Mage Jannick Pederson thought it was a simple help the gryphon leader find some missing human children and then go home. A noble cause, even if he didn’t much like the abrasive jerk. So why didn't someone tell him he’d be working closely with the leader’s son instead? That hot piece of perfection could make even happily-single Jannick give up his no-strings-attached ways.
Gryphon shifter Conall Arwan has simple goals for his get his PhD in pediatric shifter social work and stay off the radar of his disapproving father. When his father orders him to work with a hot but arrogant mage to find missing human kids, all Conall sees is how it pushes back his graduation date. Again. And even if the mage unexpectedly turns out to be not so bad—and maybe even a little sweet—there’s still no future for them. Conall’s dad has plans for him and they don’t include getting involved with a sexy, infuriating mage.
But fate has other ideas.
It Spells Trouble is a 75K word fated mates romance with a hearty dose of steam and a guaranteed happily-ever-after. This book is part of the Mages and Mates series and includes a plot to destroy the world, a desperate decision with far-reaching consequences, and one pissed off gryphon father.
Each book in the series can be read alone, but they are better read in order.
Family drama with an undercurrent of demon summoning and child sacrifice. The overall world is threatened by demons and their earthly allies trying to poke holes in the magical barrier separating one world from the other, the romance/mating is threatened by a overbearing alpha who has pack law on his side.
A little sexy time, a little magical theory, and a eventual inheritance of the role of guardians of the ward. Also maybe a hint that another brother found his shifter mate.
Perfectly fine, but there were several places with strange phrasing that made it difficult to understand what was happening. I also hate it when authors use the same cadence and vocabulary for every character; every main character in these books says things like, "shoot in me", and it makes things seem less realistic. Change it up and give each person their own personality.
It Spells Trouble (Mages & Mates, 2) By Andy Gallo Published by Gallorious Readers, 2023 Five stars
In the second book (of at least four) of the Mages & Mates series, we’re back in the America where the Mage Council oversees the maintenance of the Great Ward, and has a certain authority over all of the magical beings in the country. In this installment, another of the Hollen boys, Jannick, finds himself in the same sort of difficult position his elder half-brother Bart did in book 1. Sent by his father, the head of the Mage Council, to work with the gryphons in Western Maryland, Jannick expects a straightforward case with some diplomatic difficulty. The gryphons are prickly and territorial, so Jan knows he’ll have to tread lightly and use all of his adulting skills.
What he doesn’t expect is that Alpha Arwan’s son, Conall, is very different from his belligerent father. He also doesn’t expect to find out that Conall seems to be his mate, since such a pairing hasn’t happened in over a thousand years.
Conall isn’t just drawn to Jan because of the mate bond; he’s also fascinated by this powerful young mage whose family, for all its political maneuvering, is loving and supportive. This is the opposite of conditions in the gryphon community, where the absolute power of the alpha runs roughshod over individual happiness and aspiration—and has dragged down the once-noble gryphon packs’ reputation in the magical world.
As the situation between Conall and Jannick gets more complicated, they also begin to realize that the child abductions within the human population could be part of a catastrophic plot to break the Great Ward and unleash demons into the world. What started out as a routine collaboration becomes a life-or-death struggle to keep the world safe and stave off a civil war within the gryphon community.
Andy Gallo’s writing is engaging and has surprising emotional punch. Jan and Conall are appealing characters, and they’re surrounded with other players who give them dimension and context in this richly imagined fictional reality. Jan is a formerly feckless, spoiled child of privilege, working hard to live up to his family’s expectations. Conall is the browbeaten child of a brutal authoritarian, representing an entire clan’s suffering at the whims of an egomaniacal leader. What they learn about each other directly affects the roles they must play in the fateful confrontation looming before them.
There is a pattern made clear in this story that sets the stage for at least two more books involving the Hollens. I’ll be keeping my eyes out for book 3.
**4.5** It Spells Trouble is a fantastic follow up to Break the Spell. We now get Jan's story after meeting him in book one and it's interesting getting to know his character after he seemed like a larger than life character, he hides a lot of pain from his childhood. There is a really good mystery that he is sent off to investigate and it's where he meets the gryphon shifter, Conall. What follows is a turbulent time in both aspects as the main obstacle they face is the Alpha Gryphon, who is the one that called for assistance regarding missing human children in his territory and also happens to be Conall's father. My heart went out to both men for what they've experienced in the past and how hard it is for them to reach their future together. There is a connection there as soon as they meet but Conall's father takes over, as he often does. When they finally spend time alone together, they can't fight the bond that develops but they have to overcome some pretty tough circumstances, finding help from an unexpected source. It really showcases the difference in their families. Despite Jan joining his famioly as a young boy after his mother passed away, he's got a lot off people who love and support him, even more so after the events in book one. Whereas, Conall's father rules with an iron fist and has no trouble pitting his sons against each other, expecting everyone to follow his rules and do what is in his best interests. The case of the kidnapped children takes a magical toll on Jan as he searches for clues but he soon has the help of his younger brother, Leo. Eventually, I don't think it was a huge surprise who the main culprit is but getting to that point has everyone on edge, especially when another child goes missing. This story has a good balance between happy and sad as the couple grow closer, sharing all of themselves with each other including their painful pasts, but fear they will not be able to be together. It's family who step in to help when needed. Jan's father and siblings quick to notice a change in him and step in, then to share in his happiness. I'm really enjoying the development of this series and how there is a running theme but we still have separate plots and romances for each MC's. I'm looking forward to the next Hollen getting their HEA. **Please note content/trigger warnings - talk of a hard home life/domestic abuse, mention of suicidal thoughts** I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.
highly recommended, great characters and world building, love it
Rating: 4.5🌈
The second in Andy Gallo’s Mages and Mates series, It Spells Trouble picks up after the events of the first book. There we met the renowned Hollen family, one of the world’s most powerful group of mages. That book set the series theme of a Great Group of Guardians made up of a certain kind of mage/fated mate pairing, one that’s in need of replacing the current ancient pair with a new one.
Mage Jannick Pederson is half brother to Mage Bartholomew Hollen of book one. We met Jan there and got to know him, along with his troubled background and impetus personality.
Here we see the growth and maturity those events have brought on and get a new understanding of the man we barely knew. Gallo also provides a deeper perspective into the Hollen family dynamics and Jan’s relationship within their inner circle.
The framework of the story is a frightening one. Human children are being kidnapped and the reasons are unknown. Magic is at work here. So mages are needed to track down the missing.
Gallo introduces a new faction of paranormal beings, Gryphons and a conservative pack that has become a nightmare for those who live under it. It’s a relevant aspect of a fantasy world.
Gryphon shifter Conall Arwan is assigned by the Alpha, his father, to help Jan investigate the kidnappings. Conall is another layered, fantastic character as is Jan and each forms a strong bond with this investigation.
Gallo dives into the juxtaposition of families, issues of loyalty and obedience, and heritage and identity here with these two beings. All that laid next to an investigation into missing children and the dangers they may represent.
I was absolutely into this story and their relationship. Several times I was reaching for a couple of tissues.
This series and theme has me hooked. Plus love those covers!
If you’re a fan of fantasy, fated mates, and great world building, Andy Gallo has a series for you.
One I’m definitely recommending.
Mages and Mates: - [x] Break The Spell #1 - [x] It Spells Trouble #2 - [ ] Under A Spell #3 - March 26,2024
This book has a good mystery with the case of vanishing children and no clues what is going on. But the real gem is Jan and Conall's story.
We met Jan in book 1 and he really comes out and proves himself in this book.
Conall the gryphon is between a rock and a hard place. He hates his life as the younger son of the gryphon alpha and would prefer to finish his studies than helping a mage. But said mage seems to be not only his mate but Conall now knows that mating would be disasterous for Jan.
Jan - seen as the mage councellor's bastard - has a hard time to trust anyone. So suddenly realising tha Conall is his mate throws him off. Bit by bit we learn what has happened to his mother and what really is behind his past. I love how his half-siblings show how much they see him as a proper part of the family.
Conall wants nothing more than go away from his alpha but can't. He is torn between protecting his siblings and pleasing his father even if it utterly disgustes him. When he realises that Jan is his mate he also knows that a bond will destroy Jan instead of giving them their HEA.
Both guys are well developed characters and it's a pleasure to see them becoming mates and working on the missing children case.
I love how everyone corrals around these two and try to make their bond work. The secondary characters are well done, interesting and give depth to the story.
The conclusion of the case is unexpected and the battle well written.
While the book itself can be read on it's own, the world building is better understood if you have read the first one.
There’s a nice blend of mystery and romance in this book, and a chance to get to know some truly interesting characters. Jan was introduced in book one, and his role here in book two lets readers see some compelling nuances to his character. He’s easy to root for, and his connection to Conall, the gryphon shifter, is also easy to invest in. These two each have pressures to face and challenges to navigate, and finding their mate in the midst of it all, plus, you know, a pressing search for missing children, is a lot, but they’re up for the task. The world building is immersive and nicely drawn–it’s easy to see how it has shaped each character (a gentle note here that while the story and romance here do stand alone, reading book one helps flesh out that world building even more). 4.5 stars.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Admittedly, I bought both Break the Spell and It Spells Trouble because of their stunning covers. And the blurbs weren't half bad either! Then I opened the wrong book. And was about a chapter and a half in before noticing that it was book two. I was liking what I was reading, so I continued. Andy Gallo created an original and fun reality with this series. The worldbuilding is phenomenal. The characters are snarky, good fun. Jan and Conall have smoldering chemistry. And the secondary characters are well fleshed out and interesting. And I didn't feel lost having started with book two. There's a stand alone (not numbered) book in the Mages and Mates series. Also has a pretty cover. I think readers who enjoyed SJ Himes' Beacon Hill Sorcerer series might enjoy Gallo's work. A really good, enjoyable and quick read. Going back to read book one and book unnumbered. Can't wait for book three.
Jan is very interesting, but Connal is unbeatable, he is incredibly sweet and bring much needed perspective in the set up of the shifter world. He comes from one of the most cut-off group but bring with him an outsider point of view on the mages, that lacked in the first book. Jan's story is very touching, i admit i imagined something of the sort, due to the dream-state of the familial relationships of the main siblings with their mother. I think the only thing i would have loved more is a bit more explication to what happened to Jan to call for such a drastic measure in his separation from Connal, we just got a fast reference to Cael mother cursing Jan's child psychologist.
Getting to know everyone even more in this second installment! So much Family drama and dysfunction! Jan can be a handful of a mage but in here we get to learn even more about him and his past and why he reacts the way he does. Conall has a lot going on with his father and family as well. It was wonderful to see them start to bond which brings more positivity to each other's worlds. We even get a nice bit of spice! Exciting world building with a vanishing children mystery alongside the romance.
I enjoyed this one even more than the first book. Jannick and Conall are both wonderful characters who have some real obstacles to overcome to be together, particularly Conall's father, one of those alpha characters who expects to run all of his children's lives. He gets the surprise of his life when he forces Jannick and Conall together to solve the mystery in this book and they turn out to be fated mates. I loved the plot thread that Conall is working on his PhD and the mystery was well handled and not overpowered by the romance.
This book is terrible. First of all, the main character's past feels very different from the first book, where it seemed like he had two allies in the family but now almost everyone loves him. And second, the author bends over so far backwards to make the most privileged people in the world not privileged that they come off as the worst. They sound like the trumps crying about how everyone persecutes them because they're rich and amazing. I really liked the premise but wow this was terrible.
Jannick was tasked by his father to go to a gryphon town to help locate some missing children. While there, he meets the alpha and his son. The alpha tasked Conall to help Jan. As they started to work together, Conall realized they were mates. This started their relationship with overcoming the alpha’s prejudices, falling in love and finding the missing children. Love the world building, high heat and chemistry. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
I added this to my KU library within days of reading book one in the series, and yet it took me a good 10 months to actually read it. Let's just say that's a pretty good indication of how I felt about some of the themes of this book. And when I finally started reading it, meh. The whole thing with the abusive/terrible father was pretty unbearable. I may try to read more in the series if it veers away from that into other, more pleasant tropes.
Jan and Connell. What a roller coaster ride this book was. A griffin and a mage work together to help find some kidnapped children and find out they’re mates. Of course nothing is easy. This was a wonderful story in the series and I can’t wait to read the next book. Highly recommended
Great story, keeps you tied in and extremely difficult to put down. The right mix of magic and paranormal beings. Very much looking forward to the next in the series. One outstanding aspect is the setting in west philly. I used to live there and can visually see what is described in the text.
Phenomenal read! The excitement the first book created carried over to this second book about other characters. The reappearance of characters from the first create continuity. I love how this book has different problems for the main characters and how they are resolved. Great work.
I loved this story! Jan and Conall have a lot to figure out in order to complete their bond. Conall’s Alpha father is toxic as anything. Yikes. These characters were awesome and I enjoyed getting to know Jan better in this story. It was really good. Two more Guardian pairs to go!
It Spells Trouble is the second book in the Mages and Mates series. In this book we get Jan's story, we met Jan a mage in the first book and Conall a gryphon shifter who have to work together to find some missing human children. These two have a lot to work through to have a happy ever after, to find out if they can get there you will have to read the book. This was an amazing story and I can't wait for the next book in the series. I would definitely recommend this book and series.
I enjoyed this book much more than book one. I got a better understanding of what the overall story is from this one and I'm anxious to get to book three now.
The story was a little ridiculous. It went from one extreme to the next. Then add in I'm not sure what the main character’s name was. At one point he was called Jan, then January, and later on he was called Jannick. Choose a name or two but three names are crazy.
My only negative thought is, do we really have to use the term “I’m going to shoot” or “I wanna feel you shoot”??? So cringey and if a man said that to me I would ruin the whole moment and push him off the bed.
This time we're dealing with a magical mystery involving children and the introduction of a new type of paranormal. There's also more in depth, amazing world building lots of character growth.
I wasn't as big a fan of this one as I was the first book. I'm not a fan in general of the fated mates instalove trope, but besides that, nothing much happened to forward the plot of the overall mystery.