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The Centaur's Last Breath by April Fernsby

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Today, I completed the ebook The Centaur's Last Breath by April Fernsby. This is the third book in the "Brimstone Witch" mystery series, starring justice witch, Cassia Winter.

Cassia is summoned to the location where a centaur died while out for a run. Preliminary reports indicate he died of natural causes, but his father refuses to believe it. He is certain that Selo was murdered. Tasked with investigating, Cassia quickly learns that Selo had little regard for anyone but himself, which meant he'd made a lot of enemies. Among them are Teto, a centaur from another family, and Selo's own brother, Lifin.

As if investigating a murder isn't taxing enough, Cassia is inundated with complaints from a village of gnomes, demanding she investigate who has been ruining their gardens. In addition, Cassia and her familiar, Stanley, discover a frightened young kitten who only wants her mum. Cassia's childhood friend, Luca, volunteers to look into the gnomes' complaints, but his coming to Cassia's aid only angers his girlfriend, Astrid. Cassia is left juggling several plates in the air. It's a good thing she's a witch.

The story was fun, although I could have choked that bitch, Astrid. It's mind-boggling how anyone as nice as Luca ended up with her. Black magic, maybe? Time will tell. As to the mystery, the author dropped tantalizing clues and hints, leading me to waffle between a couple different suspects...only to hit me out of left field with the true perpetrator. Surprises can be fun, but give the readers a chance to solve the mystery along with the main character! As always, I enjoyed Cassia's interactions with Stanley. I wish the characters were more developed.

Favorite lines:
♥ "But some people like to feel like victims. They'd rather blame everyone else for their problems than take responsibility."
♥ "It's camouflaged material. It makes the wearer completely invisible, like the Harry Potter in your world. Doesn't he have an invisibility cloak?"
♥ "I don't take souls anymore. They give me indigestion."

It was a cute story, but it lacked substance and polish. Average score.

Having the day off afforded me the opportunity to read an ebook novella, Murder of a Werewolf, by April Fernsby. It's the first story in the "Brimstone Witch" mystery series.

Cassia Winter is stuck in a soul-sucking job, a boring apartment, and a manipulative relationship. Even her cat, Stanley, seems depressed and morose. Unable to see her suffer, Cassia's Gran tells Cassia that she's a witch--they both are. Cassia doesn't believe her Gran at first, but gradually, childhood memories of playing in Brimstone begin to resurface. Cassia learns that the Winter witches have long investigated crimes in Brimstone, and she learns that her Gran is involved in a murder investigation. A werewolf, who initially seemed to have committed suicide, was instead murdered. When someone attacks Gran, it's up to Cassia to accept the mantle of the Winter witches and take up the investigation.

Cassia meets some odd people and creatures in Brimstone, including werewolves, elves, and the beautiful butterflies that act as messengers. She also reconnects with Luca, her childhood friend, who is now a handsome man. Cassia isn't sure what she's doing, but she knows one thing: she's not going back to her humdrum life again.

This was a fun, lite story. The narrative was simplistic, but not in an aggravating way. Rather, it made for a nice, light, afternoon read. Cassia was a likable heroine, and I enjoyed meeting other characters. Some things, which seemed obvious at first, turned out to be a surprise, but other things were not fully resolved. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable read.

Favorite line: Did cats become morbid?

The talking cats were my favorite part! Good story, and I'll certainly read more. Four stars:

****