Smart-mouthed Nicole Fontane has a way of getting herself into trouble. She’s been fired from every job she’s had but still refuses to work in her father’s apothecary shop because of his practice of Earth Magick. On Tulare Island where Nicole grew up, Magick has always been a way of life-one she’s determined to avoid at all costs. With less than two hundred dollars in the bank and rent due, … Nicole is forced to take a job at Tribec Insurance as a last resort. Little does she realize, the moment she sets foot inside the building, she becomes a pawn. A sinister force has set its sights on her and will stop at nothing to use her in a sadistic game. Tribec’s proprietors, the Stewart family, are curiously preoccupied with the Naqada, the mysterious pre-dynastic Egyptian society. Nicole finds it creepy, but on the bright side, the job reconnects her with her estranged friend, Marta. Yet the eerie atmosphere, disappearing Magick wards, and the smell of blood inside Tribec bring Nicole to a startling conclusion-the Stewarts are practicing Blood Magick, the deadliest of the Five Principles. By the time Nicole uncovers the truth, Marta and her four children have gone missing, and all signs implicate the Stewarts and an archaic blood ritual to an Old One, a Naqada god imprisoned on Tulare Island. Battling the evil of Blood Magick will demand Nicole to confront a hidden past and unlock the Magick buried within. But can she set aside her deep-rooted fears to work with a team of vigilante Mages? Or will the clock run out on Marta and her children-and on Nicole?
more
Wow, this book absolutely blew me away! It has multiple parts to love, from evil corporation, to mysterious ancient magic, to a number of very sexy scenes. Not to mention the ending was incredible!
Lewis has a wonderful knack for piecing together many parts into a whole, cohesive world that makes it easy to fall into. She excels at creating multi-faceted characters to the point that you end up cheering for all of them. You fall in love with them without even realizing it. She slowly builds the magic of the world, dripping out piece by piece of information, until all the puzzle pieces come together. The further you get into the book, the more the train starts to build up speed and you have a hard time putting it down! At the end you are fearing for all of them and horrified by the people they are up against. And boy, are the villains in this tale twisted!
Lewis also tackles some dark themes in this book while also exploring the difficulty in dealing with trauma in a realistic way. Just as the magic system slowly evolves, so too does our lead character Nicole, a woman who has been kicked out of so many places of employment that she has to work for the seedy corporation that appears to be the only option left. Her fiery temper and quick wit make her bristle under authority. I absolutely loved her. She is confident and determined to speak her mind, which of course leads her to making some not-so-great decisions. But you understand why she does it because Lewis is so good at making her believable, relatable, flawed, and human.
A wonderful read for anyone who enjoys complex magic systems, a complex love life, detailed world-buidling, and plenty of hot and heavy moments!
It’s always great to discover a wonderful new author. As far as I know, this is her first novel (at least published). I discovered Ms Lewis in a 3 novella anthology book (Beyond The Cogs with 2 other authors) & really liked her story.
I went to see what else was available from her & found Lineage. New authors are not supposed to be this skilled. It’s in the fantasy action genre, but with both tremendous character development & (for lack of a better word) grit. Other than the violence, I could easily see my self dating her protagonist in my youth.
Here’s a very quick plot summary; but the book is so much more than the plot. Nicole is a young adult who hasn’t had the most successful life. Loves sex; but afraid of intimacy. She gets a much needed job at an insurance company that somehow really doesn’t feel right; but she stays until she learns what’s wrong. Also learns she has very potent magic that has been buried & makes some new powerful close friends while fighting evil.
Yes, the plot sounds cheesy, but it isn’t. Ms Lewis is a writer, & she really brings this to life. I can’t wait for volume 2 in March, & even more I can’t wait to see what this author will be gifting us with in 5 years.
Both this & the scheduled follow up Zealot are quite inexpensive if you have an e-reader. There is a huge indie self publishing scene right now; especially in fantasy & romance. The majority of the authors I’ve read aren’t that great, but there are a few exceptions (2 that come quickly to mind are Deborah Harkness ( A Discovery Of Witches) & Juliana Haygert. Ms. Lewis is definitely in that league.
For those who care (I’m totally good with it), there is a significant amount of sex. But it’s not X rated, & it’s not watered down for teens. Same with violence; it’s there & is an integral part of the book, but isn’t overdone; it fits the story.
Spend your $1.99; you won’t be sorry!
Desperate for a job, Nicole ends up working for Tribec Insurance But something is off about the company. Nicole keeps seeing evidence of magic, yet no one is owning up to using it on the employees. As she starts to investigate the family and the magic they may use, she discovers their roots are steeped in blood magic. And it may be too late for her to escape their plans.
The writing style of Lineage was easy to follow and fast paced. Though the plot did not focus on magic as heavily as I imagined it would. From the description and the initial story build up, I assumed Nicole would be spending more time at Tribec and diving into the mystery around the company. There were moments of tension as Nicole began to research the possible magic Tribec used, but she never focused on it long. And any time Nicole spent at Tribec was filled with her brooding over how bad the job was and becoming confrontational with every employee she encountered.
Nicole is a fierce and independent woman, but she is also extremely judgmental. When seeing people for the first time she judges them based on their weight and appearance. She is also a shallow person who doesn’t want to be bothered listening to friends when they are having a tough time. She would rather sleep with any available man and continue to embrace bad habits. Between her promiscuity and lack of character development, I did not connect with Nicole at all.
There were many opportunities for the story to ramp up the conflict and tension, but the storyline was a slow burn. And despite many instances where the characters should have seen what was wrong, the writing made them ignore the situations. If there had been more reacting instead of dismissing the danger the story would have kept my attention better. This is not a series I will be continuing.