What do you think?
Rate this book
Lethal Magic #1
The Feral
It's brains and bullets against magic and monsters in this action packed military fantasy. Special Forces with state-of-the-art hardware and tech, battling against a supernatural invasion.
They are our last line of defense against the horrors in the dark. Meet the rag-tag soldiers of Empire One, struggling to fight a secret war for what it means to be human.
Their aims are simple. Get in, get the job done, get home alive. Don’t get eaten.
Easier said than done.
The War on Terror just got supernatural, and nobody expected monsters to turn up in broad daylight.
LETHAL MAGIC is the first book in the series, a fantasy set in the contemporary world of terrorism, espionage and modern warfare, where myth, magic and monsters are horrifyingly real.
They are our last line of defense against the horrors in the dark. Meet the rag-tag soldiers of Empire One, struggling to fight a secret war for what it means to be human.
Their aims are simple. Get in, get the job done, get home alive. Don’t get eaten.
Easier said than done.
The War on Terror just got supernatural, and nobody expected monsters to turn up in broad daylight.
LETHAL MAGIC is the first book in the series, a fantasy set in the contemporary world of terrorism, espionage and modern warfare, where myth, magic and monsters are horrifyingly real.
- GenresFantasy
398 pages, ebook
First published February 2, 2014
24 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 22, 2018
Action
Lots of action and good dark fantasy to keep you reading and wondering what next, if you like action and fantasy this will get your attention and drag you into the world of this author.
Lots of action and good dark fantasy to keep you reading and wondering what next, if you like action and fantasy this will get your attention and drag you into the world of this author.
August 20, 2015
Review Originally Posted At: FictionForesight
In accordance with current FTC Guidelines, please let it be known this book was received in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The Feral is an accounting of an elite and clandestine unit of the UK’s Special Forces, called Empire One. Like the rest of UKSF, Major Thom Usher and his team deal in reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, hostage situations, etc. What sets them apart is their specific enemy, as covert as Special Task Group (STG) Empire One themselves, an organization with footholds in anti-government operations around the globe: The Unseelie Court. “Fairies?” I hear you say. “The most dangerous military regiment in the UK fights fairies?” In short, yes. But in long – not at all. This is not a fairy tale, it is a horror story. These Fae are twisted, nefarious, and beastly. They have spent centuries coming through “thin spots” between our realm and theirs, snarling their malevolent fingers into the threads of human history, trying to grab hold. And they are finally succeeding. Only Usher’s ragged, battle-hardened group of soldiers will be able to stop them.
We follow Empire One and their associates through heart-pounding battles, underworld ring fights, espionage, and hair-raising encounters with the Other Side’s worst denizens. Jenkins demonstrates a firm grip on the craft of storytelling as the pace of the book rarely slows. There is very little time for character back story, yet he sneaks enough in for us to grow attached to our STG protagonists. Each character is their own fleshy person, with motivations and characteristics that aren’t taken from a list of tropes. It is for this reason that when our heroes get into trouble, their adrenaline courses through our veins. We feel their horror as they watch lackeys get torn limb from limb and can nearly smell the viscera. Consequences have clout, and when a protagonist gets backed into a corner we genuinely fear for them. The villains are a little bit more predictable – surly Russian mob boss, immortal ghoul mastermind – but they are compelling. They are few enough and motivated enough to stand out in the imagination. Not a single character is forgettable.
What’s most impressive is the delicate line the author treads between reality as we know it and the dark shadows filled with Unseelie creatures. Empire One inhabits a world of combat tactics and ballistics science, their defenses against their magical enemies are wholly real to us. Their London, their desert and Arctic, their Earth are the same as ours. When creatures from another realm are thrust into the story it would be so easy to create a disconnect, to stop believing. But every time something impossible happens – a djinn surrounds a fighter in fiery sand, or ghoul unhinges his jaw, or we come across a portal to a fairy town – we are given in the same breath something visceral and real to bring us back. Muzzle flash. The texture of bones grinding together. The sound of glass shattering. Something in the structure of the narrative combines the two worlds, allowing us to suspend disbelief almost effortlessly.
The largest detractor from the story seems to be a lack of quality editing. There are numerous typos in the text, and having to reread a sentence to understand its meaning kills the immersion instantly. There are places where the story seems to really drag, typically during a meeting, exchange of information, or for an internal monologue. Many of these passages had redundant, inefficient language that a good editor would have cut without hesitation. I suspect the book might have been several pages shorter had the author had the luxury of having an editor. Unfortunately, such is the face of the independent publishing business, and all things considered the reader does not suffer unduly for these shortcomings.
One other thing I must mention is that this book doesn’t pull punches and won’t appeal to everyone. If military subjects do not appeal to you, maybe look for a quick read somewhere else. If you can’t handle excessive gore, don’t even bother. Jenkins seems to have no pretensions about trying to deliver a philosophical or diverse worldview. The Feral is what it is: an adrenaline-filled, messy, gritty twist on the old tales of the Nether Realm. It is inventive, well-crafted, and engrossing. It’s a shame there isn’t a physical copy, because this is a book I would lend out to friends – they’d just have to be a specific kind of friend.
(www.FictionForesight.com)
In accordance with current FTC Guidelines, please let it be known this book was received in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The Feral is an accounting of an elite and clandestine unit of the UK’s Special Forces, called Empire One. Like the rest of UKSF, Major Thom Usher and his team deal in reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, hostage situations, etc. What sets them apart is their specific enemy, as covert as Special Task Group (STG) Empire One themselves, an organization with footholds in anti-government operations around the globe: The Unseelie Court. “Fairies?” I hear you say. “The most dangerous military regiment in the UK fights fairies?” In short, yes. But in long – not at all. This is not a fairy tale, it is a horror story. These Fae are twisted, nefarious, and beastly. They have spent centuries coming through “thin spots” between our realm and theirs, snarling their malevolent fingers into the threads of human history, trying to grab hold. And they are finally succeeding. Only Usher’s ragged, battle-hardened group of soldiers will be able to stop them.
We follow Empire One and their associates through heart-pounding battles, underworld ring fights, espionage, and hair-raising encounters with the Other Side’s worst denizens. Jenkins demonstrates a firm grip on the craft of storytelling as the pace of the book rarely slows. There is very little time for character back story, yet he sneaks enough in for us to grow attached to our STG protagonists. Each character is their own fleshy person, with motivations and characteristics that aren’t taken from a list of tropes. It is for this reason that when our heroes get into trouble, their adrenaline courses through our veins. We feel their horror as they watch lackeys get torn limb from limb and can nearly smell the viscera. Consequences have clout, and when a protagonist gets backed into a corner we genuinely fear for them. The villains are a little bit more predictable – surly Russian mob boss, immortal ghoul mastermind – but they are compelling. They are few enough and motivated enough to stand out in the imagination. Not a single character is forgettable.
What’s most impressive is the delicate line the author treads between reality as we know it and the dark shadows filled with Unseelie creatures. Empire One inhabits a world of combat tactics and ballistics science, their defenses against their magical enemies are wholly real to us. Their London, their desert and Arctic, their Earth are the same as ours. When creatures from another realm are thrust into the story it would be so easy to create a disconnect, to stop believing. But every time something impossible happens – a djinn surrounds a fighter in fiery sand, or ghoul unhinges his jaw, or we come across a portal to a fairy town – we are given in the same breath something visceral and real to bring us back. Muzzle flash. The texture of bones grinding together. The sound of glass shattering. Something in the structure of the narrative combines the two worlds, allowing us to suspend disbelief almost effortlessly.
The largest detractor from the story seems to be a lack of quality editing. There are numerous typos in the text, and having to reread a sentence to understand its meaning kills the immersion instantly. There are places where the story seems to really drag, typically during a meeting, exchange of information, or for an internal monologue. Many of these passages had redundant, inefficient language that a good editor would have cut without hesitation. I suspect the book might have been several pages shorter had the author had the luxury of having an editor. Unfortunately, such is the face of the independent publishing business, and all things considered the reader does not suffer unduly for these shortcomings.
One other thing I must mention is that this book doesn’t pull punches and won’t appeal to everyone. If military subjects do not appeal to you, maybe look for a quick read somewhere else. If you can’t handle excessive gore, don’t even bother. Jenkins seems to have no pretensions about trying to deliver a philosophical or diverse worldview. The Feral is what it is: an adrenaline-filled, messy, gritty twist on the old tales of the Nether Realm. It is inventive, well-crafted, and engrossing. It’s a shame there isn’t a physical copy, because this is a book I would lend out to friends – they’d just have to be a specific kind of friend.
(www.FictionForesight.com)
December 3, 2015
He took a few beatings for it, his drunken father calling him a wastrel, but Isaac knew life was about beatings and tempering, like hardening steel.
Isaac did not understand how in modern time people managed to put an invisible barrier between themselves and horror using nothing but a smartphone, but it seemed to work in countless tragedies of recent times.
As long as you’re watching it on a screen it isn’t real.
As they desperately mumbled some final pleading prayer to the lord of whatever gospels they followed, Usher usually gave them his own ‘good news’ with both barrels.
After so many years of deniable missions, compromised morality and putrid violence, Usher’s conscience was a battered and starved legionnaire, broken down and rebuilt from scratch, who did not usually speak until spoken to.
It severed two of them in half with one swipe, spattering the gleaming walls in dark gore, and spilling metres of intestines onto the floor like discarded rubber tubing.
This is super hard for me to write. There were parts of this book I really liked, and there were parts I didn’t. It was such a swing from one side to another that I ended up just bumping up my rating. It could’ve gone either way, honestly.
Boiled down storyline is about some bad guys from another realm trying to infiltrate our world. The good guys try to stop it.
I thought is was refreshing to get an urban/paranormal fantasy where the character is not some lone wolf or detective or go it alone cop. It’s a branch of the military specifically there for the supernatural and we follow a team as they go about trying to uncover what the bad guys are up to. Some of the creatures in here were great. And some of the action scenes simply amazing. I love gore, and this book delivered some tastefully drawn death scenes and fights. It felt realistic, which I loved. The first two action scenes were a nail-biting good time. Actually, I adored the first quarter of this book. I was getting some good character building and action in at once. It was great. Then ...
I can’t peg what exactly lost me. I will say there were thoughts that seemed redundant. I felt we were getting to really know two characters and then all that development waned. The team we were following didn’t get fleshed out enough for me in the beginning. There were some parts toward the end that really gave some insight, but receiving it so late did little to regain my love. There was some head-hopping. Nothing too jarring, but when most of the chapter is with one person and a few paragraphs skip, it always pulls me right out of the story. I wish we would have been with the character during a couple scenes, forgoing that omniscient PoV.
There was a wide range of characters in this book. As I said, in the beginning I was really getting into Isaac’s character, but then I lost him. Usher had promise, but I never connected with him. And the others took too long to draw me in. I will say Ariel was a great character. The instant we were in his PoV, I got him. He felt the most developed to me, a scared scientist thrown into an undercover situation. He had all the right emotions, and they were explored perfectly.
I must say that what I enjoyed the most were the bad guys. They were hard to beat, which made the action scenes awesome. The good/bad guy in this was incredibly fun.
There were a few proofreading errors and some odd comma usage. The typos are not abundant, so they never bothered me. However, the odd comma usage took me a while to adjust. For example, there were no comma’s around names, so it threw me occasionally.
As far as pacing goes, I’d say the entire book read long. There was action, but some scenes felt drawn out and really slowed down the story. I admit I did a bit of skimming here and there in order to get to the good parts. When it moved, it moved. But a lot felt slow. Especially in the middle. I always feel that way, though, if I haven’t latched on to a character. It makes a book hard to pick up.
Overall, I love the military angle and the bad guys and the gory action scenes. However, I wish I was entrenched with the characters more. With such a mixed outlook, I’m walking away indecisive.
You can see this and other reviews on my website: http://booksbylkevans.com
Isaac did not understand how in modern time people managed to put an invisible barrier between themselves and horror using nothing but a smartphone, but it seemed to work in countless tragedies of recent times.
As long as you’re watching it on a screen it isn’t real.
As they desperately mumbled some final pleading prayer to the lord of whatever gospels they followed, Usher usually gave them his own ‘good news’ with both barrels.
After so many years of deniable missions, compromised morality and putrid violence, Usher’s conscience was a battered and starved legionnaire, broken down and rebuilt from scratch, who did not usually speak until spoken to.
It severed two of them in half with one swipe, spattering the gleaming walls in dark gore, and spilling metres of intestines onto the floor like discarded rubber tubing.
This is super hard for me to write. There were parts of this book I really liked, and there were parts I didn’t. It was such a swing from one side to another that I ended up just bumping up my rating. It could’ve gone either way, honestly.
Boiled down storyline is about some bad guys from another realm trying to infiltrate our world. The good guys try to stop it.
I thought is was refreshing to get an urban/paranormal fantasy where the character is not some lone wolf or detective or go it alone cop. It’s a branch of the military specifically there for the supernatural and we follow a team as they go about trying to uncover what the bad guys are up to. Some of the creatures in here were great. And some of the action scenes simply amazing. I love gore, and this book delivered some tastefully drawn death scenes and fights. It felt realistic, which I loved. The first two action scenes were a nail-biting good time. Actually, I adored the first quarter of this book. I was getting some good character building and action in at once. It was great. Then ...
I can’t peg what exactly lost me. I will say there were thoughts that seemed redundant. I felt we were getting to really know two characters and then all that development waned. The team we were following didn’t get fleshed out enough for me in the beginning. There were some parts toward the end that really gave some insight, but receiving it so late did little to regain my love. There was some head-hopping. Nothing too jarring, but when most of the chapter is with one person and a few paragraphs skip, it always pulls me right out of the story. I wish we would have been with the character during a couple scenes, forgoing that omniscient PoV.
There was a wide range of characters in this book. As I said, in the beginning I was really getting into Isaac’s character, but then I lost him. Usher had promise, but I never connected with him. And the others took too long to draw me in. I will say Ariel was a great character. The instant we were in his PoV, I got him. He felt the most developed to me, a scared scientist thrown into an undercover situation. He had all the right emotions, and they were explored perfectly.
I must say that what I enjoyed the most were the bad guys. They were hard to beat, which made the action scenes awesome. The good/bad guy in this was incredibly fun.
There were a few proofreading errors and some odd comma usage. The typos are not abundant, so they never bothered me. However, the odd comma usage took me a while to adjust. For example, there were no comma’s around names, so it threw me occasionally.
As far as pacing goes, I’d say the entire book read long. There was action, but some scenes felt drawn out and really slowed down the story. I admit I did a bit of skimming here and there in order to get to the good parts. When it moved, it moved. But a lot felt slow. Especially in the middle. I always feel that way, though, if I haven’t latched on to a character. It makes a book hard to pick up.
Overall, I love the military angle and the bad guys and the gory action scenes. However, I wish I was entrenched with the characters more. With such a mixed outlook, I’m walking away indecisive.
You can see this and other reviews on my website: http://booksbylkevans.com
October 21, 2015
Writing Style – 4.5/5
Jenkins brilliant wove together humor, suspense, and heart-pounding action. The Feral is a book that doesn’t take itself too seriously, yet isn’t afraid to explore some deeper truths. Though the book is rather violent, the author used the violence well.
The Characters – 4.5/5
Jenkins created an ensemble cast that is relatable and well-rounded. Even the antagonists are likable at times. Though the genre and choice of an “ensemble cast” left me wanting to know a few of the characters a little better, Jenkins kept me engaged throughout to the point that I found myself growing attached to the characters.
The Plot – 4.5/5
The plot of The Feral is somewhat relentless. This pacing is mostly a good thing as it makes for a book that is difficult to put down. A few more breaks scattered throughout the story might have allowed for more character development, but it was an excellent read regardless.
Overall – 4.5/5
I thoroughly enjoyed The Feral by David Elias Jenkins. It’s non-stop action was fun and thrilling, yet it didn’t shy away from some heavy moments. To me, the mark of a solid book one in a series is that it has to leave me anxious to start book two. The Feral certainly accomplished that. If you like contemporary urban fantasy/sci-fi, then you need to read this book.
Jenkins brilliant wove together humor, suspense, and heart-pounding action. The Feral is a book that doesn’t take itself too seriously, yet isn’t afraid to explore some deeper truths. Though the book is rather violent, the author used the violence well.
The Characters – 4.5/5
Jenkins created an ensemble cast that is relatable and well-rounded. Even the antagonists are likable at times. Though the genre and choice of an “ensemble cast” left me wanting to know a few of the characters a little better, Jenkins kept me engaged throughout to the point that I found myself growing attached to the characters.
The Plot – 4.5/5
The plot of The Feral is somewhat relentless. This pacing is mostly a good thing as it makes for a book that is difficult to put down. A few more breaks scattered throughout the story might have allowed for more character development, but it was an excellent read regardless.
Overall – 4.5/5
I thoroughly enjoyed The Feral by David Elias Jenkins. It’s non-stop action was fun and thrilling, yet it didn’t shy away from some heavy moments. To me, the mark of a solid book one in a series is that it has to leave me anxious to start book two. The Feral certainly accomplished that. If you like contemporary urban fantasy/sci-fi, then you need to read this book.
May 7, 2015
The Feral by David Elias Jenkins was exactly what I expected it to be, plus much more. You immediately find yourself cheering for the good guys. Jenkins does a great job describing each character and each scene. It was like watching a movie while reading. I am definitely following this group to their next assignment.
July 11, 2015
good but hoped for a little more
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews