I mentioned K.J. Charles in my previous review. Here is what I read…
The Magpie Lord (A Charm of Magpies, #1) by K.J. Charles
Very entertaining and well written brain candy with likeable characters, a nice mystery, some sorcery and the requisite hot sex toward the end. Couldn’t put it down! Well, I had to sleep at some point…
Interlude with Tattoos (A Charm of Magpies, #1.5) by K.J. Charles
Interlude with Tattoo (A Charm of Magpies #1.5) is a short story set just after the end of The Magpie Lord and is included at the end of that eBook. Nice little follow-up.
The Smuggler and the Warlord (A Charm of Magpies, #0.5) by K.J. Charles (Goodreads Author)
And this is set before the first full-length novel. Flash fiction, just a tiny snippet to set the mood, I guess. I liked the humour and sarcasm in it.
A Case of Possession (A Charm of Magpies, #2) by K.J. Charles
Main story again. Brain candy with magic, mentions of exotic locations, some fairly graphic m/m sex and a simple murder/revenge plot with shamans and scary rats, historical setting. Has a Regency Victorian feel to it (timing, not tone), I am not sure when exactly it takes place.
The plot is nothing too twisty or deep, this is a quick and entertaining read. The ending was a bit rushed. I was pretty surprised to stumble into the dramatic climax all of a sudden, also because I wasn’t aware that there was another story at the end. Best read in chronological order of the series, including the short stories.
A Case of Spirits (A Charm of Magpies, #2.5) by K.J. Charles
Quick read, Victorian setting, nobility, gay lovers, magic and a little suspense. Well written, entertaining.
Flight of Magpies (A Charm of Magpies, #3) by K.J. Charles
The third, full-length novel. I haven‘t read this one yet, it‘s part of my TBR pile, review to come…
Feast of Stephen (A Charm of Magpies, #3.5) by K.J. Charles
Read this out of order, before novel #3, and enjoyed it quite a bit. Very short, but for fans of the series worthwhile. Stephen seems to have gone through some interesting changes in the previous book.
Spectred Isle (Green Men #1) by K.J. Charles
This is the start of another series. Very similar set-up to The Magpie Lord, but in earlier times. Tall dark stranger, magic, mystery, the other character is generally more of a Dr. Watson type…
A saturnine, sardonic sort of face, clean-shaven; a mouth that seemed made to sneer. He looked like the kind of man Saul had met a great deal in the war in the officer ranks: a thoroughbred aristocrat, effortlessly superior, endlessly disdainful.
I like her writing. It rolls along nicely, good tension, she has humour. I don‘t know how much sense these stories make in their historical setting, but so far they have been fun. And I learned something about London‘s suburbs, parks and medieval, Norman sherifs.
Several refences in the book made me think that I missed reading an important prequel. Perhaps reading the stand-alone The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal would provide back-up to some of the stories hinted at in Spectred Isles?
I like the humour and the slow build-up between Randolph and Saul.
The stories about the war remind me a little of Nightingale’s backstory at Ettersberg in the Peter Grant series—opposing magical forces, misused by their respective governments, the destruction of all the wizards/occultists…
Very readable, creepier than expected, not too many horrid romance clichees, a not too predictable plot. I am very tempted to pick up the next book in the series.
2018 RITA® finalist for Paranormal Romance
And last but not least I have this on my TBR pile: Think of England (Think of England #1). Review to come!
Cathy's Reading Bonanza 