Magic Burning

Carnival of Mysteries

by Kaje Harper

Alan

I haven't been out with a guy in the last two years. Partly because I'm a gay elementary-school teacher in a fairly small, conservative town. Partly because I'm a sorcerer, and dating ordinary humans only leads to trouble. Sleeping with one though? That's doable, so when my birdbrained familiar Sunny lines up a tall, muscular firefighter for me, I'm not going to say no. Just once, though. Maybe twice. I don't need more trouble in my life.

Jason
I don't regret moving back to my hometown and my big family. Well, not much. I'm not out to them, and I miss the anonymity of the big city, but I like the local fire house and the slower-paced life. Still, when I see my niece's teacher, Mr. Hiranchai, in gray sweatpants talking to a mini-parrot on his shoulder, something inside me (or maybe something in front of me) perks up and says "I want that one." I can't have an actual boyfriend, but I sure wouldn't mind getting laid, and Alan's slim, dark-haired, smart-assed style rings all my bells.

It's no surprise we turn out to be great together, even if my job and his responsibilities make it hard to find time. It is a surprise when I realize I want more than just an occasional night. But some weird fires out in the brush keep us firefighters hopping, and when this strange carnival comes to town and lands me with a pair of magical doll shoes, life gets truly confusing. There's more to Alan than he's telling me, and I'm getting a bad, bad feeling about all this.

Magic Burning is a story in the Necromancer universe, 60 years after Marked by Death, and is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains a snarky, matchmaking bird, a lonely young teacher, and a gay firefighter finally coming out to his large family.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Magic, M M Romance, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Contemporary

323 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 26, 2023

About the author

I get asked about my name a lot. It's not something exotic, though. “Kaje” is pronounced just like “cage” – it’s an old nickname, and my pronouns are she/her/hers.

I was born in Montreal but have lived for 30 years in Minnesota, where the two seasons are Snow-removal and Road-repair, where the mosquito is the state bird, and where winter can be breathtakingly beautiful. Minnesota’s a kind, quiet (if sometimes chilly) place and it’s home.

I’ve been writing far longer than I care to admit (*whispers – fifty years*), mostly for my own entertainment, usually M/M romance (with added mystery, fantasy, historical, SciFi…) I also have a few Young Adult stories (some released under the pen name Kira Harp.)

My husband finally convinced me that after all the years of writing for fun, I really should submit something, somewhere. My first professionally published book, Life Lessons, came out from MLR Press in May 2011. I have a weakness for closeted cops with honest hearts, and teachers who speak their minds, and I had fun writing four novels and three freebie short stories in that series. I was delighted and encouraged by the reception Mac and Tony received.

I now have a good-sized backlist in ebooks and print, both free and professionally published. A complete list with links can be found on my website "Books" page at https://kajeharper.com/.

You can find me and my book reviews on my author page here on Goodreads - I hang out on Goodreads a lot because I moderate the Goodreads YA LGBT Books group. I also post free short YA stories on that group, more than 50 of them so far.

You can also find me on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/KajeHarper

Reviews

[Ami · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars rounded up

Honestly, I'm quite annoyed that a couple of books I read (I DNF'ed the other one) from this Carnival of Mysteries series ended up coming from the author's OTHER series. Because then I felt that the Carnival itself was a little underutilized and NOT smoothly blended.

I didn't follow Kaje Harper's Necromancer series - I didn't enjoy the first book very much and didn't had the inkling to read the next ones. So some of the things mentioned here, or any cameos that appeared, were lost on me.

Honestly, I didn't think the magic part of the story was needed. This could be a very strong story WITHOUT the magic present (except for the carnival). Jason's struggle of being truthful to his family about his sexuality. Alan's struggle to take care of his found family (Sylvester could easily be Alan's adopted father that suffered memory decline). Skinny could be a very intelligent bird. It could work as a plain contemporary romance.

I liked the relationship progress enough, but I wasn't impressed with the magic portion. Alan's magic power felt muddy (so he couldn't control his power, so what was it good for?). Jason's acceptance to what happened felt rushed.

It was nice but not my favorite of Harper. Not even close.

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 rounded down

I enjoyed this addition to the series, though I found it distracting that it was also set in one of the author's other universes--pet peeve of mine when authors double dip, particularly with multi-author projects like this, as I think it ends up feeling messy and not all that cohesive. I couldn't even finish the 2nd book, but the first two felt more connected to the series overall than this one did.

But I enjoyed the characters and the general plot, though I did feel like the pacing felt a little rushed at times, and there was something...off. I don't know, something here didn't quite work for me but I can't quite put my finger on what it was, and it wasn't just my complains below, which weren't enough to affect my rating so significantly. I should have enjoyed this more than I did...

I do have a bit of a mini rant to go on about sexual dynamics and author-set expectations which I'm sure will be unpopular but drives me absolutely fucking mad and is something I see quite a lot in this genre. We start off the book/sexual chemistry with a lot of Alan thinking about being fucked by Jason, heavily setting the expectation that he prefers bottoming. After they get involved but before smut actually happens, it drops that they're both vers. Which is a smidge of a departure from the expectations we've set so far, but totally within reason. Then they actually fuck and it turns out Jason actually prefers bottoming, and that's mostly what we get, which is the exact opposite of what the book set up expectations for. Now, I don't care about the actual characters' preferences at all, what I care about is the author explicitly implying and setting up certain expectations and build, and then pulling a bait and switch when it came time to deliver. It feels deceptive at worst, and, at best, like the author didn't actually know their characters while writing and then didn't bother to go back through their manuscript and correct it so things felt more cohesive. And yes, I get that maybe this is more like how things could hypothetically evolve IRL, but this isn't IRL, this is a book, a romance novel in fact, and there are certain expectations readers have and that authors are explicitly guiding with their writing, and when it feels like authors are steering readers wrong, it leaves a feeling of disappointment and unmet expectations--expectations that the author set in the first place.

Also, there were several comments throughout the book that show the author's anti-fat bias. Subtle ones, yes, but those are often the most insidious and these were all 100% unnecessary to the plot. This is something I would really love for the author to work on to provide a safer space for readers, as I feel like they're generally quite thoughtful with it comes to other biases.

[QuietlyKat]

This is really just a note to self:
I have mixed feelings.
I wanted to DNF a few times but am glad I persisted.
There were things I liked but more that frustrated the heck out of me and some that straight up pissed me off.

Don’t read again. If I’m ever tempted to read again, check the notes I wrote in the book before starting.

I wanted to like this one. I expected to like this one. It is set in the future of Harper’s Necromancer world. I loved that series but this was such a huge miss for me I’ll be nervous picking up anything by this author again 😬😭

[Jenn (not Lily) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars
I LOVED seeing this world 60 years after the Necromancer books! Life has obviously progressed, and some things are better than during Silas and Darien's time, but it's also beautiful how not everything is perfect. I want more of these two (and Sunny, of course) -- pretty please?!

Edit: SEQUEL, WOO HOO!!! Magic Escaping currently scheduled to publish 8/7/24

[Molly Otto · Rating 4 out of 5]

A promising start to a new combined universe, the chemistry is fun from the characters but the all the missed opportunities were starting to annoy me. My heart went for Alan trying to remain positive even when Jason's family is making their lives more difficult than necessary. Lots of action especially in the second half, looking forward to reading more from this combined universe.

Arc provided by GRR

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one's quite good. Not only is the romance complex enough, but the worldbuilding is great, the thoughtfulness of the plot is impressive, and the humor works great. There's also aging, coming out, honesty, forgiveness, mistakes, and limitations. I expect a lot from this author, and she delivered.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3.75 stars

I’m a long time fan of Kaje Harper’s and I find her writing is often smooth and engaging and her characters well done. All of that remains true for Magic Burning, a novel set within her extended Necromancer universe and, while I didn’t love everything about this one, Harper’s dependable writing and characters make it worth a read. This is part of the wider Carnival of Mysteries multi-author series, but can be read as a standalone.

On the whole, I enjoyed Magic Burning and, while I wish that the world building had been stronger and more defined, the characters and overall plot helped balance everything out. Harper’s relaxed and natural writing style made this a fun read and it’s one I think most fans of fantasy-light stories will enjoy.

Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very promising first book. I loved it, to be honest. I have the feeling I should remember Sylvester from a past necromancer book, but I sadly can't. I loved the little cameos of the necromancer characters too. I am actually looking forward to the new adventures. It feels nice and fresh yet also familiar

[Aelfwina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started out interesting, but evolved into mush, where I could not even tell the two MCs apart any more.

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've given this a B at AAR.

Kaje Harper’s entry in the multi-author  Carnival of Mysteries  series is a small-town romance between a lonely elementary school teacher – who happens to be a sorcerer – and a sexy firefighter, featuring a snarky, fast-talking Conure and more than a touch of magic. The series is eventually going to boast sixteen titles and they can be read in any order; each one contains at least one visit to Errante’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse travelling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides which changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special.  Magic Burning is a fun read with an intriguing storyline, the leads are likeable and their romance is nicely done.

School teacher Alan Hiranchai is out and proud – but is still hiding a very personal secret. He’s an unregistered sorcerer who has never learned to properly control his considerable power. In this world, magic is known to exist, but after a series of conflicts between ordinary humans and sorcerers known as The Upheavals, the magical community is now widely believed to be fairly ineffectual, confined to spiritualism and fortune-telling. Which is exactly how the sorcerers want things to stay; if they’re thought to have very little power, it’s safer for them all-round. Given that he never uses magic (because he can’t control it) Alan has never registered with the Sorcerers’ Council and is okay with flying under the radar.

