Divorced grandmother Claire Emerson is the refreshing chosen one at the helm of the fun Crone Wars series debut from Hawke (the Grigori Legacy series). After receiving a mystical magnifying pendant as a present for her 60th birthday, Claire discovers that she is vitally important to a hidden magical world. She’s pleased with the house set aside for her training; admires Keven, the living gargoyle meant to guide her in the ways of magick; and is even mutually attracted to Lucan, the shape-shifting wolfman who serves as her protector—but she rejects her destiny as Crone, part of a powerful group of witches whose lineage stretches back to Arthurian legend and who use elemental magick to contain centuries-old dark forces. Habitually nonconfrontational, Claire doesn’t want the power or the responsibility. However, as the threats against her and her loved ones escalate, she reluctantly takes up the fight. Claire’s character arc is immensely satisfying, but one gets the sense that the larger series plot is barely underway by the end of the book, making this volume feel frustratingly incomplete. Still, anyone looking for character-driven fantasy or a clever subversion of the “chosen one” trope will find much to love. (Self-published)