Witchlight

Magic Born #2

by Sonya Clark

Book two of Magic Born

In 2066, the Magic Born are segregated in urban reservations. The laws do not protect them, or their allies.

Councilwoman Elizabeth Marsden is a powerful player in New Corinth politics, but a closely guarded secret could destroy her life—she's a hidden Magic Born. Her family has gone to great lengths to erase all her magic-related records, until a trancehacking outlaw discovers the last remaining one…

Vadim Bazarov smuggles Magic Borns through the underground railroad and threatens to reveal Elizabeth's secret unless she helps him access blank ID cards. Elizabeth wants to hate him for having a stranglehold on her life, but can't help being attracted to someone so sure of who and what he is.

Vadim initially sees her as a political ice queen, but is intrigued by her suppressed magical abilities. He trains Elizabeth to use her magic, and before long finds himself falling for her. But their newfound love may be shortlived; an anti-magic ordinance forces one of them to make a choice that will change both their lives for good.

Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy

213 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 30, 2014

About the author

Sonya Clark discovered she was a writer at the age of thirteen. Ray Bradbury whispered it to her through the pages of his books. The Vampire Lestat encouraged this lunacy in florid fashion, and Pennywise the Clown muttered dire warnings of what would happen should she neglect her calling. It took many years – many, like, a lot, yo – for her to figure out how to actually finish a manuscript. Once she unlocked that mystery, there was no turning back.

Sonya writes a few different flavors of romance – paranormal, sci-fi, and contemporary. She loves music, has a weird thing for the abstract art of Wassily Kandinsky, and a long-standing obsession with Robert Johnson that will one day result in a blues-themed novel. She lives with her husband and daughter in Tennessee.

Reviews

[Icy Sedgwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d always quite liked Vadim in book one, although we didn’t see a great deal of him, and Elizabeth had a cameo during one of Nate’s press showings. She hadn’t made a massive impression on me and I was concerned how well she’d hold up as a main character in Witchlight. She’s an odd character – strong and icy in public, childlike and vulnerable in private, and flirtatious and passionate with Vadim. I suppose it’s testament to Clark’s writing that the combination works, and demonstrates the complex way that personalities work in real life.

Vadim is still as likeable as ever, and equally as complex as Elizabeth. I was pleased to see Nate and Calla throughout the narrative, but Witchlight also deepens the universe in which the books are set. We learn more about the darknet through Vadim’s own trancehacking, as well as understanding New Corinthian politics through Elizabeth’s position as a councilwoman. This is not some random backdrop to a paranormal romance story – New Corinth has its own moods and rules, and is as much of a character as any of the protagonists.

As ever, the parallels with segregation are obvious, with FreakTown becoming a “concentration camp” within the city. Given the breakdown in human relations that we see every day on the news, the world depicted in the Magic Born books isn’t so implausible after all. The magic takes more of a front seat in this book – unlike Trancehack, in which only one of the couple was Magic Born, both Vadim and Elizabeth are magic users, and Elizabeth’s empowerment through embracing her abilities is a positive step forward for women within this genre.

It’s a gripping read – I literally read the final 44% in one sitting. I think I want to dub these books the start of a new genre – witchpunk. Now Clark just needs to hurry up and release book three… *hint hint*

Five out of five!

[Eva Millien · Rating 4 out of 5]

This paranormal urban fantasy mixes magic with technology for a riveting futuristic read. A powerful player in New Cornith politics, Councilwoman Elizabeth Marsden is a magic born witch a secret that could destroy her. Vadim Bazarov smuggles Magic Borns through the Underground Railroad and threatens to reveal the political ice queens secret unless she helps him. An anti-magic ordinance forces one of them to make a choice that will change both of their lives.

This steady to fast paced plot keeps readers intrigued with suspense, drama, magic, and romance. The author uses well written scenes and details to capture the imagination and draw the reader deeper into the story. Tension builds throughout the story as distrust and fear rise up to suppress the Magic Borns even further. The characters are strong, compelling, easily related to and grab the reader’s attention from the very beginning.

The attraction between Lizzie and Vadim radiates from every page and the sex scenes are hot and steamy and include some light bondage and spanking scenes. The relationship builds slowly as the couple work through several major obstacles and personal issues that steam from the very different sides of the track that they live on. The reader can’t help but get caught up in the story as all the drama, secrets and hidden agendas inspires lots of curiosity and the reader can empathize with Vadim and Lizzie both.

First let me say that you don’t have to read the first one to enjoy this one although I do wish that I had so I would know what events lead to the currents events. At first I was not sure that I was going to like this story at all and not sure why, but I am really glad that I continued because I quickly changed my mind as I got completely caught up in all the intrigue and complexities of this fascinating world and captivating characters, so I will definitely be reading Trancehack soon and I am looking forward to reading the third one as well.

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published at Reading Reality

The best news I had all day was when the author of Witchlight told me she’s finishing the next book in this series. Absolutely the best!

Witchlight is the second book in Sonya Clark’s totally awesome Magic Born series, after the marvelous Trancehack. The Magic Born series is science fiction romance gold of the dystopian variety, with an extra dose of awesome because the dystopia is completely human-created and utterly avoidable.

It’s all created by stupid people doing stupid things. If any of the socio-political-economic threads read like a commentary on current practices in the U.S., I would be willing to bet it’s intended. It follows too closely on some trends not to be deliberate.

In this world, it’s been 50 years since the Magic Laws went into effect in the U.S. and the consequences have been devastating; for the magic born, for the general population, and for the U.S. economy.

Anyone born with magic in their DNA is taken from their parents and shoved into a magic-users’ ghetto. Magic-born are licensed and restricted and face extreme prejudice in every aspect of their lives.

Magic-born children of normals are taken away from their parents in infancy and dumped into orphanages in the zone. Anyone can have a magic-born child, so many prospective parents have refused to have children to keep from facing the prospect of losing them.

But the rich are always different; there’s a black market for fake test results. Councilwoman Elizabeth Marsden is the grown-up proof of the use of those tests. Her parents paid for her results to be faked, because she is definitely a magic-user, something that magic-born are not supposed to be.

Then again, magic-born aren’t citizens. They aren’t even treated as people by the government that locks them up at birth.

The times, however, are changing. The number of magic-born is increasing in the general population. That makes the non-magic-born in power very nervous, because they know that their days are numbered. Especially as more and more so-called normals are sympathetic to the magic born, or even worse, are entranced by their magic.

Elizabeth is caught in the cross-fire when the repressive old guard begins fighting their long rearguard campaign of more suppression and more anti-magic-born propaganda.

First, her secret is discovered by the unofficial leader of the Magic-Born underground in her town. Vadim Bazaroz hunts down Elizabeth with the intent of blackmailing her for her cooperation in stealing fake papers for magic users traveling the Underground Railroad to Canada and Mexico.

He finds himself teaching her the magic that her parents made her suppress. Even worse for Vadim, as the smuggler and borderline addict who keeps the magic zone half livable between bribes and escapes, he finds himself drawn to this strong and fragile woman who hurts herself rather than acknowledge what she is.

When the evil powers-that-be attempt to blackmail her into backing their continued suppression, he helps her fight back in every way possible. Not just because she asks, not even because it’s the right thing to do, but because he’s become more addicted to having her in his life than any drug he ever tried.

Escape Rating A+: Witchlight is the middle book in a trilogy. Conditions for the magic-born get very dark at the end, which means that there will hopefully be light at the end of the next tunnel.

There is both a happy and an unhappy ending at the same time. The romance comes to a heartbreaking HEA, but the world it happens in is going to hell in a handcart on the fast track. It made complete sense that things worked this way, but I want book 3 (currently titled Firewall) NOW.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) and Vadim are a fascinating couple to feature in a romance, because neither of them is terribly sympathetic at the beginning. Lizzie is an upper-crust ice princess, and Vadim fully admits that he is a very bad man.

Except that he’s the bad man running the Underground Railroad. The more of him that is revealed, the more we see that he does very bad things for very good reasons. But he’s definitely of the “ends justify the means” school of thought and action.

His initial plan is to blackmail Lizzie to get her on board with saving their people. It’s the wrong thing to do for some very right reasons. Also, she gets the upper hand and subverts the blackmail into a business deal. She has things that she wants, too. The things that Lizzie wants include Vadim, but not just him. In order to make some peace with herself she has to deal with her magic, and not just suppress it.

I find the social, political, economic underpinnings of this world utterly fascinating. It’s not just that the author does a terrific job of portraying “Freaktown” and how it works internally, but that we are also able to see the terrible consequences of the magic-born suppression. The political actions all make a certain kind of bad sense. Those in power want to keep their power, and their power is based on fear of the magic-born. As that fear reduces, the old guard lashes out and tries to maintain their hold through fear-mongering and complete separation of the magic born from the general populace. They want to turn the magic-born into “the other” and then demonize them. The powers that be have also created a police state that suppresses non-magic born as well. They are ugly and brutal and just plain wrong. They are also fighting a rearguard action against the tide of history.

They didn’t have to be anywhere near that stupid, but then, the ones afraid of losing their unjust power often are.

As I said, I want Firewall NOW. The overall story arc is building towards an explosive (probably including actual explosions) climax. I can’t wait!

[Jeannie Zelos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witchlight, Sonya Clark
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
I loved Sonya’s first novel in this series, so was pleased to get this one for review. I’d felt from what we read of Vadim in book one that he was a really interesting character, and very different underneath from the surface image he projected. It was great to find him as a major character in this book.
The way the Magic Born are treated by the rest of the population is awful, herded into reservations, not given the same basic human rights as others and denied the chance to really live and love a free life. If “normal”  parents had a child that tested positive for magic it would be taken to Freaktown, the reservation, regardless of their wishes. Clearly for those  who could afford it, as always through bribes and false test results, children could be tested negative. That’s what happened to Elizabeth, and she’s been pressured and told to keep her magic hidden at all times. That comes at a cost though, and she’s mentally on the edge through the stress of controlling something that she’s never been properly taught. Vadim contacts her as he needs her position as Councillor, in order to access blank ID cards for those Magic Born he helps to escape to more sympathetic countries. Not all take the strong and rigid stance the US does.
Its a fear factor always, and I could see exactly this happening if there were people with magical abilities now. People are frightened of what they don’t understand, and anyone a bit different from the norm is subject to some form of discrimination. Any member of a minority group will tell you that. I became disabled in my mid thirties, an amputee, and yes, people do treat me differently. Not all but enough that its noticeable, so I can see why Elizabeth wants to hide what she is, she’ll lose everything if it gets out but it does make her a target.
Vadim – I love him, he’s such an interesting character, hard nosed, businessman addict on the outside and yet...he does so much to help others, running the funds and supplies for those who need to escape, helping and protecting those living in Freaktown..a real man of mystery. When he meets Elizabeth though something electric touches them both, and they find a real close connection. Dangerous for both of them, and with the upcoming complete segregation of Normals and Magic Born it’s something that could lead to heartbreak.
Its a great read again, and I'm now understanding the whole Magic Born world and abilities much better. A series is often like that for me, once into a couple of books the very different world created starts to become familiar. Its one of the reasons I love to re read series and this one from Sonya is going into my favourites file for exactly that. I’m reading my way through another very dystopian world series currently, Allie's War, and I’ve found exactly the same thing in that the longer it continues the more familiar the world, the people and their abilities are becoming to me.
 
Stars: five, a cracker of a read, great characters, gripping plot and fantastic world setting offering so much promise for future novels.
ARC supplied via Netgalley

[All Things Urban Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.

Having enjoyed TRANCEHACK, I was really looking forward to WITCHLIGHT. With its fascinating world, awesome romance, and great characters, WITCHLIGHT lived up to my expectations and more. Though it is the second book in the Magic Born series, nothing about WITCHLIGHT says sophomore slump – if anything, it’s even better than the first!

There are multiple great aspects to WITCHLIGHT. First off, we have our hero and heroine. Though their relationship starts out a bit rocky – after all, Vadim is trying to blackmail Lizzie – it quickly moves to smoking hot. Vadim is the consummate bad boy, with his addictions and his various enterprises, but he also is a good person, too, and having those two seemingly contradictory personalities together make him a character with a lot of depth. Lizzie is magnificent, an excellent partner for Vadim. She has a backbone of steel and is willing to take risks and do what needs to be done.

Another thing I enjoyed quite a bit about WITCHLIGHT were the frank discussions Lizzie and Vadim had about sex. It isn’t often that this happens in straight up romance novels, where the main characters have discussions about sex, and not just have it. In this case, since there were some kinky aspects to the sex that Lizzie and Vadim had, it was crucial there was communication, and I really appreciated that was present in the story.

As with TRANCEHACK, my complaint is that the world could have been explored some more. We get a different picture this time, since we see the political machinations, as Lizzie is in politics, but I would have loved more details.

Since we get to see some glimpses of Nate and Calla to see how their relationship is, I have no doubts that regardless who Clark pairs up next, we’ll get to see where Vadim and Lizzie end up, as well. This series is a treat, and I’m already impatient for book three, FIREWALL.

Sexual content: Several sex scenes

[Aixa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you remember our favorite bad guy Vadim; well the love bug finally bit him. Vadim a guy that is only nice to those he cares about finds the one that is meant for him when he wasn’t looking.

Only thinking about helping those like him Vadim finds one of the few magic born that were hidden in the ‘normal’ word. Thinking that blackmailing her would finally put them a step ahead he goes on with his crazy plans. But like always nothing goes like you want and an unexpected draw to this person is born within him.

Of course he fights it with his sarcasm and charm but in the end he cannot help it. By seeing how Calla and her normal are doing everything possible to be together he finally realizes that it is possible to have love in a world that is unjust and not fair to those that are not ‘Normal’.

Lizzy a magic born that was hidden in the ‘normal’ word. He parents having paid a doctor to fake a DNA test so they would take her away. By doing so they take her from one prison to another. Growing up all her life she had to hide whom she was creating a wall of ice so thick that people called her ice princess.

Not knowing how to control her magic she always self-harmed in a way to try to control one more thing in her life. With the appearance of Vadim she is finally able to learn and control magic as well as fall for our be-loved bad guy that is not so bad.

Witchlight by Sonya Clark the second book in the Magic Born series is wonderful, with more magic than before. It’s starts a bit slow but once if picks up speed you won’t be able to put it down.

Love, mystery, drama and lust with a handful of witchlight is a must read. You will fall in love with these two characters just like you did with the first ones.

Book two could be a stand alone and you would not necessary need to read Trancehack but to understand Vadim and the struggles of the magic born reading it would be best.

I’m giving this book 4 out of 5 stars/olives for an awesome read and I cant wait to read what is coming next.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vadim played a pretty big roll in TRANCEHACK and we got to know him a bit more than other secondary characters so I was glad to see he was being featured in WITCHLIGHT. He comes off as a pretty big bad boy and even though he is one, we get to witness his softer sides throughout WITCHLIGHT. Elizabeth (Lizzy) is new to us but we quickly get a feel of her personality and struggles as a Councilwoman and Magic Born in hiding. She has a lot of struggles in book 2 of the Magic Born series. She has to put her trust in someone that knows her secrets, learn to control her out of control magic and make some tough choices along the way.

The relationship between the two starts off pretty hot, takes a turn to luke warm when Vadim blackmails Lizzy and gets right back in the hot zone as they work together and get to know each other. By the end of the book they are of course in love and both of their lives are changed forever (Lizzy has the biggest change though).

They make a few appearances but I wish we would have seen more of Nathan and Calla together in WITCHLIGHT. I always like to have previous characters more involved in each book where different couples are featured. I really didn't get a feel for who might be featured next but I have a few characters I would like to see featured. Either way I hope that Clark gives us a nice glimpse into how Nathan, Calla, Vadim and Elizabeth are doing as their story is told.

I also would love to see more world building. We have a feel for the world the characters live in but it feels like we should know so much more by now. Even with my small complaints the Magic Born series has lots of promise on its side and I will continue it into book 3.

* This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jasmyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great book two. I got to see a lot of my favorite people from the first book, and the overall story arc really progressed in a great new way. As the government begins to try and limit the rights of the Magic Born even further, Elizabeth Marsden does everything she can to stand up for them and prevent the change from happening. But, her reasons aren't what everyone thinks they are. As a Magic Born living as a Normal, her lifestyle is in constant jeopardy of being uprooted and seeing her sent to Freak Town.

Vadim is a big secondary character in book one, and I really liked a chance to get to know him better. I just wish I had liked him a bit more. He has a really good side to him, but we saw most of it in the first book, and in the second we see other sides, but I didn't always like where it went. He's a bit of a tortured soul - and those are really hit and miss for me. I did enjoy a glimpse of his trickster younger self when he magics the Christmas ornaments though.

Elizabeth seemed a bit like a sacrificial lamb at times. She was an amazing character with some really fantastic motivation behind everything she does. Watching her cope with her untrained magic was so sad, but it all made sense. I really loved her, and I didn't quite see what she fell in love with in Vadim. She is really the center of the story though, so I got to see a lot of her. I can't wait to see what happens next in the world as the Magic Born become more restless and the Normals become more willing to forgive their past transgressions. It looks to be very exciting.

[Nicole Luiken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool series premise: the Magic Born are stripped of citizenship, forcibly separated from their families and sent to live in Freaktown. When Vadim, who runs the underground railroad, finds out Councilwoman Elizabeth is secretly Magic Born, he, of course, decides to blackmail her--but things quickly heat up between them. Having read Trancehack I was a little skeptical of Vadim's potential as a romance hero, but I'm happy to say the author pulled it off.

[Stacy McKitrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one read a little slower for me than the first one did. The pace would pick up and then get bogged down, sort of like a roller coaster. I still enjoyed the story, even though the world projected here is a very sad one.