Title: The Glamourist
Series: (The Vine Witch #2)
Author: Luanne G. Smith
Release Date: June 9, 2020
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
Rating: ★★★★★
Thank you to Luanne G. Smith for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Synopsis
A spellbinding novel of bloodlines, self-discovery, and redemption by the author of the Washington Post bestseller The Vine Witch.
Abandoned as a child in turn-of-the-century Paris, Yvette Lenoir has longed to uncover the secrets of her magical heritage and tap her suppressed powers. But what brave and resourceful Yvette has done to survive the streets has made her a fugitive. With a price on her head, she clings to a memento from her past—what she believes to be a grimoire inherited from the mother she never knew. To unlock the secrets of her past, Yvette trusts in one woman to help solve the arcane riddles among its charmed pages.
Elena Boureanu is the vine witch of Château Renard, noted for its renowned wines. Even as she struggles with her own bloodline—and its poisonous threat to her future—Elena can’t ignore a friend on the run. Joined by a cunning thief, the proprietor of an enchanted-curio shop, and a bewitching black cat, Elena and Yvette are determined to decode Yvette’s mysterious keepsake. But what restless magic will be unleashed? And what are Yvette and Elena willing to risk to become the witches they were destined to be?
Review
The Glamourist is the second book in the Vine Witch trilogy and follows Elena on her journey to reclaim her future as a vine witch and Yvette as she tries to figure out what kind of witch she truly is.
Yvette grew up on the streets in the City and swore to never return, especially since there is a warrent on her head for killing a man on her 16th birthday. She somehow managed to steal a wish from Sidra, the Ginni, and is now trying to figure out her mother’s mysterious past and why she can’t use access her magic like a typical witch. She wants nothing more than to weild her power and become a true witch with a clear future like Elena.
Elena is also visiting the city where her life once again intersects with Yvette’s. Since we left her in The Vine Witch she’s gotten engaged to Jean-Paul and is in town to not only meet her fture mother-in-law, but the Ministry of Lineages and Licenses has called upon her to have her status as vine witch revoked. This future at Chateau Renard is being questioned because of her vinefica or poisoner lineage. She can either give up the life she has always dreamed of at the vineyard with the man she loves, or she can track down Yvette and turn her in to keep her vine witch status.
I loved that we really got to focus on Yvette and her story this time around. I found her such an interesting character when she was imprisioned with Sidra and Elena in the last book and loved that because of that experience they’ve all somehow tied their lives together. While they may not all get along at times they have this sort-of sisterly bond and end the end come together to help Yvette.
The forshadowing and little breadcrumbs in this book were just amazing. Someone or something would be briefly mentioned in a passing sort of way, not seeming of importance, but would then turn out to be extremely significant later. There were so many layers to the story of Yvette and her parents. It was such a fun journey trying to piece together all the information like Elena to figure out just what unique powers Yvette might have.
For me there were two characters that really stole the show though; Monseuir Wiskers and Marion. Wiskers is this black cat that followed Yvette around and somehow always managed to always be at the right place at the right time. He was the luckiest dang black cat and his connection to Yvette was so cute. Plus he had a tiny bit of cat-titude and always seemed like he knew just what was going on when no one else did. Marion, Jean-Paul’s mother and Elena’s future mother-in-law, seemed like this uptight rich lady when we first met her in The Vine Witch but she knows more than she lets on. She had some great comebacks and her character really surprised me at the end.
There was a tiny bit of romance in this book for Yvette. Her childhood partner-in crime, Henri, bumps into her while she’s on the run after like seven years and it’s obvious he’s smitten with her. His motives though are really unclear though since there is such a high reward if he were to turn her over. He wasn’t really a huge part of the story though. The main focus was always Yvette descovering who she truly is.
The ending was this perfect twist and not at all what I was expecting. It was so well written and if possible even better than the first book. I’m excited for The Conjuerer but also nervous because how could it ever top everything that went down in this book? If you haven’t read this series yet or were unsure about continuing it, Yvette has an amazing story to tell and I highly recommend it.
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