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The Merlin Mysteries #3
Magical Misconduct
Being an Arcane witch should come with a rulebook. Or at least hazard pay.
My magic is changing, again, and not in the fun, “look what I can do now” way. More like the “hope you enjoy staring into the void” kind of way. The Morven curse is awake under my skin, whispering, waiting, and I’m doing my best not to unravel in public.
Then a boy drops into a magical coma at the Carnival of Masks, and everything goes to hell. The magic clinging to him isn’t witch, fae, demon, or anything else I’ve ever seen. It’s something older. Wrong. Hungry.
To find whoever, or whatever, did this, I’ll have to chase shadows through Gallows Gate, play nice with people I don’t trust, and deal with the very inconvenient fact that a certain dragonborne warrior keeps getting under my skin.
And through it all, the curse inside me is shifting. Growing.
If I can’t figure out how to control it…
It will control me.
No pressure. Just another day on the job.
My magic is changing, again, and not in the fun, “look what I can do now” way. More like the “hope you enjoy staring into the void” kind of way. The Morven curse is awake under my skin, whispering, waiting, and I’m doing my best not to unravel in public.
Then a boy drops into a magical coma at the Carnival of Masks, and everything goes to hell. The magic clinging to him isn’t witch, fae, demon, or anything else I’ve ever seen. It’s something older. Wrong. Hungry.
To find whoever, or whatever, did this, I’ll have to chase shadows through Gallows Gate, play nice with people I don’t trust, and deal with the very inconvenient fact that a certain dragonborne warrior keeps getting under my skin.
And through it all, the curse inside me is shifting. Growing.
If I can’t figure out how to control it…
It will control me.
No pressure. Just another day on the job.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 22, 2025
About the author
Kim Richardson
147 books1,287 followersKim Richardson is the award-winning author of the bestselling SOUL GUARDIANS series. She lives in the eastern part of Canada with her husband, two dogs and a very old cat. She is the author of the SOUL GUARDIANS series, the MYSTICS series, and the DIVIDED REALMS series. Kim's books are available in print editions, and translations are available in over 7 languages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
January 9, 2026
Repetitive Formula Wears Thin. Promising Premise, Little Growth
By the third entry in the Merlin Mysteries series, the formula has become impossible to ignore. Each book is a short novella, and unfortunately, each one follows almost exactly the same narrative beats — to the point where any sense of tension or mystery has worn thin.
Once again, Rhea stumbles into a magical crime, is immediately suspected by the townspeople, and finds herself distrusted and ostracised. Despite being warned repeatedly to stay out of it, she ignores all advice, blunders forward, and somehow arrives at the solution largely by accident. Once the truth comes out, she’s instantly forgiven, and the town resets for the next instalment.
The supporting cast remains unchanged and underutilised: Eric the Dragonborn, Selene the Vampire, and Marla the Witch are present and loyal, but rarely contribute in meaningful or surprising ways. They feel more like fixtures than characters with agency.
A particularly tiring pattern is that yet again the victim is a child. While high stakes are important, repeatedly returning to the same emotional trigger starts to feel manipulative rather than impactful.
What’s most frustrating is the continued lack of actual investigative work. Rhea is positioned as someone trained by the Merlins, yet there’s no evidence of detective skills, spellcraft, research, or historical knowledge. Solutions don’t come from deduction, magic, or learning — they come from coincidence and stumbling into the right place at the right time. After three books, the question becomes unavoidable: what exactly did the Merlins train her to do?
For a series centred on magical mysteries, there’s surprisingly little mystery-solving happening. The absence of growth, variation, or increasing competence makes the stories feel static, and by Book 3, that repetition has tipped into outright frustration.
Ultimately, while the premise had potential and the world hints at something richer, Magical Misconducts confirms that this series isn’t evolving. After three books, I’m stepping away.
By the third entry in the Merlin Mysteries series, the formula has become impossible to ignore. Each book is a short novella, and unfortunately, each one follows almost exactly the same narrative beats — to the point where any sense of tension or mystery has worn thin.
Once again, Rhea stumbles into a magical crime, is immediately suspected by the townspeople, and finds herself distrusted and ostracised. Despite being warned repeatedly to stay out of it, she ignores all advice, blunders forward, and somehow arrives at the solution largely by accident. Once the truth comes out, she’s instantly forgiven, and the town resets for the next instalment.
The supporting cast remains unchanged and underutilised: Eric the Dragonborn, Selene the Vampire, and Marla the Witch are present and loyal, but rarely contribute in meaningful or surprising ways. They feel more like fixtures than characters with agency.
A particularly tiring pattern is that yet again the victim is a child. While high stakes are important, repeatedly returning to the same emotional trigger starts to feel manipulative rather than impactful.
What’s most frustrating is the continued lack of actual investigative work. Rhea is positioned as someone trained by the Merlins, yet there’s no evidence of detective skills, spellcraft, research, or historical knowledge. Solutions don’t come from deduction, magic, or learning — they come from coincidence and stumbling into the right place at the right time. After three books, the question becomes unavoidable: what exactly did the Merlins train her to do?
For a series centred on magical mysteries, there’s surprisingly little mystery-solving happening. The absence of growth, variation, or increasing competence makes the stories feel static, and by Book 3, that repetition has tipped into outright frustration.
Ultimately, while the premise had potential and the world hints at something richer, Magical Misconducts confirms that this series isn’t evolving. After three books, I’m stepping away.
November 29, 2025
Very good series
I always enjoy books by Kim Richardson and when I get caught up on one series, I check the author pages for new books of hers to read! She’s fast becoming an automatic buy for me! This series is about a witch who comes from a cursed family. Every single family member has succumbed to the magic curse and died, either young or crazy or both. Rhea Morven wants to make a difference in the world, even if she’s only going to be around for a short time, so she trains and qualifies to be a Merlin- a magical police officer. None of the ranking members of the organization want to assign a cursed witch anywhere, but they have to send her someplace. Reluctantly, they assign her as a probationary Merlin to a possibly cursed town on the edge of nowhere. When Rhea proves to be a good investigator, thanks to help from her ghostly former Merlin investigator sidekick, local witch friends and helpful vampire, her career is stabilized, although her magic isn’t.
I really loved the personal journey Rhea took through these first 3 books- magically, friend-wise, and in her budding love story. The prose and dialogue are sharp, humorous, and snarky. The mystery cases are interesting, and the characters are a lot of fun. There are more books coming into this series and I am looking forward to reading them.
For those who like to know these things, there is some violence ( fighting bad guys), some kissing and off screen sex scenes, but no graphic smexy stuff or profanity.
I always enjoy books by Kim Richardson and when I get caught up on one series, I check the author pages for new books of hers to read! She’s fast becoming an automatic buy for me! This series is about a witch who comes from a cursed family. Every single family member has succumbed to the magic curse and died, either young or crazy or both. Rhea Morven wants to make a difference in the world, even if she’s only going to be around for a short time, so she trains and qualifies to be a Merlin- a magical police officer. None of the ranking members of the organization want to assign a cursed witch anywhere, but they have to send her someplace. Reluctantly, they assign her as a probationary Merlin to a possibly cursed town on the edge of nowhere. When Rhea proves to be a good investigator, thanks to help from her ghostly former Merlin investigator sidekick, local witch friends and helpful vampire, her career is stabilized, although her magic isn’t.
I really loved the personal journey Rhea took through these first 3 books- magically, friend-wise, and in her budding love story. The prose and dialogue are sharp, humorous, and snarky. The mystery cases are interesting, and the characters are a lot of fun. There are more books coming into this series and I am looking forward to reading them.
For those who like to know these things, there is some violence ( fighting bad guys), some kissing and off screen sex scenes, but no graphic smexy stuff or profanity.
