Magicbound

The Last Mage #1

by ChristaCarol Jones

“To save Aetherealm, you must embrace the evil you fear most. For often, the greatest heroes are those brave enough to wear the mask of a villain.”

In Aetherealm, where magic is woven into the very fabric of the world, the fragile balance between light and dark teeters on the edge of ruin. Rooted in ancient powers, the realm’s equilibrium is delicate, and Lusa, hunted as a mage in a land where magic is now forbidden, is caught between two fates. Her powers are both her greatest weapon and her deadliest curse. Bound to a bounty hunter whose loyalty is as elusive as his past, Lusa must make a choice that will either save the realm—or plunge it into eternal darkness.

As a dark sorcerer rises, ruthlessly extinguishing all who stand in his way, he sets his sights on shattering the light and bending all magic to his will. With the mages of Aetherealm hunted and slain, Lusa is the last one left to confront him. Her Dark Magics, sentient and insidious, pull at her like a puppet master, tempting her with promises of power through terrible acts. To defeat the sorcerer, she may have to surrender to the very evil she’s spent her life resisting. But embracing that power will not only devour her soul, it will forge her into a weapon of destruction, capable of obliterating everything—and everyone—she’s come to love.

293 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 29, 2013

About the author

A former educator turned writer, ChristaCarol infuses her work with a deep exploration of human emotions and character arcs, using imagination to push the boundaries of what’s possible, as seen in her debut novel Magicbound (released 2013). She channels her creativity into novels, TV scripts, and screenplays. When she’s not writing, ChristaCarol can be found losing herself in movies or performing on stage, all while being a proud wife to her soulmate and a mother to three amazing humans.

Reviews

[Lisa]

DNF @ 41%

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a great time reading this and I felt connected to the characters and the story.
Filled with vivid imagery and intricate world building I was easily able to insert myself into the setting.
I liked Lusa, Kaden, and I’ve even got a soft spot for Glon.

[Jonathan D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book. It gives a fresh take on magical abilities with a unique focus on the darker side. I look forward to reading the further adventures of Lusa and seeing what form her dark Magics will be taking.

[Aiden Bock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magicbound is an incredible debut in dark fantasy, with a magical system that’s fresh and exciting and ALIVE. The story follows 16-year-old Lusa, a mage with dangerous and hungry Dark Magic. To save the Aetherealm, she has to embrace her dark side, uncover long-hidden secrets, and face enemies who want her gone—all while trying not to be consumed by her own powers! Lusa is a strong, relatable main character, and she handles her challenges just like you’d expect any teenager in a fantasy world to do. And then there’s the mysterious Kaden, her reluctant and unlikely ally, who just so happens to be a bounty hunter. 😉 The book is fast-paced, full of action, and super easy to get into! C.C.S. Jones does an amazing job with the writing—it’s so vivid, it feels like you’re watching everything unfold like a movie in your mind! I won’t spoil anything, but the story is full of twists, and the ending will leave you wanting more! If you love dark fantasy with great characters and lots of excitement, you’ll love Magicbound!

[Rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magicbound throws you headfirst into chaos, high-stakes quests, deadly battles, and a world crawling with magical creatures that are as fascinating as they are terrifying. The plot is dense, full of danger, and nonstop adventure. The FMC is morally grey and constantly battling the light and dark magic within herself, which makes every choice feel heavy. The MMC is a mysterious bounty hunter with just enough intrigue to keep you guessing. We barely scratch the surface of his story in this book but I’m hoping book two spills his secrets. There is a romance sub plot with light yearning and no spice. If you’re craving a plot-driven fantasy packed with creatures, chaos, and heart wrenching battles, this book delivers.

[Maze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to the author for giving me an eARC of your novel. I am so grateful to have read this book because it is so amazing.

Magicbound is an epic dark fantasy. In Magicbound, Lusa, a rogue mage with dangerous Dark Magics, is forced into an unlikely alliance with a relentless bounty hunter. She’s got to embrace her dark side to become the hero Aetherealm needs, facing deadly enemies, ancient secrets, and powers that threaten to consume her from within. It's fast-paced, full of action and adventure. It is dual pov, mostly from Lusa but with some from the bounty hunter Kaden.

I love the imagery in the writing. The scenes are painted in my mind so beautifully. I also love Lusa's characterisation, her fight with her dark magic, and just everything that happened to do with Lusa's magic. I also enjoy how, despite being the one tasked with the mission, she still has moments where she is more of a child, which she is because she's only 16.

The way the plot unfolded was magical and the climax of the story?? Wow, just wow. It was so good and had me on the edge of my seat tensed in anticipation for what came next. It just kept building up, the tension and anticipation not letting me put it down. And that ending!!!! Omg, I'm still not over it.

This book honestly took me on an emotional roller-coaster, all of the ups and downs, the way everything was explored and unpacked was amazing. I just don't have enough words for how amazing this book is. I'm also still processing everything that happened because it was so profound, and it left me speechless.

[Levian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lusa was the last of her kind, a Dark Mage. during her journey in search of her missing mother, she found a temple filled with dead mages, and getting careless on the road ended her in the hands of a bounty hunter named Kaden. as much as she wanted to do good, her dark magic constantly fought against her for control. she was led to Izier, a kingdom cursed with magic cast by the powerful Lazorious, whom she found herself fighting against soon later. what she did not anticipated for her journey, was falling for Kaden, the most likely person to trade her for a reward instead of saving her like he seemed to be doing.

i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. the book was an absolutely fast read. it took me by surprise on how much i enjoyed the journey Lusa had with Kaden. it was seemingly straightforward yet filled with so much details that i grew to love the duo in no time. as annoying as Lusa's dark magic was, it was also the most delicious twist throughout the book. without it, there would only be adventure and romance, which would be far less alluring and unique in comparison. i was pleased to find myself getting absorbed into the story and looking forward to the coming sequel.

my review: here

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best thing about this book is the richness of the characters. I cared about Lisa from the first few pages. Her internal struggle - literal good vs evil - fuels the action and major decisions in the book. The writing is crisp, the story moves at a brisk pace, and the world building is excellent. I will quickly make room for the next book in the series on my reading list!

[Cierra Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magicbound was so hard to put down! First off all, the descriptions are so vivid that I feel like I'm actually there. I love Lusa and her whole internal dilemma. I also adore Kaden and how well he's able to read her. The characters were so dynamic as a whole, and I'm definitely someone who is all for character growth.

The magic system was nice and fairly balanced. I'd like to learn more about the light mages and how much they differ from the dark. I'd also love to learn more about the elves in this land. The plot was clever, and at points I wasn't sure what they would all do to surpass some of their problems!

[Ingrid Spera · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was... so much. I don't even know how to begin. You have a very angry spitfire called Lusa who battles internal demons (almost literally) and who has significant memory gaps who somehow gets aligned with a very secretive yet charming bounty hunter who plans on turning her in for the reward... they end up saving the world. Without giving too much away, this book is nonstop adventure and action with magical creatures and spells everywhere. I wasn't expecting the book to have so much heart (there were big fats tears at one point-no joke) and it sucked me in straight through the end. Absolutely loved it.

[Stephen Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for fans of High Fantasy and Romantasy! The story follows Lusa, a Dark Mage who’s lost her memories and is thrust into a horrific war while searching for the truth about her past. I was especially drawn to the unique Light and Dark magic system and Lusa’s haunting, almost seductive dance with madness as she balances power with purpose.

Really well done, CCS Jones!

[Stanislav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story. Decent YA RPG game-like

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a great story!

ChristaCarol Jones creates an amazing world that absolutely took me by storm. The vines that strike out, the gore covered prison cell floor and - it's all so real you can smell and feel the fear, the cold floor, the power of the wind from a store or the rush of Dark Magics.

Lusa was a great character. She was a little jumpy and a little sassy, but I understood her pushing people away because of the Dark Magics. That sounded terrifying and awful at how much control they seemed to have.

Kaden was also a wonderful MC. I loved his patience and honesty and even his respect for Lusa, even if he seemed to have funny way of showing it at times. I loved the few chapters that were from his perspective, too, as they added a new depth to the story (to see Lusa from a different perspective and to see the world through his thoughts).

Vallas and Tryston were even great, flushed out, characters as well!

The story had a great pace and I really loved following all the twists and turns!

Thank you to the author for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Bookish Satty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book from the author, free of cost, in exchange of an honest review from my side.

Firstly I would like to thank the author for giving me this opportunity of reading and reviewing this book.

Well, I liked the characters of the book very much and the main lead kept on developing as the story progressed. The concept is truly unique and the execution is awesome. I really loved the series of events that unfolded one by one and totally left me surprised.

There is kick-ass action and the heroine is bad-ass as well, not a whimpering idiot. The suspense gave me goosebumps and the constant tension that whether Lusa will be able to control the monster side of her or not nagged me. The emotions were portrayed beautifully giving us the full access of Lusa's emotions and line of thought and I also liked the ending very much.

The writing style of the author is great but I have a small complaint and that is regarding the slow pacing of the book. Through out the book I felt this problem and it dimmed my excitement a little but that's just one negative point that I felt but as I'm being honest so I'll cut one star for that.

So guys I would definitely recommend this to you and hope that you'll like it as I did. So go ahead and get your hands on this great story. Enjoy !!!