What do you think?
Rate this book
The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic #2
How to Talk to a Goddess and Other Lessons in Real Magic
Nora knows she needs to move on. And forget about magic.
She’s back in graduate school, and her life is going surprisingly well. She doesn’t need to think about other worlds, about enchantments and demons, or about magicians—even though she once aspired to become one herself. Most of all, she really should forget the magician Aruendiel, who shared the secrets of magic with her but fiercely guarded the deepest secrets of his heart.
Then a chance encounter gives Nora the opportunity to slip between worlds again—and the next phase of her magical education begins.
Her reunion with Aruendiel, so eagerly sought, triggers catastrophe. Alone and injured in a hostile land, Nora finds a new ally and accepts her first real job as a magician. Just as she’s hitting her stride in this new role, however, Nora discovers that her intoxicating new power has a higher price than she anticipated.
Trying to distinguish between friend and enemy, truth and falsehood, Nora can take nothing for granted. It will take more than even the most powerful of discernment spells to help her and Aruendiel see clearly in a dark fog of illusions and lies. And finding her way to the truth could cost Nora her life....
She’s back in graduate school, and her life is going surprisingly well. She doesn’t need to think about other worlds, about enchantments and demons, or about magicians—even though she once aspired to become one herself. Most of all, she really should forget the magician Aruendiel, who shared the secrets of magic with her but fiercely guarded the deepest secrets of his heart.
Then a chance encounter gives Nora the opportunity to slip between worlds again—and the next phase of her magical education begins.
Her reunion with Aruendiel, so eagerly sought, triggers catastrophe. Alone and injured in a hostile land, Nora finds a new ally and accepts her first real job as a magician. Just as she’s hitting her stride in this new role, however, Nora discovers that her intoxicating new power has a higher price than she anticipated.
Trying to distinguish between friend and enemy, truth and falsehood, Nora can take nothing for granted. It will take more than even the most powerful of discernment spells to help her and Aruendiel see clearly in a dark fog of illusions and lies. And finding her way to the truth could cost Nora her life....
358 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 16, 2021
110 people are currently reading
9726 people want to read
About the author
Emily Croy Barker
3 books1,564 followersI wrote The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic after a couple of characters, Nora and Aruendiel, wandered into my imagination and wouldn’t leave. In fact, they're still there. Their story continues in How to Talk to a Goddess and Other Lessons in Real Magic.
“I’m not sure what I love more about How to Talk to a Goddess and Other Lessons in Real Magic—its immersive world of enchantments, so lavishly imagined, or its characters, who are wise and funny and flawed, who win me over with their compelling voices, their wit and heart. A splendid follow-up to The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic—a sparkling, smart, irresistible read.”—Sally Rosen Kindred, author of Where the Wolf and Says the Forest to the Girl
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 239 reviews
March 1, 2021
Like the first book, something about this just pulls me in -- 4 stars for enjoyment. Aw, heck, 4.5: I stayed up to 4 am one night, after all. However, like the first book, it's more like 3 stars for execution. That said, I think Barker definitely improved since the first book, and I think took deliberate care to correct certain problems. One part kinda lags... characters conveniently reappear in the narrative, and sure, it's explained, but it's still very sudden at the time. Nora remains a little bit too dumb and trusting for her own good, which...characters don't need to be smart, and lord knows doctoral students aren't all geniuses, but even just basic lesson-learning and wariness from previous adventures would have been appreciated. But anyway -- was not disappointed, definitely was up until 4 am listening to it.
Small disclaimer: I’m getting better at audiobooks, but they definitely don’t lend themselves to backtracking or looking things up easily. Hopefully nothing I praise/gripe about didn’t happen/was misunderstood.
Apropos of nothing: I know Aruendiel was likened to Snape by Nora’s sister, but I was never a Harry Potter fan + What We Do In the Shadows has happened, so I now picture him as Nandor the Relentless.
The Good:
- Good recapping of the first book’s events. I remembered the story pretty well, but there weren’t any of those annoying canned description moments.
- Trope-breaking/dodging! And otherwise a lot of things that didn’t go how I expected. Wowee. Whaaaaat.
- No more Fierce Feminist™ Nora forcing 21st century Earth ethics and social standing on a medieval-type world that doesn’t want any, thanks. (So just to be clear: Feminism =/= bad! Standing up for women =/= bad! Doing it over stupid stuff and needlessly, dramatically endangering yourself to make a point = bad, Strong Female Character nonsense. There’s a way to do stuff, Nora – ask RBG.) Aruendiel is softened a little bit + has more POV scenes, so he doesn’t seem as grumpy-creepy and ‘what does she see in him…?’ as he did before.
The Not-Bad-But-I-Wish…
- I was liking Aruendiel’s scenes a lot! Nora’s were getting a bit boring in the middle of the book – and then his POV scenes just dry up because he’s being sneaky and ~mysterious~ and all, but I missed those.
-
- Imagine you’re a romcom character who meets your dream-person in the airport… and then you not only follow them back to their country to surprise them, you first renounce citizenship for your own. Yeah, Nora knows Aruendiel, and she had an idea that he was into her—but he still sent her back, before. Do you still want to live in a medieval hellhole if he doesn’t like you back after all? What if you can’t even learn magic from him because it’s too awkward/painful at that point? Ol' Sassenach herself, Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser, gets ripped on for choosing the past, and I think she was more established at being suited for it than Nora was, and she knew for certain her love interest wanted her.
-Barker seems to like writing the first third of a book to be fairly self-contained from the rest of the book. It wasn’t as dramatic this time around – in book 1, it was awkward because in the latter two-thirds, Nora could have been any Plucky Village Girl apprenticed to Grumpy Local Wizard without any real changes: she even speaks the language fluently with a high degree of sophistication in under a year! It’s not that the beginning is wholly irrelevant, but it’s like, well, reading different books in a series: there’s continuity, but that story is over there and this story is over here.
- If we never heard anything else about Aruendiel’s army of ex-lovers, that’d be cool.
- Hirizjahkinis totally needs her own spin-off book.
