Review: Two Witches and a Whiskey (The Guild Codex: Spellbound #3) by Annette Marie

Title: Two Witches and a Whiskey

Series: The Guild Codex: Spellbound #3
Author: Annette Marie
Publisher: Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.
Published: February 8, 2019
Pages: 240
Genres: New Adult, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal
Source: ARC from author

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.

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MY REVIEW

DISCLAIMER: This review MAY contain spoilers.

I received an Advance Reader Copy at no cost from the author. My opinions are my own.

Oh, this series delights me ever so much! I truly wish that it would never end. This series has it all! Scenes that will make you laugh out loud, high stakes, magic, a grip of handsome mythic men to drool over, and a heroine that has no superpowers but can still kick ass with the rest of them. 

I am so glad that Annette Marie decided to go the route of episodic episodes for this series. While elements from each book crossover to the next in the series, each book has a self-contained plot. While there is enough information planted into the books to leave some mystery and plot points to grow on for future books, there are no cliffhangers. Marie is a truly skilled plotter. Her stories take on a life of their own. The construction of her stories is always incredibly clever and the basis of them is always unique. It is what I have come to expect from her stories and I have never been disappointed. I love that I never know what to expect from the plot and that I am always surprised by the outcomes.

The world-building is much the same as in the first two books. The world itself is set in our own world, but with a secret, underlying magic world underneath. I am really enjoying the interesting magic system that Marie has created for this series. We get to explore some more of the rules and exceptions to that magic system in this book. 

The characters are the absolute best! They are so easy to love. They have perfect chemistry and they feel like a family. I love the deep underlying aspect of friendship in this series. The characters care so much for each other and will go to great lengths for each other in this sometimes dangerous mythic world. There is also a large aspect of family or found/chosen family. The guild is a family for those that are members and Tori has been lacking in this department for most of her life so the guild becomes that for her as well. The characters are all written with enough mystery about them and their pasts to make you wonder what the missing pieces are and how they may fit into the story in later books. I liked that Tori was going through some deep personal emotions. She has to face her fears that if she should lose her job at the guild then her new friends would be lost to her as well. She faces her abandonment issues from her past with a little help from Ezra. I liked seeing more of Kai in this book. A look at his past was awesome. I liked that Zak returned in this book. I love his character and this book just cemented my love for him. I also liked the parts with Darius. He is the leader of the guild and he is as sharp as a blade and has a big heart. I liked the tender moments with Ezra. Aaron is trying to decipher his relationship with Tori. And I liked the introduction of new characters that kept things interesting. Bottom line, Marie can write characters like no one else. They are always complex with unbelievable chemistry. 

There wasn't as much romance in this book. Tori and Aaron are trying to sort out their feelings for each other, but I don't want to get into it much because...spoilers. Let's just say that I wasn't surprised by anything.

This series is certainly addicting. I definitely recommend this series to fantasy lovers that enjoy fast-paced plots, an original story premise, and characters that will make you laugh out loud. It is ever so easy to fall in love with these books. I can't wait for the next installment of this series, Demon Magic and a Martini, which comes out in April! (Oh god, it feels like forever!)

Check out my reviews for the other books in this series!

Three Mages and a Margarita (#1)

Find my review here.

Dark Arts and a Daiquiri (#2)

Find my review here.

THIS BOOK CONTRIBUTED TO THESE 2018 READING CHALLENGES

- New Release Challenge
- Let's Read Indie Challenge
- Finishing the Series Challenge
- Popsugar Reading Challenge

Check out my 2019 Challenge Page to see my progress!

This series has fast become one of my favorite light and fast-paced urban fantasy reads. Even though I typically devour book series with longer books, I find this one quite addicting. What are some of your favorite fast-paced books on the lighter side?