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Insidious

(The Marked Mage Chronicles)

by Victoria Evers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

YA SlowBurn Urban Fantasy Romance

Available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited, as well as Audio

Down and Dirty

Get this book… it is a bloody amazing Urban Fantasy! (Romance is not at play here, not really – but PLOT – OMG… plot!)

What is it about?

(Blurb from GoodReads)

All Kat Montgomery wanted was a fun night out on the town. What she got was a death warrant. As it turns out, the quaint little hamlet of Mystic Harbor, Maine houses more than sandy beaches and adorable B&B’s. Beneath the New England charm rests a deadly world where shifters, demons, vampires, and angelic hunters all vie for power.

A world where magic is the greatest weapon.

Magic that Kat now possesses.

After that one fateful night, she can feel the changes beginning to take hold of her. Only problem, she doesn’t even know what she’s turning into. With threats hiding in plain sight, deciphering the lines between friend and foe is nearly impossible. As if things couldn’t get any worse, Kat learns her only real ally rests in the one person she can’t stand: Reese Blackburn, an insufferably handsome magician whom the town fears most.

Kat’s very soul is at stake, and destiny doesn’t seem to be playing out in her favor. Can these two unlikely partners challenge fate itself before it’s too late?

Thoughts

I have this weird little habit; I pick up books CONSTANTLY. My Kindle Unlimited Queue is consistently flush with 10 new books, along with a plethora of $0.99 deals, new releases, pre-orders and books that drop in price temporarily. That means that my Kindle is always bursting with new reads, ready and waiting for me to enjoy them. Often, by the time I get to them, I have already long since forgotten what the book was about – and I refuse to read the blurb again. This causes plenty of surprises in my reading adventures….

…and this book was one of the best surprises so far this year.

I was 17% into it before I even gained an inkling of what was going on, and at least 50% in before I thought I had a firm grasp on the plot – until Victoria Evers shook it all up and left me in the dust again. Honestly, it was GLORIOUS!

Kat is a Heroine that I cheered and saluted from page 1. While a typical teenager, she is far from the typical Urban Fantasy Heroine Trope… no, instead of just baldly accepting the strange and unusual happenings in her life, this chic steps back and goes, “Uhhh…. HELL NO!” And then she fights, and KEEPS fighting! She even fights the one who is trying to help her. Why? BECAUSE SHE HAS NORMAL FREAKING REACTIONS! I am so tired of these books where the FMC is like, “Oh? I’m Fae? That’s cool… let’s save the world!” (No, Kat is not Fae, I am throwing out a bad example.)

As for the other characters and the narrative? It’s a complicated journey that grabs you from beginning and doesn’t let go – even after the final page. The revelations and the questions they inspire linger, taunting a severe Book Hangover and theories to abound. It’s well written, entrancing, inventive and, surprisingly? YA.

Perspective

First Person, Single POV

Ending Type

Cliffhanger……

Steam Level

Feelings emerge, but this is a YA and suits YA steam, even if the plot smacks you upside the head.

Pros:

• Incredibly well written.
• Well Edited.
• FMC…. Now Kat is the kind of Heroine you just love.
• Reese: I knew a guy like him in High School, or at least dressed like him. Who doesn’t?
• Mythos: The inventive combining and changing of familiar themes, myths and biblical stories creates a lush and original world.
• May be a YA, but adult readers will LOVE this!
• That cover! (Cover Design by CivilAnarchy) Model is Miranda Hedman.

Cons:

• Long time between publications, though Book 2 is out now (review coming tomorrow!) and I understand that Book 3 should be published sometime soon.
• She’s going to break my heart…. I just know it.

 

Favorite Lines

“Your mouth certainly doesn’t seem to tire easily, but the question is, can your feet keep up?” (15%)

“Sometimes privilege doesn’t buy you freedom. It only puts more restrictions on what you’re allowed to do with your life.” (59%)

Verdict

Amazing Book – I recommend it without reservations for any and all fans of Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Fantasy.

Published January 6th, 2017

449 Pages

If you enjoyed this review, please consider reading a few of my other articles!

• Two Witches and a Whiskey by Annette Marie – A Book Review
• Dark Arts and a Daiquiri by Annette Marie – A Book Review
• Three Mages and a Margarita by Annette Marie – A Book Review

Your Turn

What are you reading today? Have you read this book? Book 2? Are you anxious for Book 3? What are your thoughts? Leave a comment, let’s start a conversation!!!