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A review by lisyda
The Bartender Between Worlds by Herman Steuernagel
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Emma hunts those cursed with magic as magic is considered a great evil where she lives. Until one day she discovers that she herself has magic – namely, alcohol calls to her, asking her to make great cocktails out of it. So she runs and hopes to find a quiet place to settle down and just serve drinks. But of course, things are never that easy, and instead, she finds herself on an adventure that will teach her so much more about the world around her than she ever expected to find out.
On the surface, this is sold as a low-stakes cozy fantasy story. Now, I'm probably one of the few out there who still hasn't read Legends & Lattes and my experience with cozy fantasy is limited to just a couple of books in general. I'm not quite sure how low the stakes are in most cozy fantasy stories, but they definitely ended up being higher than I was expecting in this one, which I found a bit surprising. I think I was expecting more bartending and cocktails, and less adventuring, but this was sort of the opposite.
Nonetheless, it was a fun and quick read with magic, magical creatures, different worlds and, of course, cocktails (including recipes). Oh, and there were also some lovely illustrations provided throughout.
If you're looking for some lighter fantasy with found family elements that's perfect for the current cozy autumn season, pick this up!
On the surface, this is sold as a low-stakes cozy fantasy story. Now, I'm probably one of the few out there who still hasn't read Legends & Lattes and my experience with cozy fantasy is limited to just a couple of books in general. I'm not quite sure how low the stakes are in most cozy fantasy stories, but they definitely ended up being higher than I was expecting in this one, which I found a bit surprising. I think I was expecting more bartending and cocktails, and less adventuring, but this was sort of the opposite.
Nonetheless, it was a fun and quick read with magic, magical creatures, different worlds and, of course, cocktails (including recipes). Oh, and there were also some lovely illustrations provided throughout.
If you're looking for some lighter fantasy with found family elements that's perfect for the current cozy autumn season, pick this up!