Mortal Magic

by Thea Atkinson

It will take a mortal soul to claim an immortal magic.

I’m willing to do what it takes in order to destroy the Cult of Blackburn before it can harm one more witch, even if it means striking a pact with a most unlikely ally. But then I discover the pact comes with a trip to Hell.

As the search for my mother's bones turns deadly, I realize too late that I’ve made a mistake. A grave one. Because raising a necromancer from the dead takes the blood of a god. A lot of blood. And there's no way to acquire that much without losing my soul along with it.

Luckily for me, I have access to a lot of god's blood already.

Too bad it's my own...

If you love Patricia Briggs and Jim Butcher, this bold dark urban fantasy with a touch of paranormal romance is sure to capture your imagination.

Scroll up to one-click your way back into the series.

298 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 8, 2022

About the author

Thea is a NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling Author. She used to have a black lab at her feet when she wrote, warming up the calves. It can be cold in rural Nova Scotia. Now it's just a cuppa tea keeping her warm.

Her urban fantasy pulses with dark themes and action-packed intrigue. Her characters are always deeply wounded creatures struggling for redemption.

Hang out with her on Instagram or Facebook or follow her on Amazon. Grab a free book at her website.

Find her on the web:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B0046DIT0U
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theaatkinso...
TT: http://https://www.tiktok.com/@theaat...
<<<>>>

a special shout out to Brenda Levy Tate for the awesome author photo wherein I don't look too dog-lady crazy.

Reviews

[Nickole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rcvd an advanced reader copy from Booksprout for giving my two cents. What an epic ending. In the last book we witnessed Brie's "death" in order to catch the Witches. She also became Parrish's "woman"...hide in plain site and still have access. No one would question them. Logan has figured out who is really is under the wig and tight dress and makes a "claim" on her in the bar...and vows to keep her safe. His wolf can't handle the devastation anymore. On the flip side Logans dad has approved of Desiree aka Brie to run her store that was left to Parrish. What she didn't expect was for Zach and Parrish to get into it. Words were spewed, and Brie could feel the damage they did. A twist of events have Brie and Parrish at Zachs house to find him...but will it be too late. On the other surprising hand is Honey shows up outside Bries store and tells her she has been cast out of the coven and that she knows where Bries mothers things are...Brie doesn't hesitate..knowing it's a trap. Can Brie find out the truth about the artifacts and her parents and come out unscathed? Will this lead to heartache and suffering? Brie has some tough choices to make....but will she make the right one? What a read!! Drama, OMG moments, secrets and oh so surprising twists.

[Katheyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here we go again 😊 into “Mortal Magic“, Thea Atkinson’s fifth instalment in “Counterfeit Psychic” a wonderful UF series whose MC (Brie) a highly likeable character, who is a truly heroine, not because she wishes to fight, that is just her natural, usually ironic reaction to each impossible situation, but because eventually a psychic has to do what a psychic has to do 😊 even if makes her life a lot difficult that it used to be. By now Brie has grown fully into her role, and she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to destroy the Cult of Blackburn once and for all, enough is enough and in Brie’s book they have take one to many witches down. Of course Brie cannot do everything by herself, which means working with a very unlikely ally. This cooperation might have its perks (eventually) but unfortunately for Brie means also going to Hell….literally…. it can only go south from there…. 😉

“Mortal Magic” is a well-written story, in the incomparable witty/sassy style that Thea Atkinson is already well-known for, with a wonderful entertaining plot, and very lovable heroine, whose apparently naiveté is nothing but. Brie does her job, and needs not another reason as believing that it’s just the right thing to do, even if the ‘right thing to do’ means going to Hell and takes some wrong turns before reaching the objective 😉. This series is fun, fun, fun! And a clear recommendation to all UF fans out there.

[Natalie Noblett · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing finale to an amazing series.
Mortal Magic is the fifth and final book in Thea Atkinson’s Counterfeit Psychic series. Brie has come a long way since the first book. In the beginning, pretending she was a psychic witch who could contact the dead. To realising that she could actually perform magic and was the daughter of a goddess. I love her and Layne’s relationship. In this book there is no messing around. They are finally together and we have the spice we have all been waiting for 🤣. At first it did seem that the team couldn’t catch a break with the reappearance of Honey and the black coven to contend with all while still trying to pretend Brie was dead. This book was action packed and had some heartbreaking parts. But don’t despair as everything is good in the end!

[Christinaraven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brie, Layne and Parrish are back and trying to defeat the Black Cult once again. As expected there is lots of action, intrigue, surprises and Brie finding all sorts of trouble. Was glued to the end to see what they would face and what they would do to win in the end. Enjoyed this series and had to see how it would end. Had to see what twits would be in this one to keep me entertained to the end.

[Shayay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series! Very entertaining story with some good action and mystery going on. Fun magical elements and interesting characters too! Plus, I like the connection between Brie and Layne; like how their relationship evolved throughout the series. I’d recommend definitely starting at the beginning of this series; it’s been a wild one!

[Debra Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Mortal Magic" is the last book in the Counterfeit Psychic series, and as you turn the pages, it will leave you breathless with anticipation of what will happen next. Brie is determined to destroy the Cult of Blackburn that has cost her so much in her young life, but she doesn't realize her solution to gaining the upper hand will cost her so much more than she anticipated! Magic is unpredictable at best, but the dark arts carry consequences no one could see coming! Ms. Atkinson weaves a thrilling and engaging story as Brie, Layne, and Parrish try to figure out how to uncover the Black Coven's whereabouts and destroy them once and for all. Unfortunately, for Brie, the price may be too much to handle. The twists and turns in the book will leave you shocked and distressed by the horrifying consequences that plague our girl Brie. Will she be strong enough to defeat the greatest evil she's ever known, or will her magic fail her when she needs it most?

I highly recommend this series. It's brilliant and scary and absolutely engaging with kick-ass characters. Ms. Atkinson is a true master storyteller, and I can't wait to see what she has up her sleeve for her next series.

I voluntarily read the advanced read copy and all opinions are my own.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, a lot happens in this book! Brie will get accepted by the pack as Desiree, but everything goes downhill from there. She will meet Lucifer (not recommended), use her necromancer power (really not recommended), lose her best friend (yea, you know...), and cause her mate's death (I don't need to say it, right?). Everything will come to a head in a creepy crypt and nothing will ever be the same. How's that for not ruining the finale for you?

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

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s time for the final showdown. Brie and her allies versus the black witches and Owen. A fight for the goddess of witchcraft, the fate of the pack and maybe just humanity itself. The buildup is intense with tons of surprise twists and the final battle, WOW! Magic, mayhem and the devil himself all playing a part can our intrepid crew of heroes beat the odds? Read on to find out in the epic conclusion to this series.

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

[tburbr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thea Atkinson has hit another home run with this latest installation of Counterfeit Psychic. The characters were entertaining while the story line was engaging and kept me coming back for more.

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

[Tahnia Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Layne is no longer feral though he thinks of himself as a monster. Brie doesn't believe Layne is a monster and tells him so. This story has so many wacked-out moments, including one with the witch Honey, who is attempting to steal all the power. There is plenty of action, romance, and steam, with a happy ending. Very highly recommended.

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

[Phthon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything comes to a head in this book. All questions answered, all loose ends tied up. I did enjoy that Honey got exactly what was coming to her as well as Hecate’s plan for the rest of the coven members…very fitting! I really enjoyed reading this series!

[Cath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book five of the Counterfeit Psychic series and the main character is Brie, half human, half goddess. She started this series running her estranged mother’s shop after her death and pretending to be a psychic, to getting mixed up in a series of strange magical deaths and then dating Layne Garder, the wolf shifter detective who thought her guilty at the start. There is much she has had to learn about herself and the magic she herself actually has, having been raised as human, with a mother she thought was playing at being an evil, dark witch. Her childhood scarred her and carried through to her present in many ways. Now, she has had to pretend to be dead herself, with Layne and Parrish laying her ashes in the ground beside her father, all to keep the pack and its alpha off her. Their alpha Owen, Layne’s father, was in league with the black witch coven that tried to kill her! She lied to Layne about sleeping with his father and will get punished for that. But she may end up enjoying Layne’s punishment a bit too much! She has to pretend to be Desiree, Parrish’s lesbian lover, to fool the rest of the pack back at the manse. That will be short lived, as Layne can’t keep his hands off her and they are caught by Charles, someone his father has in his pocket. Parrish is due a boon for saving the pack and uses it to free Desiree, giving her Brie’s apartment and shop.
When they go to the shop to open it up again for the first time, a surprise awaits. Once they are alone, Honey comes back around and seems to be laying a spell outside the shop. Layne and co grab her and bring her inside, making sure she can’t do anymore magic. Honey has come to offer her a deal, her mother’s vessels, for revenge against the other witches of the Blackburn Cult who wanted to use her as a sacrifice, to gain more power. They are to meet her at the witching hour, but Layne and Brie will soon learn they have been far too trusting. Brie needs to find the location of her mother’s bones, the cult have the other vessels of her mother’s power supposedly, and Honey is willing to trade. Parrish and Zach are going to be the death of each other, as she still pines for her long dead love Vi (Violet) and can love no other, while Zach loves her and knows she cannot love him in the same way. It all comes to a crashing conclusion between the pair when words are spoken that push the other too far and Brie gets a bad feeling. Trying to sort it out, leaves her making a deal with someone she really shouldn’t, as it also brings her to the underworld, with nearly no way out and an eternity of pain at her feet. A deal done and another promise made that she has no hope or inclination to keep, as she learns her full background of her goddess mother and powerful necromancer father. Her mother gave up her immortality to be with her father, a love so strong, but which also left pain with the need to keep Brie safe.
Brie believes that the last vessel of her mother’s goddess powers is the very blood within herself and to take down the cult, she will need to sacrifice herself. Something Layne won’t let happen, if he can help it. The ghostly figure of her mother’s familiar, Abbi, the black dog, appears a few times again and she knows well, that this means something bad is about to happen! Brie has a mortal body and soul and knows she cannot begin to hold all of her mother’s power, something Honey believes is her own due after the other witches tried to betray her. There are some tender moments in the story, when Layne expresses his love for Brie, but it is also his Achilles heel, as he won’t see harm done to her, nor harm her in any way himself. She needs blood to activate the magic within her and whilst werewolves are magic of themselves, nothing is as powerful as the magic she has within her, now boosted somewhat by her trip down below. Lots happens at the end as we get to see Brie face off against her foe, with Layne locked out of action with a magical barrier even his wolf cannot break. Brie will see her mother and father again briefly, but such events need a sacrifice and no one around her is safe when her magic is called upon! Favourite characters will be laid out and some will die, but that is not the end for all of them, as John Smith aka someone else, has the power to bring about a change in that order. Very satisfying and even Owen can be understood for his actions by the end. The cult brought a lot of damage to the pack and those around it for decades. Now a clean sheet is drawn and Layne and Brie can continue their life together, in the way they were destined to do. Love is a two way street and sometimes the fates make a mess of pack bonds and fated mates, but you just have to live with it and accept it, as Parrish and Zach learn. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Witch-at-Heart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mortal magic

Mortal Magic is an excellent read it center Arian our MC Brie who makes a living as a physic although she isn’t gifted in that way. Although she has tried hard to clean up her business and take clientele she can help despite her jack of real physic skills. But someone is targeting physics within the community and the deaths are being blamed on Brie. Can she clear her name before she winds up the next target. Plenty of plot and intrigue the story Ramos up quickly and hold your attention. Her partner she aligns with to clear bane is Garder and they work well together but he can be a bit abrasive and unlikeable but I believe over time it could be a great partnership. They flow well and give each others backs.! I of course am rooting for Layne but they don’t have time to sort out their complicated history in this book which leaves plenty on the table to be explored.

There is so much happening in this story that it will keep you on the edge of your seat it’s definitely a bail biter.

There is also the twist that Brie as her childhood is explored may actually have magical abilities. She finds out some crucial facts about her childhood and it leads her to become even more involved in the latest murders. All she wants is to lead a quiet life, but when clues lead to the black coven as the murderers but they have no leads on motive so the reasons behind the murders are steeped in mystery.

Parrish, the local ME, is a welcome addition to the story she has a completely kick-ass attitude. And is very tenacious. Overall this book is a thriller brimming with questions, terror and a fantastic story-arc. A must read for fans of urban fantasy.

[Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I completely change my mind on a series, so want to change my scoring down by more than 0.50 of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)

I just read books 2-5 in this series in a row.

I'm downgrading my score for book 1 that I rated 3.75.

As I read through the books, the love interest just kept bugging me. Not enough to lose more then 0.75 of a star, but enough that I decided to downgrade the series. A later re-read might change it back up or make it go down further.

First time read the author's work?: No

Will you be reading more?: Yes

Would you recommend?: Yes


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)

[Evelyn Dotson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fifth book in this series is EPIC~ Brie, Layne, Parrish, and others are in for the fights of their lives-LITERALLY~ There is so much action in this book it will make your head spin trying to keep up~ Thea Atkins outdid herself putting together this read for her fans! Hot, explosive, and parts that will truly make you cry, shout out loud, and gasp~ The turn of events in this book, I never saw coming~ The imagination, creativity, and the scenes that are different from other books will leave your mouth hanging open and definitely make you cry out for more~ I literally had to get up at six a.m. to finish the book before doing anything else~ I truly was that encapsulated in the plot and characters. I am not giving any information in my review because I want everyone to be as shocked as I was~ Make sure you have hours to spend reading this book because you will not be able to or want to walk away until the end~ I would love to give this book over a five-star rating~ Enjoy the journey~~!

[Douglas Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has all come down to this final showdown. Can she prevail and save everything she has fought for? Or is it too much to handle in the end?

This is book five of the series, and its conclusion. I do not recommend starting here.

This is a urban fantasy story. The story is well written and easy to read with an intriguing setting that is fun to explore. The characters are well developed and they are what drew me into the story. I particularly like our heroine and her partner. As the conclusion of the series, there is a lot going on here as we pull all the pieces together. That definitely kept me flipping pages well into the night. Overall, this has been a really enjoyable series and I look forward to our author's next creation.

Highly recommended.

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

[Vannessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This final book in series was utterly fantastic! I loved it from beginning to end. I'm not going to tell you much about it as there are so many spoilers, but there's secrets revealed, unrequited love, deaths (yes multiple), reunions, deals with the devil, anger, happiness, devastation, love and magic galore!

This whole series has been amazing, but this ending was perfect! Almost right up to the end, you didn't quite know for certain how it was going to completely end up and there were so many surprises and twists and turns, that I was completely n the edge of my seat the whole way through it!

If you haven't read this series yet, I fully recommend that you start at the beginning with Stone Magic. If you like witches, werewolves and heated romance, then this series is for you!

I received an ARC copy of this book from the author, but this review is my own honest one!

[Sissy Satterfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an outstanding ending to a wonderful series, that I have enjoyed from the first book to this last one. The world building was great, and the story was amazing! I was taken away with this end to Brie, Layne, an Parrish's journey! I must say that I think that this was well done and I Loved It!!! This is a Great Series! No Spoilers!.

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

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brie is in hiding from the pack while she is trying to take down the witches coven. Layne and Parrish are trying to help Brie find answers while trying to take down the coven and Owen. Questions are answered, a twist or two is revealed and enemies are taken down. Great conclusion to the series.

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

[Crystal Bookreader Amason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brie is dead, or so everyone thinks, including Logan and it has broken him. Brie takes this opportunity to try and use this to her advantage and she if she can find out who killed her. She even gets to become Parish’s new love interest. The unexpected deaths and the many unexpected events happen that lead up to Brie making a decision, but will it be the right one?

[Cali Jewel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was an edge of your seat read from beginning to end and so entertaining. Action packed, sexy, exciting and emotionally thrilling adventure filled with witty and engaging charters, heart racing twists and undeniable passion.

[Janice Stansell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spooks and steam, what a mix!

Thoroughly enjoyed this series. Spooky, steamy, twists and turns abound making this entire story captivating. Great storytelling all the way through.

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the entire series!

This entire series was great! I was sad for it to end. Loved the characters and the storyline with each twist and then some!

[Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

Good ending to the series. All questions get answered and it us fast paced. Brie and Layne find a way to keep her secret and get to be together.