manners, epistolary novels, or Regency-era books in general, this book is for you. It hit all the right notes for me and I loved it. I used to be a big Regency romance reader and it was so delightful to sink back into that setting, although this is definitely not a romance. Instead it shows the difficulty of living as a spinster in a genteel but not well-off family in the era but more importantly, it shows the value of found family when your own blood-family may not be the best you could ask for.
Our protagonist, Elizabeth Knight, is the second oldest daughter of a village rector. Unfortunately for Elizabeth, her father is no Mr. Bennet. With one elder married sister who views her as free childcare, 3 younger sisters, a spoiled younger brother, and a new stepmother (also younger than her!), home life is not ideal. Luckily for Elizabeth, her mother's siblings, Uncle Edward Leigh and Aunt Cassandra Spencer, as well as her best friend since childhood, Maria Thorn, have her best interests at heart.
At the start of our story, Uncle Edward passes away, leaving all of his un-entailed property to Elizabeth (though that comes mostly in the form of his occult library and a nice gift of funds that her father can't wait to control). Among Uncle Edward's occult books are a set of "autograph" books - one of which, it turns out, has a ghost in it that Elizabeth can summon.
The ghostly Mrs. Edgerton helps Elizabeth in sorting through the legacy from her Uncle as well as motivating Elizabeth to draw together a circle of Lady Occultists to try to follow her Uncle's wish that she study the occult.
I very much enjoyed this and I look forward to reading the sequel in the immediate future.
If you love Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Fantasy of Manners, epistolary novels, or Regency-era books in general, this book is for you. It hit all the right notes for me and I loved it. I used to be a big Regency romance reader and it was so delightful to sink back into that setting, although this is definitely not a romance. Instead it shows the difficulty of living as a spinster in a genteel but not well-off family in the era but more importantly, it shows the value of found family when your own blood-family may not be the best you could ask for.
Our protagonist, Elizabeth Knight, is the second oldest daughter of a village rector. Unfortunately for Elizabeth, her father is no Mr. Bennet. With one elder married sister who views her as free childcare, 3 younger sisters, a spoiled younger brother, and a new stepmother (also younger than her!), home life is not ideal. Luckily for Elizabeth, her mother's siblings, Uncle Edward Leigh and Aunt Cassandra Spencer, as well as her best friend since childhood, Maria Thorn, have her best interests at heart.
At the start of our story, Uncle Edward passes away, leaving all of his un-entailed property to Elizabeth (though that comes mostly in the form of his occult library and a nice gift of funds that her father can't wait to control). Among Uncle Edward's occult books are a set of "autograph" books - one of which, it turns out, has a ghost in it that Elizabeth can summon.
The ghostly Mrs. Edgerton helps Elizabeth in sorting through the legacy from her Uncle as well as motivating Elizabeth to draw together a circle of Lady Occultists to try to follow her Uncle's wish that she study the occult.
I very much enjoyed this and I look forward to reading the sequel in the immediate future.
June 6, 2019
What a delightful book! We follow Miss Elizabeth Knight, as she tries to sell magical texts and books in London, and that is the majority of the plot. However, what truly shines in this book is the attention to detail of the settings and characters. I could not stop reading, and would have blown through this novel in hours if I didn't have chores and work to do.
We get to see a lot of emotional growth and strength from Elizabeth, our only POV, but through the use of letter-writing, we also get a glimpses of other characters' view-points. Very charming, and the dialogue and day-to-day life of an English lady are really top notch for me. I'm a big sucker for 'anything'-of-manners, so I loved this book completely. As the story focuses around a group of women (in 1810), the majority of the scenes are in dining rooms, drawing rooms, etc. We are all in mourning for a wonderful uncle that Elizabeth just lost (and who also left her these amazing magical books, one of which talks to us as a ghost), so we don't go to balls or parties. Everything in the entire book is cast in the light of the recently deceased, and Elizabeth and her friends (to a lesser extent, her family) are cognizant of how to behave, and the true last wishes of a dearly loved uncle. Not her family though, her family consists of mostly POSs who I hope to see some redemption arcs from... at least a few... omg.
Another thing I love is how truly magical the magic is. It doesn't make sense, or work twice the same way. Magic is magic - unexplained and largely a mystery. And women coming together to make a powerful group in a world that puts them down?!? Yes yes yes yes.
I've already made my ship, so... hopefully in future books I get to see that ship sail.
This book is amazing, everyone who likes FOM, or Jane Austin, or female power, or BOOKS should read this right now.
We get to see a lot of emotional growth and strength from Elizabeth, our only POV, but through the use of letter-writing, we also get a glimpses of other characters' view-points. Very charming, and the dialogue and day-to-day life of an English lady are really top notch for me. I'm a big sucker for 'anything'-of-manners, so I loved this book completely. As the story focuses around a group of women (in 1810), the majority of the scenes are in dining rooms, drawing rooms, etc. We are all in mourning for a wonderful uncle that Elizabeth just lost (and who also left her these amazing magical books, one of which talks to us as a ghost), so we don't go to balls or parties. Everything in the entire book is cast in the light of the recently deceased, and Elizabeth and her friends (to a lesser extent, her family) are cognizant of how to behave, and the true last wishes of a dearly loved uncle. Not her family though, her family consists of mostly POSs who I hope to see some redemption arcs from... at least a few... omg.
Another thing I love is how truly magical the magic is. It doesn't make sense, or work twice the same way. Magic is magic - unexplained and largely a mystery. And women coming together to make a powerful group in a world that puts them down?!? Yes yes yes yes.
I've already made my ship, so... hopefully in future books I get to see that ship sail.
This book is amazing, everyone who likes FOM, or Jane Austin, or female power, or BOOKS should read this right now.
August 22, 2020
I was tempted to give this novel two stars even though I was interested in the story. It is part of a series but I don't think I will read the rest of the books. Elizabeth is an unmarried daughter who is considered a burden on her family because they can't marry her off. She is bright and wants nothing more than to be independent but in these Victorian times, her future depends on men. Then her uncle dies and leaves her a small amount of money but a large library of books about the occult which fascinates her. Before his death he was teaching her (secretly, of course) about the occult and the important place women had in its history. By the end of the book she had devised a secretive plan to work with other independent women to study the occult. All this interests me but the book was self-published and contained so many typos, grammatical errors and poor writing that I had a difficult time getting through it. I wish Ball had made use of an editor or at least a competent proofreader.
August 16, 2020
I enjoyed this story a lot, but it gets docked two whole stars for the hugely frustrating reading experience that it was. It is shockingly badly edited to the point that I wondered if anyone other than the author had even ever looked at it before it was published. Words missing, words misspelt, words misused. Constantly. It almost became a game to spot the next error. Some of the dialogue was anachronistic and a lot of the sentences were awkward, aping the Regency style but falling into the uncanny valley with it. Characters repeated themselves often - sometimes whole conversations were duplicated with only minor dialogue changes! - and I think you could genuinely have shortened this by 50 pages if these had been edited out properly. The lovely, warm, gently feminist story deserves so much more.
January 25, 2023
I recently learned the word 'glib' and have seen it defined as 'lacking thought or substance'. That is what this book is to me. It is the reading equivalent of a cleaning video. So little happens, and the characters have almost no personality. The main goal of the book has not even been completed by the end, which wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact that almost nothing stood in their way. The pace is unbelievably slow, and I struggled to care about anything that happened. The ladies mentioned literally dozens of times that they were unmarried - I get it! Is this how all slice-of-life books are written? I hope not. Two stars for being somewhat competent and having the beginnings of an idea, but I hated this.
Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (self-published); also fits family matters, historical, and an author who uses initials.
Used for 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo (self-published); also fits family matters, historical, and an author who uses initials.
October 24, 2024
I expected a book about women with backbones, learning about the occult world and having adventures
Instead I got a lot of god talk, how women/girls are worth nothing and is only useful to marry away to be used as broodmares.
Of course most of those married of very young and the men are... well...not young
The story itself is sloooooooooooooooooooooooooow and the only occult is a ghost in a book
To many details that really doesn´t matter and inane conversations without interest
Mostly this book is focused on a lot of either crying or shrieking
Instead I got a lot of god talk, how women/girls are worth nothing and is only useful to marry away to be used as broodmares.
Of course most of those married of very young and the men are... well...not young
The story itself is sloooooooooooooooooooooooooow and the only occult is a ghost in a book
To many details that really doesn´t matter and inane conversations without interest
Mostly this book is focused on a lot of either crying or shrieking
August 19, 2019
While I enjoy Jane Austin as. A writer I wasn't expecting this to be heavy on Jane Austin Regency adventures and very very light on the occult, therefore, I was very disappointed. Other than that you do get a good grounding in the era. If nothing else, it may stop women of the 21st century from longing to live in the 19th. There's nothing romantic about being subject to someone else's ideas about what women are and can and can't do or shouldn't do.
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