VenCo
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Narrated by:
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Michelle St. John
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Written by:
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Cherie Dimaline
About this listen
From the bestselling author of Empire of Wild, a wickedly subversive, deliciously imaginative, deeply feminist novel of contemporary witches on the rise—a book that only the supremely gifted storyteller Cherie Dimaline could write.
Lucky St. James, orphaned daughter of a bad-ass Métis good-times girl, is barely hanging on to her nowhere life when she finds out that she and her grandmother, Stella, are about to be evicted from their apartment. Bad to worse in a heartbeat. Then one night, doing laundry in the building's dank basement, Lucky feels an irresistible something calling to her. Crawling through a hidden hole in the wall, she finds a tarnished silver spoon depicting a story-book hag over letters that spell out S-A-L-E-M.
Which alerts Salem-born Meena Good, finder of a matching spoon, to Lucky's existence. One of the most powerful witches in North America, Meena has been called to bring together seven special witches and seven special spoons—infused with magic and scattered to the four directions more than a century ago—to form a magic circle that will restore women to their rightful power. Under the wing of the international headhunting firm VenCo, devoted to placing exceptional women in roles where they can influence business, politics and the arts, Meena has spent years searching out witches hiding in plain sight wherever women gather: suburban book clubs, Mommy & Me groups, temp agencies. Lucky and her spoon are number six.
With only one more spoon to find, a very powerful adversary has Meena's coven in his sights—Jay Christos, a roguish and deadly witch-hunter as old as witchcraft itself. As the clock ticks toward a now-or-never deadline, Meena sends Lucky and her grandmother on a dangerous, sometimes hilarious, road trip through the United States in search of the seventh spoon. The trail leads them at last to the darkly magical city of New Orleans, where Lucky's final showdown with Jay Christos will determine whether the coven will be completed, ushering in a new beginning, or whether witches will be forced to remain forever underground.
©2023 Cherie Dimaline (P)2023 Random House CanadaYou may also enjoy...
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1826. The sun is setting on the golden age of piracy, and the legendary Dragon Fleet, the scourge of the South China Sea, is no more. Its ruthless leader, a woman known only as the Head of the Dragon, is now only a story, like the ones Xiang has grown up with all her life. She desperately wants to prove her worth, especially to her mother, a shrewd businesswoman who never seems to have enough time for Xiang.
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What the critics say
“Bring magic back into your life with the compulsively readable VenCo, a thundering, fantastical road trip with the wily Lucky St. James, her unpredictable grandmother, the witches they are trying to unite and the man who wants to end them all.” —Eden Robinson
“Once I opened VenCo, I was propelled through an entire night of charmed reading. Cherie Dimaline creates a world utterly fantastical, yet real. VenCo is funny, tense and cracking with a dark, divine energy.” —Louise Erdrich, New York Times bestselling author of The Sentence
“Crackling with magic, mystery, adventure, and intrigue, VenCo is a captivating tribute to the bonds of families we are born into and the ones that we create, and a delightful testament to the power of all womankind.” —Nikki Erlick, New York Times bestselling author of The Measure
What listeners say about VenCo
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- mavo
- 2024-12-06
Adventure in a Mystical World
Cherie Dimaline is an imaginative writer, who creates worlds within worlds, populating them with visceral characters who grip your heart. Some of her characters are witty and funny and the lovely relationship in this book between the main character and her grandmother warms the reader's heart even as they face danger. I don't want to reveal plot because it is skilfully developed and the reader deserves to meet each event without foreknowledge. The narration is amazing and I highly recommend this book.
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- Laurie McEwen
- 2023-02-23
Sooo good
Excellent writing, I didn’t want the story to stop. The author brought us along with her story.
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- Amazon Customer
- 2024-10-20
Fun & Female Centred
I did really enjoy this book, and it was worth the credit. So many women in this book and you get to explore the backstory to all of them. This was a modern witch story - it would be great if there was a sequel.
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- Emma G.
- 2023-05-25
Could use more witchiness
I enjoyed the story and the witchy road trip, but i needed more witchiness/magic
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1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 2023-02-25
A decent story
The story was enough that it kept my attention, but nothing was particularly clever or magical within it. If the author comes out with a sequel, I’d be interested but would hope for a change in voice actor. I found the breathy dramatics during non-dramatic moments (and the oddest of dramatic pauses mid-sentence) irritating.
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- Karen A Popoff
- 2023-03-20
Not extraordinary.
I really didn’t enjoy the narrator. She is very stilted and sounds like she’s reading rather than delivering a story.
The story was ok but not great. I found it a challenge to finish listening to.
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- Lauren Logan
- 2023-04-14
Beautiful, complex, and captivating
A beautiful take on the story of witches. The narrator seemed a bit dull at first, but it quickly became apparent that this was an intended part of the performance. The more self aware Lucky becomes the more emotional range the narrator provides. The story and narration are intertwined.
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- Krow Fischer
- 2023-06-22
My new favourite book.
Gorgeous writing, beautiful imagery, she brings an inspiring story of womanhood and strength woven in a tapestry of hope. I’ve listened three times so far and loved it just as much each time. This will be a classic. Thank you for writing it.
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- Jamie
- 2023-03-27
Magically Modern
Great, original, creative storytelling. I love how inclusive it is and how it depicts so many interesting characters. A magical mix of modern and traditional witchcraft. Very enjoyable.
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- Shelby
- 2023-04-09
Exactly what I needed
Strong female characters, like women I know in my real life. Quite enjoyed this read and the narrator. Satisfying ending- but I’d LOVE a sequel. Loved the world building.
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