I really enjoyed this novella, particularly the characters and how the interacted with each other. I would read the hell out of a series based on them and their stories. ( )

Witches of Lychford is about the local old lady who everybody thinks is a kook, and she is joined by the town vicar and the owner of the local new age shop in fighting off the invasion of a big box store into their little town, led by a demon. It was really good -- and really short, under 100 pages. FUN read, even though I wasn't a big fan of Cornell's London Falling. ( )

A solid novella, with a good town and some great characters. I don't object to it in any way, but I'm not sure that it's engaged me enough to read the sequels. We'll see. ( )

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Witches of Lychford series. There are five novella-length books in this series. I borrowed this on audiobook from the library.

Thoughts: This was okay. It was about three women in a small town who end up standing against a subtle devil who is trying to bring a big box store to the small town community. The mystery/magic was very, very subtle and learning about these three women was okay but then felt a bit thin. I didn't mind it and may continue with the series because it did peak my interest. However, it felt more like a sketch of a story than a complete story.

The story focuses on three rather stereotypical women. The featured protagonist in this story is Judith, a typical small town grumpy old woman. However, in this case she is also a protector of the town and a witch.

The reason the town needs to be protected was a bit ambiguous and why this town in particular was targeted was also a bit thin. The magic used was not explained very well either. However, I am a sucker for these types of small town, magical realism stories so I enjoyed it.

My Summary (3.5/5): Overall this was a bit of a shaky start to this series but had enough elements that I like that I may continue with the series. I have been looking for some shorter novella length audiobooks to read and this series definitely fills that need. I like the blend of small town atmosphere and magic. I do think the characters have potential but they felt a bit thin in this novella. We will see. ( )

The people of Lychford are divided over something that could change their little town forever: a major supermarket chain wants to open up a storefront. Emotions run high on both sides--those who see it was a step forward for Lychford and those who feel like it goes against everything their town has become. But Judith Mawson, seen by many as the village crackpot, knows the truth: the threat is much bigger than anyone realizes. In order to do anything about it, however, she's going to need to enlist others. Enter Lizzie, the new vicar, still in mourning over a lost love, and Autumn, Lizzie's former friend, an agnostic-turned-mystic. Not only will Lizzie and Autumn learn the truth about Lychford, they will also learn the truth about why they lost touch years ago. By uniting with Judith to save Lychford, they may just find the healing they both need at the same time.

I really wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this one up, but I was pleasantly surprised. This is a complex, engaging, and well-developed urban (can I really call it "urban," though?) fantasy tale with some twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The backstory here is rich, and it's revealed over the course of the story in an almost seamless way. I can safely say this is one of my Hugo nominations for this year. ( )