Turns out, I love regency fantasy. A Magical Inheritance was witty and delightful to read, I loved the geeking out over books, the fantasy of manners style, and the great characters. We might all moan about the size of our TBRs, but Miss Knight’s doesn’t even fit in her house. 

I can see how someone might expect a book where the entire plot revolves around cataloging, storing and occasionally selling books, and counting pennies while worrying about the condition of women in regency England, to be a little slow or boring. Not for me, I love that stuff! Sure it’s no action adventure, but all the great, and some of the horrible, characters and relationships meant I could barely put it down, I’m very much looking forward to the sequel. And I swear I want to punch that one guy so much, gah, that guy. 

I really liked how the story shows both very good and very bad relationships. Apart from her aunt and uncle Elizabeth’s relationship with her family is bad, with her father being particularly loathsome, though her sister and cousin are awfully self centered too. On the other hand is her very competent badass aunt, and her found family, the lovely and supportive Maria and husband Henry, as well as the other women who come to form The Ladies Occult Society. Of course I can’t mention characters without the awesome book ghost, a good no-nonsense woman. 

Although it started off grimly reminding me that fantasizing about fancy dresses is all well and good, but having been born in another era as anything but a rich man isn’t dreamy at all, I found A Magical Inheritance hopeful. Despite being dismissed, threatened and attacked by the men of Royal Occult Society, and getting no support from her father, Elizabeth uses her very practical and sensible nature to succeed, with a group of other like minded intelligent competent women. 

I highlighted a lot of passages in this book, but I leave you with my favorite: 

“There comes a point in every woman’s life where she must accept if she is indeed the smartest person in the room or not. I have accepted that I am, present company excluded, of course, one of the most intelligent people in any room. And since that will never be acknowledged by the world, I refuse to hide my candle under a bushel, to use the holy words of the bible.”

Bingo square: slice of life, self published, local to Alberta, Canada, published in 2019