I devoured this in about 30 minutes—it’s the perfect short story for a quick escape to 1820s Italy.

Olivia, the conjurer’s wife, is clever and quietly rebellious, living in the shadow of her husband’s fame while harboring her own secrets. Her husband’s magic is dazzling and unpredictable, but there’s a darker mystery behind his performances.

The story is packed with fantastical visuals and a strong sense of intrigue.

Interesting points: atmospheric, magic, paranormal, rebellious wife, unique vocabulary

*The air this evening feels different.*
This was SO well written and fun, Loved it! i had to go back and read the last bit, feeling like i'd missed something but i hadn't... it was Brilliant!
im always impressed with a short story that is SO well done it feels like a novel... 5 Stars!

"To this day, even as his wife and stage assistant, she still does not understand the secret to Oscar’s work."

This is just a quick little read, with all the charm of Penner’s longer works. The nature of a good short story is always to leave the reader wanting more, and this was no different. The ending was a bit abrupt, as was the build-up and reveal, but that’s to be expected in something only forty pages long. Overall, I liked this a lot and I’m hoping it ties into Penner’s upcoming novel.

4/5 stars

Rather short read, but the imagery and story make it definitely worth the time. Very well written, love the magic show aspect. Unique story— left me wanting more!

A very enjoyable short story about a woman who questions her place. The writing was excellent and the story is something you can enjoy in 20-30 min.

I want to thank NetGalley and everyone involved in allowing me early access.

This is a very short novella of Sarah Penner, one of my beloved authors, that manages to bring all the vibes of mystery and magic. I felt it was a prelude for what is to come in the Almafi Curse, but we shall see that in April. Regardless, if you already love Sarah, don't miss on the opportunity of reading this story.

This little novel was exactly what I needed. That imagery from the authors words were vivid and memorable. I loved the story. I wish it was longer. Such the struggle with a novella! Short but not long enough. I really enjoyed this!

Thank you NetGalley!

This was a fun, short read! I had my own theories about the main character and her husband, but was pleasantly surprised by the outcome of the book.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘰 #𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 #𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘞𝘪𝘧𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.


Any story with a unique twist I don’t figure out until it is revealed is almost always a winner in my… book. 😉 This one did not disappoint.

It had been on my TBR list, so I was excited when I saw it on the available list at NetGalley.

A new twist on the magician story, I really enjoyed the historical aspect and the descriptions of the act. I liked the background on Olivia and Oscar’s story, but I wish there was just a little more of them interacting outside of being onstage.

Overall, it's a great story!


#NetGalley #ShortStories #HistoricalFiction #MagicalRealism #Mystery

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing and Sarah Penner for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I've always been intrigued by Sarah Penner's titles based on her faithful fanbase- but hadn't tried anything yet. I thought a novella would be the perfect place to start- and it sure was. This was a delightful small taste of the imagery and magic she can weave.

Perhaps it wasn't the point- but this book made me think about AI. Anyone else?

Brief/quick overview: The wife of a magician believes he might not be telling her the full truth.

My thoughts: I love a good short story, and boy was this GOOD! It manages to be descriptive enough to provide all the necessary details while still keeping the story about 40 pages. It seems to be a bit of a set up for her new novel Almafi Curse, as far as I can see! My only complaint here is that there isn't more, but it actually wrapped it up well enough that I don't really feel like I'm missing anything. Very impressive!

📌New Review

Thank you #partners @netgalley & @amazonpublishing for my #gifted copy.

📲: The Conjurer’s Wife
✍️: Sarah Penner
🖨️: Amazon Original Stories
📈: 3⭐️
🪄: Magical Realism

📝:

This was a quick, cutie little novella told by a magician’s wife, Olivia. Oscar Van Hoff is a world-renowned illusionist, but his beautiful young sidekick claims just as much attention from the audience. He would truly be lost without his wife & it shows when she purposely begins to aggravate him by saying the wrong lines, & standing too far away from her assigned spots on stage.

Life hasn’t been the same since her accident the night of their wedding exactly one year ago & she can’t quite put her finger on why. That is until one night she’s rooting around somewhere that she doesn’t belong & the proof is in the pudding. Now there will be hell to pay for dear old hubs.

💭: What’s your favorite tale of magic?
🙋🏻‍♀️: Hocus Pocus or Sabrina The Teenage Witch 🐈‍⬛

🏷️
#newbook #amazonpublishing #amazonoriginal #amazonoriginalstories #partner #fantasybooks #fantasyreads #fantasyreader #fantasybook #magicalrealism #magicalbooks #booksonmagic #witchyreads #bookreview #netgalley #netgalleyreviewer #netgalleyreads #newnetgalleybook #newreleasebooks #justlikemagic #hocuspocus #sabrinatheteenagewitch #primereading #amazonprime #primereads #freebook

I have read several books by the author so was immediately drawn to this. It was such an interesting concept. I think this would have been fantastic as a full length book. Even as a novella where the story progresses much quicker, it felt rushed. There was so much potential, but everything just came about too quickly. I enjoyed the premise, just wished it had lasted a bit longer.

I really enjoyed this short story! Olivia, the main character, is strong, defiant, and relatable. I would love to know where she goes and what her story is moving forward!

The story takes place in Venice in 1821. The main character is the wife of a conjurer who works as his assistant. She doesn’t remember her past because, a year ago, on their wedding day, she fell from the third floor of their villa. Due to the head injury, she has amnesia. Her husband tells her very little about her past, and she begins to suspect that something is wrong.

Despite the fact that this is a novella and the events develop quickly, it was thrilling and intense! I liked the heroine and her desire for freedom. Although the ending felt a bit abrupt, I was completely satisfied with it!
I consider this a successful introduction to the author, and I definitely want to read more of her books in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I don’t usually love short stories, but I actually wish this was developed into a full novel. I feel the idea could have provided enough for good character development. But it was original and enjoyable.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing, I loved that this ARC took me away me away to Italy 🇮🇹 . This short story is the perfect read after finishing The Amalfi Curse, as @sarah_penner_author captures the same moment in history and mentions significant events from her upcoming book (look for it on April 29th, 2025!). Capturing the mystic, supernatural, patriarchal societal norms, and penning once again, a fierce woman determined to live her own life, Penner captured me and I couldn’t put this down.

An interesting short story that will leave you wishing for more! Imagine finding out that your entire life was a lie, and what your next steps would be after that revelation. Even though it is such a short tale you get a sense of the character of the two main characters immediately and will be pulled into their tale.

As this was a short story, I didn't expect complete character development. I was happy about the amount of character development I received. The character of Olivia had depth and was relatable. I enjoyed her story and her self-growth. Even though the plot was predictable, I did enjoy it. There were at least two instances that I didn't expect. I also like the addition of the baby fox, because who doesn't like cute, fluffy, baby foxes?

Oscar Van Hoff is a world renowned magician in Venice during the 1820's. His magic is incredible, and even his wife and assistant doesn't know how he does it. She has always played her role perfectly onstage, reciting the agreed upon lines, but is starting to get tired of the role...and then she uncovers his secret.

I really enjoyed the magic in this short story, but Marmalade the fox was my absolute favorite part. The writing was fantastical and I was really immersed in the story. The ending did feel rushed and abrupt, but it was still a great and quick read.

Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for the ARC.