Deeper into the shadows. . .The paranatural community isn’t done with Alex. She’s been summoned to the fae court, and she’s got her hands full trying to prepare. But her date with the fae will have to wait. There’s been a death at the gallery, and the man she hoped would be a part of her future is the prime suspect.Bitter enemies pull her into the middle of a paranatural war for territory that … paranatural war for territory that has her dodging police, swords, teeth, and claws—not to mention the truth. The deeper she digs, the more secrets she uncovers, and the less certain she is about the innocence of the one man she wanted to trust.
She thought she was done with murder and monsters, but she’ll have to enter the belly of the beast if she hopes to save her friend.
“A great story of murder, mystery . . . and well-developed characters.”—Margie Hager, Netgalley Reviewer on A Drop of Magic
“A Drop of Magic is a damned fun and original read, with sass, action, hot men, and a whole lot of magic.” —Diana Pharaoh Francis, author of theDiamond City Magic, Magicfall, and Horngate Witches series.
AuthorBio: Born and raised in Colorado, L. R. BRADEN makes her home in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains with her wonderful husband, precocious daughter, and psychotic cat. With degrees in both English literature and metalsmithing, she splits her time between writing and art.
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The paranatural community isn’t done with Alex, she’s been summoned to the fae court so she has hands full trying to prepare. But her date with the fae will have to wait. There’s a death at the gallery and James is the prime suspect and bitter enemies pull into a paranatural war for territory that has her dodging police, swords, teeth and claws – not to mention the truth.
Alex is once again caught up in things that she had no clue about in this riveting and exhilarating read. The fascinating alter earth world continues with non-stop thrills, adrenaline pumping action and breath stealing suspense that keeps readers on the edge throughout. With surprising twists, magical battles, plenty of opposition and a spirited and determined Alex whose loyalty can’t be questioned this story has it all including all the turbulent emotions that come with all the excitement that seems determined to turn her life upside down.
The fast paced plots has Alex training and learning how to navigate the fae courts with help from Kai but also from a new fae player that causes a bit of frustration and angst. Then the PTF is gung ho to catch Alex and her fae friends, and Alex learns the big secret that her would be boyfriend has been keeping has put her right smack in a deadly and dangerous grab for territory and a game changing magical artifact. Once this book is begun, readers can’t tear their eyes away as they become one hundred percent immersed in all the excitement of Alex’s life.
First let me state that I received an Advance Reader Copy, (ARC), but this in no way influences my review. I always leave an honest review.
Holy shiznet!!! This is the second book in this series and it’s just as good, if not better than the first. Alex is getting stronger in her magic, but her life is becoming more messed up. This story had me fearing for her life a few times. I can’t wait to read the next story. I recommend this read. 5 Thumbs up
I didn’t take long to become totally engrossed in the second book in this riveting series. Ms. Braden is an exceptional writer in her characters, her plot, and her interesting world building. In fact, I really loathe one of her characters, and I really want to yell at him so very much, a mark of a great writer to get the reader so invested. One thing though is that this book took a darker turn than the previous one which I didn’t mind at all. Anyway, this is a great urban fantasy with a myriad of characters to keep the reader entertained. I stayed up past my bedtime to finish, something I don’t do very often. I can’t wait for the next book; maybe we’ll go see her grandfather! Give this author and this series a try; you’ll love them! Highly recommend and I received a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
This book was a fantastic second installment to the Magicsmith series. I really enjoyed reading this book it keeps the action going while weaving in plenty of new secrets and mysteries. Alex remains loyal to a fault even if it doesn’t always make senses but I still love her and most of her solutions are logical and work with the overall story-line. This fascinating world is violent and cruel and the descriptions make it vividly real. I shuddered as Merak’s throne of bones was described… That is truly the stuff of nightmares. Truly brilliant writing!
Our MC Alex is running out of time before she will have to go before the court in faerie but becomes entangled in werewolf and vampire politics after a grisly murder. As Alex is pulled in every direction she manages to still put loyalty first. Alex has to make some tough choices in this book that will have ramifications for the future and I am excited to see how this all plays out in the next book of the series. Overall a fantastic read and I highly recommend the series. this is not a stand alone so be sure to read the first book before starting this one.
I received this book from NetGalley and Moose Island Books for an Honest review.
#CourtingDarkness
#NetGalley
The fae-human conflict continues. Alex has enough on her plate with her newly discovered halfer status. Bad enough her great-great-whatever fae grandfather is a fae LORD who inconveniently chooses to acknowledge her existence. Now she’s bombarded with court etiquette and self-defense lessons–both necessary for her introduction to his court. But then her sort-of love interest James is accused of a heinous murder–and then disappears. And the ever-present paranormal police force are convinced she knows more about things than she’s admitting.
Alex is forced to balance a highwire of knowledge and secrets against her everyday life that she clings to desperately as it slips through her grasp. She deludes herself into thinking she can stay an ordinary artist and book store employee…for far longer than I had patience for. I just wanted to smack her and tell her to get with the program already! LOL Again, you know the author’s sone her job when you start mentally treating the character like an exasperating friend or relative!
Alex gathers her friends into a mad plot to discover where James has gone, and when she discovers him in danger, she vows to rescue him. I was not as enamored with this book as the first one. as there was less about the fae and weres and more about vampires (who, in this creation, are really icky), and Alex had not grown as much as I had hoped. There were moments when she acted like a bratty child in need of a swat and a nap. But I loved how loyalty and friendship were proven above and beyond, and how everyone got off the metaphorical fence and DID something. Many iffy characters rose to the occasion, above and beyond what was required of them. The romance develops with some surprises. A very enjoyable read. I hope to see Alex in the fae court in Book 3???
Such wonderful development of story and each character, no one is a cardboard stand-in, and everyone’s deepening history goes to enrich the tapestry. Really enjoying following Alex’s struggle to accept her new world, as she tries also to keep all the best of her old. Very enjoyable how the weft and weave are creating a much larger image of this world and its stories. When’s the next one out?
This book started slow with Alex prepping for her trip to the fae court. Once the book picks up thought we have murder, a new fae teacher, a new shifter, James’s secret, and a dangerous vampire nest.
Overall, I enjoyed the action and can’t wait to see how her time in the fae court goes.
*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.*
COURTING DARKNESS by L.R. Braden is the second book in The Magicsmith supernatural suspense / urban fantasy series. The female protagonist, Alex Blackwood is a metalsmith creating works of art in Colorado after a fragile peace between the Fae and humans. She’s been summoned to the fae court and needs to learn a lot about proper etiquette and the fae world as a whole. When a dead body is found above an art gallery and a friend is implicated, her life gets even more complicated and her studies suffer for it. Along the way, she learns a lot about herself, her friends, secrets, enemies, relationships and the Fae.
Alex is a likeable main character who is loyal to her friends and is definitely someone you want to succeed. Her goals were clear and her motivations were believable. However, I wanted Alex to be a stronger protagonist. The main secondary characters are getting more developed, but new characters were introduced as well. They did enhance the story and they added to the story rather than detracting from it. Hopefully, Alex will become an even stronger protagonist and the secondary characters will show even more growth and depth as the series develops. The prose was well-written, engaging, and entertaining. The plot was engrossing, fascinating and action-filled. The world-building was good, but I wanted a bit more.
Overall, the book was suspenseful, entertaining and fast-paced. I am looking forward to reading more in this fantasy series. If you enjoy urban fantasies with a lot of action, then this book is one you may enjoy as much as I did.
Many thanks to Bell Bridge Books, Inc. and L.R. Braden for a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.