Book 33, 2018

A Nameless Witch by A. Lee Martinez

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Since I only had one chapter left in the book I'd taken to work, I brought it home with me and finished it this morning. The book was A Nameless Witch by A Lee Martinez, and it followed the adventures of a witch who was born undead and cursed with eternal youth and beauty. She hides her beauty beneath shapeless rags, a large hat, a dirty face, and a pretend limp.

After her mentor, Ghastly Edna, is murdered, the young witch takes up a quest of vengeance. She is accompanied by her familiar, which is a demonic duck, her enchanted broom, and a troll. She settles outside of a human encampment and waits for the magic to tell her how to proceed. When a White Knight appears at Fort Stalwart to enlist the soldiers' aid in defeating a horde of ravenous goblings, the witch knows her fate is tied to his. Once the horde is defeated, they embark on their quest together, hoping to prevent a mad sorcerer from destroying the entire world. They are tested along the way, until they encounter the sorcerer, and this is a battle that only the witch can engage in.

Above all else, this story was hilarious! I literally laughed out loud several times while reading it. The plot was engrossing, fight scenes were tense and bloody, and of course, there is an element of romance as the virtuous White Knight and the cannibalistic, undead witch cannot overcome their attraction to one another. Characters were wonderful, even down to the witch's broom, named Penelope.

Favorite line: Nasty Larry's head rolled to his slayer's feet and pronounced a terrible curse, as decapitated wizard's heads are prone to do.

Fabulous fun, five stars!

*****