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Medicine and Magic #1
Flatline
I hide from death trying to save lives, but I can’t hide from my magic forever.
I’ve avoided the magic on the this side of the Veil, staying within the realm of the nonmagical while training as an ER doctor. It’s a way of hiding my dark magic from the mage council. If they discover my type of magic, the chances are good they’ll burn it out of me, and in doing so, destroy my mind.
Everything changes when I make the mistake of saving a sexy knight of the mage council from a magical attack. Not only am I revealed to the council, but when a high-ranking member of the council is poisoned, and no magical treatment is effective, I’m called upon to figure out what happened—and how to save him.
Now I’m caught up in a magical plot beyond my abilities. Survival requires I use the dark magic flowing within me, but can I do it and avoid detection? And can I learn why my magic is so different than others with dark magic?
I’m used to living on the edge of the magical world, but when I’m thrust into the heart of it, I need to use my training to protect me, or I’ll lose everything I’ve worked for.
Flatline is a fast-paced fantasy mystery with a mixture of medicine and magic that will leave you breathless.
I’ve avoided the magic on the this side of the Veil, staying within the realm of the nonmagical while training as an ER doctor. It’s a way of hiding my dark magic from the mage council. If they discover my type of magic, the chances are good they’ll burn it out of me, and in doing so, destroy my mind.
Everything changes when I make the mistake of saving a sexy knight of the mage council from a magical attack. Not only am I revealed to the council, but when a high-ranking member of the council is poisoned, and no magical treatment is effective, I’m called upon to figure out what happened—and how to save him.
Now I’m caught up in a magical plot beyond my abilities. Survival requires I use the dark magic flowing within me, but can I do it and avoid detection? And can I learn why my magic is so different than others with dark magic?
I’m used to living on the edge of the magical world, but when I’m thrust into the heart of it, I need to use my training to protect me, or I’ll lose everything I’ve worked for.
Flatline is a fast-paced fantasy mystery with a mixture of medicine and magic that will leave you breathless.
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2018
About the author
S.A. Magnusson
21 books51 followersSA Magnusson lives in Minneapolis and writes urban fantasy and scifi. As a practicing physician, SA wanted to mix medicine with a love for fantasy fiction, particularly urban fantasy, creating what one reader described as ER meets the Dresden Files.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
May 1, 2018
*** Review Courtesy of All Things UF ***
I’ve got so many good things to say about FLATLINE I’m not sure where to begin. I guess I’ll begin with what drew me to FLATLINE. I’ve been reading Urban Fantasy for over six years now, because of that I’m always searching for some new twist in the genre. The main character in FLATLINE is Kate, a medical doctor trying to finish her ER residency while trying to hide her dark magic from the mage council. That was enough of a twist for me to pick FLATLINE up and give it a try.
Did FLATLINE live up to my expectations? It one hundred percent did. The medical scenes in FLATLINE are awesome, I have no background in medicine so I don’t know for certain, but they sound a lot more real and accurate than any medical drama I’ve seen on TV. In addition to breaking away from the norm by having a doctor as main character, Kate uses a sword that isn’t a katana when she fights. The katana is a great blade, but it has been overhyped and without proper training a short sword is a far easier blade to wield.
If you follow my reviews you know I always take a deep dive into the world and magic system of every book I read. The world of Magic and Medicine is slowly explained without any info dumps. The explanation is done perfectly, there’s never a time where the characters are lecturing about background information they should already know. I’m also pretty certain that FLATLINE only starts the world building, I hope to see the world continue to grow and develop throughout the rest of the Medicine and Magic series. My only complaint about FLATLINE is the magic system. I hope it will be expanded on more, but for now it’s mostly handwavium to accomplish whatever is needed to advance the plot.
My all time favorite thing about FLATLINE was the lack of insta-lust! This is horribly overused in paranormal romance, and usually creates a rather uninspiring and lack luster romance. Instead in FLATLINE there is a growing friendship between Aron and Kate with plenty of physical attraction thrown in too, but their romance will be a slow burn and that’s my preference. Also Kate first meets Aron in what would normally be a sexy knight coming to the rescue of the damsel in distress situation, except Aron shows up to see Kate more than capable of handling the problem on her own. And the trope is continually flipped throughout FLATLINE as Kate saves Aron far more than he saves her.
The sequel to FLATLINE comes out today as well, I’m sure I’ll be mostly through POSTMORTEM by the time you read this review. I loved FLATLINE and SA Magnusson is now on my list of authors to follow. I highly recommend FLATLINE.
I’ve got so many good things to say about FLATLINE I’m not sure where to begin. I guess I’ll begin with what drew me to FLATLINE. I’ve been reading Urban Fantasy for over six years now, because of that I’m always searching for some new twist in the genre. The main character in FLATLINE is Kate, a medical doctor trying to finish her ER residency while trying to hide her dark magic from the mage council. That was enough of a twist for me to pick FLATLINE up and give it a try.
Did FLATLINE live up to my expectations? It one hundred percent did. The medical scenes in FLATLINE are awesome, I have no background in medicine so I don’t know for certain, but they sound a lot more real and accurate than any medical drama I’ve seen on TV. In addition to breaking away from the norm by having a doctor as main character, Kate uses a sword that isn’t a katana when she fights. The katana is a great blade, but it has been overhyped and without proper training a short sword is a far easier blade to wield.
If you follow my reviews you know I always take a deep dive into the world and magic system of every book I read. The world of Magic and Medicine is slowly explained without any info dumps. The explanation is done perfectly, there’s never a time where the characters are lecturing about background information they should already know. I’m also pretty certain that FLATLINE only starts the world building, I hope to see the world continue to grow and develop throughout the rest of the Medicine and Magic series. My only complaint about FLATLINE is the magic system. I hope it will be expanded on more, but for now it’s mostly handwavium to accomplish whatever is needed to advance the plot.
My all time favorite thing about FLATLINE was the lack of insta-lust! This is horribly overused in paranormal romance, and usually creates a rather uninspiring and lack luster romance. Instead in FLATLINE there is a growing friendship between Aron and Kate with plenty of physical attraction thrown in too, but their romance will be a slow burn and that’s my preference. Also Kate first meets Aron in what would normally be a sexy knight coming to the rescue of the damsel in distress situation, except Aron shows up to see Kate more than capable of handling the problem on her own. And the trope is continually flipped throughout FLATLINE as Kate saves Aron far more than he saves her.
The sequel to FLATLINE comes out today as well, I’m sure I’ll be mostly through POSTMORTEM by the time you read this review. I loved FLATLINE and SA Magnusson is now on my list of authors to follow. I highly recommend FLATLINE.
May 21, 2018
I picked up this book because it was advertised as Dresden Files meets ER. That’s a big bold claim.
Too bad the book didn’t deliver.
It’s not a bad book (hence 3 stars), but it certainly didn’t wow me.
Aside from little errors (typos, missing words, the fact that Archer and Knight should always be capitalized, etc), this book had some problems.
First the characters: they felt flat to me. Yes, Gran is “quirky” because she drinks wine all the time, but if I had to describe any of them to someone else, I’m not sure what I’d say. Katie is a doctor who doesn’t use her magic because it might be dark magic. That’s barely scratching the surface, but I can’t go deeper because the author didn’t go deeper.
I also thought it was weird the amount of trust or lack thereof that was put in various characters. It rarely made sense.
Second the plot: I can’t believe some of the things missed in the editing process. Pretty early in the book she asks her grandpa if he and her grandma are on the Council. He answers this. At the end of the book, she asks the same question but gets a more vague answer. Another instance has to do with an immobilizing spell which makes it clear she can’t talk. Then she has a conversation. The spell is released and now she can talk. I read that part twice to make sure of what I was reading. These are the two biggest ones, but there shouldn’t be any problems like these in a finished work.
Finally the stakes: Katie’s personal life as well as the world are threatened, but it doesn’t feel like it. Katie is too willing to use magic to make me believe she’s really worried about anyone discovering her. As for the threat to the Veil, the urgency to make things right just wasn’t there for me. I didn’t feel like the world was in danger.
I gave this book a lot of leeway because it’s the first in a series, but at the end I wasn’t anxious to read more.
Too bad the book didn’t deliver.
It’s not a bad book (hence 3 stars), but it certainly didn’t wow me.
Aside from little errors (typos, missing words, the fact that Archer and Knight should always be capitalized, etc), this book had some problems.
First the characters: they felt flat to me. Yes, Gran is “quirky” because she drinks wine all the time, but if I had to describe any of them to someone else, I’m not sure what I’d say. Katie is a doctor who doesn’t use her magic because it might be dark magic. That’s barely scratching the surface, but I can’t go deeper because the author didn’t go deeper.
I also thought it was weird the amount of trust or lack thereof that was put in various characters. It rarely made sense.
Second the plot: I can’t believe some of the things missed in the editing process. Pretty early in the book she asks her grandpa if he and her grandma are on the Council. He answers this. At the end of the book, she asks the same question but gets a more vague answer. Another instance has to do with an immobilizing spell which makes it clear she can’t talk. Then she has a conversation. The spell is released and now she can talk. I read that part twice to make sure of what I was reading. These are the two biggest ones, but there shouldn’t be any problems like these in a finished work.
Finally the stakes: Katie’s personal life as well as the world are threatened, but it doesn’t feel like it. Katie is too willing to use magic to make me believe she’s really worried about anyone discovering her. As for the threat to the Veil, the urgency to make things right just wasn’t there for me. I didn’t feel like the world was in danger.
I gave this book a lot of leeway because it’s the first in a series, but at the end I wasn’t anxious to read more.
June 2, 2018
The opening couple chapters of "Flatline" were great. Kate had some interesting magic, the action was nicely paced and the introduction of Aron was intriguing. But as we moved forward with the introduction of more and more magic things started falling flat. The explanations everyone kept giving Kate were really frustrating. We got the same info over and over, but muddled and slightly different every time. Plus the way everyone talked to her (and thus the reader) as if she/we were idiots. After the nice action of the opening, things slowed down significantly to a plodding pace. When there was action again it just wasn't as good as the earlier chapters. Then Kate starting having her magic to new weird things she didn't intend it to. I wound up rolling my eyes at a lot of it. It just wasn't written well. Gave up about halfway through.
May 10, 2018
Potential
But the editing needs - misplaced words, missing words, incomplete thoughts, and tense issues.... this needs work.
I pushed through and read it all, for the premise, but almost gave up at the 10%, 24%, 50% and 74% marks. It was challenging to finish because of the mentioned faults.
Character development - I'm pretty sure it was there, but the editing issues made the progress and growth iffy.... the internal dialogue was incomplete and had me filling in blanks.
The "H" didn't seem like a truly necessary player. It almost seemed as if the "love interest" was forced.
The emphasis given to the type weapon used gave away the "plot twist" almost immediately.
I will read the next in the hopes it gets better, as it has potential.
But the editing needs - misplaced words, missing words, incomplete thoughts, and tense issues.... this needs work.
I pushed through and read it all, for the premise, but almost gave up at the 10%, 24%, 50% and 74% marks. It was challenging to finish because of the mentioned faults.
Character development - I'm pretty sure it was there, but the editing issues made the progress and growth iffy.... the internal dialogue was incomplete and had me filling in blanks.
The "H" didn't seem like a truly necessary player. It almost seemed as if the "love interest" was forced.
The emphasis given to the type weapon used gave away the "plot twist" almost immediately.
I will read the next in the hopes it gets better, as it has potential.
May 3, 2018
Ignore the cover (like you have to do with so many of these). Thoroughly enjoyed this one. And, even though KU - not a cliffhanger ending (yea!!). There's a bit of storyline to tie to next book, but not the travesty some use. This was so refreshing after a score of not-so-satisfying reads. Recommend it.
June 13, 2018
I loved the concept for this series, and it's clear that the author either has a background in medicine or has done their research.
Unfortunately, I didn't love the execution. As one of the reviewers said below, there are some characterisation inconsistencies that just stop me getting invested in Kate, Aron or pretty much anyone else in the story for that matter.
Basically, the book felt to me as though the author had an awesome idea to combine urban fantasy and ER medicine... but then wasn't really sure where to go with it next. The storyline was fairly standard fare for urban fantasy (hostile beings from another dimension trying to get through to this one to do BadThings(TM)), with a main character who starts off apparently totally unprepared to do anything about it until... but wait... she turns out to be massively powerful and actually probably the only one who can (*sigh*)
It's possible that things will get better in future books (because hey, I really didn't enjoy the first Dresden Files book when I initially read it either), but given how big Mt TBR is right now, I'm not really feeling drawn to finding out.
Unfortunately, I didn't love the execution. As one of the reviewers said below, there are some characterisation inconsistencies that just stop me getting invested in Kate, Aron or pretty much anyone else in the story for that matter.
Basically, the book felt to me as though the author had an awesome idea to combine urban fantasy and ER medicine... but then wasn't really sure where to go with it next. The storyline was fairly standard fare for urban fantasy (hostile beings from another dimension trying to get through to this one to do BadThings(TM)), with a main character who starts off apparently totally unprepared to do anything about it until... but wait... she turns out to be massively powerful and actually probably the only one who can (*sigh*)
It's possible that things will get better in future books (because hey, I really didn't enjoy the first Dresden Files book when I initially read it either), but given how big Mt TBR is right now, I'm not really feeling drawn to finding out.
May 6, 2018
I'm not really sure how this book came on my radar, but there it was. I enjoyed reading the book, but it didn't wow me. I was more excited to reading it with the setting in Minneapolis, love reading book set where you live. Kate was interesting, although as things went on you realized how clueless she was in a world where she should have know much more. It was also easy to guess the big reveal at the end, lots of clues along the way.
May 19, 2020
OMG, I absolutely could not put this book down. I need the next one immediately!
August 14, 2018
It had potential and I have loved the concept of it. Practically no descriptions of where she lived, where she worked, or the characters. Too much inner dialogue and completely unnecessary. I have read far too many good books to spend time on this one. Author could use some heavy editing and constructive criticism from the writing community.
March 15, 2019
I am having trouble deciding what to rate this book. It starts and finishes awkwardly, with some very odd choice in language to start with and not only unanswered questions at the very end, but BIG unanswered questions. I guess the middle isn't bad, if I was rating it based on that I might have given it three stars, but then it feels like the conventional "Mary Sue saves the day" sort of plot common to this sort of literature. But then, although it's filled with cliche and bad writing, it's readable, so 1 star is unfair (and reserved for books I can't finish).
Look, if you're into this style of book, it's pulp fantasy. It does most of the job, and I did finish it. But I'd try and find it at a library, and be prepared for a disappointing ending.
Look, if you're into this style of book, it's pulp fantasy. It does most of the job, and I did finish it. But I'd try and find it at a library, and be prepared for a disappointing ending.
July 23, 2018
2.5 stars =Ok. The premise was interesting, but the execution was not as engaging as it could have been...
July 1, 2018
Too much repeating, too many questions unanswered.
May 31, 2018
Medicine and magic - The concept got me to download the book. There's solid potential in the idea. Alas, this book feels more like medicine OR magic. Aside from Katie's (useful but inconvenient) knack for knowing when death is imminent, which is a handy tool for an ER doctor, her magic isn't used medically, and she seems to do everything she can to keep her two worlds separate.
Swinging a +20 Stethescope of Power to dispatch demons doesn't count.
The protagonist is a straight out of Boy Who Lived central casting. Magic runs in her family, but there's a dad-shaped hole in her Ancestry.com tree that adds a big question mark to the nature and degree of Dr. Katie's magical mojo. (This may never be answered fully; we're still getting info about Harry Dresden's mom and his own capabilities. In a series, some things are just going to take time to unfold.) Her grandparents are the only family she has in the picture; they're magical, but ... HOW magical? I hear you ask. Be prepared to be patient with these questions, and others. You'll get a glossary's worth of urban fantasy terms like archer, mage, knight, carter, shifter, vamp, demon, council, ley lines, etc. ... but there is no glossary.
There's a natural inclination to compare this to Jim Butcher's Dresden series. Magical people living in an urban setting - some trying to blend in more than others. Big Uglies on the Other Side trying to get here. Uneasy relationships between magical humans, vampires, wolves. a council that's not big on dark magic, which Katie fears she has. She stumbles ever deeper down the rabbit hole, but her ill-understood wellspring of a-different-kind-of magic is there to save her bacon time and again, leveling up as needed until the final boss fight.
The demon is in the details. The details, here, are okay, but not great. The first couple of Dresden novels weren't great either, but there was a lot of personality in the other wizard named Harry. Dr. Katie is, frankly, not that interesting yet, and the Big Bad that attempts to invade the world via Minneapolis just doesn't feel all that menacing. The story has potential, but a lot of it is unrealized. There's less meat on the bones than I wanted. The book could have used another round of editing to make the dialog less stilted and repetitive and catch some grammar and spelling issues.
My interest in this book did not flatline, but the pulse is weak. I do hope things improve in the next book in the series, or i won't be sticking around.
Swinging a +20 Stethescope of Power to dispatch demons doesn't count.
The protagonist is a straight out of Boy Who Lived central casting. Magic runs in her family, but there's a dad-shaped hole in her Ancestry.com tree that adds a big question mark to the nature and degree of Dr. Katie's magical mojo. (This may never be answered fully; we're still getting info about Harry Dresden's mom and his own capabilities. In a series, some things are just going to take time to unfold.) Her grandparents are the only family she has in the picture; they're magical, but ... HOW magical? I hear you ask. Be prepared to be patient with these questions, and others. You'll get a glossary's worth of urban fantasy terms like archer, mage, knight, carter, shifter, vamp, demon, council, ley lines, etc. ... but there is no glossary.
There's a natural inclination to compare this to Jim Butcher's Dresden series. Magical people living in an urban setting - some trying to blend in more than others. Big Uglies on the Other Side trying to get here. Uneasy relationships between magical humans, vampires, wolves. a council that's not big on dark magic, which Katie fears she has. She stumbles ever deeper down the rabbit hole, but her ill-understood wellspring of a-different-kind-of magic is there to save her bacon time and again, leveling up as needed until the final boss fight.
The demon is in the details. The details, here, are okay, but not great. The first couple of Dresden novels weren't great either, but there was a lot of personality in the other wizard named Harry. Dr. Katie is, frankly, not that interesting yet, and the Big Bad that attempts to invade the world via Minneapolis just doesn't feel all that menacing. The story has potential, but a lot of it is unrealized. There's less meat on the bones than I wanted. The book could have used another round of editing to make the dialog less stilted and repetitive and catch some grammar and spelling issues.
My interest in this book did not flatline, but the pulse is weak. I do hope things improve in the next book in the series, or i won't be sticking around.
January 14, 2021
“Flatline” is the start to the “Medicine and Magic” urban fantasy series by S.A. Magnusson, that, as the name aptly states mixes, medical drama with magical tropes in an exceptionally well-crafted, fully constructed rich urban fantasy world.
Kate is walking the line between controlling her dark magic (and keep the mage council out of it) and finishing her ER residency. The line, though, is rapidly crossed as she saves a guy from a magical attack, a guy that happens to be a knight of the mage council, not good deed gets unpunished, or so seems, now the secret is out and to make things even more complex, the council calls on her to save one of its members from a poisoning, that doesn’t respond to magic counteractions. Trapped between the lines, Kate has to find a way to use her magic without revealing the dark essence in it.
SA Magnusson plot is very good written (even if it could still profit from a proof-reading and edition). It presents a fully constructed magical world that feels “real” at all times, an interesting story and a very good rendered medicine background. The story is compelling, fast-paced and action-packed. Kate herself is pleasant and relatable, fighting the stress of her residency while going through the motions of being dragged deep and deeper into the Mage Council, is a character driven story, that while introducing a great number of UF tropes and situation, remains focused on Kate’s character and development journey.
Kate is walking the line between controlling her dark magic (and keep the mage council out of it) and finishing her ER residency. The line, though, is rapidly crossed as she saves a guy from a magical attack, a guy that happens to be a knight of the mage council, not good deed gets unpunished, or so seems, now the secret is out and to make things even more complex, the council calls on her to save one of its members from a poisoning, that doesn’t respond to magic counteractions. Trapped between the lines, Kate has to find a way to use her magic without revealing the dark essence in it.
SA Magnusson plot is very good written (even if it could still profit from a proof-reading and edition). It presents a fully constructed magical world that feels “real” at all times, an interesting story and a very good rendered medicine background. The story is compelling, fast-paced and action-packed. Kate herself is pleasant and relatable, fighting the stress of her residency while going through the motions of being dragged deep and deeper into the Mage Council, is a character driven story, that while introducing a great number of UF tropes and situation, remains focused on Kate’s character and development journey.
May 11, 2018
It is rare for me to purchase a book blindly, but the premise and reasonable price convinced me to give this a try. As it has an interesting setting it was worth reading. It also avoided (for now) the stereotypical romance trope between our main character and the “knight”.
Unfortunately there was plenty of room for improvement, the biggest flaw being the characters. They struck me as flat and cookie cutter-ish.
Our main character wants to help people, but at the same time is obsessed with her “Dark Magic”. I quickly became tired of her complaining about her “dark magic”... (“Dark” shows up 131 times in the 350 page book)
The “Knight” was a stereotypically emotionless hero who we all assume will turn into a future love interest (despite a massive age gap).
We also have the “Grandparents with a secret” and “Mysterious Father” tropes.
The book also suffered from using dialogue to describe much of the setting as opposed to showing it to us. It felt like the whole reason the main character was ignorant of the magical world was so the author could tell us about it.
Despite that, I still enjoyed the book enough that I plan on purchasing the sequel. It got much better as the story advanced, so I’m optimistic about what happens next.
Unfortunately there was plenty of room for improvement, the biggest flaw being the characters. They struck me as flat and cookie cutter-ish.
Our main character wants to help people, but at the same time is obsessed with her “Dark Magic”. I quickly became tired of her complaining about her “dark magic”... (“Dark” shows up 131 times in the 350 page book)
The “Knight” was a stereotypically emotionless hero who we all assume will turn into a future love interest (despite a massive age gap).
We also have the “Grandparents with a secret” and “Mysterious Father” tropes.
The book also suffered from using dialogue to describe much of the setting as opposed to showing it to us. It felt like the whole reason the main character was ignorant of the magical world was so the author could tell us about it.
Despite that, I still enjoyed the book enough that I plan on purchasing the sequel. It got much better as the story advanced, so I’m optimistic about what happens next.
March 1, 2019
DNF at 18%
I didn't hate this book, but I knew that there was no point continuing after 18%. The idea of mixing medicine and magic in an urban fantasy book is interesting, but the execution was awful. I love watching hospital dramas (I'm currently watching three of them), but I've now realised that reading them is boring (well based on this book). The first chapter is full of descriptions of different heart rhythms that is overly technical. I understand that I shouldn't really complain about the world-building when I only read 1/5 of the book, but it kinda confused me. The MC works in an ER and gets horribly sick when someone dies, or almost dies. How would she function day to day? I assume people die in an ER quite regularly (well based on my current three hospital dramas they do). The writing also needed some more refining (like a patient is fine one minute, and the MC seemingly saved him from Death, and then the next minute we learn from another character that he died). Anyway, I had an overwhelming number of books to get through, so the reviews I read reinforced my decision to DNF.
I didn't hate this book, but I knew that there was no point continuing after 18%. The idea of mixing medicine and magic in an urban fantasy book is interesting, but the execution was awful. I love watching hospital dramas (I'm currently watching three of them), but I've now realised that reading them is boring (well based on this book). The first chapter is full of descriptions of different heart rhythms that is overly technical. I understand that I shouldn't really complain about the world-building when I only read 1/5 of the book, but it kinda confused me. The MC works in an ER and gets horribly sick when someone dies, or almost dies. How would she function day to day? I assume people die in an ER quite regularly (well based on my current three hospital dramas they do). The writing also needed some more refining (like a patient is fine one minute, and the MC seemingly saved him from Death, and then the next minute we learn from another character that he died). Anyway, I had an overwhelming number of books to get through, so the reviews I read reinforced my decision to DNF.
June 10, 2018
Fairly good, like inexpensive wine
Kate has a magical secret. But even she has no idea what her secret magic entails. Is it dark magic? Will the council find out and burn it out of her, along with most of her memories and possibly her mind? So she suppresses her magic and joins the mundane world, working as an ER resident and saving lives.
It was a decent story, with likable characters and an interesting world. But it was also fairly flat and one-dimensional. The main character’s lack of knowledge about her magic, her parentage, and the magical world in general means every other character is explaining what’s going on to her. Even the big reveal at the end was kind of a dud. And surprisingly repetitive to a scene that happened earlier in the story. Also, and this is one of my pet peeves, the last few chapters were bristling with typos and grammatical errors. It was very disappointing.
Still, though, it was good enough that I’ll go on to the second book. Hopefully it doesn’t fall apart at the end, quality-wise, like this one did.
Kate has a magical secret. But even she has no idea what her secret magic entails. Is it dark magic? Will the council find out and burn it out of her, along with most of her memories and possibly her mind? So she suppresses her magic and joins the mundane world, working as an ER resident and saving lives.
It was a decent story, with likable characters and an interesting world. But it was also fairly flat and one-dimensional. The main character’s lack of knowledge about her magic, her parentage, and the magical world in general means every other character is explaining what’s going on to her. Even the big reveal at the end was kind of a dud. And surprisingly repetitive to a scene that happened earlier in the story. Also, and this is one of my pet peeves, the last few chapters were bristling with typos and grammatical errors. It was very disappointing.
Still, though, it was good enough that I’ll go on to the second book. Hopefully it doesn’t fall apart at the end, quality-wise, like this one did.
May 24, 2018
For a first in a new series by a new to me author and what looks to be a debut book, this was an outstanding read. I absolutely loved the concept of combining magic and medicine and I think this was extremely well done. In a well saturated genre this felt totally original and fresh, with sound world building and enough action to keep me coming back for more. Attention to fine detail in the story was paid to here and that pleased me so much!!! All the little things added up and were incredibly believable. The author also clearly has excellent medical knowledge or does a bang on job of research as the accuracy in every scene was a pleasure to read.
Kate felt realistic and while I wanted to bash her over the head at her wilful ignorance at times this is what made up a part of her character and givers her something to go in and a world that is obviously going to engulf her in magic. Her own abilities were interesting and fed nicely into the story. Second was one clicked immediately!
Kate felt realistic and while I wanted to bash her over the head at her wilful ignorance at times this is what made up a part of her character and givers her something to go in and a world that is obviously going to engulf her in magic. Her own abilities were interesting and fed nicely into the story. Second was one clicked immediately!
February 7, 2019
Quick Info
Standalone/Cliffhanger?: Standalone
Part of a Series?: Yes
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Meeting the Characters
Aron
Katie
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What happens?
Katie is an ER doctor. She is also a mage or magic user as shes technically not a mage. She meets Aron by saving his life one day and his interest in her magic and her leads him to ask for her help. Between them there are a few fight scenes and a demon king is involved.
Final thoughts
I feel very mixed about this book. Its one I want to leave to rate it and I'll think about it and either hate it or see the positive about it.
I like the medical side of it - I can't say its accurate because I'm an IT professional not a medical one. Also there isn't really any romance in it but I can see the potential.
Would I read again?:
Would I read this author again?:
Standalone/Cliffhanger?: Standalone
Part of a Series?: Yes
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Meeting the Characters
Aron
Katie
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What happens?
Katie is an ER doctor. She is also a mage or magic user as shes technically not a mage. She meets Aron by saving his life one day and his interest in her magic and her leads him to ask for her help. Between them there are a few fight scenes and a demon king is involved.
Final thoughts
I feel very mixed about this book. Its one I want to leave to rate it and I'll think about it and either hate it or see the positive about it.
I like the medical side of it - I can't say its accurate because I'm an IT professional not a medical one. Also there isn't really any romance in it but I can see the potential.
Would I read again?:
Would I read this author again?:
May 7, 2018
Flatline introduces us to world where the Veil hides magic from those who cannot wield it. Kate Michaels is a second-year resident physician working in Hennepin General's ER department. She was raised by her grandparents after the loss of her mother. They aren't able to determine what type of mage she is and she's unable to go to those who may know because, if she has dark magic as she and her grandparents believe, they would burn it out of her, which could destroy her.
There are many things I enjoyed about Flatline . I have experience in the medical field, so I was drawn to the mix of human medicine and the magical world. Additionally, I'm intrigued by the slow reveal of this world and those within it. All of the characters are likable, especially Kate who, while being uncertain about her magic, isn't afraid to use it when necessary to take care of herself and others.
To be honest, I'm not entirely sure if my midrange rating is a result of my true enjoyment of this book or just a case of "anything that follows Jane Yellowrock is sure to suffer". Either way, I'm interested enough that I'll check out book two Postmortem soon to further explore the world.
There are many things I enjoyed about Flatline . I have experience in the medical field, so I was drawn to the mix of human medicine and the magical world. Additionally, I'm intrigued by the slow reveal of this world and those within it. All of the characters are likable, especially Kate who, while being uncertain about her magic, isn't afraid to use it when necessary to take care of herself and others.
To be honest, I'm not entirely sure if my midrange rating is a result of my true enjoyment of this book or just a case of "anything that follows Jane Yellowrock is sure to suffer". Either way, I'm interested enough that I'll check out book two Postmortem soon to further explore the world.
June 10, 2018
Little bit of a running man caper but fun.
No spoilers, but this is a paranormal fantasy romance light novel. Lots of medical jargon and running hither and yon. Some Uber hot men making the heroine take notice and a little bit of the insta love we read a lot of in other romance novels. If you are writing fantasy, I expect more of a plot and character development; less swooning or throwing up and vague chills and Mary Sue like powers. If you are writing a romance, then I expect more romance. Since this was neither one nor the other... three stars for the entertainment, but only an average fantasy novel. However, it is book one and wasn’t expensive, so will give book two a shot and see if story tightens up.
No spoilers, but this is a paranormal fantasy romance light novel. Lots of medical jargon and running hither and yon. Some Uber hot men making the heroine take notice and a little bit of the insta love we read a lot of in other romance novels. If you are writing fantasy, I expect more of a plot and character development; less swooning or throwing up and vague chills and Mary Sue like powers. If you are writing a romance, then I expect more romance. Since this was neither one nor the other... three stars for the entertainment, but only an average fantasy novel. However, it is book one and wasn’t expensive, so will give book two a shot and see if story tightens up.
July 19, 2024
Does she secretly hate her grandpa? The book was riddled with these character inconsistencies and other plot holes (and glaring plot foreshadowing) as noted in other reviews. Won't be continuing.
December 28, 2020
3.5
It was okay. Didn't wow me, but I don't regret reading it. Most of my issues with it are due to it clearly being the first book of a series. There are a lot of unanswered questions and it is obviously setting up a larger story line. Questions like: Is her magic dark? Who is her dad? What is the larger plot involving the Veil? Are her and Aron going to get together? But since this is the first book of a 6 book series, I understand things won't be unveiled right away. Just like a TV series, things do take time. I get that. And so, I'm not going to write the book/series/author off right way and will give the next book a read to see how things go.
It was okay. Didn't wow me, but I don't regret reading it. Most of my issues with it are due to it clearly being the first book of a series. There are a lot of unanswered questions and it is obviously setting up a larger story line. Questions like: Is her magic dark? Who is her dad? What is the larger plot involving the Veil? Are her and Aron going to get together? But since this is the first book of a 6 book series, I understand things won't be unveiled right away. Just like a TV series, things do take time. I get that. And so, I'm not going to write the book/series/author off right way and will give the next book a read to see how things go.
July 8, 2018
I loved the mix of medicine and urban fantasy. I’m currently roommates with an internal medicine resident, and her ICU rotations are her favorite. Reading some of the jargon I hear around the home was fun, and other than some conflation of senior residents and chief residents, all the process tuff sounded right to me. On the UF side things were less exciting, Kate’s status as an outsider with forbidden powers paired with a straight laced company-man type is pretty familiar. It particularly reminded me of SLOUCH WITCH.
July 22, 2018
A fast paced adventure
This was an interesting read. Different from others in that the main character is a medical resident not wanting to use her magic. The book rags on the medical field a bit too much and makes it unrealistic that she actually gets everything done without missing shifts. The story is fast paced and leaves out a lot of the details. There were a lot of characters brought in and many left with open backgrounds. Hopefully these will be filled in during the following books.
This was an interesting read. Different from others in that the main character is a medical resident not wanting to use her magic. The book rags on the medical field a bit too much and makes it unrealistic that she actually gets everything done without missing shifts. The story is fast paced and leaves out a lot of the details. There were a lot of characters brought in and many left with open backgrounds. Hopefully these will be filled in during the following books.
June 18, 2018
On entre facilement dans ce monde magique caché au humain normaux. Il y a beaucoup d'action et notre héroïne est vraiment ça, une super-héros. Le genre de magie qu'elle utilise est inconnu des magiciens de ce coté du voile. Sa magie est différente mais extrêmement puissante.
Du suspense, de la magie, des batailles, des démons ajouté à cela un peu de metamorphose et quelques vampires, voilà ce que vous trouverez dans ce premier tome très captivant.
Du suspense, de la magie, des batailles, des démons ajouté à cela un peu de metamorphose et quelques vampires, voilà ce que vous trouverez dans ce premier tome très captivant.
June 28, 2018
Frustrating!!
This book was frustrating from start to finish. The book is full was questions. Where did Kate's magic come from? What sort of power does her grandparents have over the council? Is her neighbor Marvin as simple as he appears to be? Not one question is answered by the end of the book! Unfortunately the characters weren't intriguing enough to support the story line so without these questions being answered, the book is really just a waste of time.
This book was frustrating from start to finish. The book is full was questions. Where did Kate's magic come from? What sort of power does her grandparents have over the council? Is her neighbor Marvin as simple as he appears to be? Not one question is answered by the end of the book! Unfortunately the characters weren't intriguing enough to support the story line so without these questions being answered, the book is really just a waste of time.
August 5, 2018
Interesting concept, but a bit overlong
I liked the concept of Katie working in medicine and trying to ignore her magic. However, the book felt overly long - there was a lot of running about and fighting which did not always seem to advance the plot. Beginning and end of the book better than middle. We find out more about the source of Katie’s powers at the end and that suggests future books may be interesting. Not sure I will read them though.
I liked the concept of Katie working in medicine and trying to ignore her magic. However, the book felt overly long - there was a lot of running about and fighting which did not always seem to advance the plot. Beginning and end of the book better than middle. We find out more about the source of Katie’s powers at the end and that suggests future books may be interesting. Not sure I will read them though.
August 22, 2018
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I'm a sucker for urban fantasy...but it just didn't quite have the magic (hah, see what I did there) that I wanted. I can see the love triangle being set up (yawn) and honestly, I just didn't like the main character that much.
And enough with the chill up the spine already. We get it.
Still, it wasn't terrible...just really didn't get that into it.
And enough with the chill up the spine already. We get it.
Still, it wasn't terrible...just really didn't get that into it.
August 25, 2018
Love it!
I tripped over this author purely by accident, then delayed reading Flatline for several months and just yesterday decided to give it a try. Boy, did I delay a great read!
This book passed all of my requirements for a successful story including characterization, plot, editing and my potential willingness to re-read the book or series. I highly recommend Flatline and now I'm off to read Book Two.
I tripped over this author purely by accident, then delayed reading Flatline for several months and just yesterday decided to give it a try. Boy, did I delay a great read!
This book passed all of my requirements for a successful story including characterization, plot, editing and my potential willingness to re-read the book or series. I highly recommend Flatline and now I'm off to read Book Two.
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