Becoming Crone
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4.2 • 46 Ratings
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
She wanted purpose. She got dark magic and war.
Claire Emerson is adrift. After a lifetime as a wife, mother, and grandma, she never saw divorce or loneliness coming and is desperate for some sense of purpose. But when her sixtieth birthday brings a snarky gargoyle, an annoyingly sexy wolf shifter, and an unknown magical calling, she thinks she's losing the only thing she has left: her sanity.
Refusing to believe she's the powerful defender of humankind her so-called protectors claim, Claire attempts a return to her safe life… only to have her powers ignite when she's attacked by dark supernatural creatures. And without the training she was supposed to have received, she has no idea how she'll defeat sinister mages plotting her demise.
Can Claire overcome creaky joints and major hot flashes in time to save the world – and her own life?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Divorced grandmother Claire Emerson is the refreshing chosen one at the helm of the fun Crone Wars series debut from Hawke (the Grigori Legacy series). After receiving a mystical magnifying pendant as a present for her 60th birthday, Claire discovers that she is vitally important to a hidden magical world. She's pleased with the house set aside for her training; admires Keven, the living gargoyle meant to guide her in the ways of magick; and is even mutually attracted to Lucan, the shape-shifting wolfman who serves as her protector—but she rejects her destiny as Crone, part of a powerful group of witches whose lineage stretches back to Arthurian legend and who use elemental magick to contain centuries-old dark forces. Habitually nonconfrontational, Claire doesn't want the power or the responsibility. However, as the threats against her and her loved ones escalate, she reluctantly takes up the fight. Claire's character arc is immensely satisfying, but one gets the sense that the larger series plot is barely underway by the end of the book, making this volume feel frustratingly incomplete. Still, anyone looking for character-driven fantasy or a clever subversion of the "chosen one" trope will find much to love. (Self-published)
Customer Reviews
Greatly Enjoyed
As a woman over 70 years of age and a big fan of Urban Fantasy, I found this series of books enjoyable. The main character must accept her own inner strength and realize her true potential to step into the power that has been delivered to her doorstep. She begins to see all the limitations she has experienced thus far in her life were a result of putting the needs of others first, not listening to her own inner voice. All she thought to be true unravels, one thread at a time. As she takes one courageous step after another, a frightening new world filled with danger, suspense and possibilities unfolds.
Beginning of great series
Great beginning to a series. I love that the protagonist just turned 60 and is learning to be a witch…but, also has a family, and the baggage that comes with being a divorcee and a family that cares a bit too much about her well being. Highly recommend.
Whiny protagonist
I wanted to love this book. It has everything I love. The magical world building and characters. And the most perfect thing is the main character is 60. Claire has been through a lot lately. As she has a birthday, she wonders if she will be alone the rest of her life and also thinks about her life. Then magick happens. Seems like I got to the halfway point quickly, yet nothing had really much happened. Mostly, the whole book is her whining and refusing to cooperate with everyone she has met in the new world. She insists on going back to her house. Well, just stay plain and boring and a mouse that lets people run over you. She even endangers the wolf shifter’s life. But no, she still doesn’t want to practice magic. And always when you are getting answers, it’s all shut down because no one will answer each other’s questions. It’s like pulling teeth out of a chicken. I may try the next one but for now I have lost patients.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this read.