A Witch’s Brew is the third novel I’ve read by Mr. Clifton. The novel jumps right into where we left off with Escape from Wheel, with Prince Tal, Lady Alexandra, and their group attempting to rid the kingdom of the Evil Queen. This time in the town of Markingham.

Two aspects of Mr. Clifton’s writing across his novels that I’ve really enjoyed is the world building and visually descriptive language. While the setting in A Witch’s Brew was established in the earlier books, we have in this novel the new setting of Markingham, a town in disrepair at the edge of The Veil. Everything about Markingham is in a serious state of decay, and Mr. Clifton deftly writes the descriptions so fully that I could see the dilapidated walls, leaking roofs, starving citizens, and the complete lack of magic. Mr. Clifton’s visually descriptive narrative can be read in every chapter. From “seas of grey tents” to bookcases being compared to mountain peaks, and especially to the melded creatures in the army of the Baleful, the detail in the writing is vast.

Lady Alexandria shows a lot of character growth in this installment. I recall being a bit irritated by Alex in the previous novel. But she really comes into her own here. She discovers what her magic is, how it’s triggered, and even more, how to use it. But Alex is not just about her magic. She shows a real ability to help the people and creatures of Markingham. When everyone wants to kill a troll that’s been ransacking town, Alex realizes the troll is in pain and needs help. The kindness Alex shows towards this troll (and the other characters) is evidence that she is genuinely gracious.

Most of the plot of A Witch’s Brew involves the battle for Markingham against the Baleful. But Mr. Clifton’s writing shines in the actual battle scenes. We have multiple points of view happening (Tal, the Marauders, the Baleful, Alex, and two different military leaders) in the scenes. But then all the characters come crashing together (literally and figuratively) while they fight. I’ve read a lot of battle scenes and I’m always impressed with how authors keep all those different facts of the story straight and flowing smoothly to the reader. From Tal’s fight with Varg, the leader of the Baleful, through Boorba (the troll Alex rescues) doing his best to help fight off the enemy, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this section of the novel!

With the fast pace set by Mr. Clifton, the end of the book came along very quickly. There is a lot of build up to fixing Markingham, then the planning and the actual battle. But afterwards, there are a couple of parties, a few wrap up scenes, and that’s about it. I wanted some more time with these characters, especially happy moments after the battle.

One aspect of the novel that didn’t work for me was the love triangle with Maggie, Tal, and Alex. I found this arc of the novel to be predictable and trite. I enjoyed Maggie as the strong warrior woman, leading her group of Marauders, helping the folk of Markingham survive. I did not enjoy how she behaved towards Alex and her green-eyed monster bad decisions. Maggie certainly learned that a person should be extremely specific when dealing with witches and potions. (She clearly doesn’t read enough magical realism books!) I only hope that Maggie redeems herself in the next novel.

As the third book in the series, A Witch’s Brew is enhanced by having read the other novels in the series previously. I think a reader could jump into the series with this novel and be able to follow the plot and characters. But a deeper understanding of the overall story could be found by reading the first two novels. (And yes, I do still need to go back and read that first one.)

If you are into magical realism with fantastic world building and descriptive writing, check out A Witch’s Brew and the Conquest of the Veil Series! The novels are mesmerizing and enchanting. I’m looking forward to reading the next novel in the series!

And in addition to a totally killer cover, there are some lovely drawings by Nancy E. Durham interspersed throughout the novel. I always enjoy a good drawing in a fantasy novel. They really help boost my reading enjoyment.

THREE WINNERS!

Grand Prize:
Signed copies of all three books in the Conquest of the Veil series
+ $15 Amazon Gift Card
2nd & 3rd Winners: eBooks of A Witch’s Brew.
Ends midnight, CDT, May 28, 2021.

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