A Dash of Belladonna

by J. Rackham

Dearest friend,



Tomorrow I fly to New Zealand, a country where my future master will no doubt teach me the deepest secrets of brewing the most marvelous, miraculous and magcal potions. Perhaps he will teach me how to make an invisibility potion? No, no. Too mundane. I'm sure he'll teach me the sort of magic that paints the Milky-Way with the stars, the kind that swaps the sky with the still ocean, or the ones that make fireflies dance in winter. Okay, all of those are illegal, but a girl can dream, right? Ma, of course, thinks I'm going to get kidnapped by some moustache-twirling villain and become embroiled in a magical struggle that's been brewing for centuries. If I had a say, I'd add a dash of danger and adventure in there. Why stop at getting kidnapped? Why not rebirth an ancient magic everyone thought was extinct? What would I do if I find myself in a series of such non-sensical events? Who knows? But I promise you I wouldn't give up without a proper, magical fight. Your Fantabulous Friend.

290 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2017

About the author

J (Jennifer) Rackham is a fantasy fiction writer and illustrator based in Auckland, New Zealand with her husband, daughter and an adorable cat.
She has been a child actor, bartender, Japanese Taiko drummer and a comic artist, and has since found her true passion in writing and completed her Masters in Creative Writing at Auckland University of Technology.

A Dash of Belladonna is her debut novel

Find her here:
https://linktr.ee/jrackham

Reviews

[Rory]

A gripping and magical tale with a unique setting and premise, and an engaging inventive method of storytelling. Every twist and turn reveals more about a rich world dripping with humor, style and mystery. Lottie is a lovable protagonist and the plot always twists and turns, exposing new depths just when you think you know where it's going. Best suited for young adult readers, but with charm and wit that'll enchant anyone.

[Carmonious]

This book was a delight to read!
The plot was exciting and the characters so loveable that I was hooked right away. Don't get me started on J. Rackham's worldbuilding skill. Lottie's world, parallel to our own, was imaginative, exciting, and so much fun to read about.

A book targeted towards younger readers (and I'll be buying a copy for each of those special youngin's in my life), but an enjoyable read for anyone!

[Amee]

Loved, loved, loved this book.
I was hooked in pretty quickly, had to force myself to put the book down to go to bed.
Lottie is clever, and stubborn. Mikaere is an awesome, cruisy guy, and Elyse makes me laugh. I thought I knew where the book was about to go at some points, and was then proven wrong (which is a good thing).
Suitable for ages 9 and up I would say. No romance, and it doesn't need it. Also loved seeing Kiwisms and the occasional Maori word.

[Kat M]

this was a great start to the A Dash of Belladonna series, it had what I wanted from this type of book. I enjoyed what was happening in the story and it did what I was hoping for. The world was interesting and did what I was hoping for. I look forward to more from J Rackham.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jessie]

I have trouble reading long books and this was so fun reading it! The characters were interesting and I really loved it!