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Anomalies are dangerous—Zaid is fully ready to eliminate Kinza if she’s a threat. Kinza won’t go down without a fight—and now she’s discovered she has magic.

He’s out to stop her from becoming the prophecy that destroys his people. But her magic might be stronger than his…

Kinza thinks she might be getting sick. Either that, or she’s going crazy. Not much else could account for the odd things happening to her. What she doesn’t know is that she’s the nightmare of a hidden civilization or that she’s magical, and if she doesn’t learn to control her wild gifts, she’ll destroy the world.

When Zaid stalks into her life, she’s given an ultimatum. One she can’t accept.

Zaid is a bounty hunter, typically tasked with going after dangerous magical rogues and destroying them.

Now he’s going after a different kind of threat, and this time, he may have gotten more than he can handle.

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About the author

Lily Skyy

21 books17 followers
Lily Skyy is an author of Teen/Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, and Fantasy books.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
Profile Image for Winter.
493 reviews70 followers
September 10, 2022
Do you think that Lily Skyy is the author's real name, or did she choose that name because she knew she would be amongst the stars?

There is no way Cryptic Magic is Skyy's first novel.

This book was written like one of the best, of the best female Fantasy authors wrote it.

A seasoned author who has been writing for years.

Let us begin:

Skyy tells the story of 18-year-old Kinza, who lives in Chicago. A college student whose parents were murdered when she was a child.

Kinza now lives with her grandmother and works as a cleaner to help her grandmother with the bills and help pay for her college.

Kinza has always felt that she was different; she could never put her finger on how exactly.

She knew it was strange that a child had a tattoo, but she had had that tattoo for as long as she could remember.

Which was forever to her. But what did it mean?

On her quest to discover her tattoo's meaning, she gets kidnapped by Zaid.

When she asks him who he is, he tells her that he is a Venari from the magical city of Raptha.

That he is taking Kinza back to the Raptha for justice.

She has no idea what he is talking about and is furious with him.

Zaid, however, is part of the old ways of Raptha and only believes what he is told to do.

He believes that she is part of the prophecy and needs to be eliminated, that they practice blood magic and go insane.

Zaid eventually explains this to Kinza, and somehow, someway, she must prove to him that she is human.

However, along the way, through her anger or danger, Kinza comes into her own magical abilities.

Which probably does not help matters too much.

Zaid ends up whisking them away back to Raptha via a magical portal, barely escaping with their lives.

Thanks to the assassins that were on their tails.

But when Kinza arrives on the other side of the Portal, what she finds is not the same Kinza.

She is neither Human nor a normal Annaki.

Zaid feels remorseful for Kinza and is now bound to help her figure out what has happened.

The two set off to discover what is wrong with her and what this change means.

So off into danger the two of them head into.

Skyy has you laughing aloud one moment and gripping the edge of your seat the next.

This is one bumpy Fantasy trip.

When Zaid went through the Portal to Raptha, he took Kinza and the Readers as well.

Skyy's diligence to detail in the novel was most impressive, and her world-building is impeccable.

Her characters are delightful and relatable.

The whole book was well-developed and enjoyable.

Absolutely delighted it is a trilogy!

I will definitely be reading the next two installments.

Kudos to you, Lily!


**SKYY'S THE LIMIT**

Thank you, Lily Skyy, for this eARC and for my honest review. My opinions are of my own volition.
Profile Image for Violet Perry (Just a Bookish Blog).
337 reviews273 followers
January 9, 2022
~I’d like to thank the author for sending me a free copy in exchange for my honest review!~
Going into this one, I knew I was going to like it, but I didn’t think it would be this good!
This book got me from the very beginning. Although it didn’t start with something epic, or a tragedy, it was written in a way that hooked me and quickly got my attention.
As the book went along, more mysteries were revealed that reeled me into the book more and more. Also, I suspect an enemies-to-lovers romance budding, which made the book a 100x better!
Another thing that made me enjoy this book, is that the main character was written a lot more realistically than a lot of others in works similar to this one. I don’t want to say much and spoil the book, but, for example, when the MC got shocking news from a stranger, she didn’t immediately accept it, but she doubted it throughout a good majority (about ⅔) of the book.
All in all, this was a great book, plus it gave me Black Panther vibes (calling all Marvel fans!!)! I loved the characters, plot, and I can not wait to get my hands on the sequel!
~Full Review To Come~
Profile Image for Chrystalin.
53 reviews17 followers
December 8, 2021
I received an ARC copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only in exchange for a fair and honest review. I absolutely loved this book. It was a quick read and kept me on the edge of my seat. Kinza was just poor girl, living and working to get through school until suddenly she wasn't. Zaid was a bounty hunter who was taught to grab his assignment and never question, until his assignment was Kinza. This book carries you through a journey of discovery for both Kinza and Zaid. Kinza learns that she is not who she always believed she was, and that she has powers she never could have imagined. Zaid discovers that this assignment is definitely not what he was led to believe. The two evolve from a relationship of fear and hatred to a friendship with trust. And so many twists, turns, and questions along the way. I can't wait to read the next book.
Profile Image for Beba Andric.
1,582 reviews110 followers
March 28, 2022
The title had me! Who wouldn't want to know what was behind this tantalising title? Well, the title pales in comparison to the actual story, which I devoured in a few hours, couldn't help myself, I just kept reading and reading and reading, until the end came all too quickly! Thank goodness I have book 2 lined up!!!(an ARC) Basically, the jist of the story is, a young girl, pretty much a social outcast, lives with her gran. Her parents were murdered 10 years prior and Kinza helps out financially as a cleaning lady. Normal, right? Ok, not the parents murdered, but pretty much a normal girl, in a normal world, working to pay for college. Only, there's nothing normal about Kinza, only she doesn't know that. Taken against her will by Zaid, she uncovers some startling facts about herself. Added to that, there are others who are hunting her, who will stop at nothing to kill her. I loved Kinza, sassy, fierce and determined, she struggles to come to terms with all that's happening to her. She's a very realistic character and I love how her mouth works before her brain. Zaid grows on one, of course, my first impression was, what a douche! But he's a well balanced character, who, as the story progresses, becomes more and more likeable. I enjoyed the storyline and the plot, which kept a beautiful pace. Although there are a few characters, they are all easy to follow and distinguish. Loved the flashbacks Zaid has, really helps show who he is, not who he has to be. Towards the end of the book, things really pick up, lots of revelations and even a prophecy! Really worth reading
Profile Image for Fraxinus.
259 reviews8 followers
March 11, 2022
I loved the idea of this book, a Chicago teen, who's parents were tragically murdered leaving her and her and grandmother to pick up the pieces, finds out that there may be more to the mysterious tattoo that she has always had. Even if tattooing babies is not exactly legal. Kinza is thrown into a world a mystery an intrigue when she is kidnapped by a bounty hunter, who is quite confused that she doesn't seem to be crazy.

The world-building was pretty incredible and the mythology was intriguing. The plotting was a little disjointed, with the author throwing us back in time, during an important plot-points. Although, I loved the little breadcrumbs of information she wove into them and could see why the flashbacks were necessary. I was engrossed enough in the present to be slightly bothered by the trip down memory lane.

I am curious to see where the author takes us in the next installment. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
154 reviews
April 8, 2022
Took me a little while to get into this. Once I did, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The author is good at realistic world building as well as creating interesting characters. In particular, the MC is very relateable.

Can't wait for the next in the series.

Thanks to Booksirens for the ARC. This is my honest review.
Profile Image for Laura.
750 reviews45 followers
December 11, 2021
This is an exciting, fast paced fantasy novel. The author has developed each character well and I enjoyed the pacing of the story.

We follow Kinza who lives in the state of Illinois, she is something known as a Ubir (from what I understand these non-human beings begin as an Anunnknaki and grow into Ubirs. A Ubir is a mythological or folkloric being in Turkic mythology who subsists by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether it is an undead person or being.) ~ I didn’t feel that certain terms were explained as well as they could have been but the glossary came in handy here! Although the glossary is at the end of the book, I personally would have preferred it at the front.

Kinza has a mysterious tattoo on her upper abdomen, a palm-sized mandala with two smaller circles in the centre that looked like symbolic eyes, this is surrounded by chains and inked gems that stretched to the sides of her stomach. She has no idea where this tattoo came from or what it might mean - I was intrigued by this, it was definitely one of the things that kept me reading.

We also follow Zaid the bounty hunter who is after Kinza, he needs to take her back to Rhapta.

Overall I did enjoy the story but I do wish it had lasted a few chapters longer!

A solid 4 stars!

I would like to thank the author for sending me a review copy of this book.

34 reviews3 followers
January 20, 2022
Meet Kinza Solace, a teenager that life hasn’t had a lot of compassion for. Her parents were murdered when she was nine years old, and now living with her grandmother, she works as a cleaner in order to help put herself through college. Despite all the hardships, she is content. She wants to help the less fortunate, and make the world a better place. However, things as she knows them abruptly come to an end when she is kidnapped by Zaid, a trained and highly skilled bounty hunter. He is from the magical city of Rhapta and has extraordinary abilities. What she cannot seem to understand, is why he thinks she is part of his magical race as well. That is, until she discovers her own abilities, and learns about a prophecy; one that appears to be all about her.

I absolutely loved the concept of this book! I found myself deeply engrossed right from the very start, and I was eager to discover more. The author masterfully grips your attention by moving the storyline from past to present, and the descriptions used enabled me to be transported into their otherworldly realm where I could so easily imagine myself to be! The character development and relationships elicit a strong desire to find out what happens in the next instalment.

Overall, I found that I could not put it down and I can’t wait to read the next one in the series! That to me, is a true sign of a wonderfully written book!
Profile Image for Ysobella Black.
Author 51 books3 followers
May 31, 2023
There are a lot of books I have enjoyed reading or listening to that drew me into the storyline and characters' lives. Very few of them did it in the first few chapters. Even fewer of them had me ready to read the next book by chapter three, but this one did. I listened to the audio version, and was so engrossed in the story that when I heard the narrator say, "This is the end of Book 1." I was caught completely by surprise.

There's action, mystery, magic, a prophecy, and a ton of unique world building. Kinza and Zaid are great characters. Their development through the story feels natural, and they're both likeable and relatable. While they start off as enemies, and for good reasons, I can see a slow burn romance developing between them — even if they can't yet. :)

The story is told through multiple POVs, which I always like. I enjoyed discovering Kinza's new world and powers along with her, and Zaid's knowledge of the other side of things filled in gaps and answered a lot of my questions.

While the book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, it feels like a natural place to stop and sets up the second book — luckily the rest of the series is already available, so no waiting!

Chad Smith was an ideal choice to bring Zaid to life, and Dana Michelle channeled Kinza perfectly.
Profile Image for Michelle  Brown.
730 reviews6 followers
December 19, 2021
This year seems to be a year of new Authors for me and every single book I have read, I have thoroughly enjoyed. Cryptic Magic/Lily Skyy just joined that group.

As I was reading this book, the thought in the back of my mind, the further I got was how can this be the first book for this Author..? It simply blew me away on so many levels. This book was that good.

Both lead characters were great and it was very enjoyable to read their journey both individually and them then working together. The story line was also fresh and it kept me clinging to my kindle from the minute I started this book.

I couldn't get enough of these two and their journey. Also intriguing was their own backstory which I thought was great how it was given to us.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book and seriously can't wait to read the book 2. If this is what Lily produced for her first book, I very much look forward to see what she will create in the future.

I received this free book from the Author and have voluntarily left an honest review.
6,029 reviews40 followers
January 31, 2022
Our heroine is the subject of a prophecy, but not the usual grow into the savior type. Just the opposite and our hero has been hired to prevent that prophecy from coming true. This is not the best way for the two to get acquainted.

This is book one of the series, so a good place to start.

I am going to call this one an urban fantasy story as it combined the trappings of the modern world with magic. The story is well written and easy to read, once you get past the early part and pick up on the jargon. The setting is fascinating, well developed with lots of depth and unique elements. I really enjoyed the glimpse we got in this book and hope we get to see more of it in the future. Similarly, the characters are also well done and definitely help bring the story to life. The combination leads to a story that is engaging and very hard to put down. Overall, I really enjoyed this one and look forward to seeing what comes next.

Highly recommended

I received a free copy of this book for review purposes.
Profile Image for Craig.
195 reviews2 followers
December 12, 2021
Interesting take on an old theme; whether it be Atlanteans, aliens, vampires, or some other group; humanity being guided or controlled by superior beings. The apparent randomness of abilities/gifts has also been explored by other authors, but Miss Skyy has done it as well as any. Multiple undercurrents and hidden motivations are the true underpinnings of this novel, flashbacks are used to great advantage; replacing what would otherwise be dry dialogue. An excellent job all around. Although I read this as a free ARC, the price of books never influences my reviews.
86 reviews4 followers
January 3, 2022
I was given a free copy of this book from the author through voracious readers only in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book! It’s an excellent read! It’s a very unique concept which grabbed me from the start and just got better as it went along. I love the different abilities that people have and the history/background the author put in. The characters are very likeable and enjoyable to follow along with. The story is very solid and grows really. I wouldn’t change a thing about this book. Definitely a must read!
Profile Image for DeeDeeWReads.
1,165 reviews16 followers
May 1, 2022
I really got into this book real quickly. Kinza is a college student just trying to make a little $$ to help her grandma pay their bills, while going to school on a full scholarship, and make her dead parents proud.

Zaid is a venari (bounty hunter) from an ancient city hidden by a barrier away from humanity that tracks down rogues (ubir) and bring them back to justice. His newest assignment, Kinza. When they collide, oh does it explode!

Come along in Book 1 to see what happens when Zaid tries to get Kinza back to Rhapta. Warning, ends in cliffhanger, but Book 2 is out so keep reading. I know I am!
Profile Image for Mel.
271 reviews6 followers
December 19, 2021
I really enjoyed reading this book, I didn’t click with it straight away but got into it fairly quickly. The characters felt realistic and the description we get of Rhapta sounds great. I’m really looking forward to the next book so I can find out what happens next and hopefully get some more answers as I’m left with a lot of questions!
Profile Image for Jeffrey Crosby.
Author 3 books2 followers
March 8, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this book. Great character development, I quickly found myself caring for the main character. Good use of action and tension that keep me turning the pages. I read several chapters in on sitting. Her description of locations make me believe she has been there. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
Profile Image for Caitlin D.
63 reviews
December 18, 2021
I really enjoyed this! The concept and world is unique and interesting and I love the characters. I'm really looking forward to the next book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
4,492 reviews21 followers
December 21, 2021
I enjoyed this story. It is a start to a new series that was interesting and entertaining to read. I liked the story itself with its different worlds and the characters. It starts out making me laugh and got better as it starts to heat up as learn more about the main characters.
8 reviews
January 12, 2022
The book was a wonderful experience in itself.I just could not put it down. I was in love with the characters and the plot- they have been formed really well. I highly recommend this book and you must give it a read.
16 reviews
January 14, 2022
This story is an interesting and exciting new twist on the fantasy genre. I found it a very quick read, not because it’s very short but because I wanted to keep reading. By the end of the book, I guarantee you’ll be craving the next installment and wanting more of the two main characters.
Profile Image for Nikki.
650 reviews17 followers
April 1, 2022
This is the first book in the Hidden Prophecy trilogy and the first book that I’ve read by Lily Skyy. Who knew this world would be so captivating. Amazing character development and world building. It’s like I was right there with Kinza and Zaid.

I loved how we got to see Kinza and Zaid both individually and together develop into their roles. Though Kinza is determined to find out what her tattoo means, this mysterious journey leaves her kidnapped by a bounty hunter. Zaid is certain Kinza is part of the prophecy. When she finds her powers it’s truly magical.

Filled with prophecy, magic, supernaturals, action, danger and suspense. What a start to a new series. Can’t wait to see what going to happen in book 2. What a way to captivate is and submerge is into this world.
Profile Image for Anya Josephs.
Author 10 books135 followers
June 24, 2022
I really enjoyed Lily Skyy's novel "Cryptic Magic". It's an innovative premise (despite the comps to Holly Black and Cassandra Clare, I honestly didn't see much of a parallel--Skyy's novel seems like something all its own to me). The magic system is very original, and introduced arftully. It was a pleasure to learn about the world that Skyy has created for her characters. The shift back and forth between a medieval-esque high-fantasy world and our Earth did sometimes feel slightly jarring to me as a reader--specifically, I wanted more time in the innovative world that Skyy had created,a nd felt a little lost when we ound up back in Chicago. Overall, though, this book was a wonderful read.
Profile Image for Tory Lindberg.
250 reviews9 followers
November 30, 2021
What a quick fantasy read! I loved the characters and the story line. I wish it went on longer because it seemed a bit short but the cliff hanger at the end had me begging for the next book already! I love the world built up so much! 9/10.
Profile Image for rebecca  brown .
105 reviews
March 26, 2022
Not one of my normal reads but I love a good story and this was just it. Can’t wait to finish the rest of if I’m just hooked now
Profile Image for Becky.
497 reviews7 followers
April 4, 2022
This was quite the adventure! The story starts off with a bang, literally and the action doesn’t stop! Zaid and Kinza are both victims of their circumstance; Kinza losing both of her parents so young and Zaid forced into a life he did not truly desire. There are so many twists and turns that it is hard to know who the good vs. bad guys are in this story. I can’t wait to see what happens next!!
292 reviews
January 3, 2022
great unique idea

This book contains a really unique world. The progression of story is very interesting, and even though all the terms and ideas are confusing at first, it keeps you wants more. I really enjoyed the character progression of Zaid. I’m really glad the reader gets to see snipits of his background. I do think that some of the sentences are awkwardly worded, and some of the details included aren’t necessary. The writing could flow a little bit better because in some spots it seems disjointed or one idea bleeds into another. But overall, the story is engaging, and the ending gets the reader very excited for the next book and what’s to come for Zaid and Kinza.
105 reviews4 followers
July 4, 2022
Utterly Amazing

How can this be the author's first published book? I'm astounded at the details of this whole new world created as well as how well developed the characters and story/plot were.

I really like that the story is told from both Kinza and Zaid's perspective because it gave history as it went along so I could learn about this new world, yet still go through things with Kinza as she learned about herself and the whole world she didn't know she was a part of.

This book is full of adventure and intrigue and I can't wait to get started on book #2!

Tip: There is a glossary at the back which is great since many terms were unknown to me.
1 review
December 28, 2021
I can't even begin to share how captivating this book is. I laughed (out loud), got nervous and even blushed a bit while reading this piece. I have read it multiple times and it's still a stimulating read. A must for the bookshelf!
Profile Image for Jocelyne.
4,927 reviews22 followers
June 2, 2023
This was my first Lily Skyy's book, and won't be my last. This is the first book in The Hidden Prophecy, an Urban Fantasy Series. This is the first book in Kinza and Zaid's entertaining journey. The world building is unique, fast-paced, and interesting, filled with mystery, action, and secrets. The characters are well developed, and intriguing. Dana Michelle and Chad Smith did a great job bringing this story to life. Looking forward to listening to Erratic Magic, the next book in the series, to know what happens next. #StoryOrigin
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews

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