While this book wasn't for me, I can definitely see the appeal for other readers. If you enjoy slow-paced, cozy fantasy that's more about following a scholar's day-to-day life and watching how their interactions shape them over time, you'll probably have a much better experience than I did. It also leans into characters with more abrasive or opposing personalities, which just wasn't my preference.

My biggest issue was how unlikeable a lot of the characters were, especially with how hypocritical they were toward the MC. They'd judge the main character for things they were doing themselves, and it got frustrating pretty quickly.

I also had a hard time with the worldbuilding. A lot of creatures are named but barely described, so I couldn't really picture them. The book uses a lot of Celtic lore, but it kind of just throws things at you without much explanation.

The fantasy race names also felt like a bit much. If it's basically a halfling, just call it a halfling. The book already uses dwarves, so I don't really get why everything else needed a new name. The Dunelfen are the best example—I finished the book still not really knowing what they looked like besides having silver skin and living underground. I just assumed they were dark elves.

Overall, I think the book had a lot of potential and absolutely nailed the cozy fantasy atmosphere. Unfortunately, the execution just didn't land for me.

Story 2 of the 7 story Magic & Mystery anthology on kindle was The Wednesday Witches Book Club by Sarah Beth Durst. This was a charming and quirky short mystery novella following a book club of witches whose members are turning into cats one by one and it is up to our heroine Ashley to figure out who is doing it. This was a cute story that really emphasized the magic in books as well as how they bring us together. I always have a soft spot for stories like these and thought the author did an excellent job expressing community and wanting to find a place to belong while showing how books and stories bring us together. The writing as usual from this author is easy to read and draws you in pretty easily. The characters are relatable and likeable and the message always hits close to home. Over all this one was the one I was looking forward to the most and I was not disappointed.

Story 7 of the Magic & Mystery anthology, The Cairndale Orphan, turned out to be one of my favorites so far. What a spooky twist in a gaslight fantasy mystery case. The setting was perfect and put me right in the middle of a gloomy snowy London evening. The author did a fantastic job of evoking exactly the image of what was happening and the world it was taking place in. The few characters we met were well written and I honestly want to read more about these characters and the world they occupy. It was all quite unsettling and I felt a tad squeamish while reading about the creature as well as some of the areas we saw. Overall this was a great additional to the anthology and may have just convinced me to read more by this author.