Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches Audiobook By Kate Scelsa cover art

Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches

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Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches

By: Kate Scelsa
Narrated by: Stacey Glemboski
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A witchy, atmospheric lesbian contemporary romance set in Salem—from the acclaimed author of Fans of the Impossible Life. Perfect for fans of Nina LaCour and Becky Albertalli.

Seventeen-year-old Eleanor is the last person in Salem to believe in witchcraft—or to think that her life could be transformed by mysterious forces. After losing her best friend and first love, Chloe, Eleanor has spent the past year in a haze, vowing to stay away from anything resembling romance.

But when a handwritten guide to tarot arrives in the mail at the witchy souvenir store where Eleanor works, it seems to bring with it the message that magic is about to enter her life. Cynical Eleanor is quick to dismiss this promise, until real-life witch Pix shows up with an unusual invitation. Inspired by the magic and mystery of the tarot, Eleanor decides to open herself up to Pix and her coven of witches, and even to the possibility of a new romance.

But Eleanor’s complicated history continues to haunt her. She will have to reckon with the old ghosts that threaten to destroy everything, even her chance at new love.

Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches is an atmospheric and romantic coming-of-age about learning to make peace with the past in order to accept the beauty of the present.

©2022 Kate Scelsa (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers Coming of Age Fantasy Fiction LGBTQ+ Literature & Fiction Magic Romance Science Fiction & Fantasy Sword & Sorcery Witchcraft Magic Users Feel-Good Witches & Wizards
Healing Journey • Authentic Representation • Flawless Narration • Emotional Depth • Clear Voice Distinction
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Really great story and compelling characters! I loved the personalities of all the girls in the coven, and Eleanor was (unfortunately? fortunately?) very relatable. Well written and well worth a listen!

intriguing and atmospheric

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Good story line that has enough interest to keep you hooked. Sweet and cute happy ending. Well read.

Good story line and happy ending.

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the descriptions of places put me right back onto the streets of Salem, it felt like I was walking right next to Elenore.
The author did such a great job conveying all those deeply felt emotions of a bad break up and the adter affects, while the narrator really translated that. There were times when I had to stop listening because it dragged up too clear memories of similar emotions.

OOF. So much teen angst

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I got lost in the story and felt the gamut of emotions as I went through each heart wrenching detail of Eleanor’s life. Starting each chapter with a major arcana key was brilliant! I learned more about the deck than I have in previous self-study. All around well done!

The narrator did an excellent job of performing each of the characters.

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As many young queer youth out there who seem that they are the only ones some times, this is a good story that will help make sure you know you’re not.
Good narrator, they read well and clear to understand, and I was able to tell the different characters they were speaking for.

Great story that hits home

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I love this book. There was not one moment where I wasn’t completely enthralled in the story. The characters were all very interesting and diverse. One of the best queer love stories I’ve yet to read, very sweet, definitely tugged at my heart strings. I may have cried once or twice as well. Also one of the most real depictions witchcraft I’ve come across and as a fellow practitioner I really appreciated the accuracy. I would highly recommend this book to all my fellow queer witches out there, or anyone looking for a good read. Absolutely beautiful. I think I’ll be reading more from this author.

Absolutely fantastic

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can't say enough about how good this was! it broke my heart, made me laugh, educated me, and was fluffy and soft at all the right points.

great read

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It was a cute story about teenagers but there wasn't very much magic or spells or anything. also the whining and complaining got to be a bit much. I enjoyed the story but did have to fast forward over some parts where I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

Nice story, not much magic...

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A coming is age story of finding the girl you love. Unfortunately competing with the town’s richest boy is not working. Told in flashbacks with lots drama and verve. Great narration.

Masterpiece of Teen Angst

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This was wonderful. I'm not going to lie, some parts were really hard for me and my wife. So please be aware of the Trigger Warnings I have listed below. Like the Wheel of Fortune card, this story brought up things we had not fully gone through or that needed to be seen through new eyes. This might be the biggest lesson this book presents and it shows us we do not always see things clearly.

The main character Eleanor is a teenager that has gone through a lot. She like many teens does not know how to truly handle her emotions. This is not helped by the fact Eleanor was lied to and manipulated by the person she cared about the most; then she was bullied by those that saw her as competition and then abandoned by the one person she thought would always stand up for her. Someone she deeply and blindly loved.

A coven of witches moves into Salem and Eleanor is invited to join. As she is accepted into the coven, she begins to heal. She even has the new potential for love, the girl who introduced her to the coven. At the same time that Eleanor is introduced to the coven, witchcraft, and how magic works, the commerciaized witch shop that she works at receives a handmade booklet on the Tarot. She starts learning about the Tarot with this little booklet as a guide. The Major Arcana guide Eleanor through to see things differently.

I would also like to mention that the use of witchcraft and paganism in this book was done beautifully. As a practicing witch and pagan, it was so refreshing to come across a book that actually portrayed the spiritual beliefs properly. Magic truly is about intention and the focusing of the mind. Everything done in preparation, during, and after ritual is done to help focus energy for a particular purpose.

The narrator Stacey Glemboski was excellent, especially with a story that has a lot of conversant Dialog. She also portrays the emotions of the characters extremely well. She is definitely one of my favorite narrators.

One last note is about the marijuana use. I do agree that the way Eleanor was using was not ideal or healthy, but I also feel that there are so many far worse options. I did feel that the author was giving marijuana use a negative vibe. I have chronic pain and use weed to help with my medical condition. I hope that others will still be able to see that marijuana does not always have a negative connotation.

Overall this was a wonderful books and I'm glad my wife and I were able to take the journey together.

Trigger Warnings: trauma, mental health, unhealthy relationships, homophobia, homophobic remarks, bullying, underage drinking, underage drug use, marijuana use, attempted rape, concussion, coma.

So Many Feels...

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