"What Became of Magic" by Paige Crutcher is a bewitching and captivating tale that immerses readers in a world where witches, magic, and powerful creatures coexist. This novel, filled with suspense, mystery, and a touch of romance, takes readers on a thrilling journey alongside Aline Weir, a witch with an extraordinary gift.

The author, known for her previous works "The Orphan Witch" and "The Lost Witch," once again demonstrates her skill in crafting compelling narratives and weaving together intricate plots. Crutcher's writing style is enchanting, drawing readers into a world brimming with magic and danger from the very first page.

Aline Weir is a complex and relatable protagonist, harboring her magical abilities due to past events. Her journey of self-discovery and the gradual unveiling of her powers creates a sense of empowerment and growth throughout the story. Aline's ability to communicate with ghosts adds an intriguing dimension to her character, allowing for heartfelt and poignant moments that delve into themes of redemption and closure.

The setting of "What Became of Magic" is masterfully crafted, with Matchstick, the mysterious town that doesn't exist on any map, serving as a backdrop for the unfolding adventure. Crutcher's vivid descriptions bring the town to life, immersing readers in its mystical atmosphere and leaving them yearning to uncover its secrets alongside Aline.

The introduction of the book of Mischief elevates the stakes and amplifies the already powerful magic within Aline. The sense of wonder and discovery that accompanies Aline's newfound abilities is palpable, and readers will find themselves enchanted by the unpredictable and alluring nature of the magic she wields.

Furthermore, the inclusion of the enigmatic trio of women who run the bookstore adds an element of intrigue and mentorship to the story. Their guidance and wisdom provide Aline with the necessary tools to navigate the dangerous path she embarks upon, while also adding depth and richness to the narrative.

One of the book's greatest strengths lies in its exploration of the character of Magic itself. The personification of magic as a dangerous and seductive entity adds an additional layer of complexity to the plot, creating a tantalizing dance between light and dark, power and vulnerability. Crutcher's portrayal of Magic as a character that has been waiting for a witch like Aline for centuries is both chilling and captivating, heightening the stakes and keeping readers on the edge of their seats.

"What Became of Magic" is a spellbinding novel that will leave readers longing for more. Paige Crutcher's ability to seamlessly blend magic, mystery, and compelling characters makes this book a must-read for fans of the fantasy genre. With its engrossing plot, well-developed characters, and a world brimming with enchantment, "What Became of Magic" is a testament to Crutcher's storytelling prowess and will undoubtedly leave readers eagerly awaiting her next magical adventure.

I really hate to give such a low rating because for the first 20% or so of the book, I was really interested. I liked the main character and the magic system. I finally had to stop reading about 65% through because I was not really following what was going on. It felt like the story was almost there but not enough to completely work. Once I realized not only did I not understand the plot, I also stopped carrying about the characters, I had to call it.

Thanks to net galley for the advanced copy.

This was a great book with just enough to Magic to make you question reality. I like that in a book which is why magical realism is usually my go to sub-category along those lines.

There were some disturbing (albeit minimal/short) events that weren’t entirely necessary but in hindsight they all added up to a thoroughly explored world … or WORLDS rather. The “in between” interested me and finding out some of the earlier events were actually serving a different purpose than I thought when reading them kept me on the edge of my seat.

The spice-o-meter seemed like it would be hotter due to some details early on but this was pretty “clean” overall for those who have an preference about open-door romance.

Overall I really enjoyed it!

I really, really struggled to get into this book.

It's hard for me to even describe why. The world building is interesting, not rushed, reasonably unique, and presents nice plot movement. I liked the FMC--she's strong but insecure due to a lifetime of everyone, including her parents, essentially rejecting her due to her other-ness. It's a slow-burn romance with some fated elements and a mystery wrapped in. The romantic elements are well-done. It even has a unique magic system, which typically I absolutely adore.

But despite ticking all of the boxes for a book I would really enjoy, I found this one to be a chore to get through. I would say this was particularly true of the middle 60% of so of the book where everyone is speaking in riddles, the POVs are swapping around, and half the time I just did not really understand what was going on. It just dragggggggeeedddd for a while too. I put it down to read something else and kept forcing myself to come back to this to finish it. The ending DID wrap things up for the most part but not in a, "oh of course, how could I have possibly misunderstood these riddles?!" kind of way. Instead, it was more of a, okay, the plot ends in this way, that makes sense I guess?? I was happy with the resolution of the romantic arc.

