Wickedly Wonderful (Baba Yaga, #2)

by Deborah Blake

Known as the wicked witch of Russian fairy tales, Baba Yaga is not one woman, but rather a title carried by a chosen few. They keep the balance of nature and guard the borders of our world, but don’t make the mistake of crossing one of them…

Though she looks like a typical California surfer girl, Beka Yancy is in fact a powerful yet inexperienced witch who’s struggling with her duties as a Baba Yaga. Luckily she has her faithful dragon-turned-dog for moral support, especially when faced with her biggest job yet…

A mysterious toxin is driving the Selkie and Mer from their homes deep in the trenches of Monterey Bay. To investigate, Beka buys her way onto the boat of Marcus Dermott, a battle-scarred former U.S. Marine, and his ailing fisherman father.

While diving for clues, Beka drives Marcus crazy with her flaky New Age ideas and dazzling blue eyes. She thinks he’s rigid and cranky (and way too attractive). Meanwhile, a charming Selkie prince has plans that include Beka. Only by trusting her powers can Beka save the underwater races, pick the right man, and choose the path she’ll follow for the rest of her life…

• ISBN10: 0425272931
• ISBN13: 9780425272930
• Publish Date: 2 December 2014
• Publish Status: Inactive
• Out of Print: 12 January 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Berkley Publishing Corporation,U.S.
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 352
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780425272930

Reviews

[kimbacaffeinate]

Again, I listened to the audio and loved the narrative voice of Romy Nordlinger. This series is perfect for audio and I listened in a few sittings.

Beka lives in a decked out bus that looks like it is straight from the sixties on the outside and is much more modern inside. She lives with her faith-full dragon disguised as a rather large, scary dog.

When a mer-woman pulls Beka and her surfboard into the deep sea to save her baby from a fishing net, she soon finds herself in trouble with Marcus Dermott, a former U.S. Marine who has returned home to help his ailing father operate his fishing boat. She also discovers that the mer-people have left the safety of their underwater cavern because their old and young are getting sick. Something is poisoning their waters. Beka soon finds herself tasked with saving the Mer-people and tasked with a mission by the Queen of the Otherworld.

The mystery was solid and kept me listening even as I struggled with the romance. I did not care for Dermott. He was cold, bossy and opinionated. Sadly, by the time he came around I was already disconnected. Thankfully, the mastery, villains and action kept me in the game.

Audio provided by publisher. This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer