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Harmony Ends #0
Storm Claw
Shifter kin and humankind.
Since ancient times, the planet has always been divided into two worlds.
Earth magic or technology. Mana or money. Peace or war.
But for a bear shifter like Lucky, working in private security means she has to walk in both.
Rot festers the worst around humans. It feeds on the Earth magic's mana in their cities and drags shifters down, down, down... until they fall to blood and violence.
Naturally, Lucky loathes any contract that sends her to vile human cities. She despises how the magical taint clings to her fur and whispers in her ears. Abhors it. Even fears it.
But this time, she can't avoid it.
Stepping in when her brother’s firstborn is due, she must take a lucrative job bodyguarding a paranoid elitist holed up in her extravagant mansion. Lucky's dreading her stay on San Juan Island, but Rot’s saturation around humans isn’t the only evil lurking in the client’s luxury estate.
When facing humanity’s worst, there’s no option but to fight… even if unmasking the monster means revealing the secrets she hides under her own skins.
Since ancient times, the planet has always been divided into two worlds.
Earth magic or technology. Mana or money. Peace or war.
But for a bear shifter like Lucky, working in private security means she has to walk in both.
Rot festers the worst around humans. It feeds on the Earth magic's mana in their cities and drags shifters down, down, down... until they fall to blood and violence.
Naturally, Lucky loathes any contract that sends her to vile human cities. She despises how the magical taint clings to her fur and whispers in her ears. Abhors it. Even fears it.
But this time, she can't avoid it.
Stepping in when her brother’s firstborn is due, she must take a lucrative job bodyguarding a paranoid elitist holed up in her extravagant mansion. Lucky's dreading her stay on San Juan Island, but Rot’s saturation around humans isn’t the only evil lurking in the client’s luxury estate.
When facing humanity’s worst, there’s no option but to fight… even if unmasking the monster means revealing the secrets she hides under her own skins.
- GenresFantasy
117 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 4, 2021
About the author
L.A. Magill
10 books8 followersLA Magill lives in Maryland with her husband, their cat, and their fish. She met her husband in high school and knew, even then, he’d always make her laugh. She studied English, dance, and special education through college, earning a Master’s degree in 2014. She taught for three years before turning to her passion, storytelling. She loves getting lost in distant worlds and uncovering their secrets. She is a lifelong nerd, animal lover, and outdoors enthusiast. She spends too much time playing video games to be so bad at them and lives with chronic Tex-Mex cravings.
She loves to read and write urban fantasy and sci-fi. She began self-publishing in 2021 through her own company, Wicked Women LLC.
She loves to read and write urban fantasy and sci-fi. She began self-publishing in 2021 through her own company, Wicked Women LLC.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 3, 2021
ARC received from author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, even if I do like people more when they give me books.
Overall, I really enjoyed Storm Claw. It has a few minor things in common with Mercy Thompson and the (far superior) Jane Yellowrock, but is unquestionably it's own thing. The MC, Lucky, works for a shifter security agency. She is Native American and a bear shapeshifter. This was a nice touch in many ways because all too often a female shapeshifter in urban fantasy is a werewolf or some creature which could be construed as cute or sexy. (If you're not sure what I mean, think of an animal. Now imagine the animal is being drawn by Disney with humanising elements. Has the animal fallen into the 'sexy fox/ cat' mould? Yeah.) So it's fairly unusual to have a physically very powerful woman MC in urban fantasy and bears are not svelte, obviously sexual creatures. I appreciated that.
The story is swift and fairly short, taking place over a couple of days. Perfect for a prequel novella in that respect. For the first time Lucky has been cleared for a level 5 solo assignment and that means working with humans. Her client is the wealthy and emotionally fragile Melisse, wife of a dangerous and unstable billionaire. Lucky finds herself on bodyguard duty to a woman who could not be more her opposite. Not so much hilarity but action definitely ensues.
I really liked the way Magill describes the twin skins of a shapeshifter. There were some great moments when Lucky and her bear self were trying to occupy the same space and there wasn't really enough room for both of them. I also thought the author did a great job of letting the bear - stubborn, cantakerous, not fond of surprises, slightly volatile - shine through Lucky's human personality. There was a definite sense of two conjoined beings within one body.
Shapeshifter magic and the connection with earth energies was also interesting, though I confess I wish the specific word for the earth energy Lucky needed to eat wasn't 'mana'. (Look, I've played way too many video games/ DnD etc and to me it just knocked me out of the story a bit because the associations with other fantasy series were too strong.)
I ended up really liking Melisse. I'm not sure if I was supposed to like her but she had gumption, even if she was quite self involved. I also like Cal. Not because he's supposed to be a heart throb (I do not do the whole book boyfriend thing and rarely ever ship characters. I just don't care about the romantic subplot that much, though in fairness there isn't really one here.) I liked him because he was open and curious and enthusiastic both about life and about learning about shifters. I get that we're supposed to think he has a gross fetish or something but honestly, it didn't read that way to me. It read as if a slightly naive person who just found another culture really cool and wanted to learn, bumbled in and made mistakes of etiquette and sensitivity. This is not an irredeemable person. And since there don't appear to be wikipedia pages on shifters in this universe or books written about them by them, I'm not surprised he got things wrong. Side bar, but a male character being threatened by a literal bear of a woman and resenting her for it is far more usual. It was nice to see that trope turned on it's head.
So what were my down sides? Two things and one is more me, I think. I didn't like Lucky much at all until midway through the book. She was hostile, abrasive, condescending, rude and apparently prejudiced against anyone who wasn't a bear (except perhaps the housekeeper). While I acknowledge that starting with a character who has got a lot of growing to do can be a good thing, for me personally, it made the first half of the book harder to read. I don't have to like a character to read them btw, but I do have to want to follow them on the journey, and at ties Lucky seemed to have such a chip on her shoulder that I just didn't want to. She's very judgemental and her initial impressions of the two main people she judges in this book are both around 90% wrong. It was irritating. However, this all changes around the 55% mark and we see that Lucky does have empathy and a strong sense of moral duty, at least when she isn't looking for slights. There was a great moment where she and Melisse came to an understanding. This is very much a me thing though and Lucky in the first half of the book might not put someone else's hackles up as much as she did mine. I had certainly grown to like her by the end.
My other minor gripe is that the women who were harmed by Melisse's husband are given no personality. I appreciate that this is a short book and there's a limit to what you can do but it's unlikely that all the victims would respond with catatonic non responsiveness. On one hand, it's a little contrived because then you don't have to write about it, on the other it's using gendered violence against women to signal 'this dude is a bad guy' and I personally think we should stop doing that. Bad guys need characterisation too, no one should get reeled on stage just to get raped/ murdered etc. This is one of my major bugbears so it's more than possible that I am more likely to notice it than other readers however.
Final verdict: this is a quick, fun start to a promising new urban fantasy series. Highly recommend.
Overall, I really enjoyed Storm Claw. It has a few minor things in common with Mercy Thompson and the (far superior) Jane Yellowrock, but is unquestionably it's own thing. The MC, Lucky, works for a shifter security agency. She is Native American and a bear shapeshifter. This was a nice touch in many ways because all too often a female shapeshifter in urban fantasy is a werewolf or some creature which could be construed as cute or sexy. (If you're not sure what I mean, think of an animal. Now imagine the animal is being drawn by Disney with humanising elements. Has the animal fallen into the 'sexy fox/ cat' mould? Yeah.) So it's fairly unusual to have a physically very powerful woman MC in urban fantasy and bears are not svelte, obviously sexual creatures. I appreciated that.
The story is swift and fairly short, taking place over a couple of days. Perfect for a prequel novella in that respect. For the first time Lucky has been cleared for a level 5 solo assignment and that means working with humans. Her client is the wealthy and emotionally fragile Melisse, wife of a dangerous and unstable billionaire. Lucky finds herself on bodyguard duty to a woman who could not be more her opposite. Not so much hilarity but action definitely ensues.
I really liked the way Magill describes the twin skins of a shapeshifter. There were some great moments when Lucky and her bear self were trying to occupy the same space and there wasn't really enough room for both of them. I also thought the author did a great job of letting the bear - stubborn, cantakerous, not fond of surprises, slightly volatile - shine through Lucky's human personality. There was a definite sense of two conjoined beings within one body.
Shapeshifter magic and the connection with earth energies was also interesting, though I confess I wish the specific word for the earth energy Lucky needed to eat wasn't 'mana'. (Look, I've played way too many video games/ DnD etc and to me it just knocked me out of the story a bit because the associations with other fantasy series were too strong.)
I ended up really liking Melisse. I'm not sure if I was supposed to like her but she had gumption, even if she was quite self involved. I also like Cal. Not because he's supposed to be a heart throb (I do not do the whole book boyfriend thing and rarely ever ship characters. I just don't care about the romantic subplot that much, though in fairness there isn't really one here.) I liked him because he was open and curious and enthusiastic both about life and about learning about shifters. I get that we're supposed to think he has a gross fetish or something but honestly, it didn't read that way to me. It read as if a slightly naive person who just found another culture really cool and wanted to learn, bumbled in and made mistakes of etiquette and sensitivity. This is not an irredeemable person. And since there don't appear to be wikipedia pages on shifters in this universe or books written about them by them, I'm not surprised he got things wrong. Side bar, but a male character being threatened by a literal bear of a woman and resenting her for it is far more usual. It was nice to see that trope turned on it's head.
So what were my down sides? Two things and one is more me, I think. I didn't like Lucky much at all until midway through the book. She was hostile, abrasive, condescending, rude and apparently prejudiced against anyone who wasn't a bear (except perhaps the housekeeper). While I acknowledge that starting with a character who has got a lot of growing to do can be a good thing, for me personally, it made the first half of the book harder to read. I don't have to like a character to read them btw, but I do have to want to follow them on the journey, and at ties Lucky seemed to have such a chip on her shoulder that I just didn't want to. She's very judgemental and her initial impressions of the two main people she judges in this book are both around 90% wrong. It was irritating. However, this all changes around the 55% mark and we see that Lucky does have empathy and a strong sense of moral duty, at least when she isn't looking for slights. There was a great moment where she and Melisse came to an understanding. This is very much a me thing though and Lucky in the first half of the book might not put someone else's hackles up as much as she did mine. I had certainly grown to like her by the end.
My other minor gripe is that the women who were harmed by Melisse's husband are given no personality. I appreciate that this is a short book and there's a limit to what you can do but it's unlikely that all the victims would respond with catatonic non responsiveness. On one hand, it's a little contrived because then you don't have to write about it, on the other it's using gendered violence against women to signal 'this dude is a bad guy' and I personally think we should stop doing that. Bad guys need characterisation too, no one should get reeled on stage just to get raped/ murdered etc. This is one of my major bugbears so it's more than possible that I am more likely to notice it than other readers however.
Final verdict: this is a quick, fun start to a promising new urban fantasy series. Highly recommend.
August 28, 2021
An ARC of this book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
I wanted to love this book. I wanted to love it so bad.
Starting on a positive note:
- We had the beginnings of a sassy lead, in the style of my forever-favourite Kate Daniels
- Strong integration of Native American folklore and ideas (I’m not Indigenous though, so this is only to my eyes)
- A fun shifter concept where a female lead doesn’t turn into something sexy or a wolf, but is a huge bear and that’s great!
The ‘eh’ stuff:
- The book felt too short- the entire plot line took place over 2-3 days and somehow we’re seeing a romance develop over the course of this?
- Ham-fisted characterisations where Lucky made an assumption about someone belonging to a specific stereotype, and then was proven wrong by them being a different stereotype (both Melissa and Bjerke in this category)
- A boring villain, who had no real exploration of motivations or build-up of tension
What I just couldn’t get over:
- The teased romance in this book starts with Lucky realising the male lead has a bit of a fetish around shifters. His questions and ways of responding made me feel like she was a circus attraction or celebrity to him- not actually a person, and that literally never changed in their dynamic. It just stank of the fetishisation that POC have always faced, and it meant I could not get into the romance sub-plot (and it was given more air-time than I wanted)
- Lucky’s character didn’t make sense at any point: family members were hinted at, but not delved into, we were shown that she is a loner, but she also bonds with her bodyguard detail within 1.5 minutes, she’s got all of these secrets but it takes her no time at all to sacrifice them for someone she met a day ago who rubbed her the wrong way. I could almost see what the author was trying to do, but it did not work.
I wanted to love this book. I wanted to love it so bad.
Starting on a positive note:
- We had the beginnings of a sassy lead, in the style of my forever-favourite Kate Daniels
- Strong integration of Native American folklore and ideas (I’m not Indigenous though, so this is only to my eyes)
- A fun shifter concept where a female lead doesn’t turn into something sexy or a wolf, but is a huge bear and that’s great!
The ‘eh’ stuff:
- The book felt too short- the entire plot line took place over 2-3 days and somehow we’re seeing a romance develop over the course of this?
- Ham-fisted characterisations where Lucky made an assumption about someone belonging to a specific stereotype, and then was proven wrong by them being a different stereotype (both Melissa and Bjerke in this category)
- A boring villain, who had no real exploration of motivations or build-up of tension
What I just couldn’t get over:
- The teased romance in this book starts with Lucky realising the male lead has a bit of a fetish around shifters. His questions and ways of responding made me feel like she was a circus attraction or celebrity to him- not actually a person, and that literally never changed in their dynamic. It just stank of the fetishisation that POC have always faced, and it meant I could not get into the romance sub-plot (and it was given more air-time than I wanted)
- Lucky’s character didn’t make sense at any point: family members were hinted at, but not delved into, we were shown that she is a loner, but she also bonds with her bodyguard detail within 1.5 minutes, she’s got all of these secrets but it takes her no time at all to sacrifice them for someone she met a day ago who rubbed her the wrong way. I could almost see what the author was trying to do, but it did not work.
August 26, 2021
I got my ARC copy this morning at my email and just couldn’t put the book down until the very last page, the world is intriguing and the heroine is all that I could hope for. I could just close my eyes and picture it happening in some parallel world, the story telling was organic and made me root for the protagonist and appreciate her human interactions. The mystery of what will entail the rest of the series makes me want to get my hands at all other volumes as soon as possible without taking from the pleasure of this book on its own.
This ARC copy was provided with the understanding of a honest review in return, and being honest, the book grabbed my attention so much that I will be looking into the series as soon as it’s available, and telling anyone who wants to hear that they should give it a shot.
This ARC copy was provided with the understanding of a honest review in return, and being honest, the book grabbed my attention so much that I will be looking into the series as soon as it’s available, and telling anyone who wants to hear that they should give it a shot.
August 28, 2021
Disclaimer: the ARC was provided to me in exchange for honest review:
This little novella is a real gem. The first chapter was thick with background and I had to re-read it a few times to get into this alt-world (I'm old - it happens!) Then the plot took over and whew it was an amazing ride - I was up way past my bedtime. The story is well-paced, the characters are well developed (though one character was a little uneven, she won't be in the other books, so I can forgive that) and there are some really curious relationships I'd like to hear more about. The thrill of the chase and some wonderfully sarcastic thoughts about those foolish humans, brought this bear-shifter bodyguard character to life. I'm very curious about this heroine's family business, powers and the hints about other shifter clans. Looking forward to reading the entire series!
This little novella is a real gem. The first chapter was thick with background and I had to re-read it a few times to get into this alt-world (I'm old - it happens!) Then the plot took over and whew it was an amazing ride - I was up way past my bedtime. The story is well-paced, the characters are well developed (though one character was a little uneven, she won't be in the other books, so I can forgive that) and there are some really curious relationships I'd like to hear more about. The thrill of the chase and some wonderfully sarcastic thoughts about those foolish humans, brought this bear-shifter bodyguard character to life. I'm very curious about this heroine's family business, powers and the hints about other shifter clans. Looking forward to reading the entire series!
August 27, 2021
Disclaimer-this ARC was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
The book had a good flow and interesting plot. I did have some issues trying to follow what the main character tried to convey regarding her shifter side and it’s clan ideas. The ideas behind how she draws power from the earth is interesting and worth pursuing in future books. I was a little confused as to why the main character had little interaction with non shifters.
The book had a good flow and interesting plot. I did have some issues trying to follow what the main character tried to convey regarding her shifter side and it’s clan ideas. The ideas behind how she draws power from the earth is interesting and worth pursuing in future books. I was a little confused as to why the main character had little interaction with non shifters.
August 30, 2021
This ARC was provided to me in return for an honest review.
This is a refreshingly different setting. Shifters, but not your run of the mill ones. Thank gods for no vampires.
It’s a good book about ethics, friendship, cultural differences. A bit light on the plot twists and with three characters only, but all three are well developed. I enjoyed reading it and will definitely look out for future books.
This is a refreshingly different setting. Shifters, but not your run of the mill ones. Thank gods for no vampires.
It’s a good book about ethics, friendship, cultural differences. A bit light on the plot twists and with three characters only, but all three are well developed. I enjoyed reading it and will definitely look out for future books.
September 29, 2021
I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I wish there was an option for 3.5 stars. It is a fast-paced (kind of) coming of age story without being YA. Lucky is getting her own level 5 gig (whatever that means). She has to protect a woman from her own husband. It is a good introduction to a series.
I'm not in love with the word "mana", it's just too biblical, but it is hard to come up with original words for "evergy". I like world building and the novella left me wanting more world building. I needed more to get the feel of the world, but I also understand that a novella is meant to be short. I wanted an explanation of the levels of gigs. What is so special about a level 5?
I agree with another reviewer that I didn't like the MC "Lucky" until halfway through the book, she has quite a chip on her shoulder. But she lightens up about halfway through and I ended up liking her.
I also felt like the budding romance was forced. It's just too much for a really short book. Intro the character, but slow burn is much better especially since he seems to be fascinated by what she is rather than her as a woman.
The parts where she is her bear are done well. It is hard to write a 2-souled character when one is an animal. This is done pretty well.
My favorite part is that she is a bear shifter. That makes me happy. Nothing delicate or feminine. I loved that she is fierce!
Also I loved the cover art. It is what drew me to the book in the first place. Overall I would recommend this book.
I'm not in love with the word "mana", it's just too biblical, but it is hard to come up with original words for "evergy". I like world building and the novella left me wanting more world building. I needed more to get the feel of the world, but I also understand that a novella is meant to be short. I wanted an explanation of the levels of gigs. What is so special about a level 5?
I agree with another reviewer that I didn't like the MC "Lucky" until halfway through the book, she has quite a chip on her shoulder. But she lightens up about halfway through and I ended up liking her.
I also felt like the budding romance was forced. It's just too much for a really short book. Intro the character, but slow burn is much better especially since he seems to be fascinated by what she is rather than her as a woman.
The parts where she is her bear are done well. It is hard to write a 2-souled character when one is an animal. This is done pretty well.
My favorite part is that she is a bear shifter. That makes me happy. Nothing delicate or feminine. I loved that she is fierce!
Also I loved the cover art. It is what drew me to the book in the first place. Overall I would recommend this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2021
I read this a while ago and loved it. It's super hard to find a story about shifters that's new and interesting (So. Many. Wolves. And. Bears. In. Mountain. Cabins.) and this was both new and fascinating.
The magic was clearly not based on the current standard shifter model, but something far deeper and unusual - and therefore much more compelling. This feels realer, somehow, less like a way to romanticize often creepy relationship power dynamics. This feels like Lucky's shifting, her other half, is an actual possibility.
I tore through this, with barely a pause for breath or refreshment; it didn't quite end up where I thought, and I'm still not sure that I would have trusted people the way Lucky did, but I'm far older and very much more cynical about humans. Her choices all made perfect sense and were entirely reasonable - at no point did I get annoyed because someone ended up holding the Idiot Ball.
I like that there wasn't a romance. Not everyone in the world is looking to bone the first person they see and it's wonderful to see a character who can focus on something other than Teh Sexx.
Ultimately, the only negative thing about this book is that there isn't more from the author yet.
The magic was clearly not based on the current standard shifter model, but something far deeper and unusual - and therefore much more compelling. This feels realer, somehow, less like a way to romanticize often creepy relationship power dynamics. This feels like Lucky's shifting, her other half, is an actual possibility.
I tore through this, with barely a pause for breath or refreshment; it didn't quite end up where I thought, and I'm still not sure that I would have trusted people the way Lucky did, but I'm far older and very much more cynical about humans. Her choices all made perfect sense and were entirely reasonable - at no point did I get annoyed because someone ended up holding the Idiot Ball.
I like that there wasn't a romance. Not everyone in the world is looking to bone the first person they see and it's wonderful to see a character who can focus on something other than Teh Sexx.
Ultimately, the only negative thing about this book is that there isn't more from the author yet.
September 1, 2021
I received this book as an ARC for an honest review.
I enjoyed the novella and it is the introduction to a series I will probably read. The insight I get into the world created makes me curious for more.
In themselves, the characters are for the most part coherently described. I like the connection of the main character with her bear identity. They are 2 different entities sharing one body. The dealing between characters is not always fluently resp. I do not get the character. I can imagine that this will disappear with a novel, because then there will be more "space" to explain and develop the characters and their relationship.
All in all, the story has a good arc of suspense and makes you want to read on.
I enjoyed the novella and it is the introduction to a series I will probably read. The insight I get into the world created makes me curious for more.
In themselves, the characters are for the most part coherently described. I like the connection of the main character with her bear identity. They are 2 different entities sharing one body. The dealing between characters is not always fluently resp. I do not get the character. I can imagine that this will disappear with a novel, because then there will be more "space" to explain and develop the characters and their relationship.
All in all, the story has a good arc of suspense and makes you want to read on.
December 7, 2022
This novella is the first in a series. It introduces a community of shifters represented in this story by a woman who shifts into a bear. The shifter community is involved in security under strict government supervision. The main character in this story who goes by the nickname of Lucky is on her first level 5 security assignment. She is to be security for the wife of a very wealthy and abusive man. The wife is spoiled and entitled and doesn't firmly grasp the danger she's in but sees it rather as a mental war between herself and her husband. The law enforcement liaison Lucky must work with is a "barker", someone with kind of a shifter fetish that Lucky finds completely repulsive.
Magill creates a fascinating world and magic system of a supernatural community with a severely dwindling population. The characters' abilities and personalities are slowly revealed and the ending is very satisfying. I think this is a series with a lot of potential
Magill creates a fascinating world and magic system of a supernatural community with a severely dwindling population. The characters' abilities and personalities are slowly revealed and the ending is very satisfying. I think this is a series with a lot of potential
September 6, 2021
The cover of this book drew me to the story. The story itself was not what I expected. It is rich in a new culture of shifters but deals with today's problems without going into a world-destroying theme. Each character has their own feel and their emotions draw you into the story, which as stated is interspersed with lore and worldbuilding in ways that intrigue a reader to want to learn more. The main character secretes create their own problems, but in the end, all around come to terms and it sets things up nicely for more adventures to come. I would recommend this to anyone who loves shifter lore and a new take on the mana of magic and ways of life.
September 6, 2021
Disclosure: I received an ARC for my honest review. No spoiler review: I enjoyed this book, it was well edited and the story was well conceived and held my interest through the entire book. I took away one star because as a shifter book, it did not have enough scenes with her in her shifter form. As the first book I read in this world I would of liked a little more background of the world. Overall it is well worth adding to your book collection. I look forward to reading more about this world and it's characters.
September 12, 2021
This story built up the energy and continued to be engaging from beginning to end. There were some areas that required some assumptions, and I'm hoping some of my assumptions were right. Can't say more because there would be spoilers.
I literally read this all in one looong sitting. I couldn't put it down.
Need a book that is engaging and fun without excessive drama and filler fluff material - here it is!
Can't wait for the next one!
I literally read this all in one looong sitting. I couldn't put it down.
Need a book that is engaging and fun without excessive drama and filler fluff material - here it is!
Can't wait for the next one!
August 29, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyed this introduction to a new series written by LA Magill. The characters and plot draw you in, and I'm already fascinated by this world, its story, and its magic. This novella is fast paced but still develops rich characters with some fun dialog. I really can't wait to read the next book and see where this story is going. Its fresh, well written, and fun.
May 25, 2022
A good intro story. I like the initial world-building details to go along with the short story.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews