Twisted Magic

Twisted Magic #1

by Rainy Kaye

Safiya Morgan deals in all things supernatural--or so she thought. When a new client complains of unrelenting nightmares, she finds herself face-to-face with a demon unlike anything she has met before. It's immense, and its power only seems to be growing.Then, her best friend is kidnapped. In attempt to find her, Safiya begrudgingly teams up with her estranged sister's ex-boyfriend and her new client to dig deeper into the supernatural world she thought she knew. As if that wasn't bad enough, doing so puts her on the wrong side of a wicked order and a man whose motives aren't quite clear. As the town descends into chaos, Safiya is forced to confront the demon head-on. Unfortunately, her own magic has never been all that dependable.

222 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 13, 2021

About the author

Rainy Kaye is an aspiring overlord. In the mean time, she blogs at RainyoftheDark and writes paranormal novels from her lair somewhere in Phoenix, Arizona.

She is represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA. Someone told her she's a USA Today Bestselling author. She thought there would be cake.

Reviews

[Scarolet Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twisted Magic by Rainy Kaye is an amazing story that I have loved reading. This is book number one in this amazing series that I am so hooked on and can not wait to finish this series. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about urban fantasy.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[E.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Recommendation: Super High
(I received this book Free via Booksprout in exchange for my honest review)

I have to say, going into this book, I didn’t think I would like it as much as I did. Only because going in, I had this pre-assumption that it would be like a lot of urban paranormal fantasies that I’ve read throughout the years. And at first, it did start like that, and I was a little frustrated at some of our MC's obviously non-common sense decisions.

But as I read on, I realize that this wasn’t going to be like all those other books I’ve read in the past. Sure, it follows some similar tropes and clichés; at this point, I think they’re just staples in these types of books you can’t get away from them. But what this author did was take those staple pieces and turned them into something new.

Our MC is naive about the paranormal world and her magic. What sets her apart is that she recognizes this fault and realizes she’s in way above her head. At one point was convinced that this was going to be your typical -MC get sudden fighting knowledge and a crazy power up-ending. It was, however, not like that at all. That ending is what sold the rest of the series for me.

Though it wasn’t your typical ending, I liked how the ending came to be. Our MC used the skills and knowledge she gained over the years from her magic and put them into practical use. Basically, she tapped into some hidden tactical skills, used critical thinking and came up with an awesome solution to assist in overpowering the evil.

Honestly, as I have said, that whole ending 100% sold the series for me, and I am itching to start the next book. There was no Insta love, and nothing was impeding the plot. The world-building could’ve used a bit more work; there could’ve been some more background on her sister and their circumstances, but I believe those things will be brought up in the books to come. I have this odd feeling about her sister, and I hope my suspicion isn’t right.

Overall this was a fantastic book that took me by surprise. I’m glad that I continue reading on and put my personal bias aside. I’m happy to have found a series that ignited that long-forgotten spark that I had for urban paranormal fantasy.

I am super excited for the rest of the series, so please take my super high recommendation and my sample approval that you will love this book. Go in it without any preconceptions and just read it as if you’ve never read anything about the paranormal in your life.

Happy Reading

-E.A. Walsh

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Safiya is a witch but not the best in her field. She still tries her best to help. Enjoyable and quick reading to help your day along.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

There wasn't enough backstory, explanation or details provided for me to really enjoy Twisted Magic. At about 50% we get a couple of lines which cleared up a few of my questions. The author may be planning to add more in the 6 other books which I believe are expected to complete this series, but more basic information is need here to set the world and characters.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ari Ovalle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit thrilling, dangerous, and full of magic, this story is definitely a page turner!! That ending, wowzas!! The next is book is already out and I'm totally ready for it!! Great world building, characters are on point and it's pretty damn awesome!!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cath · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book one of the Twisted Magic series and the main character is Saf (Safiya) Morgan, who shares her weak magic with her twin sister, who has left town looking for adventure. She has set herself up in business as a life coach and helps people get over issues in their life. Sometimes these issues have supernatural natures and she manages to deal with simple cases such as fairy problems. Her magic isn’t dependable, as it is shared with her twin sister and can only be used by one of them at a time. One of her newest clients, Arlo, insists on only speaking to her online and has been having issues sleeping, being haunted by horrible nightmares. Saf tries to find evidence of a fairy messing with him and when she breaks in to look for evidence of the problem, she soon finds out that it is not a fairy and while it might look like a blue blur of a ghost, it is really a demon and she is well out of her league! She ends up being kidnapped and questioned by a cowboy figure, who was also watching Arlo and his house. She gets dumped in the middle of nowhere after he realises she knows nothing he wants, only to catch a ride with a weirdo, who has warnings of doom and gloom coming to town!
She is so shocked with happenings at her home that she resorts to turning up at her friend Randall’s home, her sister’s ex-boyfriend. When her other best friend Fiona doesn’t reply to messages, she realises someone has taken her and she is desperate to find her. The more they do trying to solve Arlo’s issue and finding Fiona, the more trouble they get into. She thinks the cowboy guy has taken Fiona and finds a possible link to him and a warehouse type club, but in fact gets them into danger with an order who are out to continue the chaos. The only one that can put a stop to the strange happenings and destruction in town, is the strange poncho wearing cowboy! She is severely overpowered by these other magical types and certainly has no chance of stopping the demon on her own. She has had no training in her weak witch powers and not having access to them all the time makes matters even worse and extremely dangerous. Saf has a lot to learn and to figure out about her magic, if she is ever going to be able to stand up to these other paranormals. She has no training in using magic and what she has is lacklustre at best. So much more to come for this life coach, with a supernatural twist. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Beverly Laude · Rating 4 out of 5]

Safiya Morgan is a witch, but not a very good one. She can only summon up heat to warm a cold cup of coffee and blue sprinkles to light a path. And, she has to share this minimal talent with her twin sister, Jada. So, if Jada is using the magic, Safiya can't. Safiya is working as a life coach, trying to help people with their problems. But, the clients she has are only bringing her boring cases. She wants to have someone bring her something to liven things up. But, as the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for!

Her latest client, Arlo Miller, is suffering from horrible nightmares. Safiya thinks that his troubles are being caused by a fairy, so she decides to visit Arlo's house and see if she can solve his problem. Little does she know that Arlo is being haunted by a demonic witch who is out to rule the world!

I enjoyed this book a lot and it was a very quick and entertaining read. The author has created a book with great characters, plenty of humor, lots of magical action, and some creepy villains. Safiya and her friends, Randall and Fiona, become involved in a world that they never imagined existed. Although she is in over her head, she is determined to take down the demon causing havoc in her town. "That demon had ruined my damn life, and now I was being treated like I was insignificant." And, the author gave me this awesome curse: "you frickin' snollygoster". You have to love a book with a line like that!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nickole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rvcd an advanced reader copy from Hidden Gems for giving my two cents. We meet witch and help coach Safiya who isn't the best witch on most days since her sister takes most of it and tried to steal it as kids. A longing for her sister still stands after she took off years ago leaving her and the ex heartbroken. Safiya is helping a new client Arlo with his nightmares and thinks it's a fairy. She "sneaks" into his house one night to rid the fairy only to be confronted with a blue apparition...what is going on. Saf thinks it's a family member of Arlo..time will tell. With the help of Randall, her friend and sis ex, they hunker down to speak to the dead grandma of Arlo for answers. Another round of sneaking into Arlo's house while away, she is again confronted by the ghostly woman who is powerful enough to throw her down the stairs. Plus when she returns home her windows are smashed open and she is then kidnapped buy a dude in a poncho...could this get any weirder for Safiya? There is forces at work that she is having a hard time believing and explaining. Will Safiya be able to help Arlo or will it be the end of her?

[Douglas Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our heroine has magic, but it is not terribly reliable. Still, she makes do with what she has until her latest client brings her a challenge that is way above her pay grade. Now she really wishes she had a better grasp of this whole magical world she lives in.

This is book one of the series, so a perfect place to start.

This is an urban fantasy story. The story is well written and easy to read with a fascinating setting that I want to see more of. A lot more. There is also a nice cast of characters which are nicely detailed with unique personalities. Of course, like the setting, I want to know more about them as well, but there is only so much that can be packed in one book. Because, of course, we have to spend some time on the plot which is full of action, mystery, and intrigue that had me glued to the page trying to figure out who our heroine was going to get out of the current situation and what was going to happen next. I really enjoyed this introduction to our heroine and her world and I look forward to seeing what comes next.

Highly recommended

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes

[Sharon Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was blown away by this book, nothing like I was expecting.

It started out with a life coach who sometimes used the little magic she had to help clients whos troubles came from non normal problems such as fairies who caused nightmares or other forms of havoc.

Then while trying to help a new client, Safyia gets more than she bargained for and it leads to her getting kidnapped, attacked and learning that her and her sister are not the only ones with magic.

As the book progresses, the situation gets worse and worse and takes lots of twists and turns I didnt expect but was totally hooked, couldnt put this book down. There is so much I could say but as they were all surprises for me I want them to be surprises for you too.

I highly recommend this book, its a great first book in a seven book series at the moment and I will be buying book 2 straight away. I will also look at other books by this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Anastasiia Nesterenko · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all - the book is not written badly. Quite nicely in fact. The characters are not cardboard, the setting well made. You can relate to the MC too, especially as she becomes increasingly lost in the situation. But:
- Some things are rather repetitive. Yes, we understood your issue with magic. No need to repeat it again and again.
- The same about her interpersonal relationships.
- The description of the MC magic is overly vague.
- Her occupation elicits multiple questions for me.
When you think back on what you read - you really feel strange.
Also, after a while even original elements in the book start to feel generic.
I suppose that I have read a whole lot of paranormal romances and YA, and actually I would have welcomed more predictable plot than this because the book actually failed to really engage me, while - I repeat - it was not badly written.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jada · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full to the brim with all sorts of magic, action, a lot of danger and so many great characters. But best of all? Safiya. In most similar books, there is usually the following one can expect of the MC: headstrong/stubborn, recklessness, a tendency to jump in feet first, and acting before thinking. Safiya was not that. She was the holy grail of FMC's that I've been looking for all my life. She took time to THINK. When confronted with incomplete or a lack of information, Safiya didn't run in blind and hope everything worked out okay. That is so very rare and is rather refreshing. While there was some familiarity with a few of the themes, the MC is completely original and I enjoyed the book all the more for it. I definitely want to read the next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ezara · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC copy received in exchange for a review. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout.

The characters portrayed in this book are very in depth. The minimal back story on the MC gives just enough to understand he motives, but leaves enough holes that you want more and can see it coming in future books. The other characters could use a little more info, but I expect more to be filled in.

As for the story line, I enjoyed it but felt like it needed more. I had so many questions. Without spoilers it is hard to describe. But WHY? I expect this to also be answered but I wish there had been a little more understanding of the whys.

Overall a great start. I'll pick up the next book in the series for sure.

[Jayne Southern · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never giving up can lead to devilish consequences.
Safi, a vulnerable life coach, shares her witchery abilities with her estranged twin sister. The snag is that only one sister at a time can use these skills, which at times is a mite inconvenient.
As one who never gives up, Safi is hell bent on on resolving a client's disturbed sleep issues. Believing the culprits are troublesome fairies tormenting his dreams, Safi encounters an entity far more malevolent and definitely bent on hell.
Rainy Kaye delivers a quirky, accident-prone heroine with enviably loyal friends and a tale to keep you guessing. But will Safi banish her adversary back to her sealed grave? And what of the other six seals out there?
I enjoyed this read courtesy of an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jacqueline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just couldn't get into this book, the first half really dragged for me and I kept setting it down. Safiya is a low level witch who shares her abilities with her twin, who disappeared years ago. She relies on two friends (a lot) to get by and to also get her out of trouble. She is a life coach who discretely helps people with small PN problems. She is hired by Arlo because he is having nightmares and they are affecting his ability to function. Safiya puts herself into bad situations through dumb decisions. Once you get to about the half way point, the action picks up and helped get me to the finish line.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

May contain some spoilers! This book started slow with way too much detail into how she gains enters Arlo's home, but when it picked up it was a race to the end. Non stop action and shockers. It makes you love the character's you should and hate the right one's too. It leaves you with plenty of questions you'll be demanding answers to. The characters struggle with choices and consequences that are easy to identify with. It's well written and the action scenes move quickly, but give you the perfect details to visualize them.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tohru · Rating 3 out of 5]

Safiya Morgan is trying to have a simple life, just using the little magic for good. However, life throws her into a bad situation when she is hired to help a man with his nightmares. This literally turns into a nightmare with people dying, kidnapped, things blowing up and friends disappearing. At first, I had a hard time getting into this book. I felt like there were a lot of backstories that I was missing. However, this slowly comes to light, and everything starts to come together. This is definitely a “to be continued” novel. I await the next one!

[Msadventure · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I was given a free ARC in exchange for my review

When Safiya finds a client of her life coaching business is unable to sleep and has started :"seeing things", she thinks he might just be haunted. That's great for her, a witch,, as she can get rid of his problem and get a good review for her business as well as helping him get control of his life back. But as she and her best friend, Fiona, and her twin sister's ex-boyfriend Randall, discover, it's not going to be that easy. After all, they didn't count on having to do a little breaking and entering, drinking with magicians, saving their town from a witch who enjoys torturing everyone she meets, and Fiona being kidnapped.

This story had engaging characters who acted like real people and a great story line. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like that it actually offers a conclusion while at the same time setting up, with a mild cliffhanger, the next six or more books in the series. Though I wish Saf had grown a bit more but considering this entire book takes place in under two weeks..... it makes sense she's not had the time to grow. Hopefully we'll see more as we go on.

There's a need to resolve the whole thing with Jada, and tie up several other loose threads.

[Christina Luberts · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book did do good on describing the scenes. I just felt like there really was no story. No idea what the twisted Magic was, unless it was sharing magic with her sister. The story seemed more about what could go wrong went wrong plus more. The main character Safiya was nothing but clumsiness, no confidence and did everything harder then needs be.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cassi Sanchez-Manning · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loves this book! The characters are so relatable and lovable! This series follows Safina, a witch with powers she must share with her twin sister. Safina wants to prove herself and there is humor, action, and a bit of romance. I look forward to the next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jennifer Layne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. Demons, Supernatural problems, a Wicked Order, a kidnapping and those with unclear motives ... Is Saf's magic up to the task?

This book is well written with great world building.

I received this as an Advance Reader Copy with the hopes I would like it and review it.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twisted Magic

This was an interesting start to the Twisted Magic series, it has good characters and plenty of action throughout.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story of a half baked witch doing what she can to help others. While sharing powers with her sister isn't the best way, it is her only avenue when faced with something thats greater than she concieve of

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Elvira · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a great start to a twisted tell of magic gone wrong. The storyline is well written and entertaining throughout the pages. The characters are engaging and entertaining.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sentinelle23 · Rating 3 out of 5]

🤔 Entertaining, nothing more...


Safiya is a life coach.
Listening to her client tell her about her problems with her sister, Safiya can’t help but think about her twin sister Jada...

Later, she takes care of another client.
Safiya suspects a supernatural event.

To solve the problem, Safiya secretly goes to her client’s home.

------------

I chose this novel because of the rare first name of the heroine, the first name of my granddaughter.

The story seemed interesting to me at first but I struggled to get into it.
Lots and lots of related details and ultimately little action at the start.

The heroine didn’t really interest me in the end. The story got better in the second part with lots of action and twists.

It’s still entertaining, but nothing more for now.

[Katheyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Twisted Magic” is the first installment in the eponymous mystery urban fantasy series by Rainy Kaye, whose main character (Safiya Morgan) works as a life coach, in a small town (Green River) in Nebraska, for both ‘normal’ and supernatural clients. Safiya has a large experience and thinks to be prepared for everything, at least in her professional life, her own private life is a completely different issue. However, not amount of experience could ever prepare Safiya for her newest client, Arlo Miller, who is suffering some terrifying nightmares. Safiya already suspect supernatural powers at work, but the demon she meets is a whole other caliber, things develop for bad to worse rapidly until her best friend is kidnapping, and Safiya is forced to join forces with her ex and her new client to find her and the further she goes into the supernatural world, the more she realizes that she wasn’t even aware of the forces that lie beyond the top of the iceberg she knew of. As Green River gradually descends into chaos, a direct confrontation between Safiya and the demon seems avoidable.

A thrilling, captivating start into the new series, fast-paced and action-packed, with interesting characters and a well-balanced mix between pure action, character development and world-building. Nicely written and easy-to-follow and read, with an enticing plot and a satisfactory resolution.

[Elizabeth Reed Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has had me on the edge of my seat since page one. No spoilers here just curious questions, LoL.

• Does Jada ever reunite with the family?
• Does Safiya's magic grow stronger?
• Does Safiya give in to Randall?
• What is Arlo Miller truly hiding?
• What is Cowboy looking for and what does it have to do with Arlo?
• Who is this mysterious ghost haunting Arlo and what do they want with him?

Like I said no spoilers here, you have to find out yourself.

°°11.55a.m.CST°°08.12.2021°°DarkHorse75°°

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book one is enthralling, you meet Safiya who is a life coach and a witch. She has a new client that is being tormented by something and Safiya has to discover what is possessing him. With the help of her friends Fiona and Randall she figures it out but not before trouble hits. I really enjoyed this read and cannot wait for the next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Christinaraven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet Safiya, a simple life coach, who loves the harder cases that have a paranormal root cause. It begins when Arlo contacts Safiya and she heads out to determine what is supernatural creature is causing his sleepless nights. Hint, not what Safiya suspected. Lots of danger, surprises, and interesting characters with a touch of mystery and so much more. Well written and drew me in and kept me reading to the end as I was hooked and entertained. Enjoyed it.