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Enchanted, Inc. #1
Enchanted, Inc.
DON'T MESS WITH HEXES
Katie Chandler had always heard that New York is a weird and wonderful place, but this small-town Texas gal had no idea how weird until she moved there. Everywhere she goes, she sees something worth gawking at and Katie is afraid she's a little too normal to make a splash in the big city. Working for an ogre of a boss doesn't help.
Then, seemingly out of the blue, Katie gets a job offer from Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc., a company that provides tricks of the trade to the magic community. For MSI, Katie's ordinariness is an asset.
Lacking any bit of magic, she can easily spot a fake spell, catch hidden clauses in competitor's contracts, and detect magically disguised intruders. Suddenly, average Katie is very special indeed.
She quickly learns that office politics are even more complicated when your new boss is a real ogre, and you have a crush on the sexy, shy, ultra powerful head of the R&D department, who is so busy fighting an evil competitor threatening to sell black magic on the street that he seems barely to notice Katie. Now it's up to Katie to pull off the impossible: save the world and--hopefully--live happily ever after.
Katie Chandler had always heard that New York is a weird and wonderful place, but this small-town Texas gal had no idea how weird until she moved there. Everywhere she goes, she sees something worth gawking at and Katie is afraid she's a little too normal to make a splash in the big city. Working for an ogre of a boss doesn't help.
Then, seemingly out of the blue, Katie gets a job offer from Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc., a company that provides tricks of the trade to the magic community. For MSI, Katie's ordinariness is an asset.
Lacking any bit of magic, she can easily spot a fake spell, catch hidden clauses in competitor's contracts, and detect magically disguised intruders. Suddenly, average Katie is very special indeed.
She quickly learns that office politics are even more complicated when your new boss is a real ogre, and you have a crush on the sexy, shy, ultra powerful head of the R&D department, who is so busy fighting an evil competitor threatening to sell black magic on the street that he seems barely to notice Katie. Now it's up to Katie to pull off the impossible: save the world and--hopefully--live happily ever after.
308 pages, Paperback
First published May 31, 2005
309 people are currently reading
11602 people want to read
About the author
Shanna Swendson
39 books1,131 followersOnce upon a time ...
A little girl learned to amuse herself by making up stories in her head. She turned everyday activities into exciting adventures, and she made up new adventures for characters from her favorite movies, TV shows and books. Then one day she realized that if she wrote down those stories, she'd have a book! But that was crazy, she thought. Real people don't become novelists. That was like deciding you were going to be a movie star. You couldn't just go and do it.
But, it turns out, you can, and she did. She realized her dream of becoming a novelist and seeing her stories in bookstores.
And then she started to wig herself out by writing about herself in the third-person.
This is her story.
The Novelist's Journey
As I said above in that bit of silliness, I've always been a writer at heart. My favorite way to play was to create stories and act them out with my Fisher-Price people, my Barbie dolls or myself and a box of play clothes. If none of those things were available, I could just sit and make up stories in my head. I occasionally got into trouble for being a little too creative, such as the time when I embellished a bit on my kindergarten experiences (where's the dramatic hook in coloring, cutting out and pasting?).
When I was in seventh grade and a bit old for Fisher-Price people, Barbie dolls or the dress-up box, I started writing these stories down in spiral notebooks. Later, I found an old manual typewriter, taught myself to type, then wrote a lot of first chapters of novels on it. I still hadn't figured out how to actually be a working novelist who gets paid for writing (finishing a book instead of writing a lot of first chapters might have been a good start), so when it came time to go to college, I went to journalism school at the University of Texas. While getting my degree in broadcast news, I managed to structure a curriculum that might also help me in my real career plans. I took fencing (which I thought would be useful for writing fantasy novels), an astronomy course on the search for extraterrestrial life (in case I wanted to write science fiction), psychology, interpersonal communication, and parageography (the geography of imaginary lands).
I got serious about pursuing my novel-writing ambitions soon after I got my first job in public relations (TV reporting, it turns out, would have taken away from my writing time) when I started joining local writing organizations and reading books on how to write a novel. Then I took the big step of registering for a writing conference. With the registration fee, you could enter two manuscripts in a contest that went with the conference. I figured if I was paying that much money, I'd get the most out of it, so I wrote two entries. At the conference, I met a real, live editor, who encouraged me to submit, and one of my entries won the science fiction/fantasy category of the contest. I hurried to finish the novel the editor had asked for, then mailed a proposal.
She ended up rejecting the book, but encouraged me to keep trying. I ended up selling that novel elsewhere, then sold two more books to that publisher before I had another idea for that original editor. That book ended up selling, and then one more.
And then I hit the wall. Due to a number of circumstances, some of which weren't my fault and some of which were, I didn't sell anything else for eight years. But then I had the idea that became Enchanted, Inc., I wrote it, sold it, and here I am.
Other Life Stuff
I think I need to get a few more hobbies or something else going on in my life that isn't related to reading or writing because currently my bio in my books is shorter than the "about the typeface" section. Yes, a typeface has a more interesting life than I do.
When I'm not writing, I'm most often reading. Otherwise, I enjoy watching science fiction TV shows and then discussing them on the Internet, working crossw
A little girl learned to amuse herself by making up stories in her head. She turned everyday activities into exciting adventures, and she made up new adventures for characters from her favorite movies, TV shows and books. Then one day she realized that if she wrote down those stories, she'd have a book! But that was crazy, she thought. Real people don't become novelists. That was like deciding you were going to be a movie star. You couldn't just go and do it.
But, it turns out, you can, and she did. She realized her dream of becoming a novelist and seeing her stories in bookstores.
And then she started to wig herself out by writing about herself in the third-person.
This is her story.
The Novelist's Journey
As I said above in that bit of silliness, I've always been a writer at heart. My favorite way to play was to create stories and act them out with my Fisher-Price people, my Barbie dolls or myself and a box of play clothes. If none of those things were available, I could just sit and make up stories in my head. I occasionally got into trouble for being a little too creative, such as the time when I embellished a bit on my kindergarten experiences (where's the dramatic hook in coloring, cutting out and pasting?).
When I was in seventh grade and a bit old for Fisher-Price people, Barbie dolls or the dress-up box, I started writing these stories down in spiral notebooks. Later, I found an old manual typewriter, taught myself to type, then wrote a lot of first chapters of novels on it. I still hadn't figured out how to actually be a working novelist who gets paid for writing (finishing a book instead of writing a lot of first chapters might have been a good start), so when it came time to go to college, I went to journalism school at the University of Texas. While getting my degree in broadcast news, I managed to structure a curriculum that might also help me in my real career plans. I took fencing (which I thought would be useful for writing fantasy novels), an astronomy course on the search for extraterrestrial life (in case I wanted to write science fiction), psychology, interpersonal communication, and parageography (the geography of imaginary lands).
I got serious about pursuing my novel-writing ambitions soon after I got my first job in public relations (TV reporting, it turns out, would have taken away from my writing time) when I started joining local writing organizations and reading books on how to write a novel. Then I took the big step of registering for a writing conference. With the registration fee, you could enter two manuscripts in a contest that went with the conference. I figured if I was paying that much money, I'd get the most out of it, so I wrote two entries. At the conference, I met a real, live editor, who encouraged me to submit, and one of my entries won the science fiction/fantasy category of the contest. I hurried to finish the novel the editor had asked for, then mailed a proposal.
She ended up rejecting the book, but encouraged me to keep trying. I ended up selling that novel elsewhere, then sold two more books to that publisher before I had another idea for that original editor. That book ended up selling, and then one more.
And then I hit the wall. Due to a number of circumstances, some of which weren't my fault and some of which were, I didn't sell anything else for eight years. But then I had the idea that became Enchanted, Inc., I wrote it, sold it, and here I am.
Other Life Stuff
I think I need to get a few more hobbies or something else going on in my life that isn't related to reading or writing because currently my bio in my books is shorter than the "about the typeface" section. Yes, a typeface has a more interesting life than I do.
When I'm not writing, I'm most often reading. Otherwise, I enjoy watching science fiction TV shows and then discussing them on the Internet, working crossw
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,421 reviews
November 29, 2019
When I want to read chick-lit, I want to laugh and this book didn't really deliver that many laughs for me. There were a couple of moments, such as the guy who thought he was a frog, and the guy who had been a frog, but still.... aren't frogs always funny? Or, is it just me?
I rescind my statement. Also, childhood ruined.
The story has great potential. Our heroine is special because she ISN'T magical and therefore magic neither works on her nor fools her. She can see through it. This makes her helpful to the magical people because they need people like her to tell them if an illusion is being used on them. So, she becomes a fact-checker at a magic company.
The problem, for me, is that there was a little too much concentration on marketing and business practices and less concentration on the magical things or anything funny or interesting. Seriously, it was like a college student was anxious to share how much they learned about business, and frankly, if I wanted to read a book on business, I would have read this book:
I'm listening...
The book does have its redeeming moments, though, and has potential for the future of the series because the characters are good, so I wouldn't write it off completely. I was just a little disappointed.
Okay, maybe not this disappointed, but still....
I rescind my statement. Also, childhood ruined.
The story has great potential. Our heroine is special because she ISN'T magical and therefore magic neither works on her nor fools her. She can see through it. This makes her helpful to the magical people because they need people like her to tell them if an illusion is being used on them. So, she becomes a fact-checker at a magic company.
The problem, for me, is that there was a little too much concentration on marketing and business practices and less concentration on the magical things or anything funny or interesting. Seriously, it was like a college student was anxious to share how much they learned about business, and frankly, if I wanted to read a book on business, I would have read this book:
I'm listening...
The book does have its redeeming moments, though, and has potential for the future of the series because the characters are good, so I wouldn't write it off completely. I was just a little disappointed.
Okay, maybe not this disappointed, but still....
March 31, 2009
When Katie Chandler left small-town Texas for NYC, she knew it was going to be a whole different world. She just didn't know how different. After several months of "seeing things" (like people with wings on the subway, walking garden gnomes in Central Park, and gargoyles that come & go from the church down the street from her apartment) Katie discovers she's not going crazy. Turns out magic really exists, but she's immune, so she sees through magical folks' illusions. This rare talent lands her a job at Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc, sort of the IBM of the magical world. And she's joined the team just in the nick of time, because a disgruntled former employee is trying to break into the market...with some magic of the decidedly dark variety.
Okay, so this is definitely chick-lit. But it's a fun, fast read without a lot of "objectionable" material. Katie's a very level-headed heroine, and her (mis)adventures contain enough realism (issues at the office, the horror of the daily commute, sharing a one bedroom apartment with two roommates) to keep things interesting.
Okay, so this is definitely chick-lit. But it's a fun, fast read without a lot of "objectionable" material. Katie's a very level-headed heroine, and her (mis)adventures contain enough realism (issues at the office, the horror of the daily commute, sharing a one bedroom apartment with two roommates) to keep things interesting.
August 22, 2008
Enchanted, Inc. was on my mental list of to read books for a while. After reading a heavier fiction book I thought something a little less deep would be nice. That's when I picked up this delightfully, light-hearted read. At first I wasn't sure I would enjoy it. So many had compared it to Harry Potter and Im one of the few people in the world who did not fall in love with that series. Not that I hate it, I just don't love it. Luckily I gave this one a try. Shortly after finishing it I ordered the other three books in the series. Rumor has it there is a fifth book in the works but my not get published due to low sales on books three and four.
June 30, 2010
This is a fun, "take-me-away" book. I loved the whole series!
They have great characters, and it's in NYC (I heart NYC) and
a really fun story. Like modern day fairy tales, it's just fun! :)
(there are a ::few:: swear words, why do they always do that?)
They have great characters, and it's in NYC (I heart NYC) and
a really fun story. Like modern day fairy tales, it's just fun! :)
(there are a ::few:: swear words, why do they always do that?)
June 3, 2009
Very cute premise--NYC is a hotbed of magic, but only a few humans with no magic in them are able to see through the illusions to reality. Corporate magical types need those humans to double check contracts and such to be sure there are no spells slipped into them from the other side. A fast read and not as fun as it should be--clearly there are a whole slew of sequels, so no resolution in the first one...and not much reason to find the second one.
Our heroine is a bit of a Mary Sue--only her talent is ordinariness amidst the insanity of NYC. Because of it, she gets offered a dream job where she's instantly promoted, universally beloved, and key to saving the day. Our hero is an incredibly powerful wizard who uses spells only for good. He spends most of the novel blushing, except when he's being brilliant and masterful.
I'm pretty sure this was sold to the publisher as "Harry Potter for women who love Sex and the City".
Our heroine is a bit of a Mary Sue--only her talent is ordinariness amidst the insanity of NYC. Because of it, she gets offered a dream job where she's instantly promoted, universally beloved, and key to saving the day. Our hero is an incredibly powerful wizard who uses spells only for good. He spends most of the novel blushing, except when he's being brilliant and masterful.
I'm pretty sure this was sold to the publisher as "Harry Potter for women who love Sex and the City".
February 23, 2009
I read an absurd amount of books and so I often find myself picking random books by authors I have never read before and hoping for the best. Usually the books turn out to be lackluster if not down right horrible. I was pleasantly surprised that this book turned out to be a fun quick read. Swendson was able to suck me into the story immediately. The world she created was actually something I had not seen before which is rare these days. Swendson combines the right amount of humor, drama, romance, and action to create a great read that leaves the reader wanting more. I loved this book so much I immediately went to the library to check out the second book as well as requesting the third and fourth books. The one major disappointment is that the books did not sell enough for the publisher to allow Swendson to write the fifth book. I want to see how the story you need to go out and read her books and tell your friends.
May 4, 2023
One of my friends from college told me about this book and told me I just *had* to read it. I'm always looking for book recommendations, so I found a copy and read it. I promptly fell in love with the characters and the story--whimsical and practical all the the same time. As soon as I finished reading it I think I started again, and I've read it many times since then...when I'm not lending my copy out to people to introduce them to the wonderful story!
March 31, 2009
Enchanted, Inc. A Novel is the most excellent and humorous book ever, excellently written and very excellent main character.
I love the personal images Katie gets in her head, and her evil little thoughts, it was the best and funnest book that I have read!
Just buy a Mocha Frappuccino, a bagel with cream cheese, lay down on the couch with your-oh-so-comfortable blanket and your set for an adventure!
I never stopped laughing all thorough this book, Shanna Swendson leaves me feeling great, good job Shanna!
I love the personal images Katie gets in her head, and her evil little thoughts, it was the best and funnest book that I have read!
Just buy a Mocha Frappuccino, a bagel with cream cheese, lay down on the couch with your-oh-so-comfortable blanket and your set for an adventure!
I never stopped laughing all thorough this book, Shanna Swendson leaves me feeling great, good job Shanna!
May 11, 2011
http://www.rantingdragon.com/enchante...
In a world where magic is real, how would it feel to be ordinary? Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson, book one of the Enchanted series, introduces us to Katie Chandler, a truly ordinary Texas girl in New York. Katie has been deleting the vague e-mailed job offers from MSI, Inc., but when her dreadful Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde boss drives her to desperation, she decides to see what MSI has to offer.
In the strangest job interview I’ve ever heard of, Katie learns that magic is real and that elves, fairies, wizards, and gargoyles exist. MSI – Magic, Spells, and Illusions – searches for rare people like Katie with no trace of magic in them who are therefore immune to the effects of magic. It doesn’t take long for Katie to accept their job offer.
An engaging pace
Within her first week at MSI, Katie manages to catch an invisible spy, befriend the elderly CEO, develop a crush on a coworker, and involve herself in an effort to take care of Phelan Idris, a disgruntled ex-employee with an unfortunate interest in black magic. Events, both magical and commonplace, whoosh past at a pace that leaves Katie, and the reader, feeling slightly overwhelmed. The words don’t get in the way of the story, and while there are some scenes without much action, the story maintains a brisk, engaging pace. This book is possible to put down, but I don’t expect you’ll want to stop reading until the end.
The familiar and unfamiliar
Swendson starts the reader off with a familiar scene: a chronically single woman working at a dead-end job for a terrible boss, barely making enough to get by. Anyone who’s dreaded going to work in the morning, pinched pennies, or had a mind-numbingly boring blind date can relate to Katie’s life. But when she is thrown headfirst into the unfamiliar, talking to gargoyles suddenly seems perfectly natural to me. This smooth transition from our familiar New York to Katie’s magical New York is certainly aided by the first-person narration as the reader gets to experience the sudden paradigm shift right along with Katie. And she handles the changes well, at least until a girl’s night out with her new coworkers ends with them in Central Park kissing frogs.
Swendson smoothly introduces the unfamiliar to a familiar world, taking a familiar fantasy trope – that of the protagonist learning that magic is real and that she can use it, often to save the world – and turns it on its head with a heroine who learns that she can’t use magic at all. Yet that very lack of magic is what makes Katie so interesting to me. Even though she’s a perfectly ordinary woman, she doesn’t sit back and leave saving the world to the powerful wizards. This creative twist on a common premise is pulled off masterfully.
Just a hint of romance
Fortunately for those like me who enjoy a little romance, the magical tension developing between MSI and Idris is balanced by the perfectly commonplace stream of eligible bachelors Katie’s roommate tries to set her up with. From the blind date who spoke two words to her the entire evening and then declared she was like a sister, to the former frog she disenchanted who follows her around serenading her in gratitude, Katie’s romantic woes leave the reader laughing and groaning right along with her.
Those who don’t appreciate romance might be put off by the amount of time Katie spends mooning over her crush, the shy, cute, and powerful wizard in charge of Research & Development. Those who do appreciate romance might be disappointed at the lack of anything beyond mooning. Nowhere was I more frustrated with Katie than when she interacted with her crush. I found her reticence frustrating, even though I’m sure I would act the same way around such a powerful figure.
Interesting characters
The world we see through Katie’s eyes is populated with believable people. Some are more likable than others, but even the ultimate villain of the story has understandable motives. The CEO maintains a lovable balance between doddering old man and incredibly powerful wizard, while the personnel manager’s sleazy, overconfident front masks an eager, boyish heart. There are also a number of interesting minor characters I look forward to seeing developed further in the future installments of the series.
Throughout the book, I found myself cheering as things went well for Katie and groaning when things went wrong. I occasionally found myself yelling at her for being an idiot, while secretly admitting that I would have done the same thing in her situation. When faced with unbelievable situations, the characters still react believably. None of the characters are perfect, but they are perfectly fun to read.
Why should you read this book?
Enchanted, Inc. is a delightful frolic through the magical streets of New York. If you’re looking for a quick, light, fast-paced read, this may be the book for you.
In a world where magic is real, how would it feel to be ordinary? Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson, book one of the Enchanted series, introduces us to Katie Chandler, a truly ordinary Texas girl in New York. Katie has been deleting the vague e-mailed job offers from MSI, Inc., but when her dreadful Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde boss drives her to desperation, she decides to see what MSI has to offer.
In the strangest job interview I’ve ever heard of, Katie learns that magic is real and that elves, fairies, wizards, and gargoyles exist. MSI – Magic, Spells, and Illusions – searches for rare people like Katie with no trace of magic in them who are therefore immune to the effects of magic. It doesn’t take long for Katie to accept their job offer.
An engaging pace
Within her first week at MSI, Katie manages to catch an invisible spy, befriend the elderly CEO, develop a crush on a coworker, and involve herself in an effort to take care of Phelan Idris, a disgruntled ex-employee with an unfortunate interest in black magic. Events, both magical and commonplace, whoosh past at a pace that leaves Katie, and the reader, feeling slightly overwhelmed. The words don’t get in the way of the story, and while there are some scenes without much action, the story maintains a brisk, engaging pace. This book is possible to put down, but I don’t expect you’ll want to stop reading until the end.
The familiar and unfamiliar
Swendson starts the reader off with a familiar scene: a chronically single woman working at a dead-end job for a terrible boss, barely making enough to get by. Anyone who’s dreaded going to work in the morning, pinched pennies, or had a mind-numbingly boring blind date can relate to Katie’s life. But when she is thrown headfirst into the unfamiliar, talking to gargoyles suddenly seems perfectly natural to me. This smooth transition from our familiar New York to Katie’s magical New York is certainly aided by the first-person narration as the reader gets to experience the sudden paradigm shift right along with Katie. And she handles the changes well, at least until a girl’s night out with her new coworkers ends with them in Central Park kissing frogs.
Swendson smoothly introduces the unfamiliar to a familiar world, taking a familiar fantasy trope – that of the protagonist learning that magic is real and that she can use it, often to save the world – and turns it on its head with a heroine who learns that she can’t use magic at all. Yet that very lack of magic is what makes Katie so interesting to me. Even though she’s a perfectly ordinary woman, she doesn’t sit back and leave saving the world to the powerful wizards. This creative twist on a common premise is pulled off masterfully.
Just a hint of romance
Fortunately for those like me who enjoy a little romance, the magical tension developing between MSI and Idris is balanced by the perfectly commonplace stream of eligible bachelors Katie’s roommate tries to set her up with. From the blind date who spoke two words to her the entire evening and then declared she was like a sister, to the former frog she disenchanted who follows her around serenading her in gratitude, Katie’s romantic woes leave the reader laughing and groaning right along with her.
Those who don’t appreciate romance might be put off by the amount of time Katie spends mooning over her crush, the shy, cute, and powerful wizard in charge of Research & Development. Those who do appreciate romance might be disappointed at the lack of anything beyond mooning. Nowhere was I more frustrated with Katie than when she interacted with her crush. I found her reticence frustrating, even though I’m sure I would act the same way around such a powerful figure.
Interesting characters
The world we see through Katie’s eyes is populated with believable people. Some are more likable than others, but even the ultimate villain of the story has understandable motives. The CEO maintains a lovable balance between doddering old man and incredibly powerful wizard, while the personnel manager’s sleazy, overconfident front masks an eager, boyish heart. There are also a number of interesting minor characters I look forward to seeing developed further in the future installments of the series.
Throughout the book, I found myself cheering as things went well for Katie and groaning when things went wrong. I occasionally found myself yelling at her for being an idiot, while secretly admitting that I would have done the same thing in her situation. When faced with unbelievable situations, the characters still react believably. None of the characters are perfect, but they are perfectly fun to read.
Why should you read this book?
Enchanted, Inc. is a delightful frolic through the magical streets of New York. If you’re looking for a quick, light, fast-paced read, this may be the book for you.
October 24, 2016
Huh, well, that just did not work at all. Extreme Lameness Alert. WOO-WOO.
Let’s get right down to business (you’ll understand that pun shortly). It’s like I said, this book missed the mark, big time. Granted, it tries to play with a very amusing concept of mixing up the Arthurian Legend with New York’s bustling hub of commerce; Merlin and his disciples now run a corporation named “Magic, Spells and Illusions, Inc.” that manufactures quality spells of daily use for the magical community. But for me it lacked that specific fun flavor and spark chick-lit books have. I may not have liked Mia in Princess Diaries but I won’t deny that the books were hilarious. Here, not so much. The protagonist just rubbed me the wrong way.
It is impossible to form a specific opinion about her. I clearly did not like her and yet she didn’t do anything to make me hate her. And therein lies my problem. Her character seemed a bit inconsistent and also a little vague. It took about 200 pages for me to know that she was 26 years old and that she had brothers too. One minute she was polite, the other she did something that would qualify as being “bitchy”, sometimes I got the impression that she was a reserved person and at other times she was climbing the Everest of self-confidence. She wasn’t a well-developed, thought-out character.
And this leads to the other, bigger problem. The plot needs some serious fine-tuning besides being laughably plain. Slow pace and bland and stiff nature of the narration did little to mask that. There’s a ton of dialogue and interactions that feel lifeless and flat. There is next-to-no explanation regarding how Merlin and his minions get from helping Le Great King Arthur to running a magical corporation and in New York no less. So, what? They just decided to ditch Britain and move to America? Where are Arthur and his Knights? Because supposedly, Merlin will return when Arthur rises again and that is even mentioned here. Are there other companies other than this? I will venture a guess that no, there are not as when Merlin un-retires, he becomes the CEO of MSI only. Where do the wizards go to learn all that stuff since until recently, Merlin was napping like Sleeping Beauty? How extensive and far-located is the magical population? Again, I’ll guess that since there is only one company supplying the magical folks’ needs, there must not be a lot of them.
The idea of Merlin waking up from his thousand year old slumber to deal with the super-powerful threat of recent times which turned out to be, wait for it, an employee gone rogue, was, as you can probably guess, hilarious. Although I’m pretty sure that wasn’t intended. All this build up to some epic showdown with an evil wizard, and all they had to do was up their ante at marketing and throw the guy a few times and that was it. I don’t know, didn’t sound like a particularly worthy THE WORLD IZ EN DANGERRR! DO SUMTHANG. DUN DUN DUN! scenario to me. No, this book was all business, marketing, executives, business, secretaries, advertising, companies, BUSINESS, law firms and work. Chick-lit is supposed to have romance too but the book was slow on that front as well. Minus magic, minus romance, there was just BIZZNESS.
Katie’s adjustment into her “new” surroundings was smooth. Too smooth and unconvincing, in fact. It literally took like, 2 days for her to adjust. I get that she, being immune, already saw through every spell and illusion and all she needed was an explanation to rationalize it all but I didn’t expect her to complain and start making demands on the third day, which she did.
There are too many things that were plain silly to even consider. A guy just got de-frogged by a kiss, probably after decades as his mannerisms suggested and he didn’t even get startled by where he found himself and had no problems hooking up with Katie’s best friend LITERALLY the next day (Kya?). The other Naked Frog Guy saw Katie’s other best friend and WITHIN 2 SECONDS both of them ran off because “love at first sight” (Hain?). Owen, the cute, short, XTREME-LY powerful guy blushed and flushed himself to death whenever he opened his mouth. If they could have extracted the color from his cheeks the number of times he blushed I swear they could have painted all the white roses in a 100 square feet garden different shades of red and pink. The writer also made a point of telling us repeatedly, through Katie, how unimaginably POWAH-FUL he was. And every time she thought of that “a chill ran down” her spine. Meanwhile, I was like, sure, okay, whatever you say, man.
And Rod, the sleazy, repulsive-at-first-sight-but-in-reality-kinda-nice dude who uses illusion and love spells to charm women. Where do I even start? There isn’t much apart from that so I won’t. As per my understanding, Katie is kind of, sort of, maybe, in a love square with Owen, Rod and Ethan.
On the bright side, the cover is really nice.
January 26, 2009
It’s Bridget Jones meets Harry Potter in this enchanting tale of fantasy, humor, and adventure. Katie Chandler has no love life, can barely afford her rent, and has a horrible job. Until one day an odd e-mail about a job pops up in her inbox at work. She thinks it’s just spam and deletes it, but it continuously shows up. After having a really bad day at work, she takes a chance and checks it out. It sounds like the deal of a life time. But she meets Owen Palmer and Rodney Gwaltney for the job interview they don’t exactly tell her what she’s in for. They tell her she would be giving them a reality check for their company and hand her a card that says MSI, Inc. Little does she know that it stands for Magic, Spells, and Illusions and her power is in high commodity.
This was a very interesting read. It didn’t have enough romance or sex to be a paranormal romance and it didn’t have enough action or mystery to be considered an urban fantasy. I thought Swendson did a good job of mixing a bunch of different elements, but it will be very hard for book stores to categorize it. It took me a while to get into Katie’s head, but when her boss started yelling at her, I started to relate and was then hooked.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of slow parts. I’m going to cough-it-up to the fact that this is the author’s first Katie Chandler book and the author was getting the feel for Katie. At some parts there did seem to be some filler. She talks several times about resumes and about Rodney’s looks. Things that could have just been mentioned briefly when she wrote it. She also mentions her roommates/friends briefly and I feel like we needed to get to know them, but I barely see them. I understand that they are not the star of the show, but they are a part of Katie’s life and other than helping out with rent and shoving her on blind dates, I really don’t see the point of them being in the book.
Katie herself is witty and tough, but at times can be a real fuddy duddy almost to the point of annoying. Luckily, Swendson brings us the sparks that is Owen and Katie and the seduction of the possibility of something more. So far, he seems like the crush that you just like to keep to yourself and never share.
Again, you will not find any action packed scenes or heavy romance pages in this book. This is just plain ‘ol, light smooth reading for the lighthearted reader.
This was a very interesting read. It didn’t have enough romance or sex to be a paranormal romance and it didn’t have enough action or mystery to be considered an urban fantasy. I thought Swendson did a good job of mixing a bunch of different elements, but it will be very hard for book stores to categorize it. It took me a while to get into Katie’s head, but when her boss started yelling at her, I started to relate and was then hooked.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of slow parts. I’m going to cough-it-up to the fact that this is the author’s first Katie Chandler book and the author was getting the feel for Katie. At some parts there did seem to be some filler. She talks several times about resumes and about Rodney’s looks. Things that could have just been mentioned briefly when she wrote it. She also mentions her roommates/friends briefly and I feel like we needed to get to know them, but I barely see them. I understand that they are not the star of the show, but they are a part of Katie’s life and other than helping out with rent and shoving her on blind dates, I really don’t see the point of them being in the book.
Katie herself is witty and tough, but at times can be a real fuddy duddy almost to the point of annoying. Luckily, Swendson brings us the sparks that is Owen and Katie and the seduction of the possibility of something more. So far, he seems like the crush that you just like to keep to yourself and never share.
Again, you will not find any action packed scenes or heavy romance pages in this book. This is just plain ‘ol, light smooth reading for the lighthearted reader.
November 12, 2009
I loved this book. The characters were wonderful. The premise "enchanting". I was really in need of something light-hearted and this fit the bill beautifully.
September 29, 2009
Katie Chandler didn't know she was immune to magic until she moved to New York. You see, Texas isn't a very magical place, so she didn't realize she could see weird things that others don't see.
The first few chapters of this book almost seemed like it could have been written about a previous supervisor of mine as she describes the behavior of her supervisor, good Mimi/bad Mimi. uirkl
Luckily, Katie gets a job offer that takes her from the dreadful to one that is just weird. A fun, quirky book. I plan on looking for the sequel.
The first few chapters of this book almost seemed like it could have been written about a previous supervisor of mine as she describes the behavior of her supervisor, good Mimi/bad Mimi. uirkl
Luckily, Katie gets a job offer that takes her from the dreadful to one that is just weird. A fun, quirky book. I plan on looking for the sequel.
December 31, 2007
Great book!! I tend to read non-fiction or heavier fiction so this was a nice change. I do enjoy chick lit but often the plotlines are the same old thing every time. This book feels more unique & is truly a fun read. I finished it in a day, something I hadn't done in a long time. I have every intention of reading the rest of the books in the series.
Note: I was thrilled to find out that this book was optioned for a movie. *keeps fingers crossed*
Note: I was thrilled to find out that this book was optioned for a movie. *keeps fingers crossed*
August 31, 2008
I loved these quirky, funny books. The setting is imaginative, the main characters are likable, and I couldn't put them down.
February 13, 2010
I love this book, it's just a good read for this winter days and a lot of fun.
December 10, 2018
This isn't the kind of book I would normally choose to read; I'm more the guns-violence-blood-all-over-the-ceiling type. This is not that kind of book.
It's a kind of cross between urban fantasy (which I do read) and chick-lit (which I don't - see above re blood and violence), rather heavier on the chick-lit. Our heroine, Katie, is working in a dead-end job with an awful boss, when she gets a job offer out of the blue because she is so ordinary and unmagical that she is actually super-special to the magical community. Fair enough; let's face it, "ordinary girl turns out to be special" is more than a trope: it's practically an industry standard, so it would be fair to complain about that. And, of course, she ends up working in a great job (nearly instant promotion!) with nice people and a pay rise.
I quite liked Katie, and she was a pleasant change from the "kick ass" heroines who have no life skills other than an ability to kick someone's kidneys out through their ears. Katie can bake cinnamon rolls. :-) Unfortunately, because this is very light fantasy/chick-lit, none of the characters - even Katie - were particularly complex.
The setting was potentially interesting: magic is real, but because most people have a tiny bit of magic, spells - like concealment spells - work on them, even if most people can't do spells themselves. Only the rare people like Katie who have no magic at all can see through illusions. This was book one of a series, so there's a lot of set-up; I expect further books in the series will introduce more detail. I do wonder how Katie's employer has managed to maintain what appears to be a world monopoly in spell production for as long as they have, but then, I'm the kind of person who picks holes in the magical community in Harry Potter as well.
Plot-wise, everything seemed to happen rather easily; there is no sense of risk or danger. The result was a book that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend as relaxing reading after a really bad day at work. It's the literary equivalent of candy-floss: light, sweet, cute, and fluffy. There's no sex - and I can't remember if there's even a kiss, although the ingredients are there for a love-triangle which will presumably be developed in later books. If that's what you want, you'll love this book. If you want something with a body count that reaches double digits by the end of chapter two, you're probably best off picking something else.
Bottom-line: it was cute and silly and fun. I read it in two sittings, but only because I had to put it down because I needed to get some sleep before I finished it. :-)
It's a kind of cross between urban fantasy (which I do read) and chick-lit (which I don't - see above re blood and violence), rather heavier on the chick-lit. Our heroine, Katie, is working in a dead-end job with an awful boss, when she gets a job offer out of the blue because she is so ordinary and unmagical that she is actually super-special to the magical community. Fair enough; let's face it, "ordinary girl turns out to be special" is more than a trope: it's practically an industry standard, so it would be fair to complain about that. And, of course, she ends up working in a great job (nearly instant promotion!) with nice people and a pay rise.
I quite liked Katie, and she was a pleasant change from the "kick ass" heroines who have no life skills other than an ability to kick someone's kidneys out through their ears. Katie can bake cinnamon rolls. :-) Unfortunately, because this is very light fantasy/chick-lit, none of the characters - even Katie - were particularly complex.
The setting was potentially interesting: magic is real, but because most people have a tiny bit of magic, spells - like concealment spells - work on them, even if most people can't do spells themselves. Only the rare people like Katie who have no magic at all can see through illusions. This was book one of a series, so there's a lot of set-up; I expect further books in the series will introduce more detail. I do wonder how Katie's employer has managed to maintain what appears to be a world monopoly in spell production for as long as they have, but then, I'm the kind of person who picks holes in the magical community in Harry Potter as well.
Plot-wise, everything seemed to happen rather easily; there is no sense of risk or danger. The result was a book that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend as relaxing reading after a really bad day at work. It's the literary equivalent of candy-floss: light, sweet, cute, and fluffy. There's no sex - and I can't remember if there's even a kiss, although the ingredients are there for a love-triangle which will presumably be developed in later books. If that's what you want, you'll love this book. If you want something with a body count that reaches double digits by the end of chapter two, you're probably best off picking something else.
Bottom-line: it was cute and silly and fun. I read it in two sittings, but only because I had to put it down because I needed to get some sleep before I finished it. :-)
April 22, 2010
Moving from Texas to New York has been quite a culture shock for Katie Chandler, to say the very least. Aside from having a monster of a boss at work, Katie sees all different kinds of visions and odd creatures while riding the subway and walking the streets, from women with wings on their backs, to hideous looking men who appear to look like Johnny Depp in everyone else's eyes and ever-moving statuesque Gargoyles who can be found perched atop various buildings along the city's skyline at different times of the day. Soon, however, Katie learns that these visions may not be so weird after all. After receiving several recruitment emails from the ugly man on the subway who appears to be stalking her, Katie fianlly decides to hear their offer out - anything could be better than working for the she-devil, Mimi. After a bit more vision-enducing enchantments, the recruiters of Magic, Spells and Illusions, Inc (MSI, Inc.) tell Katie quite simply that "magic is real". Not only is magic real, but Katie is a rare breed, who is so "ordinary" and nonmagical that spells, illusions and magic do not affect her in the least bit. She is offered a job at MSI, Inc. to verify when magic is being used to to do malevolent business. As soon as Katie accepts this new position, she is in for a magical adventure like no other she could have imagined in any fairy tale, story book and certainly not in Texas. This is the first book in a four part series sure to be filled with excitment, drama and of course, magic. A fun, light and quick read. Recommended to any chick lit reader who misses the days when watching programs like Bewitched or Sabrina the Teenage Witch were popular.
March 15, 2010
I really enjoyed this one!!!
Katie Chandler is a woman from a small town in Texas that now lives in NYC. She is as ordinary as people can get and works as a personal assistant to a really terrible boss. After all the horror stories that Katie has been told about NY, she is still shocked to see how much people in the city ignore things around them. Katie has seen people with wings, people who seem to call subway trains with a flick of their wrists, and people who just act strange. The worst thing of all, she has had to alter her walking route because the gargoyle on one of the churches seems to come and go depending on the day.
Katie is then approached by two men who claim to work for a company called MSI inc. They are all magical beings, and sell magical spells to the community. Katie is so ordinary that she is actually special. She has no hint of magical ability at all, which means she can't be influenced by magic in any way. They need Katie to help them in their buisness enterprise. Since she can see through illusions she has the ability to see if people are trying to cheat MSI in any way. But there's actually a larger problem where Katie might be more effective. An ex-employee is selling dangerous spells to the population, and MSI is trying to stop him before chaos erupts.
I thought this book was really unique. I enjoyed Katie's humor and I found it a little refreshing that the main character in a PNR book is NOT magical in anyway. She is a normal ordinary person, but yet, can do extraordinary things.
I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
Katie Chandler is a woman from a small town in Texas that now lives in NYC. She is as ordinary as people can get and works as a personal assistant to a really terrible boss. After all the horror stories that Katie has been told about NY, she is still shocked to see how much people in the city ignore things around them. Katie has seen people with wings, people who seem to call subway trains with a flick of their wrists, and people who just act strange. The worst thing of all, she has had to alter her walking route because the gargoyle on one of the churches seems to come and go depending on the day.
Katie is then approached by two men who claim to work for a company called MSI inc. They are all magical beings, and sell magical spells to the community. Katie is so ordinary that she is actually special. She has no hint of magical ability at all, which means she can't be influenced by magic in any way. They need Katie to help them in their buisness enterprise. Since she can see through illusions she has the ability to see if people are trying to cheat MSI in any way. But there's actually a larger problem where Katie might be more effective. An ex-employee is selling dangerous spells to the population, and MSI is trying to stop him before chaos erupts.
I thought this book was really unique. I enjoyed Katie's humor and I found it a little refreshing that the main character in a PNR book is NOT magical in anyway. She is a normal ordinary person, but yet, can do extraordinary things.
I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
July 10, 2009
I thought that this was a wonderfully refreshing book. Light and fun with a little romance on the side.
I found it easy to identify with the main character who, being a young woman new to the big city, is second guessing herself when she notices strange things around her, passing them off as a strange city's eccentricities. That is until she is dicovered by MSI and finds out that all those strange things are real, and magic is real, an she is beyond the normal level of plain, so far beyond in fact, that she is now rather special.
Being a fan of both Harry Potter and Bridget Jones, I instantly fell in love with this, seeing as a good analogy for this book is combining the two.
So if you are a fan of magic and chic lit, you will probably love this book as much as I did.
I found it easy to identify with the main character who, being a young woman new to the big city, is second guessing herself when she notices strange things around her, passing them off as a strange city's eccentricities. That is until she is dicovered by MSI and finds out that all those strange things are real, and magic is real, an she is beyond the normal level of plain, so far beyond in fact, that she is now rather special.
Being a fan of both Harry Potter and Bridget Jones, I instantly fell in love with this, seeing as a good analogy for this book is combining the two.
So if you are a fan of magic and chic lit, you will probably love this book as much as I did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2008
"Enchanted, Inc." by Shanna Swendson is a real gem. Utterly delicious!
"Enchanted, Inc." caught my eye when I was on an online shopping site looking at another book to purchase. On a whim I bought it and am so glad I did.
The story is set in the Big Apple and features the instantly lovable down-home Texas gal, Katie Chandler who is stuck in a dead-end job with a boss from hell. Boring, ordinary Katie Chandler.
But as it so happens, ordinary is just what is needed at MSI, Inc. (Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc.) And her life is about to be anything BUT boring!
This book is in a word, enchanting. It won't disappoint!
"Enchanted, Inc." caught my eye when I was on an online shopping site looking at another book to purchase. On a whim I bought it and am so glad I did.
The story is set in the Big Apple and features the instantly lovable down-home Texas gal, Katie Chandler who is stuck in a dead-end job with a boss from hell. Boring, ordinary Katie Chandler.
But as it so happens, ordinary is just what is needed at MSI, Inc. (Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc.) And her life is about to be anything BUT boring!
This book is in a word, enchanting. It won't disappoint!
March 28, 2009
The story is about Katie a small town texas girl who moved to New York to be with her friends. She is stuck i n a job that she hates with a monster of a boss and she keeps seeing strange things that are even strange for new york. Then she starts getting job offers from MSI.
When she gives in and takes the job she is thrown into a new world of Magic, Spells and Illusions Inc. Here her ordinariness is an asset and some of the strange things she has been seeing are being explained. She is needed there now and her whole life turns around. Things may get harder though as she is the one who has to save the company right now and what to do about the shy cute guy in R & D.
When she gives in and takes the job she is thrown into a new world of Magic, Spells and Illusions Inc. Here her ordinariness is an asset and some of the strange things she has been seeing are being explained. She is needed there now and her whole life turns around. Things may get harder though as she is the one who has to save the company right now and what to do about the shy cute guy in R & D.
December 25, 2008
This fantasy, suspense(kind of), romantic/comedy was one of the most original books I've read in a while.
It turns out that magic is alive and well and some people are completely immune to it, like Katie Chandler. This makes her a valuable assett to Enchanted, Inc., the company that produces and sells most of the spells to the magically-inclined.
It turns out that magic is alive and well and some people are completely immune to it, like Katie Chandler. This makes her a valuable assett to Enchanted, Inc., the company that produces and sells most of the spells to the magically-inclined.
November 29, 2008
My second all time favorite series.
I stumbled upon this book accidentally. I wasn't too sure about the plot, fairies, wizards, etc...
It was such a great read. It's a chick-lit book with a magical twist.I own all the books and re- read them every so often.
I stumbled upon this book accidentally. I wasn't too sure about the plot, fairies, wizards, etc...
It was such a great read. It's a chick-lit book with a magical twist.I own all the books and re- read them every so often.
February 17, 2009
Fun read. Author said somewhere that she was thinking Harry Potter meets Bridget Jones, but that's not giving the heroine enough credit for her common sense. More like Harry Potter meets Sex and the City. I'll be looking for the sequels.
April 15, 2009
This is the first book in the series. This is a very fun and innocent series. I had read the books a while ago when I came across them in the library. I loved them so much I bought them. This last weekend I reread the series.
June 12, 2009
A new series I'm trying out...
OK, maybe this should only be a 4 and a half. I really enjoyed this book. It took me little time to read it and it was enjoyable, moved right along and has a very interesting concept. I'm definitely looking forward to the next in the series.
OK, maybe this should only be a 4 and a half. I really enjoyed this book. It took me little time to read it and it was enjoyable, moved right along and has a very interesting concept. I'm definitely looking forward to the next in the series.
June 30, 2009
If you loved Harry Potter and like thinking about a magical world that exists without our knowledge, this is an absolutely amazing series. It takes place in New York and it's with adults. Cute, funny, romantic, adventurous, and magical. Love them.
April 2, 2009
One of my absolute favorite books. I love this series!
April 9, 2009
Easy, fast read. Kept me on the cloud I prefer to float on when I am unwinding.
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