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Consulting Magic #1
The Courtship of Julian St. Albans: Consulting Magic, Book 1
Alexander Benedict is a misanthropic thirty-something magical consultant, working with the Agency's top homicide detective, and perfectly content with his life, thank you very much.
Julian St. Albans is the youthful heir to his family's fortune and affiancéd to his beloved Cecil Mandeville, a family friend as well as Julian's lover.
When Mandeville is murdered using magical means, Alex is brought in on the case. It's the worst day of Julian's life, but until they meet, it's just another case for Alex. Neither of them have any idea how their lives are about to change.
Alex has to disentangle the magical threads until he can catch the murderer, and to do that he has to put himself right in the thick of things. His long-denied family connections get him invited to participate in Julian's courtship as a suitor, where he can observe the suspects firsthand. He just has to stay alive long enough to figure out which of the competition thinks Julian is a prize worth killing for.
Julian St. Albans is the youthful heir to his family's fortune and affiancéd to his beloved Cecil Mandeville, a family friend as well as Julian's lover.
When Mandeville is murdered using magical means, Alex is brought in on the case. It's the worst day of Julian's life, but until they meet, it's just another case for Alex. Neither of them have any idea how their lives are about to change.
Alex has to disentangle the magical threads until he can catch the murderer, and to do that he has to put himself right in the thick of things. His long-denied family connections get him invited to participate in Julian's courtship as a suitor, where he can observe the suspects firsthand. He just has to stay alive long enough to figure out which of the competition thinks Julian is a prize worth killing for.
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First published June 25, 2013
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About the author
Amy Crook
24 books108 followersAmy Crook has passed straight from maiden to crone; her final form will be a cryptid that lurks in the liminal spaces, joining all the cats who reside there. They will become her feral army of spoilt, self-serving fluff beasts. Amy is aro/ace, uses she/they, and prefers textual communication. She has made friends with the house ghosts in upstate NY, and the old monster under the bed came along on the move and still holds hands with her at night.
She specializes in writing magical worlds, boys in love, delicious meals, adult communication, and happy endings. She also paints cats, crows, and other small, strange wonders. You can find more about Amy, her artwork, and her eight cats at her website.
She specializes in writing magical worlds, boys in love, delicious meals, adult communication, and happy endings. She also paints cats, crows, and other small, strange wonders. You can find more about Amy, her artwork, and her eight cats at her website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
March 15, 2022
At the end of this review, I will conclude that The Courtship of Julian St. Albans is very much like a puppy. But before that, there's some not-so-cute stuff to discuss...
Occasionally I've read reviews complaining about m/m romances that come across as m/f romances unconvincingly repackaged as m/m. With this book I finally experienced that phenomenon myself. The only male characteristic evident about the love interest here is the letter "n" at the end of the first name, which makes "Julia" into "Julian." Dear, sweet, sheltered, winsome, blushing, giggling, twirling, ditsy, flirty, adorable little Julia(n), whose fingertips are always being gallantly kissed by Alex, the MC... I wouldn't read a book with a female love interest like Julia(n), and pretending she's a guy doesn't make me enjoy it one whit more.
But fortunately there's more to the story than the romance. For example, there's... Chucklemania! The Kindle search function tallies a chuckle count of 280. Yes, 280 chuckles in 360 pages — that works out to one chuckle every 1.3 pages. But since they're not homogeneously distributed throughout the text, sometimes there will be 3 — or more! — chuckles on a single page. Sometimes it's just one character who's been been sniffing the happy gas; other times it's multiple characters sharing the (often situationally-inappropriate) good mood. And don't even get me started on the giggles.
The chuckles-per-page ratio would be even higher if not for all the page space devoted to food. Oh my god THE FOOD. On and on and on about THE FOOD. It wasn't long before I was cringing every time the characters headed for a meal — because I knew what was coming. Six or so major-ish characters need to eat breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner, dessert, and snacks, and usually the reader needs to be told EVERY DETAIL. Every detail of EVERY COURSE. Ingredients, condiments, sauces, how it was prepared, how it looks, where it was harvested, HOW EVERY BITE TASTES.
I swear I am not THAT interested in my own REAL-LIFE FOOD THAT ACTUALLY EXISTS, much less IMAGINARY food eaten by IMAGINARY characters. Ai-yi-yi, I skimmed page after page of excruciatingly detailed food descriptions and descriptions of characters anticipating their food and tasting their food and consuming their food and discussing their food and analyzing their food and fantasizing about more and even better future food —
But enough of that — it's time for puppies! So I'll only mention in passing the plague of run-on sentences, and how during the course of the criminal investigation no actual investigating ever takes place.
Given all my griping, I have to ask myself: why don't I hate this book? Truly — how can that be? I can't understand it. Maybe all that chuckling and giggling and snickering and smiling and grinning and the almost non-stop happy times, even in the midst of murder and maiming and mourning, make this book seem just so... good-hearted. Hating it would be like hating a puppy. Like hating an eager bright-eyed puppy tripping over its too-big paws as it gazes up at you with one of your most expensive shoes in its mouth, while at the other end it still dribbles a bit from the puddle it just made on your favorite rug. Perhaps stronger people than I could hate it, but... I'm going to have to settle for just finding it annoying. Very annoying indeed. Yet somehow bizarrely, inexplicably cute. I simply cannot explain it.
Occasionally I've read reviews complaining about m/m romances that come across as m/f romances unconvincingly repackaged as m/m. With this book I finally experienced that phenomenon myself. The only male characteristic evident about the love interest here is the letter "n" at the end of the first name, which makes "Julia" into "Julian." Dear, sweet, sheltered, winsome, blushing, giggling, twirling, ditsy, flirty, adorable little Julia(n), whose fingertips are always being gallantly kissed by Alex, the MC... I wouldn't read a book with a female love interest like Julia(n), and pretending she's a guy doesn't make me enjoy it one whit more.
But fortunately there's more to the story than the romance. For example, there's... Chucklemania! The Kindle search function tallies a chuckle count of 280. Yes, 280 chuckles in 360 pages — that works out to one chuckle every 1.3 pages. But since they're not homogeneously distributed throughout the text, sometimes there will be 3 — or more! — chuckles on a single page. Sometimes it's just one character who's been been sniffing the happy gas; other times it's multiple characters sharing the (often situationally-inappropriate) good mood. And don't even get me started on the giggles.
The chuckles-per-page ratio would be even higher if not for all the page space devoted to food. Oh my god THE FOOD. On and on and on about THE FOOD. It wasn't long before I was cringing every time the characters headed for a meal — because I knew what was coming. Six or so major-ish characters need to eat breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner, dessert, and snacks, and usually the reader needs to be told EVERY DETAIL. Every detail of EVERY COURSE. Ingredients, condiments, sauces, how it was prepared, how it looks, where it was harvested, HOW EVERY BITE TASTES.
I swear I am not THAT interested in my own REAL-LIFE FOOD THAT ACTUALLY EXISTS, much less IMAGINARY food eaten by IMAGINARY characters. Ai-yi-yi, I skimmed page after page of excruciatingly detailed food descriptions and descriptions of characters anticipating their food and tasting their food and consuming their food and discussing their food and analyzing their food and fantasizing about more and even better future food —
But enough of that — it's time for puppies! So I'll only mention in passing the plague of run-on sentences, and how during the course of the criminal investigation no actual investigating ever takes place.
Given all my griping, I have to ask myself: why don't I hate this book? Truly — how can that be? I can't understand it. Maybe all that chuckling and giggling and snickering and smiling and grinning and the almost non-stop happy times, even in the midst of murder and maiming and mourning, make this book seem just so... good-hearted. Hating it would be like hating a puppy. Like hating an eager bright-eyed puppy tripping over its too-big paws as it gazes up at you with one of your most expensive shoes in its mouth, while at the other end it still dribbles a bit from the puddle it just made on your favorite rug. Perhaps stronger people than I could hate it, but... I'm going to have to settle for just finding it annoying. Very annoying indeed. Yet somehow bizarrely, inexplicably cute. I simply cannot explain it.
March 23, 2018
This book turned out to be so much more than I was expecting. Based on the blurb I got that it was a fantasy m/m romance mystery novel. My question was which genre would dominate the story... the answer was that the three were so tightly intertwined that no one took over. Which turned out to be perfection! The author has crafted and amazing story in a world that is fascinating in its similarities and well as its contrast to our own. I loved the magic system where a person created their magic using one of their senses. Alex used sound, others use touch or sight, etc. The author also does an astounding job setting each scene, giving me incredible pictures in my head of each and every scene. And the people populating this book are stunningly complex Alex and Julian especially, but so many ofthe others as well. I loved the whole agency investigation plotline that balanced perfectly the whole courtship plotline. I truly feel that I just discovered for myself one of my favorite writers and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
May 11, 2015
This book was an exercise in frustration because it should have been great and the problems were pretty straightforward and would have been easy to fix. There were so many things I really admired about it--to name a few, the totally original and cool paranormal set-up, the fun, juicy idea of the "Courtship," and the overall excellent writing. But the novel was easily twice as long as it should have been, clocking in at more than 11,000 Kindle places, with way too many of those pages bulked out with repetitive scenes, mostly of the characters eating, doing routine chores, or the minutia of aristocratic courtship. Individually, the scenes were great and very well-written, but how many scenes of the characters eating at the Curry House did we really need? How many mentions of Alex changing into his pajamas? How many times did we have to be told about the meal he ate with his two guards, followed by a game of gin? There were entire chapters of this stuff, none of which advanced the plot.
I get why the author wrote them and didn't delete them because she does have a true gift for describing food, but unfortunately these scenes ended up drowning out the supernatural mystery plot, every last detail of which took a back seat--the motives or personalities of the perpetrators, Julian's reaction to someone killing in order to marry him, the love story itself, even the details of magical police work, which were among my favorite bits for their total originality and inherent coolness. But we spent far more time on Alex's wardrobe and way, way more time on food than any of these more (to my mind) vital elements. Again, the assassination attempts were great, but they were also literal repeats of each other with zero plot development after the first, so why have so many? If there had been more erotic tension between Julian and Alex I probably wouldn't be so critical, but the author was not very engaged by the power dynamics implied by the "Courtship" conceit--of the wealthy, young aristocratic would-be consort on the market for a "master husband." Despite a lot of early promise, Julian never ended up really cohering as a personality. There were simply not enough substantive scenes between him and Alex for him to end up being more than an "edible twink" and his relationship with Alex is all cuddling and giggles and that's about it. (According to my search function, Julian giggles 43 times over the course of the book--he's the only character prone to that style of laugh.)
I'm going on a lot more about this because it would have been fairly simple to edit out 70 percent of the eating scenes, and most of the repetitive stuff with Alex and his bodyguards, hopefully in favor of a little more on the different suspects and the actual mystery--or even some conversations between Julian and Alex. I do tend to get hypercritical when I feel disappointed by a book. I didn't hate this book at all--I finished it and enjoyed a lot of it and even admired it. Crook is a very talented writer and knows how to craft an amazing paranormal set-up. I was just severely frustrated that the book failed to live up to its promise.
I get why the author wrote them and didn't delete them because she does have a true gift for describing food, but unfortunately these scenes ended up drowning out the supernatural mystery plot, every last detail of which took a back seat--the motives or personalities of the perpetrators, Julian's reaction to someone killing in order to marry him, the love story itself, even the details of magical police work, which were among my favorite bits for their total originality and inherent coolness. But we spent far more time on Alex's wardrobe and way, way more time on food than any of these more (to my mind) vital elements. Again, the assassination attempts were great, but they were also literal repeats of each other with zero plot development after the first, so why have so many? If there had been more erotic tension between Julian and Alex I probably wouldn't be so critical, but the author was not very engaged by the power dynamics implied by the "Courtship" conceit--of the wealthy, young aristocratic would-be consort on the market for a "master husband." Despite a lot of early promise, Julian never ended up really cohering as a personality. There were simply not enough substantive scenes between him and Alex for him to end up being more than an "edible twink" and his relationship with Alex is all cuddling and giggles and that's about it. (According to my search function, Julian giggles 43 times over the course of the book--he's the only character prone to that style of laugh.)
I'm going on a lot more about this because it would have been fairly simple to edit out 70 percent of the eating scenes, and most of the repetitive stuff with Alex and his bodyguards, hopefully in favor of a little more on the different suspects and the actual mystery--or even some conversations between Julian and Alex. I do tend to get hypercritical when I feel disappointed by a book. I didn't hate this book at all--I finished it and enjoyed a lot of it and even admired it. Crook is a very talented writer and knows how to craft an amazing paranormal set-up. I was just severely frustrated that the book failed to live up to its promise.
November 10, 2017
I hope the author forgives me for my speculations, but I am just sharing my personal impression of the book.
It seems to me the story was started some time ago, like a decade or two. When the author came back to it, tho, she did with gusto and somehow propelled the time period from regency or maybe even early 20th century to 2013 without a single glance back. All that I like had ended with Chapter 12. Chapter 13 welcomed us with a very sudden and very vicious addiction to cell phones, texts, voicemail and turning the damn thing on and off. Energy bars, credit cards, modern technology and modern jargon (started with "dunno") is suddenly all over the place.
Everyone is high on caffeine and sugar, hence, I assume, all the giggling, chuckling, laughing, smiling and so on (thesaurus was thoroughly exploited in this story). MC did a 180 and turned into a complete gigglepuss by 60%.
Then, there is all that food and clothes. The author is like a vice, she latches onto a subject and can't let go even after a new shiny pops up :(
Consort/Master dynamics, inappropriate and overused crude dirty jokes appeared to be all wrong to me. Maybe I am overly PC, but I cringed most of the time when Julian stepped in to discuss his responsibilities as a consort. Why is he even male? O.o Alex's "mounds" got pretty old and overused pretty fast; several characters managed to come off as sexist as**oles.
I started the book looking forward to a mystery. I got over my disappointment on that matter very early in the book and decided to enjoy fantasy of manners, magic and The Courtship instead. Chapter 13 (yes, I know, I already mentioned it), disappointed me again. The Courtship stopped. The old charm disappeared. Modern world and modern jargon with multiple new inane characters, whose names mostly start with J, took over.
Means of communication: first it was just a messenger or an occasional phone call, then it was cell-cell-cell, and t-h-e-n, because Alex/Julian relationship is not cheesy enough, we got Horace, The Messenger bird, who carried Alex's and Julian's letters in his chest where its heart supposed to be.
I did enjoy bits of a story, finding the courtship and magic fascinating, too bad it was given up for clothes, food, drinks and endless empty banter. Is ever a revised, well edited version comes out, I will give it a second chance. For now I can only give it one star.
It seems to me the story was started some time ago, like a decade or two. When the author came back to it, tho, she did with gusto and somehow propelled the time period from regency or maybe even early 20th century to 2013 without a single glance back. All that I like had ended with Chapter 12. Chapter 13 welcomed us with a very sudden and very vicious addiction to cell phones, texts, voicemail and turning the damn thing on and off. Energy bars, credit cards, modern technology and modern jargon (started with "dunno") is suddenly all over the place.
Everyone is high on caffeine and sugar, hence, I assume, all the giggling, chuckling, laughing, smiling and so on (thesaurus was thoroughly exploited in this story). MC did a 180 and turned into a complete gigglepuss by 60%.
Then, there is all that food and clothes. The author is like a vice, she latches onto a subject and can't let go even after a new shiny pops up :(
Consort/Master dynamics, inappropriate and overused crude dirty jokes appeared to be all wrong to me. Maybe I am overly PC, but I cringed most of the time when Julian stepped in to discuss his responsibilities as a consort. Why is he even male? O.o Alex's "mounds" got pretty old and overused pretty fast; several characters managed to come off as sexist as**oles.
I started the book looking forward to a mystery. I got over my disappointment on that matter very early in the book and decided to enjoy fantasy of manners, magic and The Courtship instead. Chapter 13 (yes, I know, I already mentioned it), disappointed me again. The Courtship stopped. The old charm disappeared. Modern world and modern jargon with multiple new inane characters, whose names mostly start with J, took over.
Means of communication: first it was just a messenger or an occasional phone call, then it was cell-cell-cell, and t-h-e-n, because Alex/Julian relationship is not cheesy enough, we got Horace, The Messenger bird, who carried Alex's and Julian's letters in his chest where its heart supposed to be.
I did enjoy bits of a story, finding the courtship and magic fascinating, too bad it was given up for clothes, food, drinks and endless empty banter. Is ever a revised, well edited version comes out, I will give it a second chance. For now I can only give it one star.
July 21, 2013
This is the enjoyable and long (about 11200 Kindle locations) debut of a self-published author: a lot of work has apparently gone into its making and is evident throughout.
The average rating is due to some problems which do not disrupt the light-hearted enjoyment too much but are quite visible and must be noted.
If I were to define this work, I would describe it as a M/M fantasy romance built around a mystery plot and set in a sort of steampunk alternative contemporary England though none of these labels are to be taken literally.
Setting is very rich and detailed.
Most characters are either policemen or gentility and their lives are fully outlined. The technology described is identical to our current one (mobiles, cars, etc.) with the addition of magic which is pervasive and takes the place of religion which on the other hand is never hinted at.
The kind of magic richly described by the author is interesting in that it must be studied and relies on human senses and vital energy: lead and villains do not duel throwing lightnings to each other but trying to outwit each other with the use of clever spells.
While hints at contemporary England are present everywhere -there is even a clumsy "Tesco" thrown in-, the name of the country is never mentioned.
Ms Crook portrays gentility as it is known to us through dozens of regency/period romances but gets rid of the usual titles. The Crown is never mentioned. We get the snobbish butler, though.
The courtship is not only the plot device that keeps the plot and the mystery/romance elements of the novel together but also an interesting concept in itself, in that it formalises into a legally binding ritual what used to be the courting habits of the English society of yore. It bears some similarities to Japanese Miai and Philippine courtship as described on Wikipedia but is apparently an original creation.
The underlying concepts of Master and Consort give me pause instead and make me utterly uncomfortable.
While generally speaking the idea of a society which accepts homosexuality even in its upper echelons is not new but nonetheless refreshing, the two a.m. concepts translates brutally into that of "spouse in a position of authority, managing the estate and ruling the life of the family" and that of "obedient wife (of either gender) deferring to her/his master's wishes and, of course, utterly submissive".
In case of an homosexual couple that explicitly refers to roles in bed as well, with the consort identified as the passive -and exclusively passive- partner in the relationship.
This codification of gay sexual roles is an old habit, prevalent among lady-authors, that I find utterly repulsive, but of course this is my personal taste.
The problem is that the concepts of master and consort could make sense if the underlying society were Victorian/Edwardian but clash horribly and logically with the "contemporary" setting chosen by the author herself, where men and women are clearly on a level.
It is true that among "real" English gentility titles are still passed on to the male heir -if available- but beside that the spouses enjoy complete equality.
Furthermore they are not necessary, not even as a basis for the courtship, betraying a gratuitous sort of sexism.
The characterization of the lead is not entirely consistent.
Alex is introduced as a snarky outsider disdaining the mores of the gentility he belongs to.
Later on he becomes an endearing excentric.
The author realises -or possibly planned- the development but completely fails to sufficiently motivate it not to mention that the rude Alex of the beginning of the novel is a much more interesting character.
His co-lead, Julian, is not only quite pale, never really coming to life, but could also be replaced with the female character of Juliana with little if any change to plot and dialogues. One could then wonder why the character was not conceived as a woman as he feels like one in the first place and a not particularly feisty one at that.
The mystery plot is interesting because of the magic involved but is kind of thin for two reasons: I identified the villain 30% into the book (talk about heavy hints) and the investigation actually leads nowhere until random chance helps the lead identifying the culprit.
The main problem lies in writing.
I am not talking about typos, name switches or outright grammar mistakes that are there but can be corrected with a simple revision.
Probably due to her inexperience, the author is not able to set and maintain a consistent writing style. Her language and tone constantly shift between registers from the utterly cultivated -with its posh terms and pervasive use of subjunctive- to the colloquial, the first more common at the beginning and the latter later on. It is not tragic but it is evident and annoying.
While speaking of consistency and register, one could also mention the one and only graphic sex scene which I feel is entirely out of place, out of tune with the rest of the novel and redundant.
The ending is a happy one; the story can stand on its own but the author probably plans on a sequel.
May 21, 2024
Original review June 2014:
3.5 stars
The universe is a blend of 19th thru 21st century, with added common use of magic. That, and the fact that homosexuality isn't an issue, reminded me a lot of Megan Derr's fantasy universe (which I adore).
This story is full of descriptions. But most elaborate are descriptions of food, clothing, jewelry, and magic. I enjoyed the ones of magic, and haddrooling trouble with the ones of food, and it was charming all around, but after a while it became a bit tiring. Though the action/mystery bits in between teas and breakfasts, and the glimpses of Alex's world and magic were enough to keep me reading on and having fun!
Re-read March 2019
Re-read May 2024:
So, along with everything else I mentioned in my earlier review, I began noticing just how much laughing, chuckling, and giggling there is in this book - I don't think there was a page left when someone didn't do at least one of those.
The repetitiveness of actions and descriptions really wore me down in this re-read, but there was also the ick of really inappropriate jokes (creamy mounds), and the lack of any real mourning on Julian's part (because magic potions). My enjoyment of the book was dampened enough that I'm lowering my rating to 2.5 stars instead of the original 3.5 :/
My intent was to re-read the first book in the series in order to read the sequel, but I feel so tired after reading it that I'm considering abandoning the series altogether.
3.5 stars
The universe is a blend of 19th thru 21st century, with added common use of magic. That, and the fact that homosexuality isn't an issue, reminded me a lot of Megan Derr's fantasy universe (which I adore).
This story is full of descriptions. But most elaborate are descriptions of food, clothing, jewelry, and magic. I enjoyed the ones of magic, and had
Re-read March 2019
Re-read May 2024:
So, along with everything else I mentioned in my earlier review, I began noticing just how much laughing, chuckling, and giggling there is in this book - I don't think there was a page left when someone didn't do at least one of those.
The repetitiveness of actions and descriptions really wore me down in this re-read, but there was also the ick of really inappropriate jokes (creamy mounds), and the lack of any real mourning on Julian's part (because magic potions). My enjoyment of the book was dampened enough that I'm lowering my rating to 2.5 stars instead of the original 3.5 :/
My intent was to re-read the first book in the series in order to read the sequel, but I feel so tired after reading it that I'm considering abandoning the series altogether.
March 9, 2015
2.5 stars rounded up for effort.
This is a solid offering from a debut author, but could have really, really benefitted from a critical eye.
It's a looong book, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but there's a lot of unnecessary exposition that adds nothing to the plot or character development. Like the super-detailed description of food and clothes, and all the pointless hanging about drinking tea. And speaking of characters, there's quite a varied cast; but they're pretty much all stereotypes. From the shrill society mother, to the vapid twin sisters, to the disapproving butler, to the one-dimensional and annoying work rival. We've seen and reviled them all countless times before. As for the main characters, I couldn't form a clear picture of Alex, our hero, and Julian, the love interest, is as bland and cloying as vanilla pudding. I actually couldn't stand him and was actively rooting for the hot Dr Geoff. And the tea! What was up with that? I feel like a pot of tea was consumed roughly every 14 seconds. I also grew very weary of the 'sweet' kisses, 'shy' smiles, shared laughter and giggling. I had so many involuntary eye-rolls, guys, you have no idea. Only heterosexual couples annoy me this much. As for the mystery, it wasn't much a mystery at all. What may have seemed like subtle foreshadowing to the author was actually a neon arrow pointing to the baddie almost from the moment we meet him. And the social aspect of the world-builing was a little strange; it's modern world (albeit with magic) where homosexuality is perfectly acceptable but women can't hold titles?
I will say that I really enjoyed the magical theory, which I found clever and fascinating. And the word medicomagical is brilliant and needs to be a thing, like now.
Ultimately though, this book has a lot of potential and was entertaining (to a point) and quite easy to read, but suffers from over-inclusiveness and a lack of editing.
This is a solid offering from a debut author, but could have really, really benefitted from a critical eye.
It's a looong book, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but there's a lot of unnecessary exposition that adds nothing to the plot or character development. Like the super-detailed description of food and clothes, and all the pointless hanging about drinking tea. And speaking of characters, there's quite a varied cast; but they're pretty much all stereotypes. From the shrill society mother, to the vapid twin sisters, to the disapproving butler, to the one-dimensional and annoying work rival. We've seen and reviled them all countless times before. As for the main characters, I couldn't form a clear picture of Alex, our hero, and Julian, the love interest, is as bland and cloying as vanilla pudding. I actually couldn't stand him and was actively rooting for the hot Dr Geoff. And the tea! What was up with that? I feel like a pot of tea was consumed roughly every 14 seconds. I also grew very weary of the 'sweet' kisses, 'shy' smiles, shared laughter and giggling. I had so many involuntary eye-rolls, guys, you have no idea. Only heterosexual couples annoy me this much. As for the mystery, it wasn't much a mystery at all. What may have seemed like subtle foreshadowing to the author was actually a neon arrow pointing to the baddie almost from the moment we meet him. And the social aspect of the world-builing was a little strange; it's modern world (albeit with magic) where homosexuality is perfectly acceptable but women can't hold titles?
I will say that I really enjoyed the magical theory, which I found clever and fascinating. And the word medicomagical is brilliant and needs to be a thing, like now.
Ultimately though, this book has a lot of potential and was entertaining (to a point) and quite easy to read, but suffers from over-inclusiveness and a lack of editing.
August 30, 2015
After The Magpie Lord I was in the mood for something similar and that's how I stumbled on this book.
Premise has enough similarities: we have a murder & mayhem, magical consultant and a lord in grave danger. :)
What worked for me:
World building- In this world Crook created, magic is not just usual- it's very present. It's part of everyday life. For example, they have charms against wrinkling for their trousers or restaurants have charms that prevent guest from spilling their coffee- it's like they can't imagine life without it. Alex Benedict is a mage, he earns his living working as consultant for police on crimes committed by magical means and in free time he makes charms for different purposes. Alex is also a lord, he comes from aristocratic family, but he's not an heir. I'm not completely convinced why would his family frown that much when it comes to his magical abilities when world they live in is so dependent of magic, but they find it quite distasteful since he earns his living that way so he is not very close to them. When Alex is called to a crime scene, his family background puts him in unique position to discover who the killer is and save a young man in the process. Julian st. Albans is a wealthy lord with prime estates attached to his title whose fiancé is just killed. By some weird society rule he has to wed and he decided to do it by organizing a formal courtship. Courtship is actually like a talent show with possible candidates who are trying to show themselves in best light in various situations or tasks, until Julian picks one. Of course, only sons of aristocratic families can participate and that's where Alex comes in. I have to say that whole idea of him entering in courtship to figure out who is behind killing is very original and I like it- you know, everyone benefited from it, so everyone is a suspect. ;) It's a very clever plot device that allows author to wave mystery plot and romantic plot in equal measure. My favorite thing, though, has to be magic itself. Or to put it more clearly- the various uses and ways magic can manifest in this world (just imagine- magical mask ball). It's obvious that author put a lot of effort and research in it.
Alex- I liked Alex from the start. He is one of those grumpy and antisocial geniuses who gets on everyone's nerves. He is also smart and when he's doing magic, he is a bad-ass- I don't think anyone was as powerful as him in book. If there is a sequel, I would like to read about about new character who can challenge Alex on magical field.
What didn't work for me:
World-building- Yes. you read that right... The same thing that worked for me-also didn't work for me. I was actually confused several times. Up until 50% I was convinced this is a historical romance/magical fantasy mix. Calling cards, lords, butlers and posh manners and restricting norms of high society.... So, every time mobile phone biped I was surprised and pretended it's not there. I was thinking a lot how to explain my reasoning and I came with this: Some norms and manners we came to identify with historical romances just seem pointless if you mix them with modern technology. At one point I was like:
" Dude, why the hack are you sending a calling card or a pigeon when you can just text a guy?!"
And don't get me wrong, this is not steampunk world, although there are some steampunk elements like mechanical bugs. Actually it felt more like very modern world where aristocracy is perpetually stuck in regency times and since we are majority of book in high society and courtship, it just seemed "disjointed" to me. Right here we have to remember that this a début author and that this is self-published book. Maybe the whole idea of courtship just wouldn't fly in completely urban setting, but I think that in hands of experienced editor this would be smoothed over.
Another thing that bugged me a little was overdescriptive tone that, in my opinion, affected the pace of story several times. You know, this Courtship is exactly the Courtship my aunt would like to read. She would like to know in detail what everyone was wearing, what were they serving and how it tasted like, how table decor looked and what kind of china plates they used.... Me? Not so much. Since Alex went there under pretences I expected more focus on studying possible suspects. This story starts strong and you are so engrossed in it and then you come to one lunch scene and you can almost feel how your interest lowers. Then it again picks up and so on...I admit I skipped few description of dinners.
If you picked this book and struggle with lunch scene- stick to it and continue reading. It will definitely be worth your time at the end, because there is considerably more great things about this debut than not. Ans also..magic. :)
Sex scenes are almost non-existent and since Julian's lover was killed at the beginning it felt right for characters not to rush full on into relationship. But if you are picky, there is one sex scene at the end.;)
I'm happy this book came on my radar and whatever next Amy Crook prepared, I'm interested enough to check it out. ;)
November 5, 2017
The driving force for me getting this book when it first came out was, I admit, the fact that it was being offered for free. The cover was neat, in a minimalist kind of way, and the blurb sounded interesting…but I had never read this author before. I tend to be a bit wary of new things, and things that have been untested. And let’s just say that I have been bitten by one too many self-published works in the past to really trust that they are worth the gamble. But it was free….so why why not take the chance?
What I discovered upon reading, though, was a unique world, well crafted characters, and a read that was just too damn enjoyable to put my kindle down.
I love the world in which this book takes place. It is so like our own, but steeped in a magic so commonplace that it feels no different than the use of electricity. The courtship rituals displayed here are also incredibly interesting. When the man Julian loves dies he finds himself tied into a Courtship with a set of eligible bachelors of his society and class (Courtships can get ridiculously expensive for all parties concerned). Basically think of it as something like any of the Bachelor reality show programs–-just, you know, with more class…and dead bodies.
Those dead bodies are where Alex comes in. He is basically a consulting detective to the police force. Because Cecil died under suspicious and magical circumstances, Alex agrees to work the case and go ‘undercover’ (though most people know what he is doing) as a participant in Julian’s courtship. It is a good thing Alex is the son of a well-to-do family, even if he is the black, magical, sheep. As the deaths start to pile up, and the mystery gets more and more murky and dangerous, Alex struggles to find the person responsible for it all. All the while finding himself falling for Julian St. Albans.
Even after several readings I still very much enjoy this story. The way the magic functions in this world is just great. And the characters are so much fun to read about. Especially the Temple Guardians.
My only real issue with this book is how much of the story seem to be devoted to food. The story seems to almost drag at times-–a direct result of so much page time revolving around eating and/or talking about food. While I see that the food is part of the culture (especially tea, in this faux London location), I just wished it would have been more finely crafted and tuned. It flavors the story is a good way…but sometimes it is like using a handful of salt where only a pinch is needed.
I still highly recommend this book. It is a real pleasure to read, and it is not very often that I come across a world so fascinating and uniquely crafted.
4.5 stars
This book was reviewed for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
What I discovered upon reading, though, was a unique world, well crafted characters, and a read that was just too damn enjoyable to put my kindle down.
I love the world in which this book takes place. It is so like our own, but steeped in a magic so commonplace that it feels no different than the use of electricity. The courtship rituals displayed here are also incredibly interesting. When the man Julian loves dies he finds himself tied into a Courtship with a set of eligible bachelors of his society and class (Courtships can get ridiculously expensive for all parties concerned). Basically think of it as something like any of the Bachelor reality show programs–-just, you know, with more class…and dead bodies.
Those dead bodies are where Alex comes in. He is basically a consulting detective to the police force. Because Cecil died under suspicious and magical circumstances, Alex agrees to work the case and go ‘undercover’ (though most people know what he is doing) as a participant in Julian’s courtship. It is a good thing Alex is the son of a well-to-do family, even if he is the black, magical, sheep. As the deaths start to pile up, and the mystery gets more and more murky and dangerous, Alex struggles to find the person responsible for it all. All the while finding himself falling for Julian St. Albans.
Even after several readings I still very much enjoy this story. The way the magic functions in this world is just great. And the characters are so much fun to read about. Especially the Temple Guardians.
My only real issue with this book is how much of the story seem to be devoted to food. The story seems to almost drag at times-–a direct result of so much page time revolving around eating and/or talking about food. While I see that the food is part of the culture (especially tea, in this faux London location), I just wished it would have been more finely crafted and tuned. It flavors the story is a good way…but sometimes it is like using a handful of salt where only a pinch is needed.
I still highly recommend this book. It is a real pleasure to read, and it is not very often that I come across a world so fascinating and uniquely crafted.
4.5 stars
This book was reviewed for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
January 9, 2015
Probably more of a 2.5 rounded up. I really liked the first half of the book. I enjoyed the magic and the plot set up. Reminded me of The Bachelor. I thought is was a cool world and setting and I was quite interested in how things were going to work out for Alex and Julian. It was a world I couldn't quite place in any genre. It almost seemed historical in the way the romance and courtship was done but there were modern things like cars, phones, etc. Then there were the cool steampunk type insects and Horace (who may have been my favorite character in the book). Although I couldn't label it I was still enjoying it. My attention started to taper off around 50-60%. My biggest complaint was the endless and excessive, imo, talk about clothes and food and things that really didn't have much to do with the plot. These descriptions, while well written, just went on and on. The food thing in particular made me crazy. There was food and eating in almost every scene. Seriously. In almost every scene. They ate, the had snacks, they went to lunch and dinner with each other, they bought food gifts for people, they shopped for food ingrediants, they fed food items to the faires and sprites and on and on it went. Gah.....I think I tend to be a bit of a foodie. I read cookbooks for fun (seriously) but damn. In my paranormal/fantasy romace I need more paranormal/fantasy and more romance. I'm kind of undecided about whether I will read the next one or not. They didn't get together until the very end of the story and I would like to see them together. I'd also like to read Julian's POV. BUT, and this is a big but, I see from reviews of the next book there is more food porn. Not sure I can go there again.
November 15, 2024
Temporary DNF. I’ll come back to it, but only bc I want to know who the murderer is, though after this? I won’t be surprised if it’s a spell the murdered man cast himself that killed him.
WHAT. JUST. HAPPENED.
Let me back up.
I’ve never read this author but the story sounded so fun! Murder mystery in a magical world with a The Bachelor-like setup of suitors hoping to win the hand of a rich young society man, Julian St. Albans, whose beloved fiancé/future “master” (uh…don’t ask, it’s weird) was recently murdered. Julian now HAS to find a husband to be his master because he already agreed to be a consort, to his dead fiancé. (Why he HAS to still become a consort despite his lover dying, we don’t know! Just go with it.)
It starts with the grumpy narrator MC, talented sound-magic mage Alex, getting a call from his sometime police handler to visit the crime scene at Julian’s estate and see what magic was at foul play in the fiance’s death. There Alex briefly meets the gorgeous and sad Julian. There’s definitely magic involved in the death, and Alex will be part of the investigation. Alex is also from high society but has eschewed his family’s snobby ways to make a living working with his magic and living much more humbly.
In short, due to meeting him, Julian invites Alex to be part of the upcoming Courtship, in which eligible rich suitors from all the highest society houses will woo Julian for the right to his hand, his estate, his riches etc. Despite having no interest at first in taking part, of course Alex realizes it’s the perfect chance to learn who wanted the fiancé dead in order to claim Julian for himself.
And it’s so much fun! At first. Definitely The Bachelor meets an Agatha Christie novel, with truly fascinating magic. Alex choosing truly thoughtful gifts for the grieving Julian, getting the right wardrobe, interacting w his brothers and sisters—really entertaining stuff!
Then…chapter 9 happens.
To me, it read as completely unprofessional and criminally inappropriate. I think was supposed to be cute? How is that cute? It was handled like this was all in a day’s doctor appointment. Totally normal! I’ve read many other reviews, and no one had a single comment on this “treatment.” Is it me? Are my doctor appointments just so unusually boring that I had no idea it was necessary to receive liquid medicine from my doctor via kissing? And then get a reciprocal fully naked check-me-out? WHAT?
AITA here?
Well, when I get back to reading it, at least I won’t care if the other MC Julian does decide to “try out” every suitor in the sack before making his choice. When that was brought up as a possibility, I hoped it wouldn’t go there. But you know what? Go for it, Julian. I don’t care about this as a romance anymore. I just want to know who murdered your man.
BAFFLED and feeling like I got a very weird rake in the face. But still curious. DNF for now, but, I do have to find out whodunnit, so…update to come?!
If anyone else I know reads/has read this, please let me know your thoughts on chapter 9. I'm confused by it!
ADDITION: I had to read on because apparently I am a glutton for punishment (sorry, cliche!). And now I feel like I am being gaslit by this book. Because, in the very next chapter, 10, Alex walks into the police station to the proverbial "water cooler" situation with the officers standing around gossiping, and what are they gossiping about, with Dr. Geoff? Alex thinks, Oh, maybe I should be mad, but, it was so complimentary, it's okay!
WHAT THE F. Seriously, stop gaslighting me into thinking it's okay for a doctor to joke that way about his patient with other people. This wasn't teammates in a locker room joking about each other's naked bodies. Or colleagues joking about each other. This was a DOCTOR joking about his PATIENT.
K, I'm done.
WHAT. JUST. HAPPENED.
Let me back up.
I’ve never read this author but the story sounded so fun! Murder mystery in a magical world with a The Bachelor-like setup of suitors hoping to win the hand of a rich young society man, Julian St. Albans, whose beloved fiancé/future “master” (uh…don’t ask, it’s weird) was recently murdered. Julian now HAS to find a husband to be his master because he already agreed to be a consort, to his dead fiancé. (Why he HAS to still become a consort despite his lover dying, we don’t know! Just go with it.)
It starts with the grumpy narrator MC, talented sound-magic mage Alex, getting a call from his sometime police handler to visit the crime scene at Julian’s estate and see what magic was at foul play in the fiance’s death. There Alex briefly meets the gorgeous and sad Julian. There’s definitely magic involved in the death, and Alex will be part of the investigation. Alex is also from high society but has eschewed his family’s snobby ways to make a living working with his magic and living much more humbly.
In short, due to meeting him, Julian invites Alex to be part of the upcoming Courtship, in which eligible rich suitors from all the highest society houses will woo Julian for the right to his hand, his estate, his riches etc. Despite having no interest at first in taking part, of course Alex realizes it’s the perfect chance to learn who wanted the fiancé dead in order to claim Julian for himself.
And it’s so much fun! At first. Definitely The Bachelor meets an Agatha Christie novel, with truly fascinating magic. Alex choosing truly thoughtful gifts for the grieving Julian, getting the right wardrobe, interacting w his brothers and sisters—really entertaining stuff!
Then…chapter 9 happens.
To me, it read as completely unprofessional and criminally inappropriate. I think was supposed to be cute? How is that cute? It was handled like this was all in a day’s doctor appointment. Totally normal! I’ve read many other reviews, and no one had a single comment on this “treatment.” Is it me? Are my doctor appointments just so unusually boring that I had no idea it was necessary to receive liquid medicine from my doctor via kissing? And then get a reciprocal fully naked check-me-out? WHAT?
AITA here?
Well, when I get back to reading it, at least I won’t care if the other MC Julian does decide to “try out” every suitor in the sack before making his choice. When that was brought up as a possibility, I hoped it wouldn’t go there. But you know what? Go for it, Julian. I don’t care about this as a romance anymore. I just want to know who murdered your man.
