Spell Slinger: Wayward Magic Book One

Skeleton Key #7

by K.N. Lee

Proper lady by day.
Evil fighting vigilante by night.

New York Times & USA Today bestselling author, K.N. Lee presents Spell-Slinger, a time-travel fantasy fans are comparing to anime meets epic-fantasy.

Yara Ortuso always knew she'd follow in her father's footsteps as a Spell Slinger--until her mother sold her off as a concubine to a lord, after a forbidden romance.

Yara would have served her time as a wife to keep her family safe, but when King Loric sets a decree to abolish magic, she has no choice but to make plans for her escape.Her best friend--a crow shifter named Hero is just what she needs. Yara vows to end the reign of murder and tyranny. But when the skeleton key transports Yara to a distant future, she must adapt to this new world. A mysterious prince with his own secret motives might stand between Yara and her quest for vengeance.

The future is an alluring and mysterious place, where the effects of a world without magic is apparent by the rise in supernatural activity--and King Loric still lives.

Follow Yara's epic journey in this futuristic fast-paced steampunk adventure perfect for fans of Gail Carriger and Branden Sanderson!

Praise for Spell
"Great and entertaining read." Kole Reads
"The details are intricately written and interwoven so expertly. You never know what direction the story is going to go until it takes you there." -Kristin, Amazon Reviewer
"The creativity of this writer just flows throughout the pages!" Patti Hays- Amazon Reviewer
"Spell Slinger was riveting!! I absolutely fell in love with Yara, Hero, Asher, and Eric!" Heather- Amazon Reviewer

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Time Travel, Shapeshifters, Young Adult, Paranormal Romance

158 pages, Paperback

First published June 14, 2016

About the author

K.N. Lee is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who resides in Charlotte, North Carolina. When she is not writing twisted tales, fantasy novels, and dark poetry, she does a great deal of traveling and promotes other authors. Wannabe rockstar, foreign language enthusiast, and anime geek, K.N. Lee also enjoys helping others reach their writing and publishing goals. She is a winner of the Elevate Lifestyle Top 30 Under 30 "Future Leaders of Charlotte" award for her success as a writer, business owner, and for community service.

She is signed with Captive Quill Press and Patchwork Press.

K.N. Lee loves hearing from fans and readers. Connect with her!

www.knlee.com

www.WriteLikeAWizard.com

www.Facebook.com/knycolelee

www.twitter.com/knycole_lee

www.wattpad.com/user/KNycoleLee

Reviews

[Hollie · Rating 2 out of 5]

~1.5 star~

This book was just too short. I felt as if I were thrown into a world with no backstory. Not just the world but the characters as well. You go in blind feeling like you're missing a lot of relevant information. Important information that was never really addressed and simply skimmed over.

I wasn’t a fan of the heroine. She loved one man. Then seemed to easily forget about him and claimed to be in love with another man. No relationship or character development at all. The plot, storyline and characters all seemed to be incredibly generic. Not a series I will continue. Too vague for my preference and I'm not a fan of characters that can so easily fall in and out of love. They had a very juvenile feel to them.
I'm going to go ahead and bump this up to a 2 star rating simply because I liked the book cover and it was offered as a kindleunlimited.

[phoebess · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay. So... No.
The story was too short for the amount of information it gave (or just skimmed through) plus the heroine was pretty shallow and flighty (and forgetful).
I honestly don't know whether I didn't like this story because of the stuff I mentioned or the writing style was bad...

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yara is half meta and half spell slinger. She has been sold off by her meta mother to a horrible man as a concubine but when King Loric outlaws all magic and her father is awaiting execution, she kills the Lord who owns her and escapes with her best friend Hero, a crow shifter only to find she is too late. When she, Hero and her childhood love Asher go on the run together, Yara finds herself drawn to a Skeleton Key which transports her thousands of years into the future where she discovers King Loric is still alive and still plans to kill her.
There are so many layers to this story that it draws you in and keeps you there. The evil King is only one story line. There is also Yara’s meta mother who never showed her any affection. Asher who loved her as a child but never tried to save her when she was sold. Then we meet Prince Evan, Loric’s son and Yara’s way into the castle to kill his father. He is strong but kind and so very attractive.
The details are intricately written and interwoven so expertly. You never know what direction the story is going to go until it takes you there. It is full of suspense and hints of passion. This is a well written story you will enjoy.

[M.M. Chabot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to start by saying, I was not really sure what to expect when I started this book. I was not really expecting to enjoy it.

I am glad I was wrong. The story line was great, as well as the characters were definitely people you started to like.
I liked the romance aspect of the book and how things went about. I am wanting to know what happened to her friends, as well as what happens next, so we shall see.

If you love strong female character, with a prince involved, with magic and a lover, this book is for you.

Good work Kenya, you definitely pulled me in with this great story

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Krissy Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this was a great book. This is the first book that I have read for K.N. Lee, I have to say that this was a great way to start. I loved this book and characters. Yara is part meta and part spell slingers and she has faced horrible things because she is a woman. I love the twists and turns that this story took. I couldn’t put this book down and I didn’t want it to stop. I can’t wait to read more from this author and I can’t wait to read more of the Skeleton Key Series.

[Tori Valenzuela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow amazing read. First off I received this book free from the author for a honest review. Now that all that is said let me say again Wow! Yara is a strong kick ass character. She uses her magic even when it could get her executed to save the people of her city. This book has action, adventure, suspence, even some romance all bundled up for each reader! Amazing read!

[Ashley Martinez (ilovebooksandstuffblog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3/3.5 stars. I enjoyed this fantasy story but was disappointed in the lack of depth. I know it was a short novelette but I would've still loved to see more explanation and description of the world. I did like the twist and turns the story took but I wanted more.

[Angelique McGowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enchanting

What an enchanted read! The characters are strong and believable! The lead ius a magickal woman who takes her magic and responsibilities seriously! Fun read

[Darcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so wanted more. I know it is a novella but K.N. Lee is outstanding and this is no exception. I just wanted to see the story go on a little longer because it was fabulous. Now, don't get me wrong it wasn't super short that you just had to say really is that all but still it is superb. I loved the characters in the story. Yara was outstanding put together and makes you wish you were her. LOL. The story was superb and hands down great. I have read a couple of the Skeleton Key books and loved how they are put together. Fabulous job K.N. Lee. Keep up the great work with your books. Yara and Evan have wonderful chemistry and you can feel the love that was put in creating them and the book. This is a must read.

[Linda Hamonou · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was kind of fun though maybe a little too short.
There was a lot going on. I'm kind of unhappy with the fate of the two shifters in the book because we actually can't know for sure what happened to them and the ending twist about them isn't really satisfactory since I don't see how the foe could have achieved to make everyone believe her lie.
Something is certainly fishy and weird here and I'm not really satisfied with the logic of it.

I like how this story development is totally unexpected though. It's really strange and fun how we go from point A to point where the hell. It was a fresh and cool sort of twist.

[Adri266 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kniha ci skor novela dostala odo mna 2 *, lebo A, ma krasnu obalku, B, ma chvala Bohu iba 100 stran.

Akcie a dej v knihe boli nedokoncene, casto som si vravela, ze co do kelu? Kedy sa tam dostali? Kto je zase toto?

A ten koniec? Akoby niekto autorke vymazal minimalne 20 stran.

[P Diotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very disappointed with this novella and almost didn't finish it. It could definitely use more proofreading and polishing. The plot had a lot of potential, but sadly fell short. Also, the characters weren't really fleshed out and I wasn't a fan of the love triangle.

[Ann-marie Morency · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

I was in awe of this book from the first to last page. Once you start reading this book you won't be able to put it down. Highly recommended!

[Susan Pearlstein · Rating 1 out of 5]

could not finish

[Vonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you have time to read a lot, as I do, this is a good story worth the time.

[Chu-Salyer Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spell Slinger is a book that has fantasy, insta love, timetravel, and a twisted love triangle. Yara has to much drama in her life. She is half meta and half spell slinger. Her meta mother had sold her off to a bad man to be used as a concubine.

There is a very bad king, he outlaws all magic and Yara ‘s father is awaiting execution, because he broke the law by practicing magic. Yara kills the Lord who owns her and escapes with her best friend Hero, a crow shifter only to find she is too late to save her father’s life.

And then Yara, Hero, and her childhood love Asher they all go on the run together, that is what I call true friends. Yara finds herself a Key that takes her and her friends thousands of years into the future where she fines King Loric is still kicking alive and still wants to put her to death.

And then there is a prince , Prince Evan king Loric’s son helps Yara into the castle to kill his father. Prince Evan is a strong, kind, and so very hansom man. The story has lots of passion, suspense, and the story is very intriguing.

[Angel Leya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yara is incredibly powerful, daughter of a spell-slinger and a meta (in this instance a ghost, though meta covers many different creatures). We enter the story as she's escaping from a life she was forced into - one of many wives to a wealthy man. With the help of her best friend, a raven shape shifter, and a former lover, she starts on a quest to kill the king, whose reign involves killing off all spell slingers, the last gateway holding the meta's back from destroying the world.

But when she comes across a skeleton key, it sends her far into the future, where the king still reigns and meta's are on the verge of taking over the world. Her path takes her into the presence of one of the king's sons, igniting a passion she thought she no longer had.

This story has fantasy, time travel, and superhero elements to it that make it quite delightful.

This one is a bit of a tough review. The writing is solid. The world is incredibly interesting. The characters are decent. The problem I had with the book is that there were some inconsistencies and stuff that didn't get fully explained. For instance, Yara gets slung into the far future by a skeleton key, but it's never explained why. She was on her way to try to kill the king when she got slung to the future, and there her quest basically continued, although minus her partners in the first portion of the book. One of the characters is a turncoat, and Yara seems to know when it gets revealed, but there's nothing to indicate that beforehand, so it seemed a little out of left field. Also, the turncoat could have outed her to the king at any moment, but she never did, and the motivation is unclear.

Despite an immense amount of struggle, Yara, the main character, seems to move through each with surprising ease. She's super cool and interesting, but would have been more interesting with a little more struggle.

So I gave this review four stars. I wanted to give it five, but just couldn't due to the little inconsistencies that unraveled the story every time I stopped to think about it.

If you enjoy fantasy novellas, you might enjoy Skye's Lure: A Contemporary Fantasy Romance Mermaid eBook.

[Ksandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 Stars

I have gotten many of this author's books for free via her newsletter. I finally decided to give one of them a try. I'm honestly not sure if I'm disappointed or content.

Yara is the last Spell Slinger, as the king has been having them all murdered. She knows she needs to kill him in order to protect the people he reigns over. This novel, filled with confusing love affairs and time shifts, almost leaves the reader wanting more. Almost (at least in my case).

So, I did not feel like any of the characters were fleshed out. K.N. Lee tried. She really did. But ya gotta give more to the characters' backstories than them explaining it to someone. Let me see a memory, or the characters go through hardships. Don't just throw me a line and reel it back immediately.

Plus, that ending? What the actual....

So Keo is Yara's ex-master's daughter? How in the hell did she get hundreds, if not thousands of years into the future? Was it from the experiments? And Yara thanks Hero in her thoughts. Is that because the prince she loves is related to him? Maybe a son? Or grandson?

And those love stories. Jeez, give me more time to see the characters form their emotions. I get that "love at first sight" is a thing, but come on. We aren't children anymore and most fantasy writers need to delve into the emotions of these relationships more than that. Please.

I had high hopes for this novel. I really did. The plot actually thoroughly intrigued me and I love the cover. But this novel realllly just needs a rewrite to flesh out characters, scenarios, emotions, etc.

[Shayay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how Lee describes the details! The setting was very vivid in my mind, and I enjoyed the world the story takes place in, and I felt involved in the story as it was unfolding, so much so that I forgot this was a skeleton key book, and was surprised when that part entered the story! The beginning was a little slow, and I tend to stay away from books with things like concubines and such in them, so when I read that I was thinking, Oh, no!, but luckily that wasn't too much of a factor in the story. Yara was sold by her parents; her mother mainly, but her father didn't stop it, so I don't think much of either of them, into a form of slavery to a man as one of his concubines. Yara's father has been killed, so she finally escapes; without help from anyone, so she can take down the evil King Loric for killing her father. King Loric is also killing all those with magic, and since Yara has magic she needs to be careful not to be caught. Yara ends up finding a skeleton key that transports her to the future (this in the synopsis so it's not a spoiler). Speaking of the synopsis, I don't think it is quite accurate in describing some aspects of the story, but that may just be my opinion. Anyways, Yara needs to figure out how to contend with the future and helping those she cares for. Yara was a strong character, and I loved her kicking butt! It is kind of weird how long it takes to get the ball rolling though, but I suppose she is running the long game, and I suppose it is best not to jump into these kinds of things. Evan was great also, I liked his sort of cocky attitude. I definitely could have used a lot more scenes between Yara and Evan. I also would have liked more Hero and Asher; especially Hero, I wanted to know more about his connection to the future. I would have loved a bit more to the ending, but that's just because I enjoyed the story immensely, and wanted more! The magic was great, and the romance was really sweet, and I was entertained till the very end! Great characters! The skeleton key series is so great!

[Ulla Bisgaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for Spell slinger by K.N. Lee
Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Action, Suspense, Drama
Audience: NA, Adults
Series: The Skeleton Key
I received the book for an honest review.

Synopsis:
This book is a standalone read, but still part of the skeleton key series.
I'm a world where Metas (spirits/ghosts) threatens the public, and shifter and magic users are hunted. Yara was born to fight. Yara is a spell slinger or sorceress, but most important she are part meta too and that gives her the edge in the fight.
The king of the land hates spell slingers and kills every one he finds, including Yara's father. Running from prosecution she finds a skeleton key. The key opens a portal to the future where the king still rules. Now it's up to Yara to save the land. She gets help from the Kings son Eric, who she slowly begins developing feelings for. How it ends, you will have to read the book to find out.

Conclusion:
This one was a real page turner and full of action and drama. Weaved I'm with it all are bits of romance and horror. It would make a great action movie. Generally the story was nicely written with good character development. It kept reminding me of the anime I love, because the descriptions really made it come alive for me. The only negative thing was that I thought it ended too soon and that would have liked to know more about what happened to some of the minor characters. Maybe that will come in another book. I would warmly recommend it as a great summer read.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is only the second one from this series that I have read each one a different author. I also have found I really enjoy this author so this was a good match for me. This one is also really different which catches my attention right away. I am also realizing that anything from this series will be so. This key has them going places that will change many things in their lives. Now Yara is something I have not heard termed as such before a spell slinger. She has evil though to deal with but once she is in a different place her and Hero you are really taken away. This story will do to you just like it does to the characters with now there is Evan with more magic propelling us along. There will be a love that builds but also though it will have some golden times and olden times ways in this story especially where woman are concerned. Love no greater force there is. When you are so wrapped up in this though and you think things will go in the wrong direction that wand could get waved and you end up in the right direction. Refreshing enjoyment indeed.

[Lene Blackthorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yara is the last spell slinger living and the only obstacle standing in the way of Metas before they could claim the world and merge them together. In an adventurous journey to the future she needs to face her identity and meet her destiny in the most crucial fight.
This book is a real page turner, fast pacing, though with not so many twists but stillentertaining enough to read it on one breath. I generally liked the characters, loved the landscapes and world establishment with many supernatural creatures and totally appreciated author's writing skills.
On the other hand, I was lacking some more attachment to the characters and story itself. I expected to make some connection with at least one of the characters, but the closest one to be my favourite was Hero and he really appeared in the story too little. I wanted more information, more emotions, little more depth. It was fast, interesting, with fair amount of potential, but lacking some spark.
However, I enjoyed the novella and I am happy to be given the opportunity to read the story.

[Essey Of Da Books · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible writing! It was very Dick and Jane. By 15% through, the characters should have at least SOME personality and you should know at least a little of what the hell is going on. Nothing! You are thrown in the middle of the story and given hardly any ideas of what's going on in the entire world of the story except that spell slingers are being executed because the King says so. For crying out loud, this SERIOUSLY needs some work. The writing REALLY needs to be fleshed out, the characters need a lot of work, story building needs to be done to not drop the reader in the middle of everything, and more description! There was hardly any descriptions at all, of people, places, things. If you expect the reader to be interested in the story, you need to at least guide them down a path, which includes all of the skills this writer seemed to lack. Maybe the story gets better, but I'm not going to keep banging my head against this waiting when I have lots of better things to do.

[Douglas Meeks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I finished Spell Slinger (Skeleton Key) and after scanning a bit in the first 25% of the book it became very good and by the end I loved it plus it is FREE on KU. you will love the ending, could have used a minor bit of editing but a really good story that would be great for those days when you would like a book that you can finish in 1 day and this is around 150ish pages.

Bottom Line: It is a really great story in an epic fantasy style but done in around 150 pages which was what I wanted when I grabbed this book. So if you love epic fantasy but don't feel like investing the time for 1000 pages, this would be a great way to spend a day . 4 Stars for entertainment value since it was a great ending even if it did forget to close a couple of very minor threads.

NOTE: This is a PG or less rated story so good for a teen or maybe even a tween

[VeronicaMarie1986 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This is an epic story!! In a world where magic is outlawed, Yara is the last Spell Slinger and in this book you read about her quest to put an end to the tyrant who is ruling their world. This book has it all! Action, adventure, romance, magic, and the inability to put it down!! I loved reading about Yara's quest and also loved the romance and intrigue in it! It is truly packed full of twists and turns, one of which certainly took me by surprise! There was nothing I didn't enjoy about this book. Once I started reading it, I couldn't stop, and I highly recommend it! I will be checking out other books this author has to offer for sure.

[Katherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

So disappointing. This book was really not for me and it's just too bad.

It was short, scattershot, and poorly paced. We jump from a chase, to a romance, to time travel, to insta-love, to assassination plots. There is next to no explanation of the world of the magic that occurs in it. Which seems patently ridiculous as the magic is the entirety of this world and a major part of the (not well thought out) plot. The romance is far to fast and uncomfortably placed in a terrible love triangle. There was the most ridiculous jumps in time and plot and it made for a choppy uncomfortable read. I did not enjoy any of this book and simply found myself trying to finish it. Had some nuggets of potential within but would require a major overhaul to become anything of further interest.

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

Yara Ortuso is part of a family of Spell Slingers that have kept the West District of Allarya since the beginning of time. However King Loric thinks differently and sets out to kill all the Spell Slingers.

Yara vows to end the reign of King Loric after he executes her father for being a Spell Slinger. however the skeleton key has other ideas and sends Yara and her companion Hero (a crow shifter) into the distant future where King Loric is still in power.

Can Yara finally kill King Loric and have a change for peace and happiness or will her soul end up in the Soul Haven for all eternity?

I loved this story. It was well written and had lots of drama and intrigue and I had no idea how it was going to end but that it all seemed to be going to an unhappy ending,

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW This was an awesome read just like I have come to expect from Ms Lee and she doesn't disappoint. A great read with a BAD Kick Butte and Don't Take Prisoners GIRL who doesn't play. Love it and love her. Yara has faced all kinds of horrible things done against her because she is a woman but against all odds she ends up doing big things. I love the intrigue and action and oh man the twists that are thrown in right along with it. A strong story, great characters, and some real spine tingling, stop breathing, silent scream of NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, an aw man, a no way and it was worth it all!! Well done and a great addition to the Skeleton Key Series.

[Arianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Yara is half Spell Slinger (sort of a magic user) and half Meta (spirit - like creatures).
She was having her problems (like having murdered her husband) when the king decided all spell slinger must die. And Yara decided, why not add another murder to her to-do list? The King must be it.
Enter the skeleton key, who transport Yara to the future. And to Evan.
It was likeable but I wasn't into it.
Yara wasn't my favorite heroine. I didn't like how were managed the (many) love interests. As in... too many for a short story.
So... I believe this is a nice summer short story but nothing more.
My vote: 3 stars

[T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A couple large plot holes, story line inconsistencies, questionable grammar (were his eyes really as green as the sky?), and a handful of typos made this an interesting read, but fell short of the awesome potential that more detailed worldbuilding and a second proofread could have provided. This author is real good, so the story was good, but it seemed rushed, with major plot elements overlooked or passed over too quickly for the reader to appreciate them. Too bad, the story had excellent potential.