I’ve recently started my book review blog – Novel on My Mind. Thought to share some of my experience with you…

I read this novella in October, when the Halloween was fast approaching and I wanted something to get me into the mood. I had planned some spooky reads for later in October, but for starters I wanted something a bit more cozy and whimsical.

So, a cozy witchy mystery was what I was looking for. And since I’ve been reading a lot of long fantasy series at the time, I also wanted something short and sweet.

I consider cozy mysteries my guilty pleasure. They will never be amongst the most quality books I’ve read, or even amongst my favorites.

But they are exactly what I need around Halloween and Christmas - comfortable, easy to go through reads. Just something to add to the spirit without taking all of my time during the already filled up days.

I feel like everyone is always talking only about the most popular books and bestsellers, which is understandable and kind of the way it should be anyway. All I’m saying is – cozy, cheesy stuff have their fans too and there’s a time and place for them as well.

So I picked up Battle of the Hexes. I never read this author before, so I didn't know what to expect. But the cover and the title drawn me instantly.

From what little I knew, Battle of the Hexes was a cozy mystery novella set in a small Australian town. It follows Adeline Bloomwood, a witch who’s helping a witch hunter to solve a murder that occurred in a next-door shop.

I was counting on cozy, autumnal and witchy vibes to get me in the mood for silly costumes, pumpkin candies and spooky stories...

My Review

This is a short, easy to go through novella- just what I needed! I loved the short chapters - so easy to pick up and put down the book. Perfect if you want to fall into the mood and you don't have a lot of time.

When I picked this up, I expected a lot of Halloween-y descriptions and decorations, but there weren't that many at all. So you will have to put your imagination to work for full enjoyment.

But even I, who am a sucker for details, thought that in this case it worked perfectly. I just had to remind myself a few times that it is Halloween time in the book and that there are probably pumpkins and fake cobwebs all around the town.

To me, this book kind of felt like some of the witch-in-the-neighborhood type of TV shows, mixed with a bit of Hallmark Mystery. Not super deep or investing, but engaging enough so that I didn’t feel bored. I was always looking forward to picking it up again, and what more can you expect from such a short, fun read?

As for the story - look, it is what it is. You cannot pick up a cozy witch mystery and expect an amazing, super twisted plot and even better revelation.

The writing was also occasionally repetitive.

On many occasions I had to suspend my critical eye and remind myself I’m in it for the vibe, not for literary supremacy. And once you adjust your expectations and decide to just have some fun with it - this novella can be quite enjoyable.

But I really didn’t like that ending. It was so abrupt – I just… I don’t even know what to say. One moment I thought – oh, goody - some action is coming. The next moment it was all over. Not cool. Seriously not cool.

So, would I recommend this novella? I don't know. I guess it all depends on what you are expecting from it. I guess if you like this genre and you are short on the budget, just go for it. Also, I expect people who read and enjoy this author’s other books would also enjoy this novella more than I did.

All in all, this was silly and kind of cute. I wouldn’t mind a better plot execution, but it did manage to give me at least a spark of the Halloween spirit and put me in a mood for some more spooky books...