Reviewed by Becca
TITLE: Geoffrey the Very Strange
SERIES: Magic Emporium #9
AUTHOR: Angel Martinez
PUBLISHER: Mischief Corner Books
LENGTH: 169 pages
RELEASE DATE: March 18, 2021
BLURB:
An outcast necromancer and a half-demon clerk need to save the world from seashell zombies. No pressure.
Everyone’s always told Aspic that trouble can’t help following him because of his heritage. Determined to put the lie to half-demon stereotypes, he’s finally landed a good, quiet job as an herbalist’s clerk where the owner trusts him to man the shop alone. What could go wrong selling coriander and thyme?
When Geoffrey first enters the shop, Aspic finds the little man’s eccentric appearance startling, then intriguing. Geoffrey explains, in stops and starts, that he is a theoretical necromancer researching replacements for blood magic. His current line of inquiry involves seashells—do they have any in stock? Aspic’s co-workers warn him that Geoffrey is a walking disaster, but he finds himself more and more drawn to a necromancer concerned with ethical death magic.
Aspic is with Geoffrey in his lab when he has his first success, but the results aren’t at all what he was aiming for. Instead of raising the dead rabbit on his table, the ritual animates the seashell and rock spell components, which flee the lab and cause havoc. They soon discover that the spell-animated objects are “zombies” in that they can “infect” other inanimate things.
An unorthodox necromancer and an exasperated shop clerk are going to need some unconventional help to find a working de-animation spell before the world is overrun by zombie seashells and stones gone mad.
Geoffrey the Very Strange is part of the Magic Emporium series. Each book stands alone, but each one features an appearance by Marden’s Magic Emporium, a shop that can appear anywhere, but only once and only when someone’s in dire need.
This book contains theoretical necromancy, unexpected spell outcomes, some extraordinarily angry seashells, and a guaranteed HEA.
REVIEW:
This, for me, was the cutest book. I loved the MCs so much. Each having their own issues and trying to overcome them, but they get all flustered and shy and it was so sweet and adorable.
Geoffrey, to most everyone, was strange. I could see why. An elemental mage trying his hand at necromancy. And I get why he did it. To lose something so important to you, it’s heart wrenching. But what hurt me for Geoffrey even more, is the strain he was putting on himself. Yes, he was worrying family and such and even Aspic once he got involved. But he was so determined to do this and it not be by a bad way or anything of a sort. He was draining himself. Not taking care of himself and that hurt my heart for him.
And I love that Aspic got that about him too. He knew Geoffrey kind of needed a keeper. It’s a full time job and I’m glad that Aspic didn’t mind stepping in that role. He didn’t care about the quirks, the stuttering, the misused words. He cared for Geoffrey, every single flaw and all. And because of it, Geoffrey got to see what a real relationship and love was. Instead of the experience he had already had. That would have left me not wanting to be around people either. But karma is a you-know-what and I believe it was fixed.
I think what made it even better for me, were the town folk. Even though they knew Geoffrey was different, they still accepted him. Geoffrey might not have seen it, but they did. And they proved it when he needed them the most. And again, when they showed him that they wanted to be his friend. It was just a beautiful thing to see for this very shy man.
I loved this story so much. You just get wrapped up in it and can’t put it down and I love this series as well. It’s been such a blast to read so far, so don’t miss out on getting it.
RATING: 
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