The Annoying:
- Nora just randomly ups and leaves for the other world again. She texted her sister Ramona, but…her poor parents (and other sister), who are all going to believe she’s dead or on drugs or in a cult or something. Also, apparently she’s only been back home for about a month, which didn’t feel like a plausible length of time to me, because…
- It feels like there was a mild retcon from the denouement of the previous book and the start of this one. I’d have thought that denouement covered a month easily by itself– it was long enough for her to start feeling a little underfoot and in need of direction, and then this book, she’s back in her PhD program and being awarded a fellowship(!), in the span of “about a month.” Six months at least would have felt better. Plus, Nora ended the previous book with a resolute note about knowing where she wanted to go (back to Aruendiel)…and that resoluteness, that clarity of purpose, definitely didn’t carry forward.
- Speaking of, Nora is a weak character. She just gets dragged along by the plot and other characters, even becoming despite her initial objections – not to mention the red flags—because…? Did she even really learn anything about magic from all that? She also doesn’t seem to have learned any lessons from her previous misadventures, because she’s like a little gosling imprinting on whatever stranger is initially nice to her and offers her magic. She does not strike me as a critical thinker, which might be why she struggled with her PhD…*cough* Anyway, I’d even respect her putting her foot down and saying “no, I’m still figuring things out, but that’s my business” would have been fine.
- Some transitions are jumpy, even if they are explained and make sense. Maybe “abrupt” is a better term. It’s just – oh! Other character is here now. Okay. And that might be audiobook vs distraction issues, but even when I re-listened to some scenes several times, I was still left blinking.
I wonder if we’ll get a third book, which I thought was the original plan. However, it seems like maybe it was hard to get this published? And everything is much more resolved this time at the book’s close. There are a couple tiny hooks, and as I said, I’d like to see the leads actually on each other’s team and fully collaborating on something...but I’m getting “duology” vibes.
Small disclaimer: I’m getting better at audiobooks, but they definitely don’t lend themselves to backtracking or looking things up easily. Hopefully nothing I praise/gripe about didn’t happen/was misunderstood.
Apropos of nothing: I know Aruendiel was likened to Snape by Nora’s sister, but I was never a Harry Potter fan + What We Do In the Shadows has happened, so I now picture him as Nandor the Relentless.
The Good:
- Good recapping of the first book’s events. I remembered the story pretty well, but there weren’t any of those annoying canned description moments.
- Trope-breaking/dodging! And otherwise a lot of things that didn’t go how I expected. Wowee. Whaaaaat.
- No more Fierce Feminist™ Nora forcing 21st century Earth ethics and social standing on a medieval-type world that doesn’t want any, thanks. (So just to be clear: Feminism =/= bad! Standing up for women =/= bad! Doing it over stupid stuff and needlessly, dramatically endangering yourself to make a point = bad, Strong Female Character nonsense. There’s a way to do stuff, Nora – ask RBG.) Aruendiel is softened a little bit + has more POV scenes, so he doesn’t seem as grumpy-creepy and ‘what does she see in him…?’ as he did before.
The Not-Bad-But-I-Wish…
- I was liking Aruendiel’s scenes a lot! Nora’s were getting a bit boring in the middle of the book – and then his POV scenes just dry up because he’s being sneaky and ~mysterious~ and all, but I missed those.
-
- Imagine you’re a romcom character who meets your dream-person in the airport… and then you not only follow them back to their country to surprise them, you first renounce citizenship for your own. Yeah, Nora knows Aruendiel, and she had an idea that he was into her—but he still sent her back, before. Do you still want to live in a medieval hellhole if he doesn’t like you back after all? What if you can’t even learn magic from him because it’s too awkward/painful at that point? Ol' Sassenach herself, Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser, gets ripped on for choosing the past, and I think she was more established at being suited for it than Nora was, and she knew for certain her love interest wanted her.
-Barker seems to like writing the first third of a book to be fairly self-contained from the rest of the book. It wasn’t as dramatic this time around – in book 1, it was awkward because in the latter two-thirds, Nora could have been any Plucky Village Girl apprenticed to Grumpy Local Wizard without any real changes: she even speaks the language fluently with a high degree of sophistication in under a year! It’s not that the beginning is wholly irrelevant, but it’s like, well, reading different books in a series: there’s continuity, but that story is over there and this story is over here.
- If we never heard anything else about Aruendiel’s army of ex-lovers, that’d be cool.
- Hirizjahkinis totally needs her own spin-off book.
The Annoying:
- Nora just randomly ups and leaves for the other world again. She texted her sister Ramona, but…her poor parents (and other sister), who are all going to believe she’s dead or on drugs or in a cult or something. Also, apparently she’s only been back home for about a month, which didn’t feel like a plausible length of time to me, because…
- It feels like there was a mild retcon from the denouement of the previous book and the start of this one. I’d have thought that denouement covered a month easily by itself– it was long enough for her to start feeling a little underfoot and in need of direction, and then this book, she’s back in her PhD program and being awarded a fellowship(!), in the span of “about a month.” Six months at least would have felt better. Plus, Nora ended the previous book with a resolute note about knowing where she wanted to go (back to Aruendiel)…and that resoluteness, that clarity of purpose, definitely didn’t carry forward.
- Speaking of, Nora is a weak character. She just gets dragged along by the plot and other characters, even becoming despite her initial objections – not to mention the red flags—because…? Did she even really learn anything about magic from all that? She also doesn’t seem to have learned any lessons from her previous misadventures, because she’s like a little gosling imprinting on whatever stranger is initially nice to her and offers her magic. She does not strike me as a critical thinker, which might be why she struggled with her PhD…*cough* Anyway, I’d even respect her putting her foot down and saying “no, I’m still figuring things out, but that’s my business” would have been fine.
- Some transitions are jumpy, even if they are explained and make sense. Maybe “abrupt” is a better term. It’s just – oh! Other character is here now. Okay. And that might be audiobook vs distraction issues, but even when I re-listened to some scenes several times, I was still left blinking.
I wonder if we’ll get a third book, which I thought was the original plan. However, it seems like maybe it was hard to get this published? And everything is much more resolved this time at the book’s close. There are a couple tiny hooks, and as I said, I’d like to see the leads actually on each other’s team and fully collaborating on something...but I’m getting “duology” vibes.
Want to read
May 17, 2020Update - after 7 months, there seems to be no publish date for this book or any further updates from Emily Croy Barker. It's been close to 7 years since the The Thinking Woman's Guide....I am beginning to think this will never happen.
