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Dark Magick #1
Wicked Enchantment
Being spellbound has its charms...
When you're half-incubus, your reputation precedes you.
All eyes are on Gabriel Mac Braire the day he makes his first appearance in the Seelie Court, including those of Aislinn Finvarra. Despite deep bitterness over her last failed relationship, Aislinn cannot help but be curious about the half incubus who is known to possess dark magick, both lethal and sexual in nature. Rumors abound of the women who have become enslaved to his irresistible charms.
So when the Summer Queen of the fae orders Aislinn herself to act as his guide in the court, she is understandably on guard. She's fallen under the spell of far less persuasive men before. In addition, Gabriel might be more than he seems, and his true mission is far from innocent.
This time, Aislinn must protect not only her heart, but her very life.
When you're half-incubus, your reputation precedes you.
All eyes are on Gabriel Mac Braire the day he makes his first appearance in the Seelie Court, including those of Aislinn Finvarra. Despite deep bitterness over her last failed relationship, Aislinn cannot help but be curious about the half incubus who is known to possess dark magick, both lethal and sexual in nature. Rumors abound of the women who have become enslaved to his irresistible charms.
So when the Summer Queen of the fae orders Aislinn herself to act as his guide in the court, she is understandably on guard. She's fallen under the spell of far less persuasive men before. In addition, Gabriel might be more than he seems, and his true mission is far from innocent.
This time, Aislinn must protect not only her heart, but her very life.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 5, 2010
75 people are currently reading
4597 people want to read
About the author
Anya Bast
67 books1,452 followersAnya Bast is the author of numerous works of romantic fiction, mostly all paranormal and mostly all scorching hot. She lives in the country with her husband, daughter, eight cats, a dog, and an odd assortment of rescued animals.
She grew up in Minnesota and still favors the colder climates. After high school she moved to the southeast United States where she attended college. While in graduate school she sold her first book and decide to pursue her lifelong dream of writing instead of a career in psychology.
Somewhat reclusive by nature, she can be drawn out with a good bottle of red wine, classic movies, or good music. When she’s not writing, she can be found trying to grow organic vegetables, shopping in thrift stores for that perfect piece of clothing, or dreaming about travel to some faraway country.
She’s hard at work on a brand new series for Berkley Sensation right now, while winding up her national bestselling Elemental Witches quartet.
She grew up in Minnesota and still favors the colder climates. After high school she moved to the southeast United States where she attended college. While in graduate school she sold her first book and decide to pursue her lifelong dream of writing instead of a career in psychology.
Somewhat reclusive by nature, she can be drawn out with a good bottle of red wine, classic movies, or good music. When she’s not writing, she can be found trying to grow organic vegetables, shopping in thrift stores for that perfect piece of clothing, or dreaming about travel to some faraway country.
She’s hard at work on a brand new series for Berkley Sensation right now, while winding up her national bestselling Elemental Witches quartet.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 228 reviews
September 10, 2010
I dunno, lots of people have recommended this author to me and I thought I'd give it a try with her new series. This is definitely a romance-oriented novel with some interesting fairy-lore world building. I kinda enjoyed it, but I had to get over a few hurdles early on namely...
WHY if they're in a fairy world with Unseelie and Seelie court dress and towers made of Quartz and crap (NOT interacting with the "real world" we know!!!) does the author describe the hot hero striding through the hall on the first page as wearing "DOC MARTENS?!"
AND LATER SHE DOES IT AGAIN, the heroine is standing before the queen and is wearing "ROCK AND REPUBLIC JEANS!"
I mean, unless she's getting money for product placement, it was SO INCREDIBLY DISTRACTING. I get that maybe she's trying to make it casual, but then they could wear just plain COMBAT BOOTS or JEANS. RAGE RAGE /rage.
Otherwise this was pretty good ROMANCE paranormal comfort food. I'll try the next one, but if on the first page the heroine is wearing "a GAP sleeveless t-shirt" I might throw the Kindle across the room.
WHY if they're in a fairy world with Unseelie and Seelie court dress and towers made of Quartz and crap (NOT interacting with the "real world" we know!!!) does the author describe the hot hero striding through the hall on the first page as wearing "DOC MARTENS?!"
AND LATER SHE DOES IT AGAIN, the heroine is standing before the queen and is wearing "ROCK AND REPUBLIC JEANS!"
I mean, unless she's getting money for product placement, it was SO INCREDIBLY DISTRACTING. I get that maybe she's trying to make it casual, but then they could wear just plain COMBAT BOOTS or JEANS. RAGE RAGE /rage.
Otherwise this was pretty good ROMANCE paranormal comfort food. I'll try the next one, but if on the first page the heroine is wearing "a GAP sleeveless t-shirt" I might throw the Kindle across the room.
October 5, 2011
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Thoughts:
After reading one of Bast's other books, Witch Blood (Elemental Witches, book 2) I had my doubts about trying this one. Witch Blood wasn't for me. Great idea, but smothered in too much sex. After reading some good reviews about the second book, Cruel Enchantment, I couldn't stop my curiosity reading the first one was my only option.
Let's just say I was pleasantly surprised. It's been hard finding good Fayre PNR. Laurel K. Hamilton's Meredith Gentry series—while I still liked it—is too sexed up to be enjoyable. Jennifer Armintrout's Lightworld/Darkworld series is just all kinds of messed-up—again still enjoyable. This had everything I was looking in a Faye themed paranormal romance that I just couldn't fine anywhere else.
Bast's world takes place where the Faye have been imprisoned for well over 300 years. The Phaendir, a race of humans that mixed blood with the Faye, imprisoned them and intend to keep them that way. The Faye are well treated and are given all of the benefits of the modern world, but they reside within a prison none the less. The humans are divided into factions that want the Faye free, are in support of the Phaendir keeping them imprisoned, or just don't care one way or the other. The Faye are working on a way to free themselves with our with out the support of humans.
The love story in this book takes place between Aishlinn of the Seelie court (basically the “good” faye court) and Gabriel of the Unseelie court. Aishlinn was publicly used and dumped by her last boyfriend because of her high status in the Seelie court. So when Gabriel comes to the Seelie court to join them, she's ready to leave him to the other females of the court. She doesn't need to tangle herself up with a incubus womanizer. Gabriel of course is there specifically targeting her. He doesn't want anything to do with the boring Seelie court. He needs to use his wiles to get Aishlinn to come over to the Unseelie side. Clearly a very standard romantic setup. Bast's excellent writing and attention to detail of her characters really makes a standard love story come to life. I felt invested in both of the lovers, and I felt like I knew both of them. In PNR that's saying something, especially for the male leads. Usually PNR male leads are just a hot body with a name and that's all we get. I loved the fact that I felt like I new Gabriel. So when eventual betrayal takes the happy lovers on a ride, I feel even more invested wanting them to succeed. That's not saying that Aishlinn didn't put up a good resistance too Gabriel. She was a very strong lead, sure she couldn't kick butt until the end of the book, but she knew what was good for her. So it's safe to say that Aishlinn and Gabriel fell in love first, before they fell in bed.
Even though I loved the couple I still felt like something was lacking between them. Some vital ingredient to their chemistry. Bast kept me happy with good lines like these:
“You're so fucking beautiful.”
She gave a short laugh an gazed down into the empty glass. “I'm sure you've said that to all the women you've tried to seduce.”
He tilted her chin up so she was forced to look at him. “I am trying to seduce you, Aishlinn, but I don't mean you're beautiful in the ordinary sense. You are beautiful inside and out, upside and down, straight into your soul.”
The plot for this book just blew me away. The court politics between the Seelie and UnSeelie are deviant. It's even more chilling what occurs within the courts, instead of court against court. This is probably one of the best PNR Faye worlds I have read. Where others seem to be squeezing in as many myths as possible Wicked Enchantment moves at it's own pace and doesn't try to overwhelm the reader with all the different kinds of Faye. Don't get me wrong we get quite a few here, but you can remember which race is which.
Phaendir are another fun part. The reader gets to infiltrate the enemy lines in the head of one messed up Phaendir, Gideon, who wants all Faye wiped away. Which is a really interesting topic considering that a huge majority of Phaendir blood is mixed with Faye. Plus the Phaendir are divided into factions. Currently they are being lead by a man who doesn't think that the Faye need to be eradicated, just contained. The plot thickens when Gideon finds out that pieces to the Fayes escape are falling into the Faye hands. A spell that can only be obtained using a book and a key broken up into three pieces. So far the Faye have the book and one piece of the key.
The cast of characters in this book is fantastic. If your not interested in the Faye escaping and the political intrigue, then this intense cast of characters will keep you crawling back for more. The little tidbits of information we get on the characters in the Wild Hunt, which happens to be led by Gabriel, lingers in my mind. I want more of these side characters! They all interact so well pulling off dramatic hold-your-breath scenes, to laugh out load humor.
Bottom Line:
This turned into a fantastic read. Sure I felt like a key point in the chemistry in the love story was missing, but Bast makes up for it in realistic characters. The political agendas keep you guessing and Phaendir's clutch through the prison walls of the Faye really adds a dangerous edge. So don't worry about this being the same old PNR tale. Bast makes this stand out in the genre and I'll be back for more. More Faye intrigue, more Phaendir agendas, and more of these fantastic characters.
Sexual Content:
Graphic sex scenes.
4/5- Great! Really enjoyed it.
Thoughts:
After reading one of Bast's other books, Witch Blood (Elemental Witches, book 2) I had my doubts about trying this one. Witch Blood wasn't for me. Great idea, but smothered in too much sex. After reading some good reviews about the second book, Cruel Enchantment, I couldn't stop my curiosity reading the first one was my only option.
Let's just say I was pleasantly surprised. It's been hard finding good Fayre PNR. Laurel K. Hamilton's Meredith Gentry series—while I still liked it—is too sexed up to be enjoyable. Jennifer Armintrout's Lightworld/Darkworld series is just all kinds of messed-up—again still enjoyable. This had everything I was looking in a Faye themed paranormal romance that I just couldn't fine anywhere else.
Bast's world takes place where the Faye have been imprisoned for well over 300 years. The Phaendir, a race of humans that mixed blood with the Faye, imprisoned them and intend to keep them that way. The Faye are well treated and are given all of the benefits of the modern world, but they reside within a prison none the less. The humans are divided into factions that want the Faye free, are in support of the Phaendir keeping them imprisoned, or just don't care one way or the other. The Faye are working on a way to free themselves with our with out the support of humans.
The love story in this book takes place between Aishlinn of the Seelie court (basically the “good” faye court) and Gabriel of the Unseelie court. Aishlinn was publicly used and dumped by her last boyfriend because of her high status in the Seelie court. So when Gabriel comes to the Seelie court to join them, she's ready to leave him to the other females of the court. She doesn't need to tangle herself up with a incubus womanizer. Gabriel of course is there specifically targeting her. He doesn't want anything to do with the boring Seelie court. He needs to use his wiles to get Aishlinn to come over to the Unseelie side. Clearly a very standard romantic setup. Bast's excellent writing and attention to detail of her characters really makes a standard love story come to life. I felt invested in both of the lovers, and I felt like I knew both of them. In PNR that's saying something, especially for the male leads. Usually PNR male leads are just a hot body with a name and that's all we get. I loved the fact that I felt like I new Gabriel. So when eventual betrayal takes the happy lovers on a ride, I feel even more invested wanting them to succeed. That's not saying that Aishlinn didn't put up a good resistance too Gabriel. She was a very strong lead, sure she couldn't kick butt until the end of the book, but she knew what was good for her. So it's safe to say that Aishlinn and Gabriel fell in love first, before they fell in bed.
Even though I loved the couple I still felt like something was lacking between them. Some vital ingredient to their chemistry. Bast kept me happy with good lines like these:
“You're so fucking beautiful.”
She gave a short laugh an gazed down into the empty glass. “I'm sure you've said that to all the women you've tried to seduce.”
He tilted her chin up so she was forced to look at him. “I am trying to seduce you, Aishlinn, but I don't mean you're beautiful in the ordinary sense. You are beautiful inside and out, upside and down, straight into your soul.”
The plot for this book just blew me away. The court politics between the Seelie and UnSeelie are deviant. It's even more chilling what occurs within the courts, instead of court against court. This is probably one of the best PNR Faye worlds I have read. Where others seem to be squeezing in as many myths as possible Wicked Enchantment moves at it's own pace and doesn't try to overwhelm the reader with all the different kinds of Faye. Don't get me wrong we get quite a few here, but you can remember which race is which.
Phaendir are another fun part. The reader gets to infiltrate the enemy lines in the head of one messed up Phaendir, Gideon, who wants all Faye wiped away. Which is a really interesting topic considering that a huge majority of Phaendir blood is mixed with Faye. Plus the Phaendir are divided into factions. Currently they are being lead by a man who doesn't think that the Faye need to be eradicated, just contained. The plot thickens when Gideon finds out that pieces to the Fayes escape are falling into the Faye hands. A spell that can only be obtained using a book and a key broken up into three pieces. So far the Faye have the book and one piece of the key.
The cast of characters in this book is fantastic. If your not interested in the Faye escaping and the political intrigue, then this intense cast of characters will keep you crawling back for more. The little tidbits of information we get on the characters in the Wild Hunt, which happens to be led by Gabriel, lingers in my mind. I want more of these side characters! They all interact so well pulling off dramatic hold-your-breath scenes, to laugh out load humor.
Bottom Line:
This turned into a fantastic read. Sure I felt like a key point in the chemistry in the love story was missing, but Bast makes up for it in realistic characters. The political agendas keep you guessing and Phaendir's clutch through the prison walls of the Faye really adds a dangerous edge. So don't worry about this being the same old PNR tale. Bast makes this stand out in the genre and I'll be back for more. More Faye intrigue, more Phaendir agendas, and more of these fantastic characters.
Sexual Content:
Graphic sex scenes.
4/5- Great! Really enjoyed it.
October 17, 2012
This is one of those books which, instead of stars, I wish I could rate it a 14 on the pH scale - it was that basic.
February 26, 2010
Wicked Enchantment is the first novel in the Dark Magick series by Anya Bast. Wicked Enchantment is the first Bast book I've read and I really enjoyed it.
It starts out with the Seelie Summer Queen, Caoilainn Muirgheal orders Aislinn Finvarra to be a guide to an Unseelie visitor and half-incubus Gabriel Mac Braire. He has one week to decide if he wants to make permit residence in the Seelie court. Being Unseelie is somewhat looked down upon for the Seelie, but to also be and incubus.. that's just plain trouble.
Aislinn doesn't want or need anymore trouble. And the spotlight is the last thing from her mind after the embarrassing ordeal with her jerk of an ex and the way he broke up with her. When all heads are turned towards Gabriel, Aislinn hardly sees the point. Sure, he's gorgeous, but what good could come of a man like him.
Aislinn wonders why would a Unseelie man, who is obviously close to the top with the Unseelie court, wanting to move? Something can't be right, and although he obviously wants to seduce her, could she go through another painful breakup if all fails?
Her love life on hold. Aislinn has bigger things to worry about. Things that should be kept hidden and kept secret forever, or her life may be in danger.
Aislinn is a fascinating character. Attractive, smart and bored. She has everything she could want in the Seelie court, but being safe isn't what she wants to live with. She feels incomplete and unfinished. Different..
Gabriel is a very fun and seducing character. But being seductive isn't all he is. He's caring and strong and most importantly, he's the leader of the wild hunt.
I really liked this new series. Bast is very imaginative and knows how to make great chemistry between her characters. Gabriel and Aislinn are packed with heat. It's also great that there's an amazing glossary at the end of the book, that gives you a load of useful information for the series. This book is packed with suspense and heat and has a terrific late twist. If you love paranormal romance and fantasy you'll love this book. I can't wait for the second installment in the series, Cruel Enchantment, which is due out September 2010.
It starts out with the Seelie Summer Queen, Caoilainn Muirgheal orders Aislinn Finvarra to be a guide to an Unseelie visitor and half-incubus Gabriel Mac Braire. He has one week to decide if he wants to make permit residence in the Seelie court. Being Unseelie is somewhat looked down upon for the Seelie, but to also be and incubus.. that's just plain trouble.
Aislinn doesn't want or need anymore trouble. And the spotlight is the last thing from her mind after the embarrassing ordeal with her jerk of an ex and the way he broke up with her. When all heads are turned towards Gabriel, Aislinn hardly sees the point. Sure, he's gorgeous, but what good could come of a man like him.
Aislinn wonders why would a Unseelie man, who is obviously close to the top with the Unseelie court, wanting to move? Something can't be right, and although he obviously wants to seduce her, could she go through another painful breakup if all fails?
Her love life on hold. Aislinn has bigger things to worry about. Things that should be kept hidden and kept secret forever, or her life may be in danger.
Aislinn is a fascinating character. Attractive, smart and bored. She has everything she could want in the Seelie court, but being safe isn't what she wants to live with. She feels incomplete and unfinished. Different..
Gabriel is a very fun and seducing character. But being seductive isn't all he is. He's caring and strong and most importantly, he's the leader of the wild hunt.
I really liked this new series. Bast is very imaginative and knows how to make great chemistry between her characters. Gabriel and Aislinn are packed with heat. It's also great that there's an amazing glossary at the end of the book, that gives you a load of useful information for the series. This book is packed with suspense and heat and has a terrific late twist. If you love paranormal romance and fantasy you'll love this book. I can't wait for the second installment in the series, Cruel Enchantment, which is due out September 2010.
September 9, 2018
3.5 stars
The best thing about this was the world building. Both factions of the fae, seelie and unseelie, had been magically trapped for hundreds of years by a group of druids called the phaendir. The two groups of fae often did not get along. Their differences were far too vast. The seelie were social and frowned upon the use of magick. The unseelie embraced magic in all forms but were more violent and vicious. The one thing they did agree on was collecting all of the necessary items needed to free themselves.
The romance was okay. Gabriel was sent to the seelie court for covert reasons. Aislinn was his guide while he was there, but she was allured by his incubus charms like everyone else was. I liked them together, but something was missing. The issues between them were dragged out for way too long. It wasn't angsty or overly dramatic. After a while it felt they should have gotten over their insecurities. I probably will read the next one but not right away.
The best thing about this was the world building. Both factions of the fae, seelie and unseelie, had been magically trapped for hundreds of years by a group of druids called the phaendir. The two groups of fae often did not get along. Their differences were far too vast. The seelie were social and frowned upon the use of magick. The unseelie embraced magic in all forms but were more violent and vicious. The one thing they did agree on was collecting all of the necessary items needed to free themselves.
The romance was okay. Gabriel was sent to the seelie court for covert reasons. Aislinn was his guide while he was there, but she was allured by his incubus charms like everyone else was. I liked them together, but something was missing. The issues between them were dragged out for way too long. It wasn't angsty or overly dramatic. After a while it felt they should have gotten over their insecurities. I probably will read the next one but not right away.
August 1, 2015
This is the first book I've read by Anya Bast and it is the first book in her new Dark Magick series. I really enjoyed Wicked Enchantment. Bast's writing flows very well and I was pulled into the story within just a few pages. I liked Aislinn straight away too and Gabriel is just scrummy!
I have very limited experience when it comes to paranormal romance. It's not often a genre I dip into as I get too embarrassed with all the sexual shenanigans *blush* I like a bit of sexual tension and even the lead up to sex, but usually just cringe when it gets down to the nitty gritty. With Wicked Enchantment, however, it was different. The love scenes were written well and instead of making me shy away and skim those pages, I hung around and it is a pretty sizzling read. It's not overly explicit, although it's still about a nine out of ten on the hotness scale, but it had just about the right amount of heat I could handle.
I loved the romance between Aislinn and Gabriel - it's fiery and sensual but sweet as well and we see them go from total lust to totally in love. Although, Aislinn does seem to like being dominated, there is an essence of control in the way she deals with Gabriel. It is fun to read and as I don't really like my heroines to be submissive, I'm hoping Aislinn finds more of that assertiveness in the coming books.
We also see Aislinn and Gabriel grow as characters. Aislinn from a bored, spoilt member of the Summer Queen's entourage to a strong and determined woman who has to deal with a power she never knew she had, and Gabriel from a selfish womaniser who's never given his heart to anyone but his mother, into a love sick puppy who has fallen head over heels in love and will give anything to protect her, even his life. Both characters develop well and I like the direction Bast is taking them.
Now, this book isn't just about the romance, it has a plot too and a really good one. One that kept me engrossed until the very last page. It has action, and no not that kind of action. I'm talking about action that includes weapons and spells, creepy Sluagh (the army of unforgiven dead) and goblins. It's also about friendship and the lengths people will go to preserve it. The supporting characters are just as well defined and I look forward to finding out more about them in subsequent books.
Verdict:
I thoroughly enjoyed Wicked Enchantment and if you like paranormal romance then you will love this. A fabulous combination of action packed adventure and sexy red-hot romance. I can't wait for the next installment in this series, Cruel Enchantment, which is due September 2010.
I have very limited experience when it comes to paranormal romance. It's not often a genre I dip into as I get too embarrassed with all the sexual shenanigans *blush* I like a bit of sexual tension and even the lead up to sex, but usually just cringe when it gets down to the nitty gritty. With Wicked Enchantment, however, it was different. The love scenes were written well and instead of making me shy away and skim those pages, I hung around and it is a pretty sizzling read. It's not overly explicit, although it's still about a nine out of ten on the hotness scale, but it had just about the right amount of heat I could handle.
I loved the romance between Aislinn and Gabriel - it's fiery and sensual but sweet as well and we see them go from total lust to totally in love. Although, Aislinn does seem to like being dominated, there is an essence of control in the way she deals with Gabriel. It is fun to read and as I don't really like my heroines to be submissive, I'm hoping Aislinn finds more of that assertiveness in the coming books.
We also see Aislinn and Gabriel grow as characters. Aislinn from a bored, spoilt member of the Summer Queen's entourage to a strong and determined woman who has to deal with a power she never knew she had, and Gabriel from a selfish womaniser who's never given his heart to anyone but his mother, into a love sick puppy who has fallen head over heels in love and will give anything to protect her, even his life. Both characters develop well and I like the direction Bast is taking them.
Now, this book isn't just about the romance, it has a plot too and a really good one. One that kept me engrossed until the very last page. It has action, and no not that kind of action. I'm talking about action that includes weapons and spells, creepy Sluagh (the army of unforgiven dead) and goblins. It's also about friendship and the lengths people will go to preserve it. The supporting characters are just as well defined and I look forward to finding out more about them in subsequent books.
Verdict:
I thoroughly enjoyed Wicked Enchantment and if you like paranormal romance then you will love this. A fabulous combination of action packed adventure and sexy red-hot romance. I can't wait for the next installment in this series, Cruel Enchantment, which is due September 2010.
May 11, 2017
Wicked Enchantment by Anya Bast
When Aislinn Finvarra first sees Gabriel Mac Braire she can't help but to be curious about the half incubus who is know to possess dark magick, both lethal and sexual in nature. Rumors are all around of the women who have become enslaved to his irresistible charms. Which Aislinn sees as a big no, considering she's done with men at the moment because of her last failed relationship. Gabriel is said to want to switch court, so the Summer Queen of the Seelie Court of fae orders Aislinn herself to act as his guide in the court, while the Queen is considering to either accept or deny Gabriels request. Aislinn has fallen under the spell of far less persuasive men before, so she's understandably on guard, but Gabriel seems really interested in her. Gabriel might be more than he seems, and his true mission is far from innocent. This time, Aislinn must protect not only her heart, but her very life.
Aislinn Finvarra is a Seelie Court fae who has hidden her powers her whole life. She seems to have more then what a Seelie fae are supposed to have, meaning she has dark magick in her blood. Her father, who was her bestfriend, was murdered when she was a little girl, so Aislinn was raised by her mother who want nothing more then having her daughter to be one of the highest rank in the fae Seelie Court. So that mean a lot of parties and a hell of alot of boring things.. Aislinn feel alone, and bored and feels like an outsider. Aislinn's pretty, smart, and she's an independent woman. She doesn't trust easily, so when Gabriel starts to ask questions she's getting a little bit suspicious about his motives to move to Seelie Court.
Gabriel Mac Braire is gorgeous, powerful and extremly dangerous. He claims to be bored of the same old game, and that is a big enough reason to change court. Gabriel is used to getting what he wants, so when Aislinn is playing hard to get, he sees it as a challenge. Considering that Aislinn is immune to his powers, he has to use what he never use, his emotions. Though, Gabriel has his emotions shut down, he never feels anything but anger and sexual pleasure but when he get Aislinn to slowly open up to him, he never expected to feel for her. They are connected in more ways then they thought, and they understand each other like they never have with anyone else.
I liked this book. The characters was awesome, and i love the emotions between Aislinn and Gabriel. The book has its twists and suprises which makes the book a good read. I enjoyed the book, though it wasn't the best ive read.
Rate: 3 stars.
When Aislinn Finvarra first sees Gabriel Mac Braire she can't help but to be curious about the half incubus who is know to possess dark magick, both lethal and sexual in nature. Rumors are all around of the women who have become enslaved to his irresistible charms. Which Aislinn sees as a big no, considering she's done with men at the moment because of her last failed relationship. Gabriel is said to want to switch court, so the Summer Queen of the Seelie Court of fae orders Aislinn herself to act as his guide in the court, while the Queen is considering to either accept or deny Gabriels request. Aislinn has fallen under the spell of far less persuasive men before, so she's understandably on guard, but Gabriel seems really interested in her. Gabriel might be more than he seems, and his true mission is far from innocent. This time, Aislinn must protect not only her heart, but her very life.
Aislinn Finvarra is a Seelie Court fae who has hidden her powers her whole life. She seems to have more then what a Seelie fae are supposed to have, meaning she has dark magick in her blood. Her father, who was her bestfriend, was murdered when she was a little girl, so Aislinn was raised by her mother who want nothing more then having her daughter to be one of the highest rank in the fae Seelie Court. So that mean a lot of parties and a hell of alot of boring things.. Aislinn feel alone, and bored and feels like an outsider. Aislinn's pretty, smart, and she's an independent woman. She doesn't trust easily, so when Gabriel starts to ask questions she's getting a little bit suspicious about his motives to move to Seelie Court.
Gabriel Mac Braire is gorgeous, powerful and extremly dangerous. He claims to be bored of the same old game, and that is a big enough reason to change court. Gabriel is used to getting what he wants, so when Aislinn is playing hard to get, he sees it as a challenge. Considering that Aislinn is immune to his powers, he has to use what he never use, his emotions. Though, Gabriel has his emotions shut down, he never feels anything but anger and sexual pleasure but when he get Aislinn to slowly open up to him, he never expected to feel for her. They are connected in more ways then they thought, and they understand each other like they never have with anyone else.
I liked this book. The characters was awesome, and i love the emotions between Aislinn and Gabriel. The book has its twists and suprises which makes the book a good read. I enjoyed the book, though it wasn't the best ive read.
Rate: 3 stars.
January 22, 2010
This is the first time I’ve read a book for the beginning of a series that I found easy to understand and flowed together so well, I had fun reading this book it was fresh and exciting, full of adventure and magick, nothing like I expected.
If you want to read this review and don’t want very many spoilers read to where it says, “SOPILERS”.
If you love these things you will love this book
A magick World unlike no other, I have read.
Incubus,
Fae’s,
Goblins,
Boggarts,
Magic animals,
Sexy men ridding on the magic horses, the leader is called Lord of the Wild Hunt.
A lady that can call fae’s form the dead and command armies of the undead, she is called the necromancer.
Then this book is for you… Now if you don’t want to read any spoilers please stop here and go get the book..
SOPILERS--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In this world there is square with a Rose Tower on one end this is where the Summer Queen and her Seelie Court is located. This is where a highly selective fae ruling class lives you know all boning balls and social affairs, these fae‘s must have light and pretty magick, this is where Aislinn comes in she lives on this side with quite a few secrets that she fears if they ever got out she would be exiled.
On the other side of the square with Black Towers there lives the Shadow King and his Unseelie Court this is where Gabriel comes in. Gabriel is half incubus in other words sex on a stick, this is how he is described. The rumors went he is like catnip to women - and when his special brand of magick was wielded at full force between the sheets - he possessed the power to enslave a woman. The affected female would become addicted to him. She’d stop eating and sleeping wanting nothing more then his touch, until she finally died from longing and self-neglect.. Well, it dose say rumors right?? Gabriel is from the dark side of the square so he has dark magick.. The Shadow King sends Gabriel to get Aislinn and bring her to the dark side and it’s a journey you can’t miss..
Overall this book had a good balance not to much sex , but what is there is great, does have good sexual tension between them that keeps you going. I like how some of the secrets I could unlock myself but some came by big surprise.. I love how Gabriel waits on Aislinn he never pushes, I love how Aislinn is tuff but yet thinks of others this is important when it come to calling the dead to do your bidding.. There is a glossary at the end of the book to make it easy to understand.. I now have to stop or I will give out to much.
If you want to read this review and don’t want very many spoilers read to where it says, “SOPILERS”.
If you love these things you will love this book
A magick World unlike no other, I have read.
Incubus,
Fae’s,
Goblins,
Boggarts,
Magic animals,
Sexy men ridding on the magic horses, the leader is called Lord of the Wild Hunt.
A lady that can call fae’s form the dead and command armies of the undead, she is called the necromancer.
Then this book is for you… Now if you don’t want to read any spoilers please stop here and go get the book..
SOPILERS--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In this world there is square with a Rose Tower on one end this is where the Summer Queen and her Seelie Court is located. This is where a highly selective fae ruling class lives you know all boning balls and social affairs, these fae‘s must have light and pretty magick, this is where Aislinn comes in she lives on this side with quite a few secrets that she fears if they ever got out she would be exiled.
On the other side of the square with Black Towers there lives the Shadow King and his Unseelie Court this is where Gabriel comes in. Gabriel is half incubus in other words sex on a stick, this is how he is described. The rumors went he is like catnip to women - and when his special brand of magick was wielded at full force between the sheets - he possessed the power to enslave a woman. The affected female would become addicted to him. She’d stop eating and sleeping wanting nothing more then his touch, until she finally died from longing and self-neglect.. Well, it dose say rumors right?? Gabriel is from the dark side of the square so he has dark magick.. The Shadow King sends Gabriel to get Aislinn and bring her to the dark side and it’s a journey you can’t miss..
Overall this book had a good balance not to much sex , but what is there is great, does have good sexual tension between them that keeps you going. I like how some of the secrets I could unlock myself but some came by big surprise.. I love how Gabriel waits on Aislinn he never pushes, I love how Aislinn is tuff but yet thinks of others this is important when it come to calling the dead to do your bidding.. There is a glossary at the end of the book to make it easy to understand.. I now have to stop or I will give out to much.
February 16, 2010
Bast's new Fae Dark Magick series - dark, dangerous leading man Gabriel is Enchantingly Wicked
Wicked Enchantment finds Unseelie (dark Fae) incubus Gabriel petitioning for entry into the Seelie (light Fae) world. Aislinn is prominent member of the light fae court esteemed for the purity of her family's Seelie blood line. Having sworn off men after a suffering a humiliating breakup, Aislinn is less than thrilled when she is the one designated to show Gabriel around. Gabriel's magic has kept his bed easily filled so he is intrigued that Aislinn seems to be resistant to his charms. Aislinn's apparent aversion to him will make the true purpose behind Gabe's visit more difficult - Gabe will have to actually invest more of himself than is required for seduction in order to achieve his goal of luring Aislinn to the dark court - for Aislinn has somehow drawn the interest of the Unseelie king.
Wicked Enchantment returns to the world of light and dark Fae which Bast introduced in her short, "Sweet Enchantment" in the anthology Hot for the Holidays. If you've missed Ronin and Bella's story you might want to check it out before reading Wicked Enchantment since they get a bit of screen time here, but you can actually get by without having read the short (I just think it's more fun when you know the characters).
I really liked Wicked Enchantment. I absolutely loved Bast's introductory descriptions of incubus Gabriel. Gabe is so dark and sexy with an aura of danger that hits those around him at a visceral level - what a great leading man. I also really enjoy the rest of Bast's story telling here. Bast does a great job of fleshing out both the leads and of developing the relationship between Gabe and Aislinn. Bast makes the pair really work for their happily ever after, as Gabriel has to overcome his detachment in order to fall for Aislinn, and even harder he has to overcome Aislinn's preconceptions that his being an incubus means he lacks the capacity to love and is therefore not a long term option. And Aislinn has to risk her already bruised heart in order to actually heal said heart.
Adding to the romance, Bast has brought to life some interesting elements of her magic Fae world, including some fleshing out some familiar myths and woven threads that will carry throughout the rest of the series. The saga continues with Cruel Enchantment due out September of 2010.
Wicked Enchantment finds Unseelie (dark Fae) incubus Gabriel petitioning for entry into the Seelie (light Fae) world. Aislinn is prominent member of the light fae court esteemed for the purity of her family's Seelie blood line. Having sworn off men after a suffering a humiliating breakup, Aislinn is less than thrilled when she is the one designated to show Gabriel around. Gabriel's magic has kept his bed easily filled so he is intrigued that Aislinn seems to be resistant to his charms. Aislinn's apparent aversion to him will make the true purpose behind Gabe's visit more difficult - Gabe will have to actually invest more of himself than is required for seduction in order to achieve his goal of luring Aislinn to the dark court - for Aislinn has somehow drawn the interest of the Unseelie king.
Wicked Enchantment returns to the world of light and dark Fae which Bast introduced in her short, "Sweet Enchantment" in the anthology Hot for the Holidays. If you've missed Ronin and Bella's story you might want to check it out before reading Wicked Enchantment since they get a bit of screen time here, but you can actually get by without having read the short (I just think it's more fun when you know the characters).
I really liked Wicked Enchantment. I absolutely loved Bast's introductory descriptions of incubus Gabriel. Gabe is so dark and sexy with an aura of danger that hits those around him at a visceral level - what a great leading man. I also really enjoy the rest of Bast's story telling here. Bast does a great job of fleshing out both the leads and of developing the relationship between Gabe and Aislinn. Bast makes the pair really work for their happily ever after, as Gabriel has to overcome his detachment in order to fall for Aislinn, and even harder he has to overcome Aislinn's preconceptions that his being an incubus means he lacks the capacity to love and is therefore not a long term option. And Aislinn has to risk her already bruised heart in order to actually heal said heart.
Adding to the romance, Bast has brought to life some interesting elements of her magic Fae world, including some fleshing out some familiar myths and woven threads that will carry throughout the rest of the series. The saga continues with Cruel Enchantment due out September of 2010.
April 10, 2011
I picked up this book due to seeing it on my friends' update feed. Based on the description, it should have been amusing, entertaining, thrilling and riveting! It was none of those things for me.
First off, the whole writing style bothered me. Specifically, the characters were so boring and flat that had they been pumped up with any more artificial life, they would have been cliched to a degree of embarrassment. As things stand now, I could just barely stand to read their responses and interactions (with some paragraph skipping when things got too predictable).
Secondly, yeah, this book was predictable. To the extreme. I hate books like this so much, since it clearly shows that the author didn't bother to insert any new ideas or plot lines at all. And this book was definitely not just borrowed from other books, but rather imitated and slightly altered from other books.
The one good thing I did enjoy were the erotica (sex) scenes. I wasn't expecting them, since I thought that this was a more teenager-level book (easily enough to think, based on the writing level) but they were actually well written. It's a big problem when an author writes a sex scene badly (even more so than any other scene) and these actually flowed and were well written. So, for that, this book managed a 1 star at least.
Otherwise, I hated this book. It was boring and annoying and much too predictable. I'm sure other women will enjoy it (especially those stuck in love-less marriages, and lusting after a half-incubus to whisk them off their proverbial feet) but I'm not reading any more from this author.
First off, the whole writing style bothered me. Specifically, the characters were so boring and flat that had they been pumped up with any more artificial life, they would have been cliched to a degree of embarrassment. As things stand now, I could just barely stand to read their responses and interactions (with some paragraph skipping when things got too predictable).
Secondly, yeah, this book was predictable. To the extreme. I hate books like this so much, since it clearly shows that the author didn't bother to insert any new ideas or plot lines at all. And this book was definitely not just borrowed from other books, but rather imitated and slightly altered from other books.
The one good thing I did enjoy were the erotica (sex) scenes. I wasn't expecting them, since I thought that this was a more teenager-level book (easily enough to think, based on the writing level) but they were actually well written. It's a big problem when an author writes a sex scene badly (even more so than any other scene) and these actually flowed and were well written. So, for that, this book managed a 1 star at least.
Otherwise, I hated this book. It was boring and annoying and much too predictable. I'm sure other women will enjoy it (especially those stuck in love-less marriages, and lusting after a half-incubus to whisk them off their proverbial feet) but I'm not reading any more from this author.
August 7, 2015
I found this very boring and tedious and I gave up at 30% after absolutely nothing happens. It's just endless repetitions of Gabriel attempting to be charming and seductive at Aislinn and she's all "I hate men and will not find this half-incubus sexy" until out of nowhere she does and then her willpower begins to rapidly crumble like a sandcastle against the incoming tide. Every now and then we were given hints of a bigger plot or shown that there's more to Aislinn's family history than meets the eye, but they were few and far between and generally overwhelmed by the constant not-quite-a-romance inanity of the rest of the story.
I couldn't really like the characters because they were just so flat. Gabriel was absolutely focused on seducing Aislinn for his mission and didn't seem to have any other thoughts beyond that unless they were "my target is hot. I think I'll lay her for fun as well as business!" and Aislinn was... Well, I don't know what she was beyond being a potential plot catalyst. I have no idea why I was supposed to care for her and as she made absolutely no attempts to help herself, nor step outside her "stifling" privilege to do the things she thought were right, I ended up having no sympathy for her at all. I wanted to punch Carina, Aislinn's so called friend, in the face for her constant attempts to set Aislinn up with Gabriel despite her friends obvious disinterest. If my "friend" kept doing that to me we'd very quickly become ex-friends.
Also the world building seemed to actively make less sense the more that was revealed. Like how exactly does Piefferburg have an economy when it's the magical equivalent of a government run Reservation that no one can escape and absolutely no-one except some druids (prison wardens) and a single camera crew can enter? They have to import all their raw materials and I can't see the druids allowing them to export anything just on the off chance it may be enchanted. That's completely ignoring the nonsense that enabled these druid people to round up "all" the fae in the entire world during the 1600s and ship them to Piefferburg in the first place. Also if the fae are entirely segregated from human society and have little to no contact with the outside world how and why are they all wearing modern branded clothing? How does Gabriel know what a refrigerator is and where are they getting cars from? Also how does Fae society deal with it's rampant over-crowding situation since they have no room to expand in to, casual unprotected sex is the norm (no form of contraceptive or cycle tracking work for the fae, apparently) and yet nobody is dying because they live hundreds to thousands of years.
Anyway, I'm just beginning to nitpick now so I think I'll stop here and go find something else to read instead.
I couldn't really like the characters because they were just so flat. Gabriel was absolutely focused on seducing Aislinn for his mission and didn't seem to have any other thoughts beyond that unless they were "my target is hot. I think I'll lay her for fun as well as business!" and Aislinn was... Well, I don't know what she was beyond being a potential plot catalyst. I have no idea why I was supposed to care for her and as she made absolutely no attempts to help herself, nor step outside her "stifling" privilege to do the things she thought were right, I ended up having no sympathy for her at all. I wanted to punch Carina, Aislinn's so called friend, in the face for her constant attempts to set Aislinn up with Gabriel despite her friends obvious disinterest. If my "friend" kept doing that to me we'd very quickly become ex-friends.
Also the world building seemed to actively make less sense the more that was revealed. Like how exactly does Piefferburg have an economy when it's the magical equivalent of a government run Reservation that no one can escape and absolutely no-one except some druids (prison wardens) and a single camera crew can enter? They have to import all their raw materials and I can't see the druids allowing them to export anything just on the off chance it may be enchanted. That's completely ignoring the nonsense that enabled these druid people to round up "all" the fae in the entire world during the 1600s and ship them to Piefferburg in the first place. Also if the fae are entirely segregated from human society and have little to no contact with the outside world how and why are they all wearing modern branded clothing? How does Gabriel know what a refrigerator is and where are they getting cars from? Also how does Fae society deal with it's rampant over-crowding situation since they have no room to expand in to, casual unprotected sex is the norm (no form of contraceptive or cycle tracking work for the fae, apparently) and yet nobody is dying because they live hundreds to thousands of years.
Anyway, I'm just beginning to nitpick now so I think I'll stop here and go find something else to read instead.
April 19, 2012
Most people I know don't really like reading about fairy's, goblin's trolls etc, but not me! I have loved the Fae world since I was a child (My grandma and I even made a fairy garden at her house that is still there for all the other grandchildren to play with/look after)
Ok so on to the book.
I liked it and give it 4 1/2 stars not 5 because I didn't love it.
Pro's ->
-Gabriel <3 - He may be unseelie but that just add's to his awesomeness. Your typical bad boy, dominating, take charge, satisfy her every time kind of guy. His Incubus powers definitely worked on me!
-Aislinn – She was whiny and annoying at the start but soon become the strong kick ass person you fell for.
-Gabriel’s “host”- All his “mates” were cool, follow him but also respect him and stick there necks out when needed.
-Great “sexytime” scene’s, they were well written and enough to get you moving in your seat but not dominating the whole story. (Don’t get me wrong I love the Merry Gentry Series but sometimes you had to skip whole pages of sex scenes to get back to the story)
Con’s ->
-The names! UGH the names! I mean really did they have to be so hard? Some of them were just middle names so you could ignore them but some you just had to guess or make up. Examples :Gabriel Cionaodh Marcus Mac Braie, became Gabriel Marcus Mac Brie, or simply Gabriel
I can’t wait to read the next to see what else happens…
Ok so on to the book.
I liked it and give it 4 1/2 stars not 5 because I didn't love it.
Pro's ->
-Gabriel <3 - He may be unseelie but that just add's to his awesomeness. Your typical bad boy, dominating, take charge, satisfy her every time kind of guy. His Incubus powers definitely worked on me!
-Aislinn – She was whiny and annoying at the start but soon become the strong kick ass person you fell for.
-Gabriel’s “host”- All his “mates” were cool, follow him but also respect him and stick there necks out when needed.
-Great “sexytime” scene’s, they were well written and enough to get you moving in your seat but not dominating the whole story. (Don’t get me wrong I love the Merry Gentry Series but sometimes you had to skip whole pages of sex scenes to get back to the story)
Con’s ->
-The names! UGH the names! I mean really did they have to be so hard? Some of them were just middle names so you could ignore them but some you just had to guess or make up. Examples :Gabriel Cionaodh Marcus Mac Braie, became Gabriel Marcus Mac Brie, or simply Gabriel
I can’t wait to read the next to see what else happens…
April 25, 2015
Had a lot of potential to become something very intriguing. But it just never quite happened really. Not to mention that the story in general read really heavy and slow. Even given all the action sequences. There was also some really strange moments where the author had major information dumps at times or made her characters "all knowing". Which again made no sense given that NONE of their abilities ran towards omniscience or however that ability is spelled. Fingers crossed the second one goes better.
January 14, 2010
Going into this review, I read her short story in Hot For The Holiday's - Sweet Enchantment.
You do not HAVE to read this one first, but it did set the stage for the characters and the world I was fixing to step in.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ms. Bast has created an amazing world; one I have not found myself diving into yet. This story was a pleasure to read and I easily slipped away to the world of the Seelie Court. I have to admit thought that I had a lot to learn of this world.
Let's start this off...
Please meet, Aislinn Christiana Guinevere Finvarra.
Aislinn, is a woman who is thought to have pure Seelie blood. She resides pretty high in the Summer Queen's Rose Tower. Enjoying all of life's luxuries, going to balls and parties. Not having to work, shopping all day if she wanted. She had money in the bank - from her family and from court. The higher you reside, the higher your status in the Rose community.
Her father died years ago and her mother's only care is about their social status.
Her best friend, Bella, the only one she truly ever trusted, was banished to the Shadow King's court with her lover, Ronan. She is kind of alone in this world. She does have a couple of friends, but no one to really count on. So imagine living in a world where you really do not have anyone you can lean on, talk to, share with and all everyone wants to do is party and gossip.
Aislinn is a real woman, honest to the core and guarded with her deepest secrets. After being publicly dumped by an ass of a guy, Kendal, who just used her to climb the social ladder, she made sure to keep her heart off limits too. Remember, in the Rose Tower, social status is everything. So, after him, she swore off men.
As far as Aislinn's secret that she kept guarded, if the Summer Queen would have found out what she was capable of, she would have been kicked out of the Rose Tower a long time ago. I can not tell you what the secret is, but I will tell you this ~ she freaking rocks when she learns her full powers.
But Aislinn discovers another secret about her life and she owes it all to one man...
Please meet Gabriel Cionaodh Marcus Mac Braire.
Oh my Danu (The primary goddess of the Tuatha De' Danann)...
Gabriel is a freaking walking talking live ~ Sex on a Stick man!!! He is half incubus and half Unseelie. That made him even more dangerous. His reputation proceeded him where ever he went. "The rumors went that he was catnip to females and - when his special magick was wielded at full force between the sheets - he possessed the power to enslave a woman."
Wow, can you imagine catnip for women... That is powerful.
But do not forget he belonged to the Black Tower.
Gabriel was seeking permanent resident in the Rose Tower and to do that he had to petition for the Summer Queen's approval. The Summer Queen love taking from the Shadow King and to have a delicious man candy around her side of town... well, what's not to want. The queen would give him her decision in a week and while he waited to hear of the queen's decision, Aislinn was chosen to be his "tour guide" while he was there. These two got off on the wrong foot, but the chemistry was well played between them. Being half incubus has its plus side, which he was hoping would pay off with Aislinn... But as we discover, Aislinn is just not that into him. At least that is how it is in the beginning.
The story takes a turn... Gabriel makes Aislinn feel things she hasn't felt. He makes her think about what her life has truly become or where does she truly want to go.
Aislinn in return, makes Gabriel realize that sometimes people actually do say what is on their mind. She also makes Gabriel realize what it is that is missing in his life.
The two of these have secrets they try to hide from each other - but how long can they keep their secrets. And what will happen when they come to light.
Ms. Bast knows how to turn up the heat in her story.
This story is full of twist and turns. Some I did not even see coming. The change of heart, the putting yourself out there, finding out who your real friends are, having someone stab you in the back and the omgosh... hot sex !!! Ms. Bast really put her characters through the loop in this book. Oh what a ride this was to read. And you must not forget... this story is also packed with some action as well!!!
This is an amazing story. You have Aislinn, who is trying to figuring out "where do I fit in" in this world; of which side do I belong? Then you have Gabriel, who is fighting his own personal demons. The two come together and explode on the pages before you. The side characters are just as awesome as the main two characters. Especially in the latter scenes of battle. One of the elements I found refreshing was that you will notice is true friendship. Now don't let me lead you to believe that this story is just a friendship story... Ohhh no **shaking my finger**.... This story is freaking smoking hot with romance and sex... but the aspect of the friendship touched my heart. And the hot scenes were enough to leave this Hussy very purrrrsatisfied!!!
Ms. Bast did a brilliant job with have the right amount of angst within the characters to make the story hot and believable. I am looking forward to more of this series... (crossing my fingers that there is more **please please please**)!
My only blah feeling was that the world building was a little much, but I understood why the process was a bit much because it was needed for me to know the who and what of this story.
You do not HAVE to read this one first, but it did set the stage for the characters and the world I was fixing to step in.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ms. Bast has created an amazing world; one I have not found myself diving into yet. This story was a pleasure to read and I easily slipped away to the world of the Seelie Court. I have to admit thought that I had a lot to learn of this world.
Let's start this off...
Please meet, Aislinn Christiana Guinevere Finvarra.
Aislinn, is a woman who is thought to have pure Seelie blood. She resides pretty high in the Summer Queen's Rose Tower. Enjoying all of life's luxuries, going to balls and parties. Not having to work, shopping all day if she wanted. She had money in the bank - from her family and from court. The higher you reside, the higher your status in the Rose community.
Her father died years ago and her mother's only care is about their social status.
Her best friend, Bella, the only one she truly ever trusted, was banished to the Shadow King's court with her lover, Ronan. She is kind of alone in this world. She does have a couple of friends, but no one to really count on. So imagine living in a world where you really do not have anyone you can lean on, talk to, share with and all everyone wants to do is party and gossip.
Aislinn is a real woman, honest to the core and guarded with her deepest secrets. After being publicly dumped by an ass of a guy, Kendal, who just used her to climb the social ladder, she made sure to keep her heart off limits too. Remember, in the Rose Tower, social status is everything. So, after him, she swore off men.
As far as Aislinn's secret that she kept guarded, if the Summer Queen would have found out what she was capable of, she would have been kicked out of the Rose Tower a long time ago. I can not tell you what the secret is, but I will tell you this ~ she freaking rocks when she learns her full powers.
But Aislinn discovers another secret about her life and she owes it all to one man...
Please meet Gabriel Cionaodh Marcus Mac Braire.
Oh my Danu (The primary goddess of the Tuatha De' Danann)...
Gabriel is a freaking walking talking live ~ Sex on a Stick man!!! He is half incubus and half Unseelie. That made him even more dangerous. His reputation proceeded him where ever he went. "The rumors went that he was catnip to females and - when his special magick was wielded at full force between the sheets - he possessed the power to enslave a woman."
Wow, can you imagine catnip for women... That is powerful.
But do not forget he belonged to the Black Tower.
Gabriel was seeking permanent resident in the Rose Tower and to do that he had to petition for the Summer Queen's approval. The Summer Queen love taking from the Shadow King and to have a delicious man candy around her side of town... well, what's not to want. The queen would give him her decision in a week and while he waited to hear of the queen's decision, Aislinn was chosen to be his "tour guide" while he was there. These two got off on the wrong foot, but the chemistry was well played between them. Being half incubus has its plus side, which he was hoping would pay off with Aislinn... But as we discover, Aislinn is just not that into him. At least that is how it is in the beginning.
The story takes a turn... Gabriel makes Aislinn feel things she hasn't felt. He makes her think about what her life has truly become or where does she truly want to go.
Aislinn in return, makes Gabriel realize that sometimes people actually do say what is on their mind. She also makes Gabriel realize what it is that is missing in his life.
The two of these have secrets they try to hide from each other - but how long can they keep their secrets. And what will happen when they come to light.
Ms. Bast knows how to turn up the heat in her story.
This story is full of twist and turns. Some I did not even see coming. The change of heart, the putting yourself out there, finding out who your real friends are, having someone stab you in the back and the omgosh... hot sex !!! Ms. Bast really put her characters through the loop in this book. Oh what a ride this was to read. And you must not forget... this story is also packed with some action as well!!!
This is an amazing story. You have Aislinn, who is trying to figuring out "where do I fit in" in this world; of which side do I belong? Then you have Gabriel, who is fighting his own personal demons. The two come together and explode on the pages before you. The side characters are just as awesome as the main two characters. Especially in the latter scenes of battle. One of the elements I found refreshing was that you will notice is true friendship. Now don't let me lead you to believe that this story is just a friendship story... Ohhh no **shaking my finger**.... This story is freaking smoking hot with romance and sex... but the aspect of the friendship touched my heart. And the hot scenes were enough to leave this Hussy very purrrrsatisfied!!!
Ms. Bast did a brilliant job with have the right amount of angst within the characters to make the story hot and believable. I am looking forward to more of this series... (crossing my fingers that there is more **please please please**)!
My only blah feeling was that the world building was a little much, but I understood why the process was a bit much because it was needed for me to know the who and what of this story.
February 26, 2013
The big-picture story was interesting. Up close, the story was bogged down with unnecessary details including:
- precise details on what the characters were wearing (or more frequently, what they were NOT wearing; I swear, if I went braless as much as Aislinn goes braless, I'd be saggy by age 35). Also, I GET it, the guards in Rose tower wear rose and gold, and the guards in Black tower wear black and silver. This does not need to be repeated every time the guards are mentioned.
- repetitively listing the FULL names (and these are some long names) of characters: Aislinn Christiana Guinevere Finvarra being the most pronounceable but not the only one by a long shot. Other winners: Gabriel Cionaodh Marcus Mac Braire; Caoilainn Elspeth Muirgheal; Aodh Criostoir Ruadhan O'Dubhuir; Aeric Killian Riordan O'Malley; Brigid Fada Erinne O'Dubhuir. It seemed as though the author really liked all these Celtic names, and just heaped all her favorites willy-nilly onto every character she could. Their full names were used WAY more often than you'd think, which had the unfortunate effect of sounding like a parent reprimanding a naughty child.
example: 'The queen pointed her finger at Gabriel. "You! Begone from the Rose Tower before I decide I don't care about a war. Guards, escort them out. Make sure Aislinn Christiana Guinevere Finvarra returns to her quarters and the Unseelie incubus exits the tower."' It almost seemed as if a "Find and Replace" command was executed every so often, replacing the simple first name with the whole exorbitantly long full name.
-borderline purple prose for body part descriptions. Not to be graphic here, but nipples are just. not. diamondhard. Find another analogy!
-Lengthy descriptions of bunny sex by the main characters in the forest cabin hideout while their friends were getting hunted down and tortured. Hope they had a great time.
Also, and this is shallow, but I HATE that cover. Really, really, REALLY hate that cover. I mean, okay, the tower is fine. But the model they used for Aislinn is... is... unappealing? (for lack of a more tactful word.)
The part that most intrigued me, the Wild Hunt, was brought into the story in a way that seemed that it and its members ("host") would play a large part. I was disappointed when that aspect of the story was minimized. From the descriptions of the other Enchantment books, it seems as though some of the Wild Hunt members will have their own stories told. I'm kind of interested in their stories... but probably not enough to continue with this series.
- precise details on what the characters were wearing (or more frequently, what they were NOT wearing; I swear, if I went braless as much as Aislinn goes braless, I'd be saggy by age 35). Also, I GET it, the guards in Rose tower wear rose and gold, and the guards in Black tower wear black and silver. This does not need to be repeated every time the guards are mentioned.
- repetitively listing the FULL names (and these are some long names) of characters: Aislinn Christiana Guinevere Finvarra being the most pronounceable but not the only one by a long shot. Other winners: Gabriel Cionaodh Marcus Mac Braire; Caoilainn Elspeth Muirgheal; Aodh Criostoir Ruadhan O'Dubhuir; Aeric Killian Riordan O'Malley; Brigid Fada Erinne O'Dubhuir. It seemed as though the author really liked all these Celtic names, and just heaped all her favorites willy-nilly onto every character she could. Their full names were used WAY more often than you'd think, which had the unfortunate effect of sounding like a parent reprimanding a naughty child.
example: 'The queen pointed her finger at Gabriel. "You! Begone from the Rose Tower before I decide I don't care about a war. Guards, escort them out. Make sure Aislinn Christiana Guinevere Finvarra returns to her quarters and the Unseelie incubus exits the tower."' It almost seemed as if a "Find and Replace" command was executed every so often, replacing the simple first name with the whole exorbitantly long full name.
-borderline purple prose for body part descriptions. Not to be graphic here, but nipples are just. not. diamondhard. Find another analogy!
-Lengthy descriptions of bunny sex by the main characters in the forest cabin hideout while their friends were getting hunted down and tortured. Hope they had a great time.
Also, and this is shallow, but I HATE that cover. Really, really, REALLY hate that cover. I mean, okay, the tower is fine. But the model they used for Aislinn is... is... unappealing? (for lack of a more tactful word.)
The part that most intrigued me, the Wild Hunt, was brought into the story in a way that seemed that it and its members ("host") would play a large part. I was disappointed when that aspect of the story was minimized. From the descriptions of the other Enchantment books, it seems as though some of the Wild Hunt members will have their own stories told. I'm kind of interested in their stories... but probably not enough to continue with this series.
April 4, 2011
I'm quite surprised that I wasn't in love with this book.
I'll applaud Mrs. Bast's world building and plot, even though at the beginning, I found the influx of information to be a little overwhelming. Reading Wicked Enchantment taught me a bit about myself as a reader in the fact that I'm more of a purist in terms of fantasy themes. I love plots that revolve around the fey and I do my best to inhale them like a crazy woman during Girl Scout cookie season. However, if you're going to incorporate contemporary aspects and conventions such as brand names or shopping malls, the setting has to coincide with that. For example, in Karen Marie Moning's Fever series, she blends fey themes with the modern day, but the kingdoms and faerie realms themselves are free from human influence. In the human parts of the world such as notable cities and countries, fey do exist but since they are in a human-touched area, those influences are to be expected. Am I making sense? I don't want to hear references to a Valentino gown while attending a ball in the Seelie Court. It just breaks my suspension of belief.
The main part of the book that truly irked me was the characters. Both the hero, Gabriel, and heroine, Aislinn, just felt flat to me. I never connected with Aislinn or her relationship to Gabriel. I felt she was undeserving of the awesomeness bestowed upon her and, at the end of the day; I still had a tiresome question. Did she really do anything? The conflicts she faced with Gabriel as well as with her abilities seemed solved without much of a struggle. No blood, sweat, or tears. The problems in their own right were like mountains and most people would probably feel terribly pressured and stressed at trying to achieve a positive outcome. But in my opinion, Aislinn somehow managed to make them into molehills and the journey it took to solve each dilemma was too easy for me.
Despite my letdown, the brief glimpse into the next book centering on Emmaline and Aeric grabbed my intention immediately. I sincerely hope it's better than its predecessor, but I'm going to do my best not to count my chickens before they hatch, so to speak.
I'll applaud Mrs. Bast's world building and plot, even though at the beginning, I found the influx of information to be a little overwhelming. Reading Wicked Enchantment taught me a bit about myself as a reader in the fact that I'm more of a purist in terms of fantasy themes. I love plots that revolve around the fey and I do my best to inhale them like a crazy woman during Girl Scout cookie season. However, if you're going to incorporate contemporary aspects and conventions such as brand names or shopping malls, the setting has to coincide with that. For example, in Karen Marie Moning's Fever series, she blends fey themes with the modern day, but the kingdoms and faerie realms themselves are free from human influence. In the human parts of the world such as notable cities and countries, fey do exist but since they are in a human-touched area, those influences are to be expected. Am I making sense? I don't want to hear references to a Valentino gown while attending a ball in the Seelie Court. It just breaks my suspension of belief.
The main part of the book that truly irked me was the characters. Both the hero, Gabriel, and heroine, Aislinn, just felt flat to me. I never connected with Aislinn or her relationship to Gabriel. I felt she was undeserving of the awesomeness bestowed upon her and, at the end of the day; I still had a tiresome question. Did she really do anything? The conflicts she faced with Gabriel as well as with her abilities seemed solved without much of a struggle. No blood, sweat, or tears. The problems in their own right were like mountains and most people would probably feel terribly pressured and stressed at trying to achieve a positive outcome. But in my opinion, Aislinn somehow managed to make them into molehills and the journey it took to solve each dilemma was too easy for me.
Despite my letdown, the brief glimpse into the next book centering on Emmaline and Aeric grabbed my intention immediately. I sincerely hope it's better than its predecessor, but I'm going to do my best not to count my chickens before they hatch, so to speak.
January 30, 2010
How can you resist the seductive charm of a sexy-half incubus? Aislinn finds herself trapped between her growing physical attraction to Gabriel the half-incubus and the need to protect her heart after a terrible public break-up with her former flame Kendall. Aislinn has been assigned to play host to Gabriel, a potential defector from the Unseelie court in the Black Tower, by the Queen of the Seelie court. What Aislinn doesn’t realize is that Gabriel has an agenda as well, one to seduce her into his bed and over to the Black Tower.
This book is equal parts interesting world building and sexy romance. The world that Aislinn and Gabriel occupy is fully realized, from the history of how the fae came to be interred at Piefferburg to the development of conflicts that the characters will most likely face in the future. The author Anya Bast even has a map of her fae detention camp on her website. The love story is well-crafted as well. The characters fall for each other without even realizing it at first and then almost lose everything when their insecurities and prejudices keep them for saying how they really feel. At some points I just felt like screaming at the characters “say the L word already”. But thankfully the wait is well worth it. Additionally, the secrets that Aislinn and Gabriel keep from each other, once revealed, make it all the more obvious that they belong together. And Gabriel is one naughty half-incubus that has well-written and delicious love scenes with Aislinn.
Overall I really loved this book. I feel like first novels in a new series tend to sacrifice story to world building but this is not the case with Wicked Enchantment, the first in Bast’s Dark Magic series (the next is Cruel Enchantment and features Aeric the Blacksmith who we meet in this novel). Also the romance is well-written and believable and the sex scenes are steamy. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series as well as going to read Bast’s novella Sweet Enchantment in the Hot for the Holidays anthology.
This book is equal parts interesting world building and sexy romance. The world that Aislinn and Gabriel occupy is fully realized, from the history of how the fae came to be interred at Piefferburg to the development of conflicts that the characters will most likely face in the future. The author Anya Bast even has a map of her fae detention camp on her website. The love story is well-crafted as well. The characters fall for each other without even realizing it at first and then almost lose everything when their insecurities and prejudices keep them for saying how they really feel. At some points I just felt like screaming at the characters “say the L word already”. But thankfully the wait is well worth it. Additionally, the secrets that Aislinn and Gabriel keep from each other, once revealed, make it all the more obvious that they belong together. And Gabriel is one naughty half-incubus that has well-written and delicious love scenes with Aislinn.
Overall I really loved this book. I feel like first novels in a new series tend to sacrifice story to world building but this is not the case with Wicked Enchantment, the first in Bast’s Dark Magic series (the next is Cruel Enchantment and features Aeric the Blacksmith who we meet in this novel). Also the romance is well-written and believable and the sex scenes are steamy. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series as well as going to read Bast’s novella Sweet Enchantment in the Hot for the Holidays anthology.
December 16, 2009
Wicked Enchantment is the first book in the Dark Magick series by Bast and an incredibly engaging story! Both the Unseelie and Seelie courts are stuck together in this town called Piefferburg jailed by an unbreaking curse done by a race of druids called the Phaendir. Due to this, they have to learn to uneasily co-exist together. Aislinn Finvarra is part of the Seelie, actually called Rose, Court while Gabriel Mac Braire is part of the Black, you guess it - Unseelie, Court. Well, until he shows up at the Rose Court and petitions to migrate over from the Black.
Aislinn is more than suspicious of Gabriel, not only is he from the Black but he's also part incubus and those are well known for their lethal sexual powers. Aislinn's plan far away from Gabriel explodes in her face when the Summer Queen appoints her as his escort who is to show him around for a week until the Queen makes her decision on whether to accept him into the Rose, or not.
But things are not what they seem, and Aislinn and Gabriel soon finds themselves smack in the middle of deadly plot that just might get them killed.
Like I said in the beginning, I really enjoyed reading Wicked Enchantment. I thought the story behind how both courts got stuck together to be really original and fascinating. The chemistry between Aislinn and Gabriel is explosive and both of them grow as characters as the story progresses. There are some very hot scenes but it certainly doesn't overshadow the plot itself. Wicked Enchantment will draw the reader in from the very start and I absolutely can't wait to read the next installment in this great new series.
Aislinn is more than suspicious of Gabriel, not only is he from the Black but he's also part incubus and those are well known for their lethal sexual powers. Aislinn's plan far away from Gabriel explodes in her face when the Summer Queen appoints her as his escort who is to show him around for a week until the Queen makes her decision on whether to accept him into the Rose, or not.
But things are not what they seem, and Aislinn and Gabriel soon finds themselves smack in the middle of deadly plot that just might get them killed.
Like I said in the beginning, I really enjoyed reading Wicked Enchantment. I thought the story behind how both courts got stuck together to be really original and fascinating. The chemistry between Aislinn and Gabriel is explosive and both of them grow as characters as the story progresses. There are some very hot scenes but it certainly doesn't overshadow the plot itself. Wicked Enchantment will draw the reader in from the very start and I absolutely can't wait to read the next installment in this great new series.
January 18, 2015
Wicked Enchantment
4.5 Stars
Synopsis:
Numerous fae races are in existence and they have been incarcerated for hundreds of years. Aislinn Finvarra, one of the Seelie fae, has been assigned to escort Gabriel Mac Braire, an Unseelie fae, who has apparently decided to defect to the Seelie. Aislinn will soon discover that everything she believes about herself is a lie, and that dangerous forces both from within and without are working to destroy everything she holds dear. Ultimately, she and Gabriel must trust each other and work together before their world is annihilated.
Review:
The only reason I didn’t give this book 5 stars is because it starts off a little slow but once it gets going – look out!
The plot is imaginative and Bast has constructed an immersing and detailed world incorporating magical abilities as well as social, political and familial intricacies. The characters, both primary and secondary, are well developed with interesting back stories and the dialogue is engaging. Aislinn is a sweet character with just the right amount of independence and vulnerability, and Gabriel , a mysterious and gorgeous incubus, belongs to my favorite type of hero - bad boy with a heart of gold. Boy does he fall hard!
The romance is fiery and sensual and while the sex scenes are steamy, they do not overshadow the story and contribute to the emotional connection between the characters. The battle scenes are also well written and never become confusing to the reader.
Recommendation: I can whole heartedly recommend this book and will definitely be continuing with the series.
4.5 Stars
Synopsis:
Numerous fae races are in existence and they have been incarcerated for hundreds of years. Aislinn Finvarra, one of the Seelie fae, has been assigned to escort Gabriel Mac Braire, an Unseelie fae, who has apparently decided to defect to the Seelie. Aislinn will soon discover that everything she believes about herself is a lie, and that dangerous forces both from within and without are working to destroy everything she holds dear. Ultimately, she and Gabriel must trust each other and work together before their world is annihilated.
Review:
The only reason I didn’t give this book 5 stars is because it starts off a little slow but once it gets going – look out!
The plot is imaginative and Bast has constructed an immersing and detailed world incorporating magical abilities as well as social, political and familial intricacies. The characters, both primary and secondary, are well developed with interesting back stories and the dialogue is engaging. Aislinn is a sweet character with just the right amount of independence and vulnerability, and Gabriel , a mysterious and gorgeous incubus, belongs to my favorite type of hero - bad boy with a heart of gold. Boy does he fall hard!
The romance is fiery and sensual and while the sex scenes are steamy, they do not overshadow the story and contribute to the emotional connection between the characters. The battle scenes are also well written and never become confusing to the reader.
Recommendation: I can whole heartedly recommend this book and will definitely be continuing with the series.
May 1, 2011
This is a very different take on fae legend. The fae have been rounded up and relocated to—what I can only compare to as—a reservation called Piefferburg. It’s a small scrap of land where they are trapped and allowed to live their lives behind a thick and magical wall. As with most fae stories there is the Seelie court, who live in the rose tower, and an Unseelie court, who live in the black tower.
The mysterious half incubus Gabriel from the black tower comes to petition the Summer Queen for residency in the white tower. The queen orders Aislinn to act as his guide while she contemplates his request.
It turns out that Gabriel has been ordered by the Shadow King to lure Aislinn to defect to the black tower. Gabriel, being an incubus, is known for his magical ability to cause women to become addicted to him, and his goal is to seduce Aislinn from the start. Unfortunately Aislinn has just had her heart broken and is wallowing in her own bitterness and anger toward the male species. As a result Aislinn seems immune to Gabriel’s advances.
The banter between the two characters was entertaining, and their relation progressed at a good pace. I enjoyed reading this book and will continue the series.
The only problem I had was the long-hard-to-pronounce names, for examble: Gabriel Cionaodh Marcus Mac Braire. I understand saying the characters full name once or twice for effect but sometimes it became a little much and I just skipped over everything after the first portion of the name.
The mysterious half incubus Gabriel from the black tower comes to petition the Summer Queen for residency in the white tower. The queen orders Aislinn to act as his guide while she contemplates his request.
It turns out that Gabriel has been ordered by the Shadow King to lure Aislinn to defect to the black tower. Gabriel, being an incubus, is known for his magical ability to cause women to become addicted to him, and his goal is to seduce Aislinn from the start. Unfortunately Aislinn has just had her heart broken and is wallowing in her own bitterness and anger toward the male species. As a result Aislinn seems immune to Gabriel’s advances.
The banter between the two characters was entertaining, and their relation progressed at a good pace. I enjoyed reading this book and will continue the series.
The only problem I had was the long-hard-to-pronounce names, for examble: Gabriel Cionaodh Marcus Mac Braire. I understand saying the characters full name once or twice for effect but sometimes it became a little much and I just skipped over everything after the first portion of the name.
February 4, 2010
This is an interesting new series featuring the fae. Once again like most fae books you have the Seelie, or good as they are perceived, and the Unseelie, or the bad as they are perceived. But like life good and bad are not always what it is supposed to be.
Aislinn, by her familial heritage is one of the highest born Seelie with a pure bloodline, but she has her own secrets and has never felt like a part of the Rose court. It takes getting her world shaken up by Gabriel, an incubus who has an agenda of his own, for her to acknowledge just how much of an outsider she is within her court. With Gabriel working on his plan to seduce Aislinn to the Black court, she if forced to look deep within herself and see just how different she is. As Aislinn discovers more and more about herself and her heritage she is thrown in the middle of a battle she didn't know was there. With unexpected allies she fights for what is rightfully hers and against the larger enemy against all the fae.
This was a good book for the start of the series, giving us a good look at the world and setting things up for what will happen next.
Aislinn, by her familial heritage is one of the highest born Seelie with a pure bloodline, but she has her own secrets and has never felt like a part of the Rose court. It takes getting her world shaken up by Gabriel, an incubus who has an agenda of his own, for her to acknowledge just how much of an outsider she is within her court. With Gabriel working on his plan to seduce Aislinn to the Black court, she if forced to look deep within herself and see just how different she is. As Aislinn discovers more and more about herself and her heritage she is thrown in the middle of a battle she didn't know was there. With unexpected allies she fights for what is rightfully hers and against the larger enemy against all the fae.
This was a good book for the start of the series, giving us a good look at the world and setting things up for what will happen next.
January 11, 2011
Wicked Enchantment is the 5th book I've read from Anya Bast. Her novels have been hit and miss for me. Two I thoroughly enjoyed and three were just okay. After reading and enjoying Witch Fury, I read a preview of Wicked Enchantment and was looking forward to reading it. However, it was dissapointing for many reasons. First, Ms. Bast unsuccessfully attempts to fuse the world of the ancient fae with current day. At times, I felt as though I was reading a book set in ancient time. She writes of how the main character walks for hours to the unseelie court and then she casually mentions a cell phone. Next, the book leaves the reader hanging on so many issues it was mind boggling. Don't get me wrong, I realize this is the first book in the series; however, there is no way so many issues should be left unresolved. This book was just unsatisfying for me on so many levels. I do plan to read book 2 only because I purchased it at the same time I purchased this book. But I must say, I will be highly surprised if I continue on with the series after the second book. Check out the book from the library; but, do not waste your money!
October 13, 2012
I really liked the story that came before this book so I was surprised by how dull this book was. The pace seemed slow compared to the previous story and the main characters pale. I realise Aislinn lead a kind of sheltered life, but she didn't really do much in the book. And the sex scenes were annoying. I know Gabriel was suppose to be an Alpha, but he didn't seem to care at all what Aislinn wants in bed and doesn't let her play as she'd like . I can't understand why she doesn't tell him to go away after acting like that.
February 4, 2012
A waste of time. Not the very worst paranormal romance I've read, but I really didn't get into it. Too much emotional hand-wringing. I ended up skimming half the book, including the sex scenes. I just didn't like or care about the lead characters much. I won't read the rest of this series.
This is a modern fairy tale where fairies are "out" to humans and have been put in a magically barricaded city as a safety precaution after they had a very public war between the Seelie and Unseelie almost 400 years ago. The magic user druids that created and maintain the barricade are the Phaendrir - they are the bad guys of this series. I think this will probably be a trilogy, because in this book, the fae find 2 of 4 magic artifacts they need to destroy the barricade, and there are 2 more obviously powerful characters who need to find their mates. In this one, the Gabriel and Aislinn get together and end up becoming a magically powerful couple. There are plenty of death-defying fights and escapes along the way.
This is a modern fairy tale where fairies are "out" to humans and have been put in a magically barricaded city as a safety precaution after they had a very public war between the Seelie and Unseelie almost 400 years ago. The magic user druids that created and maintain the barricade are the Phaendrir - they are the bad guys of this series. I think this will probably be a trilogy, because in this book, the fae find 2 of 4 magic artifacts they need to destroy the barricade, and there are 2 more obviously powerful characters who need to find their mates. In this one, the Gabriel and Aislinn get together and end up becoming a magically powerful couple. There are plenty of death-defying fights and escapes along the way.
October 25, 2010
This was better than ok but I did struggle to get into it and found the 'world-building' too forced.
I know the story is about the fae but the 5 word names that are impossible to pronounce in any language just irritates me. It made it difficult to get into the story. The author also tried to describe every detail she thought necessary at the start rather than building the world and the history as the story progressed. This is what I found too forced.
However, after about 60 pages I was finally interested. The story was good, the two main characters were interesting / appealing. There were some steamy scenes, however, the author kept using the same adjectives which I found unimaginative.
Anyway, it was ok. I'll probably read the next in the series at some point but I'm certainly not rushing out to get it.
I know the story is about the fae but the 5 word names that are impossible to pronounce in any language just irritates me. It made it difficult to get into the story. The author also tried to describe every detail she thought necessary at the start rather than building the world and the history as the story progressed. This is what I found too forced.
However, after about 60 pages I was finally interested. The story was good, the two main characters were interesting / appealing. There were some steamy scenes, however, the author kept using the same adjectives which I found unimaginative.
Anyway, it was ok. I'll probably read the next in the series at some point but I'm certainly not rushing out to get it.
July 30, 2016
Things I did not appreciate:
a) the long-ass full names everyone seems to feel the need to pronounce
b) calling a woman a floozy in one paragraph and saying how it's important a man is not misogynistic in the other... it's like, do you even hear yourself
c) "he tasted like ... and man"... okay... eau de man... in your local drugstore... literally never because what the actual fuck is a "man" smell/taste?? Is it like... manly? Protecting? Just what??
d) a little different description of sex than I was used to, so it felt a little... ridiculous at first
other than that, I actually really enjoyed this, but it was hard to get into the world at first. Once I did that, I could fully immerse myself in the story. Unfortunately, it didn't happen quickly enough for 4 stars, but I have high hopes for the next books in the series
a) the long-ass full names everyone seems to feel the need to pronounce
b) calling a woman a floozy in one paragraph and saying how it's important a man is not misogynistic in the other... it's like, do you even hear yourself
c) "he tasted like ... and man"... okay... eau de man... in your local drugstore... literally never because what the actual fuck is a "man" smell/taste?? Is it like... manly? Protecting? Just what??
d) a little different description of sex than I was used to, so it felt a little... ridiculous at first
other than that, I actually really enjoyed this, but it was hard to get into the world at first. Once I did that, I could fully immerse myself in the story. Unfortunately, it didn't happen quickly enough for 4 stars, but I have high hopes for the next books in the series
April 13, 2010
Wicked Enchantment was an entertaining and fast read revolving around the fae, the Seelie and the Unseelie. The whole setup in the world surrounding the fae was for the most part a typical fae fairy tale except the humans are aware of them and have the fae magically trapped in a city built for especially for them. The excitement in the story was the twists and turns that Anya Bast mixed in throughout the story that kept it entertaining, and the colorful characters. Oh, and I loved the build up in passion between Gabriel and Aislinn, I was completely pulled into their romance. Very steamy!
I'll definitely by reading the next book in this series Cruel Enchantment.
I'll definitely by reading the next book in this series Cruel Enchantment.
January 22, 2015
3.75 stars...I did like this book and will plan to read more of the series soon. There was, of course, world-building in this first book of the Dark Magick series..It was a bit convoluted at first but wasn't overly tedious by midpoint. It's a pretty cool world of the fae, humans, and anti-fae enforcers. The whole imprisoned world of the fae premise is very unique. Gabriel and Aislinn are strong, interesting characters with amazing abilities. I spent much of the book wondering whether Aislinn would ever be able to trust Gabriel after his initial deception. There are great side characters, too...I'm sure we'll be seeing them in their own books as the series continues.
October 9, 2011
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. While I like the idea of PNR, I've had very little luck in finding series I like in the genre. However lately it seems like I've had a streak of good luck. While I wouldn't say I'm totally crazy about it and there were a lot of silly PNR cliche's going on, I actually enjoyed reading Wicked Enchantment. It was fun to read and actually left me wanting to read more. :)
May 16, 2015
Enjoyable. I started off not liking Aislinn, but then she changed and I realized she wasn't the weak, selfish, shallow character I thought she was. Selfish, shallow, and weak DOES fit most of the characters living in the Rose Tower. A decent storyline and enjoyable secondary characters (some who will get their own book since there are 3 more in this series).
One thing: This made for some interesting and at times, exhausting reading- the names.
One thing: This made for some interesting and at times, exhausting reading- the names.
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