This short story is mysterious and intriguing. I very much enjoyed this short story from beginning to end.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sarah Penner for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Conjurer's Wife out January 1, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

It was definitely shorter than I thought! I enjoy this author’s work, so I wanted to check this out. Sometimes I really love short stories in between longer books. It helps to break up things. I enjoyed the formatting of the book. I’m obsessed with Venice. It’s a beautiful city. I loved the setting. I really enjoy the theater and plays setting. I loved it! I would definitely read more books by this author.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys short historical stories!

The Conjurer's Wife is a spellbinding short story that blends historical fiction with a touch of the supernatural. The tale centers on Beatrice, the wife of a renowned 19th-century magician, who discovers her husband’s darkest secret—a pact with otherworldly forces that threatens both their lives. As Beatrice delves into her husband’s hidden world of magic and danger, she must make a choice that could save or destroy them both.

Sarah Penner’s atmospheric writing brings the Victorian era to life, immersing readers in a world of secrets, illusions, and forbidden power. The story's rich detail and suspenseful plot make it a quick yet captivating read.

This short story is perfect for fans of Penner’s The Lost Apothecary, as well as readers who enjoy historical fiction with gothic and magical elements.

I requested this because I am a big fan of Sarah Penner's 2 novels. This short novella was definitely in the same vein as her previous works. My only complaint is that it was too short and I wanted to find out more about what happened to the main character(s). But obviously that is not the purpose of this format (a SHORT story).
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun, little read! I have not read anything by this author before, and this certainly makes me want to pick up one of her other works. I love the little hints of magic we get, and I think Olivia could have a fascinating full-length tale to tell. Oscar’s character is not as well-developed, and I totally understand why. This isn’t his story. I really enjoyed the author’s voice. This was a quick, enjoyable read!

A quick novella about magic and finding yourself. If you like Sarah Penner’s other stories, you’ll like this one. I would love to read more about Olivia.

I received a copy from netgalley and the publisher.

I am not typically a historical fiction reader, but Sarah Penner is always an exception. The Conjurer's Wife is less than thirty pages, but it is still a complete and interesting story. The writing is beautiful, and the descriptions make this easy to picture, making this read like a short film I couldn't put down. While I could see some not liking it, I enjoyed the ambiguity towards the end. It works because this is a short story. However, this could have easily been a longer story to allow more of her ideas to develop, and I would have eaten it up. Either way, this was a wonderful, quick read, and I will highly recommend it.

The Conjurer's Wife is a short story about a woman whose husband is a magician, specifically a conjurer. Even Olivia has no idea how he does his tricks, which adds to the allure of the live shows. Olivia also suffered an accident that has rendered her with amnesia, but as the anniversary of the accident approaches, Olivia becomes more curious and defiant of her husband. Naturally, she wants answers. Because this is a short story, it moves very fast. It easily could have been a full novel, so it was fun to see the story in a short story format. All of the elements - set up, rise, fall, etc. are all there, which was really cool to see in this format. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Sarah Penner for providing me with an ARC of The Conjurer’s Wife in exchange for my honest review.

The Conjurer’s Wife is a novella set in 1820s Venice. The story unfolds over the course of two nights, following the captivating performances of Oscar, an illusionist, and his wife Olivia, his beautiful and charming stage assistant.

Despite the brevity of the story, Sarah Penner skillfully develops the characters, making them engaging and memorable. The writing is richly descriptive, immersing the reader in the enchanting setting of Venice and bringing the characters to life with vivid detail.

This was a short yet delightful read with just the right touch of magic. I could easily see this story being adapted into a TV show or movie, given its intriguing premise and atmospheric backdrop.

If you’re looking for a quick and enchanting read, The Conjurer’s Wife is sure to charm you.

An enticing short story about Olivia, the wife of a famous magician, whose own life has some holes it in that she cannot piece together.

I absolutely loved this short story and wish there was more. The magic, the imagery, and Olivia really drew me in. The back drop for the setting was perfection and Olivia’s reaction to the art was such a pivotal moment for her character. I will definitely be reading more from Sarah Penner.

Loved this novella! I don’t believe in writing too much of a synopsis for a novel under 50 pages so I’ll give you a little. Italy, 1800s, magician (actual conjurer or just really good at his act?), and his wife. A fun little ride but I did see the ending coming.

This made me look even more forward to the Amalfi Curse book that’s up next! And also made me want a fox for a pet. 🦊 Review to come!

Thank you Sarah Penner, NetGalley, and the publishers for this ARC. Will be back for Amalfi Curse!

This short story is straightforward to read, and I would say that this was its biggest flaw. The events feel too rushed, especially towards the end. The ending itself leaves a lot of questions unanswered. 

That being said though, I liked Olivia, and she felt really "alive" to me. I was invested in her quest to find out what happened to her and in her well-being as well, so I had fun reading this story. And the author did a good job creating this atmosphere of slow dread, and showing with slight details just how wrong the relationship between Oscar and Olivia was.

But questions still remain. How did Oscar come into possession of the magic box? And what do the witches have to do with anything in this story? At first, I thought maybe Olivia was one of the witches that Oscar kidnapped somehow, but the ending seems to tell us that it isn't so. And if that's the case, then I am not sure why the witches are even mentioned.

The author could have taken the witches out of this story and used those pages to develop the reveal a bit more. We got a lot of preparation and descriptions of Olivia's small rebellions against her controlling husband, but when she discovers the source of his magic, she takes it a little bit too quickly in stride. And figures out how to use it a bit too conveniently as well. 

PS: I received an advanced copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah Penner has given us bits of magic and sorcery in her historical fiction books “The Lost Apothecary” and “The London Séance Society” and she’s gifted us with another glimpse of another lyrical scene in the short story “The Conjurer’s Wife.”

It’s 1821 in Venice, Italy. The main characters are Olivia and Oscar Van Hoff — the ethereally beautiful magician’s assistant/ spouse (and a 24 year old with amnesia) and the 38 year old prestidigitator with a red bulbous nose that hints of his over-drinking.
As we meet her, she’s off her mark (a real “x marks the spot”) and she wants to stay there even if it's only 3 inches. It’s a small act of rebellion since even she doesn't know how Oscar does his impossible magic. She only has memories since her wedding day, when she suffered the fall that supposedly caused her memory loss. After a year, Olivia is curious — and what will she find as she starts snooping around? It’s a wonderful and astonishing glimpse into the consequences of the magical world. Short, but terrific! 5 stars!

Oh, and while Olivia is hunting for clues, she sees an article about the red haired sea witches of Positano. She’s obviously hinting that we should read Sarah Penney’s “The Amalfi Curse” being published in late April.

By the way, Bravo! to Amazon Publishing for getting popular authors to do original and short stories. I understand the marketing strategy, but I’m still thankful for getting more works from a lot of my favorite authors. This short story is available for free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription, and I’m glad I have one.

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO The beady black eyes belong to a baby red fox.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO If Oscar is conjuring a peony, it can bloom at any time.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

With this lovely cover and an author I adore, I had to grab this one!

A conjuring magician and his assistant. I loved our POV as the assistant. Her sass and curiosity were great and, even though it was a short story, I thought the author did a great job of really giving us the world and the personality of our narrator. I did this as an audio and was hooked right from the start.

The magic was so mesmerizing, I didn't even try to guess where it was going and was completely shocked by the twist. Is this a hint at what our author is researching and that we might get more? I'd LOVE to read more of this story, this world, and definitely this main character.

Charming, dark and dangerous - I loved this one!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

What a delightful and slightly creepy short story. Short stories are awesome when you can only read for a short amount of time.

3.5 stars - a quick short, I believe it's a prequel of sorts to the author's next novel, but I just sort of felt like I was missing something? It had a twist & I liked the fox cub, Marmalade, a lot. Many thanks to the publisher & Net Galley for my advance readers copy

I appreciated the chance to read this short story, which I assume is a teaser for Sarah Penner's upcoming novel The Amalfi Curse. Unfortunately this story didn't work for me at all, but I hope it will find its audience. I think folks who like very light magical realism may enjoy this, and I'm guessing fans of Penner's other work will like it too.

For myself, I'm sorry to say that this story was really a miss on every level. I thought the writing and characterization was very flat, and I saw every plot point coming from a mile away. This felt like a story written by someone who was unfamiliar with both short stories and the fantasy genre. I'm sure that's not the case, but that's how it read for me. It simply didn't have the depth, characterization, or prose that is needed in order to tell a meaningful story within a short page count.

I did think the main concept was promising, although I didn't think it was executed as well as it could have been. And I liked Marmalade the fox! But otherwise, this just wasn't for me. I'm sorry I don't have more positives to share.

Thank you to Sarah Penner, Amazon Publishing | Amazon Original Stories, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review!

A fun short story with a bit of mystery and wonder. I could see this story being expanded on, but also works well on its own. I enjoyed the not knowing exactly what was going on until the big reveal. I look forward to more works from this author.

An enjoyable, magical short-story from a great author.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.