★England, Autumn K. Field Guide for the Formerly Villainous (Deluxe Edition). Poisoned Pen. Jun. 2026. ISBN 9781464243301. pbk. 368p. $18.99. FANTASY

Oaklin Nettlewood used to be an evil cultist, until they were freed from the Enchantrix’s mind control spells. With a guilty conscience and a memory full of holes, they buy a farm in cozy Mossley’s Rest, unaware that the farm requires magic to operate, while they’ve sworn not to use their powers ever again. Between the warm welcome from the villagers and the canny connivance of the ghostly granny who haunts the farm, Oaklin comes to accept the friendship that’s offered and the love that’s waiting, and they learn to forgive themself for the evil they were forced to commit under the villain’s evil sway. England (All Fired Up, writing as M. K. England) adds emotional depth and a sprinkling of sadness to this cozy story, as Oaklin’s past overshadows a bright future that they have to earn inside their soul before they can achieve the happy ending they deserve. VERDICT Recommend England’s wonderfully cozy fantasy to fans of Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz, A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J. Penner, and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett.