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Freelance Magic #1
Half Blind
Opposites attract…and drive each other crazy.
Freelance Magic, Book 1
Eight years ago, wizard Ashley Brandon thought his mentor was above the temptation to misuse magic. He was wrong, and the aftermath left him scarred. And determined to never again let anyone close.
When he’s assigned to a task force protecting an ancient relic, he butts heads with the infuriating, charismatic Frederick “Charles” Greer. The man is completely unreasonable. And so is Ashley’s gut response to his outrageous flirting.
Greer was only supposed to temporarily consult on the task force, but his admittedly unorthodox views on team building put him at odds with Brandon, one of the most attractive, frustrating men he’s ever met. The mission’s success requires complete cooperation, so Greer makes the first move to ease the tension.
An apology leads to bickering, which unexpectedly leads them to the bedroom. But as that tension shifts into something more fierce, a brush with the relic’s power turns everything upside down. Leaving the mission—and Brandon’s heart—in even greater jeopardy.
Contents may contain sartorial choices both exceptional and asinine, deception, thievery, magic, naughty language, and one hell of a MacGuffin.
247 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 16, 2012
2 people are currently reading
204 people want to read
About the author
Christine Price
5 books37 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Christine Price lives with her husband, two psychotic cats and a dumb Anatolian shepherd in Edmonton, AB. Her fascination with the written word began at a young age with a one-page story titled “My Mother is a Werewolf” and took off from there. In her spare time, she enjoys reading good books, drinking good wine and fine-tuning her mental filters.
Christine Price lives with her husband, two psychotic cats and a dumb Anatolian shepherd in Edmonton, AB. Her fascination with the written word began at a young age with a one-page story titled “My Mother is a Werewolf” and took off from there. In her spare time, she enjoys reading good books, drinking good wine and fine-tuning her mental filters.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
November 28, 2012
This one was a wonderful surprise. It's like a mixture of Ocean's Eleven (because it has a master thief and the theft of pricy, powerful artefacts) and White Collar (because we have Brandon, the CSIT agent) with some wizardry in the mix.
I liked the writing and characters. Unfortunately the story slipped away from me at about 85%, when it took a turn that either wasn't neccessary or not executed in a way that fit to the rest. That's why it's "only" 4 stars.
I liked the writing and characters. Unfortunately the story slipped away from me at about 85%, when it took a turn that either wasn't neccessary or not executed in a way that fit to the rest. That's why it's "only" 4 stars.
December 21, 2013
So I had some suspicions from the very start that kind of ruined this for me.
I don't really have problems with pull-to-press, at least when the fanfic is so AU that it can be read as original stories with no problem. And this one would work that way. But there are always little traces left behind.
In this case it was impeccably dressed, competent ice queen and the hideously-dressed, quirky, buff, tattooed, charming Englishman who delights in bothering him. These are hallmarks of Arthur/Eames Inception fic. Add to that the forced-to-work-together-on-a-temporary-job type of plot, the fact that the Englishman is , the gazillion times ice queen is called darling/love/pet, and other tropes from the Arthur/Eames ship and I ended up pretty certain I'd hit the nail on the head. Really the only thing missing are Englishman's red, pillowy lips, and I might have missed that somewhere while skimming.
That left me with different expectations, so the story just didn't work for me. All I could see was the characterizations flip-flopping all over the place and some shoddy plotting. I think those would have stood out to me even if I wasn't reading it as a fanfic. I was able to follow the tropes to the inevitable surprise and didn't really need to read the rest. (Though I ctrl+f'd my way through the rest to make sure that I was right.)
I don't really have problems with pull-to-press, at least when the fanfic is so AU that it can be read as original stories with no problem. And this one would work that way. But there are always little traces left behind.
In this case it was impeccably dressed, competent ice queen and the hideously-dressed, quirky, buff, tattooed, charming Englishman who delights in bothering him. These are hallmarks of Arthur/Eames Inception fic. Add to that the forced-to-work-together-on-a-temporary-job type of plot, the fact that the Englishman is , the gazillion times ice queen is called darling/love/pet, and other tropes from the Arthur/Eames ship and I ended up pretty certain I'd hit the nail on the head. Really the only thing missing are Englishman's red, pillowy lips, and I might have missed that somewhere while skimming.
That left me with different expectations, so the story just didn't work for me. All I could see was the characterizations flip-flopping all over the place and some shoddy plotting. I think those would have stood out to me even if I wasn't reading it as a fanfic. I was able to follow the tropes to the inevitable surprise and didn't really need to read the rest. (Though I ctrl+f'd my way through the rest to make sure that I was right.)
January 30, 2013
The book was almost like a roller coaster ride but in a somewhat bland way. I like the subjects covered in this book: magic, ancient artifacts and wizards.
The beginning did not drew me in, somehow it felt... bland and dry in an odd way... Different from the dryness that I felt when I read books by the venerable Jordan Castillo Price. For me, the story became more interesting around 2/3 of the book and stayed that way until the end.
The speed and the strength of the MCs relationships progress and deepen rather fast. Especially how Greer seemed to take a special liking to Brandon.
Although I liked the intricate way the magic was described in the book, it somehow wasn't interesting... Perhaps I was not compatible with Ms. Price's writing style since I struggled to go through the first 60% of the book.
The beginning did not drew me in, somehow it felt... bland and dry in an odd way... Different from the dryness that I felt when I read books by the venerable Jordan Castillo Price. For me, the story became more interesting around 2/3 of the book and stayed that way until the end.
The speed and the strength of the MCs relationships progress and deepen rather fast. Especially how Greer seemed to take a special liking to Brandon.
Although I liked the intricate way the magic was described in the book, it somehow wasn't interesting... Perhaps I was not compatible with Ms. Price's writing style since I struggled to go through the first 60% of the book.
February 26, 2013
I loved this book. Hands down. Loved it.
I loved the character progression and the world building which is always tricky when you do an AU that's just a few steps away from reality. The delicate tangle of real and made-up is expertly done here and the lead characters are tightly written. Ashley is quite wound up and written so, flawlessly while Greer's looser character picking at Ashley's seams was perfectly done.
Great use of magic and the secondary characters stand out vividly against the blue-noirish background of the author's writing.
Fantastic job.
I loved the character progression and the world building which is always tricky when you do an AU that's just a few steps away from reality. The delicate tangle of real and made-up is expertly done here and the lead characters are tightly written. Ashley is quite wound up and written so, flawlessly while Greer's looser character picking at Ashley's seams was perfectly done.
Great use of magic and the secondary characters stand out vividly against the blue-noirish background of the author's writing.
Fantastic job.
February 3, 2013
Huh. I have no idea why I didn't enjoy Half Blind more than I did, it didn't have any obvious problems. But for whatever reason, it did not draw me in. 2.5 stars
June 22, 2014
I'm probably one of the few people who found this story to be pretty hard to put down. I enjoyed it quite a bit and the characters were interesting.
October 19, 2012
This book starts off with a bang, almost literally, with a massive betrayal and tragedy. I was hooked from the first couple of pages, sympathetic to the shock and hurt (both literal and emotional) that Ashley Brandon experienced. We’re given a glimpse of the dangers of magic, the temptations to use it for personal gain and how quickly the elements can subjugate the wielder. I was reminded of that moment in The Fellowship of the Ring when Frodo practically begs Gandalf to take the offending ring off his hands and Gandalf yells, “Don’t tempt me, Frodo!”
Then, the story veers in an unexpected direction, one I had some difficulty following, what with the quick introduction of several characters. However, the beginning was so promising I stuck it out and trusted the author would make it clear what was going on, which it eventually did.
The meat of the story begins with Agent Brandon getting assigned to the security detail tasked with refitting The Museum of Unnatural Wonders –Un-Won, which I thought was clever, but I’m kind of a nerd that way—to house the Eye of Odin. The Eye is a powerful, ancient magical object that has the ability to see the past, present, and all possible futures. What thief wouldn’t find benefit in knowing how to handle every heist they plan until the day they die? What business man wouldn’t want to know how to approach an unruly client or business deal to eliminate all competition? What politician wouldn’t see value in knowing just how to win every future election by a landslide, to know all their opponents’ dirty little secrets and motivations? It’s got danger written all over it just for the potential of landing in the wrong hands, let alone that it’s so powerful it has the capacity to drive sane men mad, or even kill them. (Although I would think that would be in the security team’s favor, that the Eye can kill its wielder so quickly. Less chance for the unsavory user to manage true destruction.)
Brandon’s career with the CSIT –Canadian Supernatural Investigation Team—has been, to this point, boring and tedious, a glorified paper pusher. Given his history and involvement with one of the most powerful and insane magicians in history, TPTB fear his capabilities and stability, so they keep him close. He’s not about to pass up the chance for field work, even if it’s fireworks and land mines when he meets the project manager.
Frederick “Charles” Greer is irreverent, frustrating, and one of the most entertaining characters I’ve ever read, and he’s the project lead for the Un-Won security refit. His blinding Hawaiian shirts, tasteless jokes, and inappropriate invasion of personal space immediately make him a scene stealer, and he’s just the ticket to unwind the uber-stuffy Brandon. Given Brandon’s history, I had no trouble seeing how he got so uptight, but it was entertaining to watch Greer unbuild Brandon’s walls brick by brick. Their chemistry was good, and Greer was somewhat an enigma, slippery and loose. If I were to meet him in real life, I’d be uncomfortably drawn to him. I’d need to see what happens next, but would hope he wouldn’t point that high powered perception at me.
There’s a reason Greer’s slippery, and when I got to the part that illustrated that, my mouth dropped open. I was not expecting that plot point at all and I had to find out what this knowledge of Greer’s history would mean for him and Agent Brandon. The nuance of their relationship, while a little shallow at the beginning of their romantic entanglement, solidified by the end, making the decisions each character made completely believable and truly an entertainment to read.
So! One creepy all-powerful magical object. Unscrupulous thieves and rich men determined to have it for themselves. A damaged wizard tired of coasting through life. An infuriating, intriguing, plucky project manager who is not what he seems. And magic. Honey, what are you waiting for? Go get it!
Then, the story veers in an unexpected direction, one I had some difficulty following, what with the quick introduction of several characters. However, the beginning was so promising I stuck it out and trusted the author would make it clear what was going on, which it eventually did.
The meat of the story begins with Agent Brandon getting assigned to the security detail tasked with refitting The Museum of Unnatural Wonders –Un-Won, which I thought was clever, but I’m kind of a nerd that way—to house the Eye of Odin. The Eye is a powerful, ancient magical object that has the ability to see the past, present, and all possible futures. What thief wouldn’t find benefit in knowing how to handle every heist they plan until the day they die? What business man wouldn’t want to know how to approach an unruly client or business deal to eliminate all competition? What politician wouldn’t see value in knowing just how to win every future election by a landslide, to know all their opponents’ dirty little secrets and motivations? It’s got danger written all over it just for the potential of landing in the wrong hands, let alone that it’s so powerful it has the capacity to drive sane men mad, or even kill them. (Although I would think that would be in the security team’s favor, that the Eye can kill its wielder so quickly. Less chance for the unsavory user to manage true destruction.)
Brandon’s career with the CSIT –Canadian Supernatural Investigation Team—has been, to this point, boring and tedious, a glorified paper pusher. Given his history and involvement with one of the most powerful and insane magicians in history, TPTB fear his capabilities and stability, so they keep him close. He’s not about to pass up the chance for field work, even if it’s fireworks and land mines when he meets the project manager.
Frederick “Charles” Greer is irreverent, frustrating, and one of the most entertaining characters I’ve ever read, and he’s the project lead for the Un-Won security refit. His blinding Hawaiian shirts, tasteless jokes, and inappropriate invasion of personal space immediately make him a scene stealer, and he’s just the ticket to unwind the uber-stuffy Brandon. Given Brandon’s history, I had no trouble seeing how he got so uptight, but it was entertaining to watch Greer unbuild Brandon’s walls brick by brick. Their chemistry was good, and Greer was somewhat an enigma, slippery and loose. If I were to meet him in real life, I’d be uncomfortably drawn to him. I’d need to see what happens next, but would hope he wouldn’t point that high powered perception at me.
There’s a reason Greer’s slippery, and when I got to the part that illustrated that, my mouth dropped open. I was not expecting that plot point at all and I had to find out what this knowledge of Greer’s history would mean for him and Agent Brandon. The nuance of their relationship, while a little shallow at the beginning of their romantic entanglement, solidified by the end, making the decisions each character made completely believable and truly an entertainment to read.
So! One creepy all-powerful magical object. Unscrupulous thieves and rich men determined to have it for themselves. A damaged wizard tired of coasting through life. An infuriating, intriguing, plucky project manager who is not what he seems. And magic. Honey, what are you waiting for? Go get it!
May 1, 2017
4 Stars
This story was well written, flowed well, and kept me absorbed. What follows are my notes.
Of course the sole woman character is a bitch and all good-side make characters are nice.
Greer is over the top with a very legitimate sexual harassment suit case being made. It's gone past flirting and I'm starting to not like him. He's being disrespectful to Brandon.
The term wifebeater is used yet again and I think it's a horrible thing to say. Plus, the shirt in question wasn't even one. They're white undershirts, the point being couth people wouldn't wear them in public. A sexy black ribbed tank is not the same thing. Not even close.
I think of Brandon as a first name so it's weird that they don't.
Greer doesn't know how to be charming. He's being an ass. And then he's told to stop using "darling" so he loses all humor? He needs to suck it up.
I don't quite get what they saw in each other before they started sleeping together. After that, yeah, they let their good sides show but before? And it went from hate to oust to love way too fast for Brandon.
This typos on the texting are a nice touch.
The finale was anticlimactic. Not nearly as big or impressive as earlier battles.
The international stuff is done really believably.
By the end Greer had grown on me and I'd be interested in reading more of their story.
This story was well written, flowed well, and kept me absorbed. What follows are my notes.
Of course the sole woman character is a bitch and all good-side make characters are nice.
Greer is over the top with a very legitimate sexual harassment suit case being made. It's gone past flirting and I'm starting to not like him. He's being disrespectful to Brandon.
The term wifebeater is used yet again and I think it's a horrible thing to say. Plus, the shirt in question wasn't even one. They're white undershirts, the point being couth people wouldn't wear them in public. A sexy black ribbed tank is not the same thing. Not even close.
I think of Brandon as a first name so it's weird that they don't.
Greer doesn't know how to be charming. He's being an ass. And then he's told to stop using "darling" so he loses all humor? He needs to suck it up.
I don't quite get what they saw in each other before they started sleeping together. After that, yeah, they let their good sides show but before? And it went from hate to oust to love way too fast for Brandon.
This typos on the texting are a nice touch.
The finale was anticlimactic. Not nearly as big or impressive as earlier battles.
The international stuff is done really believably.
By the end Greer had grown on me and I'd be interested in reading more of their story.
May 14, 2013
I'd like to say something. First off, Canada. Canada.
Okay, now that I got my 'Murica moment over...
Oh, who am I kidding?
The entire thing was a 'Murica moment. I'm sorry, but I cannot help but snicker every time I hear "Canada" or any of its derivative forms.
Anyways, I pretty promptly forgot what CSIT stood for except there's Canada (*snicker) somewhere in it.
Also...
GODDAMN BITCH. Yeah, wait until the middle of the book to spring that fucking "Charles" shit trap. I'd just gotten used to seeing him being referred to by the horrendous and aesthetically unpleasing name of "Greer," damnit.
And now I have to start thinking of him as Charles?
No.
GFDI, I'm going to be like "O_o who da fuq is Charles?" for a great portion of this.
With surprisingly little effort, he lifted them both up into the air.
But damn.
Defrosting Ice Queen, cat burglary, AND stodgy old-fashioned names?
The last part/ending was really weird. I don't think I liked it.
That makes me sad, since it's got the urban fantasy Harry Dresden (not really) sort of thing going on....
Okay, now that I got my 'Murica moment over...
Oh, who am I kidding?
The entire thing was a 'Murica moment. I'm sorry, but I cannot help but snicker every time I hear "Canada" or any of its derivative forms.
Anyways, I pretty promptly forgot what CSIT stood for except there's Canada (*snicker) somewhere in it.
Also...
GODDAMN BITCH. Yeah, wait until the middle of the book to spring that fucking "Charles" shit trap. I'd just gotten used to seeing him being referred to by the horrendous and aesthetically unpleasing name of "Greer," damnit.
And now I have to start thinking of him as Charles?
No.
GFDI, I'm going to be like "O_o who da fuq is Charles?" for a great portion of this.
With surprisingly little effort, he lifted them both up into the air.
But damn.
Defrosting Ice Queen, cat burglary, AND stodgy old-fashioned names?
The last part/ending was really weird. I don't think I liked it.
That makes me sad, since it's got the urban fantasy Harry Dresden (not really) sort of thing going on....
September 6, 2015
It started out exciting, then petered out halfway through before the action picked up again... sorta like a rollercoaster ride. The plot twist towards the end was what made it more interesting, other than that, I found the last 10% a bit bland, which is a bit strange to say because that's where the rest of the action was (you know: piss off the bad guy and he makes you regret it, then you find a way to show him who's really the top dog).
I found Charles much more engaging than Ashley, who came across as a total jerk for much of the book.
I found Charles much more engaging than Ashley, who came across as a total jerk for much of the book.
June 7, 2013
Ok this book surprised me.
I dont say that often in ANY book let alone the m/m genre which I read ALOT of.
I dont think I can say that much without giving away EVERYTHING so what I will say is that - this book is 5000 times better then its blurb. I thought the blurb was okay but it just doesnt do the book justice.
This book is WELL developed with a fantastic plot and GREAT characterisation.
HIGHLY recommended
I dont say that often in ANY book let alone the m/m genre which I read ALOT of.
I dont think I can say that much without giving away EVERYTHING so what I will say is that - this book is 5000 times better then its blurb. I thought the blurb was okay but it just doesnt do the book justice.
This book is WELL developed with a fantastic plot and GREAT characterisation.
HIGHLY recommended
November 9, 2012
Нахожусь в смешанных чувствах от этой книги. Она, по большому счету, неплохо написана, и все при ней, но я же знаю, что автор способна на большее!! Ее The Usual Apocalypse - одна из моих любимых книг. А Half Blind занятна, конечно, но не превзошла.
October 31, 2012
I liked this, more or less. Waffling between 3 and 4 stars. My main complaint at the moment is that IMHO the characters didn't always act consistently within character -- and if they had been consistent, there would have been much better romantic tension/conlict between them.
Hopefully I'll have something more useful to say tomorrow!
Hopefully I'll have something more useful to say tomorrow!
March 3, 2013
I ended up enjoying it very much. It started with a limp but things got better. It wasn't as silly as I expected. I wish there was more magic (I guess, after Harry Potter there is never enough magic). I liked the MCs and how the author build their relationship. It felt good, right, natural. There was humor that is necessary in books like this. IMO, it is a book work reading.
July 18, 2015
This is a heist story with magic mixed in, and as all good heist stories from the Ocean's Eleven or Italian Job neighbourhood it's fast paced, fun, full of banter and shameless flirting. The obligatory twist is heavily foreshadowed from the start, but there is enough red herrings thrown at us before it actually happens to keep us on our toes.
March 2, 2014
Interesting story and romance. I would have liked to see more of the magic aspects of the story, though. The romance between Charles and Ashley just felt kinda off to me and rather quick, especially since Ashley was so straight-laced.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2016
I adore gentleman thieves and law enforcement wizards, so overall I really liked this. I didn't completely buy the relationship earlier in the book, but I liked them a lot by the end. There also were some bits where the plot skipped ahead strangely. Cute.
Want to read
September 17, 2012release date 16th Oct
October 19, 2012
3.5 stars
October 18, 2012
3.5 stars
June 22, 2013
3.5 stars
November 23, 2012
4.5 stars
March 3, 2016
About a 3.75
Not bad for a new to me author. Kind of slow in some spots but an interesting read.
Not bad for a new to me author. Kind of slow in some spots but an interesting read.
October 14, 2015
Did not finish.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews