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Celine Jeanjean is wonderful at world-building. In her hands, we see beneath the lives of the ordinary residents of London and discover a world of magic and mayhem. The captain who will be our guide into this new world is a delightfully free-spirited woman of 28 years and a childhood friend of Apiya, the heroine of the Razor’s Edge Chronicles. If you haven’t given that series a try, you will still thoroughly enjoy this one. “Pree” Postlewaite is very nonconformist – from her magenta shoes to the knuckle duster in her pocket to her half-shaved, purple-hair. And she comes by it honestly. Priscilla’s dad, in his youth, “used to be in the acquisitions business”, but when babies started coming along, her mom said he had to find another form of employment. So now he owns a dirt bike race track. Her brother, Harry, is serving time in the local prison for the same sort of entrepreneurship shown by his father, and her brother, Nick, is busy raising and selling marijuana, anticipating that very soon now, it will be legalized, and he and his partner will have a corner on the market. Pree is tall, cheerfully positive, easily bored, not often employed, knows enough martial arts action to take care of herself, and now has moved back home since she can’t afford rent. Right off, her mom gives her the want ads section to look for another job, but instead, it is an ad for an “aura cleansing and energy realignment” that draws her eye. Because of a bit of bother had by Apiya and her were-tiger boyfriend which brought them to London, Pree was introduced to a magical world existing right alongside the mundane one in her own back yard. Now that Apiya has returned home, Pree will have to find out more on her own. This ad has the right kind of feeling to it. So, she texts her interest is a 30-minute free evaluation set for 11pm that night. This could be her way to discover and meet a real magical creature. Of course, Pree finds magical people. Suddenly, they seem everywhere. She also discovers that she has a bit of magic, too. A kind of magic that could make her a dangerous weapon in hostilities involving the Touched, the Vetus, and those who have been turned – like vampires and werewolves – by other magical creatures. Being Touched means you’re human but have a single, limited magical ability, and Vetus are the Ancient magical people who are not human. Follow Pree as she navigates this new world. But don’t be surprised if you find her adventures taking unexpected turns. After all, it’s magic.
Elizabeth Lloyd
Laughing at Magic is the first of a new series of books about Pree (Priscilla) whom I met in Book 6 of The Razor’s Edge Chronicles, when Apiya came to London. Pree and Apiya were old school friends, both forthright, brave young women with zany clothes and distinctive personalities. Pree had never left England, perhaps because she is so close to her loving family, of Mum, Dad, two brothers and several cats living in a council house in Staines. But her lack of a job means she must return home with her eclectic clothes stored in bin bags inside her ancient but reliable car. As Pree tries to turn her life around she answers an advert to improve her aura. Unfortunately, this leads her to the residence of a vegetarian Vampire who discovers that she is impervious to his hypnotism. Soon she is involved in an attack by a group of “touched” individuals who look nerdy but have magical powers. It would seem she too has been “touched by magic” in an unusual way and they want her to be part of their faction. The plot takes a while to develop as we get to know Pree and her family and she discovers how she can use her power to help people. Her true gift is her quick mind and her ability to persuade others to do as she wishes, but she seems unaware of this. The most delightful part of the story is Pree’s relationship with a hyena whom she rescues from mistreatment, but how can she hide a fierce animal in plain sight? Her conversations with Mary, a Victorian ghost who refuses to crossover to the other side until she has a proper tombstone, add amusement, especially when she takes Mary into the 20th century. The context of this story is less exotic and more mundane than Celine Jeanjean’s previous novels but the characterisation makes this an enjoyable read.
Edith Scholter
This book is the start of a new series, but also a spin-off of the Razor’s Edge Chronicles. It is probably helpful to have read the original series (I’d recommend it, simply because it is also very good), because it helps to understand the magical system, but this is quite an independent story and even has a different feel to it. I actually did not expect it to be this different from the Razor’s Edge series, but it is, and in an entirely good way. Nice to have some variety, I find. The main character, Pree, is such an interesting person. She is far from perfect, but she embraces her quirks with such easy equanimity, and just works with what she has. Quite inspiring, really, to just go with who you are. And her quirks and those of her family are rather entertaining, too. All in all a very enjoyable read, likable characters, the story is fun and it all ends perfectly - there is a satisfying conclusion, but it also leaves you with the happy feeling that there's more to come.
