Since I was a young girl, I’ve loved fantasy novels, especially those in urban settings. It was never Big Battles that did it for me – instead, I preferred to see magic used in daily life, on human scale. To this day, I prefer this juxtaposition of the ordinary and extraordinary – whether it’s a stitch witch, a magical governess, or a secret organization.

Cherie Dimaline’s upcoming novel VenCo promises plenty of hidden urban magic, and I’m excited to have accessed an advance copy for this review. (Many thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the gift!) VenCo follows Lucky St. Jones, a down-on-her-luck Métis woman living in Toronto, who discovers she’s a witch, part of a promised coven. Not only that, but she’s on a deadline to find the last member of the coven. All the while, there’s a dangerous immortal witch-hunter on her tracks.

There’s a lot to take in here, and I found my expectations subverted constantly. Not just in terms of the plot, or the character tropes, but also the worldbuilding and the genre itself.

A very soft fantasy…

Based on the blurb for VenCo, I was expecting a Very Specific kind of worldbuilding. Specifically, I was hoping to see a world like that The Rook or Her Majesty’s Royal Coven or Rivers of London. I love thinking about how a magical world could work, the infrastructure and the organization of it. VenCo seemed to fit neatly into this, with its secret witchy corporation and continental recruiting. Even the first chapter seemed to play this out, with a frankly badass intro to what seemed to be three executive witches.

But Dimaline took a different (equally fun) approach to her world building, opting for softer fantasy rules in service of the theme. In the world of VenCo, there’s no one “right” way to do magic. Instead, witches draw on local traditions, leading to an intriguing diversity of powers and approaches. The witches are similarly un-organized, resembling a loosely connected network rather than a tight-knit organization. Everything is run on intuition, vibes, and connections.

This softer magic system and world building isn’t bad, just unexpected. One element of the “soft rules” is a little trickier to judge, though. The protagonists are working against a magical deadline to find their last coven-mate. This is treated as a very real deadline, and the cast takes it seriously – but it’s never really explained why. There’s no sense of the stakes – of what could happen if the final witch remains lost – which can deflate some of the urgency.

Fortunately, Dimaline is an engaging writer, and these inconsistencies didn’t stick out that much as I read. Instead, I found myself swept up with the plot and the magic and the characters. Dimaline’s more flexible approach seems optimized to deliver her themes in the most enjoyable way possible – even if it means handwaving the rules.

…with a female-centric message

VenCo is definitely a story with a perspective. Anti-corporate and anti-capitalist, the plot highlights female power and stories. Each of the members of the VenCo coven represents a different failing of our status quo, and Dimaline vividly illustrates each backstory. Each of the characters is unique and fleshed out, and I enjoyed learning about each of them.

VenCo, like many other witchy stories, emphasizes the importance and power of family – especially female family. Mothers and grandmothers have particular importance in the novel, along with both maternal and platonic love. Dimaline does this by writing compelling connections between mothers and daughters – but also by making the major villain the only male character of note.

He’s a good villain too – extremely creepy. I found myself wincing at some of the passages that included him – like a more muted version of Kilgrave. But at some point it started to feel hyperbolic – are there no good men? No good markets? No good organizations? In light of recent events with crypto, it feels like “tear down ALL old institutions” might be a bridge too far.

Still, it’s a fun read, and it’s hard not to cheer for the protagonists at the end. On the last page, I found myself satisfied and excited to read another installment. I’d be really excited to meet new witches and explore more magical traditions, and to see what a coven could really do.

Reader’s notes and rating (⭐⭐⭐⭐)

VenCo was nothing like I expected, but I enjoyed it all the same. It was a great journey of self-discovery and a beautiful affirmation of female support. That said, I was expecting a bit more about underground organizations (can you tell I loved Hench?). Instead, this read a little more like a great scavenger hunt adventure.

I’d definitely recommend it to feminist friends who enjoy adventure novels. It’s nice to see a road-trip novel that is so focused on feminine greatness, and it’s a fun read if you can keep your analysis at a more surface level. Not for everyone – but if you, like me, enjoy unban fantasy adventure, you’ll have a great time. 4 stars.

VenCo will be published in the US on February 7, 2023.