This one is a lot of fun and has an urban fantasy feel. There are a *lot* of lightly changed (but in a creative way) things that we've seen before so you get a familiar comfort (e.g. one of the characters is quite similar to a Slayer from Buffy, but there's a divine twist to it and a different backstory, one of the characters is a wizard (but gets most of his power from his house)), but there's also the twist that the protagonists are older and allegedly 'retired'. The personalities are all well drawn, all 3 main characters get viewpoint chapters with their different voices, and there are various plotlines that tie more or less to one of the characters and then bring in the others. I would love to see this as a series but it also works on its own.

Such a fun book! I love seeing books with older characters as MCs, and they were varied with different plots/character arcs. I wouldn't call this 100% cozy, but more of a low-mid modern fantasy, with mystery and humour elements.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC.

I saw retirement age ex-chosen ones with an Eldritch-cat on the cover and I knew I had to read this book.

This book was so unexpectedly funny. I obviously expected it to have humour based on the premise, but didn't expect it to be this good. And wile this was a funny book, it also delivered on the emotional scenes very well and those things are very hard to do at the same time. Funny quips can easily undercut emotional moments, but this book let those moments breathe.

The found family trope and how it was interwoven with the sentient house trope worked great and were very touching. All of the characters were so loveable.

I also really appreciated some of the themes the book explored that wouldn't have been possible (or believe) with a younger cast of characters.

I loved all the cats in the book, especially Squidward and Chunk.

Definitely one of the weirder lover stories I've read. Especially a certain dream sequence.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes A Man Called Ove. It provides the same great balance of funny and emotional writing.

I adored this cozy mystery, featuring three retired former “slayers” of evil. It’s told in the perspective of the three main characters. I thought the characters were fantastic and the story was great. I had a hard time putting this one down and I had a hard time saying goodbye to it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This will be out in October! Make sure to add it to your calendar.

Great comical fantasy novel with lots of magic and things that go bump in the night. Loved the strong female leads and focus on sixty something year old characters. Thank you to the author, enjoyed this a lot. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

A cozy, eldritch horror.
Slayers of old is a fun take on a fantasy/Lovecraft mythos novel that shows not everyone can retire. Fun, relatable characters, and a fast paced plot keeps you turning pages.

You’ll be doing yourself a favor by picking up this book! Who knew kicking butt and saving the world could be so cozy?

Short n’ sweet plot:
A Hunter of Artemis, a half Succubus, and a Wizard gotta save the world.
Again.
Several years past their prime.
Arthritis won’t wait and neither will a hungry god born before time.

Why you’ll want to read:
If you loved Kings of the Wyld, House on the Cerulean Sea, or Killers of a Certain Age, I think you’ll appreciate this one. It’s less gritty than Kings, but still keeps a banter and camaraderie that comes from age old friends.
Older protagonists! They’ve already been through angsty teen years and the mistakes of youth, so you’re left with a wiser batch of heroes.
Multiple POVs, I found seeing from each character helped flesh them out and I appreciated the different forms of magical creatures they were. Their past mattered to the plot!
It’s a found family that keeps on growing.
Page length is perfect for a standalone that keeps its pace steady and engaging.


Thank you so much to Netgalley and DAW for my arc, I had such a great time reading!

Jim Hines is a better and more original writer than some who have won more honours, in my opinion, and this book is an example of that. It's an urban fantasy that's pitched as "Buffy meets Golden Girls," and with some justification. Of the three viewpoint characters (I approve of urban fantasy with multiple first-person viewpoints and an ensemble cast), all of them are, to different degrees, old, ranging from sixties-but-looks-younger-because-supernatural-ancestry to almost a hundred. One was a very Buffy-like child soldier for a group called the Guardians Council, who raise young girls as slayers; she got out because they finally went too far in what they called upon her to do, but not before she'd got her friend group, the Slay Team, in way too deep and messed up all of their lives. One is a half-succubus; she's the Blanche of the group, if you like. The third character is male, a wizard from a long line of wizards, who has a symbiotic relationship with their house, his ancestral home.

They're trying just to run a shop selling books and tourist tat in Salem, Massachusetts, in addition to which the ex-slayer is, presumably as atonement, dedicated to helping and healing members of the local supernatural community. But, of course, they get pulled back in. With the help of a young man from a long line of monster-hunters who takes himself far too seriously, and whose late mother haunts his van, they have to take on a supernatural threat that is recruiting young people to your standard Great Old One cult and causing them to break out in eyes.

Everyone's backstory and every relationship ends up mattering. Everyone gets an arc of development and realization. Everyone, including the villain, believes they're doing what is right, but how you can tell that the protagonists are actually the ones doing what's right is that they don't hurt anyone if they can avoid it (and also they're not seeking power over others at the risk of causing a world-ending disaster).

It's a strong recommendation from me, and I hope it becomes a series.

Thanks to NetGalley, Jim C Hines and DAW for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an extremely charming cosy-ish fantasy book about a group of retired magical beings who are forced to come out of retirement to save the world.

The characters were the strongest element of this story, I felt very attached to all of the main and side characters (even the house). I would read a whole series of books following various adventures if Hines were to write more!

I’d recommend this to fans of less intense fantasy such as ‘The House in the Cerulean Sea’ or ‘Rivers of London’.

A fantastic read! I greatly enjoyed Slayers of Old, and it was exactly as advertised: a cross of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Golden Girls. I enjoyed every little nod to Buffy I spotted, and the whole book felt like an episode of Buffy. I highly recommend this book for all BTVS fans. It was fun, exciting, nostalgic, and just a little tragic. I truly hope to someday see Slayers of Old in theatre.

A delightfully magical adventure filled with humour, heart, and heroic retirees. 🧙‍♀️📚💥

Slayers of Old is like a warm cup of tea spiked with demon-slaying mischief—equal parts cosy and action-packed. Jim C. Hines delivers a fresh and funny take on the “Chosen One” trope, turning it on its head with a cast of retired monster hunters who are older, wiser, and absolutely not here for the nonsense (unless that nonsense involves saving the world… again).

I adored the premise: three former Chosen Ones running a charming bookshop in Salem, content with their quiet life—until ancient creatures start creeping up from the basement. The mix of humour, found family, and magical mayhem makes this an irresistible read, especially for fans of Buffy, Golden Girls, or Legends & Lattes.

There’s a strong sense of friendship and second chances at the heart of this story, and the pacing balances light-hearted moments with real stakes. The banter is witty, the action fun, and the magical elements blend well with a touch of cosy mystery flair. Also, can we talk about how refreshing it is to see older protagonists kicking butt and stealing the spotlight?

Whether you're in it for the magical monsters, the laugh-out-loud dialogue, or the deep appreciation for scones and second chances, this book has charm in spades.

I had high hopes for this one, as the premise had so much potential—part Killers of a Certain Age, with a vibe that reminded me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The mix of older protagonists and an action-packed storyline promised an intriguing read, and the idea of seasoned characters taking on new challenges was definitely appealing. However, while the concept was engaging, I found myself losing interest as the story progressed.

There was plenty happening, but I just found myself getting bored with it at times. Despite the action and the witty moments, the story didn’t quite hold my attention as much as I’d hoped. I wanted to love the characters and the dynamic, but overall, it just didn’t click for me.

While this book wasn’t for me, I can absolutely see how others would enjoy it, especially fans of action-comedy or those who love a bit of snark mixed with supernatural elements. If you’re looking for something light, with a dash of mystery and humor, this could be a good pick!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and to DAW for the ARC of Slayers of Old By Jim C. Hines.

If the Thursday Murder Club were fantasy-oriented crime solving, this is it. I got a few chapters in and realized I'd be reading it in one sitting, which I did.

Slayers of Old follows three retired housemates, all different types of Chosen Ones in their youth (a part demon, a hunter blessed by a goddess, and a sorcerer). They now live together in a house (also a second hand bookshop) that is magically imbued with the historical magic of the sorcerer's family, making it a sentient character in the book itself. When otherworldly danger comes to Salem, the three are thrust into once again saving the world from another apocalypse, one that might be closer to home, and more tied to their long pasts, than they thought possible.

I really loved how this felt like reading about a retired Buffy the Vampire Slayer-esque found family. It hit the right vibes and humor for late 90s nostalgia, while also still being relevant to 2025. The jokes about the type of apocalypse this could be based on dream factors and how "This would have just been any other Tuesday" in their youth kept things light and funny, while also noting how the characters had aged and the lessons they had learned throughout their lives added to the depth of their actions and what their family meant to them.

My only struggle was with the different narration of each of the three characters and the interluding chapters that at first I had trouble placing the relevance of. A few times I wouldn't realize who was narrating until they mentioned something particular to their past/gifts. I think their voices needed to be a bit more differentiated to help with that, though they were very definitely distinct characters and the interluding chapters needed some sort of header to place them in the present, not the past.

3.75 stars!

Cozy mystery/fantasy isn't my favorite genre, but sometimes you need something lighthearted and funny to keep you going, and this delightful romp was a welcome break!

In Salem, MA lies a sweet little bookstore and a whimsically magical house inhabited by three great heroes, long-retired from their adventurous days. However, something is waking in the little town and the heroes must come out of retirement to track down the people summoning entities that are really better left sleeping. The cozy book are lovers are going to devour this. It's heartfelt, amusing, and the characters were really lovely. Not to pick favorites but I wish I had a grandparent like Temple. I wasn't really expecting this to be centered out a mystery, which is more my fault than anything, but I'm not a huge mystery fan and didn't find the actual plot super interesting. I think a little more humor and a little more atmosphere really could have helped this book out.

I definitely enjoyed it, especially as a college student absolutely fighting for my life through the last few weeks of the semester, but it wasn't a perfect fit for me and I could've used a bit more.

Thank you to Jim C. Hines and DAW for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!

Happy reading!

This was such a fun book to read. The author has beautifully woven reality and fantasy to create a perfectly blended world in which a woman is a van while a kid just wants ice cream. There is plenty of excitement, action and an epic battle but there is also a touching core message around chosen families and the ties that bind people who love one another.

Slayers of Old by Jim C. Hines is everything I love about fantasy wrapped into one page-turning, action-packed story. If you’re a fan of clever world-building, snappy dialogue, and heroes who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty, this book is an absolute treat.

The plot is full of twists and turns, but it’s the characters that really drive the story. Hines excels at making even the most battle-hardened slayers feel real, flawed, and relatable. Each character is dealing with their own baggage, their own challenges, and watching them navigate these obstacles—both external and internal—was what kept me hooked. The dynamics between the group of slayers is so well done, full of banter, loyalty, and a surprising amount of heart.

What really stands out to me in Slayers of Old is how Hines subverts typical fantasy tropes. The slayers, while skilled and tough, aren’t invincible or all-knowing. They make mistakes. They second-guess themselves. And that makes the stakes feel even higher, especially as they’re up against dangerous, mysterious enemies from a time long past.

The world-building is immersive without being overwhelming. Hines drops just enough detail to make you feel like you’re truly stepping into this universe, but never bogs you down in too much lore. There’s a balance between action, character development, and world-building that kept me engaged from start to finish.

By the end, I was both satisfied with the resolution and hungry for more. Slayers of Old has the perfect mix of humor, heart, and epic adventure. If you love fantasy that’s both fun and meaningful, I highly recommend this one—it’s a wild ride from beginning to end.