THE FOOL (Daughter for the Moon 1) by HP Mallory-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 2, 2023

An irreverent, sexy, and hysterical romp through the tarot… know that quote about most people living quiet lives of desperation? Well, that pretty much describes me to a T.I’m middle-aged, divorced, built like a tree stump, with nothing but a failing romance-writing career to call my own. Yep, no kids, no social life and no pets—not even a chinchilla to greet when I walk through the door of my crappy apartment.The only thing I do have? Spare Tire Sandy who lives around my waist. Oh, and a nicotine habit I’m desperately trying to kick.When my eccentric Aunt Artemis ups and dies, leaving me her ‘castle’ in Vermont, I start thinking maybe my luck is taking a turn for the better.Yeah, no.

The property, in the tiny town of Maplewood, is literally a castle but not like something you’d see in Scotland. This is more like Medieval England had a battle with The Tarot and neither won.Which means it’s going to be a bitch and a half to sell.To make matters worse? There’s a tenant in ‘Tarot Castle’ and not like the squatter sort—more like the talking goat sort. Right—Rocco sounds like a New York mobster which is grating enough, but throw in the fact that I’m now responsible for him and I’m not a happy camper.And let’s not even discuss the shrunken head, Yolanda, who literally WILL NOT STOP TALKING!The only person who can help me make sense of my new inheritance is Luke Montgomery, owner of the coffee/ bookstore in town. Luke is friendly, really hot in a J. Crew sort of way, and also annoyingly hush-hush about the legacy I’ve apparently been born some BS about being a Daughter of the Moon.And then there’s Magnus Stormrider, my self-proclaimed guardian, who looks like the love-child of Conan the Barbarian and Fabio. The best way to describe Magnus? If the ground opened up and swallowed him whole, I wouldn’t mind—not for one second.

According to my aunt’s never-ending posthumous letters that keep appearing from literally nowhere, I’m supposedly on the journey of The Fool, the first card of the Major Arcana of the tarot.And that’s pretty damned fitting because if there’s one thing I’m sure of—it’s that I was the biggest fool to have ever agreed to come out here in the first place…

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REVIEW: THE FOOL is the first instalment in HP Mallory’s contemporary adult DAUGHTER OF THE MOON paranormal/fantasy series focusing on forty-five year old, divorcee and author Catherine ‘Kate’ Murray.

Told from first person perspective (Kate) THE FOOL follows in the wake of the death of Kate’s estranged aunt Artemis. Kate is the sole heir to her aunt Artemis’ estate, a castle imbued with magic and mayhem. Kate is unsure as to her future but a series of mysterious letters and Tarot cards begin to reveal her path going forward. Upon her arrival, Kate struggles to understand or believe any of it is real, including the people and creatures that will show her the way. From her new guardian Magnus, a warrior from another realm, to book store owner and Kate’s guide Luke Montgomery, to Rocco the talking goat, and a shrunken head named Yolanda, Kate is about to discover that everything she thought she knew was about to change. Along with the castle and its’ odd assortment of residents, Kate must chose to accept or deny the mantle of the next Daughter of the Moon, a position that comes with immense powers.

The world building slowly reveals and answer some of the questions that concern Kate Murray the most. Kate comes from a long line of magical beings, the Daughters of the Moon, and with it comes the responsibility of protecting the world from outside forces. As Kate struggles to find her long lost writing muse, she will begin incorporate her life into the fiction that is more reality than fantasy.

THE FOOL is another familiar story line and series by HP Mallory. Like many of her previous books, the heroine is oblivious to, or unaware of her powers until a catastrophic event pulls the heroine into the world of the supernatural. There is more than one potential male suitor, and the magical secondary and supporting characters often direct the heroine to where she needs to go. THE FOOL is a story of magic and fantasy, secrets and power. The premise is entertaining and intriguing with plenty of giggle worthy moments; the characters are magical and powerful. THE FOOL ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy