Hello, everyone! Today I’m reviewing An Amateur Witch’s Guide to Murder by K. Valentin. When I read the blurb, I thought the story would be perfect for spooky season. So, I couldn’t pass on snatching it up. Should you plan to pick it up this October? Read on to find out!

A wannabe witch tries to break a curse on a clueless client in this laugh-out-loud debut for fans of queer fantasy like TJ Klune and Tamsyn Muir.

Mateo Borrero has ninety-nine problems, and all of them hinge on the fact that his terrifying and currently-missing bruja mother trapped a demon in his body when he was born. His mother forbade him from ever using magic, but now that she’s gone, magic’s his only marketable skill, and he’d really like an exorcism—which costs money he doesn’t have. What’s the harm in making a quick buck by calling himself an Occult Specialist and chanting a few half-remembered spells in his crappy Spanish?

Enter Topher, a naive nepo baby with a curse that keeps killing people around him. Most importantly, he’s rich, and too clueless to clock that Mateo–and his (absolutely-not-the-assistant) astral-projecting best friend Ophelia–have never actually had a client before. Lifting Topher’s bad luck curse should be simple, but as luck would have it, nothing is simple, and Topher–who Mateo sort of, kind of likes–might be at the center of a deadly magical conspiracy. 

To make matters worse, the more magic Mateo does, the stronger the demon inside him grows and the more he wants to eat people. But would caving to the urges of an ancient evil really be that bad if it helps him get a payday?

Legends and Lattes meets A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer in this hilarious and charming contemporary fantasy readers won’t want to miss.

***Thank you to SparkPoint Studio & Alcove Press for providing an advanced copy of the book. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

An Amateur Witch’s Guide to Murder was a great read for spooky season with a heavy dose of witchy vibes, a sprinkling of cannibalism, and a slow-burn MM romance that made me want to just smush their faces together already. The characters and plot were entertaining, and the writing was easy to read and engaging. The author did have some writing crutches, though, with some variation of the word ‘goggling’ appearing way too many times. However, it didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the story, and I had a really fun time with this one.

The plot of An Amateur Witch’s Guide to Murder took quite a few twists and turns. It started out with Mateo’s issues with demon possession and quickly morphed into somewhat of a thriller with the investigation of Topher’s curse and then the mysterious disappearance of his mother. The villain was pretty obvious from quite early on, but there were plenty of details about the motivation and circumstances that I didn’t expect. Things did get quite violent at times with Topher’s curse constantly killing people and the demon constantly wanting to eat people. However, the author did a good job of including enough detail at the right moments without making the story a gore fest.

As for the characters in An Amateur Witch’s Guide to Murder, Mateo and Topher were both hilarious, and I loved the chaotic energy that Ophelia brought to the story, as well. Mateo grew so much and really learned a lot about himself. His ongoing struggle with the demon was quite well-written, and I appreciated the use of bold in the text to help differentiate the thoughts of the two of them. Topher was such a sweet, shy dude, and I just wanted to give him a hug. He was a great counterpart to Mateo. I just wish the romance had been a bit more of a prominent part of the story. The love-triangle-adjacent thing it was going for with Ophelia didn’t work for me, and I would have preferred the story spend more time focusing on the developing feelings between the oblivious Mateo and completely smitten Topher.

An Amateur Witch’s Guide to Murder also tackled some interesting themes. Mateo’s identity issues were front and center. The demon was obviously a huge part of those issues, but his Latino heritage, undocumented status, and lower SES lifestyle all played roles in the story at different points. The rich versus poor dynamic between Mateo and Topher was well-written. I liked how the author used a lot of humor to point out the ways their different lifestyles impacted how they moved through the world.

Overall, An Amateur Witch’s Guide to Murder was a fun time and the perfect spooky season read. It had an engaging plot, great characters with lots of sass, and just the right amount of paranormal shenanigans. Given how the story ended, I’m hopeful there will be future books involving these characters. I’d definitely read them! I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

There you have it! My thoughts on An Amateur Witch’s Guide to Murder by K. Valentin. I can’t recommend it enough! Be on the lookout for it in October because it is a great choice for the lead up to Halloween. 🎃