The Rules of Magic

Book 2 in the Practical Magic series

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This second book of the series spans from about the mid 1940s to the 80s.

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As for the shop, it was a disaster when they moved in, with peeling plaster and water-stained ceilings, but soon enough everything was painted a pale dove gray. For weeks they all had streaks of gray paint in their hair, as if they had prematurely aged.

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Franny bartered with a local plumber. If he would stop the pipes from leaking, they would dispose of his wife’s boyfriend; it was easy enough to do with a bit of Be True to Me Tea. For the carpenter who built shelves, the sisters concocted a hex breaker composed of salt, coconut oil, lavender, lemon juice, and lemon verbena. If he gave the mixture to the ex-client who was badmouthing him, the slanderer would fall silent.

The story focuses on two sisters and a brother who have no idea about magic and want nothing to do with it nor with the elderly aunt who lives in the enormous house that the woman in the first book built for herself and her ancestral line.

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The brother gets back-burnered pretty quickly so the story revolves around the sisters and their attempt to get away from their family history.

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Lewis was in the tree above them. Looking down, he made a clacking sound. “He’s a funny pet,” Haylin said. “He’s so aloof, yet he follows you everywhere.”

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“I’ve told you before. He’s not a pet. He’s a familiar. And you’re the one he’s following. He’s never really liked me. We’re too much alike. Two crows in a pod.”

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“I see.” Haylin threaded his fingers through her hair. “You’re a beautiful bird.”

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He was still a drowning man every time he was with Franny, and now he had to give her up again. They would not be able to write or see each other, lest Hay’s involvement with Vincent’s disappearance be reexamined. He had done enough. Franny would not ruin him any more, although he very much wished that she would.

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The characters are well-developed, there is good connection between this book and the first, but I did wonder when reading this one if the series was meant for young adults.

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The love scenes are realistic and mature, but something about the writing seemed…. easy. Perhaps it’s that the author writes in a way that is fluid, making the prose very easy to take in.

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This book is perfect for the beach or an airplane.

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