Finding Fae Artifacts

Magical Artifacts Institute #1

by Isa Medina

Tricky Fae magic. Bloodthirsty creatures. One scrappy Artifact Hunter to-be.

Joining the Magical Artifacts Institute as an artifact hunter has always been my dream job. Problem is, they keep rejecting my applications. So when I find a dangerous Fae artifact stashed in my temp job’s basement, I know I’m about to prove them wrong.

Unfortunately, the arrogant stranger who interrupts my find doesn’t agree with my good fortune. Aidan belongs to the Institute and insists on following procedure and confiscating my artifact. He’s welcome to try, but there’s one small problem.

Oops, make that two: he’s triggered a binding spell that won’t allow more than a few feet between us, and someone has unleashed a nightmarish Fae hound that’s trying to turn us into lunch.

Now I must break the bond, escape the hound, convince Aidan that I’d be the best Institute worker ever, and figure out who’s willing to kill to get to my artifact. Sounds hard? That’s okay—I might be only one-sixteenth Fae, but I’ve got plenty of tricks up my sleeve.

Finding Fae Artifacts is the first book in the Magical Artifacts Institute series—a fun, fast-paced Urban Fantasy series featuring tricky magic, plenty of adventure, and an opposites attract slow burn romance.
Perfect for fans of Annette Marie, Linsey Hall, Helen Harper, K.M. Shea, and W.R. Gingell.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Fae, Paranormal, Magic, Romance, Paranormal Romance

96 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 21, 2020

About the author

Isa Medina loves writing and reading Urban Fantasy books, playing MMORPGs, and scouring the Internet for pet pictures and beautiful art.

As a child, she was first introduced to the world of Fantasy through Dragonlance and she has never looked back. She also has a soft spot for Gothics and treasures all her old Victorian Holt paperbacks. If it has Fae, ghosts, vampires, demons, mythical creatures, or magic in it, she's all in.

Reviews

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a fun read. It has everything I like about urban fantasy: a sassy main character who is actually funny, fae, and some magic. The author has an incredible voice, and it makes this novella shine. This is the perfect quick read for a rainy afternoon.

[Jamedi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review originally on JamReads

Finding Fae Artifacts is the first novella in the urban fantasy series Magical Artifacts Institute, written by Isa Medina. A book that introduces us to Maddie, a person with Fae blood, whose dream is joining the Magical Artifacts Institute, and becoming an artifact hunter; her petitions of joining have been all dismissed by Mr. Graves, aka Jerk.

She's convinced that becoming an artifact hunter is her exit from working on temporal jobs; and during one of those, she ends finding a fae artifact in the basement. However, soon somebody from the Institute appears, Aidan, trying to convince her of giving willingly the artifact; she's not going to do it without fighting. But this will become the lesser of her problems when the basement spawns a hellhound and they will be forced to fight for their lives.

Personally, I found this novella to be a good introduction to the world, but it suffers a bit from the pacing expected for the genre; urban fantasy is extremely fast, and I felt we could have gone easier in our first approach to the Fae world.

Maddie as a character is quite good, Medina giving her a strong voice that becomes quite characteristic, apt for the narration; on the other hand, Aidan didn't click at all with me, missing a bit of characterisation.

Overall, if you like urban fantasy, I think giving a try to Finding Fae Artifacts is fair. It's well written and a fun story, just probably not my cup of tea.

Disclaimer: This novella has been read as part of the SFINCS. This review/rating only represents my personal opinion and it might differ with what the team decides.

[♥Milica♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maddie is part fae and knows exactly which job she wants - after all, she's wanted it all her life - and the only thing standing in her way is Mr. Graves aka the Jerk who rejected her application seven times.

Maddie's convinced her time will come and is working temporary jobs meanwhile. During one such job, she gets sent down to the creepy basement to retrieve files that aren't digitalised yet, but, being the curious cat she is, she ends up finding a fae artifact instead.

She doesn't even have time to enjoy it because Aidan, someone who works for the Institute, shows up and demands she give him the artefact. But Maddie isn't going down without a fight, or in this case a job.

Soon she'll discover that Aidan is the least of her troubles. The properly named helliish basement spawns a hellhound (a fae hound) and the duo barely escapes with their lives. And so begins the incredibly funny journey to figuring out what the artefact is and who deserves to have it.

This book is cute. This book is funny. I love it.

Maddie is so likable and so "random" (former emo/scene kids will know what I mean). She doesn't exactly act her age but I don't mind, she's a (partial) fairy, they tend to be childish.

Aidan is such a sour wolf, just without the wolf part. But he'll come around.

The villain was unexpected, I don't remember there being any hints, but it's possible I just didn't notice if there were.

It wasn't a long book, but it was enough. Of course I want the next book, but I can wait, the ending didn't end in a huge cliffhanger.

*Thank you to BookSirens for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Maddie is waiting for her dream job as an artifact retriever at the Institute (they've rejected her application SEVEN times!) she works at a temp agency. When she's sent to the basement by her current employer she can't believe her luck when she finds a rare fae artifact. But Maddie's luck soon turns perilous...

Sometimes Maddie acts a bit childish for my taste, but otherwise I really like this book. It's exciting, action-packed, and full of fae magic! Maddie and Aiden isn't very fond of each other to begin with, but there's a certain chemistry between them, and I'm sure it will develop into something more in books to come. It's a fast and easy read, and I'm looking forward to more adventures for Maddie!

* I was offered an ARC through BookSirens and I'm giving my honest review. *

[Trudie Skies · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never really liked the term “guilty pleasure” because it not only implies I’m reading the wrong books but also that I should feel guilty about it for some reason. Whilst I do enjoy reading gritty fantasy, I prefer stories of hope and happy endings because sometimes I want to read fluffy and lighter stories, dammit! Yes, getting my heart ripped out by a book is fun, but so is snuggling up on the sofa with a cosy lighthearted read that makes me smile for having experienced it, and that is Finding Fae Artifacts for me.

Finding Fae Artifacts is a novella which avoids the usual gritty Urban Fantasy tropes (as evidenced by the lack of leather jackets!) and captures a longing for adventure in a world filled with magical fae objects. Maddie is a young woman who is stuck in a dead end job and desperate to score her dream job working for the Magical Artifacts Institute. Despite the many applications, she keeps being rejected. We’ve all been there. But rather than give up, our plucky heroine takes matters into her own hands and attempts to earn a place within the Institute after accidentally stumbling upon a magical fae object which causes all kinds of chaos.

There’s nothing quite like proving yourself perfect for a job than being chased by fae hounds and shadowy figures intent on stealing your precious artifact, is there?

As a novella, Finding Fae Artifacts is a short and sweet story. I would have liked to spend more time learning more about how the fae influence Maddie’s world as well as the politics surrounding the Institute. Luckily, there are more novellas on the way that may expand on this!

I loved the growing relationship and playful banter between Maddie and Aidan, a member of the Institute who is trying to protect the world from magical fae artifacts but accidentally gets stuck dealing with Maddie instead. This story kicks off a slow burn romance which promises to grow in the sequels, and I enjoyed the contrast of Maddie’s optimism to Aidan’s more grumpy realism.

If you’re looking for a quick, light read, then Finding Fae Artifacts is a cute story full of adventure and fun.

[Michelle Levigne · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a romp. Great fun. Could identify so closely with the frustrated heroine who keeps getting stymied by bureaucracy -- bureaucrazy?
Instead of being sensible, she takes risks to get what she wants. She has talent -- she should use it!
Should have known that the jerk who kept saying no to her is the very guy she gets thrown together with in this first episode in the series.
I have them all. Good reading, fast reading, perfect for going to sleep with a grin on my face.
Can't wait to read the rest!

[Kate Swed · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, voicey, fast-paced urban fantasy, and set in a world with an intriguing setup. Absolutely loved the banter between Maddie and Aidan, too. I can't wait to read the next one.

[Bookgyrl · Rating 4 out of 5]

EDIT DEC: just received author's newsletter and book 1 will be out soon, with book 2 already written. So yay!

I normally do not like really short books, but this is the prequel of a series and I enjoyed it.

When I looked at the author's website I read the next (or first) book will be published winter 2021. As it is November 2020 I was a bit taken aback by that. It is nice to have a prequel, but it could have been inserted in the first book of the series as there is no real ending to this story.
A year is too long in my view.

[Briana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recieved an eARC from the author.

I highly enjoyed this story and am eager to see where it goes from here. The dynamic between Maddie and Aidan was well done and I am also interested to see how their relationship progresses. Finding Fae Artifacts was fast paced and kept me reading from start to finish.
Overall 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I am looking forward to book two.

[Anya Smits · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maddie had applied for her dream-job so many times she can't count them. And always is rejected. So she's a temp now. She is part-fae and this could be helpful in retrieving magical objects. One day she has to go to the basement to get a file, and she finds a strange object instead. And a whole lot of magical dangers.

During this adventure she meets Aiden. The same one that's had been turning her down for her dream-job. Together they manage to retrieve the artifact and steer clear of all the dangerous fae magic thrown at them.

I did like the story, and I liked the rich world in the story told.

I did not like the constant asking for the dream-job. It made Maddie and Aiden somewhat unbelievable. How can you be a heroin and at the same time be a spoiled brat?

Apart from this job-thing I liked the book.

I received an ACR from the writer and offer my opinion freely.

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I stopped halfway through. Mild language, taking the Lord's name in vain repeatedly, and innuendo.

[Nils Ödlund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Fae Artifacts is pretty much the definition of a novella as I understand it. There's one main character, and they're dealing with one main problem. There's also one supporting character, but that's about it. It's not a complicated story. It's not showing off and it's not trying to be clever. It doesn't take itself too seriously.

What it does is take you on an adventure. It's a short adventure, but it's fun, fast-paced, and full of action. Most importantly, since it's not trying to fit too many events or viewpoints into the shorter format, the main character has room to grow and live.

The main character, Maddie, is a temp worker at an accounting firm, but she dreams of becoming an agent of the Magical Artifacts Retrieval and Research Institute. When she finds a mysterious fae object in a filing cabinet in her office's basement, she names it the Orb of Jobopportunity and decides it's her ticket to the job she's always wanted.

However, an actual Institute agent, Aidan, appears on the scene, and he's got no use for Maddie whatsoever. Only, Aidan, triggers a ward that means he and Maddie can't be more than a few feet apart. Further complications ensue when there's someone else who wants the artifact – someone who's not afraid to kill to get their hands on it.

Finding Fae Artifacts is a fun little adventure. Perhaps the big event at the end could have been a little more dramatic relative to the rest of the story, but that's not going to keep me from checking out the next part real soon.

I read this book as part of the Speculative Fiction Indie Novella Championship where I’m part of Team Jamreads. This review contains my own thoughts and may not reflect the opinion or final rating of the team.

[Kreela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maddie thinks outside the box. Her insights absolutely madden her employers, especially when she is correct. Finally realizing her life’s dream to become a collector of artifacts, she arrives at the Institute to find the paperwork has not been completed…thus, her employment is at stake. Does this stop her? Heck, no. It is a new opportunity, even if she has to rescue the director of the Institute (Aiden), visit the upsided-down Fae realm, and find an artifact that the Fae themselves are battling over.

Maddie and Aiden’s interaction make me think of a smart Beavis and Butthead show. But Lord V., the aloof Fae she surprises, also makes me want to see more. His beautiful, alien look of boredom is exactly how I imagine powerful, long-lived Fae to be: desperate to keep things fresh and exciting. What is more exciting than a girl who absolutely refuses to act how one would expect? She does the opposite, and it ultimately demonstrates her intuitive cleverness. I want more. Maddie acts more Fae than Aiden, which is amusing.

Lord V. Is not the only interesting side character. The sorceror Sullivan who backstabbed Aiden and Maddie is in Lord V.’s house as a prisoner…sort of. A mass of goo on the ceiling when Maddie arrives, he seems tamed, but oh, no! She still finds a way to tweak the sorceror’s buttons.

And, to be honest, Maddie’s ability to attract huge eyeballs is endearing. I cannot wait to find out what kind of creature is represented by the second eyeball.

• Suitable for young adults (Rating G-PG)

[Slee · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do you do when you get the seventh rejection from your dream job?
What? You haven't applied for your dream job seven times?
Well Maddie has a temp job, and right now it isn't the best one ever. Think "working for people who seem to enjoy taking advantage of her" less than stellar. And Maddie has a very specific dream job, so like any young woman with a story worth following, she keeps applying. And getting rejected.
I love her tenacity.
Finding Fae Artifacts is an energetic meet-cute. Wait, did I say meet-cute? I think I did. It has all the makings of a very slow burn romance on the back burner and I refuse to believe otherwise. But very slow burn. Like, not so much trying to light paper on fire with a magnifying glass in the summer, but with your glasses in January.
But the warmth, I felt warmth, darn it!
I was happy to get an ARC of this book to review. It isn't exactly my usual cuppa. Sure, it's got magic and danger, but none of that smutty goodness I've lately been reading a lot of.
With main characters firmly into adulthood, one finds that less and less often, and it was kind of refreshing. I know that there are a lot of people who find it hard to pick up fantasy these days, outside YA, because their eyes are going to blush too hard and then people will think they have pink eye.
So this is a great fun and witty story that picks up the ball and doesn't stop running with it. All the innuendo is strictly innuendo, and actually funny at that.
It's a fun read.

[A Story Explorer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always had a soft spot for artifact hunting and adventure so this book premise called to me and I wasn't disappointed.

Maddie is optimistic and tenacious. I love that about her. She has a strong will and drive for the things she wants and I admire her for that and is a main character I can root for. She has a lot of sass and I found myself chuckling during her witty remarks with Aidan which I appreciated.

I like Aidan but I don't think we get enough time exploring his layers yet. He's the typical dark, broody male lead. I'm sure he has more depth but we don't get to see that much in my opinion. I wanted to see more of him.

The story is fast paced which is always my preferred reading style. I found the writing and story entertaining and enjoyable. So much so that I unintentionally read this first book in one sitting. That is the one downside of this book. I think it read more like an episode instead of full length book.

I wanted to explore more of the world of the fae and magic but we only get glimpses. I'm sure we'll get that more in the future books but I wanted more world building.

I appreciated the ending but I am left with questions that I want answered. However, I am satisfied with the small cliffhanger to want to read more.

4 out of 5 rating for me!

(An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any other way.)

[Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I completely change my mind on a series, so want to change my scoring down a lot. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)

I read the five books in the series, back to back.

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. :-)

[PumpkinPi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Fae Artifacts was a fun romp, a perfect quick read for an evening. While I don't usually read novellas/books this short, it didn't feel too short or incomplete; it did leave me looking forward to the next, though!

Maddie is such a cheerful, quirky, tenacious young woman; she's working a string of temp jobs while continuing to apply for her dream job of recovering and researching fae artifacts. Part-fae herself, Maddie knows just enough to get herself into (and sometimes out of) various magical scrapes. Her attitude confounds and exasperates Aiden, artifact hunter who turns out to be the director who's repeatedly rejected her applications. (Definitely sign up for Medina's mailing list once you finish the book, to get a freebie from Aiden's POV!)

Together they get caught up in a trap laid for someone else, hunted by a fae hound, entangled in a mess of an illegal fae artifact deal... and possibly move Maddie a little bit closer to than dream job; we'll see.

A basically clean read; there were a couple of instances of more overt innuendo than I was expecting.

[Marian Freitag · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this book. It was easy and fun to read. You get a combination of serious and funny situations and you never know when they will occur.
The characters interact well.
Maddie is an everyday person who wants to work at a job that she feels is a perfect fit for her, unfortunately no one else thinks the same. She will go to any lenghts to prove that she is worthy of this said job.
While working at as she see a layover job she gets involved in a situation that eventually leads her to the one man who can make her dreams come true. Unfortuately he does not feel the same, he sees her as an pain in the ..... and wants nothing to do with her.
The story about how she changes his mind and what they go thru to get there is a good mystery and full of funny and serious happenstances.
If you love a good mystery, funny and snarky characters that leave you wanting to see what they do next, you will love this book.
I recommend this book and story.
What trouble will Maddie get into next especially now she has a very interesting friend.

[Kim McDougall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really fun book. A quick read full of action. Maddie has a dream. She wants to be a fae artifact hunter and work for the Magical Artifacts Institute. But the director of the institute has other ideas about her qualifications for such a job. Undaunted, Maddie will keep trying until she wins the only job she really wants. In the mean time, she gets caught up in intrigue when she intercepts an artifact of great power.

Maddie is spunky and resourceful and very likable. I worried a bit, when the danger heated up and she seemed to shrink from it. I like my heroines strong and kicking butt. Fortunately, it was only a small moment of indecision before Maddie stepped up to show her true mettle. I think this bodes well for her a great story arc of her character growth in upcoming books. And there were hellhounds involved. Who doesn’t love hellhounds?

The plot is a complete story with a good hook for book 2 at the end. I’ll definitely be checking that out. I recommend this book to readers who like a bit of snark, unique fae, and lots of action.
I read it on Kindle Unlimited.

[Susan1566 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, short (96 pages) story that introduces Maddie. She is part fae (1/16th) who has always wanted to be an artifact hunter for the Magical Artifacts Institute. Unfortunately, all of her applications have been rejected. But she keeps applying and, in the meantime, works as a temp.
In her current position, she has been sent to the basement archives to retrieve a file, instead she finds a fae artifact. Before she can do anything, she is met by Aidan, an employee of the institute, who demands the artifact she found. Maddie refuses unless he can get her a job.
While they are discussing the options a fae hound attracts them. This There is much more going on but without giving anything away, this is all I can say.
This book has action, humour, a bit of mystery, surprises and interesting characters.
I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to book 2.

[Vanisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice short story that delved straight into fast paced action. I really enjoyed Maddie's tenacity in persevering for the job that she wants and not giving up even when the odds seem against her. She is a relatable character with genuine reactions and feelings. I think there is more to Aidan than revealed in this first story so would be nice to see how his character develops.

The story takes place in an interesting setting and shows how a simple location can be used for all kinds of action to take place. Vivid and clear description made it a fun read. Really excited to read what happens next. I would have liked the story to have been just a little longer and revealed more insight to Aidan.

Thank you booksirens for giving me an advance review copy.

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy, light, quick read. Good if you want something entertaining but don’t want to be too invested.

I read in another review that said Maddie is naive and I have to agree, but I’d also say it borders on immature. There are literal situations where her and Aiden could die and instead of doing the smart thing and using what she has to get them out of the situation, she holds out till the last second to try to get her way. I understand she has a dream, but she had several moments where it was clear why she frankly wasn’t mature enough to have that job. I wish she had been less immature so I could root for her more. I tried starting the second one and I already am turned off by her behavior. I don’t think I’ll continue the series.

[Tiffany L Poynter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a temp sucks. But what else do you do while waiting for your dream job to finally accept you after seven tries? Being part Fae Maggie knows exactly what she wants and goes for it but not in a way you would think. I really enjoyed the fast pace of this story and the twist. Bad guy was never really hinted at and I never would have expected the story to go the way it did. I’m looking forward to reading more of this story and finding out if Maggie finally gets her dream job and also to see what becomes of the Jerk who might someday become her boss.

I received this book from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.

[Narelle Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read - Maddie was a very likeable hero of this story. Part fae and determined to be part of the Magical Artifacts Institute to be an artifact hunter she finds any way to be part of the action including exploiting her discovery of a mysterious fae artifact in the basement of a building where she is temping. Love the interaction with a potential love interest down the road - sparks did fly. I even got frustrated for Maddie when people seemed to betray her or not have her back but she is a very resilient character. I look forward to seeing where Isa Medina takes this in the next book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[N · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maddie has been applying for her dream job since she was 20, she has been rejected 7 times.

Honestly, I am not surprised in the slightest.
At no point do we hear of any qualifications she's earned towards this goal, any training she might have done. She drags her feet at her temp jobs, seems more interested in cherry picking things she wants to do and is all round rather... immature.

Aka someone who has no business being around dangerous fae artifacts.

I hope she grows in the book, gets the experience and becomes more mature. However I have negative interest in watching this journey.

[Lori Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received as a review copy, this is an honest review. Maddy, a part- fae, has the deep desire to be a magical artifacts retriever unit... unfortunately she has been rejected several times. Not giving up, Maddy takes temporary jobs in hopes that at some poi.t she'll get the dream job; now she just has to survive the basement of the office she works at. It's retrieving a boring file for her boss that Maddy discovers a mysterious fae object; and finding that her 'dream' hob has many inherent dangers she didn't count on. Highly recommended.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Maddie is innocent and exuberant in her passion for all things fae. Her dream job is to be an artifact hunter at the institute and every job she’s had has been to learn more about the fae to land her dream job. When she is sent to the scary, magical basement to search for a file, and instead finds a door propped open by a dead body and a beautiful fae artifact hidden in a cabinet next to him, she thinks it’s the perfect in. Until HE shows up and throws a wrench in her plan, or is he her salvation? Can’t wait to read the sequel!!

[Jocelyn Felton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book Finding Fae Artifacts (Magical Artifacts Institute, #1)
by Isa Medina in exchange for an honest review! First off this is a short book but it is packed with suspense! Good story about Maddie who wants to join the Magical Artifacts Institute and has applied seven times with no luck. She is "late" to work for her temporary job and is sent to retrieve some documents from the creepy basement and the rest is the amazing story that unfolds! I am looking forward to the next book! Enjoy!!!

[Graylark]

DNF after chapter 1.

The narrative, told from the heroine's POV, is told in such an annoying bouncy jolly fashion, with the heroine not being very bright and continually obsessing about a job at the institute. She finds an artifact and immediately latches on to it as her golden ticket to the job she aspires to, being pretty much Gollum. At one point she risks their lives to try to negotiate for keeping her precioussss so that she can use it to trade for the job nobody wants to hire her for.

She's just really stupid and annoying, and I could not read on.

[Tracy Pitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book right away.

I really enjoyed the adventure of the main characters and what lengths they had to go to, I also like that there is a price to pay for using elvish artifacts that they used.

My only one thing that bugged me was the main character and her whining about the jerk and the job, it just went on a bit to long when it was plainly obvious who it was. I can't wait for book 2, I just hope its longer than this one.