Wickedly Ever After

Baba Yaga, Book #2.5

By Deborah Blake

ASIN B012QH593W

Author Website: http://deborahblakeauthor.com/

 

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

 

Synopsis:

Known as the wicked witch of Russian fairy tales, Baba Yaga is not one woman, but rather a title carried by a chosen few. They keep the balance of nature and guard the borders of our world, but don’t make the mistake of crossing one…

Having triumphed over a powerful enemy and ended up with both a wonderful guy—Sheriff Liam McClellan—and an adorable adopted daughter to raise as a Baba Yaga, Barbara Yager is ready to welcome her happily ever after.

But first she must bring Liam to the Otherworld and get the Queen’s permission to marry him. The Queen, however, is not so easily persuaded. She gives them three impossible tasks to complete in two weeks’ time—and if they fail Barbara will have to watch Liam slowly age and die like all humans, and kiss her happily ever after good-bye forever. (Goodreads)

 

Review:

Though I am not a huge novella reader, I found Wickedly Ever After to be a fun reunion with characters from the first book in the Baba Yaga series, Wickedly Dangerous, providing an entertaining diversion from reality.  It can be read easily in one sitting.

Here we find Barbara happily settling into domestic married life with Liam and their six year old daughter Barb.  Though they have had a human wedding, they are not yet married in the eyes of the Queen in the Otherworld.  Barbara hopes that the Queen will accept Liam since he is a human as Barbara’s mate and allow him to drink the Water of Life and Death, as Barbara does as part of her Baba Yaga existence.  This would allow the couple to grow old gracefully together.  Though the Queen initially denies their request, she then charges the pair with three impossible tasks that must be accomplished within a two week deadline.  If they are successful, Barbara and Liam will be considered married, and he will have his own Water of Life and Death.

Barbara and Liam set out on their quest, along with Chudo-Yudo, a talking dragon disguised as a pit bull that guards Barbara’s Water.  Their adventure takes them from New York to California to Montana and back to the Otherworld.  Will they succeed and truly live happily ever after?

Wickedly Ever After is a fun way to spend an afternoon, and though it can be read as a standalone story, I would suggest reading the full length novels of the series first.  Blake does, however, a good job of providing the backstory given the length of the novella.  The story is completely predictable, but that does not take away from its entertainment value.

I recommend Wickedly Ever After to fans of the Baba Yaga series and those who enjoy the paranormal urban fantasy genre.