Touched by Magic(Razor’s Edge Chronicles, #1) by Celine Jeanjean – Review

Tags

5 stars, Adventure, Book Review, Celine Jeanjean, dogs, fantasy, magic, series, talking cats, urban fantasy

About Touched by Magic by Celine Jeanjean

I’m Apiva.  No, I’m not a badass magical asassin.  I’m a barber to the supernatural.  My magic is very weak and very niche — it works best with keeping things clean.  I know.  I can sense your awe at my power already.  And I’m sure you can see why barbering suits me well.

Although now that I’ve mastered the art of trimming a weretiger’s regrowth, my biggest challenge is fielding the insults of the shop’s cat. Sometimes I wish I had enough magic to go deeper into the city’s magical underbelly.  You know what they say—be careful what you wish for.

Everything changes when a pair of forest fae come into the shop one night, asking for help to protect their youngling. Something’s got them properly spooked, but they won’t say what. If it’s big and bad enough to scare the fae, it’s most definitely powerful enough to make a mouthful of me—probably a small mouthful, at that. And now that the fae have come to me, whatever’s after them is also after me.

My weak magic and a sarcastic cat for backup are unlikely to be enough to keep me alive and save the fae youngling.  There is someone who’s willing to help me—Sarroch. Arrogant, unpleasant, wealthy, and I don’t even know what kind of magical creature he is beneath his human form. Or what his motives are in offering to help.  I have no idea if I can trust him, but I’m so short on allies, I might not have a choice. I just hope I’m not making a huge mistake…

Grab Touched by Magic to see if I make it. Oh, and don’t get offended if the cat insults you…

**********************

Review of Touched by Magic

I was very excited to get this first book in a new series by Celine Jeanjean.  I loved her Viper and Urchin series, so I have high expectations for this new one.  Book 1 did not disappoint!

The author has created a lovely detailed vision of Panong, the city where Apiya lives and barbers. The east Asian influence is evident in many ways: food, dress, transportation and, most importantly, in the folklore – the magical creatures, also known as the Mayak.  Many of the terms were not not familiar to me, prompting me to do a little research.  But the story gives plenty of definition and context so you will not need to do that research.  The Mayak is comprised of many different magical beings, each with their own agenda.  Those Mayak agendas will play into the story not only in this first book, but in the ongoing story.

Apiya is, as the title says, touched by magic.  That means she is not very magical but seems to be very lucky around things that are familiar to her.  Which explains why Hunter, the dog she loves, mostly sheds outside.  All this animal lover can say is Wow! What a great idea.  As a touched human, Apiya is also aware of all the other more powerful magical beings.  And while most of the Mayak believe Apiya to be beneath notice, a few do notice her.  Which is how she gets into a sticky situation.

Along for the adventure are Mr. Sangong, her magical mentor, her touched friend Chai, and businessman/Mayak Sarroch.  I found Mr. Sangong to be mysterious and not yet worthy of my loyalty because I’m not sure of his loyalty.  Chai is an artist with a talent for shaping any type of metal into whatever he wants.  And he is a great friend to Apiya, so, good guy.  Sarroch is the big question.  Is he good?  Is he evil? Will he help Apiya or eat her?  He is, I must admit, interesting.

I enjoyed Apiya’s relationship with her with parents.  They live in London, so she talks to them by phone.  Dad is a geeky scholar who barely knows how to use a phone and Mom is the calming voice of reason in the family.  Their family sense of humor is delightful!  Humor also comes in the form of a cat.  Timothy is a magical cockney cat, who doesn’t take orders from ‘inferiors’ (humans).  As Apiya says: ‘But that’s cats for you — tiny animals with enough arrogance to think they rule the world.”

The book ends on what I consider to be a cliffhanger.  That is, a major part of the storyline concluded and then the story continued, without the word ‘epilogue’ in between.  So I was a truly disappointed when it ended somewhat abruptly.  Touched by Magic is just 195 pages long and it was over too fast.  The next book is out next month though, so the wait is not long.  I am looking forward to more of Apiya’s adventures!

Thanks to the author who provided a copy of her book in exchange for my honest review.

**********************

Links

Add Touched by Magic to your Goodreads shelf:

Purchase Touched by Magic:

**********************

The Rising Rooks (The Viper and the Urchin, #9) by Celine Jeanjean – Review

Tags

5 stars, Adventure, Book Review, Celine Jeanjean, fantasy, favorite series, series, Steampunk

In 2016, on January 16th my very first Whiskey With My Book review was for The Viper and the Urchin. The name of the book was later been changed to The Bloodless Assassin with the original title becoming the series name. Today, on the 5th anniversary of my first blog post, my review is for The Rising Rooks, the last book in the series. It has been a very fun and entertaining journey with Rory, Longinus and the rest of the crew. Hopefully, you have had a chance to read about their adventures.

About The Rising Rooks by Celine Jeanjean

The Rising Rooks, the Rookery rebels, are mounting an attack against Garrata that they hope will destabilise her enough to weaken her grip on Damsport.

But not only does the mission fail, its failure causes a rift between the Rising Rooks and the rest of Damsport.

Rory and Longinus find themselves retreating to the Rookery without support from the rest of the city and without resources. They’ll have to use all their ingenuity and inimitable style to somehow get to Garrata.

