The Magpie Lord (A Charm of Magpies, #1)by K.J. Charles
Published by KJC Books
LGBT, fantasy, paranormal, historical, romance
A lord in danger. A magician in turmoil. A snowball in hell.
Exiled to China for twenty years, Lucien Vaudrey never planned to return to England. But with the mysterious deaths of his father and brother, it seems the new Lord Crane has inherited an earldom. He's also inherited his family's enemies. He needs magical assistance, fast. He doesn't expect it to turn up angry. Magician Stephen Day has good reason to hate Crane's family. Unfortunately, it's his job to deal with supernatural threats. Besides, the earl is unlike any aristocrat he's ever met, with the tattoos, the attitude... and the way Crane seems determined to get him into bed. That's definitely unusual.
Soon Stephen is falling hard for the worst possible man, at the worst possible time. But Crane's dangerous appeal isn't the only thing rendering Stephen powerless. Evil pervades the house, a web of plots is closing round Crane, and if Stephen can't find a way through it - they're both going to die.
I didn't know I was in the mood for historical paranormal romance until I dived into The Magpie Lord. Neither historical or paranormal fiction are my go to genres, but somehow Charles made it work, especially with a heavy dose of mystery. Mysteries with magical kick have recently been something I've stumbled upon and liked a lot. In short, The Magpie Lord is a generous mix of different genres that somehow works well.
The Magpie Lord has all the right ingredients to be intriguing and entertaining: intricate, eerie setting of Piper, the ancestral manor of Crane earls, interesting magic system and hierarchy, mystery, personal stakes, and complicated characters. Lucien Vaudrey, the new but reluctant lord Crane, his loyal servant Merrick, and Stephen Day, magician extraordinary who has deep sense of justice. Lucien refuses to conform the society's expectations and is used to the freedom he had in China, which baffles Stephen, who's used to play it save, because he's poor and cannot afford the same type of protection Lucien has through his privileged position. I liked both Lucien and Stephen, and the contrast between them. The past conflict between Lucien and Stephen's families caused additional complication and hurt, which added depth to both characters and their actions.
Despite all the right elements, I found something lacking. I'm not sure what it was; possibly the story could have used more length to build up the mystery and its reveal, as well as the aftermath. Or maybe the budding relationship between Lucien and Stephen left something to be desired. It was entertaining, but without burning passion. A solid first book in a series, and I have high hopes for the sequel - maybe it'll be perfect. Anyway, I did enjoy The Magpie Lord a lot. Maybe not a mind blowing five star read, but definitely solid four stars.
4 of 5 stars
No comments:
Post a Comment