Alma Boykin has come out with “Familiar Tales“, a collection of several short stories all set in a world that will be familiar to the reader, but with just a touch of magic thrown in.

Here’s the blurb:

Smiley Lorraine: Wolverine. Rosie Jones: 100-lb. Skunk. Morgana Lorraine: Witch with Editorial Problems.

Welcome to a world where Familiars choose magic workers, and a few others, as their partners. A world of adventure, tax-deductions, bad publisher tricks, and odd veterinary clinics, where wolverines wear glasses and iguanas sing along with the radio—badly—while casting spells and keeping their chosen humans out of mischief.

Or try to.

Several stories revolve around the consequences of bad editing and proofreading on textbooks for young mages, while others deal with the care, feeding, and integration of magical animals, or familiars, in people’s lives. The characters, as much as can be done in such short works, are well developed and immediately recognizable as folks you might run into every day.  Except for the wolverine.  Well, maybe the wolverine, but probably not the skunk.

Boykin brings humor to the table in heaping helpings, but these aren’t ‘funny’ stories.  Her wit is focused and sharp, but not cutting, and it brought just the right spice to her tales.

This was a quick read, taking an hour or so to get through, but I found it immersive and entertaining.  These stories are perfect for a lazy summer afternoon or for a cold night in front of the fireplace. I hope that Familiar Tales leads to more stories, because I’m already curious as to what happens next.