What do you think?
Rate this book
The Magi Accounts #1
The Scars That Bind Us
Sometimes the worst scars are the ones you can’t see.
World War III broke out 130 years ago when humans found out that magi and shifters were real. Humans have been imprisoning and enslaving the two species since. But now humans need their help protecting the world from the strange monsters they let cross the veil between realms. All three species have been at odds for more than a century, but can Madeo—a mage—and Cosmo—a lion shifter—put aside their differences to work together, and maybe even find comfort in each other’s arms?
The full blurb and cover of this new MM urban fantasy series are coming soon!
World War III broke out 130 years ago when humans found out that magi and shifters were real. Humans have been imprisoning and enslaving the two species since. But now humans need their help protecting the world from the strange monsters they let cross the veil between realms. All three species have been at odds for more than a century, but can Madeo—a mage—and Cosmo—a lion shifter—put aside their differences to work together, and maybe even find comfort in each other’s arms?
The full blurb and cover of this new MM urban fantasy series are coming soon!
343 pages, Paperback
First published February 22, 2022
457 people are currently reading
1497 people want to read
About the author
Michele Notaro
75 books934 followersMichele is married to an awesome guy that puts up with her and all the burnt dinners she makes—hey, sometimes characters are a bit distracting, and who doesn’t plot when they’re supposed to be cooking? They live together in Baltimore, Maryland with two little monsters, a three-legged princess, a four-legged goofball, and a cutie with giant ears (aka their two kids, their two cats, and their dog). She hopes to rescue another cat soon, and if her hubby wouldn’t kill her, she’d get more than one… and maybe a few more dogs as well.
She loves creating worlds filled with lots of love, chosen family, and of course, magic, but she also likes making the characters fight for that happy ending. She hopes to one day write all the stories in her head—even if there are too many to count!
If you would like updates on my new books or to be notified when a new book is released, please join my mailing list:
http://eepurl.com/cseIXT
You can find me on Facebook here:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...
Feel free to contact me. I’d love to hear from you.
She loves creating worlds filled with lots of love, chosen family, and of course, magic, but she also likes making the characters fight for that happy ending. She hopes to one day write all the stories in her head—even if there are too many to count!
If you would like updates on my new books or to be notified when a new book is released, please join my mailing list:
http://eepurl.com/cseIXT
You can find me on Facebook here:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...
Feel free to contact me. I’d love to hear from you.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 306 reviews
February 23, 2022
Oh my God. The infodumping is strong with this one. Pages and pages of just worldbuilding that is so, so pedestrian and flat and just no.
July 7, 2022
Ugh!! I had so many expectations with this one and what's funny is, there were things that I loved and things that I went 🙄🙄.
So let's break it down!!! 👁👄👁
The good:
- The world building was fantastic and very intriguing, the differences between humans/shifters/mages was really well done, so much so, that I felt angry on their behalf.
- The writing was good.
- Some relationships between some characters were really lovely, like the main dude and Jude and the main dude and the kid. So you see, this had potential.
BUT!
The so so:
- The action was good, I think that the "mages" part of it needed better explanations, we got a lot of shields, bubbles (spheres) and stuff, so in a really big fight you had a lot of: put a shield there, put a bubble here, drop the shield, etc etc. It would have been more interesting to see some of those scenes in the shifters point of view, because they actually got close to the target. But yeah, at one point I was just tired of bubbles and shields.
- The love was... WTF! Didn't see it coming, didn't see the connection, I didn't even like the main guy wich is a red flag (he was mean, "because of his traumas", Jude has traumas and he isn't an ass!!!). Jude is... ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥 love the guy.
- The other main dude is what I called "huevo sin sal", wich translates as an egg without salt, wich is sad. So you get what I mean, NO FLAVOR OR SELFRESPECT WHATSOEVER!
- And finally, how many times can you use words like dickhead and prickholes? Almost in every sentence? No? Well, this book tried and had me rolling my eyes because of it. 🙄🙄
The idea was good, the execution not so much for me and for a book this long... Well, it needed so much more I can't even. 🥲🥲
And nop, I'm not reading the second one *cringes*.
So let's break it down!!! 👁👄👁
The good:
- The world building was fantastic and very intriguing, the differences between humans/shifters/mages was really well done, so much so, that I felt angry on their behalf.
- The writing was good.
- Some relationships between some characters were really lovely, like the main dude and Jude and the main dude and the kid. So you see, this had potential.
BUT!
The so so:
- The action was good, I think that the "mages" part of it needed better explanations, we got a lot of shields, bubbles (spheres) and stuff, so in a really big fight you had a lot of: put a shield there, put a bubble here, drop the shield, etc etc. It would have been more interesting to see some of those scenes in the shifters point of view, because they actually got close to the target. But yeah, at one point I was just tired of bubbles and shields.
- The love was... WTF! Didn't see it coming, didn't see the connection, I didn't even like the main guy wich is a red flag (he was mean, "because of his traumas", Jude has traumas and he isn't an ass!!!). Jude is... ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥 love the guy.
- The other main dude is what I called "huevo sin sal", wich translates as an egg without salt, wich is sad. So you get what I mean, NO FLAVOR OR SELFRESPECT WHATSOEVER!
- And finally, how many times can you use words like dickhead and prickholes? Almost in every sentence? No? Well, this book tried and had me rolling my eyes because of it. 🙄🙄
The idea was good, the execution not so much for me and for a book this long... Well, it needed so much more I can't even. 🥲🥲
And nop, I'm not reading the second one *cringes*.
March 20, 2022
The rating of this book confuses me. 4.54? Really? This gets a 2.5 rounded up from me.
So this book has a lot of really good ideas. To briefly summarize: 100 years in the future there are three species - humans, shifters, and mages. Shifters and mages are persecuted, with the latter being the absolute bottom rung of society. There is also rich world building (think "half of the US is a wasteland and the entire world is constantly fighting"). Like I said - good ideas.
What lets this book down is its execution. The writing is pretty lackluster and it's full of slang that seems dated even today, let alone in a dystopic future. The "plot" is only mentioned a few times before roughly the 60% mark, and it ends up being more of a character-building device than an actual plot. And possibly my biggest complaint: the info dumping is absolutely nuts. Like, seriously.
I will read more in this series, but I will temper my expectations. Recommended for fans of dystopic urban fantasy (think Kate Daniels); little to no on-page sexy times; cats with obnoxious yet utterly realistic names.
So this book has a lot of really good ideas. To briefly summarize: 100 years in the future there are three species - humans, shifters, and mages. Shifters and mages are persecuted, with the latter being the absolute bottom rung of society. There is also rich world building (think "half of the US is a wasteland and the entire world is constantly fighting"). Like I said - good ideas.
What lets this book down is its execution. The writing is pretty lackluster and it's full of slang that seems dated even today, let alone in a dystopic future. The "plot" is only mentioned a few times before roughly the 60% mark, and it ends up being more of a character-building device than an actual plot. And possibly my biggest complaint: the info dumping is absolutely nuts. Like, seriously.
I will read more in this series, but I will temper my expectations. Recommended for fans of dystopic urban fantasy (think Kate Daniels); little to no on-page sexy times; cats with obnoxious yet utterly realistic names.
June 18, 2022
3 stars
Ehh okay this was like THIRDS meets the SOULBOUND series, and that combo should have been an absolute win, but idk it felt like it didn’t need to be as long as it was and there were missing things to it..
The first 50% I was hooked, but then it draaaaaaaged for another 25-35% then it picked up again for the last 15%. The writing was good it just felt very repetitive. Also if I have to read someone insulting another by calling them a “prickhole” I might scream hahah, out of all the insults that one got the most annoying.
I felt like for a 34 year old Madeo was a little immature… and was purposely missing what was in front of his face.. like they had to spell it out for him to get it through that thick skull, which was annoying.
The narrator (CJ Storm) was good especially for the first book he did. I didn’t love Cosmo’s voice but all the others were pretty good!
Not sure if I’ll continue, I wish that we had Dual POVs but it was only in Madeo’s POV. I know there’s a 1.5 book and that is in Cosmo’s POV, but not sure if I’ll read that. I also want to have Jude’s story… I think that’ll be interesting.
Ehh okay this was like THIRDS meets the SOULBOUND series, and that combo should have been an absolute win, but idk it felt like it didn’t need to be as long as it was and there were missing things to it..
The first 50% I was hooked, but then it draaaaaaaged for another 25-35% then it picked up again for the last 15%. The writing was good it just felt very repetitive. Also if I have to read someone insulting another by calling them a “prickhole” I might scream hahah, out of all the insults that one got the most annoying.
I felt like for a 34 year old Madeo was a little immature… and was purposely missing what was in front of his face.. like they had to spell it out for him to get it through that thick skull, which was annoying.
The narrator (CJ Storm) was good especially for the first book he did. I didn’t love Cosmo’s voice but all the others were pretty good!
Not sure if I’ll continue, I wish that we had Dual POVs but it was only in Madeo’s POV. I know there’s a 1.5 book and that is in Cosmo’s POV, but not sure if I’ll read that. I also want to have Jude’s story… I think that’ll be interesting.
April 7, 2023
Ok, another ambivalent review ahead.
"The scars that bind us" is the first book of the series. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic US. It is told from the first narrator perspective of the mage Madeo. In this world humans suppress the non-human species (mages and shifters). When Madeo was 3 days old, he has been bound to another mage - Jude. They share a very close but purely platonic bond which allows Madeo to use Jude like a powerbank and magical enhancer. The two have been fighting in a government led task force against crime and most importantly against tears in the veil of the world through which monsters can enter their world. The world building is very complex to the degree where it becomes a bit too much.
Despite having grown up in hardship (hints of being sexually molested in the past plus definite tales of physical and mental torture through the human oppresors) Madeo is one of these characters who is at the same time grumpy, sarcastic and a pure ray of sunshine. Seriously! The fluffiness of the characters and their relationships to the background of this hard world took me by surprise. For some people this might be a pleasant surprise - but I am not someone who can stand that much sugar, cuddling and awww-shucks-moments. Also I thought it didn't quite fit into this otherwise dark book. I would have prefered more dark and less sappy.
So introduce the second MC (no, it's not Jude!). Cosmo "Cos" (what's with the awful nicknames always?) is a alpha lion shifter who has just moved to the city and some members of his small pride plus Jude and Madeo and a human supervisor are thrown together to form a new team. And from day one Madeo and Cosmo are staring into each others eyes. Seriously it's a meet-cute in a post apocaplyptic world. With dates to the sandwich place and restaurants. With one poor little sex scene and millions of moments of snuggling. And bumping. The author definitely has a thing for bumping. They are constantly bumping shoulders when they walk, bumping their knees against each other underneath the table. To me all this cuteness is a serious bump in the road.
So, I am not all bought on the characters. It wasn't all horrible, I liked Madeos grumpy side and the sarcasm. But all the fluffiness was seriously not my thing.
I liked the originality of the world building and the author had some very good ideas, but the execution was ... too much to really enjoy.
The romance was way to sappy for me.
The writing was a bit clumsy in places.
But despite all these complaints this book had something that made me not even once considering dnf-ing it. There was a suspense plot which wasn't grand but could maybe work out in the future of the series.
I always kept wanting to know where the author would go next .
"The scars that bind us" is the first book of the series. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic US. It is told from the first narrator perspective of the mage Madeo. In this world humans suppress the non-human species (mages and shifters). When Madeo was 3 days old, he has been bound to another mage - Jude. They share a very close but purely platonic bond which allows Madeo to use Jude like a powerbank and magical enhancer. The two have been fighting in a government led task force against crime and most importantly against tears in the veil of the world through which monsters can enter their world. The world building is very complex to the degree where it becomes a bit too much.
Despite having grown up in hardship (hints of being sexually molested in the past plus definite tales of physical and mental torture through the human oppresors) Madeo is one of these characters who is at the same time grumpy, sarcastic and a pure ray of sunshine. Seriously! The fluffiness of the characters and their relationships to the background of this hard world took me by surprise. For some people this might be a pleasant surprise - but I am not someone who can stand that much sugar, cuddling and awww-shucks-moments. Also I thought it didn't quite fit into this otherwise dark book. I would have prefered more dark and less sappy.
So introduce the second MC (no, it's not Jude!). Cosmo "Cos" (what's with the awful nicknames always?) is a alpha lion shifter who has just moved to the city and some members of his small pride plus Jude and Madeo and a human supervisor are thrown together to form a new team. And from day one Madeo and Cosmo are staring into each others eyes. Seriously it's a meet-cute in a post apocaplyptic world. With dates to the sandwich place and restaurants. With one poor little sex scene and millions of moments of snuggling. And bumping. The author definitely has a thing for bumping. They are constantly bumping shoulders when they walk, bumping their knees against each other underneath the table. To me all this cuteness is a serious bump in the road.
So, I am not all bought on the characters. It wasn't all horrible, I liked Madeos grumpy side and the sarcasm. But all the fluffiness was seriously not my thing.