Not flying under the radar, however, is Alan’s familiar, Sunny, a matchmaking Conure who is determined to set Alan up with hottie firefighter, Jason Miller. When the book opens, Sunny has faked yet another fire alarm in the building Alan lives in (for a twelve-inch bird, he’s really loud!), leading to another call-out for Jason’s crew. This time, however, Jason gives Alan his number before he leaves, and even though Alan knows sorcerers and ordinary humans shouldn’t mix, he decides to give Jason a call. After all, he’s not planning on marrying the guy – a few, hot, sweaty hook-ups are all he’s really looking for.

Jason has been interested in Alan – who happens to be his niece’s class teacher – for a while, but he’s not out, fearing that his big, fairly conservative family will turn their backs on him if he tells them who he really is. They all live in the same small town where everyone knows everyone and their business, his older brother is his boss at the firehouse and… yeah, he doesn’t plan on ending his twenty years in the closet any time soon.

Until he meets Alan, that is. Alan makes use of Jason’s number, they agree to meet up for dinner and to see where things go from there, and neither of them is thinking beyond a nice meal and possibly getting horizontal later on. Unfortunately, Jason is called out to an emergency, but even though they didn’t get to the sexy part of the evening, they enjoyed each other’s company enough to want to see each other again. Alan very quickly works out that Jason is closeted; it’s not ideal but he does get it – and anyway, it’s not like he’s signing up to be Jason’s dirty little secret long-term. A few rolls in the hay should be enough to see out his crush. Shouldn’t it?

The next time Alan and Jason get together, it’s Alan who has to leave early when his best friend – Erin, a healer – calls him in a panic to tell him that his former mentor, Sylvester (now in his nineties and not always as compos mentis as he used to be), has disappeared. Sylvester is safely retrieved and returned to Erin’s care – but the next time Alan sees him, he’s decided to summon him a familiar (forgetting Alan already has one in Sunny) and ends up summoning a firedrake which promptly flies off, intoning “Catch me if you can!”

It’s down to Alan to find the creature and send it back where it came from – but that’s a lot easier said than done, especially since Alan is unregistered and is therefore unable to request any help from the local Sorcerers’ Council. He can’t tell Jason what’s going on – even though firedrakes are drawn to fire and there is bound to be an increase in the number of fires in the area – and the fact that his own magic is so unpredictable doesn’t help. But he’s got to try, before the creature sets the town ablaze.

Kaje Harper does a great job here of intertwining the magical plot with the developing romance between Alan and Jason, which is sexy, sweet and full of chemistry. While they both start out wanting just a few hook-ups, it doesn’t take long for them to realise that there’s the potential for something more between them, and that they’re catching feelings; there’s a very real connection between them and their mutual affection comes through strongly. I liked the way Ms. Harper handles Jason’s coming out – there’s a bit of family drama but not too much, and his brother’s reaction is a nice surprise. There’s just one visit to the Carnival of Mysteries in this story, but it’s well-integrated, and the author imbues the place with a real sense of mystery and unpredictability. The big showdown, in which Alan struggles to trap the firedrake and send it back, is vividly written edge-of-the-seat stuff.

Magic Burning is set in the same world as Kaje Harper’s Necromancer series, but it’s a standalone; some characters from that series make cameo appearances, but you don’t need to read those books for this one to make sense.

If you’re in the market for a light-hearted fantasy romance, then you should definitely check this one out. It’s an entertaining read with a captivating magical storyline, a nice dash of humour, and a steamy, heartfelt romance at its centre. The worldbuilding is solid, and Sunny – whom Alan describes as a “combination of a yenta and Groucho Marx” is a terrific side-kick. I really enjoyed it and will probably check out some of the other books in the series to see what the other authors have made of Errante’s  Carnival of Mysteries !

This review originally appeared at All About Romance

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time)]

Thank you for the gift, Sandy Claws!!

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I loved Alan, Jason, and Sunny! Although it took a bit to get to the carnival and some action, I enjoyed seeing Alan and Jason get to know each other. Sunny was so entertaining, I loved him.

I want to know more about the Upheaval, and would love to have a book with my favourite necromancer and weaver back at it, but it was nice to connect with Darien, Silas, Jasper, Hamish and the familiars if only briefly.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a fantastic story, magnificent characters and a great ending. And it leaves me wanting more.

Rating: 5🌈

Magic Burning is a perfect example of why I find these types of series so exciting. Kaje Harper’s story incorporates the central theme of a mysterious otherworldly carnival smoothly into her multi-layered narrative. The author weaves the Carnival of Mysteries seamlessly within the novel’s important topics of late coming out, parallel existing worlds, magical governments with its own governing bodies and laws, dysfunctional families, found families, and fighting for love once found.

And did I even mention fires and the firefighters?

Harper has so many elements here and uses them superbly. Some in combination and some are addressed individually.