[October, 2019] I think it has a title! How to Talk to a Goddess! I CAN"T WAIT!!!
https://www.emilycroybarker.com/
[October, 2019] I think it has a title! How to Talk to a Goddess! I CAN"T WAIT!!!
https://www.emilycroybarker.com/
February 19, 2021
I liked this installment but not nearly as much as the first. I think it's because this one seemed more rambling. I never got a clear idea of where the narrative was going because I never knew what Nora was trying to accomplish. She seemed to stumble from one situation to another. I didn't get any sense of purpose from her. She was always pushed / pulled by someone else.
July 20, 2021
⭐⭐
I just couldn't get into this one. I kept putting it down in favor of other books. I haven't read the first book, so maybe that was the issue, and that is on me, not the book.
**ARC Via NetGalley**
I just couldn't get into this one. I kept putting it down in favor of other books. I haven't read the first book, so maybe that was the issue, and that is on me, not the book.
**ARC Via NetGalley**
March 12, 2021
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Without diving into the first book, I will admit that I was pretty intrigued by How to Talk to a Goddess Unfortunately, I was having trouble with my audiobook because it kept pausing at the most awkward times. Then it would pick up and I feel like I missed so much and was very confused with what was happening.
Due to this happening throughout the entire audio, I'm going to have to admit defeat once again. I couldn't connect to the character or what was happening because I just couldn't follow along. Since there's no way to get the actual ebook yet, I just had to sit and suffer. I was hoping I could dive back into the parts that I missed without the audiobook messing up but no such luck there.
I guess I will have to try again once the actual book comes out. Maybe my opinion will change.
Without diving into the first book, I will admit that I was pretty intrigued by How to Talk to a Goddess Unfortunately, I was having trouble with my audiobook because it kept pausing at the most awkward times. Then it would pick up and I feel like I missed so much and was very confused with what was happening.
Due to this happening throughout the entire audio, I'm going to have to admit defeat once again. I couldn't connect to the character or what was happening because I just couldn't follow along. Since there's no way to get the actual ebook yet, I just had to sit and suffer. I was hoping I could dive back into the parts that I missed without the audiobook messing up but no such luck there.
I guess I will have to try again once the actual book comes out. Maybe my opinion will change.
July 24, 2021
Stop Right where you are!! Go grab the first book—The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic. Read that.
Not because How to Talk to a Goddess does not stand up well on its own—it does. The author does a fantastic job of keeping it real in this one—I never felt lost or confused because I hadn’t read the first book in the pair. It’s just that there are references to the first book that titillate and tantalize and all the way through this one I was wishing I’d read the first one and I want to spare you that pain.
I don’t give very many 5-star reviews. I feel like a 4 is a really good book—one that I would recommend, give as a gift—one that I am happy I read. When I give a 4-star review, I am saying that I never—or at least very seldom—felt like I was wasting my time. I didn’t long to toss it in the fire or dissolve it with acid and I would probably check out anything else by that author.
A 5-star book, on the other hand, is something else.
How to Talk to a Goddess is a fantasy grounded, like the main character Nora, in the humdrum world of reality. And I can’t say a whole lot about plot until you’ve read the first one. Let’s just say the action will keep your attention and the romance is entertainingly non-standard. I’m a fantasy nut, but very few fantasies carry me into their world as well as this one did.
What Worked in this Book
Everything. Characters are clear and well-drawn. Plot is compelling. Descriptions are awesome. Writing is poetic at times, precise and practical at other times. The story twists like a giant snake and deals with universal issues like life and death and life again—and what’s real and what’s fantasy—and what is Divine and where can you locate it.
What Didn’t Work
Nothing. For me, this is as close to a perfect book as you need to get to get a 5 out of me. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I stayed up late on work nights to read it. I was sad when it was over but then I remembered I hadn’t read The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic so I bought that and was happy again. I’ll remember the characters and story because bits of them are now woven into my soul.
Not because How to Talk to a Goddess does not stand up well on its own—it does. The author does a fantastic job of keeping it real in this one—I never felt lost or confused because I hadn’t read the first book in the pair. It’s just that there are references to the first book that titillate and tantalize and all the way through this one I was wishing I’d read the first one and I want to spare you that pain.
I don’t give very many 5-star reviews. I feel like a 4 is a really good book—one that I would recommend, give as a gift—one that I am happy I read. When I give a 4-star review, I am saying that I never—or at least very seldom—felt like I was wasting my time. I didn’t long to toss it in the fire or dissolve it with acid and I would probably check out anything else by that author.
A 5-star book, on the other hand, is something else.
How to Talk to a Goddess is a fantasy grounded, like the main character Nora, in the humdrum world of reality. And I can’t say a whole lot about plot until you’ve read the first one. Let’s just say the action will keep your attention and the romance is entertainingly non-standard. I’m a fantasy nut, but very few fantasies carry me into their world as well as this one did.
What Worked in this Book
Everything. Characters are clear and well-drawn. Plot is compelling. Descriptions are awesome. Writing is poetic at times, precise and practical at other times. The story twists like a giant snake and deals with universal issues like life and death and life again—and what’s real and what’s fantasy—and what is Divine and where can you locate it.
What Didn’t Work
Nothing. For me, this is as close to a perfect book as you need to get to get a 5 out of me. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I stayed up late on work nights to read it. I was sad when it was over but then I remembered I hadn’t read The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic so I bought that and was happy again. I’ll remember the characters and story because bits of them are now woven into my soul.
February 26, 2021
This book was a let-down. I was so excited for it, and it was missing a lot of the charm I found in the first book. The fight seemed arbitrary, the two Big Bads from book one were... Is she a goddess? Is she not a goddess? What does Aruendiel know about all of it and why and how? It felt contrived, our protagonist seems to lack any agency that she possessed in the first book. I really wanted to like this and was so frustrated. Can't bring myself to give it 2 stars, though, so rounding up to 3.
February 27, 2021
I truly enjoyed this book and did not want it to end. I am looking forward to having the digital copy. This book and it's prequel are stories that I want in hard copy, audio, and digital. I love them that much. I only wish I had the opportunity to read this sooner, please don't make me wait so long for the next one.
Read
November 6, 2021Yesss! Looking forward to this one! I hope its soon.
June 8, 2020
Not sure how true this is, but I saw something saying this book will be released October 1st if this year- I hope it’s true, or sooner!
July 6, 2021
So, I have never had a habit of leaving a book unfinished, but I want to be completely honest here and say that I gave up at 60% of this book.
