What could be better than a book laced with mystery, romance, and magic? I can’t think of a thing, so I eagerly slipped into Elisa Keyston’s Northwest Magic world and enjoyed this first in series.
Cass arrives in Riddle to settle her great-aunt Alexandra’s final affairs. The old Victorian house full of character holds good memories for Cass, but she has no intention of staying in place and keeping it. Or so she thinks, but a lonely little girl, a handsome man and his dog, and the rest of the quirky residents of Riddle have her wondering what it would be like to stay and maybe accept her magical gift of The Sight and the fae that comes with it.
The whimsical tone of the story pulled me right in. I loved the description of Alexandra’s home, her cat, and the fae and I was curious right away as the story introduced characters and situations. Cass was not an easy character for me to like at first the way she denied her gift and always had a foot out the door with the town and relationships. She plans to sell that gorgeous house to the developers. Thankfully, she encountered Matthew and Lily who were easily loveable and I could be patient for her to figure some things out.
I was expecting a more traditional cozy mystery with paranormal elements, though that was me and not how the book was described. Alexandra’s Riddle leaned more toward a fantasy with romance because the gist of the story is that Cass has a magical gift and there is something extremely important that she has forgotten about her gift. She needs to embrace her gift and fulfill a promise before it is too late and not just for her. I really enjoyed where Alexandra’s Riddle took me.
Blair Seibert was a first time narrator for me. Her storytelling and character voices enhanced to the story and I could see it well in my mind’s eye. I thought her distinction for the fae was exceptional. I would definitely listen to more of her work. The production was good quality.
All in all, Alexandra’s Riddle was a great start to a series, but stands well on its own. The narration work was superb. I can heartily recommend this book to those who enjoy light fantasy romance.
