The Reading Bud

Book Details:

Author: Darke Conteur
Release Date: January 7, 2025
Series:
Genre: Fantasy
Format: E-book 
Pages: 390 pages
Publisher: –
Blurb:
It’s 1982, and fourteen-year-old Evandra Shade befriends earth-muffin, Skye Daniels. Their friendship is a salvation from the social pressures of high school, especially when damage to the school is dubiously linked back to them and they must repay the school for the damage. A daunting task, until Skye learns Evandra has a secret; her family belongs to a magical society, and the girls quickly concoct a plan that will pay off the debt, and could make them popular.
Skye knows how to make natural hair dye and Eva knows how to infuse creative, mental and physical enhancements into the solution. Want to be more creative? Dye your hair yellow! Want to pass that exam? Blue hair will help you retain all the knowledge you read, and no one suspects there’s real magic behind it, even with a warning that states prolonged exposure to the ‘magical dye’ will have serious consequences. Before long the entire student body is awash in a rainbow of bright colours, but more importantly, success.

Review

What starts as a cheeky, fun idea with two teens creating a magical hair dye to help pay back their school, turns into a surprisingly thoughtful and layered narrative about friendship, responsibility, and the moral grey zones of using magic to “fix” what life throws at you.

Eva and Skye’s characters feel refreshingly real. Their dialogue sparkles with teen wit and weariness, and their bond with a mix of codependency, mischief, and genuine care, grounds the entire story. Eva, born into a magical family, is cautious and self-aware; Skye, her normie best friend, is impulsive and passionate. The magical hair dye they concoct to boost academic performance starts as an innocent hustle but quickly becomes a social phenomenon with unintended consequences.

There’s a lot to love here: the cozy world-building with its spells and Yule flames, the textured family dynamics, the hints of larger magical systems just beneath the surface, and the way the story never forgets it’s about two girls trying to make sense of their power — both magical and personal. The writing is brisk, charming, and unafraid to lean into the awkward and the vulnerable. And the author doesn’t shy away from heavier moments of jealousy and insecurity to the ethical dilemmas of magical capitalism.

What I loved most was the commentary on consent and boundaries. The dye may sparkle and shimmer, but it also influences emotions and behaviors making the line between intention and manipulation razor thin, and the book knows it.

If you enjoy contemporary fantasy that feels nostalgic yet emotionally intelligent, this book hits the mark. Think Sabrina the Teenage Witch meets Nevermoor, with a slice-of-life format that makes space for character growth over spectacle.

It’s a perfect start to what I hope is a long, magical series. Can’t wait for more of Eva & Skye’s adventures.

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