The Enchantment Emporium (#1)
From bestselling author Tanya Huff comes the first in a series about an unconventional family where women cultivate power, men show a little horn, and aunties are almost always a step ahead…
Growing up a Gale girl in rural Ontario meant all the freedom Alysha Gale wanted: tracing charms on her lovers, ruling the high school with her pack of cousins, dodging the aunties’ more coercive pies. But at twenty-four, Allie is brokenhearted, out of a job, and not so much nestled in the bosom of her family as suffocated. Until her wild grandmother writes to announce she’s dead and deeding Allie a junk shop in Calgary.
As soon as she steps into the Enchantment Emporium, Allie knows there’s plenty to keep even a Gale girl busy. There’s a monkey’s paw sitting in the glass case. Her grandmother did business with a supernaturally odd collection of strays. And a smoking hot man with a dodgy cover story keeps inquiring about Gran—who’s vanished without a trace. But the shadows of Calgary hide more than one kind of threat. Allie could flee back home… or discover if she can become a force to be reckoned with all by herself.
Reviews
“This enchanting, suspenseful urban fantasy should grab fans of Charles de Lint, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, and Jim Butcher.”
“Thoughtful and leisurely, this fresh urban fantasy from Huff features an ensemble cast of nuanced characters […] Fantasy buffs will find plenty of humor, thrills and original mythology to chew on, along with refreshingly three-dimensional women in an original, fully-realized world.”
“Tanya Huff crams so much delightful stuff into her books that they deserve to be slowly unpacked […] There is so much to love about this book [...] The magic is deftly handled, the family stuff is bewildering and gripping, and the humour is as sharp as a dragon’s tooth.”
“A big part of the fun of this offbeat contemporary fantasy is figuring out just what’s really going on with Allie’s extended family.”Locus
“Enchanting, mischievous and lively, a wonderful fantasy creation…one of the best fantasy books I have read for a long time and I can really recommend it. Entertaining, fun and interesting; it offers something for everyone.”Monsters and Critics
“A delight from start to finish — by turns humorous, romantic and dramatic. So far, this is easily one of my favorite books of the year.”Fantasy and Science Fiction
“Huff’s new novel makes most of the other paranormal fantasy I’ve read recently pale in comparison […] delightfully fresh.”Critical Mass
“I find myself hoping [it] will become an extended series. The story is a little deeper, a little more complex, pacing is perfectly apt, the characters are more fully rounded, the dialogue is still sharp, and it all fits together without a seam.”Green Man Review
“After dozens of stories of feisty women battling vampires, werewolves, demons, black magic, and so forth, this felt delightfully fresh and sometimes even funny.”Fantasy Review
“The prose is witty and the banter fast-paced and laced with pop culture references, making me actually laugh out loud on more than one occasion.”Fantasy Literature
“Huff is a fine writer — there’s no mistake about that […] the take takes off […] into a brisk, quirky, romantic fantasy that has plenty to offer. For the right type of reader, this book will be a blast.”Cal Lit Review
“Tanya Huff never disappoints in her seemingly endless supply of urban fantasy tales. Her characters are always interesting and laced with her trademark rongue-in-cheek humor. Heroic misfits are somewhat of a specialty for her, and Alysha and her Leprechaun are no exceptions. I loved this book and sincerely hope this is the beginning of a new series.”Affaire de Coeur
“I found THE ENCHANTMENT EMPORIUM a delightful read. Huff has created a wonderfully large cast of characters, some lovable, some laughable, some inscrutable, and some just plain mysterious. Mix in a magical meddling family, a mysterious reporter, a lonely leprechaun, and some dragons with an agenda of their own, and you have a story worth getting to the end of.”BSC Review
“There aren’t too many writers out there who are able to switch between genres so easily and create stories as credible in one as they do in another. One of the exceptions is Tanya Huff. She’s not only capable of delivering well-crafted stories and plots in every genre she attempts, she also consistently creates memorable characters whom her readers can identify with.”Epicinda
“Enchanting is the best way to describe THE ENCHANTMENT EMPORIUM. I loved every minute that I spent with the remarkable Gale clan and didn’t want it to end. Charming and funny, this is a novel about family, love and magic that you won’t want to miss.”SciFiGuy
“Bewitching […] Tanya Huff expertly weaves an engaging story […] [and] promises a fine display of all things you like in Urban Fantasy.”The Book Plank
“The Gales are an amazing family, the aunts will strike fear into your heart, and the characters Allie meets are both charming and terrifying.”Charlaine Harris, NY Times Bestselling Author
“A very cool book all around.”Night Owl Reviews
“Opens another engaging fantasy series and introduces a delightfully close extended family of powerful witches, the Gales. As always with a Tanya Huff tale, tremendous fun and left me anxious for more of the Gale family.”Book Loons
Awards & Accolades
Booklist: “10 Best SF/F of 2009”