The Conjurer’s Wife is a glitzy short mystery. The plot is beautifully set in Venice and follows a magician’s wife. And the secret to his magic. The mystery of his magic unfolds and is truly unpredictable (for me!). It also has a lovely wrapped ending that was satisfying!

Set in 1820s Venice, The Conjurer’s Wife is a captivating short story that combines intrigue, mystery, and transformation. Olivia, the wife and assistant of the famous illusionist Oscar Van Hoff, spends her days reciting lines and playing a supporting role in her husband's grand performances. Yet, beneath the surface of her glamorous life, there’s a growing sense of dissatisfaction, especially when she uncovers a secret that threatens to unravel everything Oscar has worked for. Penner skillfully creates a rich atmosphere of tension and wonder, pulling readers into a world where nothing is quite as it seems. The story is short but brimming with mystery and emotional depth, leading to a satisfying and empowering conclusion for Olivia.

While the story’s brevity leaves little room for deep character exploration, it does succeed in delivering a quick yet immersive experience. Olivia’s arc is compelling, her quiet rebellion against the constraints of her life making for an intriguing narrative. The setting of Venice and the backdrop of magic add a layer of mystique, but at times, the story’s focus on the big reveal comes at the expense of deeper development. Nonetheless, The Conjurer's Wife offers a delightful, thought-provoking escape, particularly for readers who enjoy stories of personal empowerment and hidden secrets.

1820's Venice where an illusionist may hide secrets bigger that the trick to his crowd stopping acts.
Olivia is his mesmerizing wife, she has captured the crowd's adoration as much as her fantastic husband, but even she does't know the magic behind the mystique. However, the ever present routine has her feeling rebellious and it may lead her to shatter all of her husbands illusions.

This short story is perfect for those who adore the beautiful historical stories that Sarah Penner manages to weave fantasy into. She brings us along this story ofOlivia and where she starts to bring herself. The biggest thing I wish would have been more Olivia, being a short story there is a limited amount of time to spend with these characters as we view this slice in Olivia's life.
I am looking forward to picking up more by Sarah Penner!

This is my first time reading something by this author, and I must admit I am impressed. Writing a short story can be difficult, yet Sarah Penner did such an excellent job and executed it wonderfully! Although brief, this novella is packed with intensity. We are given a very intriguing plot with even more intriguing characters. Olivia is married to a conjurer who performs his magic on stage in front of crowds. He is a mystery, even to Olivia. She has no idea how he makes the magic happen, but he does, and he is well-loved. Olivia, unfortunately, is suffering from amnesia after an incident that happened a year ago. As time goes on, she finds herself becoming more and more curious about who she was before the incident. She makes an odd discovery at a party one evening that leads to her making a shocking discovery later on.
This short story is great! It's possibly the best novella I've ever read. I love the premise and the plot, and I enjoyed the characters and the overall feel of the story. The ending was a bit abrupt, however, I can't hold that to the author after she has delivered a story this great!
Thank you NetGalley, Amazon Publishing, and Sarah Penner for such a wonderful novella!

Short stories prove an author's skills as they have to grab the reader quickly, build the backstory and reveal all in fewer pages than a regular chapter. Sarah Penner does an excellent job of showing us how the assistant can become her own magician. Loved it!

The Conjurer's Wife was a short story about a magician's assistant. This was written well and I like the idea of magic in this read. I loved that their was a red fox in this story called Marmalade and all of the characters in this were great. Overall, this was a magical short read that I highly enjoyed and would recommend to any reader who loves fantasy. Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for this magical read in exchange of my honest review of The Conjurer's Wife by Sarah Penner.

This was a great short story, the writing was captivating and I felt like I was at the show! I loved the main character and I would read more about the Conjurer’s Wife! I think the speed and shortened condensed version of the story is what brought it down a smidge for me. I wanted more. This was my first book by this author as well, and it makes me want to read more of her books. 👍

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC on this book in exchange for my opinion. I loved it! I saw it will also be on kindle unlimited for anyone looking for a great quick read or who wants to sample Sarah Penners writing

“Watercolor is her favorite: it’s the most defiant of all mediums. The artist may do what he pleases with his brush, but he cannot control where the pigment drips and bleeds.”

Sneaking off to be alone in the art gallery at a fancy 1800s venetian party is a big mood. Loved the concept of this and would love to see what happens next. The writing style was very direct and didn’t quite lend itself to the mystery, Felt maybe a little anachronistic for the time period and setting. Also I wanted this to be darker and more… vengeful at the end?? Not sure if that’s the right word. But overall I enjoyed it and I loved her fox!

Thank you so much to Amazon Publishing & NetGalley for the ARC!

This was so suspenseful for such a short story! I loved the setting, which was so different than I often see in new stories. It was twisty and mysterious. A perfect palate cleanser between longer books.

This is an ominous short story about a magician's assistant. She's had amnesia since her wedding day a year ago, and has started to feel like her husband is hiding more than just how he does his tricks...

I liked this quite a bit! It's a nice short story that does just what short stories are supposed to do: give you insight into one narrative device - in this case, the main character of the Conjurer's Wife - and leave you satisfied, although it might not tie up all of the loose strings.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the story.

I absolutely LOVED that this complimented her new book that’s coming out, the Amalfi Curse. This was short, engaging, and interesting! I loved it on audio.

Thank you Net Galley for this e-copy in exchange for this honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for the ARC of The Conjurer’s Wife by Sarah Penner.

This was an Amazon Original Stories, so a short story. I have to say, this might have been on of my favs my Sarah Penner yet. And there were mentions to the Amalfi Coast, which had me curious if this was a segway into the upcoming book of hers called The Amalfi Curse. As for this one, I don’t want to say too much about Olivia and Oscar as in such a short read it may give too much away. But check this one out. A good one, and short.

I picked this up because The Lost Apothecary completely swept me away, and I was eager to see how the author would handle a shorter format. I wasn’t disappointed. The writing here is as vivid and atmospheric as ever, and the setting feels like its own character—Venice practically pulses with mystery and intrigue.

The story is compact but packs an emotional punch, especially as Olivia’s journey unfolds. The twist was such a standout moment—unexpected yet completely satisfying. While I found myself wanting more depth in a few places (probably because I didn’t want the story to end), it’s a testament to the author’s talent that even in such a short format, the characters and themes felt rich and layered.

For anyone who loves historical fiction with a hint of magic and transformation, this is a quick but rewarding read.

This was a really great novella and it mentions the Amalfi witches which is what Sarah Penner’s next book is about the Amalfi Curse and I can’t wait to read that one. While it was really short, it packed in a lot of story and emotion and the end was so satisfying.
Thanks to Amazon Publishing and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Picture 1820s Venice: 🌙 canals shimmering under moonlight, whispers of power hidden beneath society’s polite veneer 🕯️, and a conjurer whose secrets are more than sleight of hand 🎩. Sarah Penner delivers a mesmerizing tale of real magic, betrayal, and one woman’s bold journey to claim her power.

Olivia, the titular conjurer’s wife, begins as a quiet figure in her husband Oscar Van Hoff’s dazzling world. The world sees Oscar as a masterful magician, but Olivia discovers his talents aren’t tricks—they’re real—and the truth is far darker than the sparkle he projects. When she uncovers a secret that could undo everything, the stage is no longer Oscar’s—it’s hers. 👏

The pacing? Pure magic ✨, though I couldn’t help but wish the story lingered a little longer. Olivia’s transformation deserved a broader stage—this short story screams full-length novel potential! Just imagine the rich layers of intrigue, romance, and rebellion Sarah Penner could have explored with 300+ pages to play with.

But as it stands, this tale enchants. The Venice setting glows like moonlight on the Grand Canal, and Olivia’s journey from stage prop to star of her own story is as satisfying as a perfectly executed vanishing act.

Final Thoughts: The Conjurer’s Wife is a shimmering, tantalizing glimpse into a world of real magic and empowerment. A spellbinding short story that deserves a grander stage. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for now, but Penner—if you ever decide to turn this into a novel, I’ll pre-order yesterday.

This is a delicious little read and all male characters should have just a little fear (maybe a lot) of what Sarah Penner will do to them through her writing. It's a short story, so you aren't going to get a fully fleshed out novel here, but it's a bite-sized bit of drama and magic and justice, and you should definitely devour it.

I enjoyed the premise of this short story and was invested in Olivia finding more answers. Enjoyed the short story but was left wanting more and had some unanswered questions.

The Conjurer's Wife is a short story that follows Olivia Van Hoff, a young woman married to a famous illusionist living in 19th-century Venice, whose exploration into the secrets behind his magical acts reveals a dark reality he seeks to hide from her.

I have read from Sarah Penner before, and I wasn't the biggest fan of the Lost Apothecary, but the synopsis for this short story sounded interesting, and given its short length, I was willing to give her another chance. I don't necessarily regret this, but I don't think that her writing is anything to write home about, both in terms of artistry and plot work. Penner has a simplistic, easy-to-read writing style that is accessible to most people; I feel this style is more suited to a shorter narrative than a long-form novel like her previous works. However, I still felt like her writing left a lot to be desired as Penner didn't handle the important topics that could have been delved further into with much nuance or detail. Similarly, I also thought that the plot was a bit over the place for such a short narrative and too fast-paced towards the ending, given how slowly the earlier parts had, which made the story feel rushed and incomplete.

For the most part, I enjoyed the historical setting; Penner did a good job grounding the story in the historical setting of 19th-century Venice. However, I also thought that the more fantastical elements didn't blend as well with the historical setting. In particular, the discussion about the Witches of Positano felt a bit out of place as the people of 1821, especially in Italy ( a notoriously Catholic country), were a lot less open-minded about any sort of witchcraft or 'occultism' (something which would become a lot more popular during the later half of the 19th century). For a brief history lesson, Italy had executed women on the charge of witchcraft as recently as 1724, the last known execution on the charge of witchcraft in Europe happened in 1750, and the last suspected execution occurred in 1783 in Doruchow, Poland, just 38 years before the events of the story. Given that the main character is a woman and many of the characters who are discussing the witches are also women, and also that Olivia is married to a controlling husband who profits off of the 'witchcraft' that would have gotten a woman and possibly a man as well killed just 40 years ago, I wish the author had explored the theme and connection between witchcraft, sexism and abuse a lot more. Similarly, though I liked how Penner used the more imaginative and fantastical elements of the story to allude to the abusive dynamic between Olivia and Oscar, I think Penner could have done a better job at showing us Oscar's abuse and mistreatment of Olivia rather than simply telling the reader of it, as I believe this would have driven home the discussion on abusive relationships a lot more.

Overall, the Conjurer's Wife provides an intriguing setup for discussing important themes regarding magic, abusive relationships and sexism in an imaginative and compact narrative. However, Penner fails to capitalize on the nuances of these topics or come to a satisfying conclusion for the narrative and its central character, leaving the reader wanting more, not in a good way.

I enjoyed this story and the zing at the end. I could see this short story expanding into a novel. I love Sarah Penner’s way of storytelling. Thanks for sharing this story through NetGalley.

The premise sounded interested, and since I was familiar with Sarah Penner from reading The London Seance Society, I decided to give this a go.

This story kept my attention, and was the perfect length. My suspicions about Oscar were slowly developing as the story developed, and I was thrilled to know that I was correct when the reveal happened!

I have some lingering questions about the world, but I feel like this matches the vibe of most novellas I read. This is worth reading/listening if you are between novels and want a palette cleanser.