BAFFLED and feeling like I got a very weird rake in the face. But still curious. DNF for now, but, I do have to find out whodunnit, so…update to come?!
If anyone else I know reads/has read this, please let me know your thoughts on chapter 9. I'm confused by it!
ADDITION: I had to read on because apparently I am a glutton for punishment (sorry, cliche!). And now I feel like I am being gaslit by this book. Because, in the very next chapter, 10, Alex walks into the police station to the proverbial "water cooler" situation with the officers standing around gossiping, and what are they gossiping about, with Dr. Geoff? Alex thinks, Oh, maybe I should be mad, but, it was so complimentary, it's okay!
WHAT THE F. Seriously, stop gaslighting me into thinking it's okay for a doctor to joke that way about his patient with other people. This wasn't teammates in a locker room joking about each other's naked bodies. Or colleagues joking about each other. This was a DOCTOR joking about his PATIENT.
K, I'm done.
November 2, 2020
I'm giving this 3 stars but I'm not sure I should. In fact I'm not sure about a lot of things after reading this book. I'm not sure what time period it was set in - at first I thought historical but then they had cell phones and modern terms. I'm not sure why Julian needed a master or why he was a consort. I'm not sure Julian actually ever fell for Alex or if he was just the best option. I'm not sure how they managed to solve the murder since hardly any investigation actually took place. I'm not sure why Julian was constantly giggling. In fact, I'm not sure Julian couldn't have just as easily been written as a woman.
What I am sure about is they ate a lot of food which was described in depth. They wore fancy clothes which were described in depth. There was magic but it was bizarre. Actually the whole book was bizarre and I'm still not sure if this is a 2 or 3 star book but I'll round up.
What I am sure about is they ate a lot of food which was described in depth. They wore fancy clothes which were described in depth. There was magic but it was bizarre. Actually the whole book was bizarre and I'm still not sure if this is a 2 or 3 star book but I'll round up.
August 19, 2019
3.5 stars. I enjoyed this sweet cozy fantasy mystery romance with its mix of magic, modern day tech, and old fashioned class system dynamics like formal courtships, which here is like a fancier, gayer version of the Bachelor. With some magical murder mixed in.
It did feel like an early work. I would recommend the author work with a heartless editor to cull away all the giggling and chuckling the characters do. (Julian giggles out most of his dialogue. It made things hard to imagine.) Also there's a lot of detail about eating food and drinking tea. It definitely heightens the cozy feel, but will probably make you hungry. (It made me hungry.) And slows the pacing down.
Still, a fun, fanciful work. I happily went on to the sequel.
It did feel like an early work. I would recommend the author work with a heartless editor to cull away all the giggling and chuckling the characters do. (Julian giggles out most of his dialogue. It made things hard to imagine.) Also there's a lot of detail about eating food and drinking tea. It definitely heightens the cozy feel, but will probably make you hungry. (It made me hungry.) And slows the pacing down.
Still, a fun, fanciful work. I happily went on to the sequel.
July 2, 2018
I love face pace books with lots of twist!
But this book is not fast paced yet I loved it! the author describes the food in details which should have been boring and should have encouraged me to skip the page but I found myself enjoying the experience of taste of different courses and the concept of ’feel’ of magic by the mage is different. The MC can perform magic through sound and works as part time (rather full time) consultant for the Government by solving murders involving magic. The way he works to solve the crime is different which make it exciting to read!
But this book is not fast paced yet I loved it! the author describes the food in details which should have been boring and should have encouraged me to skip the page but I found myself enjoying the experience of taste of different courses and the concept of ’feel’ of magic by the mage is different. The MC can perform magic through sound and works as part time (rather full time) consultant for the Government by solving murders involving magic. The way he works to solve the crime is different which make it exciting to read!
April 9, 2015
This was fun, but really really REALLY long. It actually took me about a week to finish it, which is practically unheard of. Anyway, other than that, I completely enjoyed this story. Alex was totally loveable as the grumpy and talented mage who consults with the police on murder cases that involve magic. I'm definitely going to read the second one and see what other magical mischief he can find.
October 3, 2018
I have put off reading this for ages and I have absolutely no idea why. This was a ton of fun. Admittedly the mystery and the magic was a lot stronger than the romance itself though. Alex's magic was really interesting. I liked that he saw things through sound. It was an interesting new concept. Julian was a sweetheart who was slowly learning to stand for what he wanted himself. The who behind what was going on wasn't too hard to figure out, but I did keep wondering how things were all going to work out.
I liked the feel of this world. It was an interesting kind of old world feel with modern conveniences and magic. I liked the elite families structure and I enjoyed Alex's fighting against the system. His being the black sheep was cute in how he dealt with his slightly overbearing family. I liked that Julian was on his side. He didn't want to make him really become part of the elite.
Such a lot of fun. Magic was crazy and enjoyable.
I liked the feel of this world. It was an interesting kind of old world feel with modern conveniences and magic. I liked the elite families structure and I enjoyed Alex's fighting against the system. His being the black sheep was cute in how he dealt with his slightly overbearing family. I liked that Julian was on his side. He didn't want to make him really become part of the elite.
Such a lot of fun. Magic was crazy and enjoyable.
September 26, 2015
Nope. DNF at 30%. I give the one star for the quality of the writing.
This is a gay version of "The Bachelor" in a strange steampunky 18th century AU with mobile phones and Gin & Tonic and magic, but the most repressive and stupid view on gay relationships I read in a long time. Plus a totally boring crime mystery.
Cue one: One guy becomes "Master", the other "Consort". The Master is responsible for the estate and the business, and the little wifey - ahem - consort for the household.
Stereotyping much? Believing in very stuffy old-fashioned views on relationships in general much? This is worse than stuffing people in the hetero-normative gender-typing drawer.
Here the young and beautiful bride-to-be (the consort or "The bachelor") is seeking a Master amongst 13 want-to-be bosses out of the high society.
Really??
And "the boy" is behaving flirty and coy, and is also a damsel in distress because his long-time lover has been just killed. But, alas, he will find a new master soon.
Don't get me wrong, there is nothing whatsoever wrong with feminine behaviour. As there is nothing wrong with women. But this whole setting is rubbing me the wrong way.
Why will the "dominant" Master be the one to take care of the consorts estate? Why is sexual preference like being a submissive or a bottom determining your entire role in society???
That's an awful world built in this novel.
And don't get me started on the stupid magic stuff. I skimmed this, because it was so boring to me, I just couldn't.
This is a gay version of "The Bachelor" in a strange steampunky 18th century AU with mobile phones and Gin & Tonic and magic, but the most repressive and stupid view on gay relationships I read in a long time. Plus a totally boring crime mystery.
Cue one: One guy becomes "Master", the other "Consort". The Master is responsible for the estate and the business, and the little wifey - ahem - consort for the household.
Stereotyping much? Believing in very stuffy old-fashioned views on relationships in general much? This is worse than stuffing people in the hetero-normative gender-typing drawer.
Here the young and beautiful bride-to-be (the consort or "The bachelor") is seeking a Master amongst 13 want-to-be bosses out of the high society.
Really??
And "the boy" is behaving flirty and coy, and is also a damsel in distress because his long-time lover has been just killed. But, alas, he will find a new master soon.
Don't get me wrong, there is nothing whatsoever wrong with feminine behaviour. As there is nothing wrong with women. But this whole setting is rubbing me the wrong way.
Why will the "dominant" Master be the one to take care of the consorts estate? Why is sexual preference like being a submissive or a bottom determining your entire role in society???
That's an awful world built in this novel.
And don't get me started on the stupid magic stuff. I skimmed this, because it was so boring to me, I just couldn't.
May 7, 2017
4 stars. Despite its substantial length, this book kept my interest engaged throughout and I easily overlooked some inconsistencies in the characterisations or language register used. Why? Because I enjoyed very much the combination of historical, fantasy/paranormal and mystery elements (reminiscent of Megan Derr or K.J. Charles). The universe and descriptions were richly detailed, while Alex was a distinctly likeable and interesting protagonist.
My significant complaint is that Julian - the romantic interest - could have been more involved in the plot, which would have consolidated his relationship with Alex.
I'm hoping the author will consider a sequel in which Alex deals with more mysteries and adventures, at the same time developing his romantic relationship with Julian to make it more solid and credible.
My significant complaint is that Julian - the romantic interest - could have been more involved in the plot, which would have consolidated his relationship with Alex.
I'm hoping the author will consider a sequel in which Alex deals with more mysteries and adventures, at the same time developing his romantic relationship with Julian to make it more solid and credible.
January 1, 2023
by all rights I should have hated this book because it is a society manners novel, but the magic and the mystery saved it for me. Julian is a private person who after his fiance, who he was to be a consort of, is murdered. is forced by society's rules to hold a Courtship with him being the prize won by one of the suitors, including all of his lands, titles, and fortune. Alex is a consulting Mage for the Agency which investigate the murder and is the national law enforcement agency for UK in the universe for this story. He become one of the Suitors and wins it, but the next day the courtship was tossed out because his consortship to his fiance was brought about by magical coercion. They remain boyfriends are trying to make it work without Julian having to become a consort but just everyday partners in life. Loved Horace Alex's construction of a bird who carries message between Alex and Julian.
March 6, 2017
This began like Sherlock Holmes set in a Megan Derr type fantasy world which was very cool!! Loved the beginning! The concept, the world-building, and the writing were all great. The author is skilled at writing description, and I enjoyed the in-depth descriptions of the creation of the magics. However, the detailed and lengthy description of food and clothing made the story read slow for me. I think foodies would love this book because it leans towards food porn at times.
June 9, 2021
Really interesting Magic systems and world building, a pretty good mystery (although felt like some things were left unsolved), but this book was about 200 pages too long and I felt like the MC had more chemistry with every other man he flirted with (of which there seemed to be many) than he did with the man he was courting.
Read
June 11, 2024A perfect example of a book that could have been 100 pages shorter and that much better.
Also also the author used the word “wry” 54 times.
There is literally no reason to use that word that many times.
Also also the author used the word “wry” 54 times.
There is literally no reason to use that word that many times.
January 24, 2025
I am surprised to give this five stars, since it's full of descriptions of food and clothes and mundane actions. The author manages to keep it interesting enough that I only sighed impatiently a very few times. Remarkable. Very good magic system, fun characters, interesting murder mystery, sweet romance.
November 25, 2020
This was an absolutely delightful read! A delightful long read. *shivers in pleasure* Such a hard combination to find these days.
Set in an alternate universe with magic, cellphones, and courtship rituals. I would label it Contemporary-Regency-Fantasy. Which might sound strange but I thought it took a lot of the best parts (well, I don't particularly like cellphones, but I will admit they are rather handy) of each, to make one very intriguing whole.
The story is told from Alex's pov and I thought he was a lot of fun. Snarky, snippy, rather abrupt and rude at times but all of that covers a lot of hurt over feeling like he doesn't really fit in anywhere and that his family doesn't like him, because he doesn't fit in. Alex comes from an upper crust family who seem to be embarrassed that he is a mage and appalled that he has chosen to live on his own and work - using his magic to investigate crimes.
I liked that at the beginning we see Alex's snappy attitude and get to understand a little behind it because of his thoughts but as the book goes on he softens a bit. I think this is because he is finally finding a place he fits in and people that like and accept him for who he is. I also think that part of his problems with his family he brought on himself. Not that he didn't have legitimate reasons to feel hurt or even abandoned or neglected, but the interactions with his brothers and sisters, while ostensibly to keep him from embarrassing the family, seemed to be heavily laced with an underlying genuine thread of caring. A sort of confused, we aren't really sure what to make of Alex or what to say or do, but we do love him kind of caring. At least, that was my take.
The mystery and investigation. Oh, I can't tell you how much I enjoyed it! So often I pick up a mystery and there just isn't much to it. You know who the bad guy is right away, there is hardly any investigation and really not much focus on the mystery at all. Not much substance and easily solved. Not so here. Honestly, this book was just so much fun to read. I know it will be going to the top of my reread pile.
The magic was intriguing and we got to see quite a bit of it, with Alex using it to amuse on occasion, to make potions and charms for others, and to investigate with it.
We don't get as much focus and time with Julian but I didn't really feel like the romance got pushed aside or anything. It really was a bit like reading a Regency type novel, especially with Courtship going on, so that things were supposed to be done a certain way to not cause any impropriety.
I even enjoyed reading about the food and clothes, though things like that will often cause my attention to drift if they take up too much space, but I quite enjoyed them here. I often felt it gave a little more insight into the world itself and the characters - with how they chose to dress or what they chose to eat and how they reacted to those things in others. Or maybe I was just so in love with the rest of the book that it carried over into those details. The only bad thing is that it left me with a desperate craving for Mr. Han's Sushi...wonder if I can talk my husband into going there for dinner tonight. *ponders*
A thoroughly enjoyable read. I hope the author puts out another book. I would love t read a new story or even better, maybe a new mystery with these characters involved. *crosses fingers*
Set in an alternate universe with magic, cellphones, and courtship rituals. I would label it Contemporary-Regency-Fantasy. Which might sound strange but I thought it took a lot of the best parts (well, I don't particularly like cellphones, but I will admit they are rather handy) of each, to make one very intriguing whole.
The story is told from Alex's pov and I thought he was a lot of fun. Snarky, snippy, rather abrupt and rude at times but all of that covers a lot of hurt over feeling like he doesn't really fit in anywhere and that his family doesn't like him, because he doesn't fit in. Alex comes from an upper crust family who seem to be embarrassed that he is a mage and appalled that he has chosen to live on his own and work - using his magic to investigate crimes.
I liked that at the beginning we see Alex's snappy attitude and get to understand a little behind it because of his thoughts but as the book goes on he softens a bit. I think this is because he is finally finding a place he fits in and people that like and accept him for who he is. I also think that part of his problems with his family he brought on himself. Not that he didn't have legitimate reasons to feel hurt or even abandoned or neglected, but the interactions with his brothers and sisters, while ostensibly to keep him from embarrassing the family, seemed to be heavily laced with an underlying genuine thread of caring. A sort of confused, we aren't really sure what to make of Alex or what to say or do, but we do love him kind of caring. At least, that was my take.
The mystery and investigation. Oh, I can't tell you how much I enjoyed it! So often I pick up a mystery and there just isn't much to it. You know who the bad guy is right away, there is hardly any investigation and really not much focus on the mystery at all. Not much substance and easily solved. Not so here. Honestly, this book was just so much fun to read. I know it will be going to the top of my reread pile.
The magic was intriguing and we got to see quite a bit of it, with Alex using it to amuse on occasion, to make potions and charms for others, and to investigate with it.
We don't get as much focus and time with Julian but I didn't really feel like the romance got pushed aside or anything. It really was a bit like reading a Regency type novel, especially with Courtship going on, so that things were supposed to be done a certain way to not cause any impropriety.
I even enjoyed reading about the food and clothes, though things like that will often cause my attention to drift if they take up too much space, but I quite enjoyed them here. I often felt it gave a little more insight into the world itself and the characters - with how they chose to dress or what they chose to eat and how they reacted to those things in others. Or maybe I was just so in love with the rest of the book that it carried over into those details. The only bad thing is that it left me with a desperate craving for Mr. Han's Sushi...wonder if I can talk my husband into going there for dinner tonight. *ponders*
A thoroughly enjoyable read. I hope the author puts out another book. I would love t read a new story or even better, maybe a new mystery with these characters involved. *crosses fingers*
September 5, 2014
The Courtship of Julian St. Albans has been an incredible surprise. Set in a parallel universe, in what would be a sort of steampunk modern London (where cell phones and guns coexist with strange machines created and sustained by magic) it tells us about Alexander Benedict, a magical consultant who works with The Agency (Scotland Yard?) helping them solving mysteries where magic is involved. His latest case puts him in contact with lovely Julian St. Albans, whose fiancé has been murdered through magic. Obliged by tradition, Julian must call a courtship to find a new husband-master. Alex decides the best way to help in the investigation is joining the courtship (after all he has been invited, to his utter bewilderment). But joining the traditional procedure results in a really annoying process, with Alex’s very wealthy and messy family stepping up, trying to help him gain Julian’s favour. Alex soon becomes one of the favourite suitors, but also the target of several murdering attempts which threaten his live. Will Alex survive the Courtship with his life, and his heart, intact?
I just loved this book. So much. The world building is amazing. There is an attention to the detail, in the description of clothes, presents and food (God, I was drooling with envy every time meals were described) which does not interfere with the narrative, the story flowing easily and smoothly. The characters are likeable. Alex had me from the start, with his very annoying personality, sarcastic sense of humour and remorseless use of flirting to peeve those around him. There is an evolution in him, from really irritating at the beginning to cranky but endearing towards the end. On the other hand, Julian grew on me slowly, as his personality is unfolded gradually, and you find layers in him you did not expect when you first met him. The secondary characters are also enjoyable: from the nosy Benedict family to Alex’s guardians and his Agency mates, all of them conforming a mosaic of people displaying defined personalities I would love to read more about.
The book is a perfect mixture of fantasy, detective novel, romance and adventure. There is very little anguish and a lot of humour. I honestly recommend it to any lover of the genre. I’ve already downloaded the second book. I can’t wait to continue reading about these charming characters.
I just loved this book. So much. The world building is amazing. There is an attention to the detail, in the description of clothes, presents and food (God, I was drooling with envy every time meals were described) which does not interfere with the narrative, the story flowing easily and smoothly. The characters are likeable. Alex had me from the start, with his very annoying personality, sarcastic sense of humour and remorseless use of flirting to peeve those around him. There is an evolution in him, from really irritating at the beginning to cranky but endearing towards the end. On the other hand, Julian grew on me slowly, as his personality is unfolded gradually, and you find layers in him you did not expect when you first met him. The secondary characters are also enjoyable: from the nosy Benedict family to Alex’s guardians and his Agency mates, all of them conforming a mosaic of people displaying defined personalities I would love to read more about.
The book is a perfect mixture of fantasy, detective novel, romance and adventure. There is very little anguish and a lot of humour. I honestly recommend it to any lover of the genre. I’ve already downloaded the second book. I can’t wait to continue reading about these charming characters.
December 22, 2019
2.5 stars
I liked a lot of this, but it got so slooooooow in the middle and really the whole last half. It just got super boring, and I didn't like the way the romance played out either. Julian worked less and less for me, and we didn't really get any answers about his relationship with the late fiance or even some of the other Courtship suitors. I know he liked Alex as a person and considered him the best of his options, but it never really felt like more than that. So much potential with some really interesting world-building, but ultimately a fail for me.
I liked a lot of this, but it got so slooooooow in the middle and really the whole last half. It just got super boring, and I didn't like the way the romance played out either. Julian worked less and less for me, and we didn't really get any answers about his relationship with the late fiance or even some of the other Courtship suitors. I know he liked Alex as a person and considered him the best of his options, but it never really felt like more than that. So much potential with some really interesting world-building, but ultimately a fail for me.
March 10, 2016
I totally enjoyed this book. I loved the mix of historical and modern elements so that the reader is never quite sure when they are. So fun! The fantasy was great. I love how it was completely woven into the story even in the small details. It was all very proper with some casual, improper moments thrown in here and there. Such a fun read. It was far more than I expected and I'm happy I gave it a go.
September 11, 2013
Bachelors meets Jane Austin.
July 7, 2025
Fan-flipping-tastic book! I really have no words to describe how fast and irrevocable this grump MMC stole my heart. Friends, if Maxantarius Farlione is your jam, Alex will do LAPS around him!
✨ Plot and worldbuilding
Step into a murder investigation that turns into a season of The Bachelor. The case moves slow but oh do we have some amazing 6 course meals planned while we solve it! The atmosphere of the story is very much cozy and sweet, even against the backdrop of a police investigation.
Alex is called on to solve the case and finds himself participating in the formal courtship of Julian, the late victim’s fiancee. Fine, twist his hand, the complete professional that he is! If going on dates and spending time with the lovely Julian is what gets this job done, he’ll do it. And for no other reason whatsoever.
Much to the Benedict family’s delight, the courtship includes dates with several high society suitors, shopping for presents and a masquerade ball which make the perfect excuses to treat Alex as the family project and bring him back into the fold.
✨ The MMC
He's not the title character, but Alexander Benedict is the main character which the book is following. He's the 30+ year old mage version of Sherlock Holmes. His wardrobe is "bespoke and bespelled" and he's ready to consult the Agency on investigations while doing his best to avoid the attention his family (and several waitresses).
He's full of contradictions and it makes me love him even more. He's a grump but also the office flirt and the one who gets hit on the most on outings. He’s intelligent, competent and so very perceptive (when it comes to magic and investigation clues, not so much social ones).
His weapon of choice is bribery (by pastries) and his duels are fought over spicy meals at hole-in-the-wall restaurants.
✨ The couple
Alex’s love interest is clearly Julian but I kept wondering if they are going to end up together. Spicy is a word that best describes the food in the story rather than the romance but I *ate* this book up nonetheless.
The romance aspect was slow burn and took a second spot after the slice-of-life storytelling. The vivid descriptions of the world, food and time the characters spend together were so worth it and gave me a super cozy, mellow relaxed feel.
✨ Side Characters
Some many good and lovable side characters, they all care about Alex and their friendships are wonderful to see. I loved the guardian side characters (and how they take care of Alex and become his friends by the end). And how fun were Alex’s sisters, Flora and Fauna, whose weapon of choice is gossip!
✨ Tropes and vibes
What a nice break from a main character that snarls, growls, bites words out and hisses. This MMC is a total grump but not a shadow daddy and it's so refreshing to see!
✨ Unique aspects of this book
- the gloomy and broody MMC who is not a shadow daddy!
- Alex perceives magic as sound and makes magic using his tuning fork or flute
- the practical use of magic - no wrinkles on your pants, no cracks on your leather shoes (this increased the cozy feel, I was not in the mood for world-destroying type of magic in this story!)
- was so pleasantly surprised to find out that a murder mystery plot can be wrapped in such a cozy mellow vibe
✨ What I wish would have been different
Ooh, my sore point is that Julian seemed to have a damsel-in-distress vibe going on and not much else. I was also confused to hear the word Tesco and had to rewind a bit to make sure I heard correctly - had to revise how I imagined the victorian-era world of the story, but I didn't mind it too much.
✨ The audiobook
The narration was fantastic again! I heard about a million UK accents done by a SINGLE person and they were all distinctive enough, funny and immersive. I loved Julian's voice the most,
Oh, and after the end of the book? We get to hear not one but TWO short stories in the same universe, starring Alex. Julian and Marguerite. Loved that so so so much!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the absolute pleasure of listening to this book. Opinions are my own.
dnf
February 28, 2025dnf at 31 %. This is not a bad book, it's just padded out to nearly 400 pages with things I don't particularly care about. I'm nearly one-third in and we had a little bit of romance, a small chunk of mystery but at least four protracted expositions about the magic system which I didn't particularly care about, one dinner scene that spans three considerably long chapters and includes details of every course served, and far too many pointless conversations that just regurgitate existing events. I liked the whole courtship idea and a queernorm world is always a plus, but the combination of Victoriana setting with cravats, inkwells and liveried servants with mobile phones, plastic evidence bags and Tescos kept pulling me out of the story no matter how much I tried. I also didn't particularly like our main character, who starts off by telling us about how much he hates and is hated by his family in turn only to then get on perfectly well with several of his siblings - if this was an attempt at an unreliable narrator, it wasn't particularly successful, and felt more like trying to make the MC into the classic edgy loner type. The LI also has barely more personality than an unstarched handkerchief and judging by comments from other readers, this does not improve over time.
All in all, this did have promise and I would have continued if it was trimmed down, but my kindle is telling me I still have 6 hours to go and I am not spending those on more pointless food descriptions.
All in all, this did have promise and I would have continued if it was trimmed down, but my kindle is telling me I still have 6 hours to go and I am not spending those on more pointless food descriptions.
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