Book Review: Glunda The Veg Witch by Keith W. Dickinson

“A witch’s boots told the story of her life. They showed you where she’d been, where she was going, and what kind of a witch she would be when she got there. And, most importantly, they were proof that said witch was not someone to be trifled with. She was to be listened to, and obeyed, and yes sometimes even feared, because her wisdom was hard earned and her wrath swift and mighty. They would have to be, for her to have lived in such boots for so many a year. No one trusted a witch in brand new boots, and rightly so as far as Glunda was concerned.”

Glunda Ashwillow is on top of the world. About to become head witch, and the youngest ever Guardian of the Golden Key, the only thing standing in her way is her old enemy, the Drupe Mages. They have the key, and they're not willing to give it up without a fight.

With a coven of quarrelsome witches to contend with, and a fief full of farmers on the verge of revolt, can Glunda beat the mages and get the key before she runs out of veg? Or is there a cold, hard, carrot-less winter ahead for all concerned?

A tale of heroism and hotpots, Glunda The Veg Witch is a fun fantasy adventure everyone can enjoy.

GENRE: Cozy Fantasy Novella

PURCHASE LINK: Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Keith Dickinson was born in Carlisle in 1974. A lifelong lover of hats and the Lake District, when he’s not up a mountain he likes to write stories about airships, murderers, thieves, and talking cats. A writer since he was eight-years-old, his first two novels, Dexter & Sinister: Detecting Agents, and its sequel, The Dragonfly Delivery Company, are out now.

Keith has been around the world, set foot on six of the seven continents, ridden a camel, trained as a yoga teacher, lived in an ashram, got a tattoo he doesn’t regret, and invented a board game that he still hopes one day to inflict upon the world.

Keith was short-listed for the Lindisfarne Prize – an award for new crime writers in the north – and was a finalist for the Book Blogger Novel of the Year Award 2024.

Review

This was a fun, fast-paced read. Glunda is an interesting character to follow, but all the other witches have their own personalities too. Plus Alar grows on you, which surprised me. This book is definitely a cozy fantasy and I'm glad to see that reflected in the cover as well.

I didn't find anything particularly mind-blowing about the story, but I appreciated the lore that distinguished the witches from the mages, and how the slice of life elements were presented without the whole thing ending up being boring. I certainly didn't expect to enjoy reading about a magical farming village that much, or that there'd be a lot going on to keep everyone occupied for a year!

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Hi! I'm Marie, a Filipino SFFH author and book reviewer currently based in the UK. I’m the co-author of The Prophecies of Ragnarok, a Norse myth new adult urban fantasy trilogy, and I also have several short stories published in anthologies and literary journals.

You can find more info about me and my books, and also subscribe to my newsletter for more content, here. And if you like what I do, please also consider supporting me on Ko-fi! 🩷 https://ko-fi.com/mariesinadjan

If you fancy a short read, I have a cozy reimagining of the Norse myths about Hel, but it's just under 70 pages and can be read in one sitting. ✨ Plus there's a swag kit coming soon! Includes a "membership card," a bookmark, a sticker, an origami dog, and an exclusive 500-word story 🫶🏼

All things end, and all must die.

But death is not always the end.

When Geiravor Lokisdottir was stripped of her name and cast out of Asgard, torn from her family and the life she had known, she thought she’d lost it all. But in the shadows of Niflheim she discovers the path to her destiny, and what it truly means to be queen.

This is a prequel short story to THE PROPHECIES OF RAGNAROK trilogy by Meri Benson and Marie Sinadjan, and a retelling of the myths involving Hel, the Norse goddess of death and the queen of the underworld.