A hostile town. A mountaintop mission. Will their magic save the day or spoil the pudding? Imogen thought escaping the king’s wrath would give her everything she wanted. But her relationship with Prince Hank is tougher than an overcooked flan and the welcome they get on Badlands Island is far less than friendly. Accused of kidnapping, Imogen proposes they prove their worth by traveling through a … traveling through a deadly forest to retrieve a magical herb at the top of a mountain…
Forced to take her baking skills on the road, Imogen and her friends must navigate monsters, secrets, and a possible traitor. And the little matter of the impending typhoon is seriously compressing their timeline…
With the storm and creatures closing in, can Imogen complete the quest or will her next meal be her last?
Due East, Beasts & Campfire Feasts in the seventh book in the Spells & Caramels series of paranormal cozy mysteries. If you like amateur witch sleuths, unbreakable friendships, and fascinating magical creatures, then you’ll love Erin Johnson’s page-turning adventure.
Buy Due East, Beasts & Campfire Feasts to battle a mountain of monsters today!
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When you find a book series you love, it’s hard not to jump on the opportunity to read the latest release. Author Erin Johnson is a fantastic marketer and has kept me interested with each new launch. Her latest in the Spells & Caramels ‘A Cozy Witch Mystery’ series, is called Due East, Beasts & Campfire Feasts (in keeping with the 3 names in the title). If you’re new to the series, Imogen Banks was a normal everyday American chef until something weird happened and she was transported to a world of magic where she became a royal baker… now she’s solving crimes, battling evil witches and beasts, and trying to figure out just exactly what kind of magic she’s capable of!
Johnson’s imagination is amazing. I’m not a fantasy reader, but I do like stories about magic and witches, so this series ultimately matches well to my reading style and favorite genres. In this new installment, Imogen finally transports through the magic mirror into the Badlands after a particularly horrific fight with the former king who almost killed her boyfriend. She unfortunately finds herself (and all their friends) in a place where another cruel group of people might just want to kill her, too. In time, she proves she’s not one of the evil beasts or royal family who helped unleash them… but wow… it takes a long time to convince them (rightfully so).
I really enjoyed this book. Some of the scenes were elaborate and quite powerful. The recurring characters were fantastic, but I wanted to see more of them. We met a whole new group of island people which were interesting, but they took over much of the book and left me missing some of my faves from prior ones. I’m sure they’ll be back tho, I’m not worried. In this one, after an epic battle, everything calms down, but I can already tell by Johnson’s creativity and brilliance, she’s gearing up for something huge in the next book. I can’t wait to read it.
Spirited away to the Badlands by her brother, along with most of her friends, in order to save their lives, Imogen finds that life in exile isn’t the best. The baker crew find themselves facing storms and monsters, and fighting for their lives. Even worse, Prince Hank and she are having problems. Can they work it out? Will they survive all that they’re facing in this strange and unfriendly environment?
I love this book. No surprise, I love the six that came before it. This is a remarkable series. The author has built a world that’s believable and one that keeps you interested. The writing is spectacular. The characters are ones you might like to have for friends; I know I do.
Hannah Somerville does a fabulous job narrating this book, as she has with the earlier ones in this series. Each character has a distinct voice, and she tells the story so that you feel like you are living it.
I received a code from the author for this book. I thank her for her generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.
This review is for the audio book.
Oh wow. I enjoyed this book so much!!! This book continues from where the last book ended and I would recommend that you listen to that one first, actually I would recommend you start with book one because it is such a great series and each book is somehow better than the last. I love the characters both old ones and new ones, they are so much fun and you end up chuckling because you know what each one is likely to say or do, before it happens, the author writes about them so well they feel like very old colourful friends. This book is like one big adventure, although there is a mystery to solve it is not that obvious, which I really liked because it just unfolded with the story. Off to start the next book in this excellent series.
Imogen and the gang escaped one deadly situation only to land straight in another. The captain of the guards in the strange land that they landed on has gone missing, the same time they appeared. Is this a coincidence? The village elders don’t think so and want to banish them from there town and leave there fate in the hands of the beasts that roam the island and with no magic to help. The only way to prove there innocence is to travel though a storm in a deadly forest and pick a flower that only blooms once a year, proving they come in peace. Accompanied by a select group of guards, Imogen and her friends head out to face the wild beasts of the bad lands. But things are not what they seem, beast traps are empty and there is still the problem of the missing guard.
I liked the narrator and the sound effect were fun. Not sure my dog liked the sudden roar every now and again though.
Imogen and her friends are now Badlands Island. They barely made it here alive after the truth about Hank’s father was revealed in Bijou Mer. But now they need to prove themselves to the people living in the Island and they will show again how important is to work as a team, and they help each other fight monster, discover a traitor and find a los tres man. And they will prove themselves again. The audiobook is awesome. Hannah really makes an amazing job with Erin’s amazing story.
Trapped in the Badlands. No way to get back to the Kingdoms. A hurricane on its way. A quest to complete within 3 days or if the monsters don’t get you, the hurricane probably will. And a boyfriend who nearly died and isn’t speaking to her. Imogen has a lot on her plate in this installment! The action in this book is non-stop. From the time the Royal Bakery crew – and Hank, Francis and Rhonda – land in the Badlands the book takes off and moves you from the little town of Kusuri, into the monster filled island that they call the Badlands. It’s beautiful and lush and filled with monsters who are both terrifying and murderous. There’s death in this book, but it’s more of a sidenote and really it works. I feel like this was a great book to focus on not a murder. So many other things going on for the crew. And they have to go through all this with no magic! Super installment. Off to read the next!
*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
Another incredible installment to this fantastic magical series. We pick up right where the last book ended after they all went through the mirror portal. Hank is unconscious and the rest are quickly taken pretty much prisoners by the surprise inhabitants of the island. What follows is some amazing world building that really brings the story to life as we keep up with everything going on all the way to the end that leaves us wanting the next book now. I personally want to smack Hank for most of the book, but Imogen, and kidnap Iggy for myself. Magic, mystery, and some intriguing romance what more can you want? I loved it so I give it 5/5 stars.
Due East, Beasts, and Campfire Feasts begins exactly where book 6 ended. Imogen, Hank, Iggy, and the rest of the group fled to Badlands Island to escape the king. Hank is severely injured but recovering, albeit slowly and spends much of the beginning of the book unconscious. Before the group is able to collect their thoughts and formulate a plan, they are surrounded by soldiers and accused of dispatching their captain. Dragged into the town of Kursuri to face the council, to prove their worth, they must go on a dangerous trek up a mountain for a medicinal herb needed by the townsfolk. During this time, Hank finally comes to but is so overcome with emotions regarding Imogen, his father, almost dying, and the secrets and lies, Hank gives Imogen the cold shoulder. Hank’s attitude gave this book an entirely different feel than the previous six books. I really didn’t like Hank all that much after he woke up.
I have really enjoyed this series. Seven books in and the author keeps things fresh and interesting. Imogene, Hank, Maple, and Sam, along with all the others, are well developed characters. They aren’t flawless characters but that’s what helps give them, and the story, so much charm. The continued world building describes scenes very well and helps the reader develop deeper connections with the characters.
Imogen’s character is fun and caring with a bit of emotional baggage making her a very realistic, likable, and interesting character. She has embraced the magic she was born into and she’s continually trying to harness and use the magic. She’s tested in that capacity in this book. Imogene and Maple are wonderful and I love their friendship. Iggy the flame is the best! He’s mouthy but Iggy and Imogen have a great relationship. I look forward to more of their antics in the next book.
Due East, Beasts and Campfire Feasts by Erin Johnson is seventh tale in the Spells & Caramels series. Imogen Banks and her friends have been transported via Horace’s mirror portal to the Badlands. After revealing King Roch’s wrongdoings, they barely escaped with their lives. Prince Hank was injured and, thankfully, Horace healed him before departing. The group is now surrounded by soldier’s and accused of orchestrating the disappearance of a Captain Kenta. All of them have been hit with darts that stripped them of their magic, and they are forced to march through a forest full of monsters to Kusuri to go before the council. They must prove their worth by obtaining a much needed herb within three days or they will be banished into the forest (with the monsters). To make matters worse, a typhoon is on the way and Hank is not talking to Imogen. They must navigate an unknown territory full of unusual, deadly creatures without their magic. When things start to go wrong on the journey, it is obvious a traitor is in their midst. Can they complete their quest in time and will they all make it back in one piece?
Due East, Beasts and Campfire Feasts is an entertaining story. I like Erin Johnson’s conversational writing style. The story is well-written with a fast pace. There is plenty of action that will keep you riveted. All our favorite characters are back for another adventure in a new land. Horace has left them (once again) in a sticky situation in a strange land. The Badlands are not quite what our group imagined. Hank is unconscious, and Francis is left in an unusual state without his powers (poor Rhoda must carry him). Erin Johnson has a creative imagination. She has created some unique worlds, magic and unusual creatures (her take on a unicorn had me laughing). While our favorite characters are present, I missed the normal interactions between them (while they are baking, enjoying the sights of a new kingdom). Sam stepped up to the plate in this story and showed his value as a shapeshifter. I appreciate the humor sprinkled throughout the story. I found myself giggling several times (Francis’ predicament for instance). The mystery was interesting and sad (the poor monsters). While identifying the bad guys is a snap, I wanted to keep reading to see what would happen to our bakers next. I am giving Due East, Beats and Campfire Feasts 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). Due East, Beasts and Campfire Feasts is not a standalone book. Each book in this series builds upon the previous one (so read them in order). Due East, Beasts and Campfire Feasts has delightful yet quirky characters, a strange land, magic, scary monsters and a mystery rolled into one engaging story. I cannot wait for the next installment in the Spells and Caramels series.
Another fantastic adventure! These books are so well laid out, I love each one of them more. In this book we get more character development, & over arcing storyline growth plus another mystery for the gang to solve. I am so not Team Hank, honestly I think Imogen should drop him like a bad habit. But for the sake of fairy tale love, I will cut him some slack. :p Can’t wait for the next installment! This is 100% my favorite cozy mystery series ever. It’s a must buy!!