This week we are discussing Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper, Ch. 1-11.
Content Warning!!!This book contains situations and subjects related to: sex, magic, sexism, cheating, and loss of autonomy (possession).
Spoiler Warning!!! This post is full of spoilers for Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper.
Discussion:
Jacilyn: Hello friends and welcome to the first discussion of Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper. This book is hitting all the fall vibes so far - we have a cozy, witchy town that has a lot more magic than most people realize, sapphic sexual tension, and three witches determined to knock an asshole off his pedestal. Our main character, Emmy Harlow, is coming back to the town she grew up in to be the arbiter of a competition between the scions of the four founding houses - well, three of the four, since the Harlow family has so little power that they automatically get the role of arbiter, apparently unable to even compete against the other families. Immediately, I have my suspicions about why the Harlow’s are supposedly so low-powered. Once I learned that the winner of the gauntlet gains more power for the family, my suspicions were deepened. The Blackmoore family seems to have been winning for centuries, and so far they all seem like entitled pricks.
Michaela: The Blackmoore’s are up to some major shady shit I think. They’ve been winning for centuries and expect everything to come to them easily. Right now I am suspecting the Harlow’s are actually keeping some major magic back from the Blackmoore’s. Maybe it’s just the mantle’s magic, which is some serious serious stuff. Or maybe it’s some secret kept in the family grimoire. I just do not trust the Blackmoore’s at all. Igraine immediately attacked Emmy and the Harlow family, saying she thought Emmy was allowing foul play for personal reasons. That arbiter magic came in hot against that bull.
I am loving the fall vibes mixed with the small town. Gilmore Girls meets Sabrina the Teenage Witch type stuff and I am so into it. The family magic and its history in this town is very interesting. I can’t remember reading a book quite like it and I am enjoying it so much. The tension between Talia and Emmy, *chef’s kiss* amazing. Talia is an incredibly charming and enchanting character in this mix of characters.
Jacilyn: I want to know more about how the mantle works! The way Emmy feels like she’s literally growing into a giant is fascinating. I have to imagine that there’s something in the Harlow past that has something to do with their supposed lack of magic. Perhaps there’s something in the original Grimoire or one of the other books that the Harlows keep that has more information. All I know is that I want to know more about the magic system and how each family has something a little different.
I love both the sexual tension Emmy has with Talia and the friendship she has with Linden. Their little coven they have going on is giving John Tucker Must Die vibes and I am so ready to watch Gareth continue to be knocked off his pedestal over and over again. I mean, what a dick to go after both Talia AND Linden, who he knows is Emmy’s best friend, after everything that went down between him and Emmy. And then he didn’t even recognize Emmy!?
Michaela: I am really excited to keep reading and also so nervous about the drama that will inevitably come along. Gareth is a trash man and I want to see him get what he deserves for how he’s treated all these women. Also I want to see the whole Blackmoore family figure out they’re not as important as they led themselves to believe. I think, them building this whole Camelot attraction tells you all you need to know about them, then add on everything else we learn about them. In the trash.
I think the power of the mantle might start to grow or maybe the Harlow magic has just been dormant until now and Emmy will start to see her powers really grow. They mention how small the Harlow magic is far too often for something not to happen with it. Also, Nana Caro is a beautiful human and we need more of her. The way she describes this mantle’s magic it can be all consuming, even when Emmy let it come forward it really pushed her off to the side that it was scary for her to experience. Something big is going to happen!
I can’t wait to see what happens next! We don’t know too much yet so I think that’s all for this discussion. Until next time friends!
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