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The Keeper's Code
Magic is real!
So believes Skye Parker, an investigative journalist with major trust issues. She is hell-bent on proving her mother’s murder was staged as a suicide by someone with paranormal powers. She follows a suspicious man connected to mystical events and discovers he’s a P.I. What better way to keep an eye on the enigmatic, sexy Ash Hunter than to hire him to find her mother’s killer? But danger escalates when the killer targets Skye.
Ash Hunter, a reluctant Keeper of Magic, is tasked with preventing Skye from finding out about his secret global witch society. He determines a witch is killing Reg (people without magic) and mage alike. Ash must reveal to an incredulous Skye, someone he’s fallen hard for, that he’s a powerful witch and so is the killer. When forces conspire against them, he takes Skye through a guarded portal to a safe place, Tae-wen. That mystical land proves anything but safe. Will Ash and Skye learn that trust works both ways when life and love are at stake?
So believes Skye Parker, an investigative journalist with major trust issues. She is hell-bent on proving her mother’s murder was staged as a suicide by someone with paranormal powers. She follows a suspicious man connected to mystical events and discovers he’s a P.I. What better way to keep an eye on the enigmatic, sexy Ash Hunter than to hire him to find her mother’s killer? But danger escalates when the killer targets Skye.
Ash Hunter, a reluctant Keeper of Magic, is tasked with preventing Skye from finding out about his secret global witch society. He determines a witch is killing Reg (people without magic) and mage alike. Ash must reveal to an incredulous Skye, someone he’s fallen hard for, that he’s a powerful witch and so is the killer. When forces conspire against them, he takes Skye through a guarded portal to a safe place, Tae-wen. That mystical land proves anything but safe. Will Ash and Skye learn that trust works both ways when life and love are at stake?
318 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 12, 2025
1 person is currently reading
1 person want to read
About the author
Barb DeLong
12 books128 followersBarb DeLong is an award-winning author of contemporary and paranormal stories of love, laughter, and magic. With her love of animals, you know there’ll be a feature creature in there somewhere. Her short stories appear in several anthologies, including Secrets of Moonlight Cove, Love for Christmas, The Truth That Can’t Be Told, and The Truth That Can’t Be Told 2. She is currently working on a paranormal romance series called Keepers of Magic, about a society of witches desperate to keep their existence a secret. The first in the series, a light fantasy romance The Witch Whisperer, is under contract with The Wild Rose Press and was released in January, 2023. Book two, The Keeper’s Code, is very much a work in progress.
A transplant from the Canadian cold, she enjoys sunny Mission Viejo, California, with her husband and a pampered, blue-eyed, ragdoll cat.
You can find her at:
https://www.facebook.com/BarbDeLongAu...
https://twitter.com/BarbaraDeLong7
https://www.amazon.com/Barb-DeLong/e/...
https://bingebooks.com/author/barb-de...
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
A transplant from the Canadian cold, she enjoys sunny Mission Viejo, California, with her husband and a pampered, blue-eyed, ragdoll cat.
You can find her at:
https://www.facebook.com/BarbDeLongAu...
https://twitter.com/BarbaraDeLong7
https://www.amazon.com/Barb-DeLong/e/...
https://bingebooks.com/author/barb-de...
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 2, 2025
Barb DeLong’s The Keeper’s Code, the second book in her Keepers of Magic series, is a romantic urban fantasy that mixes danger, desire, and a secret magical world just beneath the surface of Manhattan. It follows Skye Parker, a determined journalist with a haunted past, and Ash Hunter, a reluctant magical enforcer tasked with protecting the secrecy of the mage society. When their paths collide after a strange street incident and Skye begins investigating her mother’s suspicious death, they become entangled in a web of secrets, surveillance, magical politics, and unexpected feelings. The story builds on DeLong’s rich world of modern magic, complete with familiars, portals, memory wipes, and a hidden society trying to stay off the grid in a world of nosy journalists and viral videos.
I really enjoyed the character work here. Skye is fierce, smart, and emotionally raw. Her skepticism, fire, and relentless need for truth make her so easy to root for. I liked how DeLong let her flaws stand alongside her strengths. Ash, on the other hand, is this brooding, conflicted mix of noble and guarded. The dynamic between them felt fun, a little sexy, and believable. They get under each other’s skin in all the best ways. The writing is snappy with flashes of humor, especially in the dialogue, and I found myself smiling often. Soot the cat was a quiet standout for me, witty, magical, and the emotional glue in a lot of scenes. The pacing moved fast, sometimes almost too fast, but never dull. The romance had that slow-burn, “we definitely shouldn’t but we definitely will” vibe that I love.
The magical world-building can get a little heavy with exposition. There were a lot of terms, secret bureaus, memory wipes, shadow organizations, and portal jargon that could overwhelm readers not familiar with the first book. The story doesn’t shy away from pain and moral gray zones, either. Ash’s internal battle over saving lives versus staying hidden hit hard, and Skye’s grief is raw and real. DeLong didn’t just write a love story; she wrote a story about choosing what matters most when the stakes are personal and magical.
The Keeper’s Code is a great read for anyone who enjoys magical realism, romantic tension, and stories with hidden societies and ethical dilemmas. I’d recommend it especially to fans of Leigh Bardugo, Deborah Harkness, or early Buffy vibes with more grown-up edge. If you love snarky banter, a healthy dose of longing, a bit of mystery, and magic that crackles just beneath the surface of reality, then this book is for you. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for book three.
I really enjoyed the character work here. Skye is fierce, smart, and emotionally raw. Her skepticism, fire, and relentless need for truth make her so easy to root for. I liked how DeLong let her flaws stand alongside her strengths. Ash, on the other hand, is this brooding, conflicted mix of noble and guarded. The dynamic between them felt fun, a little sexy, and believable. They get under each other’s skin in all the best ways. The writing is snappy with flashes of humor, especially in the dialogue, and I found myself smiling often. Soot the cat was a quiet standout for me, witty, magical, and the emotional glue in a lot of scenes. The pacing moved fast, sometimes almost too fast, but never dull. The romance had that slow-burn, “we definitely shouldn’t but we definitely will” vibe that I love.
The magical world-building can get a little heavy with exposition. There were a lot of terms, secret bureaus, memory wipes, shadow organizations, and portal jargon that could overwhelm readers not familiar with the first book. The story doesn’t shy away from pain and moral gray zones, either. Ash’s internal battle over saving lives versus staying hidden hit hard, and Skye’s grief is raw and real. DeLong didn’t just write a love story; she wrote a story about choosing what matters most when the stakes are personal and magical.
The Keeper’s Code is a great read for anyone who enjoys magical realism, romantic tension, and stories with hidden societies and ethical dilemmas. I’d recommend it especially to fans of Leigh Bardugo, Deborah Harkness, or early Buffy vibes with more grown-up edge. If you love snarky banter, a healthy dose of longing, a bit of mystery, and magic that crackles just beneath the surface of reality, then this book is for you. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for book three.
June 13, 2025
Mystery, Magic, and Mirth
The Keeper’s Code by Barb DeLong truly is a mystery, wrapped in magic and sprinkled with mirth throughout. I found the various “familiars" to be the most mirthful with their cute little responses.
If we’re sticking with the “m” theme, let’s add “modern” (as in dialog) and “mushy,” as in a sweet romance. As a reader of The Witch Whisperer, I admire how Barb DeLong seamlessly integrates the first book in this series with this newest novel, weaving both stories together so that new and returning readers can appreciate The Keeper’s Code equally.
As for “world building,” DeLong is a master. It has that Harry Potter-type creativity—concepts and creatures, as well as unique beauty that we could never conjure up ourselves. My favorites were the vicious and terrifying hell creeper and the tiny talking dragonites with phosphorescent wings, swarming the garden and snorting sooty smoke.
And there’s nothing like a mystery where the pieces fit together, no matter how fantastical the setting. And DeLong’s pieces fit. The entire novel is tightly structured, with plot lines and beats that unfold at the right time, propelling the story forward.
There is a philosophical and metaphorical element to the story that resonates with our own experiences here in the “reg” world. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I marked Chapter Twenty-five as significant. It speaks to us as parents—our desire to be infallible, to be perfect, especially when a crisis arises, along with our children’s expectation that we will be. That goal and expectation, when not met, can cause estrangement and distancing for years, and reconciliation is long in coming. Fortunately, in literature, a resolution can happen and does in The Keeper’s Code.
If you love a mystery, a world to visit outside of our own, where love as we know it wins out and laughter is thrown in for good measure, you’ll enjoy The Keeper’s Code” for sure.
The Keeper’s Code by Barb DeLong truly is a mystery, wrapped in magic and sprinkled with mirth throughout. I found the various “familiars" to be the most mirthful with their cute little responses.
If we’re sticking with the “m” theme, let’s add “modern” (as in dialog) and “mushy,” as in a sweet romance. As a reader of The Witch Whisperer, I admire how Barb DeLong seamlessly integrates the first book in this series with this newest novel, weaving both stories together so that new and returning readers can appreciate The Keeper’s Code equally.
As for “world building,” DeLong is a master. It has that Harry Potter-type creativity—concepts and creatures, as well as unique beauty that we could never conjure up ourselves. My favorites were the vicious and terrifying hell creeper and the tiny talking dragonites with phosphorescent wings, swarming the garden and snorting sooty smoke.
And there’s nothing like a mystery where the pieces fit together, no matter how fantastical the setting. And DeLong’s pieces fit. The entire novel is tightly structured, with plot lines and beats that unfold at the right time, propelling the story forward.
There is a philosophical and metaphorical element to the story that resonates with our own experiences here in the “reg” world. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I marked Chapter Twenty-five as significant. It speaks to us as parents—our desire to be infallible, to be perfect, especially when a crisis arises, along with our children’s expectation that we will be. That goal and expectation, when not met, can cause estrangement and distancing for years, and reconciliation is long in coming. Fortunately, in literature, a resolution can happen and does in The Keeper’s Code.
If you love a mystery, a world to visit outside of our own, where love as we know it wins out and laughter is thrown in for good measure, you’ll enjoy The Keeper’s Code” for sure.
July 7, 2025
Reeling after the death of her mother, Skye hires mysterious sexy Ash to investigate her mother’s murder. He’s a private eye but what Skye doesn’t realize is he’s a Keeper of Magic. When the killer goes after Skye, Ash has no choice but to take her through a portal to a mystical land. The two fight their attraction but you can’t stop love. Skye and Ash need to trust each other in order to stay alive and bring down the killer.
The Keeper’s Code is a paranormal romance chockful of action, humorous dialogue, engaging characters including magical familiars, suspenseful plot, and a sweeping romance. You’ll want to buckle up because this story will keep you on the edge of your seat. The descriptive narration is immersive and will have you believe in magic. The characters are colorful and easy to connect with.
Barb DeLong has penned another inventive paranormal romance. Her world-building is flawless. If you’re looking for an escape from life, you’ll want to dive into The Keeper’s Code.
My Rating: 5+ stars
Reviewed by: Nancy
This review first appeared: https://substack.com/home/post/p-1675...
The Keeper’s Code is a paranormal romance chockful of action, humorous dialogue, engaging characters including magical familiars, suspenseful plot, and a sweeping romance. You’ll want to buckle up because this story will keep you on the edge of your seat. The descriptive narration is immersive and will have you believe in magic. The characters are colorful and easy to connect with.
Barb DeLong has penned another inventive paranormal romance. Her world-building is flawless. If you’re looking for an escape from life, you’ll want to dive into The Keeper’s Code.
My Rating: 5+ stars
Reviewed by: Nancy
This review first appeared: https://substack.com/home/post/p-1675...
May 23, 2025
Mystical Murder
When Skye Parker investigates her mother’s murder, she encounters mysticism, witches, love, and lust. Family secrets are revealed. The storyline is creative, intriguing, and fast paced. The characters are distinct and well developed. Their antics, ranging from heroic to romantic, tickle the imagination.
Something new is always happening in “The Keeper’s Code,” something involving holograms, portals, buildings that glow, dragonites, body-gabbing vines, vortexes, and of course, high magic. All this contributes to why I recommend “The Keeper’s Code” to adult and young adult fantasy lovers.
I look forward to the next book in the series. I can easily imagine Barb DeLong’s books being made into a television series. --Pat Spencer, author of Sticks in a Bundle (trilogy)
When Skye Parker investigates her mother’s murder, she encounters mysticism, witches, love, and lust. Family secrets are revealed. The storyline is creative, intriguing, and fast paced. The characters are distinct and well developed. Their antics, ranging from heroic to romantic, tickle the imagination.
Something new is always happening in “The Keeper’s Code,” something involving holograms, portals, buildings that glow, dragonites, body-gabbing vines, vortexes, and of course, high magic. All this contributes to why I recommend “The Keeper’s Code” to adult and young adult fantasy lovers.
I look forward to the next book in the series. I can easily imagine Barb DeLong’s books being made into a television series. --Pat Spencer, author of Sticks in a Bundle (trilogy)
June 19, 2025
Incredible story and characters
If you love magic in a vivid story-world, memorable, interesting characters you love and whom you can’t wait to come back to because you know they will stay with you, this is your must read book. Highly recommended. Barb De Long hit it out of the park with this. Can’t wait for the third book to come out.
If you love magic in a vivid story-world, memorable, interesting characters you love and whom you can’t wait to come back to because you know they will stay with you, this is your must read book. Highly recommended. Barb De Long hit it out of the park with this. Can’t wait for the third book to come out.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews