I am so confused that this book even exists, because this series “ended” five years ago with Last Stand in Lychford. But who am I to look a gift horse (book?) in the mouth (pages?)? I mean, whoo hoo! Another Witches of Lychford novella!

Gnomes of Lychford is a little different from previous installments, however, as it focuses less on the witches and more on, well … gnomes, duh. Autumn and Reverend Lizzie are still major characters this go round, but other town residents also get their moments in the spotlight. After all, things changed a lot in Lychford at the end of book five (if you can't remember what happened, no worries, it's all recapped in this one), and residents are now aware that other mystical realms exist. Everyone is still a little surprised when gnomes show up in Lychford with gnome-information pamphlets and a list of demands, however. The gnomes have a few issues with the town and its residents, and they seem especially offended by the garden gnomes found in local yards. One of the gnomes' demands? Get rid of the offensive fake gnomes … or else.

What follows is an entertaining and lightly humorous attempt by Lychford townsfolk to pacify some very angry gnomes. It's a lot sillier than I remember the other Witches of Lychford novellas being (although it's been years since I've read them so don't quote me on that), but it's still a lot of fun. Dave (Lychford's mayor) and Loz (the town clerk) are a fantastic pair and I really enjoyed their parts in the story. It's also nice to revisit Autumn's character now that she's taken over Judith's role as town Wise Woman. Trigger warnings include: immolation of innocent garden gnomes and excessively mopey reverends.

If you haven't read the previous Witches of Lychford novellas, I highly recommend that you read them before starting this one. While it's probably technically possible to read Gnomes of Lychford as a stand-alone (major events are superficially recapped), you'll miss out on a lot of backstory. Honestly, I kind of wish I'd gone back and reread the first five books in the series, as I had trouble remembering all of the details.

My overall rating: 3.9 stars, rounded up. If you've enjoyed previous Lychford novellas, this one is definitely worth a read. I'm so hoping for another “conclusion” to this series in a few years.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tordotcom for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is September 9, 2025.