Remedial Magic by Melissa Marr

Remedial Magic

by Melissa Marr narrated by Jeremy Carlisle Parker & Max Meyers

There are 2 narrators for this audiobook.  Jeremy Carlisle Parker is a woman who is a trained opera singer.  I have heard and enjoyed her narration before in The Witches of Thistle Grove series by Lana Harper.  Max Meyers who has acted in Off-Broadway productions.  I have not listened to any of their previous work.  I think that both narrators did the best job that they could in order to portray so many different POVs in one audiobook.  However, this book would have benefited better from a much larger cast of narrators in order to help differentiate.

 Anyone who has read my previous reviews will know that I rarely DNF a book.  Even if there are points about the book that I don't like, I will generally try to stay until the end in order to give the author a chance of redemption.  However, I just could not continue listening to this book.  I really did try, but I couldn't.

Now the blurb that I read made it seem like the book was going to be about 2 main characters.  This is not the case at all.  There were so many that it was hard to keep track.  This is the reason that I was saying it would have benefitted from a multicast production instead of just the 2 narrators.  It got confusing when the POV would switch each chapter and you weren't sure whose POV it was until you got into part of the chapter.  By the time you are catching up to who is talking, the chapters change.  

As for world building, there wasn't much in the way of descriptions.  For instance, in the prologue the POV is from a Hob.  What is a Hob you ask?  Well, I have no clue at all.  All I know is that they are supposed to oversee Crenshaw and make sure that the witches follow certain rules.  Well, at least that is what I think they are supposed to do.  It was confusing to me.  But I have no idea what they look like.  Are they tall, short, hairy, misshapen?  The only thing that came to mind is a hobgoblin because of the Hob part of hobgoblin.  

The character relationships are extremely forced.  One second Ellie is saying how boring she is to the point of saying she drives a nondescript sedan.  Ellie even had gone so far as saying that she doesn't do anything that is out of her normal routine. Then all of a sudden, she is kissing a complete stranger in the library.  HUH?  And when I say next second, I mean it is like within less than 5 minutes of meeting Ellie.  Oh, and she falls immediately in love with Prospero (the woman she kissed) as soon as the kiss is ended. 

And what is up with Maggie?  This isn't giving anything away because it was literally all within chapter three of the book.  She is driving her son back to her criminal ex-husband.  She is deciding on whether or not to tell her son that her ex wants full custody of him.  Then her brakes go out and both her and her son are careening off the side of the road.  If the father had actually wanted the son, why would he cut the brake lines when he knew his son would be in the car?  That just doesn't even make sense.  Wouldn't he have cut them when his son wasn't going to be in the car?  All of a sudden, Maggie's powers awaken during this "accident" and she is able to save her son.  Then she gets out of the car and is in Crenshaw.  

Dan just seemed really flat on the page.  He was out hiking.  He had his clothes, food, "dishes for food", soap for dishes for food".  Yea.  It actually said soap for dishes for food in the audiobook.  GAH!  Then he just sort of stumbles into Crenshaw.  Now in the regular world, Dan had cancer.  When he got to Crenshaw, he was magically cured by just stepping across the border.  However, if he wants to go back to see his family and friends, then his cancer will return.  Thus, he is forced to stay.  

I listened for quite a while before finally just giving up.  Probably longer than I really should have.  Since this is the first in a series, it would have been better set up with just a 2 person POV.  They could have started out with Ellie and Prospero's story in the first book.  However, the other characters could be there, but mainly as secondary characters to help Ellie & Prospero's story along.  Then in the 2nd book, they could have moved on to Maggie's story.  And they can tell how she ended up in Crenshaw through flashback scenes.  Finally, in book 3 it would be time for Dan to shine.  There would be much more room for character development and world building that way.  This was just too rushed.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an open and honest review.