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Magic Blood: The Warlock #1
Demons and Deception
Who ever said Librarians had boring jobs?
Teaming up with Tansey Morgan, author of the hit series The Last Serpent, Katerina Martinez is back doing what she does best: writing gripping, action-packed urban fantasy you won't want to put down.
Hailey is a mage, but she doesn't want to be one. In another life, Hailey was an investigator, a hunter, and a problem solver. New York City was her playground, her hunting ground, a place where every day there was a new mystery that needed solving, but when tragedy struck, Hailey abruptly left the city, the country, and her old life behind.
Now she makes her home in London, working at a university library, stacking and cataloging books and occasionally chasing off students who come to the library without even the slightest intention of studying. It's the normal life she wanted, but it won't last, because Hailey is about to learn a hard truth: mages don't go out looking for danger, it isn't a life they can just drop.
One way or another, danger always finds them.
Teaming up with Tansey Morgan, author of the hit series The Last Serpent, Katerina Martinez is back doing what she does best: writing gripping, action-packed urban fantasy you won't want to put down.
Hailey is a mage, but she doesn't want to be one. In another life, Hailey was an investigator, a hunter, and a problem solver. New York City was her playground, her hunting ground, a place where every day there was a new mystery that needed solving, but when tragedy struck, Hailey abruptly left the city, the country, and her old life behind.
Now she makes her home in London, working at a university library, stacking and cataloging books and occasionally chasing off students who come to the library without even the slightest intention of studying. It's the normal life she wanted, but it won't last, because Hailey is about to learn a hard truth: mages don't go out looking for danger, it isn't a life they can just drop.
One way or another, danger always finds them.
213 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 22, 2018
282 people are currently reading
280 people want to read
About the author
Katerina Martinez
93 books520 followersKaterina Martinez is a widely known author who writes supernatural fiction with a creepy, thrilling, and romantic bent. A veteran of many years of writing, she is the author of Dark Siren, the first book in the breakout Half-Lich Trilogy which became an instant bestseller in 2016. She continues to expand her back-list with books such as Wings of Light, and Heart of the Thief, and Night Hunter - three series starters that all take place in the same world.
If you would like to keep in touch with Katerina, learn about her work, and receive an exclusive short story set in the Blood and Magick universe, just follow this link, sign up, and don't be shy to drop her an email.
https://www.katerinamartinez.com/
If you would like to keep in touch with Katerina, learn about her work, and receive an exclusive short story set in the Blood and Magick universe, just follow this link, sign up, and don't be shy to drop her an email.
https://www.katerinamartinez.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
August 23, 2018
*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
What an amazing start to this new series written by two incredibly skilled authors. Combining the two has created a world that is truly awesome and I especially like the tie-in to the Harlequin series by Morgan. I was hooked from the very first page as we start in a library a place I truly love and it just gets better from there with a skilled heroine, a sexy cocky guy with some powers, and bad guys chasing after a book. the twists and turns keep you guessing and then you hit the end wishing there were more pages. I can't wait to see what's next. I highly recommend it to urban fantasy fans. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.
What an amazing start to this new series written by two incredibly skilled authors. Combining the two has created a world that is truly awesome and I especially like the tie-in to the Harlequin series by Morgan. I was hooked from the very first page as we start in a library a place I truly love and it just gets better from there with a skilled heroine, a sexy cocky guy with some powers, and bad guys chasing after a book. the twists and turns keep you guessing and then you hit the end wishing there were more pages. I can't wait to see what's next. I highly recommend it to urban fantasy fans. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.
September 14, 2018
I loved Hailey! She wants to live a normal life but trouble tends to find her. It was fun to see her try to get ahead of the trouble and meeting Levi and his friends. I can't wait to see what Hailey does next.
July 12, 2019
3,5/5 vraiment pas mal pour un premier tome !
August 14, 2022
Hoopla Audiobook.
Meh.
Meh.
August 11, 2025
A fun read
April 6, 2019
Interesting first book. Would have continued on if the 2nd book had been available...
September 11, 2018
Hailey’s life used to be full of danger and peril at every turn, but then she made a move. Literally. She left the States and moved to England where she thought things would be different. Working as a librarian, surrounded by books, for two years she has had a moment of peace about her life, but all of that is about to be shaken and destroyed by one small book disguised as “Peter Rabbit.”
Demons and Deceptions by Tansey Morgan and Katerina Martinez is the first book in their Magic Blood series. In this book we are introduced to Hailey Matthews, going by Hailey Jones now to hide her past that she does not wish to be reminded of. Hailey is an interesting character. She’s strong, determined and skilled. She is the main focus of the story and she really brings it. Despite her being out of the game for a minute, when danger comes knocking she’s somewhat prepared. This story is full of the unexpected from the beginning though. The authors come together to give us magic, suspense, TONS of danger and unexpected twists. The storyline is seamless and flows beautifully. Levi is full of secrets himself, but I like that Hailey knows well enough to trust her instincts. I love the variety of abilities and characters that we get in this book. I also like the tie in for Tansey Morgan’s Harlequin series as well.
While I enjoyed this book, it’s not without its faults. My main, and basically only issue, is that this book has quite a few editorial issues. Most to all of them are simple misspellings. Mistakes that could easily be caught with a careful eye. The editorial issues don’t detract from the overall story, but they do catch the eye.
I am rating this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. I truly enjoyed this story, and the authors did a great job working seamlessly together to create this fascinating story. I’m taking off half a star for the misspelled words throughout because they are simple mistakes that can easily be corrected. But they aren’t so egregious that they detract and distract the reader totally from being able to enjoy the story itself. I look forward to the next book in this series as Hailey, Levi and the rest have some big problems ahead.
Demons and Deceptions by Tansey Morgan and Katerina Martinez is the first book in their Magic Blood series. In this book we are introduced to Hailey Matthews, going by Hailey Jones now to hide her past that she does not wish to be reminded of. Hailey is an interesting character. She’s strong, determined and skilled. She is the main focus of the story and she really brings it. Despite her being out of the game for a minute, when danger comes knocking she’s somewhat prepared. This story is full of the unexpected from the beginning though. The authors come together to give us magic, suspense, TONS of danger and unexpected twists. The storyline is seamless and flows beautifully. Levi is full of secrets himself, but I like that Hailey knows well enough to trust her instincts. I love the variety of abilities and characters that we get in this book. I also like the tie in for Tansey Morgan’s Harlequin series as well.
While I enjoyed this book, it’s not without its faults. My main, and basically only issue, is that this book has quite a few editorial issues. Most to all of them are simple misspellings. Mistakes that could easily be caught with a careful eye. The editorial issues don’t detract from the overall story, but they do catch the eye.
I am rating this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. I truly enjoyed this story, and the authors did a great job working seamlessly together to create this fascinating story. I’m taking off half a star for the misspelled words throughout because they are simple mistakes that can easily be corrected. But they aren’t so egregious that they detract and distract the reader totally from being able to enjoy the story itself. I look forward to the next book in this series as Hailey, Levi and the rest have some big problems ahead.
September 26, 2020
Hmmm torn
I did enjoy the read I’m just not sure how much. I was back and forth on whether or not I liked Hailey especially when she blamed Levi for causing her troubles. It was her refusal to relinquish the book that caused her troubles. Grr pet peeve of mine I suppose
There were quite a few instances of bad editing that interrupted the flow of my reading. Words out of order or words in the wrong place like the thought had changed but then a word wasn’t removed. I was surprised really beings as two separate authors wrote the book.
I felt up until chapter 7 it was rather slow. I mean I sort of got bored and I’d have to reread to figure out why.
The world building was good though. I was intrigued by the magic in this world but I do wish they’d gotten more into it. However, the book was very short like it shouldn’t have ended there. I mean there is a book after but if I had picked this up before the series was done it would have pissed me off. I would have like to know more about what sort of antics demons got up to in this world as opposed to our preformed ideas. I can use my own imagination but seeing it as it pertains to this world not my own world would have been interesting. Hope that makes sense if anyone actually reads this.
Overall, light read and I didn’t feel I wasted time to read it. I’m not sure if I’m intrigued enough to read the next book though. We’ll see. Happy reading
I did enjoy the read I’m just not sure how much. I was back and forth on whether or not I liked Hailey especially when she blamed Levi for causing her troubles. It was her refusal to relinquish the book that caused her troubles. Grr pet peeve of mine I suppose
There were quite a few instances of bad editing that interrupted the flow of my reading. Words out of order or words in the wrong place like the thought had changed but then a word wasn’t removed. I was surprised really beings as two separate authors wrote the book.
I felt up until chapter 7 it was rather slow. I mean I sort of got bored and I’d have to reread to figure out why.
The world building was good though. I was intrigued by the magic in this world but I do wish they’d gotten more into it. However, the book was very short like it shouldn’t have ended there. I mean there is a book after but if I had picked this up before the series was done it would have pissed me off. I would have like to know more about what sort of antics demons got up to in this world as opposed to our preformed ideas. I can use my own imagination but seeing it as it pertains to this world not my own world would have been interesting. Hope that makes sense if anyone actually reads this.
Overall, light read and I didn’t feel I wasted time to read it. I’m not sure if I’m intrigued enough to read the next book though. We’ll see. Happy reading
September 29, 2024
Currently putting up past reviews from my Blog on GR because I forgot at the time oops 😅
This book sounded good from the synopsis but it was missing something crucial to make for a captivating story. I almost DNFed this halfway through because of how boring it got. Considering this was a novella sized novel that's worrisome.
The characters were bland with very little personality to them. They were guessing their way through everything just like the reader even though Hailey is supposed to be this bad*ss mage in her past.
When things finally started showing some semblance of action and the possibility of giving us answers it ended on a cliffhanger. I wouldn't be so annoyed if I hadn't just wasted a few hours of my life on the beginnings of a "supposed" action-packed story and have no answers to show for it. I won't be continuing on with this series.
The Audio Book:
If it wasn't for all the different types of fake-sounding Britsh accents the audio book would have been ok. The narrator, while reading in her native American English tongue, was rather relaxing to listen to and set a steady pace to everything.
This book sounded good from the synopsis but it was missing something crucial to make for a captivating story. I almost DNFed this halfway through because of how boring it got. Considering this was a novella sized novel that's worrisome.
The characters were bland with very little personality to them. They were guessing their way through everything just like the reader even though Hailey is supposed to be this bad*ss mage in her past.
When things finally started showing some semblance of action and the possibility of giving us answers it ended on a cliffhanger. I wouldn't be so annoyed if I hadn't just wasted a few hours of my life on the beginnings of a "supposed" action-packed story and have no answers to show for it. I won't be continuing on with this series.
The Audio Book:
If it wasn't for all the different types of fake-sounding Britsh accents the audio book would have been ok. The narrator, while reading in her native American English tongue, was rather relaxing to listen to and set a steady pace to everything.
February 1, 2020
The quirky, weird and wicked have their presence and are equally fascinating in this 1st instalment of the Magic Blood The Warlock Series: Demons and Deception by Katerina Martinez and Tansey Morgan. Having read other books by Katerina Martinez I had expected full fledged magic and imaginative creatures – and she delivered. Her feisty female protagonists are always inspiring, and this time it is Hailey Matthews who after having escaped her old life in the US is reluctantly pulled back into the London dilemmas of mage rivalry. Although being a hopeless romantic myself I do find Katerina’s work refreshing, where the crime cases are in focus, but there is also that slight element of love. So, a secret involving a children’s book, a mysterious sexy man called Levi and multiple mage villans who want to get to her, bringing uncertainty about Levi’s intentions is a good concoction for an exciting urban fantasy story. The chase, the hidden identities and the suspense around who lives or dies kept me turning the pages.
August 22, 2018
Well what can I say? While i haven't read any of Katerina Martinez's books as yet, I am a fan of Tansey Morgan and have read her Last Serpent series and am reading her Harlequin Harem series as it releases. While this is book is a bit different to what I'm used to from Tansey, I loved the book and it didn't disappoint. It has some funny moments like with the magical spray bottle.
When I first read the summary of the book, I was a bit stumped as to how it fits into Tansey's Harlequin Harem world as it is set in London but by the end of the book, it all becomes clear and slots in nicely. I like how we learn about the main character Hailey throughout the book in pieces, giving you a better insight into her and her history.
By the time I got to the end of the book, I was definitely intrigued and I can't wait for book #2 to come out so I can see where this is all leading.
When I first read the summary of the book, I was a bit stumped as to how it fits into Tansey's Harlequin Harem world as it is set in London but by the end of the book, it all becomes clear and slots in nicely. I like how we learn about the main character Hailey throughout the book in pieces, giving you a better insight into her and her history.
By the time I got to the end of the book, I was definitely intrigued and I can't wait for book #2 to come out so I can see where this is all leading.
April 9, 2025
This was as average as average gets.
High points: Female lead isn't a clueless teenager. She seems to actually be an expert instead of just saying it.
Unfortunately, there really isn't any suspense around figuring out the bad guy. The story is almost like a short story that was pulled out of a larger book. It makes for an extremely short read. Currently, it's free as part of Audible Plus.
The gist is that the main character is a warlock who got tired of hunting demons. She now works at a library in London while both being bored and hiding from her past. Demons try to steal a secret book from her library, and now, all of sudden, she is back to hunting demons. Throw in a cute guy and a few dead folks... that's the story.
Book two is currently free on audible, but I wouldn't not continue if I had to pay for such a short story.
High points: Female lead isn't a clueless teenager. She seems to actually be an expert instead of just saying it.
Unfortunately, there really isn't any suspense around figuring out the bad guy. The story is almost like a short story that was pulled out of a larger book. It makes for an extremely short read. Currently, it's free as part of Audible Plus.
The gist is that the main character is a warlock who got tired of hunting demons. She now works at a library in London while both being bored and hiding from her past. Demons try to steal a secret book from her library, and now, all of sudden, she is back to hunting demons. Throw in a cute guy and a few dead folks... that's the story.
Book two is currently free on audible, but I wouldn't not continue if I had to pay for such a short story.
August 26, 2018
Books are my life, so I adore having a magic-wielding librarian as a lead character. The smooth-talking British playboy as her sidekick isn’t a half bad idea either. This story takes us to a different place in Tansey’s ‘Harlequin’ universe and gives us a crash course in some of the other magic users and monsters we’ll find there. It doesn’t matter which side of the coin you’re coming at this author duo from, you’re going to find the things you like best. Fast-paced, dramatic action. Big, shadowy plots to take over the world. Deep emotional connections being built between the characters. This book really does have it all. I can’t wait to see what Hailey and Levi have to face next.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book.
August 24, 2018
Worth the wait
Katerina Martinez books are like visiting your coolest friend, and this time she brought Tansey Morgan along to spice up the conversation. This linguistic duo had me on the edge of my seat, adrenaline pumping, sure that I was next to be served up as fodder for the brutes to torture until I gave them whatever it was their demon master wanted. In this book the characters seem to be at a distinct disadvantage, demons can see the future, The immediate future only, thank God. What can go wrong, does, as things historically have been set in motion are covered up rather than fixed. Is there any hope? Read the book.
Katerina Martinez books are like visiting your coolest friend, and this time she brought Tansey Morgan along to spice up the conversation. This linguistic duo had me on the edge of my seat, adrenaline pumping, sure that I was next to be served up as fodder for the brutes to torture until I gave them whatever it was their demon master wanted. In this book the characters seem to be at a distinct disadvantage, demons can see the future, The immediate future only, thank God. What can go wrong, does, as things historically have been set in motion are covered up rather than fixed. Is there any hope? Read the book.
June 12, 2020
Full Of Mystery And Non-stop Action!
I really enjoyed the entire storyline of this book. It was far different than what I've read in this genre--and that's saying something! The world-building is fantastic and introduces the reader to many different "behind the veil" locations/groups. I loved the interactions between Hailey and Levi as well--their banter was entertaining. And the non-stop action, light humor, mysterious book, and layered reveals kept me invested in this book. I'm very much looking forward to getting my hands on book 2!
I really enjoyed the entire storyline of this book. It was far different than what I've read in this genre--and that's saying something! The world-building is fantastic and introduces the reader to many different "behind the veil" locations/groups. I loved the interactions between Hailey and Levi as well--their banter was entertaining. And the non-stop action, light humor, mysterious book, and layered reveals kept me invested in this book. I'm very much looking forward to getting my hands on book 2!
September 15, 2024
It was a short book it went by fast, but it moved at a good pace and I found I was genuinely interested in it.
Our female protagonist is American living in England for the past 18 months after the horrific death of her older sister. They used their magic to fight demons but the US has been all but over taken.
One night well closing up the library she works at she comes across demon lap dogs trying to steal a book, this sends her down a path she wasn’t expecting getting pulled back into the demon fighting world.
Now she’s has new friends she’s just met that will have to help her.
Our female protagonist is American living in England for the past 18 months after the horrific death of her older sister. They used their magic to fight demons but the US has been all but over taken.
One night well closing up the library she works at she comes across demon lap dogs trying to steal a book, this sends her down a path she wasn’t expecting getting pulled back into the demon fighting world.
Now she’s has new friends she’s just met that will have to help her.
August 22, 2018
I already love Tansey's Harlequinn Harem series so getting the opportunity to read another series in the same World was something I wouldn't pass up! This book did not disappoint either! I love the MC and how she handles herself. You get bits and pieces about her background as you go along in the story. Levi is pretty cool and I enjoy their interactions. The storyline definitely has me intrigued and I very much look forward to reading more!
August 22, 2018
This novel has tons of action and world building. It had great twists and turns. There were great fight scenes especially in this book. I love how it is realistically shown and technically correct. The encounters are not cut and clean, which is how they are supposed to be. The heroine was a great lead. She is one to fear. The writing is also really good in this novel. It followed very well and was very descriptive.
August 23, 2018
A great start to a new series I'm already fan.of Tansey Morgan style.of writing and love her previous books I'm so glad I found this one written with Katerina Martinez. It has great characters and great world build up based.in a world previously made.in one of Tansey books. It's exciting and full of little twist and it's got action. I'm so excited and can not wait to catch up more with the second book in this series
I recommend this book
I recommend this book
August 30, 2018
Loner Hailey Matthews is working in a library, a solitary self imposed existence, but one normal day at work catapults her into a mystery and danger, the kind she moved from the US to London to get away from, and to top it all off she now seems to be keeping company with a british playboy type
Packed full of excitement danger and drama from the get go, this fiesty heroine grabs a hold of you and the great storyline keeps you glued to the page, very looking forward to book two
Packed full of excitement danger and drama from the get go, this fiesty heroine grabs a hold of you and the great storyline keeps you glued to the page, very looking forward to book two
September 6, 2018
Demons and Deception caught my interest with an intriguing blurb/storyline. A novella, running at approximately 180 pages, the story was good, but didn't have the edge and conflict I'd hoped for. The plot was actually very good, but opportunities to build the tension were lost--too bad, because the writing team is good. An unsatisfying cliffhanger-ish ending means there's no resolution of any open threads.
September 10, 2018
Katerina & Tansey have created an exceptional story. The story line is unique and the character development and world building are out of this world. Hailey (FMC) just wants to have a normal life as a librarian (her dream job). This normal life changes when Levi comes on the scene. From the first page you are drawn into the story and experience it along with Hailey. Am anxious for the next book in series. Highly recommended.
November 8, 2018
4 1/2 stars. I haven't read either one of these authors before but I will know.
Who doesn't love a magic-wielding librarian (many of us readers probably wish we were). Fast-paced, good plot, and interesting characters. Oh, don't forget some humor and some attraction.
