Two Witches and a Whiskey by Annette Marie Narrator: Cris Dukehart
Series: Guild Codex: Spellbound #3
Published by Tantor Audio on February 28, 2019
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Length: 8 hours, 9 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm
Three months ago, I landed a job as a bartender. But not at a bar—at a guild. Yeah, the magic kind.
I'm not a badass mage like my three smokin' hot best friends. I'm not a sorcerer or an alchemist, or even a wussy witch. I'm just a human, slinging drinks like a pro and keeping my non-magical nose out of mythic business. Seriously, I know my limits.
So why am I currently standing in a black-magic ritual circle across from a fae lord?
Somewhere behind me, my three mage friends are battling for their lives. Somewhere near my feet is the rogue witch I just knocked out with a stolen spell. And I have about five seconds to convince this very angry sea god not to shmoosh me like a bug.
I'm pretty sure this wasn't part of the job description.
It’s been about four weeks since the end of the previous book. Tori continues her work as a bartender for the Hammer and Crow guild despite not being a mage or a human registered with the MPD. Everyone is having a good time until the MPD arrives, and Tori needs to go into hiding. Sidelined from work and stuck at home, Tori is surprised when a pair of witches approach her and ask for her help investigating some missing fae. Unfortunately, the witches aren’t honest about their intentions, and Tori ends up in the crosshairs of a nasty guild filled with immoral mages.
Two Witches and a Whiskey continues the adventures of Tori, a human who accidentally falls into the world of magic. When we first met Tori, I was drawn to her ability to fit into the magic world while remaining human. I appreciated that she is quick on her feet and stands up for herself, but relies on her friends, a trio of mages, to do the heavy lifting. I like that she has a big heart and cares for others. However, I feel my love for Tori waning.
Tori is desperate to fit into the magical world and is fearful she’ll be shut out. She has terrible abandonment issues, so I empathize with her. She’s becoming obsessed, looking for signs and reasons she is part of the greater magical community. While understandable, it appears to drive her to do some stupid things. This time around, Tori comes off overly bossy and controlling and sometimes acts like a petulant child. She makes some terrible TSTL choices. She’s keeping secrets. (Yes, I know everyone has secret secrets in this series…) but she’s using her friends at times and she’s not honest with them, which aggravated me.
That said, I liked the story and learning more about some of the supporting characters. The author is really opening up the world for some exciting adventures based on the secrets starting to come out. The action is exciting, and the clock on saving Tori’s life adds suspense. The author also closes some of the open doors and solidifies certain aspects of the series. Two Witches and a Whiskey feels like a transition from introducing the Guild Codex world to a new (hopefully) exciting story arc.
Despite not loving this book, mostly due to my issues with the main character, there are still several great things that happen in Two Witches and a Whiskey. The author has created an interesting world with a solid foundation, I am excited to see where Marie takes the series.
Narration:
The story is shared via the first person POV of Tori Dawson. Dukehart uses a perky, upbeat feminine voice for Tori. She captures the whip smart, takes-no-crap attitude of the twenty-one year old. Dukehart alters character dialogue based on gender and age with moderate success, making each character fairly distinguishable. Dukehart keeps the story moving forward in a lively manner.
Listen to a clip: HERE
My Ratings:
Story: B-
Narration: B+
Share your review/ thoughts for Two Witches and a Whiskey:
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COYER Challenge is adopting our Read-along. You can read about COYER and join that challenge HERE. On the Sunday after the review posts, they will host a Discord chat at 12 PT, 2 CT, 3 ET and 9pm Europe, for a one hour chat. The chat is February 1. COYER is moving from Facebook to Discord. The Discord chat is HERE. The chat is on the COYER Discord server, which it may ask you to join if you are not already a member. You can test it out in advance as the chat room will be for the whole year.
Here’s your to-do list:
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- Find your copies of these books, borrow them from a friend, get them at the library or buy them. The ebooks are currently in Kindle Unlimited.
- Read Demon Magic and a Martini, by February 27.
- Make note of a favorite quote or two as you read the book.
- If you haven’t read the books before, make a list of questions you have for the discussion. If you have read them, please don’t spoil new readers.
- Link up your review on Goodreads or your site to the post.
- Join the COYER book chat on the Sunday following the post.
- Enter the giveaways!
Games:
Who said “Magic is a tool. Whether you inherit it, learn it, bargain for it, steal it—it’s all the same.”
Who said “I am entertained! How long I’ve waited for the pale witch to choke on her wanton fantasies.” in Dark Arts and a Daiquiri is Skull.
The villain was Varvera.
Be sure to enter the giveaway!!!
Grand-Prize Giveaway:
There will be 1 winner chosen.
Tantor Audio is generously donating a set of 15 codes for the entire set (we are reading) on audio. Codes will work US or Intl.
Schedule:
We are doing one book every 4-5 weeks, posting on Fridays. We should have a review for most of the books with the team here at Books of My Heart plus some of our friends.
Nov 7: Three Mages and a Margarita – Rolé @ Hooked by the Book
Dec 5: Warping Minds & Other Misdemeanors – Sophia
Jan 2: Dark Arts and a Daiquiri – Angela @ Angel’s Book Nook
Jan 30: Two Witches and a Whiskey – Jen @ That’s What I’m Talking About
Feb 27: Demon Magic and a Martini – Lisa @ Lisa Loves Literature
Mar 27: Taming Demons for Beginners – Rachel @ Waves of Fiction
Apr 24: Hellbound Guilds & Other Misdirections – Robin
May 29: The Alchemist and an Amaretto – Melissa @ That Library Girl
Jun 26: Slaying Monsters for the Feeble – Lenore @ Celebrity Readers
Jul 24: Druid Vices and a Vodka – Barb @ Booker T’s Farm
Aug 21: Hunting Fiends for the Ill-Equipped – Brandee @ Unconventional Bookworms
Sep 18: Lost Talismans and a Tequila – Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer
Oct 16: Rogue Ghosts & Other Miscreants – KC
Nov13: Damned Souls and a Sangria – Berls @ Because Reading
Dec 11: Delivering Evil for Experts – Anne
About Annette Marie
Annette Marie is the author of YA urban fantasy series Steel & Stone, its prequel trilogy Spell Weaver, and romantic fantasy trilogy Red Winter. Her first love is fantasy, but fast-paced urban fantasy, bold heroines, and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She proudly admits she has a thing for dragons, and her editor has politely inquired as to whether she intends to include them in every single book.
Annette lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it’s not quite that bad). She shares her life with her remarkably patient, comparatively sensible husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.
About Jen at That’s What I’m Talking About
Jen began her reading journey at a young age, when she would spend her spare change to buy books, just so she could have them on her shelf after she was done reading them. Now that she’s grown and her reading tastes matured, she finds that she’s still the same girl who likes to read and look at the pretty books on her shelf (or rather, shelves!). Although these days, she admits that she spends most of her time reading on her Kindle or listening to audiobooks than with her nose in a good ol’ book.
I founded That’s What I’m Talking About on January 28, 2010, as a place to discuss in better detail the books we were chatting about on Twitter. My blog is a project of love, and I’m so glad to share it with you.
I am a full-time mom, with a part-time job outside the home. I have two (mostly) wonderful teenage children: The Boy (a high-schooler) and Baby Girl (BG). My background is in engineering and urban planning, but now I work part-time for a small non-profit writing plans and managing grants. I would love to spend more time reading and blogging, but it doesn’t pay the bills! Joining me on my journey is also my husband and our 2 cats. We reside in the New England region of the United States.
I mostly review small-town, light contemporaries, romantic comedies, urban fantasy (UF), historical romances, steampunk, paranormal romances, and historical and cozy mysteries; but my tastes are diverse, and I do read/review in other genres. I also enjoy audiobooks, even more than my Kindle these days.
I love to talk about books and reading, so please drop me a line or find me on the web:
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Great review. I liked this one, but not as much as the previous ones. I had issues with Tori as well, but I like that we learned more about the world and side-characters. It’s a great listen just not my favorite in the series. ^_^
I enjoyed this more than most. The banter between Tori and Zac, learning more about the world. It’s partly my adoration for Zac that makes this one fun.
I agree, Angela. But I look forward to seeing what comes next.
Jen thanks so much for sharing your review with us. I’m so happy to have you with us on the Read-along.
Thanks for the opportunity, Anne. I’m bummed that I will miss the discussion on Sunday.
Good assessment of Tori and the situation. She definitely had to confront her fears and issues.
I’m looking forward to seeing how she matures now that she’s gotten her wish.
yes Tori had some issues and rightfully so, in that she has never belonged or been accepted. Now that she finally has she is all in. I just loved her banter with Zac
Oh no, I loved this one! I have loved these books more with each one. Yeah, there are a few things Tori has done that do irk me, but I always add that up to her issues, and also the author trying to move the story along. Great review though! Looking forward to the discussion on Sunday!
Yes, I like that the story is progressing and that new avenues are opening for more stories. Sadly, I will miss the discussion, again.
I rated this one more highly also. I just loved the banter with Zac, plus the guild having her back. yes she has issues with not expecting anyone to do that, FOR GOOD REASONS. I don’t think it is whiny to be pragmatic about how things will go when it’s been the same in the past.
Yep Tori had a few ‘moments’ where I didn’t think she was being very rational. But I loved the stuff with Twiggy (slap bet), Kia and Ezra. Zak is holding my interest the most though, I really want to see what else he has up his sleeve.
The banter with Zac was fantastic. I understand why she wouldn’t think there would be any support from others since there hasn’t been in the past. And look at Justin’s reaction. Jumping in with both feet may have seemed stupid but she learned a lot and is now in a position to get trained so she won’t be hoodwinked again by lack of knowledge.
I do like Twiggy and her new fae companion. I like that she can be special because of her kindness to and friendship with the fae.
Yep, Tori definitely had more issues and drama this time around. This is a fun series and I’m glad I joined in.
I think it’s all part of finding her path. I am enjoying it, as well.
So glad you are enjoying them. Tori made decisions with limited information so I don’t blame her that she made some of them. But I hope now the guys will train her on more things and also that she will feel more secure they wont abandon her.
I said this earlier, but man that this sounds great overall. Love the cover and the title. FUN!
They really are fun!