Modern Magic

(Book One of the Modern Magic series)

About

Magic? Check. Dragons? Sure. Deadlines? Endless.

Ivy Armstride dreamed of wild, dangerous spellcraft. What she got was paperwork, malfunctioning magic, and a tiger with an identity crisis.

As a junior mage at the Tower of Jackdaw and Spittlelick, Ivy spends her days managing eccentric mentors, misfiring apprentices, and magical mishaps no one wants to admit happened. But when a mysterious tree appears in the heart of the Tower - and a charming client requests the impossible - Ivy finds herself juggling secrets, deadlines, and dragons overhead.

The rules are clear. But Ivy’s done playing by the book.

If you miss Terry Pratchett, love Ben Aaronovitch, or want fantasy with heart, humour, and real-world bite, you’ll love Modern Magic.

Start your next magical escape today.

Praise for this book

Brilliant, funny and well worth an evening with hot chocolate and marshmallows.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book as a quirky take on what happens when you take creative magical people and grind them down in a soul sucking office environment. Sounds horrific? Not at all, it is quirky, funny and thoughtful. Plus the auditor helps save the day!

I really did enjoy this! This has a bit of a slow start as it establishes various players and the world building, The story is really well paced and all the parts came together so well. I loved the take on Magic - that human beings would find a way to make it tedious and restrictive - you may be a mage, but you still have to live the same boring and bureaucratic humdrum existence serving ‘the man’. I am definitely going to read the next one when it comes out.

LOVE THIS BOOK! Honestly the best fantasy I’ve read for ages. Amazing characters and story, some really funny moments, and a blockbuster ending. It’s packed full of both excitement and warmth - lots of stories have one of those things, but it’s rare to find both. Oh and it’s also really well written. I don’t often leave reviews but just had to for this one - it’s so good!

This book was such an enjoyable read! I don't choose to read a huge amount of fantasy, but I flew through this one. I loved the witty and engaging writing and the pacing was spot on. Just what I needed to shake off a bit of a book slump!

Loved this book!! The story cleverly incorporated relatable everyday workday experiences within an exciting fantasy setting!
Is a must read if you enjoy completely new and interesting fantasy worlds, I really enjoyed beginning to understand the backstory to both the characters and the magical world created by this author. Can’t wait to read the next book!

I loved this book. It is smart, witty and beautifully written, effortlessly putting you right there with the characters in every scene.

The merging of magic and the corporate workplace is inspired and delicately explored throughout the story, gently coaxing the reader to ponder the real world implications of what they do all day! Despite the corporate setting, you are firmly in the realm of fantasy here. The mysterious world the author has created is both whimsical and dark and I found myself constantly surprised and delighted at the latest weird and wonderful creature to join the story. The ‘unstationery cupboard’ and the balcony that takes time off in lieu had me sniggering out loud and ‘The House of Little Secrets’ chapter was particularly evocative. Wryneck and his dollhouse will not easily be forgotten!

I highly recommend this book for all readers even if fantasy isn’t your usual genre. I couldn’t put it down and I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

Do you miss Terry Pratchett? This book is for you. This is a book which shows that Terry Pratchett left a legacy for the next generation of fantasy authors. Beth is pioneering this cause. Comedy, allegory to the real world, a book long plot, with characters which reflect everyone's need to step away from everyday life - at least for a while. Love it to bits, and can't wait for the next one in the series.

Fabulous book! My husband read it as a fantasy novel and loved it. I read it as a satire on corporate life. It was fantastic! Very much looking forward to more books from Beth Williams. An incredibly accomplished and imaginative writer.

Fun and thoughtful. Very well written with great characters and dialogue. The book kept my interest to the end. I would definitely read a sequel.

Great beginning!
This was a fun series starter! Very Discworld in its pacing and writing style, but not derivative. The characters are detailed and the story moves along. And of course, there's always room for more! Looking forward to the rest of the series.