Wicked Enchantment (Dark Magick, #1)

Dec 24, 2012 Book Chick City rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-paranormal, book-list-2010

This is the first book I've read by Anya Bast and it is the first book in her new Dark Magick series. I really enjoyed Wicked Enchantment. Bast's writing flows very well and I was pulled into the story within just a few pages. I liked Aislinn straight away too and Gabriel is just scrummy!

I have very limited experience when it comes to paranormal romance. It's not often a genre I dip into as I get too embarrassed with all the sexual shenanigans *blush* I like a bit of sexual tension and even the...more This is the first book I've read by Anya Bast and it is the first book in her new Dark Magick series. I really enjoyed Wicked Enchantment. Bast's writing flows very well and I was pulled into the story within just a few pages. I liked Aislinn straight away too and Gabriel is just scrummy!

I have very limited experience when it comes to paranormal romance. It's not often a genre I dip into as I get too embarrassed with all the sexual shenanigans *blush* I like a bit of sexual tension and even the lead up to sex, but usually just cringe when it gets down to the nitty gritty. With Wicked Enchantment, however, it was different. The love scenes were written well and instead of making me shy away and skim those pages, I hung around and it is a pretty sizzling read. It's not overly explicit, although it's still about a nine out of ten on the hotness scale, but it had just about the right amount of heat I could handle.

I loved the romance between Aislinn and Gabriel - it's fiery and sensual but sweet as well and we see them go from total lust to totally in love. Although, Aislinn does seem to like being dominated, there is an essence of control in the way she deals with Gabriel. It is fun to read and as I don't really like my heroines to be submissive, I'm hoping Aislinn finds more of that assertiveness in the coming books.

We also see Aislinn and Gabriel grow as characters. Aislinn from a bored, spoilt member of the Summer Queen's entourage to a strong and determined woman who has to deal with a power she never knew she had, and Gabriel from a selfish womaniser who's never given his heart to anyone but his mother, into a love sick puppy who has fallen head over heels in love and will give anything to protect her, even his life. Both characters develop well and I like the direction Bast is taking them.

Now, this book isn't just about the romance, it has a plot too and a really good one. One that kept me engrossed until the very last page. It has action, and no not that kind of action. I'm talking about action that includes weapons and spells, creepy Sluagh (the army of unforgiven dead) and goblins. It's also about friendship and the lengths people will go to preserve it. The supporting characters are just as well defined and I look forward to finding out more about them in subsequent books.

Verdict:

I thoroughly enjoyed Wicked Enchantment and if you like paranormal romance then you will love this. A fabulous combination of action packed adventure and sexy red-hot romance. I can't wait for the next installment in this series, Cruel Enchantment, which is due September 2010. (less)

5 likes · like · see review

Oct 05, 2011 Shera (Book Whispers) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, fairies-and-faye, ebook-second

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Thoughts:
After reading one of Bast's other books, Witch Blood (Elemental Witches, book 2) I had my doubts about trying this one. Witch Blood wasn't for me. Great idea, but smothered in too much sex. After reading some good reviews about the second book, Cruel Enchantment, I couldn't stop my curiosity reading the first one was my only option.

Let's just say I was pleasantly surprised. It's been hard finding good Fayre PNR. Laurel K. Hamilton's Meredith Gentry series—while...more

8 likes · like · see review

Jan 21, 2010 Laurie (Bitten by Paranormal Romance) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, keepers, favorites, witch

This is the first time I’ve read a book for the beginning of a series that I found easy to understand and flowed together so well, I had fun reading this book it was fresh and exciting, full of adventure and magick, nothing like I expected.

If you want to read this review and don’t want very many spoilers read to where it says, “SOPILERS”.

If you love these things you will love this book
A magick World unlike no other, I have read.
Incubus,
Fae’s,
Goblins,
Boggarts,
Magic animals,
Sexy men ridding on t...more This is the first time I’ve read a book for the beginning of a series that I found easy to understand and flowed together so well, I had fun reading this book it was fresh and exciting, full of adventure and magick, nothing like I expected.

If you want to read this review and don’t want very many spoilers read to where it says, “SOPILERS”.

If you love these things you will love this book
A magick World unlike no other, I have read.
Incubus,
Fae’s,
Goblins,
Boggarts,
Magic animals,
Sexy men ridding on the magic horses, the leader is called Lord of the Wild Hunt.
A lady that can call fae’s form the dead and command armies of the undead, she is called the necromancer.
Then this book is for you… Now if you don’t want to read any spoilers please stop here and go get the book..
SOPILERS--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In this world there is square with a Rose Tower on one end this is where the Summer Queen and her Seelie Court is located. This is where a highly selective fae ruling class lives you know all boning balls and social affairs, these fae‘s must have light and pretty magick, this is where Aislinn comes in she lives on this side with quite a few secrets that she fears if they ever got out she would be exiled.

On the other side of the square with Black Towers there lives the Shadow King and his Unseelie Court this is where Gabriel comes in. Gabriel is half incubus in other words sex on a stick, this is how he is described. The rumors went he is like catnip to women - and when his special brand of magick was wielded at full force between the sheets - he possessed the power to enslave a woman. The affected female would become addicted to him. She’d stop eating and sleeping wanting nothing more then his touch, until she finally died from longing and self-neglect.. Well, it dose say rumors right?? Gabriel is from the dark side of the square so he has dark magick.. The Shadow King sends Gabriel to get Aislinn and bring her to the dark side and it’s a journey you can’t miss..

Overall this book had a good balance not to much sex , but what is there is great, does have good sexual tension between them that keeps you going. I like how some of the secrets I could unlock myself but some came by big surprise.. I love how Gabriel waits on Aislinn he never pushes, I love how Aislinn is tuff but yet thinks of others this is important when it come to calling the dead to do your bidding.. There is a glossary at the end of the book to make it easy to understand.. I now have to stop or I will give out to much.

(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Sep 28, 2012 Ithlilian marked it as did-not-finish

Shelves: paranormal-romance

Whew this was bad. I liked Bast's book Witch Fire even though it was a romance, so that's not the problem. This book seems to have no point. The main character is semi ditzy, self conscious, not really a go getter, and rather boring. The male main character isn't much more interesting. Here is how I think the book will turn out: guy lies to girl, girl sleeps with guy, girl finds out guy's secret and gets mad, guy is sad because they really did like the girl, eventually they will make up, embrace...more

like · see review

Feb 26, 2013 Minna rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2-stars, a-lot-going-on, disappointing, faery-not-fairy-tale, horrible-cover, meh, over-the-top, paranormal

The big-picture story was interesting. Up close, the story was bogged down with unnecessary details including:

- precise details on what the characters were wearing (or more frequently, what they were NOT wearing; I swear, if I went braless as much as Aislinn goes braless, I'd be saggy by age 35). Also, I GET it, the guards in Rose tower wear rose and gold, and the guards in Black tower wear black and silver. This does not need to be repeated every time the guards are mentioned.

- repetitively lis...more The big-picture story was interesting. Up close, the story was bogged down with unnecessary details including:

- precise details on what the characters were wearing (or more frequently, what they were NOT wearing; I swear, if I went braless as much as Aislinn goes braless, I'd be saggy by age 35). Also, I GET it, the guards in Rose tower wear rose and gold, and the guards in Black tower wear black and silver. This does not need to be repeated every time the guards are mentioned.

- repetitively listing the FULL names (and these are some long names) of characters: Aislinn Christiana Guinevere Finvarra being the most pronounceable but not the only one by a long shot. Other winners: Gabriel Cionaodh Marcus Mac Braire; Caoilainn Elspeth Muirgheal; Aodh Criostoir Ruadhan O'Dubhuir; Aeric Killian Riordan O'Malley; Brigid Fada Erinne O'Dubhuir. It seemed as though the author really liked all these Celtic names, and just heaped all her favorites willy-nilly onto every character she could. Their full names were used WAY more often than you'd think, which had the unfortunate effect of sounding like a parent reprimanding a naughty child.
example: 'The queen pointed her finger at Gabriel. "You! Begone from the Rose Tower before I decide I don't care about a war. Guards, escort them out. Make sure Aislinn Christiana Guinevere Finvarra returns to her quarters and the Unseelie incubus exits the tower."' It almost seemed as if a "Find and Replace" command was executed every so often, replacing the simple first name with the whole exorbitantly long full name.

-borderline purple prose for body part descriptions. Not to be graphic here, but nipples are just. not. diamondhard. Find another analogy!

-Lengthy descriptions of bunny sex by the main characters in the forest cabin hideout while their friends were getting hunted down and tortured. Hope they had a great time.

Also, and this is shallow, but I HATE that cover. Really, really, REALLY hate that cover. I mean, okay, the tower is fine. But the model they used for Aislinn is... is... unappealing? (for lack of a more tactful word.)

The part that most intrigued me, the Wild Hunt, was brought into the story in a way that seemed that it and its members ("host") would play a large part. I was disappointed when that aspect of the story was minimized. From the descriptions of the other Enchantment books, it seems as though some of the Wild Hunt members will have their own stories told. I'm kind of interested in their stories... but probably not enough to continue with this series. (less)

like · see review

Feb 23, 2013 Lorena rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: do-not-bother-files

So, I was caught in a train for extremely long hours and swept through the first 3 books in this series.

They are not good. The plot is weak, the characters are pretty weak too, though they have their good moments. But my main issue was that basically the plot of each one of the three books could be summed up into something like this:

First part: One of the involved party comes looking for the other with either a secret or non secret agenda. They do not like each other but feel this supper hot att...more So, I was caught in a train for extremely long hours and swept through the first 3 books in this series.

They are not good. The plot is weak, the characters are pretty weak too, though they have their good moments. But my main issue was that basically the plot of each one of the three books could be summed up into something like this:

First part: One of the involved party comes looking for the other with either a secret or non secret agenda. They do not like each other but feel this supper hot attraction and pull to their physical side.

Second part: The world (which is very dangerous and full to the rim of powerful fae trapped in a 2 square fit magical dome) is trying to off either one or both of the main chars. Although at times they have the protection of the apparently most powerful of the fae, it turns out evilness can get to them anyway and forces them into...

Third part: The tete-a-tete retreat in which they are forced to really confront each other, their past, their feelings and they get hands on action.Insert lots of hand induced orgasm from the boy to the girl before actually having sex and afterwards bunny sex everyone, multi orgasmic every time. Both him and her.

Fourth part: They defeat the problem/evil person. Even though the most powerful people helping them couldn't, even though they are not particularly bright about it.

So... Well, what more is there to say? The characters actions were off at points, their reasons to be varied and somewhat changed during the books. The fae politics seems childish. There is no real scheming involved that isn't beyond obvious. The oh so powerful fae are reduced to nothing more than humans who can now and then do some magic. Afterwards they won't use their powers to solve problems or situations that are ideal to be solved with them. Truly? Most puzzling.

Also, what is it with describing what they are wearing and every pore of their skin as if the writer had a magnifying glass on them? I had never hated to know what the characters in a book wore before Anya Bast. It was like the description in itself added nothing to the book and only hindered my reading pace.

I don't recommend them to anyone.

(less)

like · see review

Oct 13, 2012 Thracer rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really liked the story that came before this book so I was surprised by how dull this book was. The pace seemed slow compared to the previous story and the main characters pale. I realise Aislinn lead a kind of sheltered life, but she didn't really do much in the book. And the sex scenes were annoying. I know Gabriel was suppose to be an Alpha, but he didn't seem to care at all what Aislinn wants in bed and doesn't let her play as she'd like (view spoiler)...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 05, 2012 Kristen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Anya Bast writes great paranormal genre stories, as long as you can tolerate or skip over the extremely explicit sex scenes she gives the main characters in each book.

Aislinn lives in the Rose Tower of Piefferburg where the Seelie Fae reside. When Gabriel Mac Braire, of the Black or Unseelie tower arrives at the Rose petitioning to switch allegience from the Shadow King to the Summer Queen, everyone's interested since Gabriel, in addition to being an incubus, is gorgeous.

The Summer Queen orders...more Anya Bast writes great paranormal genre stories, as long as you can tolerate or skip over the extremely explicit sex scenes she gives the main characters in each book.

Aislinn lives in the Rose Tower of Piefferburg where the Seelie Fae reside. When Gabriel Mac Braire, of the Black or Unseelie tower arrives at the Rose petitioning to switch allegience from the Shadow King to the Summer Queen, everyone's interested since Gabriel, in addition to being an incubus, is gorgeous.

The Summer Queen orders Aislinn to be Gabriel's guide to the Rose Tower while his petition is considered, against Aislinn's wishes, since she's just had a nasty public break-up and wants nothing to do with men, dangerously sexy incubus or not!

As noted previously, the requisite sexual sparks between Aislinn and Gabriel fly. While I have no objections to the addition of romance and even sex into a good story, and since the Fae are almost always depicted in fiction as having aggressive libidios, Bast always seems to take it just a bit too far - too long, too explicit, too kinky - for my personal taste. Luckily, she writes such great stories, you can skip over the excessive sex and just enjoy the plot.

In this first book of her new series, Bast explores - in a very interesting and well-developed way - the political wrangling and history of the Fae. The city of Piefferburg is basically an internment camp - albeit a pretty swanky one! - where the Fae have been locked up for centuries because of the fear of them the humans have. The enemy of all the Fae - the Phaendir - have allied with the humans to simply keep the Fae out of their way through spells that make it impossible for any Fae to leave the walled city, but there are factions within the Phaendir that would like to exterminate the Fae entirely.

Then there is the uneasy truce between the Seelie and Unseelie courts of the light and dark Fae. The Seelie believe themselves to be the only "true" Fae, but their Queen, fearful of being deposed, has decreed her subjects may not use their powers, so they've become selfish and shallow, spending all their time shopping and attending parties.

The Unseelie on the other hand are not only encouraged, but expected, to use and develop their powers and be strong in case battle comes. The King is just as dangerous, but the Unseelie are more aware of the dangers of their situation and behave accordingly.

When Aislinn and Gabriel come together and - this won't be a spoiler if you read any of this type of fiction - fall in love, their worlds collide and both of them have to change and grow to be able to understand each other and decide how to be together.

Aislinn discovers that she isn't who she thought she was and that she faces huge risks to her very life, no matter which court she becomes a part of.

The plot has lots of interesting political scheming, back-room dealings, battles and magical attempts to win, and stay alive against people who want to kill you. It's an well-constructed, nicely detailed story if you're into the Fae. I enjoyed the story minus the overdone sex scenes, so if you don't mind that or can just skip those scenes, then I recommend this as a good read.(less)

like · see review

Feb 23, 2012 Crissy Hensley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, urban-fantasy

Anya Bast is a pretty good author. Anya Bast is not a great author. I read her Elemental Witches series with mixed results (mostly because it ended up being the same relationship written four times) but this book was pretty good. The romance is nice, the hero and heroine are both attractive people with a range of "tragic past" events, and the mystery and plot outside the sexy-times was fun.

Now about my problems with it. I realize that this is set in "modern times" but in this world the fae have...more

like · see review

May 01, 2011 Kelsey rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a very different take on fae legend. The fae have been rounded up and relocated to—what I can only compare to as—a reservation called Piefferburg. It’s a small scrap of land where they are trapped and allowed to live their lives behind a thick and magical wall. As with most fae stories there is the Seelie court, who live in the rose tower, and an Unseelie court, who live in the black tower.

The mysterious half incubus Gabriel from the black tower comes to petition the Summer Queen for re...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 11, 2010 Tracy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-romance

The first book in Anya Bast's Dark Magic series is a detailed, fascinating, sensual delight. Well-plotted and perfectly cast with characters that are strong and fully formed, Wicked Enchantment is ripe with tense and dangerous antagonists in a world already fraught with the beautiful deceptions inherent in the lives of the Seelie and Unseelie courts of the Tuatha Dé Danann. A throughly enjoyable read that was impossible to put down.

Wicked Enchantment starts with the arrival of Unseelie half-incu...more The first book in Anya Bast's Dark Magic series is a detailed, fascinating, sensual delight. Well-plotted and perfectly cast with characters that are strong and fully formed, Wicked Enchantment is ripe with tense and dangerous antagonists in a world already fraught with the beautiful deceptions inherent in the lives of the Seelie and Unseelie courts of the Tuatha Dé Danann. A throughly enjoyable read that was impossible to put down.

Wicked Enchantment starts with the arrival of Unseelie half-incubus Gabriel to the Rose Tower of the Summer Court under the guise of petitioning the Summer Queen for admittance to her court. The queen commands her subject Aislinn, a high ranking Seelie, to be his helpmeet, showing him around for the week while the queen debates the merits of Gabriel's petition. But Aislinn is wary of the Unseelie who commands the attention of every female who sees him, especially when Gabriel's attention seems fixed solely on her. She protecting a few potentially devastating secrets about herself and doesn't trust that Gabriel isn't hiding a fair share of his own. And after the recent and devastating blow of a public breakup with her former partner, she sure doesn't trust her body or her heart to the seductive Unseelie. But once forced into his presence she comes to realize that there are just as many layers to Gabriel as their are potential secrets, and trust - and attraction - slowly starts to build between them. That attraction could ultimately lead to the end of the world as they know it.

There is depth and richness in the fae mythos of the first book of the Dark Magic series and it certainly doesn't read like a first book. Instead of being overburdened by extensive exposition and world building at the sacrifice of story, or being heavy on story but leaving the world encapsulating it largely undefined, Wicked Enchantment strikes the perfect balance and hits all the right chords. The world building is delicately interlaced with a seductive romance, realistic main characters, intriguing secondary and ancillary characters that I'd love to read more about, and insidious threats from without and within. Very well thought out and tightly paced, it spans a satisfying arc of development for the main characters and culminates in two very different sort of conflicts - one that threatens the lives of Aislinn and Gabriel...and one that threatens their hearts and souls.

Wicked Enchantment was ultimately satisfying in every way. Truly a fun, fantastic read. I can say with all seriousness that I can't wait for Cruel Enchantment, book two of the Dark Magic series, which is due out in September of 2010. I will definitely be continuing and recommending this series.

~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another. (less)

like · see review

Sep 10, 2010 Felicia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: vaginal-urban-fantasy

I dunno, lots of people have recommended this author to me and I thought I'd give it a try with her new series. This is definitely a romance-oriented novel with some interesting fairy-lore world building. I kinda enjoyed it, but I had to get over a few hurdles early on namely...

WHY if they're in a fairy world with Unseelie and Seelie court dress and towers made of Quartz and crap (NOT interacting with the "real world" we know!!!) does the author describe the hot hero striding through the hall on...more

9 likes · like · see review

Jul 20, 2010 Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark-magick-series, paranormal-romance

I give this story 3.5/5 stars.

The story is set in the mythological place of Piefferburg... the land where all Fae-folk have been inprisoned from humanity. The world is broken into two main subgroups of Fae: The Summer Queen with her Seelie noble class and the Shadow King ruled in dark with the Unseelie class.

Gabriel is Unseelie and an incubus to boot. Aislinn is a favored subject of the Summer Queen. When Gabriel makes an appearance at the Rose Court, the Queen assigns Aislinn as Gabriel's gui...more

like · see review

Jun 19, 2010 Juju221 rated it 5 of 5 stars

I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Life has a way of interfering with reading and I lost my book vibe for a while... and this has just brought it back with a rush. I was excited for this series when I read Bella and Ronan's story in 'Hot for the Holidays' and I ordered Wicked Enchantment immediately. I was so excited when it arrived.I even did a little happy dance in the dining room.... and the curtains were open! Luckily I was dressed.

I love finding a new series to become addict...more I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Life has a way of interfering with reading and I lost my book vibe for a while... and this has just brought it back with a rush. I was excited for this series when I read Bella and Ronan's story in 'Hot for the Holidays' and I ordered Wicked Enchantment immediately. I was so excited when it arrived.I even did a little happy dance in the dining room.... and the curtains were open! Luckily I was dressed.

I love finding a new series to become addicted to and I think I have found that here. But why?

I found the characters of Aislinn and Gabriel likable and relatable. Odd when you think they are fae and incubus and live within the imprisoning walls of Piefferburg, but you do understand completely how they feel. When Aisling said her body was getting the pompoms out and was about to do a cartwheel I was hooked. Gabriel is strong and dominant and has his own secrets, Aislinn is no pushover even if she has been humiliated by her former lover. She holds herself with dignity and she too hides secrets, secrets she doesn't understand or know the solution too.

The side characters are interesting too, we meet Bella and Ronan again, find out more about the Summer Queen and the Shadow King and the effect they have on the lives of their subjects, Aislinn and Gabriel in particular. I don't want to say too much and spoil it for anyone who has not read it. We meet the Wild Hunt and I hope to hear more about them in future books, particularly as the next book seems to be about one of them, Aeric and and the assassin who killed his love. Should be a fun book!

The story is fast paced, a real page turned with many twists and turns, in the opening chapters Aislinn is trying to resist Gabriel's seduction whilst they fall for each other and both fight the attraction; she discovers information which puts her life at risk and her life changes completely. A story which takes her from one tower to another and from being a fae to being so much more!

I give it 4.5 pink knickers out of 5! And I want Gabriel!!!! He is so hot! Oh and Naill, Ronan's brother... *fans self* I hope he gets a book too! Go read it... get addicted then I shall have someone to talk to! (less)

like · see review

Mar 26, 2010 Bookaholics rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wicked Enchantment by Anya Bast
Paranormal Romance -Jan. 5th, 2010
5 stars

Anya Bast’s new series is a delight for the senses. Magical and enchanting, I never wanted it to end. I have read her books and enjoyed them but in this new series I feel she has broken the mold by creating a: rich, decadent and dangerous world that paranormal readers like me will wish were real. More, please!

In Wicked Enchantment, the beautiful Aislinn is a favorite of the Summer Queen and a member of the Fae court. But u...more Wicked Enchantment by Anya Bast
Paranormal Romance -Jan. 5th, 2010
5 stars

Anya Bast’s new series is a delight for the senses. Magical and enchanting, I never wanted it to end. I have read her books and enjoyed them but in this new series I feel she has broken the mold by creating a: rich, decadent and dangerous world that paranormal readers like me will wish were real. More, please!

In Wicked Enchantment, the beautiful Aislinn is a favorite of the Summer Queen and a member of the Fae court. But unlike the rest of the Seelie Court Aislinn holds a deadly secret and holds herself apart from the: intrigue, frivolity, and backstabbing. Recently betrayed by a cruel social climbing pretty boy she finds herself even more alone. But her solitude is rudely interrupted by a darkly sensual and dangerous Gabriel Mac Braire of the Unseelie Court. Aislinn wisely does not trust him but she cannot deny her attraction to Gabriel. Why is he trying to insinuate himself into the Seelie Court? Aislinn suspects him of duplicity but can’t find a way to prove it. To make matters worse the Summer Queen as ordered her to be his guide while he stays!

Half incubus, Gabriel has the power to seduce. Only his prey, (Aislinn) is proving remarkable resistant to his charms. Frustrated by her opposition to his attractions and intrigued by her kindness and beauty, Aislinn is a challenge. And Gabriel soon finds he is the one being seduced. Can he fight against his darker nature or will his building emotions for Aislinn change his plans?

Anya Bast has created a book with heavy atmosphere that makes you believe in the magical world she has built. Wicked Enchantment includes an extensive background that enthralled and quickly immersed me. I was fascinated by the complexity of the Fae, their history and their powers. Besides the wonderful world that Anya Bast has built, I loved how she expertly brings into focus her 2 main characters. She has created characters that are realistic and mesmerizing as we learn about Aislinn’s unusual upbringing and Gabriel’s struggles for independence and how it shaped him before he met Aislinn. Usually one character stands out in a story but in this book both main characters were evenly balanced, equally strong and thrilling to read. I cannot stress how incredible the character development was! I immediately cared for Aislinn and found Gabriel’s magnetism compelling. And as each began to know and trust the other they both discovered an untapped side of their natures that was both frightening and courageous.

Anya Bast has created a fantasy world filled with: beauty, court intrigue, danger and betrayal that fascinated me and kept me enthralled until the very last page. (Plus enough romance to keep me satisfied!) This book has it all, I only hope she continues this series past her next book Cruel Enchantment because I do not want to let go of this amazing world!

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
(less)

like · see review

Feb 26, 2010 Natasha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wicked Enchantment is the first novel in the Dark Magick series by Anya Bast. Wicked Enchantment is the first Bast book I've read and I really enjoyed it.
It starts out with the Seelie Summer Queen, Caoilainn Muirgheal orders Aislinn Finvarra to be a guide to an Unseelie visitor and half-incubus Gabriel Mac Braire. He has one week to decide if he wants to make permit residence in the Seelie court. Being Unseelie is somewhat looked down upon for the Seelie, but to also be and incubus.. that's jus...more Wicked Enchantment is the first novel in the Dark Magick series by Anya Bast. Wicked Enchantment is the first Bast book I've read and I really enjoyed it.
It starts out with the Seelie Summer Queen, Caoilainn Muirgheal orders Aislinn Finvarra to be a guide to an Unseelie visitor and half-incubus Gabriel Mac Braire. He has one week to decide if he wants to make permit residence in the Seelie court. Being Unseelie is somewhat looked down upon for the Seelie, but to also be and incubus.. that's just plain trouble.
Aislinn doesn't want or need anymore trouble. And the spotlight is the last thing from her mind after the embarrassing ordeal with her jerk of an ex and the way he broke up with her. When all heads are turned towards Gabriel, Aislinn hardly sees the point. Sure, he's gorgeous, but what good could come of a man like him.
Aislinn wonders why would a Unseelie man, who is obviously close to the top with the Unseelie court, wanting to move? Something can't be right, and although he obviously wants to seduce her, could she go through another painful breakup if all fails?

Her love life on hold. Aislinn has bigger things to worry about. Things that should be kept hidden and kept secret forever, or her life may be in danger.

Aislinn is a fascinating character. Attractive, smart and bored. She has everything she could want in the Seelie court, but being safe isn't what she wants to live with. She feels incomplete and unfinished. Different..

Gabriel is a very fun and seducing character. But being seductive isn't all he is. He's caring and strong and most importantly, he's the leader of the wild hunt.

I really liked this new series. Bast is very imaginative and knows how to make great chemistry between her characters. Gabriel and Aislinn are packed with heat. It's also great that there's an amazing glossary at the end of the book, that gives you a load of useful information for the series. This book is packed with suspense and heat and has a terrific late twist. If you love paranormal romance and fantasy you'll love this book. I can't wait for the second installment in the series, Cruel Enchantment, which is due out September 2010.

(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Jan 12, 2010 Fiendishly Bookish rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urbanfantasy, faery, 5-star

From the very first paragraphs of any Anya Bast novel you instantly know that this is a writer who definitely enjoys what she does and excels at it. On all levels Bast delivers and Wicked Enchantment is no exception. From the first two pages I was chuckling knowing this book was going to be amazing. All the elements we have seen exhibited before in Karen Marie Moning, Laurell K. Hamilton, Richelle Mead and others who have penned novels about the Seelie Courts are evident, but like a master puzzl...more

like · see review

Apr 19, 2012 Kellie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal

Most people I know don't really like reading about fairy's, goblin's trolls etc, but not me! I have loved the Fae world since I was a child (My grandma and I even made a fairy garden at her house that is still there for all the other grandchildren to play with/look after)

Ok so on to the book.
I liked it and give it 4 1/2 stars not 5 because I didn't love it.

Pro's ->
-Gabriel <3 - He may be unseelie but that just add's to his awesomeness. Your typical bad boy, dominating, take charge, sati...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 10, 2011 ♥Xeni♥ rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: no one

Shelves: fiction, urban-fantasy, paranormal, magic, ebook, disliked, adult, revealed-paranormal-world, fariy

I picked up this book due to seeing it on my friends' update feed. Based on the description, it should have been amusing, entertaining, thrilling and riveting! It was none of those things for me.

First off, the whole writing style bothered me. Specifically, the characters were so boring and flat that had they been pumped up with any more artificial life, they would have been cliched to a degree of embarrassment. As things stand now, I could just barely stand to read their responses and interacti...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 05, 2010 Lola rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

Meet Gabriel of the Unseelie Court, who is petitioning to defect into the Summer Queen's court. An unhappy Aislinn (already part of Rose Tower) is forced by the Summer Queen to be his selected tour guide. Weary, Aislinn attempts to keep it professional. He only has one week to prove himself in order to be part of the Rose Tower. Gabriel has dark motives with only limited time to complete his mission and Aislinn isn't fooled.

Aislinn is part of the highest echelons (pure bloodline) in the Seelie...more Meet Gabriel of the Unseelie Court, who is petitioning to defect into the Summer Queen's court. An unhappy Aislinn (already part of Rose Tower) is forced by the Summer Queen to be his selected tour guide. Weary, Aislinn attempts to keep it professional. He only has one week to prove himself in order to be part of the Rose Tower. Gabriel has dark motives with only limited time to complete his mission and Aislinn isn't fooled.

Aislinn is part of the highest echelons (pure bloodline) in the Seelie Court , able to have prophetic dreams. Under the Rose Tower, she wants to do more instead of endless relaxation of social functions. She knows her other magick, able to see and raise souls, is not part of the Seelie's power. If her other magick gets out, she knows she'll attract unwanted attention; Aislinn already has problems involving her past. Gabriel is a half-succubus whose magick is a lethal sex weapon that addicts men and women till their death due to self-neglect. Aislinn doesn't succumbs to his charms easily; she was humiliated publicly by her ex social-climber boyfriend and doesn't want to be involved with him despite his gentle coaxing. Gabriel is floored at how Aislinn resists him and struggles to keep her a 'target' instead of something more.

I'm always looking for books involving the Fae (the whole shebang info) and was pleasantly surprised that this was an excellent read. The author did her research involving the Fae, Courts, powers, etc. Effort awarded, Ms. Bast manages to make it fit and adds more mixes that are aligned to the plot. The plot is simple but later gets complicated with unknown characters adding lies, danger, deceit and whom to trust. I thought this would be an ordinary plot, but the author twists everything around and the reader is left wandering to what's going to happen now. That aspect got me into the story. The writing was well done although I thought it got a bit too wordy with explanations. It didn't muddle the plot however. It switches points of view in third person between the two main characters so we get a feel of both and that was one extra plus for me. It's not a one-sided feeling of wondering what the others feel so it awesome we got Gabriel and Aislinn.

Gabriel is one of the best heroes. Ever. For real, I thought we would get endless descriptions of his sexual past compared to Aislinn's reactions to him. Nope, Ms. Bast rightly does it at first with just a drop or three comparisons and then Gabriel focuses completely on Aislinn without any more hint to his past conquests. Honestly, I wish more books have this kind of balance, it was perfect! (Most authors enjoy whoring the hero's sexual past to the readers every chance while romancing the heroine but does Gabriel? Only at the start when they meet and she resists). He's really gentle with Aislinn; it was sweet. Nonetheless, he's still an Alpha. Not the in-your-face kind, but the type that expresses his desire for her. Even later on in the story, he is trying to make amend, still shows he wants her. This sentence was right on:

"You're mine, Aislinn. Never forget that. I will wait for you, but don't expect me to be patient or well mannered while I do it."

Aislinn as the heroine was also well-done. Not crossing the bitchy line, just enough to direct her manner in an aloof way with all chaos that happens. Internally though, she's vulnerable and hurt but that doesn't weaken her character. She's sympathetic. Their attraction to each other was hot to the capital. Both wall-banging and sweet love making. Other side characters seemed one/two-dimensional that weren't enough developed enough though they have their own agenda. I'd like to read more about them (in the Unseelie Court) other than their stereotypical baddie "danger danger" aura. . The Shadow makes his appearance as a deadly, shadowy character pulling strings, more characters, etc.

Seriously, I loved this book. Fuckin' A, it had the right balance plot-wise, likable characters, transitions. Can't wait to read more of this series. (less)

like · see review

Feb 15, 2010 Melindeeloo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fae-fairy-faery-elves-pixies, paranormal-romance, incubi-and-succubi

Bast's new Fae Dark Magick series - dark, dangerous leading man Gabriel is Enchantingly Wicked

Wicked Enchantment finds Unseelie (dark Fae) incubus Gabriel petitioning for entry into the Seelie (light Fae) world. Aislinn is prominent member of the light fae court esteemed for the purity of her family's Seelie blood line. Having sworn off men after a suffering a humiliating breakup, Aislinn is less than thrilled when she is the one designated to show Gabriel around. Gabriel's magic has kept his...more Bast's new Fae Dark Magick series - dark, dangerous leading man Gabriel is Enchantingly Wicked

Wicked Enchantment finds Unseelie (dark Fae) incubus Gabriel petitioning for entry into the Seelie (light Fae) world. Aislinn is prominent member of the light fae court esteemed for the purity of her family's Seelie blood line. Having sworn off men after a suffering a humiliating breakup, Aislinn is less than thrilled when she is the one designated to show Gabriel around. Gabriel's magic has kept his bed easily filled so he is intrigued that Aislinn seems to be resistant to his charms. Aislinn's apparent aversion to him will make the true purpose behind Gabe's visit more difficult - Gabe will have to actually invest more of himself than is required for seduction in order to achieve his goal of luring Aislinn to the dark court - for Aislinn has somehow drawn the interest of the Unseelie king.

Wicked Enchantment returns to the world of light and dark Fae which Bast introduced in her short, "Sweet Enchantment" in the anthology Hot for the Holidays. If you've missed Ronin and Bella's story you might want to check it out before reading Wicked Enchantment since they get a bit of screen time here, but you can actually get by without having read the short (I just think it's more fun when you know the characters).

I really liked Wicked Enchantment. I absolutely loved Bast's introductory descriptions of incubus Gabriel. Gabe is so dark and sexy with an aura of danger that hits those around him at a visceral level - what a great leading man. I also really enjoy the rest of Bast's story telling here. Bast does a great job of fleshing out both the leads and of developing the relationship between Gabe and Aislinn. Bast makes the pair really work for their happily ever after, as Gabriel has to overcome his detachment in order to fall for Aislinn, and even harder he has to overcome Aislinn's preconceptions that his being an incubus means he lacks the capacity to love and is therefore not a long term option. And Aislinn has to risk her already bruised heart in order to actually heal said heart.

Adding to the romance, Bast has brought to life some interesting elements of her magic Fae world, including some fleshing out some familiar myths and woven threads that will carry throughout the rest of the series. The saga continues with Cruel Enchantment due out September of 2010.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 16, 2011 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: x-read-in-2011

WOW ok - this book - humm Ok I really liked the story line :) I'm not a big Fae fan - but these were more "people" then most Fae books - which is what I liked -
The story line was pretty packed with a LOT of sex - rather thinking or doing - not that it's a bad thing - but it was a little TOO MUCH for my liking in a book - I understand Gabrial is part Incubus - which pretty much is why it deals with so much - but in my opinion - it made it feel like their whole relationship that was growing was m...more

like · see review

Sep 08, 2010 Marquetta (LoveToReadForFun) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Wicked Enchantment is the first book of the Dark Magick series. Aislinn is a fae in the Seelie Court. She lives the life of luxury, spending her days shopping, gossiping and attending balls. Her life doesn't have much meaning and Aislinn feels like something is missing. She has special "powers" that she is afraid to use for fear of being exiled from the Rose Tower. She feels that her power is Unseelie in nature but is too afraid to take the next step to find out. Enters Gabriel, a half-incubus f...more Wicked Enchantment is the first book of the Dark Magick series. Aislinn is a fae in the Seelie Court. She lives the life of luxury, spending her days shopping, gossiping and attending balls. Her life doesn't have much meaning and Aislinn feels like something is missing. She has special "powers" that she is afraid to use for fear of being exiled from the Rose Tower. She feels that her power is Unseelie in nature but is too afraid to take the next step to find out. Enters Gabriel, a half-incubus from the Black Tower. He's defecting from the Unseelie court and Aislinn is picked to be his guide. Aislinn does not trust Gabriel or his motives.

Wicked Enchantment is about the fae, a subject I am not that familiar with. The book contains a glossary that I didn't discover until I finished the book. I was reading the e-book so I didn't immediately flip to the back like I normally do when I read paperbacks. I had a little trouble keeping the terminology straight and trying to pronounce the words. What drove me crazy is that many times, when referring to someone, the character would say the person's entire name. And each character had around 4-5 names. In the beginning the book didn't flow for me.

Gabriel is a hot sexy hero. His motives are not genuine but it's easy to forgive him for the deceit because he redeems himself pretty quickly. It took my a while to warm up to Aislinn because I couldn't figure out what why she was appealing. She lived a spoiled and privileged life so in the beginning, she was a little on the shallow side. As she learns more about her past and her powers, we see a new, tougher Aislinn that I began to appreciate.

Flutter Factor:
It took me a while to warm up to the book. The pace was a little slow and I had problems with the terminology. But once the drama unfolded and the conflict was revealed, the pace sped up and the plot kept me enthralled. The sexual relationship between Gabriel and Aislinn was hot and if possible, I wanted even more. Check out my buddy Bells' Monday Smutty Goodness: Book Boyfriend Edition and you'll know what I'm talking about. All in all, Wicked Enchantment was a good book with great world building and character development. I look forward to reading the next book in this series, Cruel Enchantment.
(less)

like · see review

Apr 09, 2013 Jasmine rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books

Okay, so some time ago I had read this book, but had completely forgotten what it was about. That being said I can understand why I did. Plot wise, its a good idea. On a closer look at the characters, not so much. So you have Aislinn, a woman who is growing bored with what's going on in her life and have a dark secret. Then there is Gabriel, a man who claims to be bored, wants something different and has nothing but rumors and gossip following his every step. So of course that's our romantic cou...more

like · see review

Jan 13, 2012 Elenariel rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fae, magic, myths-and-legends

2/2.5*
As in the short story that introduces this series, if we look at the way they dress and behave, the characters - magical creatures whose origins date back to the mists of time - would seem just your ordinary human beings of our times.
It would not be a problem, if they were integrated into modern society, or we were told, at least once, how they have adapted over the centuries but it is not so: they live isolated, imprisoned in a medieval town in which the nobles, however, go shopping in ha...more

like · see review

Feb 11, 2011 Cindi rated it 5 of 5 stars

I think Imay have jumped in to the middle of a new series with this one, but who cares? The author did a great job of immersing me right in to her world, and let me just say that its a good one! I've read Ms. Bast before andlliked her but this solidifies it for me: she is now on my go-to list.

This book was a bit of "Lord of the Ring" and a bit of Laurell K.Hamilton in her "Mercy" style. I always love books w/ fae in them; they just are SO sexy! So this book is about Aislinn, a good little Seelie...more I think Imay have jumped in to the middle of a new series with this one, but who cares? The author did a great job of immersing me right in to her world, and let me just say that its a good one! I've read Ms. Bast before andlliked her but this solidifies it for me: she is now on my go-to list.

This book was a bit of "Lord of the Ring" and a bit of Laurell K.Hamilton in her "Mercy" style. I always love books w/ fae in them; they just are SO sexy! So this book is about Aislinn, a good little Seelie, and Gabriel, a bad boy Unseelie. He's also half-incubus, but he is just so hot that Ms. Bast could have left that out and not missed a thing. As it was,she must have used pyschic powers on me to discover my very favorite and most perfect man (inside and out) then created Gabe just for ME! Aislinn is convinced by Gabe - who is "requested" by his King - to leave the Rose Court for the Dark one, where she'll be able to safely learn how to use the magic she has (but isn't supposed to have). Only once she defects, she finds Gabe was just a lure and that she ... well, I can't say much more without spoiling it for you!

So this book is not without romance, but it is not a category romance or a traditional fantasy novel. It was a WONDERFUL read and had just the right combination of action (war and sexual kind), relationships with good, well-fleshed out secondary characters and resolution of the main storyline while still continuing along the epic path of any good series. I sincerely liked and respected both the lead characters and could see myself right in the middle of things (some things more than others, ahem)as the writing is so realistic.

Oooh, and this author did smething very few do but which I LOVE: she brought her characters together realitively early on, so I got to see how things worked out between them, not just for a couple of pages at the end! Congratulations, Ms. Bast, on giving me pretty much everything I could have asked for in a book! I have been searching for a new series and I think this will be it! Yea!(less)

like · see review

Nov 05, 2012 Samantha Umbdenstock rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

Enchantment, its all a bloody enchantment. The moment I started to read it I got sweeped away! The whole story, the world of it pulled me in! And I couldn't put the bloody book down! You know when you read the summary of the book, you normally have a good sense of what the story will be..... But this story is so much more... so much more.
It's the first time I read a book by Anya Bast. So i truly didn't know what to expect. I truly liked it very much.

Aisleen and her strong independence and her h...more

like · see review

Feb 21, 2013 Laura Pilcher rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-paranormal, fantasy-magic

A good book once you push through the first few chapters which are a bit confusing.
All the Faeries have been rounded up and trapped into a small realm. They are split into three groups. "Seelie" - like victorian nobles who don't possess magic, are ruled by the "summer queen" and live in the "Rose Quartz tower". "Unseelie" - Fae who have dark magik and can use it to kill or maim should they so wish. They are ruled over by the "shadow King" who wears an amulet which grants him power over the gob...more

like · see review

Dec 22, 2012 Joy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fae, fantasy, hot-sexual-content

Not the kindle version.

3.5 stars

When you're half-incubus, your reputation precedes you.

Aislinn Finvarra cannot help but be curious about the half incubus Gabriel who is known to possess dark magick, both lethal and sexual in nature. Rumors abound of the women who have become enslaved to his irresistible charms and its these skills that Gabriel will use to seduce and lure Aislinn...to her death.

(view spoiler)...more

like · see review

Aug 20, 2010 Tina rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, own-it

2.5 stars - This was my first book by this author and I realized that her writing style is just not for me. The pacing was at a snails crawl, the characters were so-so, and the writing was cheesy. I was so disappointed, the world had so much potential. I went into reading this hoping for an awesome world with a great romance. The writing got so cheesy that it killed the mood and turned me off from the characters.

Plot 2 stars
Cover 4 stars
Writing 2 stars
Setting 4 stars
Originality 3 stars - th...more

like · see review

topics	posts	views	last activity
What's The Name o...: UF Recent about Fae court and a woman forced to work w a male fairy that she doesn't like [s]	5	52	Jan 15, 2013 06:06pm
Romance Readers R...: April buddy read: Masques and Wicked Enchantment	21	22	Apr 12, 2012 07:50am

title link	preview: Wicked Enchantment
avg rating	preview: Wicked Enchantment Goodreads rating: 3.79 (1780 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.discoverreads.com/book/show/6568819-wicked-enchantment?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1265439998l/6568819.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.discoverreads.com/book/show/6568819-wicked-enchantment?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Wicked Enchantment by Anya Bast[/url]

Wicked Enchantment (Dark Magick #1)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (2)

Videos About This Book

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Anya Bast

Books by Anya Bast

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Wicked Enchantment