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Magic for Hire #1
Wild Magic
From a Wyoming ranch to a New Jersey bookstore-café, when old-world demons, modern-day mages, and irresistible attraction collide, desire becomes the most powerful and dangerous weapon of all, in this spellbinding new series from the New York Times bestselling author.
There was a time when demons reigned. That was before they were forced to retreat to the shadows. Today, in hidden corners across the globe their evil blood still pools, and the authority of their new rulers—the Vampire Cabal—must never be challenged. Leave it to a Jersey girl to change ancient
history . . .
At sixteen, when Peri Sanguis’s wild magic first appeared, she was forced to flee her Wyoming ranch—and her suddenly murderous family—to save her own life. On the East Coast, tutored by mages who run the Witch’s Brew bookstore-cafe, Peri’s world seems magically tranquil—until her estranged mother and a coven of witches are slaughtered. Now, to solve the violent mysteries of her past, she must put her trust, body and soul, in a sensual immortal who is every woman’s darkest fantasy . . .
The golden-eyed vampire, Valen, has never wanted more than to claim an untamed female like Peri. Lured into each other’s orbit, and working together against a resurrected evil brings them intimately closer—to danger, blood betrayals, all-consuming passion, and to sacrifices that must be made to save themselves and the world . . .
There was a time when demons reigned. That was before they were forced to retreat to the shadows. Today, in hidden corners across the globe their evil blood still pools, and the authority of their new rulers—the Vampire Cabal—must never be challenged. Leave it to a Jersey girl to change ancient
history . . .
At sixteen, when Peri Sanguis’s wild magic first appeared, she was forced to flee her Wyoming ranch—and her suddenly murderous family—to save her own life. On the East Coast, tutored by mages who run the Witch’s Brew bookstore-cafe, Peri’s world seems magically tranquil—until her estranged mother and a coven of witches are slaughtered. Now, to solve the violent mysteries of her past, she must put her trust, body and soul, in a sensual immortal who is every woman’s darkest fantasy . . .
The golden-eyed vampire, Valen, has never wanted more than to claim an untamed female like Peri. Lured into each other’s orbit, and working together against a resurrected evil brings them intimately closer—to danger, blood betrayals, all-consuming passion, and to sacrifices that must be made to save themselves and the world . . .
254 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 2, 2024
517 people are currently reading
7245 people want to read
About the author
Alexandra Ivy
141 books5,179 followersI'm not exactly sure when I fell in love with books. Probably on my mother's knee listening to her read Dr. Seuss to me. I do remember that I was barely old enough to cross the street by myself when I discovered the delights of the local library. Could anything be more wonderful than spending summer days surrounded by stacks of Nancy Drew mysteries? Over the years I fell in love with Victoria Holt, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, and J.R.R. Tolkien just to name a few. I read poetry, essays, biographies, and plays. In fact, I read anything I could get my hands on.
Years later (no, I'm not admitting how many) I'm still an avid reader, and my tastes are still as varied as they were in my youth, which I suppose helps to explain why I enjoy writing regency historicals under the name of Deborah Raleigh, as well as my contemporary paranormals as Alexandra Ivy. For now that is enough to keep me busy, but who knows what the future might hold!
I do have a few other loves in my life besides reading and writing, the most important being my unbelievably patient husband, David, and my two sons, Chance and Alexander. Without their constant support and belief in me, I never could have been able to follow my dreams. They are truly my heroes.
--From authors website--
Years later (no, I'm not admitting how many) I'm still an avid reader, and my tastes are still as varied as they were in my youth, which I suppose helps to explain why I enjoy writing regency historicals under the name of Deborah Raleigh, as well as my contemporary paranormals as Alexandra Ivy. For now that is enough to keep me busy, but who knows what the future might hold!
I do have a few other loves in my life besides reading and writing, the most important being my unbelievably patient husband, David, and my two sons, Chance and Alexander. Without their constant support and belief in me, I never could have been able to follow my dreams. They are truly my heroes.
--From authors website--
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 217 reviews
December 17, 2023
What a fascinating introduction to Peri Sanguis in chapter one!
Wild Magic
by Alexandra Ivy is an urban fantasy, a mystery, and a paranormal romance combined in one entrancing novel. In a world of mages, witches, vampires, and more, Peri is a strong mage. At sixteen she was forced to flee her home to save her own life. Eventually she found a family with Maya and Skye who tutor her and together they run the Witch’s Brew bookstore and café. When her mother and her coven in slaughtered, she must travel back to Wyoming to solve their deaths. A member of the Vampire Cabal, Valen, goes as well and they work together to solve the mystery.
Both Peri and Valen are well-defined characters with depth. Peri is independent, intelligent, stubborn, opinionated, impulsive and uses mockery as a weapon. Valen is protective, wealthy, powerful, independent, arrogant, and bossy. However, he is also generous and has a hidden sense of humor.
Death, suspense, action, and drama immediately pull readers into the story, which is well-written. The plot is twisty and flows well. There is the right amount of mystery, romance and creative twists to the paranormal to keep readers engrossed and wondering what was going to happen next. My biggest quibble is that I wanted to know more about the Gyre. I felt the worldbuilding concerning it was insufficient.
Overall, this novel was a fast-paced and entertaining tale with great characterization that kept me engaged throughout the story. This is the first book in the Magic for Hire series. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
Kensington Boks, Lyrical Press and Alexandra Ivy provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for January 02, 2024.
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My 4.07 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
Both Peri and Valen are well-defined characters with depth. Peri is independent, intelligent, stubborn, opinionated, impulsive and uses mockery as a weapon. Valen is protective, wealthy, powerful, independent, arrogant, and bossy. However, he is also generous and has a hidden sense of humor.
Death, suspense, action, and drama immediately pull readers into the story, which is well-written. The plot is twisty and flows well. There is the right amount of mystery, romance and creative twists to the paranormal to keep readers engrossed and wondering what was going to happen next. My biggest quibble is that I wanted to know more about the Gyre. I felt the worldbuilding concerning it was insufficient.
Overall, this novel was a fast-paced and entertaining tale with great characterization that kept me engaged throughout the story. This is the first book in the Magic for Hire series. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
Kensington Boks, Lyrical Press and Alexandra Ivy provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for January 02, 2024.
--------------------------------------
My 4.07 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
January 2, 2024
Wild Magic by Alexandra Ivy
Paranormal vampire mage romance. Slow burn.
At sixteen, Peri Sanguis was forced to flee Wyoming when her mother and her coven tried to kill Peri because of her wild magic. Now the entire coven is dead and Peri must return to the ranch to find answers of who could have killed the twelve women. Cabel Vampire leader Valen won’t let Peri investigate on her own. Anything so evil that could kill a coven that easily should not be faced alone.
🎧 I alternated between an ebook and an audiobook. For some reason, the best option for me was the two together for this story for the first couple of chapters. World building and character cementing.
The audiobook is narrated by Elizabeth Russell who does a great job distinguishing between Peri and Valen. One character (Stella) has an intense accent and it was quite different from the main characters. There was an impressive conversation between Stella and Peri that had to be difficult to perform but came through very cleanly and clearly. This is one of the best things about listening to an audiobook over reading. Accent variations and emotional portrayal.
Vampire Valen hasn’t had a relationship in 2000 years but he can’t resist Peri. And he will do anything for her. Including putting his own life in danger. Swooning. He doesn’t notice or care about all the other women throwing themselves at him. He has eyes only for her now.
Peri is quite independent because she’s had to be. She has made family with Maya and Skye at the bakery where she works. She’s not alone, but she does know there is something different about herself and her magic. She is drawn to Valen but doesn’t want to be like every other female panting after him. There’s more than a spark in her heart when he’s near.
There’s lots more than romance here and in fact that’s probably less than 10% of the story, but it does factor into some important moments.
My biggest impression is that this is just the beginning and that there is a lot more world building to come. That is a bit of an educated guess based on advertising. And I’m intrigued to see where it could go and how the world will expand. And how the wild magic will expand.
🎧📖 reading vs. audiobook: generally I like both equally for different reasons. I’m busy and an audiobook will fit into my schedule easier. In this case, I felt the world building and the inflection of Valen’s personality was better through reading. For me, it’s a visual experience and while I was reading and listening together, I preferred my inflections of his voice, over how some of it was done in the audio. But as I said above, the audiobook for accents was phenomenal and I would have totally missed that had I only had the ebook at the point.
Go with your preferred in this case.
I will definitely continue the series if it should turn into one.
The writing is compelling storytelling and I was hooked into to magic world immediately.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and the publisher RB Media.
Paranormal vampire mage romance. Slow burn.
At sixteen, Peri Sanguis was forced to flee Wyoming when her mother and her coven tried to kill Peri because of her wild magic. Now the entire coven is dead and Peri must return to the ranch to find answers of who could have killed the twelve women. Cabel Vampire leader Valen won’t let Peri investigate on her own. Anything so evil that could kill a coven that easily should not be faced alone.
🎧 I alternated between an ebook and an audiobook. For some reason, the best option for me was the two together for this story for the first couple of chapters. World building and character cementing.
The audiobook is narrated by Elizabeth Russell who does a great job distinguishing between Peri and Valen. One character (Stella) has an intense accent and it was quite different from the main characters. There was an impressive conversation between Stella and Peri that had to be difficult to perform but came through very cleanly and clearly. This is one of the best things about listening to an audiobook over reading. Accent variations and emotional portrayal.
Vampire Valen hasn’t had a relationship in 2000 years but he can’t resist Peri. And he will do anything for her. Including putting his own life in danger. Swooning. He doesn’t notice or care about all the other women throwing themselves at him. He has eyes only for her now.
Peri is quite independent because she’s had to be. She has made family with Maya and Skye at the bakery where she works. She’s not alone, but she does know there is something different about herself and her magic. She is drawn to Valen but doesn’t want to be like every other female panting after him. There’s more than a spark in her heart when he’s near.
There’s lots more than romance here and in fact that’s probably less than 10% of the story, but it does factor into some important moments.
My biggest impression is that this is just the beginning and that there is a lot more world building to come. That is a bit of an educated guess based on advertising. And I’m intrigued to see where it could go and how the world will expand. And how the wild magic will expand.
🎧📖 reading vs. audiobook: generally I like both equally for different reasons. I’m busy and an audiobook will fit into my schedule easier. In this case, I felt the world building and the inflection of Valen’s personality was better through reading. For me, it’s a visual experience and while I was reading and listening together, I preferred my inflections of his voice, over how some of it was done in the audio. But as I said above, the audiobook for accents was phenomenal and I would have totally missed that had I only had the ebook at the point.
Go with your preferred in this case.
I will definitely continue the series if it should turn into one.
The writing is compelling storytelling and I was hooked into to magic world immediately.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and the publisher RB Media.
July 9, 2024
Wild Magic started off with a bang. There’s a great opening scene at a nightclub filled with magical creatures and humans who don’t realize they are among vampires, demons, fairies, witches and mages - right in midtown Manhattan! Unfortunately, for me, the rest of the book didn’t live up to its exciting start.
Peri is a mage, apparently a very powerful one although at the beginning of the book she hasn’t realized it quite yet. Valen, is a vampire who “rules” the NYC area and is filthy rich. Peri works in a coffee shop/bookstore in Linden, New Jersey, which I thought was a fun touch. Maya and Skye are her two partners in the Witches’ Brew. Both Peri and Valen are incredibly gorgeous - I know this because the author repeats this endlessly throughout the book. It had me rolling my eyes. Valen is about 2,000 years old but has never felt about anyone the way he suddenly feels about Peri. Really? Not in 2,000 years?
The story itself was pretty interesting and involved a Wyoming ranch where Peri’s mother, a witch who wanted to steal Peri’s magical talents, has died - along with her whole coven. It’s a mystery as to what happened.
There’s an evil “miasma” that is spreading and Peri and Valen are trying to corral and eliminate it.
I would have liked to see more of the “magic for hire” that this series is named for. The opening sequence was pretty much all we got.
A second book in the series is due out shortly, so I’m glad I finally got a chance to read this one. The next book is about Skye. I probably won’t be picking it up, but others, I’m sure, will really enjoy this urban fantasy series. It just wasn’t for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lyrical Press for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Peri is a mage, apparently a very powerful one although at the beginning of the book she hasn’t realized it quite yet. Valen, is a vampire who “rules” the NYC area and is filthy rich. Peri works in a coffee shop/bookstore in Linden, New Jersey, which I thought was a fun touch. Maya and Skye are her two partners in the Witches’ Brew. Both Peri and Valen are incredibly gorgeous - I know this because the author repeats this endlessly throughout the book. It had me rolling my eyes. Valen is about 2,000 years old but has never felt about anyone the way he suddenly feels about Peri. Really? Not in 2,000 years?
The story itself was pretty interesting and involved a Wyoming ranch where Peri’s mother, a witch who wanted to steal Peri’s magical talents, has died - along with her whole coven. It’s a mystery as to what happened.
There’s an evil “miasma” that is spreading and Peri and Valen are trying to corral and eliminate it.
I would have liked to see more of the “magic for hire” that this series is named for. The opening sequence was pretty much all we got.
A second book in the series is due out shortly, so I’m glad I finally got a chance to read this one. The next book is about Skye. I probably won’t be picking it up, but others, I’m sure, will really enjoy this urban fantasy series. It just wasn’t for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lyrical Press for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
January 5, 2024
3.75 stars, 1.5 spice
Wild Magic by Alexandra Ivy is an urban paranormal romance novel that clocks in at around ~330 pages on my phone screen. I have to admit I am kind of unsure if this is supposed to be a standalone or the first in an either connected or interconnected series, but if I had to guess, with the side characters introduced and some lingering threads open, this is just the start of a new world. I hope it is!
There were things I liked and appreciated about this book on the whole, but when you get into some of the nitty gritty, I do have some thoughts; and you know what they say, the devil is in the details.
I know worldbuilding, particularly in fantasy, paranormal, and scifi genres are a massive undertaking that requires a deft hand to be done well, to be done so flawlessly you don’t even realize you’re being introduced to a whole new world until you already pretty much understand it.
There were slight blips of that here in Wild Magic, like a newly turned vampire trying to crawl its way out of its own grave. I saw the fingertips multiple times, but somehow the body never seemed to quite emerge. There was great potential in some of the worldbuilding I did see, and with a bit more nuance, hopefully in a second book, we can get a deeper exploration of the setting of the story, as well as all its intricacies. There were a few different setting changes in this book, New Jersey, NOLA, castles, coffee houses, but the words on the page didn’t make them feel any different to each other. I would love more detail and more nuance.
The plot as a whole was well done and made sense, however, some of the character actions that led to the plot moving forward grinded on my gears a bit. In particular, the FMC, Peri, was pretty cool overall, but I hated her tendencies to go headlong into traps knowing they were traps but having no secret plan, or even a plan at all, in her pocket. We love a badass, but we also love a clever, cunning, and prepared badass. I would’ve loved to have seen Peri go into these situations with more planning involved, so her escapes and triumphs would feel more organic and earned to the plot.
I love our MMC, the vampire Valen, as a character probably the most. He wore his emotions on his sleeve and was very sweet, while still having alpha tendencies, but I did feel that sometimes Valen’s feelings for Peri overshadowed her own for him, and Peri’s feelings only fully switched when it was relevant to the plot. If we see their relationship again in future books, I would love to be a more balanced portrayal of love between the pair.
This is me being picky, but Wild Magic would’ve worked SO much better if this was truly a Book 1 of a connected series, where the main couple and the main plot weren’t resolved at the end of Book 1 and continued to build tension and angst and feelings through the course of a series. While this does feel like a beginning to a world, it also kind of felt like the end of Peri and Valen’s main story. But we’ll see where this goes, I hope to be pleasantly surprised!
Overall, the writing was digestible and engaging, and I had a lot of fun reading it, particularly during the interactions between the main couple, Peri and Valen. There’s a lot of potential for things to come, and with some additional nuance to the worldbuilding and fleshing out the characters and their relationships, I think this could really turn into something special.
Thanks NetGalley for the arc, as always!
Wild Magic by Alexandra Ivy is an urban paranormal romance novel that clocks in at around ~330 pages on my phone screen. I have to admit I am kind of unsure if this is supposed to be a standalone or the first in an either connected or interconnected series, but if I had to guess, with the side characters introduced and some lingering threads open, this is just the start of a new world. I hope it is!
There were things I liked and appreciated about this book on the whole, but when you get into some of the nitty gritty, I do have some thoughts; and you know what they say, the devil is in the details.
I know worldbuilding, particularly in fantasy, paranormal, and scifi genres are a massive undertaking that requires a deft hand to be done well, to be done so flawlessly you don’t even realize you’re being introduced to a whole new world until you already pretty much understand it.
There were slight blips of that here in Wild Magic, like a newly turned vampire trying to crawl its way out of its own grave. I saw the fingertips multiple times, but somehow the body never seemed to quite emerge. There was great potential in some of the worldbuilding I did see, and with a bit more nuance, hopefully in a second book, we can get a deeper exploration of the setting of the story, as well as all its intricacies. There were a few different setting changes in this book, New Jersey, NOLA, castles, coffee houses, but the words on the page didn’t make them feel any different to each other. I would love more detail and more nuance.
The plot as a whole was well done and made sense, however, some of the character actions that led to the plot moving forward grinded on my gears a bit. In particular, the FMC, Peri, was pretty cool overall, but I hated her tendencies to go headlong into traps knowing they were traps but having no secret plan, or even a plan at all, in her pocket. We love a badass, but we also love a clever, cunning, and prepared badass. I would’ve loved to have seen Peri go into these situations with more planning involved, so her escapes and triumphs would feel more organic and earned to the plot.
I love our MMC, the vampire Valen, as a character probably the most. He wore his emotions on his sleeve and was very sweet, while still having alpha tendencies, but I did feel that sometimes Valen’s feelings for Peri overshadowed her own for him, and Peri’s feelings only fully switched when it was relevant to the plot. If we see their relationship again in future books, I would love to be a more balanced portrayal of love between the pair.
This is me being picky, but Wild Magic would’ve worked SO much better if this was truly a Book 1 of a connected series, where the main couple and the main plot weren’t resolved at the end of Book 1 and continued to build tension and angst and feelings through the course of a series. While this does feel like a beginning to a world, it also kind of felt like the end of Peri and Valen’s main story. But we’ll see where this goes, I hope to be pleasantly surprised!
Overall, the writing was digestible and engaging, and I had a lot of fun reading it, particularly during the interactions between the main couple, Peri and Valen. There’s a lot of potential for things to come, and with some additional nuance to the worldbuilding and fleshing out the characters and their relationships, I think this could really turn into something special.
Thanks NetGalley for the arc, as always!
October 26, 2023
Paranormal Romance
Mages, Demons & Vampires
Slow Burn
Fast Paced
Murder Mystery
Peri Sanguis has never been happier. Her new found family and job are all she needs in this world, until her world gets turned upside down upon the death of her estranged mother.
When Peri was 16, she had to flee her Wyoming home after her mother’s failed attempt to murder her in order to extract her powerful wild magic for herself.
Valen, a sexy ruler of the Vampire Cabal, teams up with Peri, the woman of his dreams to help solve the mystery of the evil Miasma (magical red mist) that has been responsible for the death of her mother and the entire coven.
This book is fast paced and highly entertaining. The romance is very slow though but still quite enjoyable. The banter is very cute and I love the way Peri puts the mighty Vampire in his place. I loved all the characters, I would have liked to learn a little more about Skye and Maya and wished they were a little more involved. I hope to read more about them in the next book.
It was a fun, quick read so thumbs up.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.
A huge thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for this e-arc.
Mages, Demons & Vampires
Slow Burn
Fast Paced
Murder Mystery
Peri Sanguis has never been happier. Her new found family and job are all she needs in this world, until her world gets turned upside down upon the death of her estranged mother.
When Peri was 16, she had to flee her Wyoming home after her mother’s failed attempt to murder her in order to extract her powerful wild magic for herself.
Valen, a sexy ruler of the Vampire Cabal, teams up with Peri, the woman of his dreams to help solve the mystery of the evil Miasma (magical red mist) that has been responsible for the death of her mother and the entire coven.
This book is fast paced and highly entertaining. The romance is very slow though but still quite enjoyable. The banter is very cute and I love the way Peri puts the mighty Vampire in his place. I loved all the characters, I would have liked to learn a little more about Skye and Maya and wished they were a little more involved. I hope to read more about them in the next book.
It was a fun, quick read so thumbs up.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.
A huge thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for this e-arc.
June 17, 2024
2.5 Stars
I picked up the book when I read the description for an upcoming "Magic for Hire" books available as an ARC. It's been years since I read Alexandra Ivy's books and it did not go well, so I took a chance and tried "Wild Magic." It started as such a promising urban fantasy! The world-building was interesting. There are witches, mages, demons, fae, and vampires with a new twist. I assumed as the main character, Peri Sanguis, was going to have, at least, a three story arc. The plot promised an engaging urban fantasy-style mystery with a possible slow-burn romance. Then, "Wild Magic" became a rushed paranormal romance and the conflicts wrap up in an unsatisfying way. The next two books are about Peri's two friends. This book has an identify crisis and a lack of investment in its characters and the development of their story arc.
library eloan
I picked up the book when I read the description for an upcoming "Magic for Hire" books available as an ARC. It's been years since I read Alexandra Ivy's books and it did not go well, so I took a chance and tried "Wild Magic." It started as such a promising urban fantasy! The world-building was interesting. There are witches, mages, demons, fae, and vampires with a new twist. I assumed as the main character, Peri Sanguis, was going to have, at least, a three story arc. The plot promised an engaging urban fantasy-style mystery with a possible slow-burn romance. Then, "Wild Magic" became a rushed paranormal romance and the conflicts wrap up in an unsatisfying way. The next two books are about Peri's two friends. This book has an identify crisis and a lack of investment in its characters and the development of their story arc.
library eloan
April 23, 2024
given my expectations for a fantasy standalone, it was a huge let down but I'll try to be really unbiased from now on. They say "don't judge a book by its cover" but i don't think they realise how cute, fun and sexy glitters are. so I fell for them and guess that was a mistake lol.
Wild Magic is murder mystery fantasy with demons and vampires and mages and witches (yes they're different apparently). Ivy had a different take on all that's supernatural and that was kinda interesting I guess. Anyways the book was fast paced. a little too fast if you ask me. the plot felt like it was all over the place with no time to gather it. We didn't see the relationship development between the characters. The stakes didn't seem as high as they were being said to be. The antagonist seemed more like a disney villian than actually someone who had the power to destroy the world. Also throughout the entire book there are some things that I tried to overlook but I just couldn't even though they might seem trivial. one of them being, Valen, the vampire MC is as old as time itself, even klaus didn't stand a chance. I mean the guy's 2000 years old and yet in his entire existence he hadn't met anyone who "challenged and disobeyed him" until her. Like that's so ridiculous yikes. They didn't even really like each other beyond the physical attraction, but three days is all it took them to fall for each other body mind and soul. Like they had nine years prior to the events in the book but they never acted upon the attraction and yet 3 days is all it took them to decide thats it time to move in together.
All in all this book lacked maturity that should've been present in an adult fantasy and mystery but it was a quick read so thats it.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND THE PUBLISHERS FOR THE E-ARC.
Wild Magic is murder mystery fantasy with demons and vampires and mages and witches (yes they're different apparently). Ivy had a different take on all that's supernatural and that was kinda interesting I guess. Anyways the book was fast paced. a little too fast if you ask me. the plot felt like it was all over the place with no time to gather it. We didn't see the relationship development between the characters. The stakes didn't seem as high as they were being said to be. The antagonist seemed more like a disney villian than actually someone who had the power to destroy the world. Also throughout the entire book there are some things that I tried to overlook but I just couldn't even though they might seem trivial. one of them being, Valen, the vampire MC is as old as time itself, even klaus didn't stand a chance. I mean the guy's 2000 years old and yet in his entire existence he hadn't met anyone who "challenged and disobeyed him" until her. Like that's so ridiculous yikes. They didn't even really like each other beyond the physical attraction, but three days is all it took them to fall for each other body mind and soul. Like they had nine years prior to the events in the book but they never acted upon the attraction and yet 3 days is all it took them to decide thats it time to move in together.
All in all this book lacked maturity that should've been present in an adult fantasy and mystery but it was a quick read so thats it.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND THE PUBLISHERS FOR THE E-ARC.
December 20, 2024
The beginning of this book was phenomenal. It started with a bang! Buuuut, I don't know, I don't think this series is as engaging as her Gardian of Eternity series. It was nice enough, but I didn't love anyone in particular.
3.5 stars.
3.5 stars.
December 9, 2023
4.5 stars. Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the ARC of this book. I enjoyed it. It was a quick read for me and fast paced, no lulls which was nice, and that slow burn of romance/spice was a nice little topper at the end. This book has mages, Vampires, daemons, other magical things and a little murder mystery in there too. Just a dash of spice. The characters were all wet developed and enjoyed the storyline as well. Look forward to the next book. Definitely recommend this book if you enjoy a little magic, fantasy and sexy Vampires.
November 21, 2023
I was lucky enough to get this ARC and am so glad I did. This short mysterious, magical, slow burn romance really hit the spot for me. It took me right out of a reading slump. A must read!
November 23, 2023
I just finished this book, and I’m so upset! Why, you ask. Well, with the way it ended, I want the next one now! Anyway, I have been reading this author for over 15 years (I checked), and I hadn’t read one in a while, and I’m so glad I’m back. This is a series opener and while there were a few things that weren’t perfect, especially the beginning of the book where I was a little confused at first, I really enjoyed the last two thirds and was more than able to look past that. I love how this author writes, and I quite enjoyed the characters in this book. I’m hoping that several of the characters get their own series, but I would just take the next book for now. Looking forward to lots more in this universe. Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
October 26, 2024
A sassy mage has built a new life for herself with her found family of mages in New Jersey when a dark event in Wyoming brings her past full circle and she must partner with the annoying regional vampire ruler to stop an ancient evil.
Alexandra Ivy’s Guardians of Eternity series were some of my first binge-worthy paranormal romances, but it has been awhile since I picked up one of her books. I was glad to win a copy of Wild Magic, a first in a new paranormal romance series that introduced me to an all new exciting magical world. Wild Magic reminded me what I enjoyed most about Alexandra Ivy’s books with the action-packed, sensual plots and fun characters with their snappy dialogues. I was vested in the story from the opening lines and read swiftly through to the exciting end.
In the Magic for Hire paranormal romance world, humans are unaware of the paranormals living among them. The paranormals made up of a ruling group of some fifty vampires placed in authority by the ancients before they retreated from this world to another plane then the fae, demons, mages, and witches fill in the rest of the races. Mages are born of witches and hunted to death by them. So, the mages tend to be a small group and have to be strong and cunning to survive.
Peri Sanguis is a mage who survived her mother’s abuse and the whole coven’s attempt to kill her and has found allies and acceptance with two other mages. They are fortunate unlike most other paranormals in that they have a mysterious, secret benefactor who makes it possible for them to live near a vampire-ruled region without having to give allegiance to Valen the ruler. The nearness to Valen chafes at Peri for some reason that she refuses to acknowledge as she goes about doing magic jobs for the local demon and fae population. Valen makes no bones about his interest in the feisty, independent Peri. He is eager for the chance when she needs a partner in checking out the situation out west and getting to the bottom of things.
I had a good time with Wild Magic and will definitely be moving onto the next story featuring one of Peri’s sister mages and another vampire ruler. Those who love paranormal romance with all your favorite paranormal races should definitely give this series a try.
My full review will post at Caffeinated Reviewer 10.23.24.
Alexandra Ivy’s Guardians of Eternity series were some of my first binge-worthy paranormal romances, but it has been awhile since I picked up one of her books. I was glad to win a copy of Wild Magic, a first in a new paranormal romance series that introduced me to an all new exciting magical world. Wild Magic reminded me what I enjoyed most about Alexandra Ivy’s books with the action-packed, sensual plots and fun characters with their snappy dialogues. I was vested in the story from the opening lines and read swiftly through to the exciting end.
In the Magic for Hire paranormal romance world, humans are unaware of the paranormals living among them. The paranormals made up of a ruling group of some fifty vampires placed in authority by the ancients before they retreated from this world to another plane then the fae, demons, mages, and witches fill in the rest of the races. Mages are born of witches and hunted to death by them. So, the mages tend to be a small group and have to be strong and cunning to survive.
Peri Sanguis is a mage who survived her mother’s abuse and the whole coven’s attempt to kill her and has found allies and acceptance with two other mages. They are fortunate unlike most other paranormals in that they have a mysterious, secret benefactor who makes it possible for them to live near a vampire-ruled region without having to give allegiance to Valen the ruler. The nearness to Valen chafes at Peri for some reason that she refuses to acknowledge as she goes about doing magic jobs for the local demon and fae population. Valen makes no bones about his interest in the feisty, independent Peri. He is eager for the chance when she needs a partner in checking out the situation out west and getting to the bottom of things.
I had a good time with Wild Magic and will definitely be moving onto the next story featuring one of Peri’s sister mages and another vampire ruler. Those who love paranormal romance with all your favorite paranormal races should definitely give this series a try.
My full review will post at Caffeinated Reviewer 10.23.24.
November 12, 2023
Discover a world of Magic🪄
Wild Magic is the beginning of what I’m hoping will be a new multi book series by this author❣️I was completely absorbed and captured in this world from the first chapter and honestly did not want to stop reading. Peri is a unique mage who came into her powers early after experiencing something no child should. Now, she earns a living casting curses on deserving supernaturals. When she receives word about her mother’s deceased coven, she makes the trip to find out what happened., however, she doesn’t account for the vampire that rules their Gyre to follow her and offer help😳
Fantastic and enthralling storytelling and I’m hoping we learn more about Peri’s family…Maya and Skye and the mysterious Joe🙂 I received an advanced copy via Netgalley and voluntarily leave my honest review❤️
Wild Magic is the beginning of what I’m hoping will be a new multi book series by this author❣️I was completely absorbed and captured in this world from the first chapter and honestly did not want to stop reading. Peri is a unique mage who came into her powers early after experiencing something no child should. Now, she earns a living casting curses on deserving supernaturals. When she receives word about her mother’s deceased coven, she makes the trip to find out what happened., however, she doesn’t account for the vampire that rules their Gyre to follow her and offer help😳
Fantastic and enthralling storytelling and I’m hoping we learn more about Peri’s family…Maya and Skye and the mysterious Joe🙂 I received an advanced copy via Netgalley and voluntarily leave my honest review❤️
November 5, 2023
4⭐️ this was wildly entertaining.
Murder mystery/paranormal slow burn romance. Had so much fun reading this. The writing styler and the different POVs, included the bad guys, reminded me a little of JR Ward and the Black Dagger Brotherhood which I kind of liked. The details isn’t this world and magic system was slightly different than any paranormal romance I had read before and I appreciated that as all.
This felt a little too fast though. Some details were skimmed over and I think we could have had so much more fun with this if maybe it was longer and maybe split between 2 books. Valen and Peri’s connection could have been explained in more detail and the push and pull between them could have had all of the fun tension that this romance was missing.
I understand the need to create flexibility and an opening for more in the story for the rest of the series in the future. This was still super fund and to read and I think I’d like to see where this story goes ☺️.
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Murder mystery/paranormal slow burn romance. Had so much fun reading this. The writing styler and the different POVs, included the bad guys, reminded me a little of JR Ward and the Black Dagger Brotherhood which I kind of liked. The details isn’t this world and magic system was slightly different than any paranormal romance I had read before and I appreciated that as all.
This felt a little too fast though. Some details were skimmed over and I think we could have had so much more fun with this if maybe it was longer and maybe split between 2 books. Valen and Peri’s connection could have been explained in more detail and the push and pull between them could have had all of the fun tension that this romance was missing.
I understand the need to create flexibility and an opening for more in the story for the rest of the series in the future. This was still super fund and to read and I think I’d like to see where this story goes ☺️.
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review!
February 4, 2024
DNF 51%
I don’t understand how this has such high reviews. It is not good. The plot was enjoyable enough, but the two main characters- yikes. Well, that’s not fair to Peri. She was alright. Valen is a total bore though. There was also something off about the writing. The inner monologues were awful.
I don’t understand how this has such high reviews. It is not good. The plot was enjoyable enough, but the two main characters- yikes. Well, that’s not fair to Peri. She was alright. Valen is a total bore though. There was also something off about the writing. The inner monologues were awful.
December 23, 2023
Wild Magic- Bk #1 Magic for Hire
By: Alexandra Ivy- I like her Guardians of Eternity series
Setting: Wyoming, NJ, and NY
Published 1/2/24, read 12/22/23
✔️ Paranormal Romance
✔️ Fae, Demons, Mages, Witches, Vampires
✔️ Enemies to lovers
✔️ Found family
✔️ Adult Fiction
✔️ Sci Fi/Fantasy
✔️Murder mystery
This is the story of Peri Sanguis who was raised by her mother and her witch coven. At sixteen, Peri manifests wild magic. Her mother Brenda Sanguis is envious of her daughter's magic and wants it for herself. Sensing the threat she would become, her mother stabs her in the heart. She escapes to the Witch's Brew bookstore/cafe, and meet Skye and Maya who help and train her. Valen is a two thousand year old vampire and one of The Vampire Cabal-the most powerful who rule the Gyre(source of magic). He wants to claim Peri as his mate, but she can't stand him. He is protective and shows up for Peri when she's in danger. When Brenda and twelve witches in her coven are murdered, Peri wants to know what happened and who did it. Together she and Valen investigate and fight their attraction to each other.
The world building is filled with supernatural creatures. The vampires in The Cabal rule over all but Peri and her friends enjoy their independence and will never "bend the knee" while under the protection of The Benefactor. They don't know who this is, but from time to time they are assigned tasks to complete. The Benefactor reminds me of Charlie from Charlie's Angels.
The characters- Peri is a strong, independent mage that follows her own mind regardless of danger. I love how she challenges Valen even though he could kill her in an instant. Valen is patient and protective because he knows she is stubborn, so he takes his time. Maya and Skye are Peri's found family and are protective of her even when she's reckless. I feel like they have secrets and their own stories to tell. The mysterious "Joe" comes around the bookstore and they have no idea why. They know nothing about him but he gives them cryptic warnings. I even like Tia, a mage who hates vampires and wants Peri's wild magic.
My Thoughts-I loved Valen and Peri's power struggle. Working together on the murder case helped them get to know each other. It's slow burn with a bit of action, mystery, and fantasy that PNR readers will like.
Rating: 4/5 ✨
Spice: 4/5 🌶️they have 1 actual sex scene at the end, with a few interrupted kisses.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this ARC💙 ! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.
By: Alexandra Ivy- I like her Guardians of Eternity series
Setting: Wyoming, NJ, and NY
Published 1/2/24, read 12/22/23
✔️ Paranormal Romance
✔️ Fae, Demons, Mages, Witches, Vampires
✔️ Enemies to lovers
✔️ Found family
✔️ Adult Fiction
✔️ Sci Fi/Fantasy
✔️Murder mystery
This is the story of Peri Sanguis who was raised by her mother and her witch coven. At sixteen, Peri manifests wild magic. Her mother Brenda Sanguis is envious of her daughter's magic and wants it for herself. Sensing the threat she would become, her mother stabs her in the heart. She escapes to the Witch's Brew bookstore/cafe, and meet Skye and Maya who help and train her. Valen is a two thousand year old vampire and one of The Vampire Cabal-the most powerful who rule the Gyre(source of magic). He wants to claim Peri as his mate, but she can't stand him. He is protective and shows up for Peri when she's in danger. When Brenda and twelve witches in her coven are murdered, Peri wants to know what happened and who did it. Together she and Valen investigate and fight their attraction to each other.
The world building is filled with supernatural creatures. The vampires in The Cabal rule over all but Peri and her friends enjoy their independence and will never "bend the knee" while under the protection of The Benefactor. They don't know who this is, but from time to time they are assigned tasks to complete. The Benefactor reminds me of Charlie from Charlie's Angels.
The characters- Peri is a strong, independent mage that follows her own mind regardless of danger. I love how she challenges Valen even though he could kill her in an instant. Valen is patient and protective because he knows she is stubborn, so he takes his time. Maya and Skye are Peri's found family and are protective of her even when she's reckless. I feel like they have secrets and their own stories to tell. The mysterious "Joe" comes around the bookstore and they have no idea why. They know nothing about him but he gives them cryptic warnings. I even like Tia, a mage who hates vampires and wants Peri's wild magic.
My Thoughts-I loved Valen and Peri's power struggle. Working together on the murder case helped them get to know each other. It's slow burn with a bit of action, mystery, and fantasy that PNR readers will like.
Rating: 4/5 ✨
Spice: 4/5 🌶️they have 1 actual sex scene at the end, with a few interrupted kisses.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this ARC💙 ! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.
December 12, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange of an honest review.
An urban fantasy mystery in the vein of Patricia Briggs and Jeaniene Frost!
This was a pretty good read, the writing is good, there is a bit of tension and the story is interesting but without any big wow for me. I would still recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the above mentioned authors.
This story is told in the third person from our two main characters point of view with brief snippet from other important characters.
Our main cast are Peri a powerful mage and Valen our typical alpha vampire. While clearly being presented as an alpha vampire the author is careful of modernising him, avoiding the suffocating vibe we sometime get from those type of character. However, the author is so purposeful in not making in an alphahole that it's sometime a bit too on the nose. As for Peri, she is a powerful, reckless mage but show a certain level of self awareness and sensitivity. Overall the characters are relatively stereotypical of this genre but remain tridimensional.
One of the positive point of this book is that the two MC knew each other from the get go. This way the story manage to not feel like insta love even if it span a short period of time.
An urban fantasy mystery in the vein of Patricia Briggs and Jeaniene Frost!
This was a pretty good read, the writing is good, there is a bit of tension and the story is interesting but without any big wow for me. I would still recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the above mentioned authors.
This story is told in the third person from our two main characters point of view with brief snippet from other important characters.
Our main cast are Peri a powerful mage and Valen our typical alpha vampire. While clearly being presented as an alpha vampire the author is careful of modernising him, avoiding the suffocating vibe we sometime get from those type of character. However, the author is so purposeful in not making in an alphahole that it's sometime a bit too on the nose. As for Peri, she is a powerful, reckless mage but show a certain level of self awareness and sensitivity. Overall the characters are relatively stereotypical of this genre but remain tridimensional.
One of the positive point of this book is that the two MC knew each other from the get go. This way the story manage to not feel like insta love even if it span a short period of time.
January 2, 2024
A huge thank you to Alexandra Ivy for this excellent book, the first in a two-book series.
Finally!! A heroine from New Jersey!! Who knew? This is a magical story about Peri Sanguis, a Wyoming teen who comes into her magiks when she turns 16, and then her world as she knows it turns upside-down.
What a great story! Peri grew up in Wyoming, forced to flee to New Jersey, over the years, she learned her craft from some interesting New Jersey mages at a local bookstore. (I always knew there were mages in New Jersey!!) Enter Valen a golden-eyed vampire who is thrown together with Peri to fight evil and save the world!
Great character and world-building, a unique story, and an entertaining and sometimes steamy read. Take some time in this New Year for some “Wild Magic” a New Year’s gift from Alexandra Ivy!
All opinions and observations are mine alone. Thank you to Kensington for sharing this ARC.
Finally!! A heroine from New Jersey!! Who knew? This is a magical story about Peri Sanguis, a Wyoming teen who comes into her magiks when she turns 16, and then her world as she knows it turns upside-down.
What a great story! Peri grew up in Wyoming, forced to flee to New Jersey, over the years, she learned her craft from some interesting New Jersey mages at a local bookstore. (I always knew there were mages in New Jersey!!) Enter Valen a golden-eyed vampire who is thrown together with Peri to fight evil and save the world!
Great character and world-building, a unique story, and an entertaining and sometimes steamy read. Take some time in this New Year for some “Wild Magic” a New Year’s gift from Alexandra Ivy!
All opinions and observations are mine alone. Thank you to Kensington for sharing this ARC.
May 5, 2024
“But I’m not half-of-a-whole sort of woman. I’m whole all by myself”
Wild Magic is written in the genre of urban fantasy/mystery with some paranormal romance involving witches, mages, demons, and vampires.
First off….Peri is a QUEEEEEEN 👑
She is so fiercely independent that it left me in awe of her. Her ability to rebuild herself after such trauma and betrayal in her life really spoke to me. I think the author did an incredible job creating a strong FMC, which is what I love to see in a book.
Valen is just as good. The way he supports her and matches her energy is just lovely to follow. Throughout the book he makes a point to allow Peri to flourish and discover herself, which is such king behavior.
I love love love a good fantasy book with a mystery storyline. Alexandra combines these genres very well and the book had many thrilling and page-turning moments.
This story also contained a lot of character building between all of the main players. This makes me hopeful that there will be more world building to come in the next book!
The ending was so good and I definitely have my theories. I can’t wait to see what Alexandra Ivy does next!
Wild Magic is written in the genre of urban fantasy/mystery with some paranormal romance involving witches, mages, demons, and vampires.
First off….Peri is a QUEEEEEEN 👑
She is so fiercely independent that it left me in awe of her. Her ability to rebuild herself after such trauma and betrayal in her life really spoke to me. I think the author did an incredible job creating a strong FMC, which is what I love to see in a book.
Valen is just as good. The way he supports her and matches her energy is just lovely to follow. Throughout the book he makes a point to allow Peri to flourish and discover herself, which is such king behavior.
I love love love a good fantasy book with a mystery storyline. Alexandra combines these genres very well and the book had many thrilling and page-turning moments.
This story also contained a lot of character building between all of the main players. This makes me hopeful that there will be more world building to come in the next book!
The ending was so good and I definitely have my theories. I can’t wait to see what Alexandra Ivy does next!
December 30, 2023
would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book
Peri Sanguis life changed when her mother decided to kill her, trying to steal peri magic from her, its then that peri wild magic came about, she survived that attack but she ran into the night away from her mother and her followers
peri life now is full she helps in Witch’s Brew bookstore-cafe which is owned and run by a powerful mage
but the one thing that is in her life she isnt happy about is valen a powerful vampire
when peri mother and her followers are murdered peri has to go home for the first time in years and what she find there is very disturbing, what could have killed her mother and the others
and its not long before peri has a clue and sets off the race of her life
not a bad read.... hope to rejoin and learn more about these characters they were interesting
Peri Sanguis life changed when her mother decided to kill her, trying to steal peri magic from her, its then that peri wild magic came about, she survived that attack but she ran into the night away from her mother and her followers
peri life now is full she helps in Witch’s Brew bookstore-cafe which is owned and run by a powerful mage
but the one thing that is in her life she isnt happy about is valen a powerful vampire
when peri mother and her followers are murdered peri has to go home for the first time in years and what she find there is very disturbing, what could have killed her mother and the others
and its not long before peri has a clue and sets off the race of her life
not a bad read.... hope to rejoin and learn more about these characters they were interesting
May 24, 2024
Wild Magic is not a bad book, but it's not a very good one, either.
You meet just about every type of magical creature here, too many for any of them to be well written. This also applies to the lead, Peri, whom we've met in various incarnations, in hundreds of other, better, fantasy books.
Valen, the male lead, is also quite generic, and the plot is serviceable enough. If you've never read a fantasy book, this might be entertaining.
You meet just about every type of magical creature here, too many for any of them to be well written. This also applies to the lead, Peri, whom we've met in various incarnations, in hundreds of other, better, fantasy books.
Valen, the male lead, is also quite generic, and the plot is serviceable enough. If you've never read a fantasy book, this might be entertaining.
October 5, 2023
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)
Actual review close to 3.75 stars. The pacing was good, making it an easy read. Only thing I wasn't a fan of was it going from instalust (fine lol) to instalove (less fine imo).
Actual review close to 3.75 stars. The pacing was good, making it an easy read. Only thing I wasn't a fan of was it going from instalust (fine lol) to instalove (less fine imo).
November 29, 2023
I liked this book. There is a really complex magic system that we have only begun to explore. I loved watching Valen and Peri's relationship grow. I was left with so many questions at the end. What is Peri? Who is Joe? I am hopeful we are not done with this world and there will be a sequel either focusing on Skye or Maya or another about Peri and Valen.
March 1, 2024
I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own
I loved this book! Enemies to lovers, a magical mystery quest, bad ass mage FMC, and sexy, brooding, touch her and I’ll kill you Vampire mob boss; this is the fantasy mafia of my dreams.
Love the sassy banter, interesting magic rules that are introduced in digestible ways, and how just easy the read is. I need two pack of these kind of books to read a day please!
Can’t wait for the second book, I want it in my hands asap
I loved this book! Enemies to lovers, a magical mystery quest, bad ass mage FMC, and sexy, brooding, touch her and I’ll kill you Vampire mob boss; this is the fantasy mafia of my dreams.
Love the sassy banter, interesting magic rules that are introduced in digestible ways, and how just easy the read is. I need two pack of these kind of books to read a day please!
Can’t wait for the second book, I want it in my hands asap
January 7, 2024
Slow burn. Talk about wild take a ride on this sexual tension paranormal romance. A very good storyline that held my attention from beginning to end. Can't wait to read the next book in this series. 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
September 12, 2024
DNF at 40%. The pace of the book is odd and I struggle to root for the main characters.
Read
June 21, 2024Dnf
October 12, 2023
This was a quick, fun read. Maybe a little too fast? The world-building could have been developed more but I really enjoyed the characters and that made up for it. Their banter was cute and funny and each one had a unique arc of their own.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review. Opinions are my own.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review. Opinions are my own.
August 6, 2025
2.5/3 Stars
Eh, honestly this wasn't what I expected. It's been a minute since I read anything by this author so at first I was just getting reacquainted with their style. But it was a bit of a struggle for me to finish tbh. I just found my mind wandering every few chapters.
I think by the end I was most disappointed by the fact the book opened with this sort of already set up history between the MCs. Like, Valen already seemed intrigued, obsessed, infatuated... whatever you want to call it with Peri. He'd supposedly been watching her since she first moved to his city especially because her and her mages at Witches Brew refused to join his Gyre. So, in a way we were cheated out of actually seeing them meet because we're simply told about past instances where they've run into one another and their feelings about it or the other.
And I think, atleast for me, that took some fun out of the romance part of the book. Especially because the romance part kind of just was forgotten on the floor most of the book tbh. The author would pick it up at random intervals to have Valen waxing poetic about how amazing Peri was to him and how he was determined to have her by his side. So for me when they randomly had their first kiss is was like... really? That was it? and the back and forth between the two wasn't even part of building their romantic relationship either. I'm not sure how either developed the feelings they claimed to have by the end of the book. Especially Peri who was so resistant to Valen nearly the entire book. They didn't particularly make sense as a couple either if I'm honest. And the quick turn around to Peri not even acknowledging the attraction or chemistry between them to suddenly feeling warm and tingly because he claimed he loved her in the heat of a near death experience and then her just shrugging like okay yeah I'll move into your penthouse and live with you forever now. Ok then 😂
I mean it was a decent paranormal/fantasy type story but just be honest with yourself and admit you slotted half assed romance into it just because you could, ok? Nothing wrong with that. But honestly this book didn't need it. By the end I truly thought okay that's it; Not even one sex scene, that's fine. But no, we get the one single scene at like the 97% mark. At that point I'm seriously wondering why did we even bother here? It didn't even add anything to the story or to their supposed big romance.
And while I'm a notorious hard sell on most FMCs I found myself rolling my eyes at the blatant way the author wrote Peri. She was such a cookie cutter pigheadedly stubborn short tempered "badass" who didn't know when to shut up when her life depended on it. I can tolerate those types very little and it depends how they're written but not this time. While her distrustful attitude and bitchy behavior towards Valen I understood because of what happened to her in the past the rest just was silly. No one gets that lucky running off at the mouth to authority figures, or in her case powerful vampires, even if said vampire was smitten by her and let her get away with far more than anyone else.
But whatever. While the story itself was mildly interesting I found the pacing and focus not what I wanted it to be or expected. It wasn't bad but not something I enjoyed as much a I hoped. Not even sure I want to bother with the rest of the series.
Eh, honestly this wasn't what I expected. It's been a minute since I read anything by this author so at first I was just getting reacquainted with their style. But it was a bit of a struggle for me to finish tbh. I just found my mind wandering every few chapters.
I think by the end I was most disappointed by the fact the book opened with this sort of already set up history between the MCs. Like, Valen already seemed intrigued, obsessed, infatuated... whatever you want to call it with Peri. He'd supposedly been watching her since she first moved to his city especially because her and her mages at Witches Brew refused to join his Gyre. So, in a way we were cheated out of actually seeing them meet because we're simply told about past instances where they've run into one another and their feelings about it or the other.
And I think, atleast for me, that took some fun out of the romance part of the book. Especially because the romance part kind of just was forgotten on the floor most of the book tbh. The author would pick it up at random intervals to have Valen waxing poetic about how amazing Peri was to him and how he was determined to have her by his side. So for me when they randomly had their first kiss is was like... really? That was it? and the back and forth between the two wasn't even part of building their romantic relationship either. I'm not sure how either developed the feelings they claimed to have by the end of the book. Especially Peri who was so resistant to Valen nearly the entire book. They didn't particularly make sense as a couple either if I'm honest. And the quick turn around to Peri not even acknowledging the attraction or chemistry between them to suddenly feeling warm and tingly because he claimed he loved her in the heat of a near death experience and then her just shrugging like okay yeah I'll move into your penthouse and live with you forever now. Ok then 😂
I mean it was a decent paranormal/fantasy type story but just be honest with yourself and admit you slotted half assed romance into it just because you could, ok? Nothing wrong with that. But honestly this book didn't need it. By the end I truly thought okay that's it; Not even one sex scene, that's fine. But no, we get the one single scene at like the 97% mark. At that point I'm seriously wondering why did we even bother here? It didn't even add anything to the story or to their supposed big romance.
And while I'm a notorious hard sell on most FMCs I found myself rolling my eyes at the blatant way the author wrote Peri. She was such a cookie cutter pigheadedly stubborn short tempered "badass" who didn't know when to shut up when her life depended on it. I can tolerate those types very little and it depends how they're written but not this time. While her distrustful attitude and bitchy behavior towards Valen I understood because of what happened to her in the past the rest just was silly. No one gets that lucky running off at the mouth to authority figures, or in her case powerful vampires, even if said vampire was smitten by her and let her get away with far more than anyone else.
But whatever. While the story itself was mildly interesting I found the pacing and focus not what I wanted it to be or expected. It wasn't bad but not something I enjoyed as much a I hoped. Not even sure I want to bother with the rest of the series.
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