I liked the originality of the world building and the author had some very good ideas, but the execution was ... too much to really enjoy.
The romance was way to sappy for me.
The writing was a bit clumsy in places.
But despite all these complaints this book had something that made me not even once considering dnf-ing it. There was a suspense plot which wasn't grand but could maybe work out in the future of the series.
I always kept wanting to know where the author would go next .
October 13, 2022
i really didn't expect this amount of sap in a post war book.
i hope there's more to Mad's magic too. i mean he's obviously very powerful and he's got 47 runes with which he can mix and match but all I've seen are shields and healing and closing tears which apparently most mages can do💀.
also is it just me or does this series have an uncanny resemblance to the THIRDS series but with some extra cheese.
i hope there's more to Mad's magic too. i mean he's obviously very powerful and he's got 47 runes with which he can mix and match but all I've seen are shields and healing and closing tears which apparently most mages can do💀.
also is it just me or does this series have an uncanny resemblance to the THIRDS series but with some extra cheese.
March 12, 2022
First book by this author and despite being so long it was quite captivating.
I love a good fantasy setting and strong characters
I love a good fantasy setting and strong characters
October 23, 2022
4.5 Stars
February 22, 2022
The Scars That Bind Us is a stellar start to the Magi Accounts series. I was at first hesitant to read this book but I am glad I gave this chance.
The story is engaging and well-paced. I love the world that was presented in this story from the magic that exists, the paranormal species and fierce other dimensional creature that the had to fight. The brief history that was presented of the war that created the current state of their world is interesting while the sufferings and injustices that magi and shifters had to endure were pretty rage-inducing to say the least.
The cast of characters in this story so far have been endearing. I love the close bond between Madeo and Jude. They've been together practically forever and have been the pillar for each other. Theirs is platonic relationship that has a lot of skinship as both are very affectionate along with the fact that it is what makes their magic work better. Logan is such an adorable kid and what happened to him was quite sad. But it was a joy to see him grow close and find a family in Madeo and Jude. Cosmo and his pride grew on me later on in the story. At first I found a tad bit of a bore and quite one-dimensional, but they did get fleshed out a bit much later and have become quite endearing.
The romance between Cosmo and Madeo is nicely written and hopefully would have more development later in the series. I hope that Cosmo would be given the same depth of character as Madeo down the line and Jude to get his own HEA.
Overall, The Scars That Bind Us is an action-packed, paranormal story with interesting characters, a fascinating world and a compelling plot that will hook you until the end. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
This would be 4.5 stars out of 5 stars.
I received an ARC of this book via GRR and I have chosen to publish my fair and honest review.
The story is engaging and well-paced. I love the world that was presented in this story from the magic that exists, the paranormal species and fierce other dimensional creature that the had to fight. The brief history that was presented of the war that created the current state of their world is interesting while the sufferings and injustices that magi and shifters had to endure were pretty rage-inducing to say the least.
The cast of characters in this story so far have been endearing. I love the close bond between Madeo and Jude. They've been together practically forever and have been the pillar for each other. Theirs is platonic relationship that has a lot of skinship as both are very affectionate along with the fact that it is what makes their magic work better. Logan is such an adorable kid and what happened to him was quite sad. But it was a joy to see him grow close and find a family in Madeo and Jude. Cosmo and his pride grew on me later on in the story. At first I found a tad bit of a bore and quite one-dimensional, but they did get fleshed out a bit much later and have become quite endearing.
The romance between Cosmo and Madeo is nicely written and hopefully would have more development later in the series. I hope that Cosmo would be given the same depth of character as Madeo down the line and Jude to get his own HEA.
Overall, The Scars That Bind Us is an action-packed, paranormal story with interesting characters, a fascinating world and a compelling plot that will hook you until the end. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
This would be 4.5 stars out of 5 stars.
I received an ARC of this book via GRR and I have chosen to publish my fair and honest review.
April 18, 2022
Sorry but nope...DNFed at 59% after not a single hint of romance happening.
Not sure why is this tagged as book for adults. This wouldn't make shy even a nun.
This is not even slow burn it's straight up torture with boredom. Madeo is supposedly 34 but when it comes to love and feelings he acts like 12yo catholic schoolgirl. I get it he doesn't have much experience but this is straight up being completely blind and unaware of any hints.
Idea and world building is interesting but don't read as romance. It's more like YA fantasy.
Not sure why is this tagged as book for adults. This wouldn't make shy even a nun.
This is not even slow burn it's straight up torture with boredom. Madeo is supposedly 34 but when it comes to love and feelings he acts like 12yo catholic schoolgirl. I get it he doesn't have much experience but this is straight up being completely blind and unaware of any hints.
Idea and world building is interesting but don't read as romance. It's more like YA fantasy.
July 29, 2022
Disappointing
Great concept that flopped. The romance was too tweeny: small/tiny smiles that were always soft or gentle, shoulder bumping, small touches with the hand - it was all so...childish it made me cringe. I don't mind some of this in the story, but every interaction cannot be quite that delicate. Everyone treated Madeo like glass that was going to break and he was always flinching or gasping or smiling gently. He basically had no personality other than whining about his lot in life and making eyes at his love interest. His love interest was equally limited, coddling Madeo and being surprisingly gentle with everyone, and surprised at the Magi's lot in life. Very quickly, their interactions became tedious.
The story was full of things that were only explored on the surface. Madeo was assaulted in his youth but we barely touch on that and it crops up oddly and inconsistently in his interactions. He whines constantly about how badly his kind is treated, but we only see it in restaurants and at work. What about the grocery store? What about with cops? How did they learn to drive if they can't own cars? How do they have plenty of food when they are the lowest on the totem pole? It doesn't make sense and it should since it's so central to the story.
It's like the book is written to get you 5 steps in on everything and absolutely nothing is explored further. Not the romance, not the political situation, not the dyad relationship, nothing. The book worked so hard at being even in everything that nothing meaningful about the world was conveyed.
On top of this, the dialogue was cringe worthy much of the time. The childish pet names were constantly used (bubba, Judikans, and so forth), which reinforced the tween feel of the book. It's like none of the characters matured past 12. Statements were made on emotions that could have been inferred rather than spoon fed to the reader. There was heavy use of adverbs and adjectives, mostly the same ones over and over again: sweet, sweetly, gentle, gently, tiny, small.
As for the plot, it wasn't too complex but had promise. Unfortunately the constant repetition of words, phrases, and emotions mired the plot down. It made little movement, and instead of using the political situation to drive complexity, became simplistic and anticlimactic. The book is so relationship driven there are entire chapters that have nothing to do with the plot, and yet they also fail to develop the characters or world significantly enough to make up for it.
I'm left wishing I hadn't spent the time.
Great concept that flopped. The romance was too tweeny: small/tiny smiles that were always soft or gentle, shoulder bumping, small touches with the hand - it was all so...childish it made me cringe. I don't mind some of this in the story, but every interaction cannot be quite that delicate. Everyone treated Madeo like glass that was going to break and he was always flinching or gasping or smiling gently. He basically had no personality other than whining about his lot in life and making eyes at his love interest. His love interest was equally limited, coddling Madeo and being surprisingly gentle with everyone, and surprised at the Magi's lot in life. Very quickly, their interactions became tedious.
The story was full of things that were only explored on the surface. Madeo was assaulted in his youth but we barely touch on that and it crops up oddly and inconsistently in his interactions. He whines constantly about how badly his kind is treated, but we only see it in restaurants and at work. What about the grocery store? What about with cops? How did they learn to drive if they can't own cars? How do they have plenty of food when they are the lowest on the totem pole? It doesn't make sense and it should since it's so central to the story.
It's like the book is written to get you 5 steps in on everything and absolutely nothing is explored further. Not the romance, not the political situation, not the dyad relationship, nothing. The book worked so hard at being even in everything that nothing meaningful about the world was conveyed.
On top of this, the dialogue was cringe worthy much of the time. The childish pet names were constantly used (bubba, Judikans, and so forth), which reinforced the tween feel of the book. It's like none of the characters matured past 12. Statements were made on emotions that could have been inferred rather than spoon fed to the reader. There was heavy use of adverbs and adjectives, mostly the same ones over and over again: sweet, sweetly, gentle, gently, tiny, small.
As for the plot, it wasn't too complex but had promise. Unfortunately the constant repetition of words, phrases, and emotions mired the plot down. It made little movement, and instead of using the political situation to drive complexity, became simplistic and anticlimactic. The book is so relationship driven there are entire chapters that have nothing to do with the plot, and yet they also fail to develop the characters or world significantly enough to make up for it.
I'm left wishing I hadn't spent the time.
February 17, 2022
Madeo is a mage who hides his soft heart under a prickly exterior, but would die for the people he loves. Madeo and his platonic life and work partner Jude share an intense connection that allows them to work together to strengthen and focus their magic. Jude and Madeo grew up together in heartbreaking conditions, used and abused by a government that oppresses them and forces them to work, using their powers to fight the beasts that enter our world through tears in the veil between realms. Madeo and Jude are put on a team with a felid shifter pride new to the area, with lion shifter alpha Cosmo as their team lead. Madeo and Cosmo share an immediate attraction, but Madeo has only ever been treated horribly by shifters and his past trauma has made him distrustful of the pride and their alpha. Cosmo must prove to Madeo that he is fair and caring, and as they get to know each other, Cosmo realizes everything he’s been told about magi were complete falsehoods, and he needs to unlearn his biases and trust the magi on his team as well.
I am so glad I took a chance on this ARC because I absolutely loved it. I totally fell in love with Madeo and his family. I loved his relationship with Jude and their close connection and their newly adopted teenage brother Logan. Cosmo’s shifter pride has a wonderful vibe as well, and Cosmo is so inclusive, caring, protective, and strong - I just loved him. The setting of the book is futuristic/dystopian urban fantasy, which has been kind of iffy for me lately, but the cozy found-family vibe of this book made it such a pleasure to read, even though there is a lot of angst surrounding the characters’ pasts and the magi’s terrible treatment by the US government. The book is a bit on the longer side at 400 pages, but I didn’t feel like the story ever dragged. There was just a lot of world-building and character development that needed to happen, but it worked together with a page-turning investigation plot and lots of action to make me completely invested in these characters and their story. It ends with a satisfying conclusion to the plot, an HFN for the romance, and just enough unfinished business to keep me excited for the next book! If you like urban fantasy, magic users, and shifters definitely check out The Scars That Bind Us, I loved it!
I am so glad I took a chance on this ARC because I absolutely loved it. I totally fell in love with Madeo and his family. I loved his relationship with Jude and their close connection and their newly adopted teenage brother Logan. Cosmo’s shifter pride has a wonderful vibe as well, and Cosmo is so inclusive, caring, protective, and strong - I just loved him. The setting of the book is futuristic/dystopian urban fantasy, which has been kind of iffy for me lately, but the cozy found-family vibe of this book made it such a pleasure to read, even though there is a lot of angst surrounding the characters’ pasts and the magi’s terrible treatment by the US government. The book is a bit on the longer side at 400 pages, but I didn’t feel like the story ever dragged. There was just a lot of world-building and character development that needed to happen, but it worked together with a page-turning investigation plot and lots of action to make me completely invested in these characters and their story. It ends with a satisfying conclusion to the plot, an HFN for the romance, and just enough unfinished business to keep me excited for the next book! If you like urban fantasy, magic users, and shifters definitely check out The Scars That Bind Us, I loved it!
June 27, 2022
I am lucky yo get ARCs of different books and a lot of them are good books, then when I am lucky there are very good books. And then, sometimes there are real gems in-between like this one.
the world-building is an interesting concept and I can imagine, humans reacting exactly like that - which is a depressing concept.
Nevertheless, I liked the flow of the story. the pacing was perfectly timed and the writing was so engaging that I could not put it down (which is alway a bit difficult as I have to small children, who are not so understanding if their mother wants - no has - to read).
the characters are well drawn and I loved them - all of them. there are so many different people, who I want to get to know better, that it was fun to read.
I really enjoyed Madeo and his voice and how he brings us through this story. I loved getting to know him and his driad and there are a lot of things I want to know about him, which means I need another book with his voice. I could imagine not one POV, like this book but 2 or 3 (Madeo, Cos, Jude .... maybe or only Madeo and Cos). But I think Madeos POV is a must.
I absolutely loved this book!!!! So, if you like UF/Sci-Fi books, this one is a real gem and a great start to a new series! I really hope that the next book comes out soon - can't wait to get my hands on it!
thanks to GRR for providing me with an ARC - but nevertheless, my review is honest and my own opinion (if you doubt that, just browse through my shelf ARC ;) )
the world-building is an interesting concept and I can imagine, humans reacting exactly like that - which is a depressing concept.
