The Bone Witch meets Sherlock Holmes in this thrilling historical fantasy about a girl with the ability to raise the dead who must delve into her city’s dangerous magical underworld to stop a series of murders.
Catherine Daly has an unusual talent. By day she works for a printer. But by night, she awakens the dead for a few precious moments with loved ones seeking a final goodbye. But this magic comes with a price: for every hour that a ghost is brought back, Catherine loses an hour from her own life.
When Catherine is given the unusual task of collecting a timepiece from an old grave, she is sure that the mysterious item must contain some kind of enchantment. So she enlists Guy Nolan, the watchmaker’s son, to help her dig it up. But instead of a timepiece, they find a surprise: the body of a teenage boy. And as they watch, he comes back to life—not as the pale imitation that Catherine can conjure, but as a living, breathing boy. A boy with no memory of his past.
This magic is more powerful than any Catherine has ever encountered, and revealing it brings dangerous enemies. Catherine and Guy must race to unravel the connection between the missing timepiece and the undead boy. For this mysterious magic could mean the difference between life and death—for all of them.
Filled with murder, mystery, and magic, Kelly Powell’s Magic Dark and Strange is the perfect atmospheric book to add to your autumnal TBR. The story is very character driven, with a smart and fierce heroine solving the mystery of a missing timepiece with her friend Guy, who is just the sweetest cinnamon roll. I loved that the author creates a very eerie, Gothic, and Victorian-esque atmosphere throughout the pages. If you are in the mood for a quick and engaging murder mystery with a dash of romance and adorable friendships, Magic Dark and Strange is the perfect page-turner for you.
Welcome to another “Raves & Craves” post where I pair a book with a tasty snack or treat. Today we are pairing Magic Dark and Strange with a rounded-pan of enchanted graveyard brownies. Catherine and Guy spend a lot of time in local cemeteries and graveyards, using their magic to either manipulate time or death. Their sleuthing through graveyards inspired this yummy snack of brownies sprinkled with crushed Oreos (graveyard dirt), and you guys, this snack tastes so gooey and good.
Ingredients:
- Brownie mix
- Oreo cookies (remove the filling of 10 Oreos and then crush the cookie parts in a plastic bag to make edible graveyard dirt)
- Chocolate icing
- Sprinkles
Instructions:
- Bake your brownies. Follow the instructions on your brownie mix package.
- After your brownies have cooled, spread the chocolate icing on top of the brownies.
- Then sprinkle your crushed Oreo pieces on top of the icing.
- Add your favorite sprinkles. I used some Halloween themed ones.
- I was going to use cookies to make tombstones, but by luck I found these cool RIP tombstone picks.
- Enjoy!
Kelly Powell has a bachelor’s degree in history and book and media studies from the University of Toronto. She currently lives in Ontario. She is the author of Songs from the Deep and Magic Dark and Strange. Visit her online at PowellKelly.com or on Twitter @KellyCPowell. Continue reading
rants and raves of a bibliophile 