This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: The Conjurer

Accused of the murder of her husband, Sidra returns to the village they once called home. She has given up running from the past and awful memories. It is time she faces the consequences of her actions. Jamra, her husband’s brother, seeks retribution and has waited a long time to exact his revenge. Once his magic finds Sidra, he promises to end her life and steal from her a magical artifact that will also punish humans for their mistreatment of djinn.

After all the character development Elenna went through in the first two novels, she does a complete turnaround in The Conjurer. Jamra is a vicious jinni, and there is no doubt he is immensely powerful. Yet when Elenna must face him in her vineyard, she is written as a helpless female, a damsel in distress. While she specializes in vine magic and not combat, the way she is portrayed felt demeaning. Jamra is an overbearing dominant personality, but even Elenna’s internal monologue stripped away all confidence and hope.

However, it was wonderful learning more about the djinn and Sidra. After being such a standoffish character unwilling to hold a conversation, reading the story from her point of view was fantastic. Being in the mind of Sidra paints the world in an entirely new light. And a long-standing family rivalry is introduced to the storyline like a magical Romeo and Juliet. Readers will come to understand why she finds it difficult to form lasting relationships and disdains to call Yvette and Elenna friends.

The Conjurer also brings in the unique magic of perfume. Readers will enjoy learning how scents can be woven together to form spells, just as much as they enjoyed learning about vine magic in book one. Luanne G Smith has a talent for innovative and creative fantasy elements in the trilogy. This is a book for readers interested in new forms of magic and lore. ( )