Night Troubles

Midnight Magic #2

by Richard Amos

The nights are loaded with troubles...
I guess the days are too…

There’s so much danger out there. Coming for me, coming for the world. Demons and darkness and craziness everywhere. Plus, the mysteries keep on piling up. So many of them!

Not good for my already overloaded mind.

Ah, well. It’ll get sorted. It’s all about the determination, right? And I've got heaps of it.

I’m still trying to navigate my new and powerful Arcana magic, as well as my attraction to Tae—hot billionaire vampire and demon hunter. My employer. My protector. The source of all my fantasies.

Things are really heating up between us…

If only everything wasn't so complicated...

Night Troubles is the second book in an Urban Fantasy Romance series packed with magic, demons, action, and steamy moments. Step into the world of a warlock who always tries to see the sunny side of life, and the sexy vampire who makes his knees go weak.

This book is not a standalone and is best enjoyed by reading Night Tricks (Book 1) first.

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Romance, M M Romance, Vampires, Magic, Paranormal

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 29, 2022

About the author

Richard Amos is an author from England who is constantly lost in the worlds he writes about, and the ones in the queue yet to be written. He also has more books in his house than anything else, and is never without a book (and chocolate) in his hands when he's not writing. He’s a proud nerd who loves to dance. Hard.

Richard writes M/M Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, and Paranormal Romance, all with tons of kick-ass action, adventure, twisty plots, and yummy times.

🔗 https://linktr.ee/richardamosauthor

Reviews

[Drusilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

The action is really picking up and we have a lot of fighting scenes. Tae and Clay getting to be demon hunters with benefits … yay … and Clay wanting so much more.

Pining over Tae, whether I liked to admit it or not. Because every time I looked at him, I wanted more of him, to be under him, on top of him. To feel his kisses and his touch and everything he could offer me. I’d had my taste of Tae Frost. He would never leave my system. 🖤🫠🖤

In between all the fighting and training, feelings develop finally. The emotions that come to the fore here are oh so bittersweet. And at the very end, we get a bit of Tae's point of view.
But the sex, Jesus, makes me all warm inside ...

“Fuck!” I screamed. “Fuck me!” And he did, so hard, a power drill, a force of sexual nature. His thrusts were heavy and expert, unlike any other man who’d been inside me before. And his bite… Oh, God. Hot and delicious with a sting in its tail. 🔥🤤🔥

The ending, the cliffhanger ... Yes, glorious, almost gutted me.

[Ethan · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 66%. I reallllllly tried here….

But damn this was such a bore to read that I kept fall asleep and I felt like so much of nothing was happening.

Also, I was beyond pissed off that we got such a build up to the sex - and then it lasted literally like 1 page and was the most unflattering, unmemorable scene I have ever read. Just no.

Time to toss in the towel. I think maybe this author isn’t for me….

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

I liked this one but I didn’t love it. I’m not really sure why either.

I just wasn’t engrossed like I’d been with the first one. But I’m continuing on to the next one so fingers crossed 🤞🏻

[William Kibler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate being left hanging!

First off - to any potential reader out there - you must know that you have to purchase ALL of the books in the series in order to get a complete story. That's my biggest peeve. But in second place is the lack of a proofreader for these books. Bad sentence structure and poor spelling were rampant. The story is interesting but the main characters are difficult to fully warm up to. Every time I would begin to feel a fondness towards them, they would do something douchy. I have already purchased the third book in the series, so I will read that one, too. But after that, I think I'm done.

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has just wiped all words from my brain. It’s filled with surprise revelations and daring twists that caught me completely unprepared. And just when it looked like Clay was going to get a handle on all the changes in his life, the universe has to go and tip everything sideways. The ending was a stunning rush of shocks that left me gaping and desperate to get my hands on the next book so I can find out the rest of the story.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from the author.

[JJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow wow wow
Not going to say much I don't need to the book..has it all.

I'm so in love with this series I believe it's Richard best iv read

As iv said before I'm looking in this story by Richard guideing me though every page
Tae and clay are fantastic characters
I love Clay so much

That's it make your own mind up
YOU WANT BE DISAPPOINTED
Thank you Richard So looking forward to the next book and so on

[Rosie Wylor-Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great continuation to this series, especially loving the chemistry growing between Clay and Tae. The tension builds really well throughout this book as Clay hides a critical secret from Tae, and the stakes grow higher as more mysterious players join the conspiracy that threatens their world. I'm not usually a fan of cliffhanger endings, but this one was done well, and I'm looking forward to the next book.

[Virginia Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unravel

Story unlocks more of the mystery of what happen with warlock.secrets he is keeping will be revealed and what will happen

[Joscelyn Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

More Clay and Tae! Dealing with new powers and the enemies dogging his steps, Clay was really going through it. Picking up where the last book left off, this was a fantastic addition to the series. Now the wait for book three begins.

[Darryl Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG such an amazing cliff hanger, good thing I have the next book ready to go

[Sarinha M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mostly enjoyed the first book, but I AM kinda struggling with this one because it's more of the exact same that we already had in the previous book.

Clay is sweet, but bless him, he really is TSTL. Also, his relentless naivety, which honestly feels WAY too disingenuous for someone who has grown up on the streets of London. You don't have to be homeless, even just growing up in London gives you an extremely jaundiced & jagged edge... you don't survive otherwise 🤷‍♀️

So, I'm honestly always struggling with his extremely happy & sunny disposition. It just doesn't feel authentic.... nice gets you nowhere if you're growing up on the streets... honestly, a hardass facade hiding an infallibly eternal optimist would've made more sense IMO!

But, I kinda "accepted" that incongruity.... however, the fact that Clay STILL hasn't mastered ANY spell when he keeps being knocked about, is asking for a little too much from me... the only thing that the boy CAN do is STILL only the HP Lumos spell 🙄

Come now... he's far, FAR, too reliant on Tae always bailing him out of a sticky situation.

In this book, more so than the previous one, Tae genuinely just felt like a K-drama heartthrob rather than a fully fleshed out character. He's both Polyana & Gary Stu in one. Oh & let's not forget that he's a billionaire 🙄 I'm not really a fan of the Billionaire genre as it always feels EXTREMELY shallow & TBPH, this isn't really helping that perception.

Basically, like Batman 😏, Tae's super power IS being a billionaire. Everything is sorted out by flashing that cash... yay 🙄🙄

Also, the author making every other homeless person a complete jackass except the MC is starting to rub me up the wrong.

We're still.dealing with the same antagonist/villain... he's kinda obsessed with Clay & just can't let go, but we're still none the wiser as to WHY!

Everybody is WAY too concerned with trying to label Tae's sexuality.... FFS, WHY is the world so goddamned obsessed with labels, whilst simultaneously pretending that labels are too constrictive & pigeon-holing?!..😒

FFS, he's into you... end of! The fact that the MC is self-aware enough that he SHOULDN'T be trying to label Tae's sexuality does NOT exonorate him... in fact, it makes it worse! He's clearly into you & that's all that matters IMO.

But, there's also no real reason WHY Tae IS so attracted to Clay IMO. I really needed a (LOT) little bit of progression to make it a bit more realistic rather than just because he's in Tae's vicinity...🤔

There was a LOT if build-up to them HAVING actual sex & when it FINALLY came around... it was flash in the pan, blink & you'll miss it.. so underwhelming that the handjob in the alley was more satisfying! They clearly enjoyed their 2 second romp, but I was left wondering WHY they enjoyed it so much .. 🤔

I'm taking a bit of a break, not yet a DNF, but it might end up being one... because when Clay was thinking about the reasons why he believes he's in love with Tae, none of it had ANYTHING to do with Tae. It all had to do with how Tae made him feel, how Tae treated him & what Tae does for him... absolutely nothing was specifically about Tae & the person he is, any of his little idiosyncracies or anything like that... it was all, "I l(believe I) love Tae because of what I'm getting out of him, in a nutshell!

Then, we get onto the worst part of it. Tae loved his wife, he also loved another women, but he hates said woman because she slept with the man that he was also in love with... back to back.

Usually, authors are really bad at giving the MCs past loves as only the other MC is THE love of their life, so IMO it's good that the author kinda did away with that trope, but they also overdid it...

Let's be realistic, what are the chances that you were actually in love simultaneously with 3 people?!? 🤔🤔🤔

[Anne Barwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second book in the series is full of action and delves more into the characters. I enjoyed the progression of the slow burn part of the story, and finding out more about Tae. The twist at the end of the story is a doozie and the cliffhanger is what I’ve come to expect from this author. I need book 3 now.

I loved Tae’s reaction when truths are revealed, and how his past slowly comes out. I liked how Clay grows into his Arcana powers, although its scary with a mind of its own. I enjoyed how Tae and Clay have become a fighting team to be reckoned with, and how trust is growing between them, with Tae gradually letting Clay in and vice versa. I liked the shades of grey in these characters, with Tae driven to find out who killed his family, and prepared to torture to get the information. I loved getting some scenes from his POV as well.

Although this is Clay and Tae’s story the supporting cast flesh out the world. I loved Victoria, Tae’s lawyer. She totally rocks. And the growing friendship between Archie and Clay. Tae’s maker is interesting, and definitely has an ulterior motives vibe. Fizz steals every scene she’s in too.

The ADU are nasty, especially Brad Smith. I liked the social commentary with the witches convinced they are the superior ruling class. I’m hoping that changes in the final book.

The world building is detailed with a rich history, which is something I enjoy from this author, plus that it’s set in the UK and Paris, with similarities, yet differences from our world.

More please.

[ShelfLife · Rating 3 out of 5]

New-to-me author.

I'm on the last book of this series, so I feel it's safe to say I've enjoyed it overall. But it's not perfect, and there are some things that really annoy me throughout.

First off, these books will never be able to get higher than 3 stars with the amount of errors and typos throughout every book. This author needs beta readers asap, because spellcheck isn't cutting it.

As for the story, I think the world-building is interesting and entertaining. The author is a good storyteller, but there is still room for improvement, especially with repetition, and the overuse of certain words. The plot is also engaging, but I feel like this could have been 4 books rather than 5.

Things are heating up between Clay and Tae. I really don't do well with pining, but it's clear that Tae is developing feelings as well, he's just very conflicted about them, and for good reason. I think Clay is such a great character. I love his positive outlook. He tries to see things realistically as well, but sees the bright side even when it's not so great. The action and demon hunting are good here, and the storyline is progressing nicely. We finally get Tae's POV at the very end, and I can't wait to have more of it going forward.

I could do with less "erm" and "gosh" and all those repetitive words, but I'm getting over it the more I read. The writing style of this author is also different from what I usually read, which has taken some time to get used to. It's kind of choppy and quick and short. Not in a bad way, just different.

[Book Life With Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Night Troubles is the second book of the Midnight Magic series, and Richard Amos once again delivered a non stop action hit that pulls you right in to this dynamic world where witches are supreme and everyone else is struggling to survive. Amos is a true master at world building and creating characters that you fall in love with, and this one was no exception!

This story picks up where the first one left us, with Tae and Clay, our fearless sexy vampire and lovable warlock, on a mission to locate and bring down the demons trying to conquer the realm and with no qualms of killing people along the way. Together the two work together to evade the witches, battle the demons and slowly come together as Clay discovers more about his Arcana powers.

I loved watching the trust grow between each of these previously haunted/scarred as they slowly let each other in. And while this is a slow burn it is still utter perfection to watch their connection slowly come together. I loved that we got to see more of the characters in this one, and watch as their bond slowly grew throughout the story. And the other side characters were just as fabulous too!

Overall this story was full of action, magic, secret revelations and plenty of twists to keep you on your toes! More history was discovered about Tae and I absolutely loved the twist at the end and delicious cliffhanger! I can’t wait for the next book!

[Yunga2013 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Night Troubles is the second book of the Midnight Magic series, and it was as good as I expected it to be. With its London wonderfully depicted by Richard Amos's talented writing inhabited by witches that rule this realm and all the other creatures trying to survive in this world which looks a little post apocalyptic but not to the full extent. My favourite Tae and Clay are back, a vampire and a warlock brought together by fate and a mission to fight demons killing people and intending to conquer the human realm. Tae and Clay's story slowly develops in this book, and in between battles with demons, being chased by witches and Clay's discoveries about his Arcana powers, these two are learning more about each other and feeling more and more connected. They are very sweet, and I wanted so much for them to get together for real sooner, but they both have loads of baggage they need to work out that this process simply cannot be fast. I love these vulnerable and hurt heroes, and can't wait for the further development of their story. A part of the story takes place in Paris which is wonderful as I love the City of Lights. It's so packed with action and magic that it grips you and doesn't let go until the book is finished. So now I can't wait for book 3. Book 2 ended on such an intriguing moment that I'm thrilled to find out how the story will proceed. Such a great read!

[Rach Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhh I’ve been so excited for the next instalment of Clay and Tae, it just couldn’t come round fast enough!

This obviously follows on from Night Tricks, so if you haven’t read that first then you’ll need to start there.

The things I loved the most about the book were the continuing characters - Fizz, Archie and some other secondary characters introduced in more detail in this book. Especially as they give you more insight into Tae as he is quite a closed book and you know so much more about Clay in book 1. Secondly, the food references, which is definitely a Richard thing as there’s some sort of food mentioned in detail in all of their books that I’ve read. But most obviously, Clay and Tae’s relationship - as the book progresses we also see more progress in their relationship together which is great and there are some moments when I really felt what Clay was feeling (some good, some a tiny bit angsty!)

It’s hard to say much about the main storyline without spoiling it, with the ADU and Buttons obviously making a fair few more appearances, the later of them being completely unexpected, wow I didn’t see that coming at all.

All in all, I am still 110% hooked. Richard’s writing style is always so light and refreshing - very easy to read and there is always something that will give you a chuckle. I can’t wait to pick up the next book!

[AshPenny37 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clay and Tae are back! The action picks up straight after book one in the series, so this is definitely not a standalone. Clay and Tae are still reeling from the events of the last installment and need to regroup. This gives Clay an opportunity to learn more about his (still) mysterious billionaire vampire (and his most trusted people) as well as learning a few more things about himself and carrying on with his magical training. I love how they grow closer as their relationship develops. Naturally, though, the path for our heroes is not an easy one. Even on their travels, trouble seems to find them and there are multiple threats from various sources - some we know from book one, others are new perils from witches and demons alike. Then there's Clay's big secret…

Night Troubles is a great second outing in this universe. It's choc full of brilliant world building and character development, magic-fuelled action and well crafted twisty-turny plotlines, so much sweetness and spicy bits, too! Fair warning, though, the ending isn't exactly what I'd call a cliffhanger, but it'll definitely make you impatient for book three. Can't wait…love this series! 5*

An ARC was provided by the author. This is my honest review.

[DMCechak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richard Amos presents a gift to us, in book 2, Night Troubles, part of his Midnight Magic series!

We begin where book 1, Night Tricks, left off. (Also an amazing read and one should certainly read before Night Troubles, so you can understand Tae and Clay’s relationship.) We find ourselves in London, again, where Clay is trying to learn more about his unique arcana magic, which he alone seems to be able to control. As a street urchin, unwanted and living mostly on his own for his short 24 years, he has to learn to balance his feelings about his vampire, billionaire savior, and the secret he keeps so close to his warlock heart.

This book builds pictures in my head, which may be one of the highest compliments I can give an author. There is a saga unrolling, and these two characters bring forth feelings of lust, care, concern, and maybe even love. Watching both the internal, and external struggles of these fine men, finds us being dragged, oh so willingly, through a miasma of poisoned rivers, creatures and demons, and fairy magic that hides so many secrets.

I will have to wait, impatiently, for book 3, Night Trials, for 2 months (the agony!) but absolutely know it will be worth the wait, to provide me with the next story in this fantastic world!

[Seraphia Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Night Troubles is the second book in Richard Amos’ Midnight Magic series and things are about to get wild. Clay and Tae have escaped some serious situations, but the Button-eyed demon isn’t done hunting Clay. He apparently has an ax to grind – but why? What is his interest in Clay? Well, brace yourself. You’re about to find out in this book.
Clay and Tae are growing closer. Tae is helping Clay with his Arcana powers, but is still in the dark about what exactly Clay is. With both the AUD and the Button-eyed demon stalking them danger swirls all around them. I really like the chemistry between Clay and Tae. Despite the fact that Tae is a pretty “cold” character, I like that he is opening up a bit and revealing pieces of himself here and there. The author gives a couple of steamy scenes, but I wouldn’t mind a little more. LOL!
The revelations in this book literally had my jaw on the floor. I mean, I knew that there was something special, so to speak, about Clay, but the truth is more than I was expecting.
This book ends on a crazy cliffhanger, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next. There were a couple of slow spots in this story, but I still managed to stay engaged overall. I’m choosing to rate this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. Bring on book three!

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main characters, Clay and Tae, are back! The action picks up right after the first book in the series; this is not standalone. Clay and Tae are dealing with events of the last book; they are trying to regroup. Clay is learning more about the billionaire vampire, Tae, and his magical training. I love the relationship growth between Tae and Clay. As usual, the path for the main characters, Tae and Clay, is not easy. On their travels, trouble finds them; there are many threats from multiple sources. Some of these threats come from book one, while other threats are new from witches and demons. In this novel, Clay tries to balance his feelings about Tae, the vampire billionaire savior, and his secret.

The second book in this series, Night Troubles, is a fun addition; it has clever world-building, character development, action, and a complex plot. At the end of this book, there is a bit of a cliffhanger. I’m looking forward to reading book three.

I received this ARC from the author for an honest review.

[Danis ❤️ MM · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit better than the first. Although still nowhere near a solid 4.

The good:
The plot moved along pretty quickly and I do like all the action. I love the supporting characters and the potential Grindle twist at the end was unexpected.

The bad:
Almost the entire book, right up until chapter 20 I think, is all Clay's POV. Then there's a sudden switch to Tae's POV. It's strange and jarring.
There's alot of typos in this book. Simple, spellcheck kinda things.
There were a couple of things that kinda confused me. For one, why was Tae so mad at his sire? Sure she lured one of his lovers away, but it wasn't like he was in love with the dude. And that was literally decades ago. So? And Clay has an uncle that he gets back into contact with. They text a bit and then...nothing. That whole angle just drops off. Not a word more the rest of the book. Why?

It's still decent enough for me to continue to book three. I really do hope Clay stops all the "Erm" and "Gosh" stuff though.

[Mandy (MP Book Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warlock Clay has special arcana magic that he is only just starting to learn the basics of but does not have much time spare as there are always demons causing trouble for him and his hot employer and vampire Tae to handle. Plus there is the off the charts sexual chemistry between them which has surely got to find some ways to get satisfaction for them both. Just when everything seems to be going well there are a series of shock and surprises that culminates in a major shock for all of them

OMG - everything was going so well, I was starting to feel hopeful for them both, and then the whole house of cards, the foundations and everything around it came crashing down and I was left heartbroken. How am I going to survive as I wait for the next book in the series? Very easy to become swept away into the story which meant I read faster and faster I was so invested in the story and the end result. Contains mature M/M content.

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is so good!
Tae and Clay continue their dangerous journey.
Both Tae and Clay have emotional obstacles to overcome; but their mutual attraction, continuing from Night Tricks (Book #1) was soo evident that reading this was a necessity for me. Each male is burdened with heavy soulful baggage, past and present. This reader was submerged into their journey from Page 1 and my voyage throughout this book held my undivided attention. The ending of discovering/finding the Buttons connection was surprising, to say the least, along with the declaration of fearsome family ties. Can these revelations turn off Tae's attraction for Clay? One will just have read, Night Trails, to discover what's next in the lives of Tae and Clay. I am voluntarily leaving this review for the ARC I received.

[XxLaVampiresaAlexisxX · Rating 4 out of 5]

Night Troubles is the second book in the Midnight Magic series. It continues where book one left off, so this cannot be read as a standalone.

Clay and Tae continue their journey on trying to stop the demons who are trying to take over their land. Clay is learning more about his magic and strengthen his abilities. As they learn more about each other and their secrets, the closer they get.

Ahhh!!! I'm totally loving this series. Some scenes Clay and Tae are soooo cute! I mean, yes, Tae is a bit grumpy and serious and Clay is the positive, sunshine. But their connection and bond slowly getting stronger. They make a fantastic team. There were a few scenes that did seem to be a bit slower, but overall pretty action packed and incredibly well written. The world building is fantastic!! I'm enjoying it so much! Can't wait for book 3!

[Lisa]

Yeah, I am not okay with one MC taking his own selfish pleasure from the 2nd MC all while knowing that the 2nd MC does like demons and MC 1 is part demon. Instead of admitting it though and letting MC 2 make up his own mind about whether or not he is okay with his work partner/occasional lover being part demon, MC one just continually takes advantage of MC 2’s money and kindness all while lying to him. Yeah, I’m not okay. I made it through book one hoping MC 1 would change and confess in book 2, but he hasn’t.

Also MC 1 felt horribly betrayed when a homeless woman he had lived with on the streets turned him into an enemy in exchange for shelter and food, and yet he is perfectly okay taking food, shelter, and sexual pleasure from MC 2 all while lying to and betraying him… so yeah, he’s a total hypocrite.

[R E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Night Troubles starts out at break-neck speed, with Clay (warlock) and Tae (vampire) careening from one near-catastrophe to the next. This second novel of the Midnight Magic series accelerates the overarching story arc significantly, perhaps to amp up interest in the next two books coming out later this year.

It’s all essentially a pastiche, with the plot Frankensteined from various popular culture and video-game tropes. If you like depth to your characters and want to understand why they they make the choices they make, this series may not be for you. It’s enjoyable enough, just don’t think to much about it.

[Siren125 · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 74%

The first book was fun, although I was under the impression it had been laying the foundations for deeper character development in the subsequent books. Sadly, that was not the case.

All aspects worsened as the story progressed, specially the dialogue. I started severely skimming from the aforementioned DNF mark until the middle of the third book and couldn't detect any improvements whatsoever. Oh well...

To be fair, this series might be perfect for someone who wishes to permanently scar themselves into shuddering every time the word "tummy" (shudders) is mentioned.

[Cynthia M Brow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing book in the Midnight Magic series. In this book we are introduced to some new characters. Tae and Clay have great chemistry. The book has a lot of action to keep you interested. Clay has a lot to learn about controlling his powers and how he responds to them. Tae has to deal with his attraction to Clay the young man he has employed and protects. This book was hard to put down once I started reading it. Any book that can make me laugh and cry out loud is one I would recommend and this one did both.

[Chey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book two in the Midnight Magic series is finally here and is packed with action. We see the continuation of Clay and Tae and pick up where we left off from Night Tricks.

The character progression is great and you can really see how far the characters have come since book one. Clay has grown into his powers and Tae is slowly dealing with the truth that has come out about his past.

The pacing for the story is on the slower side and there are some scenes that drag out a little longer than necessary. But I'm still excited to see what happens in the next book!

[Tara Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is so great! I don’t want to wait for the next one.
The world building is amazing, as always. We get to know more about Clay’s origins. He also learns more about his powers and how to use them. We meet and learn about some new interesting characters. I am very invested in the supporting casts stories already. The book is action packed and impossible to put down.
I loved that Tae and Clay’s relationship progressed in this book, despite all the other stuff going on. I feel like Tae really grew in this book. I can’t wait for book 3!