Review By: Anonymous
Published: 2025
Genres: Cozy Fantasy, Romance, Fiction
Audience: Grades 11–12, Adult
Number of Stars: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Goodreads Link: A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping
Content Warnings: Grief, loss, parental abandonment, cursing, alcohol use, bullying, and a single explicit sex scene near the end of the book.
Publisher’s Summary
Sera Swan was once one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her magical Guild. Now she (slightly reluctantly and just a bit grumpily) helps Aunt Jasmine run an inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guests’ shenanigans, tries to keep the talking fox in check, and longs for the magical future she lost.
When she learns about an old spellbook that holds the secret to restoring her power, she turns to Luke Larsen, a gorgeous historian who might just be able to help her unlock the book’s mysteries. Luke, who has his own reasons for staying at the inn, never planned on getting involved in the madcap goings-on around him and certainly had no intention of letting certain grumpy innkeepers past his icy walls. Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and staying one step ahead of the watchful Guild is a lot for anyone, but Sera is about to discover that she doesn’t have to do it alone… and that the weird, wonderful family she’s made might be the best magic of all.
Review
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna is a cozy adult fantasy that combines humor, love, and magic into a story about loss, healing, fitting in and finding home. The main character, Sera Swan, was once one of the most powerful witches in Britain, who loses her magic after successfully attempting a forbidden resurrection spell saving her beloved aunt, the only real family she has ever known. Sera accidentally resurrecting her deceased rooster, as well. After successfully casting this spell, she was stripped2 of her powers by the Guild and retreats to the Batty Hole Inn, a magical but somewhat chaotic inn that she runs alongside her resurrected great-aunt Jasmine. The inn is a home that magically appears to those who need it. Living there is a group of misfits, including a talking fox, who is also a cursed witch, an overenthusiastic gardener, and a disgraced knight. T5he inn possesses magical powers that become normal to those living there. They all grow into a loving family throughout the story.
One day magical historian, Luke Larsen, and his brilliant, autistic younger sister named Posy, arrive searching for answers about lost magic. Sera is searching for 7a way to restore her lost powers and they all are drawn into a mystery that could change all of their lives forever. This adventure begins the process of self-discovery and turns this group of misfits into a close family. Although this was not the typical type of book I would read, I decided to give it a try for the “cozy” theme people have referred to. I enjoyed it but found parts of the book to be unnecessary. A romance between Sara and Luke throughout the book that seemed to be appropriate with the cozy, magical genre. However, at one point, there was a sex scene which I found to be unnecessary and turned it into something that I would not use or would have to skip over with students because of that. I felt the book was too innocent to have that be part of it.
However, I thought the author did an excellent job of representing diversity among the characters. For example, Posy was a neurodivergent character and Aunt Jasmine had a disability. And there was a same-sex relationship that developed between Aunt Jasmine and Matilda, the gardener. The story explores major themes such as found family, grief, self-worth, and redefining the meaning of success. One of the book’s messages is that power does not define a person’s value, and that community can be just as magical as spells. And family is not defined by bloodline.
📖 Curricular Connections & Classroom Activities
- Found Family Analysis: Discuss how the book redefines “family” as a group of people who choose one another rather than just biological relatives.
- Design a Magical Inn: Have students design their own inn. What magical traits would it have? Who would live there? How would they fit together?
- Guest Reviews: Write “guest stories” or Yelp-style reviews for the Batty Hole Inn from the perspective of a weary magical traveler.
- Representation & Inclusivity: Examine how Mandanna integrates disability and neurodivergence naturally into a fantasy setting.