I really wanted to like this book, the first book was awesome, and the concept is great, but I just couldn't do it with this one. Normally, I am a pretty quick reader and I get into books fast, but this one felt more like a chore to me.
The previous book in this series came out about 7 years ago I believe, and it feels like there are about 7 years worth of ideas going on in this book. The story just felt like there was always too much going on without any real sense of flow. I found myself feeling like i was reading a long rambling at points and it was just very distracting.
Honestly, I had trouble even really understanding the overall point of the various events. Even now, when reflecting on what I read, I find myself baffled by what Nora was supposed to be doing and where her character was going.
Overall, I think this book would have been better had the ideas been more focused and perhaps split into another book? It just felt like too many ideas in one story.
I really wanted to like this book, the first book was awesome, and the concept is great, but I just couldn't do it with this one. Normally, I am a pretty quick reader and I get into books fast, but this one felt more like a chore to me.
The previous book in this series came out about 7 years ago I believe, and it feels like there are about 7 years worth of ideas going on in this book. The story just felt like there was always too much going on without any real sense of flow. I found myself feeling like i was reading a long rambling at points and it was just very distracting.
Honestly, I had trouble even really understanding the overall point of the various events. Even now, when reflecting on what I read, I find myself baffled by what Nora was supposed to be doing and where her character was going.
Overall, I think this book would have been better had the ideas been more focused and perhaps split into another book? It just felt like too many ideas in one story.
September 5, 2021
On 11/20, the author announced on her Facebook that she sent the final draft to the publisher and they hope to release it by spring of 2021! I am SO excited about this book I can hardly stand it.
December 11, 2022
Truly Brilliant
I loved this book as much as the predecessor, which is a grand feat -often the momentum slides with book 2 of a series, but this is beautiful and engaging and thoughtful and doesn’t at all head in the obvious directions. I love the emotional literacy of it, and the beauty of the language, and the flow of the magic. I sincerely hope there’ll be another one sometime…
I loved this book as much as the predecessor, which is a grand feat -often the momentum slides with book 2 of a series, but this is beautiful and engaging and thoughtful and doesn’t at all head in the obvious directions. I love the emotional literacy of it, and the beauty of the language, and the flow of the magic. I sincerely hope there’ll be another one sometime…
July 27, 2021
The narration on this audiobook was relatively good, despite the narrator's constant mispronunciation of the word fissure.
The book, on the other hand, was a lumbering, disconnected mess. In fact, the author obviously has had something going on in her life, because the crushing overtones of criticism against organized religion, and Nora's self-absorbed fixation on how her behavior affects HER, instead of those around her, scream emotional crisis.
Nora, a character I liked in the first book, was a bristly, contentious, selfish jerk in this installment. Her first reaction to everyone she meets is to argue with them and tell them she has no time to talk and she can't possibly help with their situations. Oddly enough, when she finally does care about other individuals, it's typically when they try to kill her.
In fact, one of the strangest parts of the book is her obsessive conviction that she is to blame for a murder that was very clearly self defense. Even more disturbing, she spends more time mulling over how this "wrongful" death will affect her life, instead of the person she killed.
From a plot standpoint, there are strange, disjointed transitions to long, laborious sections in which the characters (mostly Nora) preach about what it means to be a god. A number of the plotlines are never explained and are seemingly means to an end.
I didn't find this to be an adventure, but more like a writing exercise in lieu of therapy. I would love to have a "do-over" and get a sequel in which Nora knows how to be an adult and communicate with others without acting like a sullen child. The story also would benefit greatly with some heavy editing on all of the "God/god" discussions.
The book, on the other hand, was a lumbering, disconnected mess. In fact, the author obviously has had something going on in her life, because the crushing overtones of criticism against organized religion, and Nora's self-absorbed fixation on how her behavior affects HER, instead of those around her, scream emotional crisis.
Nora, a character I liked in the first book, was a bristly, contentious, selfish jerk in this installment. Her first reaction to everyone she meets is to argue with them and tell them she has no time to talk and she can't possibly help with their situations. Oddly enough, when she finally does care about other individuals, it's typically when they try to kill her.
In fact, one of the strangest parts of the book is her obsessive conviction that she is to blame for a murder that was very clearly self defense. Even more disturbing, she spends more time mulling over how this "wrongful" death will affect her life, instead of the person she killed.
From a plot standpoint, there are strange, disjointed transitions to long, laborious sections in which the characters (mostly Nora) preach about what it means to be a god. A number of the plotlines are never explained and are seemingly means to an end.
I didn't find this to be an adventure, but more like a writing exercise in lieu of therapy. I would love to have a "do-over" and get a sequel in which Nora knows how to be an adult and communicate with others without acting like a sullen child. The story also would benefit greatly with some heavy editing on all of the "God/god" discussions.
August 2, 2021
I’ve read a number of books where protagonists have returned to their everyday, mundane existence after spending time in a dangerous, yet vibrant magical world. This one absolutely nails the mingled sense of relief at being relatively safe again – and the yearning sense of longing for the magic… the love… the excitement of what’s been lost. It’s nicely handled, as Nora could so easily have come across as a discontented whiner, but I found myself bonding with her plight and immediately rooting for her. And as once again, I’ve crashed into this series without reading the first book, this was my first introduction to the main protagonist.
Subsequent events plunge Nora into a situation where those yearnings are once more met – and again, I liked the fact that she finds the change a challenging one. Aruendiel, her powerful mentor, is generally grumpy, aloof and somewhat arrogant – basically your typical entitled sorcerer. And what takes place during their initial meeting had my jaw dropping. This clearly isn’t the romantic, enjoyable interaction Nora had been hoping for… And that is about as much as I can say about the plot without lurching into Spoiler territory.
I really enjoyed the depth of the characterisation and the fact that Barker is a fan of the ‘show, don’t tell’ school of writing, especially where the main characters are concerned. The setting, particularly at the Temple, completely convinced me and I enjoyed the exploration of the nature of faith and at what stage steady devotion becomes poisonous fanaticism. Though I don’t want you going away with the impression that there are pages of exposition describing such issues – Barker is far too smart at writing an enjoyable adventure story to commit such a crime. All in all, this is an engaging and pleasingly different fantasy story, still firmly set within many of the tropes of the epic fantasy tale. I’m guessing I would have enjoyed it even more if I’d read the first book, The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic – and Himself, being the solidly marvellous husband that he is, has now bought this one as a gift for me. I’ll be shortly tucking into it – for I’m missing Barker’s world. Highly recommended for fantasy fans. While I obtained an arc of How To Talk to a Goddess and Other Lessons in Real Magic from Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10
Subsequent events plunge Nora into a situation where those yearnings are once more met – and again, I liked the fact that she finds the change a challenging one. Aruendiel, her powerful mentor, is generally grumpy, aloof and somewhat arrogant – basically your typical entitled sorcerer. And what takes place during their initial meeting had my jaw dropping. This clearly isn’t the romantic, enjoyable interaction Nora had been hoping for… And that is about as much as I can say about the plot without lurching into Spoiler territory.
I really enjoyed the depth of the characterisation and the fact that Barker is a fan of the ‘show, don’t tell’ school of writing, especially where the main characters are concerned. The setting, particularly at the Temple, completely convinced me and I enjoyed the exploration of the nature of faith and at what stage steady devotion becomes poisonous fanaticism. Though I don’t want you going away with the impression that there are pages of exposition describing such issues – Barker is far too smart at writing an enjoyable adventure story to commit such a crime. All in all, this is an engaging and pleasingly different fantasy story, still firmly set within many of the tropes of the epic fantasy tale. I’m guessing I would have enjoyed it even more if I’d read the first book, The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic – and Himself, being the solidly marvellous husband that he is, has now bought this one as a gift for me. I’ll be shortly tucking into it – for I’m missing Barker’s world. Highly recommended for fantasy fans. While I obtained an arc of How To Talk to a Goddess and Other Lessons in Real Magic from Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10
March 3, 2021
Worth the wait. (I understand now why Emily Croy Barker took extra time to figure out how time stones work.) Completely unexpected story that's new but logically follows The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic. The love story is alive and well, too, but so is the main plot of Nora's training in real magic... and in life. Can't wait to see what Nora and Aruendiel (and Hirizjahkinis and the Kavareen) do next.
June 16, 2021
If you read "The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic" and enjoyed it, then you will absolutely love this follow up. While I suppose you could read this as a stand alone book, in my opinion you should read the first before jumping into this sequel. The plot is too complex and rich to even begin to summarize, but it begins as Nora returns from our world and is reunited with Arundiel. A word of warning: if you are here for the romance, it's not quite as satisfying as I hoped it'd be. It does end happily, but the two main characters spend the majority of the book separated from each other. Their dynamic was what I loved most about the first book, and I missed that keenly in this one. Still, the plot and themes were interesting and some old characters return and new ones are introduced. This one didn't end in a cliffhanger like the last book, so I don't know if a third is planned. But the end did leave me wanting more of the story, and I hope it would have Nora and Arundiel working together again.
December 21, 2022
This book has some pacing issues. It bounces around a bit, not incoherently, but at least episodically. Some things went too fast or weren’t explored/explained enough. Other episodes lingered longer than expected. It just didn’t seem to flow smoothly. However, this is still an interesting follow-up to the first novel. What Croy Barker tackles here most consistently is the theme of faith - whether that is in religion, love, friends, or self - and that seems to tie the somewhat jumpy narrative together. The character of Nora remains a likable and believable heroine in unusual circumstances, and is something else in the book’s favor. While the general plot could have been executed more elegantly, it is a neat story and I hope the author revisits and expands this series.
February 20, 2021
I loved this tale by Emily Croy Barker.
I got to listen to the audio book because I had won a contest.
This was the first time I actually listened to a story.
The story was very interesting and entertaining.
I loved all the characters.
I do not want to give anything away so I will just end this by saying
I hope it does not take another 10 years to write another story.
I will be waiting book #3.
I got to listen to the audio book because I had won a contest.
This was the first time I actually listened to a story.
The story was very interesting and entertaining.
I loved all the characters.
I do not want to give anything away so I will just end this by saying
I hope it does not take another 10 years to write another story.
I will be waiting book #3.
February 17, 2021
Listening through Audible... I was so excited for this book! I just finished the first book (again!) when I happened to check in on the progress of this one and found it would finally be out in mere days!! Sadly, though... Disappointing thus far... I'm up to Chapter 8, and while the writing is well done (as expected), I have found a major flaw.
SPOILERS!
Nora is a petulant brat. In the few short chapters we spend catching up on her life since returning home, we find that she's talking to her ex who she let's degrade her accomplishments and degrade her personal experiences (where is the Nora who managed the ice demon?). And then thought casually debasing herself by sleeping with him was a good idea all because he got a hard on for her while he clearly thought she'd just had a traumatic experience (enough to need to fictionalize them as a coping mechanism).
Then, she finally gets back to the other world (after another traumatizing experience) and immediately sleeps with Aruendiel. Personally, I'm a huge fan of the slow burn (which is why I wanted there to be continued tension in this book). But to throw them together so quickly... It felt rushed. But whatever. They're desperate for each other and can't hold back their attraction any longer! Fine.... But what a waste.
And by far, the most disappointing part, she has a wild night of passion with the man she admired for over a year and longed for the entire month she was away... enough to risk her safety and the loss of her family for.... Only to complain that he has a limp and that his head bobbles a bit?!? What... she never noticed the limp before?? And compare him to her ex! Oh jeez.
I got as far as her whining about giving up her useless English Lit degree in exchange for *magic* and *the love of her life who challenges her in both good and bad ways to be both smart and self-possessed, not to mention would die for her (or did he rush off to kill Alyssa alone for someone else??)*.
Ugh... I will update this if I can stand her long enough to continue. Perhaps in chapter 17 she'll grow up (something I would have thought was accomplished by suffering through myriad events of book 1... Go figure) or who knows... it could be spell? But would that explain her behavior in her world?
SPOILERS!
Nora is a petulant brat. In the few short chapters we spend catching up on her life since returning home, we find that she's talking to her ex who she let's degrade her accomplishments and degrade her personal experiences (where is the Nora who managed the ice demon?). And then thought casually debasing herself by sleeping with him was a good idea all because he got a hard on for her while he clearly thought she'd just had a traumatic experience (enough to need to fictionalize them as a coping mechanism).
Then, she finally gets back to the other world (after another traumatizing experience) and immediately sleeps with Aruendiel. Personally, I'm a huge fan of the slow burn (which is why I wanted there to be continued tension in this book). But to throw them together so quickly... It felt rushed. But whatever. They're desperate for each other and can't hold back their attraction any longer! Fine.... But what a waste.
And by far, the most disappointing part, she has a wild night of passion with the man she admired for over a year and longed for the entire month she was away... enough to risk her safety and the loss of her family for.... Only to complain that he has a limp and that his head bobbles a bit?!? What... she never noticed the limp before?? And compare him to her ex! Oh jeez.
I got as far as her whining about giving up her useless English Lit degree in exchange for *magic* and *the love of her life who challenges her in both good and bad ways to be both smart and self-possessed, not to mention would die for her (or did he rush off to kill Alyssa alone for someone else??)*.
Ugh... I will update this if I can stand her long enough to continue. Perhaps in chapter 17 she'll grow up (something I would have thought was accomplished by suffering through myriad events of book 1... Go figure) or who knows... it could be spell? But would that explain her behavior in her world?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2021
A much looked forward to sequel, How to Talk to a Goddess and Other Lessons in Real Magic does ill justice to the warm, deep characters Emily Croy Baker created in The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic.
The second book in a series, How to Talk to a Goddess and Other Lessons in Real Magic, kicks off where the first one left off. Nora has returned from the world of fae and magic and her life with Aruendiel to her mundane one. But the amount of pain she feels to see Aruendiel again keeps her from reentering a scholar’s lifestyle. Instead, Nora must return to her life of learning magic and the possibility of a life with a man who makes her heart sing more than any other has.
She manages the spellwork to walk between one world and another by half, and it is Aruendiel, who was on a mission and dealing with his own heartbrokenness, who manages to help her out. No sooner have the two reunited than their emotions spill out of them, and they are carried away in the moment of passion. It feels overly impassioned and rushed a moment.
Barker uses the culmination of Nora and Aruendiel’s relationship to create a conflict that separates our characters. But, unfortunately, it comes off as lacking, weak even, as an excuse for these two to part from each other. Most especially since the novel starts with both of them missing one another and wanting nothing but to see each other again.
The rapid-fire, trigger-happy execution to get into the meat of the story (talking to a goddess) derails from the elegance and depth of the characters Barker so wonderfully crafted in The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic.
When the meat of the story, talking to a goddess, comes along, the overly dramatic drudgery of Nora and Aruendiel's hot and cold feelings for one another clouds the novel. They act very childishly, which is all the less believable from Aruendiel, who is meant to be many hundreds of years old and entered many relationships in that lifespan.
Overall, How to Talk to a Goddess and Other Lessons in Real Magic is disappointing, even as the magic system is still wondrous and fun.
The second book in a series, How to Talk to a Goddess and Other Lessons in Real Magic, kicks off where the first one left off. Nora has returned from the world of fae and magic and her life with Aruendiel to her mundane one. But the amount of pain she feels to see Aruendiel again keeps her from reentering a scholar’s lifestyle. Instead, Nora must return to her life of learning magic and the possibility of a life with a man who makes her heart sing more than any other has.
She manages the spellwork to walk between one world and another by half, and it is Aruendiel, who was on a mission and dealing with his own heartbrokenness, who manages to help her out. No sooner have the two reunited than their emotions spill out of them, and they are carried away in the moment of passion. It feels overly impassioned and rushed a moment.
Barker uses the culmination of Nora and Aruendiel’s relationship to create a conflict that separates our characters. But, unfortunately, it comes off as lacking, weak even, as an excuse for these two to part from each other. Most especially since the novel starts with both of them missing one another and wanting nothing but to see each other again.
The rapid-fire, trigger-happy execution to get into the meat of the story (talking to a goddess) derails from the elegance and depth of the characters Barker so wonderfully crafted in The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic.
When the meat of the story, talking to a goddess, comes along, the overly dramatic drudgery of Nora and Aruendiel's hot and cold feelings for one another clouds the novel. They act very childishly, which is all the less believable from Aruendiel, who is meant to be many hundreds of years old and entered many relationships in that lifespan.
Overall, How to Talk to a Goddess and Other Lessons in Real Magic is disappointing, even as the magic system is still wondrous and fun.
September 8, 2021
Actual rating: 1.5 stars and DNF at 48%
I was so excited to read this book after absolutely loving the first installment when I read it back in 2013 or so. I've been waiting for this sequel for so long, and I'm sad to have to call it quits about halfway through the book. I'm just exceedingly disappointed and frustrated with this installment. The writing seems more simplistic and poorly written compared to what I remember of the first book. However, this is something I could overlook if not for other issues.
Nora, the main character, seems so much more dumb than before. She makes a lot of very poor, not well thought out decisions, and she keeps flip flopping on major beliefs and choices (sometimes within a handful of pages). I was so frustrated with her and couldn't sympathize with her at all. There's also a very cringe-worthy romance here. I actually seem to remember this being fine in the first book, but I really didn't like the situation that arises in this book. After a certain event, Nora's behavior abruptly changes, and while there's some explanation for this, I honestly hated reading this section.
There's also some slut-shaming and this sort of "women don't know their own minds" attitude exhibited by some of the male characters. Perhaps there's a confrontation of this attitude later on, but I didn't care to read it. There are also several rants against organized religion and while I'm not particularly religious myself, this was uncomfortable to read and I didn't particularly enjoy it.
Unfortunately, I really did not enjoy the first half of the book and didn't want to force myself to finish it. I do somewhat regret picking this up because it makes me question my memories of the first book.
I received a copy of this for review from the publisher via NetGalley - thank you! All opinions are my own.
I was so excited to read this book after absolutely loving the first installment when I read it back in 2013 or so. I've been waiting for this sequel for so long, and I'm sad to have to call it quits about halfway through the book. I'm just exceedingly disappointed and frustrated with this installment. The writing seems more simplistic and poorly written compared to what I remember of the first book. However, this is something I could overlook if not for other issues.
Nora, the main character, seems so much more dumb than before. She makes a lot of very poor, not well thought out decisions, and she keeps flip flopping on major beliefs and choices (sometimes within a handful of pages). I was so frustrated with her and couldn't sympathize with her at all. There's also a very cringe-worthy romance here. I actually seem to remember this being fine in the first book, but I really didn't like the situation that arises in this book. After a certain event, Nora's behavior abruptly changes, and while there's some explanation for this, I honestly hated reading this section.
There's also some slut-shaming and this sort of "women don't know their own minds" attitude exhibited by some of the male characters. Perhaps there's a confrontation of this attitude later on, but I didn't care to read it. There are also several rants against organized religion and while I'm not particularly religious myself, this was uncomfortable to read and I didn't particularly enjoy it.
Unfortunately, I really did not enjoy the first half of the book and didn't want to force myself to finish it. I do somewhat regret picking this up because it makes me question my memories of the first book.
I received a copy of this for review from the publisher via NetGalley - thank you! All opinions are my own.
December 12, 2024
*WON PAPERBACK IN A GR GIVEAWAY*
I was afraid to read this for the same reason I treasure
The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic — I LOVE Aruendiel and Nora.
B1 isn't everyone's cup of tea and I personally don't think it's meant to be.
I've revisited this work every year since I initially discovered it. I'd read it in March of this year and again this last week to prepare for B2's release.
I think it's because of my adoration that I entered How to Talk to a Goddess with trepidation. B1 is a hard act to follow because of all the tiny things that made it so special.
I sometimes got bored with Nora in B2 but not enough to stop reading. What made Nora so interesting was her thirst for knowledge and wanting to make her own way in B1. In B2, she's often just kinda around and not fully engaged.
Nora's return to Aruendiel felt too easy. I was expecting more of a journey with her on that front. It's a shorter book, so I'm shrugging that off.
End of the day, I smiled when Aruendiel and Nora were together again.
I enjoyed getting Aruendiel's POV during Nora's absence. His regret and realization was exactly what I was longing for at the end of B1.
When Nora and Aruendiel get back together? I liken it to shaking up a soda bottle, opening it and then watching the aftermath quickly settle.
SO MUCH happens in such a short amount of time that was just set up at the end of B1 to be bigger things than they actually were in B2.
When I got to the end, I didn't hate it but I felt somewhat cheated on a real conclusion. It just kind of ended. This does leave me hopeful for a possible follow-up.
I'm going to revisit this soon after a break and see if my opinion changes.
I was afraid to read this for the same reason I treasure
The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic — I LOVE Aruendiel and Nora.
B1 isn't everyone's cup of tea and I personally don't think it's meant to be.
I've revisited this work every year since I initially discovered it. I'd read it in March of this year and again this last week to prepare for B2's release.
I think it's because of my adoration that I entered How to Talk to a Goddess with trepidation. B1 is a hard act to follow because of all the tiny things that made it so special.
I sometimes got bored with Nora in B2 but not enough to stop reading. What made Nora so interesting was her thirst for knowledge and wanting to make her own way in B1. In B2, she's often just kinda around and not fully engaged.
Nora's return to Aruendiel felt too easy. I was expecting more of a journey with her on that front. It's a shorter book, so I'm shrugging that off.
End of the day, I smiled when Aruendiel and Nora were together again.
I enjoyed getting Aruendiel's POV during Nora's absence. His regret and realization was exactly what I was longing for at the end of B1.
When Nora and Aruendiel get back together? I liken it to shaking up a soda bottle, opening it and then watching the aftermath quickly settle.
SO MUCH happens in such a short amount of time that was just set up at the end of B1 to be bigger things than they actually were in B2.
When I got to the end, I didn't hate it but I felt somewhat cheated on a real conclusion. It just kind of ended. This does leave me hopeful for a possible follow-up.
I'm going to revisit this soon after a break and see if my opinion changes.
August 3, 2021
A lovely sequel, well worth the long wait!
A clever book, with an deep reflection on the matter of religion and its place in society. Great writing, really satisfying characters' evolution, interesting adventures... and now I'm longing for the next book!
A clever book, with an deep reflection on the matter of religion and its place in society. Great writing, really satisfying characters' evolution, interesting adventures... and now I'm longing for the next book!
November 19, 2024
The fated second book! Ten years after I read the first. After all that waiting (kinda). And Pining (I mean maybe). And Curiosity (sorta). I was finally able to read it.
And it was aight
And it was aight
April 24, 2021
I have been eagerly awaiting the follow up to The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic since I read it back in 2015. I was a little disappointed to see that this was going to be first released on audiobook - I read the first book in soft cover - but mostly just excited to get into this next installment. And while this book has its foibles, it was a pleasure to see Nora and Aruendiel again.
The book begins to address an interesting question that's only briefly touched on in the first story: if magic keeps you young, then you could live forever, couldn't you? What would you do with all that time? With all that power? Like the first book, this one gets off to a bit of a slow and bumpy start (sorry, I found the Faitoren stuff in book 1 a little boring). Nora is back in the real world and everything's going marvelously. But she misses magic and she misses Aruendiel. So when the opportunity to plunge back into the magical world presents itself, she jumps at it.
Nora's impulsive jump back into the other world felt a little...weird to me. The narrative tries to foreground it "this door could close at anytime," but even then, like...grab a suitcase? Nora finds herself on her own, and we get to see her as a competent - if still learning - magician.
There's a lot to enjoy here, as well as some things to be frustrated with. Ultimately, though, I enjoyed jumping back into this world, and I'm really glad I got to return to Nora and Aruendiel and all the rest.
The book begins to address an interesting question that's only briefly touched on in the first story: if magic keeps you young, then you could live forever, couldn't you? What would you do with all that time? With all that power? Like the first book, this one gets off to a bit of a slow and bumpy start (sorry, I found the Faitoren stuff in book 1 a little boring). Nora is back in the real world and everything's going marvelously. But she misses magic and she misses Aruendiel. So when the opportunity to plunge back into the magical world presents itself, she jumps at it.
Nora's impulsive jump back into the other world felt a little...weird to me. The narrative tries to foreground it "this door could close at anytime," but even then, like...grab a suitcase? Nora finds herself on her own, and we get to see her as a competent - if still learning - magician.
There's a lot to enjoy here, as well as some things to be frustrated with. Ultimately, though, I enjoyed jumping back into this world, and I'm really glad I got to return to Nora and Aruendiel and all the rest.
June 25, 2021
***I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review
In the sequel to "The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic", once Nora goes back to her world, she realizes she no longer fits in there, and she misses learning & performing magic, and just as much, she misses the magician Aruendiel, whom she had begun to develop feelings for. So when the opportunity presents itself to return to Aruendiel, she does so with little hesitation. Little does she know, the sorts of adventures that await for her.....
I loved "The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic" so I was estatic to get a chance to read and review this book. I loved it. I will suggest you read the other book first, so you fully understand everything that is going on, but you will want to anyway. These books are so good, once you start, you don't want to put them down. For a recap, Nora is a human who accidentally stumbled upon a rift between worlds. She was discovered by the faitoren, and queen married her off to her son. When he tried to hurt Nora she was rescued by Aruendiel, and stayed under his protection the rest of the time she remained in that world. While she was there she decided she wanted to learn magic and become a magician herself. Nora is fun & spunky and I love the relationship she has with Aruendiel who is old and crochety and exacting. If you are a fan of fantasy fiction, then you definitely need to pick up a copy.
In the sequel to "The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic", once Nora goes back to her world, she realizes she no longer fits in there, and she misses learning & performing magic, and just as much, she misses the magician Aruendiel, whom she had begun to develop feelings for. So when the opportunity presents itself to return to Aruendiel, she does so with little hesitation. Little does she know, the sorts of adventures that await for her.....
I loved "The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic" so I was estatic to get a chance to read and review this book. I loved it. I will suggest you read the other book first, so you fully understand everything that is going on, but you will want to anyway. These books are so good, once you start, you don't want to put them down. For a recap, Nora is a human who accidentally stumbled upon a rift between worlds. She was discovered by the faitoren, and queen married her off to her son. When he tried to hurt Nora she was rescued by Aruendiel, and stayed under his protection the rest of the time she remained in that world. While she was there she decided she wanted to learn magic and become a magician herself. Nora is fun & spunky and I love the relationship she has with Aruendiel who is old and crochety and exacting. If you are a fan of fantasy fiction, then you definitely need to pick up a copy.
June 3, 2024
Brief review follows:
Overall I enjoyed the book - the first half more than the second. There were some slow, meandering portions in the 2nd third of the book which dragged for me. I do acknowledge that IRL stress and a generally distracted read didn't help the book.
Still the overall experience is worth reading - there was more action in the book but parts of it felt very meandering (basically part II and III). I like our leads and their romance as well. The plot with the bid bad was interesting - if a little dragged out.
Despite this slow pace, the resolution was kind of dropped in the end. One minute we are still facing the consequences of the villian and then boom . Book ended. I actually though I was missing a few pages. The author seems allergic to pacing her endings I guess.
Ending qualms aside I liked the reading of the book in general. If the author writes another book I will pick it up as the quality of the writing was good and I liked the characterization for the most part.
Overall I enjoyed the book - the first half more than the second. There were some slow, meandering portions in the 2nd third of the book which dragged for me. I do acknowledge that IRL stress and a generally distracted read didn't help the book.
Still the overall experience is worth reading - there was more action in the book but parts of it felt very meandering (basically part II and III). I like our leads and their romance as well. The plot with the bid bad was interesting - if a little dragged out.
Despite this slow pace, the resolution was kind of dropped in the end. One minute we are still facing the consequences of the villian and then boom . Book ended. I actually though I was missing a few pages. The author seems allergic to pacing her endings I guess.
Ending qualms aside I liked the reading of the book in general. If the author writes another book I will pick it up as the quality of the writing was good and I liked the characterization for the most part.
March 13, 2021
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an impartial review. I love these characters and was so eagerly awaiting this sequel to The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic that I went ahead with the audiobook, though I really just wanted to read it. I hope to do so in the summer. This review will focus on the story more than the audiobook, though I can say that I enjoyed the narrator and felt she conveyed the story well without being overly intrusive.
Because I love the characters, I was willing to go along on whatever ride they offered, but this sequel felt more like a new episode in their adventures than a continuation of their previous story. That's not necessarily a bad thing or even unusual, but that approach doesn't seem to fit the literary vibe of the original novel. It resulted in too quick a resolution to previous challenges and a plodding set-up of the new plotline and characters. Barker takes her time with character and plot development, and partially, that's an excellent example of craft, but often the novel just feels slow and repetitive.
Even so, I thoroughly enjoyed visiting with these characters again, and no matter the ridiculousness of some aspects of plot, the book works overall (for me, anyway).
Because I love the characters, I was willing to go along on whatever ride they offered, but this sequel felt more like a new episode in their adventures than a continuation of their previous story. That's not necessarily a bad thing or even unusual, but that approach doesn't seem to fit the literary vibe of the original novel. It resulted in too quick a resolution to previous challenges and a plodding set-up of the new plotline and characters. Barker takes her time with character and plot development, and partially, that's an excellent example of craft, but often the novel just feels slow and repetitive.
Even so, I thoroughly enjoyed visiting with these characters again, and no matter the ridiculousness of some aspects of plot, the book works overall (for me, anyway).
March 16, 2021
I won a copy of this audiobook and couldn't have been more excited to receive it. I loved the first volume of the Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic.
The narrator, Alyssa Bresnahan, is familiar to me from her work on other audiobooks. Her range of voices and characterizations is marvelous, and the depth she brings to all the characters in Hot to Talk to a Goddess doesn't disappoint.
But what of the book? Emily Croy Barker has outdone herself with this one. Simply put, it is not just a rehash or the "further adventures of..." Instead, she creates deep personas for all new characters, while giving the ones I remember from the first book added levels of interest. The action and plot flow as I wish all fiction did, so that you are swept along with rushing, immersed in a world that seems at once magical and realistic.
You owe it to yourself to read How to Talk to a Goddess. If, perish the thought, you haven't read Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic, start there without delay and then head into tis second volume, You won't regret it.
The narrator, Alyssa Bresnahan, is familiar to me from her work on other audiobooks. Her range of voices and characterizations is marvelous, and the depth she brings to all the characters in Hot to Talk to a Goddess doesn't disappoint.
But what of the book? Emily Croy Barker has outdone herself with this one. Simply put, it is not just a rehash or the "further adventures of..." Instead, she creates deep personas for all new characters, while giving the ones I remember from the first book added levels of interest. The action and plot flow as I wish all fiction did, so that you are swept along with rushing, immersed in a world that seems at once magical and realistic.
You owe it to yourself to read How to Talk to a Goddess. If, perish the thought, you haven't read Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic, start there without delay and then head into tis second volume, You won't regret it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 239 reviews