This was just okay for me. I love the authors writing style but the storyline didn’t really grasp me.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of VenCo by Cherie Dimaline, published by Penguin Random House Canada
I loved this book, not only a Canadian author but from my province of Ontario. I have not read books by this author, but I will!
It was such a nice change from some of the books I've been reading. I love her writing style, she introduces and describes characters well and in a timely way. Loved the plot and storyline and history of the characters as they tell their stories.
The novel is about a girl named Lucky, she lives with her grandmother who is starting down the road of dementia. We get a peak into Lucky's past and learn about how she grew up and her mother's habits. Lucky and her grandma received a notice that they need to evict their apartment so she has started the process of looking for a new place. As she does laundry one day, she is pulled towards a spoon, and starts to feel some sort of energy. She is then led south to the states to meet up with, unbeknownst to her, other women that are part of the coven, her grandmother in tow. She thinks she is going for a job interview
I honestly loved this novel, I'm hoping there is a sequel!

I would like to thank @NetGalley and @penguinrandomhouse for a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Lucky is a Metis woman living in Toronto with her slightly Alzheimer grandmother. After finding a strange spoon while doing laundry in her building basement, she meets with a strange woman that offers her a job in Massachusetts. Since Lucky is being evicted and has trouble meeting ends, she accepts.

The story slowly introduce every characters to Lucky. She soon learns she's a witch and need to find the seventh one. And they have a short deadline! Unfortunately, she's not the only one looking for her. A mysterious and dangerous man is trying to shortcut them.

This book had a very slow start for the first half but the vibes were very interesting. It is not outrageously magic, throwing spells here and there. We're talking herbs, crystals and setting intentions.

It picked up pace very quickly after the first half and became something else. You feel the rush and the need to find the last witch before the end of week and before the bad guy.

Cherie Dimaline created a magnificent novel of sacred feminity and the power of family. I believe this will become the next Practical Magic.

VenCo = Coven = Utterly Amazing

An organization promoting women and our advancement - YES, PLEASE!
A FU to the patriarchy - 100% in on that!

This book made me feel a lot of things, but what I loved most was the sense of family, both blood relative and found. Lucky finally found herself and her place in the world. I also loved that part of the book was set in Toronto. I was rooting for her all they way! Much of her confidence comes on rather abruptly, but boy, can she take care of business when necessary!
The book dealt with some serious issues, but it did not overwhelm the entire story.

There is a vast number of characters and most were highly entertaining and each had their own special place in this story. I would love more books set in the VenCo world to continue the story of all these amazing women! I am now a dedicated Cherie Dimaline fan, and she has just been promoted to my list of auto-buy authors!

Despite me not knowing what to expect, this book about witches did not disappoint. In some ways, I was reminded of the TV show Charmed I watched when I was a kid. This wasn't the Hocus Pocus witches, but more modern witches. I really enjoyed the character development and the strong relationships that the women built as they got to know each other.

Although the book could have been a tad shorter, I enjoyed it and hope there will be a sequel!

In exchange for an honest review, I would like to thank NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with an advance copy.

unfortunately I DNF at 15% in. I kept reading the same sentence over and over and couldn't get into the story at all.

Thank you netgalley for the earc in exchange for an honest review.

Lucky St. James is not in a good place. She's bored with her dead end job, and she and her loving but not always present grandmother Stella are soon to be evicted from their tiny Toronto apartment. One night, she finds a strange silver spoon, which has a witch and the word SALEM etched on it.

This discovery catapults Lucky into a world where there is a network of witches throughout the world, and the witches of North America are worriedly awaiting the reveal of a new witch. There's also a ticking clock, as this new witch must be revealed soon so witches can begin to deal with various disasters, such as climate change.

Lucky, who is Metis, already is familiar with the idea that the unusual can coexist with the mundane, but is surprised when she is contacted by one group of witches, and told she must locate the next spoon and the witch to whom the spoon belongs.

At the same time, an old and evil adversary named Jay Christos (whose name is a little too on the nose) is alerted when Lucky finds her spoon, and begins looking for her and the next witch and spoon, so he can eliminate the particular coven that has reached out to Lucky, as well as prevent witches from ascending into a new level of power across the world.

I like a road trip novel, especially one that's paired with a fetch quest. Cherie Dimaline has created a fun story with a sympathetic protagonist, who is inducted into an expansive community of witches. She also comments on how misogyny has affected women who are a little bit different, or noncompliant, throughout the centuries, while also crafting interesting narratives for each of the women in the coven that supports Lucky and her grandmother.

The story has scenes of violence and humour but depends primarily on the central relationship of Lucky and Stella to keep you reading while the two women travel through the US on their scavenger hunt. There are few big moments punctuating the narrative, but there is suspense as Jay Christos dogs Lucky's path. Lucky grows a lot over the course of her journey, to the point that she can confront Jay, leading to a satisfying conclusion. Overall, I'd say I liked this book, and Lucky in particular.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.

This was a fun little story. I loved learning about all of the witches and their backstories, and I loved their relationships with each other. I appreciated the diversity and women supporting women.
However, this book lacked depth. I felt lots of things were glossed over or unexplored, the villain had flimsy motivations, and the plot was fairly thin. I'd read more books by this author, because there was enough here for a fun read, just not one that'll stick in my head for very long.

Cherie Dimaline's latest, Venco, is a book about witches. It also might be the first in a series.

Lucky St. James is anything but uninteresting.
Dimaline's book is at first plush a mid-life coming of age story about a young woman who discovers that she is a witch and must work with the found family she gains upon this discovery. Lucky has problems, like most of us. Her mother died when Lucky was young, and currently Lucky must take care of her paternal grandmother, Stella, who is a lovely woman who is slowly losing her mind.

Lucky is a character you can't help but root for her because she is messed up in a totally normal, everyday way. But she doesn't wallow in the unfairness of her life, not really. Angry about it, yes, but she does not go "oh woe is poor me". She thinks and grow, and this is important.

One of my "complaints" if that is the right word about Marrow Thieves was that it was very male focused, Venco is women centered and focus, connecting women from a variety of backgrounds. It is an intersectional feminist novel.

One of the things that stands is out that the cast is diverse across the board. The women that make up what is Lucky's Coven comes from all walks of life and different backgrounds, and trans women are women in this nove unlike some other examples I could think of. It is important because of the acceptance that is showcased in the book. When Lucky is told that Freya was not always Freya, Lucky's reaction is simply that Freya has always been Freya. It is great that in this book people are just accepted for who they are.

Some people might think or even claim that this book is anti-male because the villain is a man. But this would be incorrect. While the Coven is female and the book focuses on the treatment of women by men (we are all the witches that survived type of a thing) there are male characters who help and are wonderful. What I particularly liked about the villain is that Dimaline sets him up so that while you don't like him, you can also see him as a product of the system as well. Additionally, she is playing with the idea of women as tempter, an idea that was used to condemn witches. Her inversion of it in the story is quite nice.

I particularly loved the fact that the maternal line and women of the paternal line are seen as equally important in the book. Too often in such novels it is the main character's mother's side of the family that gets the only magical focus. Dimaline reminds us that we have women on both sides of the family tree, even while showing us the lovely nature of Lucky's relationship with her mother.

There are some passages in the book that are downright beautiful. There is one early on when Lucky is working home that is so magical.

To be honest I'm feeling a bit burnt out by my "go to" genres at the moment, so picking up VenCo and having the chance to discuss it as a #tandemreadalong was a nice change of pace.

What I liked
- Diverse, authentic characters
- Journey of self-discovery
- The positive impact of feminist power, empathy and understanding differences
- Stella!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for my arc!

Well, I’m not a fan of witch stories, but I am a fan of Cherie Dimaline’s writing, so here we go, a great read courtesy of the author. Dimaline’s characters are well drawn and entertaining- Lucky is a wonderful protagonist - amusing, intelligent, insightful, and naive enough to take us along with her in her journey to her role. This book is rich in description and connections to the earth. Although dealing with the supernatural, it is also grounded in reality, the natural world. Lucky has a joy that shows in spite of her desperate situation.

The ensuing mystery and chase are well drawn as well, and Dimaline keeps you engaged right to the end.
Many thanks to Net Galley and Penguin Random House Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lucky St. James seems to get one piece of bad news after another. She is caring for her forgetful grandmother, working an unfulfilling job and trying to maintain stable homing. Suddenly a job opportunity appears, and her whole life shifts. She is welcomed into a Coven, who are running out of time.

This story balances several views on coven and witch lore that I found to be refreshing yet nostalgic at the same time. Indigenous lore is always woven throughout the chapters, giving the story a unique and authentic touch. The dynamic of The Oracle, a maiden, mother and crone is included, as well as new witches, forming the coven. There is also a member of the Benandanti hunting these witches, leading to excitement and lots of action.

While the plot moves quickly, Dimaline also creates seven very different main women characters with backstories and motivations unique to each. There is a ton of character depth, and I enjoyed reading about every character.

The story leaves the potential for a sequel or spin-off but also wraps up nicely, so you can walk away satisfied. I highly recommend this novel!

Thanks to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for the digital ARC.

I feel like a good author crafts characters that you can relate to; they have such realistic characteristics, they seem more human than fiction.
A great author takes it a step further and makes those characters people you could envision being friends with; friends you mourn when the book is finished.
Cherie Dimaline is a damn great author. I felt like I was a member of the coven along for the ride, a literary fly on the wall.
Her talent for imagery is remarkable. Her prose and general syntax is *chef's kiss*. I SO hope this is the beginning of a series.
Although I was LUCKY (pun intended) enough to receive a free digital ARC, I will most definitely be purchasing a hard copy for my collection.

A book that met and exceeded my expectations, VenCo is another brilliant novel by Cherie Dimaline.
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​Adventurous and mysterious, this novel keeps you on your toes and it was hard to put down when I finished the readalong sections each day.
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​The importance of female relationships in this novel is the highlight for me, between Lucky and her grandmother Stella, Lucky and her mother Arnya, and all the witches in the coven. Women helping and supporting other women is a powerful force to be reckoned with, and the inclusivity of intersectional female identities was amazing to read.

Lucky St James has been struggling on her own to make ends meet. When she finds an old spoon in the basement of her apartment building, she senses change is coming. Soon, she is part of a group of witches that takes her on a journey. She must find the last witch to complete the coven before time runs out. A group of contemporary witches fighting for the right to exist is the perfect read for 2023.

This review was difficult to write. I’m not sure how I felt about this book. I’ll start by saying it was not bad. It was character driven and the characters were are very interesting, even the villain.

I’m just not sure whether I enjoyed the story. Most of the characters are women. They are all different and have such unique stories to tell. There is also lots of representation here. This is a very diverse group. Even the villain’s story is kind of interesting. We meet the Oracle first and then we meet our protagonist, Lucky. I really liked her. Actually, I really liked most of the witches.

At the beginning of the story, it is unclear how much magic and the supernatural are present in this world. I was uncertain whether we were just in our world or if this was a mirror world that had magic. It was one of the flaws of the story. It was too subtle and consequently left me with unanswered questions. I didn’t find those unanswered questions led me to really think about the message. They took away from the story.

Lucky finds a spoon and then VenCo finds her. She is sent on a quest to find the seventh witch. This is the plot. Yet, the real story is about the witches, the witch hunters and how this new coven is supposed to change the world. That story is barely explored and I found it more interesting than the quest for the seventh witch. There was some underlying message about the state of our world and women’s place in it but it felt unfinished.

This is probably why I don’t feel like I enjoyed the book. I liked the characters and the quest but I wanted more meaning for the coven. I wanted to see something more extraordinary happen if they found the witches. There was a lot of build up and it didn’t resolve satisfyingly.

It was well written with very well drawn characters. They were a pleasure to read and very lifelike. The diverse cast was a lovely addition as well. If you like character driven books more than I do with a focus on women, then you will also like this book.

Cherie Dimaline returns with this powerful story of 10 women: the crone, the mother, the maiden, and seven amazing witches. The strength of this collective is instrumental in defeating the embodiment of capitalism, colonialism, and greed.

Lucky, the 6th witch, embarks on a journey to save the world by finding the 7th witch needed for the coven to usher in a new way forward. Along the way she discovers some of the truths from her magical past and gains strength and knowledge from her support network.

Is this a duology? I hope so.

I’d recommend this book for readers like me!
No seriously, if you like strong female characters, a contemporary setting, women empowering women, a bit of fantasy, and no in your face romance, this one is for you!

If you don’t like witches, multiple povs, told from a strong feminist perspective this book isn’t for you.

Did I hear this was a duology? I sure hope so!

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada and the author for an advance reader copy.

Review coming soon to IG

I'll admit that I am a bit biased as I am a big fan of Cherie Dimaline, but this book did not disappoint. I loved the family (and found family) aspects. The generations of witches that spanned decades from Salem and the men that thought they should go away. I loved Lucky's journey in finding herself and her place in the coven, and I loved Stella's attitude.

The world built in VenCo was addictive. I longed to be in it when I was away. Luckys journey was captivating. This book was so good! I loved the witchy commentary on the downfalls of the patriarchy.

I absolutely loved this book. I loved these women and I sincerely hope there will be sequels.
A story spanning generations of one family & peeking back into witch-hood in America, brings together 7 disparate women with extraordinary talents. They’ll need each other as they face a unique and ancient threat.