Nevertheless, I liked the flow of the story. the pacing was perfectly timed and the writing was so engaging that I could not put it down (which is alway a bit difficult as I have to small children, who are not so understanding if their mother wants - no has - to read).
the characters are well drawn and I loved them - all of them. there are so many different people, who I want to get to know better, that it was fun to read.
I really enjoyed Madeo and his voice and how he brings us through this story. I loved getting to know him and his driad and there are a lot of things I want to know about him, which means I need another book with his voice. I could imagine not one POV, like this book but 2 or 3 (Madeo, Cos, Jude .... maybe or only Madeo and Cos). But I think Madeos POV is a must.
I absolutely loved this book!!!! So, if you like UF/Sci-Fi books, this one is a real gem and a great start to a new series! I really hope that the next book comes out soon - can't wait to get my hands on it!
thanks to GRR for providing me with an ARC - but nevertheless, my review is honest and my own opinion (if you doubt that, just browse through my shelf ARC ;) )
February 19, 2022
I expected to like this, based on the prologue alone. Michele has a great writing style, and I liked the world she'd made in the hearts that tie us. But in this book, she not only expanded the world, grew the characters depth, but created more nuanced issues!
I love Madeo and Jude. Cosmo is a sweetheart. Logan in a cinnamon roll. Seeing the world from the bottom rung of the racial ladder gives it a nuance that sometimes is missing, especially in cases like this with a magical race interacting with humans. And seeing the humans at the top of the ladder is a refreshing change from other urban fantasy books! The characters have so much depth! And world is great!
But the plot? Perfect. Delightful. Exciting. Immersing. I loved the storyline. It has such a good mix of excitement and sweetness. Madeo and Cosmo go through a lot and I don't have enough adjectives to describe how much I enjoyed it.
This is, so far, my favorite book Michele has done. I cannot wait for the next one! (Though, alas, wait I must)
I love Madeo and Jude. Cosmo is a sweetheart. Logan in a cinnamon roll. Seeing the world from the bottom rung of the racial ladder gives it a nuance that sometimes is missing, especially in cases like this with a magical race interacting with humans. And seeing the humans at the top of the ladder is a refreshing change from other urban fantasy books! The characters have so much depth! And world is great!
But the plot? Perfect. Delightful. Exciting. Immersing. I loved the storyline. It has such a good mix of excitement and sweetness. Madeo and Cosmo go through a lot and I don't have enough adjectives to describe how much I enjoyed it.
This is, so far, my favorite book Michele has done. I cannot wait for the next one! (Though, alas, wait I must)
April 8, 2022
Madeo was annoying. There were a number of other issues with this book, but Madeo’s characterization was the worst.
July 5, 2022
I really really tried to like it. But I didn't. The world was very interesting but I didn't give a fuck about any of the characters. There was conflicting information at times and I was a bit annoyed by the demisexual rep. Everyone is different but in a nutshell the sexual attraction comes after knowing someone man. Not insta.
April 22, 2023
F bombs....check
Big baddies....check
Final boss ...check
Could use less info dumps ... check
This lovely story was missed labeled. It's more of a LitRPG set in a dystopia future. Where humans set aside their pettiness to plot the downfall of supernatural peoples.
So the majority human society finds out about Mage and Feline shifters. Wait what about the wolf, bear..... Don't worry about it. You'll spoil this cat loving paradise.
So mundane majority with their AK15s and various bombardment materials grind the mage community into third class citizenship. While no one tells a cat what to do.
For some strange reason a dimensional rift has formed. Noone knows who did it. Some surmise it was to pull a creature through. One that could defeat the Shifter community. Yeah it didn't workout the way that they wanted. More lives are lost on all sides. None get it worse than the mage population.
Yelp! Banning together to seal the rift. Just another day to the mage. Power used to subdue. Shifter claws are the only weapon that can cut through the rift dwellers hides. Boy what a mess to cleanup. So humans need these magical beings. You would think they are treated with the upmost of respect. If being put in containment camps and locked away in cells. Is your idea of gratification. Then you would be just as sad as I currently ( at this very minute) am considering claiming my own piece of USA land. As a sovereigned nation. My currencies will be shiny rocks.
On a serious note. I chose this book because of the comments. Ones that can't believe a world like this couldn't be a thing. A nothing burger if you will. Well sorry to say folks. This is how minority communities are treated. Either pitted againt each other for table scraps or branded as the best immigration has to offer. Cause your peoples back home run a billion strong. That's a lot of buying power #IAWThoughts
Big baddies....check
Final boss ...check
Could use less info dumps ... check
This lovely story was missed labeled. It's more of a LitRPG set in a dystopia future. Where humans set aside their pettiness to plot the downfall of supernatural peoples.
So the majority human society finds out about Mage and Feline shifters. Wait what about the wolf, bear..... Don't worry about it. You'll spoil this cat loving paradise.
So mundane majority with their AK15s and various bombardment materials grind the mage community into third class citizenship. While no one tells a cat what to do.
For some strange reason a dimensional rift has formed. Noone knows who did it. Some surmise it was to pull a creature through. One that could defeat the Shifter community. Yeah it didn't workout the way that they wanted. More lives are lost on all sides. None get it worse than the mage population.
Yelp! Banning together to seal the rift. Just another day to the mage. Power used to subdue. Shifter claws are the only weapon that can cut through the rift dwellers hides. Boy what a mess to cleanup. So humans need these magical beings. You would think they are treated with the upmost of respect. If being put in containment camps and locked away in cells. Is your idea of gratification. Then you would be just as sad as I currently ( at this very minute) am considering claiming my own piece of USA land. As a sovereigned nation. My currencies will be shiny rocks.
On a serious note. I chose this book because of the comments. Ones that can't believe a world like this couldn't be a thing. A nothing burger if you will. Well sorry to say folks. This is how minority communities are treated. Either pitted againt each other for table scraps or branded as the best immigration has to offer. Cause your peoples back home run a billion strong. That's a lot of buying power #IAWThoughts
February 24, 2022
It’s an ok book, the usual set up. But the writer seriously misjudged the tone of the book.
Grown-up battle hardened men do not resort to baby speak, kissing each others’ boo boos and they don’t tend to use juvenile humour. This clearly has been written as a YA novel and she added 20 years to the characters age without bothering to change the dialogue.
Grown-up battle hardened men do not resort to baby speak, kissing each others’ boo boos and they don’t tend to use juvenile humour. This clearly has been written as a YA novel and she added 20 years to the characters age without bothering to change the dialogue.
August 12, 2022
I initially had given this one 4 stars but I legit could NOT stop thinking about it. I'll give it that extra star rating. I really enjoyed The Scars That Bind Us. It's like a cross between T.H.I.R.D.S. and the Soulbound series. *chef's kiss*
February 21, 2022
this was a really entertaining and fun read. alot of world building which was cool. the conflict was a tough one, and this isn’t the end of it. i’m really excited to read the next book!!
the romance was slow burn, and i absolutely love seeing Mads and Cos getting closer and trusting each other. i love Cos being patient and understanding towards Mads. i love reading about Mads doubts and insecurities. even though this is fully in Mads’ pov, we can feel and see how much Cos really liked Mads though, and he was honestly, so so sweet towards Mads and Jude, and even
another great thing about this, is the found family and friendships. Jude, Logan and the three precious kitties. The Ono-Nai Pride was so welcoming and sweet too. it was so homey, i wanna be part of them too.
-⭐️ (also notes for me)
the romance was slow burn, and i absolutely love seeing Mads and Cos getting closer and trusting each other. i love Cos being patient and understanding towards Mads. i love reading about Mads doubts and insecurities. even though this is fully in Mads’ pov, we can feel and see how much Cos really liked Mads though, and he was honestly, so so sweet towards Mads and Jude, and even
another great thing about this, is the found family and friendships. Jude, Logan and the three precious kitties. The Ono-Nai Pride was so welcoming and sweet too. it was so homey, i wanna be part of them too.
-⭐️ (also notes for me)
June 1, 2025
4.5 Stars
This was a really amazing book, I was super hesitant at the start of this book because the speciesism was super prevalent and it’s just one of those tropes that make me a little uncomfortable.
However, it went from being uncomfortable at 30 minutes to suddenly I’m 6 hours in and don’t wanna stop.
I liked that this book took place over a decent period of time it wasn’t a the book happened in a span of a week. It meant natural progression of relationships.
The Mads and Jude dynamic is really interesting, most of the time you’d expect them to be the couple but it isn’t which is kinda refreshing.
I think that the 5 stars will probably come for me for this series soon, right now I just need to get used to how dark this book is. It started out really dark but then all the characters dynamics really improved things, but then the last 20% got really dark again and it was a bit of whiplash.
Only thing I didn’t love is that it feels like the witches tranquillising people to capture them is a boring cop out plot device.
This was a really amazing book, I was super hesitant at the start of this book because the speciesism was super prevalent and it’s just one of those tropes that make me a little uncomfortable.
However, it went from being uncomfortable at 30 minutes to suddenly I’m 6 hours in and don’t wanna stop.
I liked that this book took place over a decent period of time it wasn’t a the book happened in a span of a week. It meant natural progression of relationships.
The Mads and Jude dynamic is really interesting, most of the time you’d expect them to be the couple but it isn’t which is kinda refreshing.
I think that the 5 stars will probably come for me for this series soon, right now I just need to get used to how dark this book is. It started out really dark but then all the characters dynamics really improved things, but then the last 20% got really dark again and it was a bit of whiplash.
Only thing I didn’t love is that it feels like the witches tranquillising people to capture them is a boring cop out plot device.
July 3, 2022
Diving into the first book in a new series is always a risk, but when it's a brand new Michele Notaro universe it's one that's always worth taking. The excitement I had while I was reading this story rivals the day I first discovered the Ellwood Chronicles--and that's a series I thought could never be topped.
To say I was captivated feels like it doesn't accurately reflect the intensity with which I devoured this book. All it took was a few sentences for me to become fully immersed in Madeo's journey, and the more I learned about the history of his world the more fascinated I was. From new paranormal species to terrifying otherworldly monsters and evil people in power, there was plenty for me to love and hate about this new world. I don't know if it qualifies as a full-on dystopia, but the suffering and injustices that magi and shifters had to endure were pretty rage-inducing. My heart ached every time Madeo revealed another horrific piece of his past, and the fact that he somehow kept his kind heart and generosity after so much mistreatment only made me more in-awe of his strong character.
Speaking of character, the entire cast of characters I met in this book were pretty dang fantastic. Madeo, Jude, Logan, Cosmo, and the rest of the Ono-Nai pride started out wary and distrustful of each other, but over time they all started to feel like one close-knit family. That lovely sense of community is a big part of why Michele's books always feel so special to me, and she definitely captured that feeling here. Since this story was solely from Madeo's perspective, I had a lot of time to appreciate his unique dyad bond with Jude, but I'm equally excited to learn more about the pride in upcoming stories.
Because so much of Madeo's story served as an intro to the new universe, his romance with Cosmo got off to a slow start. It honestly didn't bother me at all, because I was way more excited to learn about the characters, watch them all get to know each other, and see the types of missions they got to work on. Without me even realizing it, more than half the story had flown by without Madeo and Cosmo going further than longing glances across the room. When the two of them did finally make their interest in each other known, they were pretty freaking cute about it. Mads kept being so flustered and overwhelmed by Cosmo's affection, and Cosmo was a wonderfully patient gentleman about it. Their romance was more about learning to be open and trust each other than about steamy nights of passion, and I really enjoyed the change of pace. It made me believe in their connection way more than I would have if they'd made it all about sex, and honestly, with so much going on in their lives, who has the energy for all of that.
Just when I was starting to feel comfortable with the direction this story was headed, Michele threw a curveball that accelerated the action in a major way. I love a good race to the finish line, and boy did Madeo and crew put me through the emotional wringer along the way. I continue to be amazed by how this author can string tiny breadcrumbs together into a massive, open-ended conflict, and I know we've barely scraped the surface of what's in store for these brave fighters.
**I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.
To say I was captivated feels like it doesn't accurately reflect the intensity with which I devoured this book. All it took was a few sentences for me to become fully immersed in Madeo's journey, and the more I learned about the history of his world the more fascinated I was. From new paranormal species to terrifying otherworldly monsters and evil people in power, there was plenty for me to love and hate about this new world. I don't know if it qualifies as a full-on dystopia, but the suffering and injustices that magi and shifters had to endure were pretty rage-inducing. My heart ached every time Madeo revealed another horrific piece of his past, and the fact that he somehow kept his kind heart and generosity after so much mistreatment only made me more in-awe of his strong character.
Speaking of character, the entire cast of characters I met in this book were pretty dang fantastic. Madeo, Jude, Logan, Cosmo, and the rest of the Ono-Nai pride started out wary and distrustful of each other, but over time they all started to feel like one close-knit family. That lovely sense of community is a big part of why Michele's books always feel so special to me, and she definitely captured that feeling here. Since this story was solely from Madeo's perspective, I had a lot of time to appreciate his unique dyad bond with Jude, but I'm equally excited to learn more about the pride in upcoming stories.
Because so much of Madeo's story served as an intro to the new universe, his romance with Cosmo got off to a slow start. It honestly didn't bother me at all, because I was way more excited to learn about the characters, watch them all get to know each other, and see the types of missions they got to work on. Without me even realizing it, more than half the story had flown by without Madeo and Cosmo going further than longing glances across the room. When the two of them did finally make their interest in each other known, they were pretty freaking cute about it. Mads kept being so flustered and overwhelmed by Cosmo's affection, and Cosmo was a wonderfully patient gentleman about it. Their romance was more about learning to be open and trust each other than about steamy nights of passion, and I really enjoyed the change of pace. It made me believe in their connection way more than I would have if they'd made it all about sex, and honestly, with so much going on in their lives, who has the energy for all of that.
Just when I was starting to feel comfortable with the direction this story was headed, Michele threw a curveball that accelerated the action in a major way. I love a good race to the finish line, and boy did Madeo and crew put me through the emotional wringer along the way. I continue to be amazed by how this author can string tiny breadcrumbs together into a massive, open-ended conflict, and I know we've barely scraped the surface of what's in store for these brave fighters.
**I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.
June 21, 2022
DNF @41%
My God am I bored AND annoyed.
Yes, the book is stupid long and, 41% so far no hint of a possible romance has happened (which is fine by me. I love me a good slow build) but this doesn’t even have a tiny spark of romance or lust so when the actual romance comes, I bet its going to hit you like a freight train.
BUT I mostly dislike the book for one character and one character only: Madeo.
Madeo is an asshole and puts everybody is danger around him. The shifters have proven themselves to be reliable, sweet, trustworthy and kind over and over again yet Mateo still paints them as none of the above. He is PISSED when someone says something bad about mages and paints all mages as liars and whatnot, but he is perfectly content to paint ALL shifters as brutes, liars and cruel and if you try to tell him otherwise?? Oh no, how dare you!!
For instance, at around 41% (which is again, when I gave up because if I read another thought from Madeo, I was going to blow my brains out), Madeo and Jude smuggle an unregistered mage child out of the state. They lied to Cosmo about it, and the entire pack, straight to his face because “he is a shifter and uwu scary can’t be trusted!! Even though he hasn’t showed you one hint that he is disloyal and cruel but whatever. Then they proceed to smuggle him in the middle of a forest where Cosmo appears behind a bush quietly and then walks away (he could have reported them right there and then).
The next day, Madeo is PISSED!!! that Cosmo dared to follow them and not say anything!!
“We didn’t know each other that well, that was true, but I’d thought… I’d thought he was starting to trust me, starting to see me, the person, not just my designation in this fucked-up world.” What trust?!?! All you’ve done is lie to him and paint him as a cruel shifter like all the others!! Trust is a two way street. Madeo expects that Cosmo trusts and follows him blindly while he does none of the above.
Poor Cosmo apologizes but Madeo, very childish and petulant like, says he won’t and calls him an asshole. The author keeps trying to make me believe that Cosmo followed them because he thought they were going to turn the child to the humans (which is bullshit because Cosmo knows what Madeo and Jude went through and he explicitly voiced that he hated it so he wouldn’t believe that those two would do that to another child).
That is without mentioning that he could have put Cosmo’s entire pack in danger!! If they were caught smuggling that kid, the humans could have assumed the shifters knew about it and punish them as well.
I don’t care if Madeo apologizes for being a dick in the next chapter. He is an asshole.
My God am I bored AND annoyed.
Yes, the book is stupid long and, 41% so far no hint of a possible romance has happened (which is fine by me. I love me a good slow build) but this doesn’t even have a tiny spark of romance or lust so when the actual romance comes, I bet its going to hit you like a freight train.
BUT I mostly dislike the book for one character and one character only: Madeo.
Madeo is an asshole and puts everybody is danger around him. The shifters have proven themselves to be reliable, sweet, trustworthy and kind over and over again yet Mateo still paints them as none of the above. He is PISSED when someone says something bad about mages and paints all mages as liars and whatnot, but he is perfectly content to paint ALL shifters as brutes, liars and cruel and if you try to tell him otherwise?? Oh no, how dare you!!
For instance, at around 41% (which is again, when I gave up because if I read another thought from Madeo, I was going to blow my brains out), Madeo and Jude smuggle an unregistered mage child out of the state. They lied to Cosmo about it, and the entire pack, straight to his face because “he is a shifter and uwu scary can’t be trusted!! Even though he hasn’t showed you one hint that he is disloyal and cruel but whatever. Then they proceed to smuggle him in the middle of a forest where Cosmo appears behind a bush quietly and then walks away (he could have reported them right there and then).
The next day, Madeo is PISSED!!! that Cosmo dared to follow them and not say anything!!
“We didn’t know each other that well, that was true, but I’d thought… I’d thought he was starting to trust me, starting to see me, the person, not just my designation in this fucked-up world.” What trust?!?! All you’ve done is lie to him and paint him as a cruel shifter like all the others!! Trust is a two way street. Madeo expects that Cosmo trusts and follows him blindly while he does none of the above.
Poor Cosmo apologizes but Madeo, very childish and petulant like, says he won’t and calls him an asshole. The author keeps trying to make me believe that Cosmo followed them because he thought they were going to turn the child to the humans (which is bullshit because Cosmo knows what Madeo and Jude went through and he explicitly voiced that he hated it so he wouldn’t believe that those two would do that to another child).
That is without mentioning that he could have put Cosmo’s entire pack in danger!! If they were caught smuggling that kid, the humans could have assumed the shifters knew about it and punish them as well.
I don’t care if Madeo apologizes for being a dick in the next chapter. He is an asshole.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2022
I absolutely loved it. So we have Mads who is a Magi & they are not even treated like second class citizens. What they put the children Magi through is heart wrenching. They are not raised by their parents, they are raised in compounds where they are tortured. As adults, they are not permitted to own anything, at all & they are never free. Shifters are a treated a little bit better. The humans are at the top of the chain & they do not let you forget it. A very long time ago, a bunch of humans wanting power, attempted to harness the magic by doing unspeakable things, caused rifts in veil between worlds. The teams that fight the Taragorians, who come through the veil, are comprised of shifters (they are the only ones that can kill these beings), a Magi & a human who of course is in charge. We also meet Jude who is Mads focal point. They grew up together. Jude has very little magic of his own, but he can enhance Mads' magic. They are closer then lovers. They need each other & need to be near each other. We have Cosmo & his pride who have moved to the area after the deaths of the couple that raised them. They are not ready for the hostility that they run into when they meet Mads & Jude since where they come from, Magi are treated completely differently. Slowly though, Cosmo shows Mads that not all shifters are out to hurt them & he starts to warm to Cosmo. Even through there is horror and heaviness to the story, it is balanced by snark & banter and the development of close friendship/family. Mads and Jude learn that not all shifters are the same & they finally get the family they never had. I so can't wait for the next book in this series. I hope that by the end, things for the shifters & Magi completely change for the better.
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest opinion.
I am so glad this came out in audio.
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest opinion.
I am so glad this came out in audio.
June 17, 2023
Sooo points for the fun worldbuilding but.. not much else worked for me. The “playful loving brotherly bickering” between Madeo and Jude was juvenile and extremely tiresome. I would be supremely annoyed to be in their presence - and would likely resort to murder if I had to work with them. It was written how I imagine a 14 year old boy imagines hot sisters bicker. And Madeo had the MF heroine vibe, where his personality is being sassy and bitchy to everyone, but somehow everyone likes them. Logan seemed to play the role of “cute adopted animal trope”. The racism felt a lot more like catty highschool cruelty (+ excessive references to childhood abuse), and came off one dimensional rather than systemic oppression. It just feels like someone really really young wrote this, who doesn’t quite understand how people engage in and resolve interpersonal conflict, and tried to use traumatic events as a stand in for depth.
Finally, and perhaps most fatally: excessive use of the term “prickhole”. 1 is too much but 30 (literally 30, I did a search) is just baffling.
DNF at 60%.
Finally, and perhaps most fatally: excessive use of the term “prickhole”. 1 is too much but 30 (literally 30, I did a search) is just baffling.
DNF at 60%.
March 4, 2022
Well written and interesting
This is a sloooooooooow burn romance. I almost would categorize this as strictly Paranormal and not Paranormal Romance. There were like 2 smexy scenes and they were very tame and not descriptive. I liked the book! But I was expecting something different. It also ends in a HFN, which is okay since the series continues, but again, not expected. Even in a series, I like the couple to be a bit more concrete than was here. I mean, there weren't any ILYs said...like, alluded to, and said as like, "you're loved," but not an actual, "I'm in love with you." There's the typical info dump when you start a new paranormal series, but only a little long winded. It's written really well and the overall story/world is interesting. But I doubt I'll continue the series. I need more steam/passion in my romances.
This is a sloooooooooow burn romance. I almost would categorize this as strictly Paranormal and not Paranormal Romance. There were like 2 smexy scenes and they were very tame and not descriptive. I liked the book! But I was expecting something different. It also ends in a HFN, which is okay since the series continues, but again, not expected. Even in a series, I like the couple to be a bit more concrete than was here. I mean, there weren't any ILYs said...like, alluded to, and said as like, "you're loved," but not an actual, "I'm in love with you." There's the typical info dump when you start a new paranormal series, but only a little long winded. It's written really well and the overall story/world is interesting. But I doubt I'll continue the series. I need more steam/passion in my romances.
February 18, 2022
Ohhh yes. Michele Notaro has a new series and this first book is fabulous. "The Magi Accounts" is the story of Madeo, a mage, and Cosmo, a lion shifter, who are serendipitously forced to work with one another to eliminate a deadly threat to all. Forced is the operative word because the humans, who are most at risk here, currently rule over them. It is a powerful story that is both heartrending and heartwarming. The story is a very slow burn romance (my favorite).
Parts of the storyline mirrors today's world. Our heros and their cadre of friends have to work through much mistrust, hatred and fear of others who are different. They have to get past acts of violence from individuals stirred up by misinformation spread by media....sigh. But they also get to learn about forgiveness and acceptance. Love is there if they can just choose to trust. OH! and there is snark. LOTS of snark.
The story is ridiculously action-packed. Don't plan on leaving the house until you finish reading because it is most definitely a page turner. Thankfully Ms. Notaro always leaves us at the very least a satisfying happy-for-now. The second book is due in June of 2022.
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews. (but I am buying it as soon as it releases)
Parts of the storyline mirrors today's world. Our heros and their cadre of friends have to work through much mistrust, hatred and fear of others who are different. They have to get past acts of violence from individuals stirred up by misinformation spread by media....sigh. But they also get to learn about forgiveness and acceptance. Love is there if they can just choose to trust. OH! and there is snark. LOTS of snark.
The story is ridiculously action-packed. Don't plan on leaving the house until you finish reading because it is most definitely a page turner. Thankfully Ms. Notaro always leaves us at the very least a satisfying happy-for-now. The second book is due in June of 2022.
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews. (but I am buying it as soon as it releases)
February 28, 2022
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
This book starts a new series by Notaro, and it’s a dystopian future that’s heartbreaking in a lot of ways. The author builds a complex world, drawing on many familiar elements to flesh it out. Magi are considered the bottom of the barrel, nothing more than tools. Shifters aren’t treated much better. Humans are the top of the food chain, and they treat those below them abominably. There are parts of this that are hard to read, and there’s talk of abuse and extreme violence, though it’s not shown on page. But it sets the stage for the life that Mads is living.
There’s so much more going on here, from the well-drawn magic system, to the prejudice and ill-treatment of anyone other than human. Notaro does a pretty good job of explaining it all organically. I was drawn into the world easily and invested in the characters. It’s complex and definitely hard to read at points. There’s heavy topics here, but I think the author handles them with care.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
This book starts a new series by Notaro, and it’s a dystopian future that’s heartbreaking in a lot of ways. The author builds a complex world, drawing on many familiar elements to flesh it out. Magi are considered the bottom of the barrel, nothing more than tools. Shifters aren’t treated much better. Humans are the top of the food chain, and they treat those below them abominably. There are parts of this that are hard to read, and there’s talk of abuse and extreme violence, though it’s not shown on page. But it sets the stage for the life that Mads is living.
There’s so much more going on here, from the well-drawn magic system, to the prejudice and ill-treatment of anyone other than human. Notaro does a pretty good job of explaining it all organically. I was drawn into the world easily and invested in the characters. It’s complex and definitely hard to read at points. There’s heavy topics here, but I think the author handles them with care.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
May 15, 2022
This was entertaining. The writing was a bit simple in places and Jude & Mad seemed way younger than their actual ages, but the world was creative and unique and I liked the over all plot enough to read the next book.
April 11, 2024
I hope I never see the word “prickhole” again.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 306 reviews