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The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry

C.M. Waggoner

$22.99

Paperback

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English
Penguin (Cornerstone)
24 October 2023
Series: Unnatural Magic
An enchanting fantasy novel featuring a down-and-out fire witch and a young gentlewoman who join forces against a deadly conspiracy.

Dellaria Wells - petty con artist, occasional thief, and partly educated fire witch - is behind on her rent. To make ends meet, Delly talks her way into a guard job in the city of Leiscourt, joining a team of unconventional women to protect an aristocrat from unseen assassins.

It looks like easy money and a chance to romance her confident companion Winn - but when did anything in Delly's life go to plan? With the help of a necromancer, a shapeshifting schoolgirl and a reanimated mouse named Buttons, Delly and Winn find themselves facing an adversary who wields a twisted magic and has friends in the highest of places.
By:  
Imprint:   Penguin (Cornerstone)
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 197mm,  Width: 129mm,  Spine: 24mm
Weight:   268g
ISBN:   9781804944073
ISBN 10:   1804944076
Series:   Unnatural Magic
Pages:   384
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

C.M. Waggoner grew up in rural upstate New York, where she spent a lot of time reading fantasy novels in a swamp. She studied creative writing at SUNY Purchase and lived in China for eight years before moving with her husband to Albany, NY. In her spare time, she volunteers, performs kitchen experiments, asks if she can pet your dog, and gardens badly.

Reviews for The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry

""With this winning ensemble adventure, Waggoner again proves her skill at crafting immersive, historically flavored fantasy.""-Publishers Weekly (starred review) ""Delly Wells is the best kind of protagonist. Selfish, skittish, anxious and overwhelmed, smart, opportunistic, a good heart under all the bluster, and yes, ruthless. Waggoner's characters absolutely shine...Agatha Christie in design and Pratchett-esque in execution.""--Tor.com Additional Praise for C.M. Waggoner and Unnatural Magic ""The most unique, haunting, magical, treacherous, romantic, combative novel I've read in a long time. Action, betrayal, peoples at war, strange magic and stranger love--a whole new take on fantasy!""--#1 New York Times bestselling author Tamora Pierce ""Unnatural Magic is peopled with unforgettable characters, whose changing relationships form the beating heart of this fast-paced, beautifully written story. Within the compelling tale lie some big themes--power, magic, gender and sexuality among them--and the author weaves them in skilfully, with just the right combination of compassion, insight and humour. This one goes straight onto my Keepers shelf.""--Juliet Marillier, Author of The Harp of Kings ""What a marvelous debut! I want to climb inside C.M. Waggoner's world of powerful trolls, cheeky wizards, and mathematical magic and make myself at home. She seamlessly weaves politics, love, and magic into a novel that challenges everything we know about fantasy--and comes out victorious."" --New York Times bestselling author Chloe Neill ""I didn't think you could fit so many things I loved into one book--tough-talking lady-trolls and cowardly captains, true love and found families, Holmesian hijinks and gender politics--but C.M. Waggoner made it look easy. Unnatural Magic is a raucous, indulgent delight.""--Alix E. Harrow, Hugo Award-winning author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January ""Complex and fascinating, Waggoner's debut offers fantasy readers a new viewpoint on magic, love, responsibility, and sacrifice. The themes of found family and unlikely, hard-earned trust are warmly convincing, and Waggoner's system of magic is unique and deeply satisfying."" --Vivian Shaw, Author of the Dr. Greta Helsing series ""C.M. Waggoner's Unnatural Magic is a brilliant and terrifically fun book. I could have happily spent twice as long with Onna and Tsira in their compelling world and still wanted more. There's adventure and magic and murder, oh--and did I mention how much fun you'll have reading this?""--Kat Howard, Alex Award-winning author of An Unkindness of Magicians ""I have never read another novel that gave me so much of what I wanted so soon, and then just kept delivering the goods, page after page after page. Love, lust, magic, murder...This book has it all!""-Lara Elena Donnelly, Author of The Amberlough Dossier


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