May 1, 2026
could be better
I love the world Kim built and it’s so nice to have bew monsters i stewd of the same old vampire/werewolf crud.
But it could be better. She repeats herself a lot and the smoking gets old. You don’t have to describe every time a person smokes and it drives me nuts when authors do it.
Lastly, there are some thoughts and feels in this series that make me very uncomfortable. There are some very male words that didn’t age well and are, quite frankly, “rapey.”
I’ve met Kim. She is absolutely lovely and a wonderful person to talk to. Smart as a whip and just funny. Its a great world and i am going to finish the series BECAUSE it isn’t the same old urban fantasy.
But go in reading and knowing that the #metoo movement is a good thing. And you might cringe a bit in these.
Also, i would really like Selene to be more than background burns; even though, she is excellent at saying what we are all thinking.
I love the world Kim built and it’s so nice to have bew monsters i stewd of the same old vampire/werewolf crud.
But it could be better. She repeats herself a lot and the smoking gets old. You don’t have to describe every time a person smokes and it drives me nuts when authors do it.
Lastly, there are some thoughts and feels in this series that make me very uncomfortable. There are some very male words that didn’t age well and are, quite frankly, “rapey.”
I’ve met Kim. She is absolutely lovely and a wonderful person to talk to. Smart as a whip and just funny. Its a great world and i am going to finish the series BECAUSE it isn’t the same old urban fantasy.
But go in reading and knowing that the #metoo movement is a good thing. And you might cringe a bit in these.
Also, i would really like Selene to be more than background burns; even though, she is excellent at saying what we are all thinking.
February 9, 2026
From the moment the Morven curse starts whispering and shifting under the FMC’s skin, the tension never lets up. Her magic is changing in unsettling ways, and the internal struggle adds such depth to an already strong, smart, and refreshingly sarcastic heroine. The mystery surrounding the magical coma at the Carnival of Masks is dark, eerie, and completely gripping. The investigation had plenty of surprises that kept me hooked.
The humor is perfectly timed, balancing the darker themes without undercutting the stakes. And the slow-burn romance? Chef’s kiss. The sexual tension with the dragonborne finally peaks, and I loved that it stayed fade-to-black/closed door while still feeling emotionally satisfying and earned.
The ending is ominous in the best way—unsettling, intriguing, and absolutely designed to make you grab the next book immediately.
The humor is perfectly timed, balancing the darker themes without undercutting the stakes. And the slow-burn romance? Chef’s kiss. The sexual tension with the dragonborne finally peaks, and I loved that it stayed fade-to-black/closed door while still feeling emotionally satisfying and earned.
The ending is ominous in the best way—unsettling, intriguing, and absolutely designed to make you grab the next book immediately.
April 7, 2026
1 star as of 7 Apr 2026 on first reading.
Story: The plot points themselves are very few, simple, and straightforward
Characters: No real development, they are surface level only
Relationships: Exist to build up to a closed door sex scene
Pacing: Medium to Fast
Spice: Once, closed door
Audience: magic, dystopian, dragons
Top Complaint: Biggest issue is that the book tells you something and then tells you it again 4-6 times. This is actually what makes up the bulk of the book. I like the concepts, but each book is getting worse.
Warning, I'm a huge re-reader of books thus my feelings on them can change over time. Any future re-read opinions will be captured below.
Story: The plot points themselves are very few, simple, and straightforward
Characters: No real development, they are surface level only
Relationships: Exist to build up to a closed door sex scene
Pacing: Medium to Fast
Spice: Once, closed door
Audience: magic, dystopian, dragons
Top Complaint: Biggest issue is that the book tells you something and then tells you it again 4-6 times. This is actually what makes up the bulk of the book. I like the concepts, but each book is getting worse.
Warning, I'm a huge re-reader of books thus my feelings on them can change over time. Any future re-read opinions will be captured below.
January 26, 2026
good series but inconsistent
The world building and over all plot is great. The mystery always keeps you on the edge of your seat. There are just many inconsistencies to the series in one book something is super secret in an another book it’s suddenly not and everyone knows and there is no explanation. There are just a lot of little things that don’t line up and it’s frustrating. It’s not enough to make me stop reading the series but enough where I am not very invested in it
The world building and over all plot is great. The mystery always keeps you on the edge of your seat. There are just many inconsistencies to the series in one book something is super secret in an another book it’s suddenly not and everyone knows and there is no explanation. There are just a lot of little things that don’t line up and it’s frustrating. It’s not enough to make me stop reading the series but enough where I am not very invested in it
February 9, 2026
Pages or more exact words
Love the book, soty great, l9ve, l9ve the characters.
One question did the book company require so many pages? I was like there are so many fill paragraphs . Too much back story were on book three, we no longer need the back story or a recount of the last book it feels like your just filling pages, no get to the story. I love her assignments. I didnt know till now there is actually a thing about being too independent, she has people....
Love the book, soty great, l9ve, l9ve the characters.
One question did the book company require so many pages? I was like there are so many fill paragraphs . Too much back story were on book three, we no longer need the back story or a recount of the last book it feels like your just filling pages, no get to the story. I love her assignments. I didnt know till now there is actually a thing about being too independent, she has people....
December 5, 2025
Weaker but readable
The overall story was still good in this installment but the distracting repetition in too many parts bogged down the story. The story was still compelling but the same phrases, usually descriptive, kept repeating, often in the very next paragraph. Off putting but not so much that I don’t plan to finish the series.
The overall story was still good in this installment but the distracting repetition in too many parts bogged down the story. The story was still compelling but the same phrases, usually descriptive, kept repeating, often in the very next paragraph. Off putting but not so much that I don’t plan to finish the series.
December 14, 2025
If you love paranormal books with strong heroine, lots of sarcasm and dry humor with a very well written story with enjoyable characters then you'll love this.
From Rhea to Eryck , Morty , Selena, Yula and Marla I loved all of them and their interactions. And I can't wait to see what's next is waiting for Rhea.
From Rhea to Eryck , Morty , Selena, Yula and Marla I loved all of them and their interactions. And I can't wait to see what's next is waiting for Rhea.
January 20, 2026
Reah's power goes berserk, and she's afraid to use it. What's worse is that there's someone else out there trying to get her to join their group, or else people will get hurt. And he has power similar to hers. It gets personal when one of her three friends in this town gets targeted. Powers collide, and she might lose everything in this episode. Deeply engaging. I couldn't put this book down.
February 10, 2026
3 down, 1 to go.
Not a big fan of some of the repetitive dialogue even if it is supposed to be thoughts. Main character can appear as a cross between arrogant and stupid at times. If you didn't succeed against lesser odds, seems a bit foolish to be all 'I am going to make them pay when you couldn't even win a skirmish'. Still have enjoyed for the most part.
Not a big fan of some of the repetitive dialogue even if it is supposed to be thoughts. Main character can appear as a cross between arrogant and stupid at times. If you didn't succeed against lesser odds, seems a bit foolish to be all 'I am going to make them pay when you couldn't even win a skirmish'. Still have enjoyed for the most part.
Read
April 5, 2026And the absurdity continues. She says it’s her fault the boy is in the coma to her friends, the parents hear her and no question, they start attacking her and instead of questioning why she feels guilty. And then the kind of mayor put her in jail.
In 2 weeks since her arrival, she solved two cases but no thanks just more distrust.
It’s sad as the rest of the story is really interesting.
In 2 weeks since her arrival, she solved two cases but no thanks just more distrust.
It’s sad as the rest of the story is really interesting.
November 24, 2025
Great Series
I have been enjoying the story. It is not predictable. There are always some new twists. The supporting characters really add to the story. I’m looking forward to the next one.
I have been enjoying the story. It is not predictable. There are always some new twists. The supporting characters really add to the story. I’m looking forward to the next one.
December 12, 2025
Ok books but far too many strange similes for me and the series starts to feel a bit repetitive. I don’t feel strongly about any of the characters, though the ghost is a little fun. I’m jumping out here. Maybe I’ll read the next book in the series eventually, but I feel no urge to at the moment.
February 2, 2026
Curse battle
Book three continues the storyline but the curse is finally revilled sort of or better understood anyway when are leading lady has to fight the hollow her magic reacts with a twist.
( I keep thinking she will turn into a shifter Dragon) not yet
A interesting series.
Book three continues the storyline but the curse is finally revilled sort of or better understood anyway when are leading lady has to fight the hollow her magic reacts with a twist.
( I keep thinking she will turn into a shifter Dragon) not yet
A interesting series.
April 25, 2026
The writing in this series deteriorated as it progressed…..book 2 was rough. Book 3 was intolerable. DNF at 42% because it was mostly repetitive “woe is me” inner dialogue.
A whole lot of nothing happened. The few things that did happen could’ve been summed up in a chapter.
A whole lot of nothing happened. The few things that did happen could’ve been summed up in a chapter.
November 23, 2025
loved this
Kim Richardson again takes us on a magical journey. Curses, hallowed people just a normal couple of days for our MFC. .
Kim Richardson again takes us on a magical journey. Curses, hallowed people just a normal couple of days for our MFC. .
November 30, 2025
Love it!!
Love this series. Its fun and fresh . I like her snarky humor and sidekicks. Can't wait for the next book.
Love this series. Its fun and fresh . I like her snarky humor and sidekicks. Can't wait for the next book.
November 30, 2025
Wonder where this series will go. Finally Eryk and Rhea sorted things .... or did they
December 5, 2025
Loved it
Great book really enjoying the new series can't wait for the next one now to see what in to Rhea
Great book really enjoying the new series can't wait for the next one now to see what in to Rhea
December 12, 2025
What a wonderful book!
I absolutely love these characters and the storyline. Full of life and sass! I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!
I absolutely love these characters and the storyline. Full of life and sass! I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!
December 17, 2025
Free
Finally ftthe witch is free, she can live she can love she can caffeine. Can't wait to see what happens next! What a rush.
Finally ftthe witch is free, she can live she can love she can caffeine. Can't wait to see what happens next! What a rush.
December 30, 2025
Could not put this down!
Wow! Rhea just keeps adapting. I love the transformations. And that crazy typewriter, whew. Eryk and Rhea's dynamic is off the charts sexy. I need more!
Wow! Rhea just keeps adapting. I love the transformations. And that crazy typewriter, whew. Eryk and Rhea's dynamic is off the charts sexy. I need more!
January 26, 2026
Twists rule the day!
Interesting twists across multiple fronts advancing the overarching storyline and keeping this lover of the fantasy genre totally ready for the new book!
Interesting twists across multiple fronts advancing the overarching storyline and keeping this lover of the fantasy genre totally ready for the new book!
February 8, 2026
EXCELLENT !!!!!
This was such an intense and captivating story. I loved reading it. The more books I read in this series the better it gets.
This was such an intense and captivating story. I loved reading it. The more books I read in this series the better it gets.
February 11, 2026
I was definitely cheering Rhea on in this story!
February 27, 2026
fun story
Nice character development! Likable characters. Tongue in cheek.
About to read the next
I'm going to look for other books by author
Nice character development! Likable characters. Tongue in cheek.
About to read the next
I'm going to look for other books by author
March 26, 2026
Brilliant
This book is another brilliant read in a fantastic series, I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
This book is another brilliant read in a fantastic series, I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
April 7, 2026
Awesome
Really loved this book.
The story flowed nicely and was fun to read.
Love the Dragon love interest. looking forward to the next one.
Really loved this book.
The story flowed nicely and was fun to read.
Love the Dragon love interest. looking forward to the next one.
December 10, 2025
very repetitive, thought i was reading the same page over and over.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews