Evil Spark

Dark Magic Enforcer #2

by Al K. Line, Gildart Jackson (Narrator)

I'd had less than a week to recover from an incident that left me half-dead. My body was battered and bruised in ways I can't even begin to describe.

Dark magic use had consumed me, spat me out a husk of a man. I was little more than flesh and bone, weary to my very soul.

So, of course, there was a knock at the door.

My smile faded, happy face turning to tears, as Kate—a gorgeous vampire and the woman I lust over at every available opportunity—told me the news. Dark magic came to me as my eyes snapped to black and my tattoos felt fit to burst with the energy they channeled.

I'm Faz Pound, a.k.a. Black Spark, Dark Magic Enforcer, and a goddamn wizard!

I'll tear apart hell itself to get at anyone or anything that dares hurt the people I care about. Nobody messes with me or mine and lives. Nobody.

Things are about to get nasty.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Paranormal, Magic, Vampires, Audiobook, Fiction

8 pages, Audible Audio

First published April 22, 2016

About the author

Al K. Line is a British author who lives in rural England with his wife, son, and dogs.

When asked to describe himself for this bio all we got was the following:

"Who am I? Degrees, jobs, living in other countries, fighting squirrels, cuddling monkeys, amused by penguins, all the usual stuff."

Reviews

[Jennifer Tooker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure – I received a free copy of this book from the author as part of his “A-Team” in exchange for an honest review.

Nobody messes with Grandma!

Evil Spark resumes our story of Faz Pound, Dark Magic Enforcer, shortly after the conclusion of Black Spark. Having vanquished Ankine Luisi and corrected his mistake from the previous week, Faz retires to the sanctuary of his home to recover from his dark magic use. When he is awakened by Kate with the news that his Grandma has gone missing, followed by the disappearance of Mage Rikka, Faz realizes that there will be no rest for this Enforcer. Joined by Dancer, Intus and a few unlikely allies, he sets out on a race against the clock to find his loved ones and exact revenge as only he can.

There definitely is no down time in this series as we are thrust right into the action from the opening pages all the way to the thrilling conclusion. The Hidden world is explored in more detail and we get a glimpse into the various factions and politics. If you are a vampire fan, you will not be disappointed as Faz finds himself right in the middle of House Taavi – not a good place to be at all. While questions are answered, the mystery of his parent’s death deepens as Faz still attempts to find the immortal responsible.

Another great installment and a very nice set up for many more events to come. I am eagerly awaiting the next adventure.

[Megan Chesnut · Rating 2 out of 5]

This might be a slight improvement over the first book, but I’m not sure. The repetitive nature, painful dialogue, flat characters, and lame plot makes this a difficult read. The “clever” banter is anything but. And if I read the word Grandma in the third book, I’m going to throw it out the window!

[Liana · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing is very repetitive; not just from book to book, but from page to page. Explanations are continuously repeated throughout this book. It's a bit like listening to a friend tell you what happened to him or her and repeat facts randomly throughout the story. You kind of want to say, "Yes, you've said that three times, and I got it the first time. I'm not an idiot. Get on with it." I feel like this book needs a good edit and/or for the author to accept a good editor's comments.

Aside from that, this has the potential to be a very entertaining series with a fun, witty protagonist. But it is VERY off-putting to read about the protagonist vomitting every time he uses magic.

I will probably stop reading this series because of the reasons above, eventhough I am curious what happens to Spark next.

[Koffe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little better than the last one but still very silly, repetitive, simple and while funny I think I end it here it's too light hearted for my taste. It was a bit funny but there wasn't much of a plot too speak of, rather it felt like everything went around in circles and was pretty damn flat.

[Virginia Night · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun

A delightful read. I recommend this author whose style and prose is interesting and engaging. I'm looking forward to reading more.

[Karsyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked this one better than the first, the story was better. Still, so much like the Alex Verus, in manners and speech.

[Bram Slaats · Rating 5 out of 5]

While it is not the best sequel that I have ever read it is definitely a good one. It really took me on a the next adventure while still suffering from the last one.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting cost of magic, although author appears to have body part fascination. the story telling feels a bit more flowing compared to the first book

[Dena · Rating 3 out of 5]

audio; 3.5*

[Mulberry]

NFK I might come back to this series at some point. I'm just not in the mood for urban fantasy that is just ok.

[Mari · Rating 5 out of 5]

liked it even better than the first book, mostly because I already knew the characters. I enjoyed the story and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Emmalynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fax is at it again. There’s progress in his relationship with Jane, the dialogue tends to be repetitive at times, however the premise is good.

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faz Pound, AKA Black Spark, is still recovering from his last mission. When he finally manages to leave his sick bed and feel like he might live, once again he is thrown head-first into a mess. His grandmother has been kidnapped, her apprentice murdered by a vampire, and both sides accusing the other. As he starts investigating the kidnapping, someone else Faz is close to is kidnapped: Mage Rikka. Faz is frantic to find out who is behind this before all-out war starts. But, he has too few clues to go on. Will a war start between the mages and the vampires? Or will Faz manages to find them both before it’s too late? Only one thing is certain: no one messes with Black Sparks’ family, no one.

This is the second book in the series and having read the first, the thing I must say upfront is this book is better than the first one. It was a lot less repetitious, maybe still a little with his feelings for Kate, but much better. That aside, the action, the writing, and the pace were all wonderful in this book. I love the character development going on and hope to see much more in the future. I did have a problem with Faz being a little emotional all the time. I know it is his grandmother, but I would think being an enforcer, and one of the best at that, would make him a little more able to push the emotions aside. And, the plot was good, but a little thin. I felt less like Faz figured it out what was going on and more like he just stumbled on the answers. However, I truly believe this author is going to get better and better and will become a force to be reckoned with. Be on the ground floor so you, too, can say “I knew him when…” This book was just a fun little ride! A very solid 4 stars.

Thanks to the author for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review. This same review will be posted on both Goodreads and Amazon.

[Alex And · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story, so so writing

I like the premise and the world, but the writing is very difficult to get through. As others have said, it's very repetitive, characters are all flat and a little immature, and the author loves and (in my opinion abuses) over the top comparisons/metaphors. I found jt hard to read, partly because of the repetition and partly because the main characters voice is disjointed and rambles way too much. But it's a light hearted read, and the writing is def better than the first one, and the world premise is very interesting.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Different but not bad

Things I liked: the characters were intertwining, and the first person narrative was engaging. There was also a new spin on wizardry and other supernatural beings.

Things I did not like: there could have been a bit more character development. And the plot was lacking in direction and the Villain produced zero feelings from me, would have liked a bit of suspense.

[Harini Padmanabhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is much better than the first one in the series. The characters are better rounded, the leads stop dancing around and admit their feelings for each other and the plot is a lot more interesting. That said, the book does need a fair bit of editing. Despite a racy plot, some parts are difficult to read. I'm not giving up on this series yet..

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series. This is one of those stories that keeps you interested. Great characters. I kept remarking (to myself) "I didn't expect that". Logical reasons for uber, sububer and downright disgusting beings. Can't wait for the next book.

[Andrew Paier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Followup

Book 2 of the series is a good Followup, revealing more of the world and Spark's various relationships. Strongly recommend reading.

[Alex Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spark grows up

A terrific second effort and I was very surprised to find that the bok truly made me lose track of time.

[Don Hart]

Keeps getting better

[Christopher Ogden · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strong follow up.

A good second entry to the series. The character is intresting but could do with less of the 3rd person character reset. Strong world building.