The House Witch by Delemhach – Review

Published: June 21, 2022

Publisher: Podium Publishing

Series: The House Witch #1

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 474 (Kindle)

My Rating: 5 Stars

Synopsis:
A heartwarming and humorous blend of fantasy, romance, and mystery featuring a witch with domestic powers and the royal household he serves . . . dinner.

When Finlay Ashowan joins the staff of the King and Queen of Daxaria, he’s an enigma. No one knows where he comes from or how he came to be where he is, which suits Fin just fine. He’s satisfied simply serving as the royal cook, keeping nosy passersby out of his kitchen, and concocting some truly uncanny meals.

But Fin’s secret identity doesn’t stay hidden for long. After all, it’s not every day a house witch and his kitten familiar, Kraken, take to meddling in imperial affairs. As his powers are gradually discovered by the court, Fin finds himself involved in a slew of intrigues: going head-to-head with knights with less-than-chivalrous intentions, helping to protect the pregnant queen, fending off the ire of the royal mage, and uncovering a spy in the castle. And that’s only the beginning—because Fin’s past is catching up with him just as his love life is getting complicated . . .

This is the most utterly charming book I’ve ever read. Legends and Lattes has nothing on this and I really liked that book, but The House Witch is a whole ‘nother level of cozy goodness.

Finlay Ashowan has just been hired as the new Royal Cook, but while he might be exceedingly skilled in the kitchen, his social graces are a nightmare. He’s just rude and the first impression he gives the reader (and the entire castle) is quite a poor one until you realize he’s simply trying to avoid anyone becoming too close and discovering that he’s a witch. You may wonder why he’s called a witch and not a wizard, and it’s simply because in this world all those innately born with magic are called witches while those who learn magic are mages. Finlay is a house witch, and his provenance is hearth and home, providing safety, a sense of belonging, and swoon-worthy meals.

After acquiring his meager number of kitchen assistants, he gets to work and though he tries to maintain a distance between himself and literally everyone else, he finds himself making friends. The young prince Eric loves visiting the kitchen, having breakfast, and playing with Kraken, Finlay’s cat familiar. Hannah and Peter, two of the kitchen assistants, are fiercely loyal to their Royal Cook and Hannah would ferociously bash in someone’s skull with a frying pan if they upset her. Even the knights who were initially sent to work in the kitchens as punishment became an integral part of Finlay’s everyday life. Then there’s Lady Annika Jenoure – a clever, beautiful woman who also happens to be the King’s spy. She and Finlay trade jabs and soon find that they can’t get enough of one another, though both seem loath to admit it to anyone. Their romance is of the slow-burn variety and it’s so utterly satisfying!

Not only did this book warm my heart, it also made me absolutely cackle with laughter. There is a particular scene where one of the high ranking lords is introduced to Finlay and let’s just say, his name is rather memorable. There are some fabulous long running jokes and good natured drunken antics as well. Rest assured, this book is also chock full of plot and political machinations, as the country is about to be at war with a country called Troivack. Fin and Annika unsurprisingly end up rather integral in all of this, though this part of the story is explored more thoroughly in the next two books in the series.

This book is totally going to be one of my favorites of the year. It has everything I could ever want, including plenty of happy turns of events and even POV chapters from Kraken the cat! It’s full of found family, supportive, caring characters and an incredible amount of delicious food. All the amazing food descriptions left me somewhat… snackish. I highly recommend this for anyone who wants another happy fix after reading Legends and Lattes!