London Coven: A Three-Book Collection (A London Coven Collection)

Format: audiobook
Narrator : Heather Tracy
This was a new to me author, I say was because after listening to this set I will be devouring as many books by these authors as possible. This is such an fantastic world to get lost in, I’m well and truly hooked.

Bk 1: Familiar Magic
Great start, dramatic, intriguing and grabs your attention instantly. Stella Familiar was created by a powerful coven, a lowly familiar! But when Stella is met with a horrific scene and then lands, quite literally, in front of detective David Tylor a hunt ensues to find the powerful creature threatening London.
A fabulous story with twists and tricks to keep you guessing and the Narrator does a fantastic job.

Bk 2: Nightmare Realm
Stella Familiar is all that is left from the London Coven but she’s just a familiar, how is she expected to keep London safe? Until a new trio of witches comes she is all there is.
When every child in the city both normal and supernatural is in danger Stella much face the nightmare of saving them alone, or is she? there’s some interesting things going on with detective David Tylor.
Another fantastic story helped alone by this awesome narrator.

Bk 3 : Deadly Portant
I’ve liked David’s sarcastic wit throughout these book but I love Eva familiar, several times in this story she’s had me chuckling even as the pressure on Stella increases, can she do what apparently needs to be done regarding David? Another fantastic story full of drama and excitement that kept me on the edge of my seat and left me wanting more, please tell me there’s more!
As well as seeking out more work by these authors I’ll definitely be looking at what else this narrator has done because she is brilliant.

This review is for the first three audible books in the London Coven Series an urban fantasy.
Book 1 is Familiar Magic
This story sets the premise of storyline, we get to know the characters, who they are and a feel for how Stella our heroine a familiar created by three sister witches now deceased takes over for them and is determined to find there murderer and keep the peace in London.

Book 2 Nightmare Realm
In this story Stella finds that the barriers that her creators have installed are coming down, she must figure out how to resurrect them and save the children of London.

Book 3 Deadly Portent
This story has gotten personal for Stella. There is a sucubus on the loose murdering people, a wizard wants her friend, the man she has gotten close to killed. Stella is on a mission to bring peace, justice and hopefully save the man she maybe falling for.

This has been a fun fantasy journey.
Heather Tracy did an amazing job bringing these characters to life, and there where many, I can’t imagine how she did them all, but you must listen to hear them and see what I mean.

I actually read the three books and reviewed them separately, but I wish I’d gotten the collection to start. I really like the Stella Familiar character. I hope to see more of her in the future.
Familiar Magic
Stella Familiar returned home to the London Coven to find all three high witches torn to pieces and scattered around the common room. Stella, their familiar, a thing made by them of dirt, spit and will, made a vow to get bloody revenge. But first she had to survive an attack from a big monster devil dog thing waiting for her. Which she did by teleporting into Detective David Tyler’s kitchen. Talking with David at a cafe, she questioned who she is, and what can she to do without her masters, when she and David are suddenly attacked by the possessed waitress. Now David has now become a believer in Magic. They met a Monk, a keeper of the Sorcerer Tree, which has been stripped of magic, desecrated and burned, much like Stella’s witches. It was a thing of darkness that has attacked, twice now. That creature—that patch of twitching darkness—destroyed Stella’s coven, and now it had killed the Sorcerer Tree, its Church and all of its followers. No way she will stop until whatever had crept towards her in the black memories of the skinned monk was dead. At The Beehive, she got a (reluctantly given) hint from Razor that there may be information at The Den. They visit the proprietress, the succubus Anya, for a few pages of really interesting action. Now they’ve been summoned by The First Witch. Stella is told she has potential, but not given any additional help or information. David and Stella visit the scene of the crime, are attacked by giant devil dogs, which Stella obliterates. But David has disappeared, leaving a trail of blood behind. She gets a name, Mr. Trick, from Razor at The Beehive, but needs the Black Magic help of the powerful wizard, mighty Giles L’Merrier to find him. The wizard is terrified by the information he gets, and sends Stella away with just an address. Stella fortifies her power with a visit to eat the fairies in London’s sewer. After battling many evil minions of the darkness, she finally meets it face to face. And recognizes it. Questions are answered, though not to Stella’s liking. And then the grand confrontation–no spoilers, you’ve got to read the book, and it’s well worth it.
Nightmare Realm London Coven, Book Two
Stella Familiar of the London Coven and Detective David Tyler are back to keep us “normals” safe from the Uncanny World. Jake Fletcher, the Spectral Detective warns Stella that something is wrong, things seem to be unraveling. Sure enough, the recently arrived monster is “a thing of rage and fear and blind fury incarnate”, as explained by L’Merrier. It’s not something Stella can sink her fist into – how can she fight something that isn’t even in our plane of existence? She and David have to come up with a strategy before every child in London is sucked into the Nightmare Realm. Fast-paced action and interesting characters, many of whom we’ve met before: Razor, Lenny, David’s sister, Jake and L’Merrier. I was fascinated by the London colloquial dialog and the wild descriptions and similes. BTW, Jake has a history of his own, as told by him in ‘Spectral Detective: A Three-Book Collection: An Uncanny Kingdom Urban Fantasy (Spectral Detective Collection 1).
Deadly Portent London Coven Uncanny Kingdom Book 3
Stella Familiar and Detective David Tyler are back for another case, a month after their battle with the monster from the Nightmare Realm and a warning from the Knot Man. They meet Eva Familiar under inauspicious circumstances, and she, too, can see magic bouncing around in David, fizzing around in him like a fireworks display, building up minute by minute. Could this be a consequence of having been possessed by Mr. Trick, and by the forbidden black magic Stella had used to save his life? A desiccated corpse, an unfriendly visit to Anya at The Den, who assures them it was NOT a succubus, no matter how similar the condition of the corpse to a succubus feeding frenzy. Another corpse, and a succubus is certainly responsible. Some time travel caused by David as blowback from a huge brawl at The Beehive as the Uncanny customers decide to end David’s threat to London by killing him. Things then get really intense as the Uncanny Kingdom is unanimous that David must die to avoid all of London being atomized. Stella is determined to save David and prevent his inevitable blow-up. She’s up against impossible odds, with no help in sight. Is a lowly familiar up to the task? Fast-paced, intense action, lots of outrageous dialog, interesting characters (many we’ve met in Nightmare Realm and Familiar Magic), inventive storyline. I could hardly put it down for the last hundred pages.