The Rules of Magic: A Novel (The Practical Magic Series Book 1)

In Practical Magic, we had Maria Owens, Aunt Jet, Aunt Frances, Sally and Gillian. That book centered on Sally and Gillian. Here, we have the story of Jet and Frances when they were the younger generation, full of longing and fears. There is the dreaded curse that threatens doom to any man who loves an Owens woman, but these are woman who deserve to be loved and would want to be loved, if only it weren’t for that darned curse. We also learn more about Maria Owens and the origin of the curse. Other family members are introduced, including Vincent, the brother of Jet and Frances. I don’t believe he was mentioned in Practical Magic.It’s a compelling story, with strong writing and fascinating characters. I couldn’t put it down. I liked it much more than Practical Magic, which I found rather depressing. (Oddly, I loved the movie, and how often can someone say they liked the movie more than the book!) This book is about love and joys and sorrows, but I would never call it depressing. I am going to go back and re-read Practical Magic; I'm sure I will see it differently now.I mentioned Practical Magic several times, but this book stands alone. It is not necessary to know anything about Practical Magic to enjoy it.The Rules of Magic is up there with the best of Alice Hoffman.

Did Alice Hoffman write this book? Any Alice Hoffman fan should skip this one, it's heartbreakingly bad. If you appreciated Practical Magic, this book is particularly painful. The cannon is revised, ignored, and in some places simply forgotten, a real punch in the gut for those who read and loved Practical Magic long before it was a movie. (Love the movie, but it is vastly different from the original novel). Hoffman has always been one of my favorite authors; The Marriage of Opposites is transcendent, and should not be missed. The Rules of Magic should be skipped at all costs.

This prequel seemed a bit 'phoned in'. The writing lacks the lyrically spellbinding stylings of it's earlier released Practical Magic, and for me did not stand on its own. Redundant, and poorly edited, the 'magical' part was reduced to a less enchanting version of it's earlier iteration.The characters were hard to relate to and for the most part not that interesting. Not much happens for a book that spans around 6+hours of read time.I wanted to be sucked into the delicious, sensual and delightfully surreal world that at one time, only Alice Hoffman could create.If you enjoy this genre, I highly recommend her earlier works Seventh Heaven, Fortune's Daughter and of course Practical Magic.

Every human needs to read this amazing book. There is something for every human soul in this book. Once in a great while a book comes along that is mesmerizing, 'The Rules of Magic' is mesmerizing on so many levels.The storyline of the witches is simply a platform for the true message that Alice Hoffman is trying to communicate. This is a book about love, courage, strength, dealing with loss, never being afraid if who you really are and so much more. She perfectly blended real life with a story of magic.Truly one of my top three favorite books of all time. As soon as I finished the last page, I already wanted to read it again and again.Words do not exist to describe the true beauty of this book.

This was my first Alice Hoffman story and I am not disappointed in the least! The writing and pacing was fluid throughout the story and it had a character-based approach to the story. You find yourself falling in love with the characters (slight pun here). The story follows a group of Owens siblings as they learn of their magical powers as witches and also of the curse that has burdened their family for many years. The curse of the Owens family is that anyone they love is doomed to death. Therefore, love is forbidden and these three siblings, Franny, Jet and Vincent, must find ways to live life without ever falling in love lest it be their own downfall.Throughout the story, you see the growth of each character and in that growth you see them all tempt fate with attempting to love someone deeply. You’ll follow their downfall with trepidation because of it. While this story is a dark look at love, there are bright spots that show that life isn’t worth living if you’re not loving. The moral to the story is very succinct and relevant. Hoffman does a great job of masterfully weaving characters fate together without a hint to the readers as to what big event will happen next.The story lulls in some points though. While the writing is superb and fits the timeframe of the story perfectly, there are moments that are filled with too much history and ambiance and “other” things. You’ll have a great visual of the home(s) and their cities and towns. But you will also get a heaping dose of history throughout the story which at face value is an added bonus but by midway through can be a bit challenging when coupled with the other visuals… you’ll just want to know what will happen next at that point. Maybe this is a good idea now that I think about it…maybe Hoffman wanted to build that rising angst in us? No matter, the story was wholly enjoyable and character-driven which to me are the most memorable.

I've loved Alice Hoffman's stories since Practical Magic, which still stands out as one of my favorites of all time. I was excited to learn more about the family and go back in time a bit. This book immediately pulled me in. I couldn't put it down! I love the siblings, Jet, Franny and Vincent. They're well-woven characters with good dimension to them. Sometimes you wonder if you like them at all, and I think that's a sign of excellent character development. They make mistakes but also learn. When reading a typical thriller, I sometimes skip around to dialogue when I get kinda bored. With Alice Hoffman books, you want to read every.single.word. No skipping. She's a really an amazing writer with a knack for great storytelling. This book spans a good amount of time and I never once got bored. I like that there's a cool Aunt in Massachusetts at the same house, just like the two in Practical Magic. Great read.

I devoured this in a couple of days whilst on honeymoon. It's beautifully, intimately written, and leaves you feeling warm and cosy – despite exploring themes of growth, pain and loss. I read this before Practical Magic, although I had seen the film as a teenager, and descriptions of the garden in Massachusetts felt wonderfully familiar. The descriptions of magic are delicate – rather than making you feel as though this is an absurd fantasy, you feel as though you're walking along a tightrope of the fantastic; are things real or imagined?

Anti-Feminist clap trap! If you want to read about 2 women whose only value is in loving a man then this is the book for you! Drivel, nicely written drivel!*spoilers*The story of two rich white women who fall in love as teenage girls with 2 different Men. One of their lovers dies young and the character spends the remainder of her life moping without him and the other spends her life running around after the other man, who somehow manages to have a successful career as a doctor, go to war, lose a leg AND become a hero surgeon all while being a stellar life partner. The women do make the odd potion though....so there's that.

I had been eagerly awaiting the publication of this book and read it avidly whilst on holiday in Spain.It is an excellent prequel to Practical Magic and extremely hard to put down.Alice Hoffman writes wonderfully, poetically at times and crafts the back story of the two aunts who become the guardians of Sally and Gilly Owens.The stories of Franny, Jet and Vincent, their brother are equally poignant and entrancing as they each seek in their own way to outwit the Owens curse.I could not put this book down, it is as brilliant as all her other works.

This is such a beautiful book. I nearly didn't buy it in case it didn't live up to Practical Magic (the film, this was my first time reading Hoffman).I love magical realism, so this pleased me, but more than that, the characters and their journeys were real and poignant, particularly their grief and their love. I found myself quietly crying at times, but mostly entranced with their world. I now feel like a world has ended with the last page of the book, but I can explore the rest of her extensive writing.

This is the first time I’ve ever bothered with reviewing fiction in ebooks. I love the cadence of the writing, the sensitivity of the characterisations. It has a gentle quality reminiscent of the work of Margaret Mary, and deals with the everyday magic of joy and loss. For sixty years, books have been as essential to me as oxygen, but this writer is something special.