Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches

De: Kate Scelsa

Narrado por: Stacey Glemboski

A witchy, atmospheric lesbian contemporary romance set in Salem—from the acclaimed author of Fans of the Impossible Life. Perfect for fans of Nina LaCour and Becky Albertalli.

Seventeen-year-old Eleanor is the last person in Salem to believe in witchcraft—or to think that her life could be transformed by mysterious forces. After losing her best friend and first love, Chloe, Eleanor has spent the past year in a haze, vowing to stay away from anything resembling romance.

But when a handwritten guide to tarot arrives in the mail at the witchy souvenir store where Eleanor works, it seems to bring with it the message that magic is about to enter her life. Cynical Eleanor is quick to dismiss this promise, until real-life witch Pix shows up with an unusual invitation. Inspired by the magic and mystery of the tarot, Eleanor decides to open herself up to Pix and her coven of witches, and even to the possibility of a new romance.

But Eleanor’s complicated history continues to haunt her. She will have to reckon with the old ghosts that threaten to destroy everything, even her chance at new love.

Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches is an atmospheric and romantic coming-of-age about learning to make peace with the past in order to accept the beauty of the present.

©2022 Kate Scelsa (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

intriguing and atmospheric

Really great story and compelling characters! I loved the personalities of all the girls in the coven, and Eleanor was (unfortunately? fortunately?) very relatable. Well written and well worth a listen!

Good story line and happy ending.

Good story line that has enough interest to keep you hooked. Sweet and cute happy ending. Well read.

OOF. So much teen angst

the descriptions of places put me right back onto the streets of Salem, it felt like I was walking right next to Elenore.
The author did such a great job conveying all those deeply felt emotions of a bad break up and the adter affects, while the narrator really translated that. There were times when I had to stop listening because it dragged up too clear memories of similar emotions.

The narrator did an excellent job of performing each of the characters.

I got lost in the story and felt the gamut of emotions as I went through each heart wrenching detail of Eleanor’s life. Starting each chapter with a major arcana key was brilliant! I learned more about the deck than I have in previous self-study. All around well done!

Great story that hits home

As many young queer youth out there who seem that they are the only ones some times, this is a good story that will help make sure you know you’re not.
Good narrator, they read well and clear to understand, and I was able to tell the different characters they were speaking for.

Accurate depiction of teenhood... unfortunately

I enjoyed this audiobook and I like the author's prose. However, I think there is a thin line between being cynically relatable, and being downright whiny. But here's the thing, it is a -SPOT ON- depiction of being a teenager: the anxiety and expectations that come with it, the drama, the relationships, etc. And I definitely applaud the author for capturing this perfectly. But it's also what makes the book a little unbearable about halfway through for me. I both sympathized heavily with the main character and simultaneously wished she would stop being SO incredibly dramatic. This dichotomy made it hard to rate the book as it wasn't a bad thing, but it did make it a little harder to enjoy personally for me. If I could rate it 3.5 stars I would, but I bumped it up to 4 instead of 3.

I would recommend it. If you don't mind the overwhelming teenage angst, it's a pretty good story. The characters feel real, and the author's writing is great. The narrator was good as well.

The book is very enlightening and healing

The books focus on healing from past trauma and getting over mistakes was very nice to listen to. The chapters being tarot cards was a nice touch and made me feel very seen.

Absolutely fantastic

I love this book. There was not one moment where I wasn’t completely enthralled in the story. The characters were all very interesting and diverse. One of the best queer love stories I’ve yet to read, very sweet, definitely tugged at my heart strings. I may have cried once or twice as well. Also one of the most real depictions witchcraft I’ve come across and as a fellow practitioner I really appreciated the accuracy. I would highly recommend this book to all my fellow queer witches out there, or anyone looking for a good read. Absolutely beautiful. I think I’ll be reading more from this author.

Not a fantasy story...

I went into this book kinda expecting a fantasy element to it. It's tagged as ¤"Sword and Sorcery" in the description, after all. But it's not that kind of story where a plucky outcast discovers her hidden magic power and fights the forces of darkness, using fireballs or lightning bolts. If there is actual magic occurring, it's up to the reader/listener's interpretation. Its really a story about a brokenhearted girl who made a bunch of mistakes and was hurt by the girl she loved, learning to let go of that hurt and self hate and let her love herself and someone else again.


It was a little painful to listen to some parts as she recounted her downward spiral and eventual crash. As a listener, you can see the crash coming and know its nots going to be fun, and its a little hard not to get mad at the character for not being able to see it too, not see how the decisions she is making can only end badly. But you also have to remember she's a lonely 17yo who fell in love for the first time and who felt like nothing would ever be good again if she couldn't hold on to that love.

This book was meant for me! & now its meant for you!

I was drawn to this book because I'm a sucker for anything witchy, or gay. lucky for me, this book was way more than I originally thought. as a Bisexual, practicing Medium, from Connecticut with family who live near and work at mystic aquarium & also happens to love & frequently visit Salem mass, this book healed me in ways I didn't know it could. Where was this book when I was trying to find people like me? I found myself relating to the main characters in many ways, which wasn't always the most comfortable, but as I read/listened to this book, I found myself healing old wounds along side Pix & Eleanor.

but even if you don't relate to every chapter in this book the way I happen to, the story is so well written & the narration was flawless. you'll love reading about the self discovery, mistakes, heart breaks, healing, love, and real world witchcraft. I look forward to reading more from this author!