A lot of information is thrown at you but it doesn't come in a data dump so it is not boring and it is easy enough to pick up.
A great start to a series.
Who doesn't love a magic-wielding librarian (many of us readers probably wish we were). Fast-paced, good plot, and interesting characters. Oh, don't forget some humor and some attraction.
A lot of information is thrown at you but it doesn't come in a data dump so it is not boring and it is easy enough to pick up.
A great start to a series.
November 30, 2018
Good Start
Good book and great introduction into this new world. I am happy to see new books from Katerina coming out again. I did rate this lower than normal only because it felt a little rushed and as such, there were quite a few writing and spelling errors. More than I have seen from her in past books. I hope the next book is more carefully edited, either way, I will be reading it.
Good book and great introduction into this new world. I am happy to see new books from Katerina coming out again. I did rate this lower than normal only because it felt a little rushed and as such, there were quite a few writing and spelling errors. More than I have seen from her in past books. I hope the next book is more carefully edited, either way, I will be reading it.
October 9, 2021
Maybe this book would be tolerable for people who are new to urban fantasy genre, but from my point of view, it's incredibly boring and predictable. I mean, come on..! There were absolutely no riddles or plot twists. You can see a bad guy from a mile away. And the thing with blood magic is so similar to October Daye series that I've got a distinctive feeling of déjà vu. I see no point in reading further books.
July 8, 2022
Has some humor and I like to the storyline you can just tell that it’s gonna go into another book because it’s a cliffhanger at the end.
The story is about a Book that has a spell over it which is a witch is grimoire that demons and other people are trying to find. The two main characters are trying to get the spell off the book but the demons that are after them are killing people and sending them into traps.
It was definitely a fast read and looking forward to the next book.
The story is about a Book that has a spell over it which is a witch is grimoire that demons and other people are trying to find. The two main characters are trying to get the spell off the book but the demons that are after them are killing people and sending them into traps.
It was definitely a fast read and looking forward to the next book.
May 23, 2023
DNF at 38% the only thing interesting to happen is a brief demon attack in a library. I guess what bugs me the most is the FMC lost her sister and ttys to avoid all mention of her. We get brief vague mentions but then hints around at them having been close. I can see avoiding talking about someone who you were estranged from when they passed but that doesn't seem to be the case here. It's like she's trying to forget someone who used to be an important part of her life and that really bugs me.
December 16, 2024
I generally love reading urban fantasy and especially one with a romance thread; great to tune out to. Honestly would have kept reading if not for the audiobook narration.
The English accents were so bad I couldn’t stay with it. Not sure why it couldn’t just be Americans in London. Please, authors if you’re going to have a mix of accents make sure the narrator can do them… ruins the whole book otherwise
The English accents were so bad I couldn’t stay with it. Not sure why it couldn’t just be Americans in London. Please, authors if you’re going to have a mix of accents make sure the narrator can do them… ruins the whole book otherwise
August 23, 2018
This is the first book I have read by Katherina Martinez but I have read a heap of Tansey Morgan’s books and I love how this one ends up connecting to her Harlequin series! This was s great book, there was some great laugh out loud moment from Hailey and I love her spunk and independence! I have to admit I think she is the most interesting character in the book. Levi is intriguing as well though and I am excited to see where they both go in the next book. I felt a little lacking in background and details for the MCs and did want more but it does set the scene for the next book and I hope my questions get answered in the next book! This is a quick read but still good..recommend read!!
August 23, 2018
She's back!
Finally Martinez, one of my favorite authors has started back writing and to team up with Morgan at that. This book is a great start to a new series that lines up with Morgan's series the Harlequin. I love the two MC's and the plot. This book has a lot of action but you can tell that it's going to be epic from here. I can't wait to read the next installment.
Finally Martinez, one of my favorite authors has started back writing and to team up with Morgan at that. This book is a great start to a new series that lines up with Morgan's series the Harlequin. I love the two MC's and the plot. This book has a lot of action but you can tell that it's going to be epic from here. I can't wait to read the next installment.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews