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Verona Green
In a city where magic and art collide, Verity Green, a skilled witch and art restorer, guards a dangerous she possesses the ability to channel the spirits of deceased artists and breathe life back into their masterpieces. For years, she's hidden her extraordinary gift, but whispers of her talent have reached the wrong ears. Shadowy forces crave her powers, willing to exploit her abilities for their own criminal purposes. When her best friend is kidnapped, Verity's world shatters. A clandestine society emerges, one with secrets darker than any painting she’s ever done. In her quest to save her friend, Verity must navigate these ancient rivalries and confront a nefarious plot that threatens the integrity of art itself. Amid the chaos, Verity finds an unexpected ally, an enigmatic architect with his own murky past. As they delve deeper into the shadow of the art world, a romance sparks. But time is running out, and Verity must harness her magical prowess to rescue her friend before it's too late. Verona Green is a spellbinding, cross-genre contemporary fantasy, recommended for fans of Alice Hoffman and Neil Gaiman. Within this world where art becomes a conduit for the supernatural, Verity proves that the truest magic lies within the human heart.
- GenresFiction
294 pages, Paperback
Published November 14, 2023
3 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 27, 2023
This swept me up and I cannot wait for the next novel in the series. What a wonderful magical world, and I love the plot and Verity's voice. Well done!
November 17, 2023
I met a woman once, a children's librarian, who told me that whenever she read a fantasy book, she would skip ahead to the parts where magic was worked. If you're that kind of reader, then you will probably like this book. There's a story--a sort of magical art history mystery--and carefully drawn characters, but the magic always rises to the top. Magic fans and practicing Witches will enjoy stepping into the shoes of the main character, Verity, a strong, emotionally scarred woman (the kind of character that seems to be all the rage in urban fantasy these days) who grows her own magical herbs and pigments (she's a painting restorationist) and is also to the magic born, so to speak.
They'll also enjoy the alternate world she lives in, where some people have it ("woo," that is, or magic, a word I just couldn't read with a straight face) and others don't. I did enjoy the details about sealing wax and indigo, gallnuts and galingal. In fact, I think the growing of herbs and making of artists' pigments is interesting enough on its own, no magic needed.
They'll also enjoy the alternate world she lives in, where some people have it ("woo," that is, or magic, a word I just couldn't read with a straight face) and others don't. I did enjoy the details about sealing wax and indigo, gallnuts and galingal. In fact, I think the growing of herbs and making of artists' pigments is interesting enough on its own, no magic needed.
November 9, 2023
I received an arc of this book in return for a fair review.
Full disclosure, I LOVED this book!
The premise of the novel is based on the magical world created in Who by WaterVoices of the Dead. On the timeline this is after the big magical uhm kablooey? (no spoilers!) And now, everyone who had some magic before kablooey, was given an upgrade, including our heroine, Verity.
Never have I ever come across this magical skill in a book before. Verity’s magic is directly related to art. Paintings. Her abilities allow her to restore artwork, not just deftly, but magically, as she channels the master painters who did the original piece. She recreates exactly what the masters did when they painted the first time around. Stunning right? I know!
Verity has other gifts, which are described in the book, but this is the one that drives the plot. Victoria does an astounding job of bringing this ability of her character to life. After reading, I felt as though I had taken an extremely fun art history class, which delved into artist styles, paint development, and choice of canvas.
This is where the book starts. Then Ms. Raschke, I imagine, smiled wickedly while gleefully rubbing her hands together. Because right after that point, she takes her readers and shoots them up into the air, cannonball-style, straight into a perilous adventure!
You see, the wrong people, nefarious and otherwise, uncover Verity’s secret skill. She is an art collector’s and an art forger’s dream come to life. A path she steadfastly avoided, until now when she is forced to confront it all, with the kidnapping of her best friend.
Verity has no idea who she can trust. And dear soon-to-be reader, neither will you!
You are going to fall in love with Verity and her bestie. Their relationship stands at the core, but look out for everyone else, as they too bring this imaginative world to life. From Verity’s sketchy family to her bestie’s distant one, and yes yes, there is a spicy romance 😉
From beginning to end, the author sculpts intricate pieces of backstory littered with friends and family members, who will all clearly play a role in future books.
Truly, Verona Green encapsulates that exciting but scary flying through the air feeling. This is without a doubt magic in book form. All pun intended.
You can experience it for yourself on November 14th, the official release date, by hitting that pre-order button right now
Full disclosure, I LOVED this book!
The premise of the novel is based on the magical world created in Who by WaterVoices of the Dead. On the timeline this is after the big magical uhm kablooey? (no spoilers!) And now, everyone who had some magic before kablooey, was given an upgrade, including our heroine, Verity.
Never have I ever come across this magical skill in a book before. Verity’s magic is directly related to art. Paintings. Her abilities allow her to restore artwork, not just deftly, but magically, as she channels the master painters who did the original piece. She recreates exactly what the masters did when they painted the first time around. Stunning right? I know!
Verity has other gifts, which are described in the book, but this is the one that drives the plot. Victoria does an astounding job of bringing this ability of her character to life. After reading, I felt as though I had taken an extremely fun art history class, which delved into artist styles, paint development, and choice of canvas.
This is where the book starts. Then Ms. Raschke, I imagine, smiled wickedly while gleefully rubbing her hands together. Because right after that point, she takes her readers and shoots them up into the air, cannonball-style, straight into a perilous adventure!
You see, the wrong people, nefarious and otherwise, uncover Verity’s secret skill. She is an art collector’s and an art forger’s dream come to life. A path she steadfastly avoided, until now when she is forced to confront it all, with the kidnapping of her best friend.
Verity has no idea who she can trust. And dear soon-to-be reader, neither will you!
You are going to fall in love with Verity and her bestie. Their relationship stands at the core, but look out for everyone else, as they too bring this imaginative world to life. From Verity’s sketchy family to her bestie’s distant one, and yes yes, there is a spicy romance 😉
From beginning to end, the author sculpts intricate pieces of backstory littered with friends and family members, who will all clearly play a role in future books.
Truly, Verona Green encapsulates that exciting but scary flying through the air feeling. This is without a doubt magic in book form. All pun intended.
You can experience it for yourself on November 14th, the official release date, by hitting that pre-order button right now
January 9, 2024
Loved it! It took me on an adventure and had me rooting for Verity the whole way. Count me in for the sequel!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews