In the middle of Prohibition, shapeshifters are being targeted by the magical elites in Seattle. There’s a push by a powerful mage and city leader to make shifters illegal. But his rebellious daughter may provide a speakeasy owner the chance to avenge her husband’s death and keep her shapeshifter brother safe.

Meanwhile, a notorious thief slips into the city with an audacious plan. It’s dangerous and delicate, requiring the threads of their tenuous plan to come together at the exact same moment. And if they do, it wreak chaos on the city.

Nothing is guaranteed. Except that comeuppance comes for everyone.

“They take what you value. I knew what I was prepared to sacrifice, but that wasn’t what they took.”

Comeuppance Served Cold is a fun novella set in the middle of Prohibition with a magical twist. There’s quite a bit to love, especially if you enjoy dipping your toe into a world and meeting spectacular characters that leave you wanting much more.

This was a super fast read for me. As I said, it’s a novella, but it’s also just fast-paced. The prologue is delicious and as I said, the characters are divine. I absolutely adored Violet, Phillipe, and Gabe. They were by far the most interesting and complete characters. While Dolly was the protagonist, and she was fine, I just didn’t really ever connect to her. She kept a lot to herself, which will work for some because of the heist aspect, it just didn’t work for me.

That said, I did still have a great time following her through the book. She was a no-nonsense woman intent on her mission. And when the title comes to light, her personality makes a ton of sense. Plus, as I mentioned, where we didn’t get much from Dolly, we more than made up for with the other characters. The heartbreaking backstory of Violet, the absolutely beautiful relationship between Gabe and Phillipe. I desperately want more with them.

“Sometimes, at odd moments, she looked at him and saw the man he was, not the younger brother she had always watched over.”

Because this is a novella, we get glimpses of the world. I loved the moment in the speakeasies and greenhouses, and I wanted to see so much more of the magic. The main plot line was focused on the heist, which unfortunately, also wasn’t my favorite. I love heists. The way they unfold in surprising ways. But the shifting timeline gave too much away, so I felt like I knew exactly what they were doing rather than being surprised at the end. Again, this is a me thing. I prefer to be dazzled at the end rather than in on the plot from the beginning, so this style will work for many readers.

In all, I really enjoyed this world and hope we get more. I really want to know what the future holds for these characters and would definitely read more in this world.

Three shimmer-shim martinis 🍸🍸🍸

Thank you Turn the Page Tours and Tordotcom for sending me a copy and having me on this tour!

**There is racism, discrimination, and assault described, so readers be aware.**

Seattle, 1929—a bitterly divided city overflowing with wealth, violence, and magic.

A respected magus and city leader intent on criminalizing Seattle’s most vulnerable magickers hires a young woman as a lady’s companion to curb his rebellious daughter’s outrageous behavior.

The widowed owner of a speakeasy encounters an opportunity to make her husband’s murderer pay while she tries to keep her shapeshifter brother safe.

A notorious thief slips into the city to complete a delicate and dangerous job that will leave chaos in its wake.

One thing is for certain—comeuppance, eventually, waits for everyone.

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She/her.
A conventional storyteller in an experimental world. 
Watcher of crows, lover of chocolate.

Works by Marion Deeds:

Copper Road, from Falstaff Books
Aluminum Leaves, from Falstaff Books

Short fiction has appeared in Podcastle, Flash Fiction Online and the Noyo River Review. Check out her Amazon Author page for anthologized works.

Read her reviews and column at Fantasy Literature. (While you’re there, read all the reviews. They have a great bunch of reviewers!)

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