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VenCo cover art

VenCo

Written by: Cherie Dimaline
Narrated by: Michelle St. John
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Publisher's Summary

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 Canada

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

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Could use more witchiness

I enjoyed the story and the witchy road trip, but i needed more witchiness/magic

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Okay parts were engaging

I was disappointed in some ways. Maybe it was the dry tone of the narrator. It’s no Marrow Thieves but I did like the strong women. I felt some of the connections to the land could have been stronger.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

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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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

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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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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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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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

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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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

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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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

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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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Sooo good

Excellent writing, I didn’t want the story to stop. The author brought us along with her story.

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