Overall though I think there is a certain set of readers that would really enjoy this one; I don't want to rate it any lower because I honestly think it is fairly well written and unique. It has great cozy vibes and a lot of interesting elements. Just not exactly my cup of tea.

What Became of Magic by Paige Crutcher is a Delightful witchy read. Some parts were a bit hard to follow and I do recommend readers take their time in this book to enjoy the atmosphere it creates. Fans of books like Practical magic and the ex hex will enjoy this title.

I really wanted to like this more than I did.

The world [author:Paige Crutcher] creates in [book:What Became of Magic] has some intriguing ideas – witches turned into vessels that hold the power of the world’s ley lines, coming under attack and threatening the whole world – but I’m afraid the concept just didn’t land on execution. The magical beings seem incapable of speaking in anything but riddles, which when it works, can result in some fantastic reveals. Here, though, the puzzle pieces just never fell into place. I’m also the first to admit I’m a sucker for destiny romance, but there’s very little complexity at all to Aline and Magic’s relationship – it’s one dimensional with little conflict or momentum.

That said, I did enjoy reading this, when I didn’t try too hard to make it make sense, so it may work better for others.

[book:What Became of Magic] by [author:Paige Crutcher]
⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚🧙🏻‍♀️🧙🏻‍♀️🧙🏻‍♀️ Any story with books and witches gets a plus
✨When your true love is literally magic
👻 She sees dead people

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Magic is an illusion, an appearance of the impossible, with supernatural powers that are hard to understand. In “What Became of Magic” our heroine, Aline, was born with magical powers that she didn’t know how to deal with while she was growing up. She tried desperately to fit in but the mean girls still made fun of her until one day when Aline’s new friend Dragon entered her life. They would be friends forever and Dragon would always protect, even from afar.

Aline’s parents were horrible people who didn’t understand her and it wasn’t until she befriended the proprietors of a mysterious bookstore, that she realized what family was all about. Aline flourished during her time at the bookstore as it became her refuge from the harsh outside world. It was there that she came upon a bewitching book that would change her life forever. From her readings, she became aware of the mystical town of Matchstick. Aline set off on her quest to find the answers she was looking for but when she arrived at her destination, she was met by the handsome man she had been dreaming about her whole life. Who was this magical soul who she thought only existed in her dreams? Why was their connection so strong that she felt connected to him in the most intimate ways? Would he be able to help her find the magic that had gone missing? Will her life ever be the same again or will she be stuck in between the worlds, unable to find her way out?

I unfortunately could not finish this book. Although I liked the author's first book, I found this one to be too tedious to get through. The first couple of chapters definitely pulled me in. I thought we would get more insight into Aline helping specific ghosts cross over, going into much more detail. But as soon as she got to Matchsticks with the endless speaking in riddles, I lost interest in the book entirely.

Not for me. Most of this was riddles and wandering. 2.5 Starts rolled to 3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It’s not often that I find a book I don’t care for, thankfully. But every once in a while, you do run across stories that you just cannot get into the plot.

What Became of Magic by Crutcher is inventive and definitely original. To me, it read more like a children’s story. There are parts that reminded me of the P.D. Eastman book, “Are You My Mother?”, and I could not shake that feeling as the characters wandered through this mystical world looking for people. It also reminds me of a video game where people you run into have a clue and you’re trying to figure out if you follow them or not.

That’s not to say the author didn’t knock herself out and develop a story that is perfect for those that enjoy fantasy paranormal-type details. But it was not one that I found engaging or enjoyable, personally.

Crutcher loaded this book with detail and imagery that puts you inside the story—characters that are lovable and hate-able, and some that are questionable.

If you love mystical lands and mystical people, check this one out! As for me, sorry, I am out.

This book was an interesting witchy rom com and the first half of the book where she is settling into town was interesting but unfortunately the second half confused me. But thank you for the ARC!

This was an interesting book, but a little hard to follow at times. I enjoyed Aline's character, and loved the magical aspects (the brick, the way the town was hidden).

While I did enjoy this book, I did not enjoy it as much as I did Ms Crutcher's first two books. I love witchy fiction because you get the feel of a fantasy, but without the tedious worldbuilding and having to keep everything straight in your head. I like being in a semi-fantastical world, but with only the effort of reading a rom-com. There was a bit more world/lore building in this book than I typically enjoy. With all that said though, I did still very much enjoy this book and would recommend it for witchy fiction lovers! If this is your first Crutcher book, definitely go back and read her other books! I do LOVE that we're getting a little more spicy, I would love to see Ms Crutcher just go for it in her next book! I'll definitely keep following her career!

Rated 3.5 stars on Storygraph

. What Became of Magic was not what I expected based on the description. The story of Aline Weir, her life, and what happens when she arrives in Matchstick was interesting, but I have to be honest and say that the second half of the story lost me a bit. I really had high hopes for this book, it sounded like it was going to be a fun witchy paranormal romance. But what I found was it was perhaps not the book for me

Ms Crutcher is a new (to me) author and I picked this book up off of Net galley to review based on the description alone. I was curious about the premise.

What Became of Magic was not what I expected based on the description. The story of Aline Weir, her life, and what happens when she arrives in Matchstick was interesting, but I have to be honest and say that the second half of the story lost me a bit.

Based on the first half of the story (and the blurb) I thought this book was headed one way. But it took a hard left. While I enjoyed the book, I struggled a bit with what message the author was sharing in how events unraveled.

The characters here are interesting and there is an intrigue element that creates excellent tension. The core secondary cast is full of unique characters. They help move the story along and add some to the confusion. I’m curious if having read previous books by the author would have helped in better understanding this book

Finally a book about witches and a magical bookstore and it couldn't have been more perfect! I loved the story from beginning to end. Crutcher did not disappoint!

Unfortunately I DNF'D this one at about 40% in. The writing style didn't really hold my interest and it read much more YA than I was anticipating. Any of the descriptions of the lust/desire between Aline and Magic just came off very immature and I couldn't move past it.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

really had high hopes for this book, it sounded like it was going to be a fun witchy paranormal romance. But what I found was it was perhaps not the book for me. I found it really had to get into and follow at times. I did like the main character of Aline and how fleshed out her character was and the ending was satisfying so I’m glad I finished it. Also as someone from Atlantic Canada I liked all the Anne of Green Gables bits woven into the story. But I was really hoping for more of a romance and more building of the relationship between the two characters of Aline and Magic.

The writing in this book was very hard for me to follow at times, with the constant switching of points of views and kind of ambiguous characters made it more difficult. That being said, it’s been a while since I’ve read a full blown fantasy novel so others who love fantasy might find this book a wonderful fit!

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author Paige Crutcher for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

From the author of The Lost Witch and The Orphan Witch, Paige Crutcher, comes the book What Became of Magic.

I read a pre-publication copy of this book.

Unfortunately, at the time I read this book, 5/10-5/12/23, there were significant errors in it beyond the typos, misspellings and punctuation problems. Some sentences were unable to be understood due to errors in them. At times that affected my ability to understand what was going in in the story. It is the most poorly edited advanced reader copy of a book I have ever read.

That being said, the main character in the book is well developed. The other feature characters are also compelling. The story is interesting, even if a bit difficult to follow at times. The ending of the book is strong. I was glad to have read it thru to the end.

This book has promise and I hope it will be all shiny and ready when it comes time for publication.

Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

I loved this book. It grabbed my attention from the beginning of the book. The story line is very well thought out and the plot is great. The suspense of who’s who and what’s what, was very suspenseful and I enjoyed the twists and turns, There are some dark parts to the book that really caught me off guard. Overall I enjoyed the entire book.

As a fan of witch stories, I went into this with the hope to be emotionally moved and whimsically delighted. Unfortunately, this would have been a DNF around Chapter 3 if I hadn't known we'd be meeting a certain character later on from reading other reviews.

My biggest issue was the writing. The book reads like the outline for a novel rather than a finished novel, with so very much telling and a lack of emotional depth (especially around a certain life-changing event in Aline's teenage years).