Book Review | The Conjurer by Luanne G. Smith

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About the Book

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Sidra didn’t murder her husband. Yet even a jinni can’t wish away a wrongful imprisonment. Determined to prove her innocence, she returns to her adopted home—a French village renowned for its perfume witches—with her friends Elena and Yvette by her side. Here is where Sidra’s true destiny awaits, but danger also lurks in the village’s narrow lanes.

On her trail is Jamra, another jinni, who’s after more than revenge for the murder of his brother. He also seeks vengeance for the indignities inflicted on jinn by mortals over the centuries. When he learns of an ancient relic capable of unleashing chaos on the world, and that the weapon is in the hands of his murderous sister-in-law, he vows to destroy Sidra to get it.

Relying on a sisterhood of magic, a mysteriously faithful dog, and a second-rate sorcerer, Sidra defends herself using the village’s greatest asset: its perfume. It’s as beguiling a lure as it is a formidable shield. But is it enough for Sidra to protect herself and those she loves from powers yet to be released?

Book Review for The Vine Witch (Book 1)

Book Review for The Glamourist (Book 2)

Goodreads’ Rating:

The Conjurer, the third book in The Vine Witch series, is a wondrous look into the world of the jinni.

What I Loved

I love The Conjurer’s rich tapestry of surprising simplicity, thrilling action, and imaginative world-building. This story focuses on Sidra, a jinni on the run due to accusations that she murdered her husband. She has been pulled into the realm of the fae with Yvette, the recently discovered granddaughter of Oberon and Titania. Unexpectedly, they are magicked away to the home of Sidra and her husband, Hariq, where Sidra is forced to confront her past. Along with Elena (the vine witch), the magical beings pull all their resources to fight the evil that threatens their lives.

I love the different Shakespearean allusions running through the story, particularly The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet. One of Shakespeare’s plays’ brilliance is the universality of the stories, which is showcased so extraordinarily well in The Conjurer. From Hariq and Sidra finding love despite their warring families and feigning death to Oberon, Titania, and the magical fae world, the Shakespearean references are beautifully executed and imagined.

In the early 1900s, witches focusing on a trade were the norm, such as Elena, a vine witch born of poison witches. In this story, we meet Camille, a perfume witch. To add to the witches, jinni, and fae, a new magical creature is introduced in Yannis’s character – a sorcerer. The expansion of the supernatural world as the series has progressed is remarkable and so much fun. It brings a great deal of enjoyment to the story.

The plot is impressive, and the pace is excellent, with short chapters aiding in the quick reading speed. The characters are all well-developed, particularly Sidra, as this story is her story. Sidra has the arrogance of the jinni, but underneath that superiority lays the heart of a woman who has loved and lost and is unsure why she keeps putting one foot in front of the other day-in-and-day-out. She had her magical love story, and she doesn’t even begin to know how to grieve that big of a loss in her life.

To Read or Not to Read

The Conjurer will tug at your emotions as it delights your sense of wonder with its magic and thrills. It is a book not to be missed in 2021.