Whether it’s cutting Rory’s hair, robbing a post office, or creating dastardly poisons, Rory and Longinus fight with everything they’ve got.

Will they succeed, or will they fail to free Damsport? If they go down, at least they’ll be going down in style…

**********************

Review of The Rising Rooks

Finale’s are hard to read.  When the characters have become near and dear to your heart, the last adventure is approached with trepidation.  Will everyone get their HEA?  Are you happy with the ending?  Do you wish there were more?  I’ve read my fair share of series finales of series that I loved, only to find the author totally messed up the ending. 

And then there is The Rising Rooks.   This book is really just another Viper and Urchin story.  It includes all the usual wonderful, endearing characters, Rory, Longinus, Rafe, Cruikshank, Adelma, the Marchioness and all their colorful and varied associates: Susie the restaraunteer , Mercy the miopic horder/analyst, Tess the ever-patient, sweet-tempered maid, Kriss the owner of the Old Girls Arms, Rafe’s father Lord Standarr and children Tommy, Pip and Alice.  Also, old friends from Azyr: Urzo, Reheeme, and Tabir.

The usual suspects make their appearance also:  Myran, Garata, Voynia.  Though Myran is less a suspect now.

The Rising Rooks also bring together elements of the overall story arc that remind you have where you have been on this journey.  The Rookery, Damsport, the trolley, the shipyards, the palace, the underground, Azyr, Airnia, The Old Girl’s Arms, and Susie’s coffeehouse.  

Rory has always been a heroine.  Whether it is her astute observations, her connections, or her unwavering support for her friends, Rory is the shining light in these stories.  In Rising Rooks, Rory’s mysterious history is revealed.  Longinus is the unflappable fashion plate who’s observations have been an unending source of both wisdom and hilarity.  In Rising Rooks, Longinus comes face to face with what he has been searching for.

With the amazing characters, and colorful settings combined with the current plot that began with The Veiled War, the finale is a glorious climax to a wonderful series.  I am sad to see it end, but I am also very happy with how it ended!

Thanks to the author who provided a copy of her book in exchange for my honest review.

**********************

Links

Add The Rising Rooks to your Goodreads shelf:

Purchase The Rising Rooks:

**********************

The Veiled War (The Viper and the Urchin, #8) by Celine Jeanjean – Review

Tags

5 stars, Adventure, Book Review, Celine Jeanjean, fantasy, favorite series, series, Steampunk

About The Veiled War by Celine Jeanjean

Adelma is out of action
The Varanguards are suspended
And Longinus is going on a blind date
Things are taking a turn for the disturbing in Damsport.

Rory and Longinus have their hands full. Adelma is in a bad way, and it will take a lot of work to bring her back to herself.

On top of which, Longinus has to prepare for a blind date. The premium matchmaking service he joined assures him that she’s his soulmate. The pressure in selecting the right outfit is, therefore, immense.

Distracted and occupied, it takes Rory and Longinus a while to realise that a number of worrying changes are slowly happening in Damsport. On top of which the Marchioness refuses to see anyone, and Lady Martha is nowhere to be found.

What is happening in the Mansion? And who or what is behind the odd changes taking place in the city?

Rory and Longinus are about to face some challenging times—and not just because Longinus is determined to make avocado shirts the next hot fashion item.

**********************

Review of The Veiled War

The Veiled War is the penultimate book in the Viper and the Urchin series.  Penultimate is such a big word.  And fitting because The Veiled War is a big part of the story.

While Viper Longinus and Urchin Rory are the characters that hold the series together, this is really an ensemble story.  Adelma, Cruikshank, Rafe and even the kids, Pip, Alice and Tommy all have critical roles in The Veiled War.

The title refers to the subtle, underhanded way that Damsport’s enemies are attacking the country.   But the veil will be lifted in a blatant and horrible way when the children of the Rookery are rounded up for ‘education’.

I am drawn to this series because of the wonderful characters. Adelma would lend her strength to any of her friends in a heartbeat, whether she is sober or not.  Cruikshank is the conscience of the group, which has her ruefully regretting her invention of the certain weapons.  Pip, Alice and Tommy, using their street smarts, do their best to ‘educate’ the people that rounded them up.

Longinus has an unequaled sense of fashion and can make anything look fabulous. And in this story, Longinus is looking for love (in all the wrong places).

Then there is Rafe.  In The Shadow Palace, we saw a darker side of Rafe, and in this book, that less that perfect side returns.  I didn’t like Rafe in this book.  Rafe’s one redeeming quality is that he makes Rory see the best in herself.  In my eyes, Rafe has a long way to go to become a hero.

Rory has always been a heroine.  Whether it is her astute observations, her connections, or her unwavering support for her friends, Rory is the shining light in these stories.  I loved the scene where she takes Rafe to task and then, later, does the same to someone else on behalf of Rafe.

There is definitely a cliffhanger ending in The Veiled War.  The final book in the series, The Rising Rooks, is due to be released in early January.  I have no doubt I will be as eager to read that book as I will be sad to see the series end.

Thanks to the author who provided a copy of her book in exchange for my honest review.

**********************

Links

Add The Veiled War to your Goodreads shelf:

Purchase The Veiled War:

**********************