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497th out of 865 books
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213 voters
Petty Magic: Being the Memoirs and Confessions of Miss Evelyn Harbinger, Temptress and Troublemaker
In this brilliantly imagined tale of adventure and timeless romance, acclaimed novelist Camille DeAngelis blends WWII heroics with witchcraft and wit, conjuring a fabulously rich world where beldames and mortal men dare to fall in love.
Evelyn Harbinger sees nothing wrong with a one-night stand. At one hundred and forty nine years old, Eve may look like she bakes oatmeal co...more
Evelyn Harbinger sees nothing wrong with a one-night stand. At one hundred and forty nine years old, Eve may look like she bakes oatmeal co...more
Kindle Edition
Published
(first published September 29th 2010)
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I adored everything about this book and read it lightning fast. All I wanted to do was find a way to jump into those pages and live in the world DeAngelis created. Not only is Petty Magic beautifully written but it had an old fashioned kind of feel that reminded me of fairy tales I used to read as a child with a slightly darker, more adult edge. "Enchanting" is probably the best word to describe it.
I definitely can't wait to read it again because it was just one of those stories where you need t...more
I definitely can't wait to read it again because it was just one of those stories where you need t...more
Added simply for the title. :-)
This lagged a bit in the middle, and I think my interest waned because there was too much detail, but overall it's an unusually well considered paranormal novel. It starts, misleadingly, with the narrator using her powers to seduce unsuspecting men (as you do). But it soon becomes more serious, and I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to say this is history, particularly WWII history from the perspective of a witch who worked for the SOE. There are important st...more
This lagged a bit in the middle, and I think my interest waned because there was too much detail, but overall it's an unusually well considered paranormal novel. It starts, misleadingly, with the narrator using her powers to seduce unsuspecting men (as you do). But it soon becomes more serious, and I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to say this is history, particularly WWII history from the perspective of a witch who worked for the SOE. There are important st...more
1 like
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The plot, characters, and magic system of this novel are definitely imaginative. However, I can't really find it in myself to give this book more than three stars. This book flips between the Eve's past and present as it tells the tale of her past love and his present reincarnation (or has he really been reincarnated?). I found that I preferred reading the present more than the past. That was after struggling to actually get interested in the book. I really couldn't sympathize with the main char...more
In Petty Magic, Camille DeAngelis has combined a historical romance, a murder mystery, and a witch’s how-to guide into one humorous and enjoyable novel. Meet Evelyn Harbinger, a 150-year-old witch who enjoys magically transforming herself from an old woman into a gorgeous twenty-something in order to seduce unsuspecting young men into one-night stands. Although criticized by her sisters for her unscrupulous behavior, Evelyn finds nothing wrong with her practice, until she meets a young man named...more
I'm mildly OCD about finishing things, especially books, so it takes a *lot* for me to stop reading something. I made it to page 170 of Petty Magic when I found myself staring longingly at a pile of yet-to-be-read library books on my nightstand.
In theory, this book is wonderful. Eve Harbinger is a 149 year old witch who can make herself look young again, and to the chagrin of her sisters, enjoys harmless one night stands with unsuspecting young men. But when she meets Justin, who looks exactly...more
In theory, this book is wonderful. Eve Harbinger is a 149 year old witch who can make herself look young again, and to the chagrin of her sisters, enjoys harmless one night stands with unsuspecting young men. But when she meets Justin, who looks exactly...more
This was sort of like The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society meets witches and supernatural elements (without the epistolary style). I really enjoyed it & thought it was well done and humorous, with great historical and supernatural elements.
Modern day New York witch Eve Harbinger (that's just the kind of name witches have) is in the middle of her second century, but when she wants to go out weekends to have a good time and take home a handsome and/or charming fellow, she uses a...more
Modern day New York witch Eve Harbinger (that's just the kind of name witches have) is in the middle of her second century, but when she wants to go out weekends to have a good time and take home a handsome and/or charming fellow, she uses a...more
An enjoyable read that had me really enthralled...however, on a personal note, I became really busy right as I started this book, so there were a lot of gaps in my reading time. Having explained that, I know I'll be reading this one again!
There is a lot going on in this tale: Evelyn is a 149 year old witch who changes herself by magic to look as she did when she was in her twenties. At first, this is all done for kicks to enjoy little one-nighters with strange young men, but when she meets Just...more
There is a lot going on in this tale: Evelyn is a 149 year old witch who changes herself by magic to look as she did when she was in her twenties. At first, this is all done for kicks to enjoy little one-nighters with strange young men, but when she meets Just...more
Dec 06, 2010
Michele
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction,
historical-fiction
For some reason, likely the full title of this novel (Petty Magic: Being the Memoirs and Confessions of Miss Evelyn Harbinger, Temptress and Troublemaker), I was expecting this to be a quaint, cutesy-like little novel full of harmless, sweet witches and leaving you with a cozy feel by the end of it.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
While Petty Magic does indeed feature witches, it has this wonderful historical fiction like feel to it. Our witchy protagonist, Eve, is of course a witch who is 150...more
I couldn't have been more wrong.
While Petty Magic does indeed feature witches, it has this wonderful historical fiction like feel to it. Our witchy protagonist, Eve, is of course a witch who is 150...more
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Eve Harbinger is a 149 year-old beldame. She borrows magic from her sister Morven to disguise herself as a young, beautiful temptress. She recharges/rejuvenates at her other sister Helena's B & B in Blackabbey, NJ in her "elephant hide of a body" by sipping whisky gingers, eating ambrosia cake and playing Neverending Hobscobble with her nieces. But, there was a time when she didn't have to glamor her looks.... a time when she was a spy for the Allied Forces during WWII... a time when she fel...more
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Unless you are looking for a tale along the lines of Practical Magic or Witches of Eastwick (the books, not the movies) many readers might be disappointed that this book doesn’t feature witches similar to the current fashion that is so popular. But those who are willing to give it a try will be pleasantly surprised by this book.
Evelyn comes from a long line of witches. Not the type that you read about in storybooks or see in the displays at Halloween- but real witches, the type that live exceed...more
Evelyn comes from a long line of witches. Not the type that you read about in storybooks or see in the displays at Halloween- but real witches, the type that live exceed...more
When I first cracked open Petty Magic by Camille DeAngelis, I had a strong sense of déjà-vu. It was so similar to The Witch’s Daughter by Paula Brackston (which I just finished) that I had to give the cover the hairy eyeball just to make sure I was holding the right book. Both books have main female characters that are witches and immortal. Both authors interpret “immortality” as aging more slowly than a normal human, so that the main female characters are both in their elder years in the books....more
Evelyn Harbinger is a 149 year old witch and still wants to be the young girl she was once. A little glimmer, a little glamour and she is transformed into a young girl who turns heads wherever she goes. No harm in having a little fun is there? That is until she falls in love with Justin, who is so much like her lost love Jonah that she believes he has come back to her.
This alone would make a charming story. However Ms. DeAngelis throws in some WWII background and a 60 year old murder mystery and...more
This alone would make a charming story. However Ms. DeAngelis throws in some WWII background and a 60 year old murder mystery and...more
Definitely in the fluff category but a fun read. I raced through it over Christmas vacation after my Sis-in-law gave it to me. A little racy, it IS subtitled "being the memoirs and confessions of Miss Evelyn Harbinger, temptress and Troublemaker" but the WWII spy stuff was very interesting. It did pique my interest in female spies in Europe will have to see if I can find more on them.
While this was an enjoyable book, it had a nice love story but it didn't quite flow. Not because of the flashbac...more
While this was an enjoyable book, it had a nice love story but it didn't quite flow. Not because of the flashbac...more
This is a surprising book about witches. The protagonist is a 149 year old witch who uses her magic mainly to make herself look younger to meet younger men. She doesn't get serious with any of the young men she meets until she meets Justin - a dead ringer for a man who won her heart during World War II when they worked together collecting information for the allies. It goes between the modern story and the one from her past and it pulls in all kinds of quirky characters with her family and other...more
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I think this book needed another pass by the editor. There were sentences that didn't quite make sense, details that were difficult to follow, lots of places where the American characters lapsed into Irish colloquialisms. I'm still not really sure how some of the main story lines resolved. What happened to the protagonist's father? What happened between her parents--and where did her mother go? It was as if the author had 2000 cool ideas and tried to squeeze them all into 320 pages. And as if th...more
While I really liked the main character and some of the writing styling, a vast amount of time was wasted explaining the setting and the history of this particular world without moving the plot along. I thought the idea of living long enough to meet your soulmate in a reincarnated form to be a very interesting concept but the author tried to spin too many webs within the main story - jumping back and forth in history, adding a cold-case murder accusation in for fun, intra-coven politics, persona...more
4.0 out of 5 stars Changes everything you thought you knew about witches..., September 29, 2010
This is a lovely book about 149-year-old beldame Evelyn Harbinger, a witch who uses her power exactly as prescribed and allowed by her coven --"By magic I shall do no harm, except in defense of myself or another." Eve uses her abilities to transform herself into a young woman each night and then goes about using her charms and wiles on unsuspecting human men. She's adventurous, lonely -- and greedy!
To...more
This is a lovely book about 149-year-old beldame Evelyn Harbinger, a witch who uses her power exactly as prescribed and allowed by her coven --"By magic I shall do no harm, except in defense of myself or another." Eve uses her abilities to transform herself into a young woman each night and then goes about using her charms and wiles on unsuspecting human men. She's adventurous, lonely -- and greedy!
To...more
Feb 09, 2013
Michelle
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
historical-fiction
Evelyn comes from a long line of witches. While they appear human, their aging process is much slower, and at 149, Evelyn looks younger. In her "retirement", she enjoys creating a glamour and picking up one night stands. She lives in New York City with her sister, in a hidden building. She returns for family gatherings to their hometown and we see some of the quirks of their lives, including puppets that hold the ghosts of their ancestors. When Evelyn meets Justin, she begins to believe that he...more
Aug 21, 2011
Katy
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone
Recommended to Katy by:
Amazon.com Vine
Shelves:
galley-for-review,
vine-book
An extraordinarily appealing book, "Petty Magic" jumps between the present (where Evelyn is 149 and, having fallen in love with the young Justin is going through some crazy stunts to try to keep him from seeing the "real" her while maintaining her youthful disguise as long as possible) and the past - especially during World War II, where she worked with OSE as a spy and where she met her first great love, Jonah - of whom she believes Justin is a reincarnation.
There are other elements to the sto...more
There are other elements to the sto...more
I adore revisionist history. When I picked this book up on a whim and read the description, I was tickled. This book combined revisionist history, witches, magic, and true love. Just a few of my very favorite things!
I enjoyed this novel. It was an interesting take on witches and witchcraft. I loved the extended lifetimes of the “beldames” and their family members. I found it hysterical that the witches travel “by loo.” Think Harry Potter and traveling by flue, but instead of a chimney, it’s a to...more
I enjoyed this novel. It was an interesting take on witches and witchcraft. I loved the extended lifetimes of the “beldames” and their family members. I found it hysterical that the witches travel “by loo.” Think Harry Potter and traveling by flue, but instead of a chimney, it’s a to...more
Miss Evelyn Harbinger is a witch. But not the warty-nose and pointy-hat kind. Evelyn is plain, with the same insecurities as everyone else. Oh, and she's over 140 years old, can travel through toilets, and can do magic. Set during both world wars, Eve is hired by various agencies to work as a spy. During this time, she meets her soul mate Jonas, who's life eventually ends due to wartime causes. However, years later, Eve meets Justin, a split-image of her former love. Could it be possible that Jo...more
This book was fun! Nothing too deep, just a fun supernatural love story with some WWII history thrown in. I really liked Eve, the main character . . . she was spunky and fun to hang out with (in a literary sense). I also liked the "beldame" world of witches the author created, seems like you could mine that field for a few more books (I hope so, at least). This would be a good travel book, something to take with you on the plane to read that's not going to take up too much mental space to proces...more
I couldn't finish this book. While the sentence structure was superb and the writing flowed nicely, the actual story left a lot to be desired. I made it to almost page 100 and I still couldn't bring myself to care what was happening in the story. The plot, or lack thereof, wasn't going anywhere.
I found the narrating character unlikable as she constantly reminded the reader how often she loved to trick men into thinking she wasn't over a hundred years old and then sleep with them. If it wasn't th...more
I found the narrating character unlikable as she constantly reminded the reader how often she loved to trick men into thinking she wasn't over a hundred years old and then sleep with them. If it wasn't th...more
Really excellent book, with setting and characters that come alive. Loved how the author wove the tale of spies and Nazis into her modern day love story. And the her invention of the Warrens? Utter, complete magical genius, that made me catch my breath with delight.
I easily give it four and half stars...I rounded down because every time she used the "loo flue" (traveling magically by jumping into toilets) it reminded me too much of Harry Potter.
I easily give it four and half stars...I rounded down because every time she used the "loo flue" (traveling magically by jumping into toilets) it reminded me too much of Harry Potter.
Being a witch has it's perks. Being able to change into a younger you at a drop of the hat is just one of them. But, how about when you find out your old love (boyfriend) is reincarnated and is out there. Well... she finds him and doesn't want to let go. Even though she is a "one-night stand" only kind of witch. I found this book to be funny in some parts, boring in some others (minor flaw) and a really fast read for over 200 pages.
I didn't care for this book. It took a LONG time (over 100 pages) to get to anything on the back of the book. By the time the story picked up, I had checked out. I couldn't identify with any of the charaters, and the authors choice of words went from fun and different, to bothersome and anger inducing. I can understand why so many rated this book at a 4 or 5, but it just wasn't for me. A few reviewers have mentioned lewdness, and I didn't get that at all. I just never clicked with anyone. The sp...more
I love revisionist fiction, and I love fairy tales, so of course I was excited to read Camille DeAngelis' novel. What an imaginative, cool take on "the witchy woman!" So fun, so smart, so unique. Would be great to read with your book group along with Hans Christian Andersen and other traditional tales of witches - you'll be able to see the amazing things Camille does with the traditional image of a witch.
What starts out as a good premise, a witch who was 150 years old and believes that she has met the reincarnation of the love of her life, quickly descends into blahness. Even though a lot of the novel involves Allied spies during WWII, it never seems to sustain interest. A lot of questions brought up throughout are never resolved at all. Good premise, sloppy execution.
DeAngelis is a thoroughly imaginative writer. Petty Magic mixes a whimsical tale with much deeper undertones and manages to make what might be a pat love story into something much more layered and thought-provoking. This was the first book of hers that i read, but
i asted no time in moving on to, and devouring, Modern Mary as well.
i asted no time in moving on to, and devouring, Modern Mary as well.
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Camille DeAngelis was born in November 1980 in New Jersey, where she still lives (most of the time). She received a B.A. in Art History from New York University in 2002. During her time at NYU she wrote and worked for the Washington Square News and spent an idyllic semester at La Pietra in Florence. After graduating, she worked as an editorial assistant in a nonfiction imprint at HarperCollins.
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“We do not thieve the peckers of men who've spurned us and squirrel them away in glass jars.”
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“We do not shoot craps with human teeth.”
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Jan 16, 2012 12:11pm