What do you think?
Rate this book
Stolen Magic #1
Forgotten Magic
No one can know what happened on my sixteenth birthday, what really happened to my old coven. I’ve built myself a pretty nice life. I have a business as an independent acquisitions expert and fixer (that’s thief and bounty hunter in less polite company). When a client hires me to find a couple of stolen magical artifacts, it seems like a straightforward job. Then it turns out that she didn’t just hire me, she hired my biggest rival, too. Elijah, alpha of the Sentinels pack. He’s as sexy as he is infuriating. Working together seems like the most logical option. The problem is soon dead bodies start piling up alongside the stolen artifacts. The new thief in town isn’t my only problem. Someone has been digging into the disappearance of my old coven. If they find out the truth about who and what I am, my carefully constructed life will be over. At best, I’ll be hunted to the ends of the Earth. At worst, the fae will have me begging for death. Together Elijah and I must unravel the mystery of the new thief and murderer before my past is brought out into the light and everything comes tumbling down around us.
212 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 26, 2020
About the author
Jayne Hawke
21 books71 followersJayne is an English Urban Fantasy author who owns two very large fluffy cats. When she isn't writing, or playing with her cats, she's binge-watching Netflix, baking, or complaining about the weather.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
August 30, 2020
3.5 to 4 stars!
With all the lower ratings for this series, I honestly didn't go into it expecting much, which maybe was a good thing because I ended up being really surprised when I actually really enjoyed this story. It was fun, different and has some great interesting characters. I will definitely be picking up book two.
With all the lower ratings for this series, I honestly didn't go into it expecting much, which maybe was a good thing because I ended up being really surprised when I actually really enjoyed this story. It was fun, different and has some great interesting characters. I will definitely be picking up book two.
April 4, 2020
Ok
As an urban fantasy this has all the elements, mysterious independent woman, her side kick and strong alpha male. Unfortunately it tells you the story so I never fully connected with the characters. Plus they moved from distrust to pack mates at hyper speed without credible reason for why.
As an urban fantasy this has all the elements, mysterious independent woman, her side kick and strong alpha male. Unfortunately it tells you the story so I never fully connected with the characters. Plus they moved from distrust to pack mates at hyper speed without credible reason for why.
August 20, 2021
It was a nice idea, but I felt no connection to the story.
The heroine is a strong witch with a mysterious past, sort of a dark character but she has a good head on her shoulder. I love heroines like this.
She resides in a magic beach town and has a successful business recovering lost items. She has a rivalry with the local wolf alpha, who is clearly into her.
That's exactly what I want to read, but even though the writing itself wasn't bad, the scenes were very choppy and there was not much emotional depth. The characters felt two dimensional.
The heroine is a strong witch with a mysterious past, sort of a dark character but she has a good head on her shoulder. I love heroines like this.
She resides in a magic beach town and has a successful business recovering lost items. She has a rivalry with the local wolf alpha, who is clearly into her.
That's exactly what I want to read, but even though the writing itself wasn't bad, the scenes were very choppy and there was not much emotional depth. The characters felt two dimensional.
August 14, 2023
2 Dimensional
Everything fell flat and nothing was truly fleshed out. There was no real world building, there was just a ton of assumed knowledge. There was no character development and no real reason to emotionally invest in the characters either. There was no relationship building, it just happened, like Bam! let's be in a relationship for no reason after not liking one another to the point of almost assassinating the other. There weren't issues with the technical parts of writing, thankfully, which is why it wasn't a single star for me, but I don't feel the need to read anything else by this author.
Everything fell flat and nothing was truly fleshed out. There was no real world building, there was just a ton of assumed knowledge. There was no character development and no real reason to emotionally invest in the characters either. There was no relationship building, it just happened, like Bam! let's be in a relationship for no reason after not liking one another to the point of almost assassinating the other. There weren't issues with the technical parts of writing, thankfully, which is why it wasn't a single star for me, but I don't feel the need to read anything else by this author.
July 26, 2021
Lily is a warrior witch with one of the best tortured pasts I've read. She was raised to be a sacrifice by her coven. They planned to sacrifice her right after her sixteenth birthday in order to steal some of a goddess' power. Right as they're about to do it, the goddess swoops in and murders everyone except Lily. She wakes up and the goddess leaves her with some new powers and a familiar, Castor.
These days Lily finds things, kills things, and steals things. I say this in the nicest possible way. Her competition is a pack called the Sentinels, whose alpha is Elijah. He is a smart, warm, sexy, werewolf. I liked him a lot. He's very alpha, but not an alpha-hole. So many writers don't get the balance right. One of Lily's clients hires both Lily and Elijah to find some items. Lily, Castor, Elijah, and the pack start working together.
This book is well written and even funny in parts. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
These days Lily finds things, kills things, and steals things. I say this in the nicest possible way. Her competition is a pack called the Sentinels, whose alpha is Elijah. He is a smart, warm, sexy, werewolf. I liked him a lot. He's very alpha, but not an alpha-hole. So many writers don't get the balance right. One of Lily's clients hires both Lily and Elijah to find some items. Lily, Castor, Elijah, and the pack start working together.
This book is well written and even funny in parts. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
April 8, 2020
A fun little jaunt
I had a lot of fun reading this. The characters were amusing, and a little sassy at times, and the sparks were flying between Lily and Elijah. Lily’s backstory was interesting and not one that has been over utilized in UF, so I’m expecting this to be a great plot point that spans over quite a few books as more is unearthed.
The antagonist of this story was not what I expected, and I appreciated that the author was staying away from the usual Sidhe Overlord tropes. Definitely going to be picking up the next book.
3.5 stars ⭐️
I had a lot of fun reading this. The characters were amusing, and a little sassy at times, and the sparks were flying between Lily and Elijah. Lily’s backstory was interesting and not one that has been over utilized in UF, so I’m expecting this to be a great plot point that spans over quite a few books as more is unearthed.
The antagonist of this story was not what I expected, and I appreciated that the author was staying away from the usual Sidhe Overlord tropes. Definitely going to be picking up the next book.
3.5 stars ⭐️
February 16, 2020
Refreshing good!
I like the fact that the heroine didn't immediately fall into bed with alpha and the sexual tension is growing.
I like the fact that the heroine didn't immediately fall into bed with alpha and the sexual tension is growing.
February 26, 2020
Great
Liked Lily and it is a different and interesting story. I am looking forward to
the next installment of the series.
Liked Lily and it is a different and interesting story. I am looking forward to
the next installment of the series.
February 24, 2020
Enjoyable action packed new series
Well written, fast paced, action packed story. There were a few editing issues which didn't detract from the flow of the story too much. Enjoyable read. I'm looking forward to the next book.
Well written, fast paced, action packed story. There were a few editing issues which didn't detract from the flow of the story too much. Enjoyable read. I'm looking forward to the next book.
February 1, 2020
Action packed
Slow burn romance but fast pace action. Couldn't put this book down. If you enjoy a strong female lead character that has her own mind and likes to kick a... then this book is perfect. I'm off to read the next book in the series.
Slow burn romance but fast pace action. Couldn't put this book down. If you enjoy a strong female lead character that has her own mind and likes to kick a... then this book is perfect. I'm off to read the next book in the series.
January 30, 2020
Good story
Enchanting tale of magic and misdeeds create a cute and lightly romantic story. Sometimes the big bad isn't always what you see.
Enchanting tale of magic and misdeeds create a cute and lightly romantic story. Sometimes the big bad isn't always what you see.
February 11, 2020
Good books are always worth reading and putting money into.
I enjoyed reading this story. I love the relationship between Elijah and Lily.they really are a perfect pair of partnership,growing trust and love.. They have such a strong bond and I'm genuinely enjoying reading the story unfold with such unique bonds built within the dynamics of the group. Bring on new beginnings with the famillia.
