I came across the introductory novella on StoryOrigin, and it looked like fun – a humorous take on urban fantasy. I’ve read that story, and proceeded to the novels.

What to Expect

Amusing modern urban-fantasy where the protagonist is a vet for magical creatures and has loose attitudes towards law and order. Together with rescuing magical animals, she also helps those in need by bending the rules (not to say outright breaking and entering). It’s got all the tropes (like the obligatory werewolf and vampire potential boyfriends), with some exotic beasts thrown in. It’s light, easy reading, short novels to tear through on holiday-brain. It’s one of those series that can simply be described by the shopping list to tropes (which appears in the blurb).

The introductory novella is sort of origin story, detailing why the protagonist decided to quit her day job as a magical-beasts vet and open a sanctuary for such creatures — as well as battle those who would traffic in them.

The first novel, Hidden Storm, introduces all the main characters (or re-introduces the protagonist, if you’ve read the novella), and opens up some longer arcs for the series. She is a low-key witch, a falsely accused werewolf is one side, and a smoking-hot vampire policeman completes the triangle. Mercifully light on the romance, but high on tropes like hidden shadow world (even within the police). The story itself revolves around finding a serial killer who targets witches, Alicia trying to clear the werewolf while navigating the jumping-to-conclusions police-detective vampire and occasional self-inflicted actual danger. At least there are interesting mythological creatures in the background.

The second novel, Midnight Storm, continues with the same characters and arc. Alicia and Kyle (werewolf) continue on the reason they met — trying to find his sister, which disappeared. All progresses well about 2/3 of the book, when it suddenly becomes about explicit sex scenes and the smirking is turned to 11 (people seem to have a limited range of facial expressions).

The third novel, Island Storm, sees Kyle the werewolf boy away and Alicia out to play… with vampire boy (aka Reed the police detective). He asks her for a favour — to accompany him to his sister’s wedding held on a private island, and pretend to be his girlfriend. All sorts of barely contained sexual tensions naturally arise, until a dead body is found. It seems like the beastiary-action is getting less and less (to say nothing about law & order), while the romance-action takes centre stage.

I’ve read these late last year and over the break. I’m still to read books four and five, but since I’m not sure when that might happen (and I’m getting enough PNR/UF in editing – see here), then I figured I’ll post about it now.

What I liked

It’s generally well-written and amusing, short and fast paced. The magical bestiary adds an original touch, but otherwise it’s pretty straight forward “trashy” urban fantasy that delivers on the entertainment premise. Also note the romance is barely there in the first novel and goes full-on explicit from the middle of the second; at least it’s high on action throughout, which I much prefer.

What to be aware of

As above, don’t expect deep themes or clever mysteries. It’s short, fast reads that require no brain-power because everything is spelled out. Great for when on vacation or when you need a break from heavier reading.

Felix’s and Jack’s Reviews

Felix had his fair encounters with magical beasts, up to and including once cooking a gryphon for a feast. He fully supports Alicia taking the law into her hands and sticking it to criminals, something he’s done all too often, though he takes a more utilitarian approach to magical beasts and their maintenance. The explicit sex scenes and the constant smirking, however, were not to his taste. He also mentioned that a kiss is hardly the appropriate test he has ever seen to any secret society worth the blood sacrifice, and that the fight scenes raised questions.

Jack had a good laugh at the “Magical Crime Division” that’s a unknown to all other cops. Clearly they haven’t tried to navigate the HR and Payroll departments of actual police. Being a ‘magical police’ himself, he knows how the system works and how to twist it to his advantage. He pointed out that sai traditional blades aren’t sharp like daggers, and Alicia’s are supposed to be authentic, old Japanese ones. When I said he was nitpicking, he replied that that’s what police detectives do. In the second book he complained that the secret society failed to deliver on the hype — just a masquerade without any of the advertised saucy bits, and by the middle of the third book he gave up — a policeman that sees a dead body, doesn’t report it, and is fine with civilians trampling all over the crime scene and moving the body from a forest to a wine cellar to be dealt with later, isn’t a policeman.

Summary

Recommended if you like urban fantasy and want something light that doesn’t require exercising your brain-cells. I suggest starting with the free novelette (via StoryOrigin), and if you like it get the whole boxed set on Amazon.

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Enjoying the reviews, but wondering who the heck are those Felix and Jack fellows? Glad you asked! Felix is the protagonist of the Togas, Daggers, and Magic series, an historical-fantasy blend of a paranormal detective on the background of ancient Rome, and Jack is the police detective running the Unusual Crimes Squad, dealing in occult crimes in modern-day Australia.

Come meet Felix and Jack on the free short stories and novels!