The Last Adventure of Constance Verity, Constance Verity Saves The World and Constance Verity Destroys The Universe by A. Lee Martinez

(Jo Fletcher Books, 2022)

Reviewed by Dave M. Roberts

Constance Verity saves the world. A lot. It’s something she’s been doing since she was seven years old, and after twenty-seven years she’s really had enough. This is not unreasonable, as she can barely even go out for a coffee without encountering some evil mastermind wanting to dominate the world or aliens bent on global destruction. Nowadays, she would give almost anything for a normal life and a dull office job. The Last Adventure of Constance Verity describes her efforts to throw off the demands of the universe and become what she perceives as a normal person. Unfortunately, this involves tracking down and killing the fairy godmother who cast a spell on her when she was born making her the carrier of a ‘caretaker’ spell. As could be expected, it was never going to be as simple as that. The nature of the caretaker spell and its purpose provide much of the unstated impetus for the books. As one adventure ends, the controlling power the spell has over Constance and her group of friends is ultimately what is driving the plot. Indeed, the fact it has been removed and part is lodged in one of the other characters becomes key as the trilogy progresses.

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Review from BSFA Review 18 - Download your copy here.