I enjoyed reading this story. I love the relationship between Elijah and Lily.they really are a perfect pair of partnership,growing trust and love.. They have such a strong bond and I'm genuinely enjoying reading the story unfold with such unique bonds built within the dynamics of the group. Bring on new beginnings with the famillia.
March 9, 2020
3.5 Stars - Fun Urban Fantasy with some unique characters/takes on the Fae and witches/witch magic. Felt like there's a lot of unusual and creepy dangerous Fae in this particular world and much more to explore, so I wouldn't mind even more of a tour from the author;-) There were definitely some really interesting ideas and great scenes (like the MC's showdown with a cracked out old witch showcasing some super duper powers) but some of those were never followed up on and its hard for o tell if there's more explanations coming or if the author just dropped it (like said cracked out witch, who was she why did she have such crazy powers?)
The relationship between the MC and her romantic interest started out with some good sexual tension (ala enemies to potential lovers) but then it went flat as they were all of a sudden acting like a loving couple who'd been together for a while (with no more sexual tension and definitely no sex) so that was a little awkward. Also would have liked more on the villains motivation, he was a pretty good and creepy powerful villain so felt like more needed to be explained.
That being said I liked the world building and the complex natures of the Fae and Witches in this particular world...and of course the mystery of our MC, Lily's origins and connection to the mysterious shadow realm and strange Goddess. Plus good supporting cast of friends and potential foes. Will definitely read the next one.
FYI- our username on amazon is for the whole household, so the actual reader here is female in her 30s
The relationship between the MC and her romantic interest started out with some good sexual tension (ala enemies to potential lovers) but then it went flat as they were all of a sudden acting like a loving couple who'd been together for a while (with no more sexual tension and definitely no sex) so that was a little awkward. Also would have liked more on the villains motivation, he was a pretty good and creepy powerful villain so felt like more needed to be explained.
That being said I liked the world building and the complex natures of the Fae and Witches in this particular world...and of course the mystery of our MC, Lily's origins and connection to the mysterious shadow realm and strange Goddess. Plus good supporting cast of friends and potential foes. Will definitely read the next one.
FYI- our username on amazon is for the whole household, so the actual reader here is female in her 30s
February 13, 2020
This book had so much potential that I almost dropped it an extra star for failing to live up to it.
I loved the premise and I love supernatual anything and everything so I was prepared to love this book expecially after the opening scene where we are introduced to our kickass heroine, Lily but it was all downhill from there.
After much reflection I think my major issue is that the author spent a lot of time telling us things and not much showing us things. I felt zero chemistry between the hero and heroine and I found it odd that Lily flipped from being so distainful of Elijah (for no reason I could discern) to happily working with him without anything causing a change in their dynamic. I also struggled with the world building since I know it has incorporated many paranormal creatures, places, and things but the author would drop words or concepts without explanation (not that I was looking for a lexicon necessarily because I would have been equally irritated having definitions thrown at me). Without giving much away, I'm baffled by the mermaid scene and the hullabaloo about the heart stone, which is never explained or addressed. A lot of the action seemed non-sensical to me, in fact from the mermaid, to the Narrows crone, to the hydra, to the "constructs", to the Cipactli and even the final battle with the revealed villain and the shadows I could hardly follow what was going on. If the author was trying to convey the confusion of battle then, I got it, but I would prefer to read about action I can envision with motivations that make sense. There was just a lot going on and it ended up jumbled with no rhyme or reason.
I liked the secondary characters but wish they were fleshed out waaay more, they are very two-dimentional and they deserve more, especially since they got so much page time. The author's dialogue is really good, I wish there had been more of it. I enjoyed learning about Lily's secret past as bits and pieces are slowly revealed.
As I look back it seems like I didn't enjoy the book at all with all the things I don't like about it, but that's not really the case at all. I enjoyed it a lot, but it could have been so much better.
All in all it was a diverting read and I enjoyed my time in the world with these characters. I will probably continue to read the rest of the series, but I won't be dropping everything to do so.
I loved the premise and I love supernatual anything and everything so I was prepared to love this book expecially after the opening scene where we are introduced to our kickass heroine, Lily but it was all downhill from there.
After much reflection I think my major issue is that the author spent a lot of time telling us things and not much showing us things. I felt zero chemistry between the hero and heroine and I found it odd that Lily flipped from being so distainful of Elijah (for no reason I could discern) to happily working with him without anything causing a change in their dynamic. I also struggled with the world building since I know it has incorporated many paranormal creatures, places, and things but the author would drop words or concepts without explanation (not that I was looking for a lexicon necessarily because I would have been equally irritated having definitions thrown at me). Without giving much away, I'm baffled by the mermaid scene and the hullabaloo about the heart stone, which is never explained or addressed. A lot of the action seemed non-sensical to me, in fact from the mermaid, to the Narrows crone, to the hydra, to the "constructs", to the Cipactli and even the final battle with the revealed villain and the shadows I could hardly follow what was going on. If the author was trying to convey the confusion of battle then, I got it, but I would prefer to read about action I can envision with motivations that make sense. There was just a lot going on and it ended up jumbled with no rhyme or reason.
I liked the secondary characters but wish they were fleshed out waaay more, they are very two-dimentional and they deserve more, especially since they got so much page time. The author's dialogue is really good, I wish there had been more of it. I enjoyed learning about Lily's secret past as bits and pieces are slowly revealed.
As I look back it seems like I didn't enjoy the book at all with all the things I don't like about it, but that's not really the case at all. I enjoyed it a lot, but it could have been so much better.
All in all it was a diverting read and I enjoyed my time in the world with these characters. I will probably continue to read the rest of the series, but I won't be dropping everything to do so.
May 26, 2020
Nice intro to a new author and action filled book!
This book is more of a paranormal action book than it is a paranormal romance, which is totally fine for me as I read a broad spectrum of books and genres. I really like the main heroine Lilly/Amelia who is a funny, snarky, kick-ass witch! And her familiar Castor is also funny And touching. There is more to both of them than meets the eye, even by the end and the book! The hero Elijah is a sexy and overconfident wolf who owns it and Is able to totally live up to the hype. His pk of misfits as lily calls them off a funny little bloodthirsty group with a variety of skills.I like how they all come together and look forward to seeing how their bond continues to grow. The villains in this book, of which there are Many are an intriguing bunch. I wish they was a bit more information about the main villain in this book and exactly who and What he is and exactly how he became 'involved' with Lily. I am curious as to what the future holds for them especially with the appearance at the end of the book. I look forward to finding out more about the true natures of Lily and Castor and there benefactor!! I truly hope Lily didn't release the shadow nightmares of nightmares into the earth plane.
This book is more of a paranormal action book than it is a paranormal romance, which is totally fine for me as I read a broad spectrum of books and genres. I really like the main heroine Lilly/Amelia who is a funny, snarky, kick-ass witch! And her familiar Castor is also funny And touching. There is more to both of them than meets the eye, even by the end and the book! The hero Elijah is a sexy and overconfident wolf who owns it and Is able to totally live up to the hype. His pk of misfits as lily calls them off a funny little bloodthirsty group with a variety of skills.I like how they all come together and look forward to seeing how their bond continues to grow. The villains in this book, of which there are Many are an intriguing bunch. I wish they was a bit more information about the main villain in this book and exactly who and What he is and exactly how he became 'involved' with Lily. I am curious as to what the future holds for them especially with the appearance at the end of the book. I look forward to finding out more about the true natures of Lily and Castor and there benefactor!! I truly hope Lily didn't release the shadow nightmares of nightmares into the earth plane.
September 10, 2025
(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)
Set in the same universe as her Hidden Magic series, IMHO you do not have to have read that series first.
First time read the author's work?: No
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
Set in the same universe as her Hidden Magic series, IMHO you do not have to have read that series first.
