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Mysterious Arts #1
Bound for Perdition
New magic brings new challenges.
Charged with creating a magical journal that would allow rapid communication during the Great War, Lynet has worked with a papermaker to overcome the technical challenges.
But brilliant magical innovation isn't enough. When she returns from a leave after the death of her father, Lynet is told they have to make more journals, cheaper and faster. The last thing she needs is a set of unskilled hands assigned to help her at this impossible task, and she's dubious that a man will be more of a help than a hinderance given her ongoing problems with most of the men of the research department.
Reggie is recently invalided out of the Army but has no relevant skills other than being a magically trained Schola man. When he's assigned to help Lynet, he's not sure how much use he'll be. He’s soon swept up in Lynet’s ambitious project and fascinated by her skills and knowledge.
Together, Reggie and Lynet must figure out how to get the magical materials they need for the project and move forward despite unexpected obstacles. Their mission is quickly complicated by odd goings on with other research in the department, something that might change the War itself!
Bound for Perdition is the first book in the Mysterious Arts series. A cosy historical fantasy romance set in 1917 in the magical city of Albion, Britain’s magical community, it is a great entry to Celia Lake’s Albion books. Bound for Perdition is full of bookbinding, coming to grips with injury, navigating class differences, and making a new future in a rapidly changing world.
Charged with creating a magical journal that would allow rapid communication during the Great War, Lynet has worked with a papermaker to overcome the technical challenges.
But brilliant magical innovation isn't enough. When she returns from a leave after the death of her father, Lynet is told they have to make more journals, cheaper and faster. The last thing she needs is a set of unskilled hands assigned to help her at this impossible task, and she's dubious that a man will be more of a help than a hinderance given her ongoing problems with most of the men of the research department.
Reggie is recently invalided out of the Army but has no relevant skills other than being a magically trained Schola man. When he's assigned to help Lynet, he's not sure how much use he'll be. He’s soon swept up in Lynet’s ambitious project and fascinated by her skills and knowledge.
Together, Reggie and Lynet must figure out how to get the magical materials they need for the project and move forward despite unexpected obstacles. Their mission is quickly complicated by odd goings on with other research in the department, something that might change the War itself!
Bound for Perdition is the first book in the Mysterious Arts series. A cosy historical fantasy romance set in 1917 in the magical city of Albion, Britain’s magical community, it is a great entry to Celia Lake’s Albion books. Bound for Perdition is full of bookbinding, coming to grips with injury, navigating class differences, and making a new future in a rapidly changing world.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 7, 2023
12 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
About the author
Celia Lake
48 books75 followersCelia Lake spends her days as a librarian in the Boston (MA) metro area, and her nights and weekends at home happily writing, reading, and researching.
Born and raised in Massachusetts to British parents, she naturally embraced British spelling, classic mysteries, and the Oxford comma before she learned there were any other options.
Born and raised in Massachusetts to British parents, she naturally embraced British spelling, classic mysteries, and the Oxford comma before she learned there were any other options.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 14, 2024
A lot of great stuff here, but I don’t think I knew just how many books were already in this world and hence how much the magic system just wasn’t explained. It’s a fun world (magic Britain in WWI) and romantic story, but after the set-up so much else was going on that the characters didn’t have much room to grow. I will definitely read more of these, but perhaps in order of writing.
Honestly it was 92% there, but I felt like to be top class it needed an edit. Nothing that impeded plot understanding but the way that information was rolled out was uneven. On page two there’s a mention of Rumplestiltskin and how the protagonist doesn’t have time for princes, or pregnancy. So I thought she was pregnant but like hiding it for a large part of the book. She was not.
Sometimes I had to read back to see who was speaking. Sometimes someone did a bit of magic that I had no context for and couldn’t grasp. I didn’t totally understand what their powers were or how they used them. This will hopefully be one clearer as I read more, because I’m pretty sure the author understands them.
The plot made sense but seemed focused on a sup-part of a bigger question about war projects that is just not answered. I feel like this is part of a world of books more than a standalone.
All in all, I’m glad to find a new series of light magic reads, though. This reads like a three-star review but I really did enjoy it- the tone was good and there was a lot about the nuances of relationship.
Honestly it was 92% there, but I felt like to be top class it needed an edit. Nothing that impeded plot understanding but the way that information was rolled out was uneven. On page two there’s a mention of Rumplestiltskin and how the protagonist doesn’t have time for princes, or pregnancy. So I thought she was pregnant but like hiding it for a large part of the book. She was not.
Sometimes I had to read back to see who was speaking. Sometimes someone did a bit of magic that I had no context for and couldn’t grasp. I didn’t totally understand what their powers were or how they used them. This will hopefully be one clearer as I read more, because I’m pretty sure the author understands them.
The plot made sense but seemed focused on a sup-part of a bigger question about war projects that is just not answered. I feel like this is part of a world of books more than a standalone.
All in all, I’m glad to find a new series of light magic reads, though. This reads like a three-star review but I really did enjoy it- the tone was good and there was a lot about the nuances of relationship.
August 5, 2023
Bound for Perdition is set in 1917 during WWI. Lynet is all for doing her part in the war effort, but she is given a nearly impossible task - to make the magical long distance communication journals faster and at a third of the cost- all while grieving her recently deceased father and managing the sexism and class biases of the other researchers. Reggie, a recently invalided officer is assigned to help her although he’s unfamiliar with either bookbinding or the magic that makes the books work. Together with Ellis, the paper maker, they try to figure out how to get what they need to make the journals, if their work is being sabotaged, and to find out what might really be going on with the other research.
The romance in this is very sweet and I really liked how protective and understanding Reggie is toward Lynet. The author identifies her as autistic in the content notes although she’s not labeled in the book - it’s clear that she’s different and he just wants to figure out what she needs.
October 3, 2024
Bound for Perdition is the first book in a WWI, alternate England, gaslamp fantasy series within the greater Albion world of Celia Lake. Much of this book is about the magical uses of bookbinding and the craft in making journals for communication. There is difficulty and malfeasance afoot in the center where various experiments into magical ways to aid the armies in World War I are underway. It is a smart story with a lot of kindness and reflection, like most of Lake’s books, with a gifted FMC and a MMC who is drawn to her for her talent and wants nothing more than to assist her to succeed. I enjoyed the stories and characters and look forward to the next in the series.
March 24, 2025
thoroughly enjoyed it……but,
Good points…..charming characters, conspiracies, evildoers doing evil deeds, smart and talented…but sadly, unappreciated woman, very few editing issues, no graphic violence, no cliffhanger ending.
Not so good points and the reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 (and spoiler alert)…..not a cozy …..2/3 of the way through the book an unexpected several pages of pretty graphic sex. Fortunately just the one section and easy to skip over.
So, I think this is a good book to curl up in a comfy chair with a big mug of tea and enjoy…..So, I will go on to the next book.
Good points…..charming characters, conspiracies, evildoers doing evil deeds, smart and talented…but sadly, unappreciated woman, very few editing issues, no graphic violence, no cliffhanger ending.
Not so good points and the reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 (and spoiler alert)…..not a cozy …..2/3 of the way through the book an unexpected several pages of pretty graphic sex. Fortunately just the one section and easy to skip over.
So, I think this is a good book to curl up in a comfy chair with a big mug of tea and enjoy…..So, I will go on to the next book.
September 30, 2023
2 magical R & D researchers for Albion's WWI Expeditionary Force suspect their project is being sabotaged. As they investigate, Major Reggie Hollis (invalided from the Army after being wounded in the trenches) & Mistress Lynet (undervalued because a woman who apprenticed under her deceased father) fall in love.
February 17, 2023
Bound For Perdition
Celia Lake does not disappoint her readers. Bound For Perdition ends on a warm high note and leaves the reader feeling that good people get better with age and the right life companions.
Celia Lake does not disappoint her readers. Bound For Perdition ends on a warm high note and leaves the reader feeling that good people get better with age and the right life companions.
April 16, 2023
One of the things I most enjoy about Lake’s Albion series is the variety of characters and ways of life that exist in this magical world. Bookbinding but also characters who value work and steadiness in this outing
January 6, 2024
I love a cozy romance and this one really hit the spot. The story of Lynet a middle class bookbinder and Reggie a posh soldier invalided out from WWI working together to create magic books for the government.
March 6, 2023
Absolutely delightful!
November 23, 2025
I am fascinated with the world Lake has created and the way that magic works.
I have to say, though, of all the powers and abilities she has described, the bookbinding magic that Lynet has mastered is the one that most fascinates me and the one that I would most like to have for myself. As much as I love the other books in this world, this is the one that I love the most!
I have to say, though, of all the powers and abilities she has described, the bookbinding magic that Lynet has mastered is the one that most fascinates me and the one that I would most like to have for myself. As much as I love the other books in this world, this is the one that I love the most!
May 20, 2023
Quiet competence, perseverance, companionship, appreciation. Delightful. Emotionally satisfying. Quiet warm fuzzies… love love love!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews