pagesofjulia

I waited too long to get to this one that was recommended by Liz. Punch line: I think the title’s ‘Co,’ which felt corporate to me, turned me semi-consciously away from this book for a while. (I’ve had it on the shelf for maybe years, since Liz told me I should read it.) And… that’s very much the point, in the novel. As the cover shows (I’ve been looking at just the spine all this time!), ‘VenCo’ is a hidden-in-plain-sight reworking of CoVen. As in witches. Hidden behind a corporation. Very clever. So clever I missed out on reading this great book for longer than I should have. (Facepalm.)

I also read this book immediately following one called Lessons in Magic and Disaster, which is yet to be published so you haven’t seen my review yet, but keep your eyes peeled, because the two books back-to-back could not have been more perfectly paired. Chef’s kiss.

Okay, so here we are in VenCo, beginning with a prologue, “The Oracle Speaks.” Three women in three luxury vehicles pull up outside an understated building in Los Angeles. We get descriptions as they head inside, and the descriptions are a juicy, lovely start. They are the Maiden, the Crone, and the Mother, and together they form the Oracle. They are concerned about time; it’s running out; the circle must be formed under tight deadlines, but the sixth witch is a doozy, they assure each other. Cut to chapter one, “The Legacy of Lucky St. James.” Here we meet Lucky, who is struggling in Toronto. The orphaned (adult) child of an absent father and an alcoholic, but compelling, mother, Lucky lived with and was cared for by her lovely grandmother Stella until the roles reversed and now it would be more accurate to say that Stella, with dementia, lives with and is cared for by Lucky. The younger woman is scraping by, about to be evicted, dubiously employed, unsure how she’ll continue to provide for Stella. Cut again, in chapter 3, to Meena Good, a witch and leader of a coven-to-be, in Salem, Massachusetts. (Yes, we do see how predictable that sounds, but bear with us.) Meena’s group of five witches is introduced from here, until their path intersects with that of Lucky (who reminds me very much of someone Chuck Wendig would create), and the delightful, messy Stella. Every one of these characters is an absolute joy. Even though their story has much darkness and cynicism, they are steeped in and practicing love, just as hard as they can. Except for the one really evil character, who I haven’t mentioned at all yet.

It’s expansive and wonderful: I love how the magic fits neatly into a world we mostly recognize as absolutely and realistically our own. (I love the way Salem, Mass. is handled, the self-aware nod to what a perfect town this is for witch-hunting, ha, but also really.) The stakes are sky-high, the women are doing their best with conflicting goals, they are balancing loyalties and loves and basic survival needs. The future (we hope) coven is something we’re all rooting for.

I found this an easy world to get lost in and felt genuinely sad when the pages closed. I’ve already ordered more from the same author.

Filed under: book reviews | Tagged: gender, Liz, misc fiction, speculative fiction, witches |