The Bartender Between Worlds
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3.5 • 2 Ratings
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Low-stakes magic, crafting cocktails, and discovering the power of who we truly are.
Emma grew up as a Hunter of the Cursed—those charged with eradicating monsters and magic from the Kingdom. She's good at it too and is revered as one of the King's most skilled hunters. At least she was—until she discovered she possessed magic herself.
Before anyone else can discover her secret, Emma abandons her post and flees to the far edge of the Kingdom, where she hopes she can settle down and live a quiet life as a bartender, out of the Hunters' watchful eye.
Fate, however, won't allow us to run away from who we are so easily.
When Emma is confronted by an exiled fairy and a man who claims to be a scientist (though Emma is convinced he's a sorcerer), she must evaluate what she believes and the confines of who she's been allowed to be.
Pulled on a journey that takes her further than she'd ever imagined possible, Emma is led on an adventure to discover where her fate lies and must confront her own biases, hopefully learning a drink recipe or two along the way.
A low-stakes cozy fantasy about cocktails, magic, portals, and finding where we truly belong.
If you enjoyed the themes of leaving it all behind in books like Legends & Lattes, and the fun and low-stakes magic in The Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking, then this is the book for you.
Cover human-illustrated and designed by MiblArt
Interior artwork by Nettie Steuernagel
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This gentle multiverse fantasy from Steuernagel (the Fractured Orbit series) highlights the power of friendship and booze. Emma Corvus is a Hunter of the Cursed, tasked with ridding her medievalesque world of magic alongside her partner and crush, Liam. Then she discovers powers of her own—she can create magic-infused cocktails—and she's forced to flee Liam and her former life. In the remote village of Cuanmore, she meets fairy Vespa; Professor Aldrich, who insists his wild inventions are built on science rather than magic; and Aldrich's "quantum accelerator," which can communicate with Emma and quickly becomes fond of the nickname Demon Box. When Liam catches up to Emma, she, Vespa, and Aldrich use Demon Box to escape, transporting them to a series of parallel worlds that differ in their amount of magic and tech, and the nature of the relationships between fairies and humans. As they adventure through the multiverse, the three become fast friends and Emma realizes her true calling is to become a magical bartender. Without the alcohol theme (and a few included recipes), the interpersonal dynamics and worldbuilding would fit right into a middle grade novel. Still, there's plenty here that adults will find charming. It's a worthy addition to the growing trend of cozy fantasy. (Self-published)
