Joy of Witchcraft

Jane Madison #5

by Mindy Klasky

Sometimes a thunderstorm is just a thunderstorm. But not this time.

Jane Madison’s school for witches is in session, and the first order of business is an intricate Samhain ritual. Alas, in the midst of a sudden, unseasonable deluge, a classic Greek monster is released into the magic circle. Jane succeeds in vanquishing the beast, but only with the assistance of her sworn enemy, the Coven Mother of Washington DC.

Crisis averted, Jane would be perfectly happy to plan her wedding to her astral protector, David Montrose. But how can she look at seating charts when she’s under attack by more monsters, the Coven Mother, and the highest law in the witchy land, Hecate’s Court?

All these disasters can’t be coincidence. One of Jane’s students must be a traitor. But will Jane find the turncoat before she loses everything—and everyone—she holds dear?

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, Paranormal, Chick Lit, Witches, Magic

307 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Mindy Klasky learned to read when her parents shoved a book in her hands and told her that she could travel anywhere in the world through stories. She never forgot that advice.

Mindy's travels took her through multiple careers, including copyright lawyer and law librarian. Mindy now writes full time. Her books fall in a number of genres -- including romantic comedies, paranormal romance, and traditional fantasy.

In her spare time, Mindy knits, quilts, and tries to tame the endless to-be-read shelf in her home library. Her husband and two cats do their best to fill the left-over minutes in her days.

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me say up front that this is not my favorite book in the series. In addition, this is not a humorous book. It has very little, if any, humor. I have read all the other books in the series, so eagerly anticipated reading this one, and I am beginning to wonder why. In this book, Jane Madison is having difficulty starting her witchcraft school. During her opening session, a satyr appears, nearly rapes one of her students and injures her lover warder David, while he and the other warders try to fight off the beast. Then, when she tries to have another class on the beach, a two-headed mythological beast appears, ready to tear another class. Jane and David know someone is behind this, but have to sift through clues to find out who that person is. Is it one of her students, as one of Jane’s arch enemies and another head witch implies? Is it the clerk of the court, with whom David has had a long-standing feud? Is it someone in one of the other covens who is jealous of Jane and her success or covets Jane’s extensive library collection? This book lacked the humorous, light touch of the other books. There was so much witchy jargon and information that I almost became overwhelmed by it, and found I was lost amid it all too often for my comfort. In the other books, I relished the sharp wit and normal actions of the characters. In this one, everyone always seemed very serious and concerned about everything, and acting unlike normal people we meet every day. This story came across as okay, but far too serious and too full of witchcraft jargon and practices/ideas for my tastes. Even the romance between Jane and David was lacking. I saw little or no chemistry between them—and this was between two persons soon to be married. Unlike any other engaged girl, Jane was not at all concerned about her wedding, though adding a bit about that now and then would have made the story more interesting, lightened the mood/tone, and would have broken up the inclusion of all the esoteric witchy stuff.

I was disappointed, to say the least. I was expecting a nice, paranormal romance, with a touch or humor here and there, and found a long story, filled with lots of witchy jargon and concepts as well as lots of strange incidents and events. From many of the reviews I read, this is what the other readers expected. I personally wish the author had stayed with her earlier light-hearted, romantic style and plot. I got through the book but only with some difficulty. The ending was interesting, though I had figured it out early on, and sets the stage for more books in the series to follow. I only hope the author returns to what she had previously, as I think that was a winning style and concept. I do know that, if she continues as she is, someone needs to stop saying this series is a humorous paranormal romance, because, based on this book, it isn’t. It will probably appeal to the reader who enjoys all the esoteric witchy stuff rather than the reader looking for a romantic humorous story. I received this from Library Thing to read and review.

[Chris Meads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Madison is a witch and has opened a school for witches. She has her students, their familiars and their warders. But there is something or someone out there who doesn't want her school to succeed. Plus she and her warder, David, who she loves, have tried to inform the Court of Hecate about Pitt who has done wrong to a lot of witches, from blackmail to stealing. Jane's nemesis is Tereas who want the Osgood Collection that Jane has.

Three different beasts try to kill or damage Jane and her students. With Teresa saving her from the first one, she demands a boon from Jane. So Teresa gets a book from the collection. But she wants more.

When Jane ends up going to the Court of Hecate, to testify against David, she along with David, are banned from the covens and the Court of Hecate. She travels to where David is (Teresa took David for 24 hours) and finally destroys the one thing that Teresa doesn't want her to destroy--the cornerstone. What will happen to David and Jane, and her students?

I didn't read the first four books and to get what has really happens, I'll have to get books 2-4. I di have the first one now. This is a great little series to read. I won this book in a LibraryThing Early Reviewers Giveaway.

[BookzBookzBookz]

I received this ARC with no knowledge of what happened in the first four books, but from what I'd heard, the series was pretty fun. So I felt excited to receive this ebook.

Joy of Witchcraft, by Mindy Klasky, is about Jane Madison finally receiving her own school of the arts. With her own academy for witches and a handful of students, she's planning on succeeding! But there are problems. Problems that bring her and her homey/lover/foe, Ward David together. Someone's plotting to steal her powers and everything that matters to her. Creatures are attacking, a satyr attempts to sexually violate some of the girls- it's crazy!

​ This book was cute. I wasn't as happy as I thought I'd be since I came in on the end of the series. There's evidently a lot I've missed. Then there was a lot of 'witchy' gab that sorta lost me. Maybe a glossary at the end or beginning of the book would have helped- I don't know.

I do know that on the parts I understood, this was a fun read. Maybe I'll backtrack and see what the first four books were about. Next book, coming up!

http://bit.ly/1PM8LbL
**eBook was provided by Librarything.com for an honest review.

[Lyss · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've enjoyed this series from the moment Neko was woken under the full moon. It's always given a great balance of wit and humor while Jane learned about her magic and the world of Witchcraft.

This book fell short on the wit and humor. There were times I felt overwhelmed by the descriptions of the spells Jane was weaving that I lost sight of the actual plot. While nice to learn, I think there was a lot more than needed.

The end of the book opens the quite an interesting door for Jane, David, Neko & Co. I look forward to seeing what happens.

[Lindsay Gillis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boy, Jane got dealt a lot of shit in this one! I thought the ending seemed a bit rushed. There wasn't much of a conclusion or resolution for all the problems she encountered in this one.

[Evie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much happens. Wow.

She didn't run out of ideas. And that's an understatement.
This author can really! spin a tale.
It's a tsunami of events. Happily the aftermath is relatively kind to all concerned.
Great read. I love these characters. You will too. And there are a lot to choose from - to pick a favourite.

I've said this before, about other authors... I bet she uses a white-board. I know, she uses a thesaurus, (it's not a read for the for mundanes, and certainly not for anyone, with a limited vocabulary). Lol
(I used the Oxford Dictionary. My vocabulary increased.)
Fun... and, educational! Haha!

[Nathalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would say all is well that ends well but this book ended on a beautiful but also somewhat tragic note. I loved Jane’s character and this book frees her in a way that really is best for her but the journey is a painful one. I’m so happy David and Neko remain with her throughout this heaping mess. I think the story itself was great, with an excellent villain you love to loathe and though I’m both sad and happy for her to have her ending, I really enjoyed this series. A clever conclusion to a really good book.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised that the previous book wasn't the end of the series, even though it seemed to have wrapped things up. Here, the school is certified, but things keep going wrong, and it seems as if everyone is out to get them. I couldn't follow all the magical machinations, but it ends on a mostly HEA.
Typos: "the books in my basement horde" and "greatest hordes of arcana" should both be "hoard," missing comma in "and Alex's warder, Garth had planted himself."

[Rhonda Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Series

I binge read the whole series over the space of a week. Now to do reviews. Jane has had one crisis after another in each of her books. But what remains is her wonderful character, loyal friends, and supportive family. I hope the series continues as I have enjoyed it tremendously.

[Starla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn, Jane cannot catch a break. Monsters and a traitor. This is another book I read almost non stop. This series keeps getting better with each new addition. The storylines are so inventive and well written. As I read this book I have a visual in my head of every thing that is happening. Have to read the next one.

[stephanie huntington · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! Great story

Amazing, heartrending, fabulous this grabs you and won't let go. If you like witches, mythical creatures and furious action, you'll love this book and all of the other books in this universe.

[M.B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best of the series

I like this book best out of the five in the series because I think the main character comes into her own and there is more action, Jane gets to do things and even be a bit badass.

[R. Jetleb · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best of the series yet! A really enjoyable read that kept me on the edge of my seat til the satisfying ending. I love how the other has the perfect blend of the supernatural with human emotions, story, and relatability.

[Donna Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

Interesting book in the series. I enjoyed the introduction of the new characters, but I'm ready for Jane to not have to fight against corrupt people and an apparently corrupt system.

[Tillie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love this Jane Madison series. I want to see more.

[Sue Q · Rating 3 out of 5]

Borrowed from the Ontario Library Service Consortium

[Melliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I missed #3.5, so I'm circling back. Then I will review all!

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure if this is the end of the series or not but I will say it is the best one yet. The culprit was a little obvious but that didn't detract from the story. I was a little concerned that we had introduced so many new characters but by the end I was happy with how that was handled and how they arrived at what would become their core group. I was less happy with the resolution for all of our bad guys but maybe there will be more books to come.

[Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually hadn't looked at the full title of this book in quite a while, so to get on here and see that it is supposed to be a "Humorous Paranormal Romance" is kind of weird, as that is NOT what I got out of it. Granted, I also didn't know that it was #5 in a series, so maybe I just didn't pay that much attention to the title at all. Nevertheless, I received this book as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program in exchange for my honest review, so here goes.

This book was entertaining during the bits where there were supernatural threats throwing the very existence of the magic school into question. The rest of the time felt like fluff. It also escalated really quickly from one bad thing to the next. It starts out with a bad thing happening, as it says in the description, but then like a chapter or two later, there's another crazy magic bad thing, and then a chapter or two after that, another one, worse (as far as scale of destruction goes) than the previous two. I get that the author needed to set up what happens in the rest of the book, because pretty much the entire last half occurs solely because of those events in the first half. But it felt like the first half was one crazy thing after another and then the rest was just like, meh. It seriously bottomed out after the first half.

Towards the end, it kind of started to pick back up, but it got real intense real fast for a few pages, and then bottomed out again at the very end. I'm wondering if this is how the whole series is, or if I just picked the wrong book to start on. Because this book apparently doesn't know what a build-up is. It has two speeds - highly intense and drama-filled, or reeeaaaalllly slooooooooowwwww. I was also not a big fan of how Neko, the main character's familiar, is portrayed. He's pretty much the epitome of gay man stereotype. Like the character of Jack on "Will and Grace," except not as funny, but still over the top and fashion-obsessed. I'm not saying it's not possible that gay men and fashion-obsession can't intersect, because they obviously can, but that being pretty much the only trait he's ascribed (at least in this book), other than the fact that he's homosexual made it a little iffy for me.

Overall, I give it 3 out of 5 stars, because during the action-y parts, it was good, but I also won't be reading this again. It also, as previously stated, did NOT deliver on the "humorous" promise in the title. I've read worse, but I've also read better. So, 3 out of 5.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Madison is hoping that the second semester of her Academy would go smoother than the first. But despite completing a Major Working at the last witch's sabbat, she still has to complete the opening ritual to get the Academy ready and satisfy Hecate's Court that she and her school were a proper academic environment. What she didn't anticipate is that their ritual would call forth a full-grown satyr who would attack her, the warders, familiars and her students. It is only with the help of Teresa, the hated Washington Coven Mother, that Jane is able to banish the satyr...an assistance that costs her a precious piece of the Osgood Collection. Add to these problems, her warder, David, is being called to testify before the court in the matter against Norville Pitt, the former Head Clerk at Hectate's Court who had nearly destroyed her magicarium. Is he involved in the satyr's appearance as well? When other supernatural creatures appear to threaten Jane and her students, Jane has to consider all options to keep her academy running and her students safe, even if it is a possibility that there is a traitor in their midst. I love this series, with its combination of magic, romance, family and comraderie. I also liked the cameo visit from Sarah Anderson from Fright Court. I look forward to the next book in both these series.

[Jaime Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not more than two weeks ago I was wondering when the next installment of the Jane Madison Academy series might be announced. Then, lo and behold, I received Ms. Klasky's newsletter announcing that the latest book had been released. I was thrilled that the timing coincided with my vacation and reading this over my free week did not disappoint. As always, the characters in this series provided a great deal of entertainment. We revisited old friends and met some new ones.

I admit that the plot of this installment was somewhat predictable. But, it also provided ample set up for what could be several more books featuring Jane Madison, her Academy students and the cast of characters that were first introduced in Klasky's 'Fright Court' as well. It's because of this promise that I awarded 4 stars. Even without anticipating many more adventures, I'd rate this book a solid 3 stars. It was light, quick and the perfect mental get-away for a vacation.

My biggest hope is that Ms. Klasky won't keep us waiting another two years before releasing her next book in this series. I can't wait to read more!

[Meri Greenleaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I flaked when I requested this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program and didn't realize that it was something like the fifth book in the series. I think that was the reason that it took me a while to get into the book- I didn't know who any of the characters were and didn't yet have an attachment to them. After a while, though, I did start to get into it and found the plot engaging. Klasky is a good writer and I think the problem was more that I dove into the series at the wrong point than any shortcomings on the writer's part. This worked as a stand alone because everything I needed to know was explained in the book, but I think I would have enjoyed it better had I read the earlier books, as well.

I'm intrigued by the idea of witches and their warders and familiars, as well as the witchy theme. I haven't read a lot of paranormal or books set in the present time, so this was something of a novelty to me. This book made a positive impression on me, so I'm going to go back and read the earlier books in the series.

(Short review, but I figure I'll do a better one for the earlier books when I read them.)

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of the Magical Washington universe, and Jane is my favorite resident within it. So I always enjoy checking in and seeing what she is up to.

After the events of the previous book, the Jane Madison Academy is preparing for its first real semester with its first batch of accepted students. Raven and Emma are back, as well as several new faces. But since Jane and David both have their fair share of enemies, nothing is goes according to plan.

This book was a bit more serious than the others, but there is more at stake. Melissa is mostly absent, and Neko’s attitude is kept to a minimum. But the ending is *chef’s kiss.

[Diane Barber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laughter, tears and...no spoilers!

I am a huge fan of the Jane Madison series. But, I have to say, Mindy Klasky outdid herself with the latest installment! The characters jumped off the pages. The storyline was strong with a shocking twist. While I did peg the right character as guilty pretty early on, Mindy didn't disappoint with a huge shift in Jane's life that I didn't see coming.

This is a great read for those who like light-hearted storytelling with all of the weight of a fabulously magical tale.

Mindy - when do I get the next one?! :-)

[Julia David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane is getting her school going and there is nothing but problems. First a satyr shows up at the opening ceremony and she has to have help from someone she really doesn't like, then a two-headed dog shows up to wreak havoc on one of her classes and then to top it off, a harpy shows up and burns down her house. In order to have a place to live, David swears himself to help Teresa Alison Sidney for one day and she takes advantage of that to steal Jane's Osgood collection. There is a traitor in her school and she still has to deal with Hecate's Court. How will she do it all?

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished the last book in the Jane Madison series, excellent! Jane and David tie the knot ,win over Pike and the Washington coven mother. Not the win I expected but a chance for a better life for Jane and all of her students.Does the story end here? I hope not! Being a citizen of the Eastern Empire opens so many doors. Hecate is gone but there could be other challenges facing Jane and her group. Clara and Gram and the rest have joined together to form a new type of coven.I would like to see more of the new group which now could include the warders. Who knows?

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impossible to Put Down!

First, this book was mislabeled as humorous. This time Jane Madison & her Warder lover David are involved in a nefarious plot to steal her powers, her school, her collection, her very being. Jane & David have to work together to save themselves from the evil all around. It was exciting & thrilling until the last page! I found it impossible to put down! Can't wait to see what adventure is next for this loving pair.

[Kim Power · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

A page turner this one. Pitt appears to have triumphed over David and Jane, but I believe more adventures will be forthcoming in the future. You could read this as a stand alone, but I wouldn't recommend it. The story of my s enriched by the past and I would read the series in order highly recommended.

[Risa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great return to the series and was true to the characters we got to know and love. This book sets the stage for merging together the world introduce in Klasky's Night Court story.

[Sonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun!