The Honey Witch and Baklava

Do you need a sweet little something to get through the day?  Or maybe this is something bigger.  Like suffering from a curse that an evil witch has put on you.  Well, look no further than, “The Honey Witch” by Sydney J. Shields.  Marigold Claude has found her calling by walking in her grandmother’s shoes as the Innisfree’s honey witch.  She has talent and has made peace with the fact that she is not meant to find love.  What she did not expect is to meet a skeptical young woman named Lottie who does not believe in magic of any kind.  The desire to change this woman’s mind has become a desire of a different kind.  Can Marigold make her own magic come to life?  Read below to find out.  

Spellbinding and Sweet! What a combonation!

The Story

Marigold has had her whole life planned for her.  She must act like a proper lady in their society’s circle, keep her eccentricities to herself, and above all, marry a suitable match. However, she is not interested in any of it.  She wants her life to be filled with the magic she has found in her everyday life and make a positive difference to others.  When her maternal grandmother, Althea gives her a proposition of being a honey witch on Innisfree with her, without hesitation, she accepts and begins her journey as a magical medicine woman. 

For Marigold, her new career as a honey witch is a dream come true.  However, when her grandmother passes away, she feels lonely and longs to have some companionship that is not one of the land’s mystical creatures that she sees every day.  Luckily, her childhood friend named August is close-by again and he has a new friend/foster sister to introduce Marigold to.  Her name is Lottie and she is rude, cranky, snippy, and thinks magic is nothing more than a bunch of hokum. 

Seeing the challenge right away, Marigold is determined to make Lottie a believer but what she does not know is that the more she spends time with her, the more she finds herself falling in love with her.  The feeling is mutual, so what is the problem?  Only a curse that is on all honey witches that states they are never to fall in love and if they do, the object of their affection meets a cruel fate.

Although she tries to deny her feelings for the beautiful Lottie, Marigold cannot fight a tidal wave that keeps hitting her whenever Lottie is nearby.  She longs to destroy this curse but she does not know how or where to look but the key lies with an evil witch known only as, “The Ash Witch.”  She holds the key to breaking this horrible spell.

But is Marigold a strong enough witch to defeat her?  Is Lottie’s love worth giving everything up for?    

My Review

A beautiful tale full of magic, love, lore, and everything in between.  This is a perfect LGBTQ+ fairy tale for those who believe that the power of true love can conquer all.  This is one of the first fairy tales that I have read, that I can actually believe.  The moral of the story was crystal clear and not too over done.  Everyone needs a reminder now and then that if you want something to work out you got to fight for it.  Well, that’s what I got out of it anyway.   

Each character in this story not only experiences a kind of growth but also has a special purpose.  Grumpy Lottie has a lot of trauma but with Marigold’s love and good-nature she finds herself not needing the armor that she used to have.  She begins to be more open with her emotions and her mind as she and Marigold bond.  Easy-going August always felt like he was drifting aimlessly but finds comfort in the arms of someone he did not expect.  And lastly, the caregiver of the honey estate named Mr. Benny shares a few secrets of his own.  Each interaction may have some rocky starts but, in the end, turn out to be something deeper and full of meaning.

Shields paints a beautiful picture when it comes to this story.  You can actually see the flowers she describes or the events unfolding like it was a movie playing before your eyes.  However, there are some places where the scenes do get a little confusing.  For example, some of the scenes where Marigold will go out to a field and see some kind of spirit animals.  Every time that happens I could not help but ask: How did that happen? 

On that note, I still felt the magic that the story was sharing with its audience.  It is just this kind of book that livens the imagination and maybe even inspire someone to try a little something new.  I really want to find out if those honey mixtures in the book actually does what it says in the books.  Not the full on emergency ones but the more light-hearted recipes would be fun to try.  

Too much honey? No such thing!

The Pairings

This book goes the best with some freshly made baklava.  This is a regional dessert from the Middle East, Mediterranean, and the Balkan regions.  It is made of flaky phyllo dough, nuts (mainly pistachio and walnuts) and last (but not least) honey.  It’s sweetness and exotic flavours remind me of this book just merely because every time you taste one it gives you dreamy vibes and takes you places that you least expect.  People in the book considered Marigold, sweet and flaky so what would be the dessert that she would reach for if she could?  Three guesses’ folks! 

The wine you want to go with this is a honey wine but not just any honey wine.  The Spirit Hills’ Dande wine is what you have to reach for.  In this book, you will find that dandelions are a prominent flower you will find in various points.  Also, the story of this wine and how it’s made just flows with the story of this book.      

The Rating/Final Thoughts

8/10

It may not be perfect but this book is so close to it.  The love story is sweet like honey, the characters are authentic, and the story is nothing short of magical.  This is a story that seems like a movie that you can watch over and over again without getting sick of it.  Even if it is just to get a honey recipe that you want to try.  Sydney J Shields’s descriptions and words are just beautiful.  You can picture all of these events happening and have empathy for everyone involved. 

This was the first LGBTQ+ read that I have ever read and the love story between our two protagonists was just lovely.  Lottie who is always looking at things with that glass-is-half-empty view is matched with Marigold’s I-believe-everyday-is-magic outlook in a way that is believable and real.  Lottie will peck and Marigold will get annoyed but you can still feel the connection that these two feel for each other.  It is charming to read. 

I cannot deny that I got confused whenever the magical animals appeared.  Every time they came out, I could not help but wonder:  Where did this come from?  But perhaps that is the point of them as well.  Well done, Shields!  I can’t wait to see what you come up with next!