An Unlikely Coven is a fun urban fantasy tale of found family fighting against all odds to survive in a magical version of New York. This version of the city is filled with witches, vampires, and fae, and it features a magical transit system known as HERMES.
The main character, Joan, a witch, is the younger daughter of Merlin Greenwood. The Greenwoods are the most powerful magical family in New York, with Merlin’s sister Valeria being the head witch. Joan, an out-of-work architect, is unable to cast spells, but she does have other significant abilities that she discovers during the novel. She has never felt herself to be a valued, loved member of the Greenwood family, and their lack of warmth towards her is, at times, heartbreaking.
The deep friendship she shares with CZ, a vampire, and her close bond with her older sister, Molly, are what keep her going in the face of her family’s cruelty and indifference towards her. Full of determination and bravery, Joan is a character it is hard not to root for, and it is easy to see why her friends all adore her.
Joan and CZ find themselves embroiled in a complicated whodunnit mystery with a confused human, Mik, at the centre of a magical power grab. Their kind hearts and high moral standards are all that Mik can pin their hopes on, having found themselves thrown into the middle of the perilous magical world against their will.
An Unlikely Coven is a funny, warm-hearted story of love, both platonic and unrequited, and high stakes, heart-stopping adventure as the unlikely coven of friends Joan gathers around herself races to find out who is behind Mik’s plight before the Greenwoods can get their hands on them. The story continues in a sequel, and I look forward to reading it when it becomes available.
Thank you to Orbit Books, the author and NetGalley for the arc of this book. My review is honest, and my opinions are my own.