The magical aspect, which has so many of its own unique features, is centered around the character of Alan Hiranchai. He’s gay, Thai-American, fourth grade teacher, and an unregistered sorcerer. That last bit plays into the magical universe that’s a part of a previous series of Harper’s and it’s folded into the world building here. One where sorcery has always been a part of human history, it’s use both for good and evil purposes leading to wars and political instability. Now unbeknownst to humans, the magical realm has made new rules and withdrawn, making magic users seem useless to the human world.

This is a beautifully crafted aspect of the story and deeply rooted for Alan as far as his history and his personal abilities. And it will play out into how his relationship with firefighter might be affected.

Jason, the human firefighter, is another fantastic character. A solid dependable person, leader of his team, but one struggling with his own sexuality. He’s afraid to admit he’s gay to his large conservative family which includes his firefighter family as well. His strengths as a firefighter are believable, the bonds formed between the group realistic. And the pain of his coming out to his family is heartbreaking.

Apart and together, Alan and Jason are a formidable team. And I haven’t even addressed Alan’s hilarious familiar, a conure named Sunny. I need more of every one in this book actually.

There’s quite a bit here I haven’t even delved into. Marvelous work of narrative storytelling that brings together side groups of characters you can’t get enough of, and more fascinating interactions from magical beings that begs for more time and tales.

It’s a fantastic story, magnificent characters and a great ending. And it leaves me wanting more.

Magic Burning (Carnival of Mysteries story) by Kaje Harper is a highly recommended book! Grab it up immediately! And prepare yourself for a delightful trip into a magical place!

Love these covers!

Carnival of Mysteries series:
- [x] Crow's Fate by Kim Fielding❤️
- [x] Step Right Up by L.A. Witt
- [x] Magic Burning by Kaje Harper ❤️
- [ ] Night-blooming Hearts by Megan Derr - Aug 2,
- [ ] Assassin by Accident by E.J.Russell-Aug16
- [ ] Dryad on Fire by Nicole Dennis - Sept 13
- [ ] Gods and Monsters by Rachel Langella - October 25

[Theresa Derwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interfering Birdbrains, Heat and HEA

“I am Errante Ame, and this is my Carnival.”

Part of a shared universe, this novel is set decades after one if Harper's main book series, but also has relevant, important scenes at the magical, travelling carnival.

The carnival is the link between a number of books, each one featuring the main characters experiencing it.

In this one, Jason, the gorgeous firefighter, is closeted, at thirty-six, whilst Alan is an out and proud school teacher, and limited sorcerer, whose power whilst strong, is erratic at best.

Then there's his birdbrained mini-parrot familiar, Sunny.

Sunny has a wonderful habbit of imitating fire alarms in the building, resulting in call outs for the firefighters, mostly when Jason is on duty.

It's no coincidence; Sunny is a match-making meddler.

Unable to resist, hoping for a bit of fun, Alan asks Jason out.

There's quite a few obstacles along the way, including work for Jason, Alan's elderly mentor Sylvester who has Alzheimer's/dementia and an increase in local fires.

Sorcerers keep their existence low profile, thanks to 'The Great Spell' that keeps them looking harmless and underestimated.

Part romance, part action, part comedy, Alan and Jason deal with coming out, bigotry, caring for someone with memory loss and small town gossips.

We get plenty of cute as well as sexy scenes, heartfelt moments and poignant scenes too.

Sunny is great comic relief though.

We also get a cameo from Darien and Silas, near the end, from the Necromancer books by Harper, set in the 1960s. I've not read them, but we get enough context littered through the narrative to know a bit about them, and the Upheavals.

It's a great, involved book with terrific characters, sizzling chemistry and lots of laughs.

I want more adventures with Jason, Alan and their found family.

Pure Magic.

[Fay MMBookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic woven story that kept me reading to see what would happen. I cant wait to read more for this series.
Alan and his special feathery friend, Sunny gets Alan in trouble again with the fire department. I just had to laugh in the opening scenes.
Alan was a sorcerer who had a crush on the sexy fireman.
Jason was the captain of his firehouse who had a large family with all the dramas.
Oh gosh there’s no mucking around for Alan with saying what he wants in this at the start. Attraction is there for both of them but they get blocked at every turn, I wasn't to fond of those scenes.
Jason was closeted to his family and friends. I felt for Alan with the phone call he received from Jason, but he handles it well with humor.
Scenes progress with sexy times, fires, carnivals, dangers and more.
Lots happen with the dramas especially the last half of the book which I really loved. Told with both povs for a great ending.

*An GRR advanced readers copy.

[Deeze · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm

While this was certainly interesting I felt the Carnival side was secondary to the story.

Alan is magical and the story was more about him with the Carnival a small side story.

I did enjoy the story and the romance was nice but nothing special.

Sunny was a hoot.

[Natalie H · Rating 4 out of 5]

August 2025
Kindle edition

I did like it, but I think it was too close after reading Changes going on. Coming out was the main issue for one and a fire creating drake was the issue for the other. Another spin off so may give the other one a go. The aunt was awful.

[Julie Kersten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, might have been better without the magic

I did not care for the sorcerer plot in this book. I felt it detracted a bit from the overall love story. I liked how the carnival of mysteries was inserted into the story. I wished there had been more of a warning about the burns.

[Dumbledore11214 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alan

I haven't been out with a guy in the last two years. Partly because I'm a gay elementary-school teacher in a fairly small, conservative town. Partly because I'm a sorcerer, and dating ordinary humans only leads to trouble. Sleeping with one though? That's doable, so when my birdbrained familiar Sunny lines up a tall, muscular firefighter for me, I'm not going to say no. Just once, though. Maybe twice. I don't need more trouble in my life.

Jason
I don't regret moving back to my hometown and my big family. Well, not much. I'm not out to them, and I miss the anonymity of the big city, but I like the local fire house and the slower-paced life. Still, when I see my niece's teacher, Mr. Hiranchai, in gray sweatpants talking to a mini-parrot on his shoulder, something inside me (or maybe something in front of me) perks up and says "I want that one." I can't have an actual boyfriend, but I sure wouldn't mind getting laid, and Alan's slim, dark-haired, smart-assed style rings all my bells.

It's no surprise we turn out to be great together, even if my job and his responsibilities make it hard to find time. It is a surprise when I realize I want more than just an occasional night. But some weird fires out in the brush keep us firefighters hopping, and when this strange carnival comes to town and lands me with a pair of magical doll shoes, life gets truly confusing. There's more to Alan than he's telling me, and I'm getting a bad, bad feeling about all this.

Magic Burning is a story in the Necromancer universe, 60 years after Marked by Death, and is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains a snarky, matchmaking bird, a lonely young teacher, and a gay firefighter finally coming out to his large family.



Review:

I enjoyed several books by Kaje Harper and even when I find them flawed, I still enjoyed discussing them, so when I stumbled upon this book on Kindle Unlimited I happily one clicked.

As blurb notes, apparently this is part of multi authors series where the only point of connection is that the characters at some point of the story visit a very special Carnival. Presumably, nothing else connects the stories. I say presumably because I have not read any other story in this series yet and if the selling point was the Carnival, well let's just say that I found the visit to that Carnival to be one of the weaker points of this one.

To be more specific, if we were to delete the visit from this story, I do not believe much of anything would have changed in the narrative. I know the characters receive some Magical McGuffins at the carnival, but I mostly rolled my eyes at that and I *love* when magic plays part in the narrative.

Otherwise however, I really liked this long novella or short novel despite the fact that it is set up in the Necromancer series universe which I abandoned after reading the first two entries.

I liked both Jason and Allan a whole lot, I liked that we got to see how dedicated they both were to the jobs they had, in fact it looked like their careers were in many ways their passion and I appreciated that. I loved seeing how much Allan liked teaching, because man I see and hear enough criticism of the teachers in real life lately and would love love to see more wonderful teachers as literary characters. Sorry I digressed :).

I really like how the author built the very real potential conflict between them since Jason was not out as the story begins and as much as Allan likes him, he really does not plan to go back in the closet as much as Jason's worries may be very real. I thought it was nicely done and I sympathized with them both.

And I thought that in a way author mixed magic and realism in the story very well, because while Allan keeps secrets from Jason about him being a sorcerer and magical world around him, the main issue which keeps heating up is connected to Allan's mentor being ill with a very real illness and of course the involvement of magic eventually makes this storyline explode.

I thought it was cool how coming out or not coming out did not come between them, but magical secrets did do that.

So, what I did not like ? Well, it relates to magic of this world and thank you Ami for making me realize what was bugging me. I read her review after I was finished and I figured it out . While I don't think that magic was unnecessary extra in this book, I don't think that everything about magic was smoothly handled either.

I already mentioned that Carnival and related things mostly caused me to roll my eyes. I also felt as if Allan's power was sticking out a bit and not in a good way. I guess maybe author plans to continue the series, but if not, mentioning that Allan cannot control his powers much in the beginning and nothing much changing in this department felt strange.

3.5-3.75

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this addition to the Carnival of Mysteries series, a multi-author series where each story includes at least one trip to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries. The books can be read in any order.

Magic Burning is a fun and intersting story about a sorcerer, Alan Hiranchai, who doesn't have much control over his magic and a closeted fighterfighter, Jason Miller. It's set in Kaje Harper's Necromancer world so the worldbuilding is well-established. In that alternate world magic is real and known, but the Great Spell influences how non-magical humans see the magical world. Basically, they aren't very interested in it and don't have any idea of it's power.

Alan's familiar, a conure named Sunny, is determined to set Alan up with the sexy firefighter so he keeps imitating the fire alarm at Alkan's apartment building to bring them together. The book opens with the third call out the firefighters have been on to the apartment. Jason, although deep in the closet, is attracted to Alan, and under the pretext of "give me a call if you have questions," gives him his number. Alan knows Jason must be closeted, plus he's a non-magical human, but he decides to call him anyway. After all, Jason is hot and a little mutual fun would be really nice!

The story starts off a little slowly, with the two meeting for dinner or trying to get together multiple times only to be interrupted by call-outs for Jason or a family emergency for Alan. The pace quickens once the groundwork is laid and the action starts. Alan has a found family, including his aging mentor, Sylvester, who is developing demenia, a healer named Erin who takes care of Sylvester, and her apprentice, Dale. Sylvester gets past the magic wards meant to protect him one evening and summons a firedrake, a creature with a mischevious spirit who is made of fire. Now Alan needs to find a way to send the firedrake back, and his spotty control over his magic worries him.

Along with Alan keeping secrets (he's a sorcerer!) from Jason and the need to recapture the firedrake before it causes a fire disaster, we also follow along as Jason decides whether he's willing to come out of the closet in order to keep Alan, and Alan has to figure out if there is any future with a non-magical human who aren't suppose to know about the real truth about magic.

The story really picks up once the firedrake arrives, with Ms. Harper skillfully blending the firedrake plotline with the budding romance between Alan and Jason. It's quite clever and fun!

[Taylin Clavelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for Love Bytes – 4 hearts
When Alan’s familiar, a mischievous Conure named Sunny, engineered a meeting between his human, and Jason, a muscular firefighter; neither man expected they’d find their soul mate. After all, it wasn’t done for sorcerers to date humans – a quick roll in the sack, yes – but nothing serious.
Magic Burning is a lovely story made all the more enjoyable by the show's star – Sunny. The characters are brave and have plenty to learn about life, magic, family, and love. Their journey to something special was a page-turning read with obstacles on the way.
The story is told in the first person from the viewpoints of Jason and Alan and is technically sound. Worldbuilding suited my tastes as it settled in that sweet zone - enough to form a picture in my mind without going OTT.
Sunny’s opening-page antics gave him a firmly loved place in the story. Yet the wider cast was varied between work, and family who had a range of views on homosexuality, the enigmatic members of the Carnival of Mysteries, and the world of magic.
Alan is a sorcerer who has issues controlling his power. As this is primarily a paranormal book, I got to experience these issues with him. He also must deal with the directive of keeping his talents undisclosed vs the dilemma of keeping secrets from Jason – especially as their connection deepens. One aspect of Alan’s life is coping with his mentor, who has dementia. This element of the story has its amusing parts and its heartbreaking ones.
Back in his small hometown, Jason is a brave muscular firefighter. And here is my only gripe about the story. I got to experience Alan’s days as a teacher, and his use of magic, but fires are part of this story, too, and other than a couple of magical ones, I didn’t experience what Jason went through during a fire. I was shown the aftermath but mostly told about the rest. A fireman was chosen as the other protagonist, so I wanted to experience Jason in his job too.
The story has several cockblocking events alongside a super balance of humor, drama, and heartbreak. Bravo on a balanced page-turner of a tale.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for
Love Bytes.

[Gabbi Grey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it and Sunny steals the show!

I admit necromancers, sorcerers, familiars, and healers are a bit beyond me. That being said, I’m a huge Kaje Harper fan and will happily grab anything of hers. Magic Burning came at just the right time as I was ready for something that would take me out of my comfort zone of contemporary gay romances without twists. Man, this book had twists. It’s part of a series and I plan to check out the other ones as well.

I’ll start by saying I adored the two main characters. Jason the hunky firefighter who’s so far into the closet that daylight is out of reach. He lives in the small town, works with his brother, and is afraid of upsetting his family. Those dynamics wind up being strained and he wasn’t entirely wrong to panic about the chance of being outed.

Alan is pretty much the opposite. Petite, Asian, a third-grade teacher and, oh, very out. In fact, he makes no secret of his sexuality. He doesn’t want parents to later complain that he was indoctrinating their children. Quite relevant these days.

Okay, so here’s where things get a little…odd. Alan is a sorcerer. And he has the most hilarious familiar, Sunny. Sunny is entertaining. Seriously steals the show. Or the book. Because he’s not an ordinary bird. He’s up on twentieth century tech, despite the fact he’s almost one-hundred years old. And when Alan and his friends are in trouble, Sunny knows just who to call. I haven’t read Kaje’s previous necromancer books, but readers who have will enjoy the cameos. And if you haven’t, like me, you’ll be just fine.

Anyway, in so many ways Jason and Alan shouldn’t work. Sorcerer – human. Out – in the closet. Fireman and…well, I don’t want to give away too much.

This was a great book that kept me on the edge of my seat. I can’t wait to read more books in the series as well as Kaje’s next release.

Finally…the epilogue. OMG, side-splitting, hilarious, and adorable. Made me almost want a Sunny of my own.

Almost…

[Choyang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magic Burning, Carnival of Mysteries'
by Kaje Harper

Such an interesting book! This was a wonderful foray into the world of magic & mystery, the world of 'non-ordinary' reality interspaced within the 'ordinary reality' of Earth humans!

Loved the two MCs, Jason (the firefighter) and Alan (the socerer/grade-school teacher), plus Alan's parrot-type bird familiar, Sunny. Omg, what a mouth on it...and an attitude! Loved it! All-in-all the bird was a great backup during some nail-biting adventures and sometimes almost lethal interactions.

Great side characters, too!

It's rough on them having to deal with Jason still being a closeted gay and being around his family, some of whom are extremely homophobic.
And Alan, constantly under threat of being evicted from his apartment due to Sunny's talent of perfectly mimicking a really LOUD fire alarm! There's some really funny & snarky banter and behavior in here, and a big dose of unexplainable magical occurances!

Besides the bird's silliness, and the initial awkwardness of our MCs trying to hook up, plus the eventual steamy sexual scenarios playing out between our MCs, them juggling their jobs and family issues, there are serious life & death situations forcing them to deal with some unforeseen consequences of their actions!

Also, that mysterious Carnival, it's owner and it's denizons, was very intriguing; I can't wait to find out more!

Note: I've been reading this series out of order and it hasn't seemed to matter, so far at least, but I may re-think this.
Oh, and this is my 2nd re-read of this book; it's on my "keep" shelf...um, welp, not so much a shelf as a few boxes...(grin)

Anyway, this was a really fun and engaging storyline, especially if you like magical mysteries and sweet spicy men falling for each other in the midst of chaos!

Two thumbs up! 👍👍

[Kendra Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC received from GRR for an honest review.

Alan and Jason are both hiding something that can have them losing something important if it gets out. Together they think they're only scratching an itch but before long they're in over their heads. They are both good for each other and they just need to get over their fears and jump. Alan's family doesn't really accept that he's gay but that's okay because he has a found family that accepts him in all his foibles. Jason has a family that accepts the him they think he is but will they continue to accept when they find out the real him? Will these two be able to overcome the troubles of dating when all the secrets come flying out?

This is a well written book with romance, paranormal and magical aspects. I really liked the parts of each MC daytime jobs that were put in the book. It showed us bits of them on their own and what kind of person they are separately. Then the times together start slow but heat up fairly fast with a few unwelcome halts thrown in. When Jason decides to introduce Alan to his family things are rocky but Jason has some family on his side and he's not willing to back down to the others. I liked that his niece is named Kendra (for obvious reasons) as it isn't seen very often in books. I also like that Jason dropped everything for her and went to help without berating her. When the two MC go to the carnival things get really interesting. It made me wish I could have been there too. Then when all the secrets come out we find out how strong these two really are. It was nice to see MCs from the Necromancer series. Lastly Sunny was a total hoot and I loved every minute he had on page. Hopefully Kaje will have more books in this world to follow up?!

[Elizabeth D · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 Non-accepting families is one of my least favourite tropes in MM novels. I know it’s a sad reality, but it makes me unhappy, and I want my romances to make me happy, lol. Alan and Jason both have to put up with prejudice or worry about prejudice, and Jason’s closeted status is a major part of the book. The secret that Alan needs to keep about sorcery is equally big, meaning there’s a lot of hiding and secrets in this book (and a really rough gaslighting scene).

That being said, the world is super interesting. (It was fun to flash forward from the Marked by Death days, and I appreciated the cameos, even though I’ve only read book 1). Sunny was hilarious and awesome (and very opinionated, lol). The carnival was mysterious and fun, and I liked how it was a bigger mystery than anyone in book could explain. I liked both Jason and Alan, laughed at their inability to get together successfully in the first third of the book, and really enjoyed their relationship when it started to have more cuddles and movies and hanging out. The good people in their family/found family groups were pretty great.

I wasn’t sure how everything was going to be resolved but was pretty happy with it overall. I thought we might learn more about Alan’s magic than we did. That still felt unfinished to me, like there might be a continuing story one day. I feel like Alan and Jason still need some more time to be fully confident in their relationship (I wish Alan had shared more at the end to show much much things had changed), but fortunately, they’ve got Sunny to help them out. ;)

I received an ARC from GRR. This is my honest review.

[Anne Barwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story, and need to play catchup with the author’s Necromancer series, and the rest of the Carnival stories. I particularly liked the mix of small-town with paranormal, and family/found family. Alan and Jason are both good guys with secrets, and Sunny, Alan’s familiar, totally rocks. I also enjoyed the role the carnival played in the story.

I loved how Alan is very open about his sexuality, and stands up for himself, yet struggles with his power, and convinces himself he can’t have a future with a human. Jason is keeping a huge secret from his family, which isn’t easy in a small town where he’s constantly running into them. I enjoyed how their attempts to get together are constantly derailed by both their responsibilities, and how Jason finally finds out about Alan’s magic.

Sunny totally steals every scene he’s in, and he’s the best friend Alan needs. I loved the other characters especially Alan’s found family, and Jason’s brother, Chris. I thought Jason’s coming out to his family was realistic, with not everyone being supportive.

The plot with the firedrake was nicely done. That thing is a menace! I liked how it wasn’t easy to be rid of it, and consequences in doing so.

The carnival is intriguing, and I need to read the rest of the series to find out more about. There’s definitely more to the red shoes than meets the eye, and I loved the part they played. I hope the hint that this might be only the beginning of Alan and Jason’s adventures wasn’t just wishful thinking on my part. I’d love to see more of them.

[Fritz42 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a nice (what I call) addition to Kaje Harper's Necromancer series. Now in the present, we meet Alan, a sorcerer with power and no control, and his familiar, a conure named Sunny. Due to Sunny's repeated machinations pretending to be the fire alarm, Alan finally gets Jason's number. Jason, one of the firefighters called to Alan's apartment building on a false alarm, and a man that Alan is clearly attracted to.

Normally, sorcerers aren't allowed to have close relationships with humans, but Alan lies to himself by thinking it's all superficial. Jason is also somewhat reluctant to acknowledge how serious their relationship is becoming because he is deeply closeted, especially to his family in the area and at work.

Things greatly change when they both go to a carnival that appears at their town for a day. It starts a change in their lives and gives them unexpected "gifts." The event that shatters the wall between Jason's humanity and Alan's magic is explosive, and I couldn't read fast enough in order to find out what would happen to them.

The wonderful "cherries on top" in this story are being able to see Jasper and the Professor along with Darien, Silas, Pip, and Grim again. Knowing they are still "with us" was such a pleasure, and I am seriously hoping that we'll see more of them in Magic Escaping.

[Susana · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many reasons why sorcerers should keep away from non magical people, but when your nosy (and very loud) familiar seems to be focused on getting you and the hot fireman of your dreams together… What is a sorcerer to do? Get ready for a good time, and hope for non-too-serious consequences…
Alan is an elementary school teacher who is hiding a secret. He is an unregistered sorcerer, with lots of power but a ridiculous lack of control. But he’s got a familiar, Sunny, a nosy and opinionated bird decided to bring trouble into his life… in the form of Jason, a very sexy and also deeply closeted fireman. Despite Alan’s attempts to keep things going smoothly between them, they both have secrets that may cause a lot of trouble for them…
This was a really great story. I loved the main characters, but also the secondary ones. The fact that Alan is a powerful but flawed sorcerer and Jason, despite being really nice, is closeted and afraid to come out to a non-very-accepting family makes them even more interesting. I really enjoyed the magic element, and Errante’s carnival was so intriguing and enticing…. Makes me want to read all the books in this series
Simply great
I received an ARC and this is my voluntary review

[AshPenny37 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I jumped into Magic Burning because I'm intrigued about this multi-author shared-world series…and, let's face it, what PNR fan doesn't love the idea of a carnival run by mysterious and ‘gifted’ people? Then I found out as I stated reading - because I didn't really take much notice of the blurb - that this book is set in the author’s Necrokancer series world. There are cameo appearances, but you don’t necessarily have to have read those books to enjoy this one.

I really liked Alan and Jason . as main characters. Alan is a teacher whose brilliant approach comes across as ‘teach, don’t preach’ and it shows his caring and open personality, Jason, meanwhile, as an experienced firefighter who, although he has some issues with his family, remains caring, attentive and open to a relationship with Alan

The plot, as you would expect from a paranormal romance, gives us plenty of spooky moments, as well as an accidentally summoned fire sprite. There’s lots of comedy, and this is mostly coming from Sunny - Alan’s bird Familiar.

Alan's friends and mentor are great - I love the found family vibe and the support they give each other when they really need their people around them.

As my first toe-dip into the Carnival Of Mysteries series, I'll admit to being intrigued how the curious carnies will influence other stories. I'll definitely give more of these books a whirl. 4*

An ARC was provided by GRR. This is my honest review.

[Juniper · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a tale as old as time: a firefighter, a wizard, a wizard’s meddling familiar… All kidding aside, I found a lot to like here. Alan (our wizard) and Jason (our firefighter) have tons of chemistry and a real connection, as well as a variety of challenges to overcome. The magic of Alan’s existence is vibrant and engrossing and makes dating people unaware of it difficult. Jason’s challenges are more mundane but no less significant– he’s not out to his family and friends. Magic, secrets, mishaps, and romance make for an intriguing blend here, and they’re all skillfully woven into an engaging narrative (plus…Sunny the familiar is pure delight, and there’s a magical carnival as an overarching series premise, which is a draw in and of itself). As a final note, this story is also set in the same world as the author’s Necromancer series, but can easily work as a standalone read.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.