First time read the author's work?: No
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
April 20, 2020
Just found this series. The character development is done quickly; I enjoy that, some might not. I am ok with it because I have the attention span of a nat. If a book does not grab me right away I am done. This has lots of action and interesting characters that are not the MC. The story does not leave me hanging with why she is in hiding. I HATE that. There are suspense with a secret that her familiar has and will not share. Driving me nuts. I absolutely love the fact that the MC is a kick ass take care of herself assassin/recovery agent. So cool. She is equal to her male counter part without being a ball buster. Her love interest does not feel the need to rescue, but is there to back her up. Really love the fact he is confident enough in himself not to take over.
There is a problem with editing and grammar.
Over all really enjoyed it and am reading the second in the series. I recommend it.
There is a problem with editing and grammar.
Over all really enjoyed it and am reading the second in the series. I recommend it.
April 1, 2020
One definitely fast-paced, enjoyable, humor-filled, somewhat romantic, urban fantasy.
This book was an amazing gem. Imagine a young witch, alone in the world except for her sharpshooter familiar, who is tied to a goddess and able to teach her witch how to access other dimensions. The young witch begins working with a small mismatched group of shapeshifters to take on some of her enemies. There are hints of an upcoming while the action unfolds at a breath-taking pace. The bad guys are really bad, the good guys are really good, yet filled with humor, and the monsters are definitely out of someone's nightmares. This book isn't your usual great read. It's much more enjoyable. Jeff
This book was an amazing gem. Imagine a young witch, alone in the world except for her sharpshooter familiar, who is tied to a goddess and able to teach her witch how to access other dimensions. The young witch begins working with a small mismatched group of shapeshifters to take on some of her enemies. There are hints of an upcoming while the action unfolds at a breath-taking pace. The bad guys are really bad, the good guys are really good, yet filled with humor, and the monsters are definitely out of someone's nightmares. This book isn't your usual great read. It's much more enjoyable. Jeff
February 18, 2020
Major plot hole
I just don’t understand this book. It sets the scene that she is hiding out doesn’t have friends or be close to anyone then a chapter later she doesn’t even hesitate and with no insensitive she joins her opposition. Also from the beginning our romantic male is a pig following her and getting his way the whole time she just gives up her independence withouta thought or even a second look at his motives. I really like her other books but this one is not very well put together.
I just don’t understand this book. It sets the scene that she is hiding out doesn’t have friends or be close to anyone then a chapter later she doesn’t even hesitate and with no insensitive she joins her opposition. Also from the beginning our romantic male is a pig following her and getting his way the whole time she just gives up her independence withouta thought or even a second look at his motives. I really like her other books but this one is not very well put together.
May 9, 2020
I enjoyed the first book in the series. There is a bit of world building as it is the first book in the series but not much at all. Lily is a great heroine, independent, snarky and dangerous. She struggles to work with Elijah and his pack as she is used to it just being her and Caster her fox shifter familiar. She is working with Elijah to retrieve several stolen artifacts and dealing with a stalker at the same time. I will read future books in the series. A few grammatical issues primarily word usage (ex. discrete versus discreet) but pretty good overall.
May 19, 2020
Very intriguing
I have got to say that me picking this book came out of nowhere but I am very glad I decided to read it. Every time I had to stop I didn’t want to.
The characters were all fascinating. I wondered about every single one of their pasts and how they came to be. I want the history of the Fall and what happened.
The mysterious stalker was someone I wanted more information on. Why did he become a stalker? Where did he come from? This book keeps my mind engaged and can’t wait to get started in the next one.
I have got to say that me picking this book came out of nowhere but I am very glad I decided to read it. Every time I had to stop I didn’t want to.
The characters were all fascinating. I wondered about every single one of their pasts and how they came to be. I want the history of the Fall and what happened.
The mysterious stalker was someone I wanted more information on. Why did he become a stalker? Where did he come from? This book keeps my mind engaged and can’t wait to get started in the next one.
September 11, 2021
1.5 barely
I already knew going in not to expect anything particularly good and well, guess what, it didn’t disappoint :)
There’s an half baked plot, some totally wrong chemistry between 3 characters (not a ménage, simply one is the same, different relationships), lack of cohesion.
With her past very few personality traits/actions/relationships of her made much sense. And yes, what you read around it is absolutely true, everything is flat as a pancake.
I should probably be more detailed, but honestly it isn’t worth the pain.
I already knew going in not to expect anything particularly good and well, guess what, it didn’t disappoint :)
There’s an half baked plot, some totally wrong chemistry between 3 characters (not a ménage, simply one is the same, different relationships), lack of cohesion.
With her past very few personality traits/actions/relationships of her made much sense. And yes, what you read around it is absolutely true, everything is flat as a pancake.
I should probably be more detailed, but honestly it isn’t worth the pain.
March 24, 2020
Je trouve qu'il y a beaucoup de descriptions inutiles. Certains aiment ça, moi, non. Les personnages sont corrects. Il manque de la passion dans le texte, quelque chose qui fait qu'on a envie de reprendre le livre et qu'on a pas envie d'arrêter.
La fin surtout, je savais que j'avais presque terminé le livre mais ça me semblait juste interminable.
La couverture, elle, est impeccable. Très belle et attirante.
La fin surtout, je savais que j'avais presque terminé le livre mais ça me semblait juste interminable.
La couverture, elle, est impeccable. Très belle et attirante.
August 24, 2020
Cover & blurb don't do it justice - it is a very enjoyable book. Great premise, great characters, interesting world.
A really fun book full of action, a bit of romance, Lily is bad-ass and amazing but still logical and not ridiculously head over heels for the love interest. Elijah is handsome and strong but doesn't pull the whole 'alpha you are under my command and in love with me' rubbish.
Definitely worth a read!!
A really fun book full of action, a bit of romance, Lily is bad-ass and amazing but still logical and not ridiculously head over heels for the love interest. Elijah is handsome and strong but doesn't pull the whole 'alpha you are under my command and in love with me' rubbish.
Definitely worth a read!!
November 10, 2022
A powerful witch is keeping a secret that could get her killed. She takes a new job that seems to cause the walls to close in in her.
This was definitely a good idea, I loved the premise, but I found the actual story very boring. And the relationships just had no feeling to them. I didn't buy into the romances or the friendships. That kinda just killed things overall for me.
This was definitely a good idea, I loved the premise, but I found the actual story very boring. And the relationships just had no feeling to them. I didn't buy into the romances or the friendships. That kinda just killed things overall for me.
March 18, 2020
Excellent
Lily is a witch with a big secret. She has to work with Elijah to find some stolen items, and she has a stalker. I liked this story and all if the characters. I've read ither books in this world and it only gets more interesting.
Lily is a witch with a big secret. She has to work with Elijah to find some stolen items, and she has a stalker. I liked this story and all if the characters. I've read ither books in this world and it only gets more interesting.
December 10, 2023
Hmm niet heel bijzonder. De characters gaan niet heel diep en alles verloopt redelijk soepel of wordt snel opgelost.
Maar wel een prima verhaal voor tussendoor als je verwachtingen niet te hoog zijn. Daarom toch 3 sterren, hoewel ik voor nu niet verder ga met de serie.
Maar wel een prima verhaal voor tussendoor als je verwachtingen niet te hoog zijn. Daarom toch 3 sterren, hoewel ik voor nu niet verder ga met de serie.
September 12, 2025
Everything was surface level, there was just no substance to story, characters, world or even the scenes. There was this lack of any imagination or life to the scenes that felt like they were just collection of words and pachwork of generic scenes of what urban fantasy is ' must be' .
February 10, 2020
Great read
This story is full of action, magic, mystery and fun shifters - it's a really good paranormal read. Thoroughly recommended.
This story is full of action, magic, mystery and fun shifters - it's a really good paranormal read. Thoroughly recommended.
April 8, 2020
New favorite suthor
I loved the action and dialogue between characters and cant wait to find out what happens next. I am reading book 2 now.
I loved the action and dialogue between characters and cant wait to find out what happens next. I am reading book 2 now.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews