The Spell


Fiction - Fantasy - General
240 Pages
Reviewed on 07/29/2020
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

CV Shaw is the author behind The Spell. She is a great believer in magic and imagination. She is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine and a Quantum Energy Practitioner. She specializes in Herbalogy, Reiki, BodyTalk, Cranio-Sacral Therapy and Alpha-Intuitive Healing. She is also a Mindscape instructor. She is a native South Floridian and holds her alternative medicine practice out of South Miami. She has published work in How to Survive your Teenager. Previously as journalist, she was a feature writer for M.D. News, Florida Medical Business, Miami Herald Neighbors and Club Systems International.

C.V. Shaw was admiring a lush forest in Central Florida when she began imagining what could be on the other side...the image of a castle appeared before her. With poetry in mind, she grabbed a notebook and started to write. By the third page, she had become enamored with the inhabitants of the castle. Seven months later, the would-be poem had evolved into a 240 page fantasy novel. It was only after The Spell was published, she recalled a glimpse of a past-life regression she had undergone 20 years prior that paralleled all too much with life in the castle, deepening the connection of her journey through The Spell.

    Book Review

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

The Spell is a work of fiction in the fantasy, fairy tale, and suspense sub-genres, and was penned by author C. V. Shaw. Taking the classic atmosphere of fairy tales and giving them a dark and thrilling twist, we find ourselves in the kingdom of Fleurham where King Maurice and Queen Lilac each have their own agendas to try to control the kingdom and save their daughter. Isabella, the princess in question, lives amongst this power play as a terrible curse plagues every day of her life. What results is a fantastic adventure mixing sixteenth-century English history with lavish magic and interpersonal drama.

Author C. V. Shaw has crafted a truly fantastic tale that will surely please fans of fantasy, fairy tale, and romantic suspense genres, and it packs a whole lot of passionate punches for a debut novel. One of the things which I really adored throughout was the building of atmosphere and the way that the mood shifted with the depiction of different scenes and how the characters physically reacted to what was happening to them. It gives a strong sense of immersion where you can be in the character’s head and emote with them, and this connecting kept me rooting for Isabella in particular as the rest of the exciting plot unfolded. The dialogue too was excellently penned, smacking of authentic history and character realism. Overall, I would highly recommend The Spell to fantasy fans for its accomplished writing style, immersive worldbuilding, and fantastic characters.

Rylanne Burdette

The Spell by C. V. Shaw is a fantasy novel about a royal family that struggles to get along with one another while fighting against curses that continually get placed upon them. When Princess Isabella is shot in the leg with what is supposedly a cursed arrow, King Maurice rushes off to find the one who shot her. The problem is, he never returns. For years, Queen Lilac and Isabella are without the king and have no idea where he is. Life moves on, and the queen and princess face their own trials as Maurice makes a new life for himself. Will the royal family ever be reunited? Will the situations that continually befall them ever provide happiness rather than harm?

I personally really enjoyed The Spell! It was an extremely quick and easy read, and C. V. Shaw writes with grace and elegance. My favorite aspect of the novel was the development of the characters, and I loved reading about Isabella because her flaws made her someone that I could connect to. Overall, the plot was enjoyable and exciting, and it was easy to read large portions of this book in short amounts of time because I was able to get invested in the plot from the start. The cover of the book is what originally drew me in; I think that it is absolutely beautiful. This novel made for a great standalone, but I would also be curious to see more of the story in a sequel. I would definitely recommend checking out this book if you are a fan of the fantasy genre!

Peggy Jo Wipf

The Spell by C. V. Shaw is an enchanting novel that takes the reader back to when kings ruled and magic wreaked havoc with their destinies. King Maurice of Fleurham struggles with being faithful to his wife, Queen Lilac. Her anger and nagging don’t make it any easier for him. Princess Isabella is caught between their power struggles. All comes to a head one fateful day when a mysterious archer shoots an arrow towards the queen and princess. The king enters a magical forest to rid the castle of this attacker. Meanwhile, the queen oversees the princess. Isabella lives for years under the weight of the curse placed on her that day. Will she ever find genuine happiness and love? Or will she continue to bring suffering to those around her?
 
I found C. V. Shaw an intriguing author who writes about mysterious spells and healing plants. The Spell beautifully combines the author’s hobbies and passion. The plot depicts a common theme, but the author weaves in intricate details of the characters, landscape, and mystical elements to construct an engaging storyline. The characters feature powerful personalities, allowing the reader to form an opinion of them. I like Isabella the most. The trials she faced make the reader bond with her misfortune. Overall, it disappointed me when the book ended. I wanted to read more about Isabella and her future. Hopefully, Shaw will delight us with more books in the fantasy genre. The cover of this book drew my attention, and I am glad I read it.

Tiffany Ferrell

King Maurice and Queen Lilac are the rulers of Fleurham, a town located in southern England and within close distance of France. The two have a turbulent but passionate marriage that results in many arguments. Their lives are changed forever when an archer attempts to shoot Lilac with an arrow, only to hit the couple's young daughter Princess Isabella. Maurice goes out in search of the archer that harmed his daughter, only to get lost in the woods and find his way to a strange cottage. An old witch and her granddaughter lure the king into the house and give him enchanted tea that will make him fall in love with the granddaughter, Maggy Mae. The witch ends up dying in a freak accident that rainy night, but she succeeds in keeping the king at the cottage with her granddaughter. Daily he tries to find his way back home but to no avail. It will be ten years before he finds his home and family again, but in that time much has changed.

The Spell by C. V. Shaw is a unique and different kind of story. It has that grim fairy tale feel to it but on a more mature level. The characters were very interesting and fun to read. I especially liked Lilac and Isabella and their rocky relationship as mother and daughter. I was also surprised by some of the outcomes that occurred in the novel which kept me on my toes; something that is good to find in a book. It was quick-paced and straight to the point which captures readers' attention, making them want to read on. Overall, I think C.V. Shaw did an excellent job of telling a new type of fairy tale. I am eager to read more of their work.