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Crimes Against Magic
(Hellequin Chronicles #1)
by
It’s been almost ten years since Nathan Garrett woke on a cold warehouse floor with nothing but a gun, a sword, and no idea of who he was or how he got there. His only clue … a piece of paper with his name on it. Since then, he’s discovered he’s a powerful sorcerer and has used his abilities to work as a thief for hire. But he’s never stopped hunting for his true identity,
...more
Kindle Edition, First Edition, 388 pages
Published
April 27th 2012
by Hidden Realms Publishing
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Start your review of Crimes Against Magic (Hellequin Chronicles, #1)
My paternal grandmother used to tell a story. When my dad was a small boy late one night in the dark house (out in the country, no lights "on" in the house so when I say dark it was dark) my grandparents were awakened by a loud thump.
Thump!
Then they heard, "well huh. I fell out of bed."
Well huh, I've found a good UF series.
The first UF novel/series I got interested in was the Harry Dresden series by Jim Butcher. I'm a huge fan of the Dresden books and they started me "off on a search" for other ...more
Thump!
Then they heard, "well huh. I fell out of bed."
Well huh, I've found a good UF series.
The first UF novel/series I got interested in was the Harry Dresden series by Jim Butcher. I'm a huge fan of the Dresden books and they started me "off on a search" for other ...more
Feb 05, 2017
✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Pre-review rating: 3.75 stars. I must have been somewhat inebriated when I first rated this book.
Post-review rating: 4.258 stars. Yeah, that's more like it.
Why the Murderous Crustaceansstrongly urge you to read this book, or else… think the Little Barnacles might find some moderate enjoyment in this reasonably entertaining book:
It's UF written by a male author, aka one of the scarcest resources in this estrogen-ruled genre.
This is such a rare occurrence that even Helga, my marginally ruthless ...more
Post-review rating: 4.258 stars. Yeah, that's more like it.
Why the Murderous Crustaceans
It's UF written by a male author, aka one of the scarcest resources in this estrogen-ruled genre.
This is such a rare occurrence that even Helga, my marginally ruthless ...more
*** 4.258 ***
This rating represents my complete agreement with my favorite crustaceans wielding overlord, Sarah!
"...“Everyone hates fractions. That’s why they make you do them. It’s character building.” ..."
So, Nathan Garret, the very enigmatic thief and sorcerer is a very naughty boy. He is lovable and chicks dig him, so he is free with his affections, but some ladies might have a more sinister agenda than just getting in his pants. After being paid for a job stealing an antique book, ...more
This rating represents my complete agreement with my favorite crustaceans wielding overlord, Sarah!
"...“Everyone hates fractions. That’s why they make you do them. It’s character building.” ..."
So, Nathan Garret, the very enigmatic thief and sorcerer is a very naughty boy. He is lovable and chicks dig him, so he is free with his affections, but some ladies might have a more sinister agenda than just getting in his pants. After being paid for a job stealing an antique book, ...more
It's about time I write a review for A Crime Against Magic, so here we go!
To be honest, I was a bit surprised with this book. Basically it's an UF, but an UF on a high octane that has a super-fast pacing that feels almost like a thriller. Plus, The book tells the story of two timelines - one is the present, and the second timeline occurs about 600 years in the past. Both timelines have a fast pacing and are very enjoyable. The different timelines are very distinct, as the present timeline feels ...more
To be honest, I was a bit surprised with this book. Basically it's an UF, but an UF on a high octane that has a super-fast pacing that feels almost like a thriller. Plus, The book tells the story of two timelines - one is the present, and the second timeline occurs about 600 years in the past. Both timelines have a fast pacing and are very enjoyable. The different timelines are very distinct, as the present timeline feels ...more
Apr 11, 2018
Montzalee Wittmann
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorites,
best-books-in-2018
Crimes Against Magic
The Hellequin Chronicles, Book 1
By: Steve McHugh
Narrated by: James Langton
This is an outstanding book! Read these books in order! This starts this great series in which Nate can't remember his past. He knows he has powers but he just doesn't know how powerful he really is or who he really is... it is so exciting. The characters are awesome and as more is revealed, the better it gets! All of these characters are so awesome. The author is telling two tales at once, one in the ...more
The Hellequin Chronicles, Book 1
By: Steve McHugh
Narrated by: James Langton
This is an outstanding book! Read these books in order! This starts this great series in which Nate can't remember his past. He knows he has powers but he just doesn't know how powerful he really is or who he really is... it is so exciting. The characters are awesome and as more is revealed, the better it gets! All of these characters are so awesome. The author is telling two tales at once, one in the ...more
3.5 stars. I enjoyed this book. It had a lot of action and I liked the magic of the world and the urban fantasy setting. But I did feel like there was something missing for me. Nate, the main character and sorcerer seemed a bit 2 dimensional, a kind of stud/007 sorcerer. I kept visualising a Jason Stratham type. Do I like it enough to continue the series? The jury's out..
Throwing in the towel with this one. Crimes Against Magic has a stellar rating and a couple of friends with excellent book taste loved it so obviously I read it all wrong, because to me this felt like a 13 years old's attempt at fictionalizing his wet dreams. A noble endeavor, I'm sure, simply one I have zero interest in reading.
Crimes Against Magic tells the wondrous tale of some Gary Stu who can't catch a break from luscious-looking women throwing themselves at him - incidentally, I think it's ...more
Crimes Against Magic tells the wondrous tale of some Gary Stu who can't catch a break from luscious-looking women throwing themselves at him - incidentally, I think it's ...more
After some deliberation, two stars. I wanted to like this book more than I did. I really did. It had an interesting premise - a sorcerer wakes up with amnesia. He doesn't truly know who he is or what exactly is going on. All he knows is that people close to him are threatened. He has to discover who he is to protect those he cares about. Good stuff.
That was pretty much where my troubles with this book began. First, the main character, Nathan. It felt like every time I turned the page a drop dead ...more
That was pretty much where my troubles with this book began. First, the main character, Nathan. It felt like every time I turned the page a drop dead ...more
I wanted to like this, but found my discontent growing with each new chapter. I finally quit about three quarters in and can't help feeling relieved to just let it go.
The writing is solid and the protagonist is interesting and I definitely wanted more of the world, but I just couldn't buy the plot. It doesn't help that the story jumps between modern day and fifteenth century France. That breaks up the narrative flow as much as you'd expect, but more, it provides the reader information that ...more
The writing is solid and the protagonist is interesting and I definitely wanted more of the world, but I just couldn't buy the plot. It doesn't help that the story jumps between modern day and fifteenth century France. That breaks up the narrative flow as much as you'd expect, but more, it provides the reader information that ...more
I bought this book solely by chance -- it was one of the "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" books that was listed at Amazon.com when I browsed a couple of UF series. Since it was only $2.99, I thought okay, why not. I've always wanted to find more good UF series with male protagonist anyway.
The protagonist is Nathan Garrett. Ten years ago, he woke up in a warehouse without memory what-so-ever. But over a decade he learned that he was a sorcerer. He works as a thief, that is how he gets ...more
The protagonist is Nathan Garrett. Ten years ago, he woke up in a warehouse without memory what-so-ever. But over a decade he learned that he was a sorcerer. He works as a thief, that is how he gets ...more
Aug 08, 2012
Danielle The Book Huntress (Back to the Books)
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
Fans of gritty magic noir/tough guy hero urban fantasy
This is a very good start to a male-lead urban fantasy series. The concepts were familiar, but the author gives them all his own distinct spin. McHugh touches on some very recognizable figures in fantasy and folk legends and mythology and in a way that made me go "Hmm!". It's pretty gritty and quite violent. I'm not sure I was in love with the sexuality expressed in the story though. However, this book definitely keeps your eyes glued to the pages, and the magic was fascinating and darkly
...more
Take a Sam Spade / Harry Dresden first person gumshoe vantage point and the twist the story around to have a James Bondian love of women, cars and guns, a Jason Bournian loss of memory of learning to kick ass (and why), a Bruce Leesque love of Kung Fu, a parallel story line in 15th Century France and a cast of mashed up characters from myth and legend.
The author tries to do an awful lot and, probably because of that, the more I read the more I kept saying 'No, you're not going there... oh god, ...more
The author tries to do an awful lot and, probably because of that, the more I read the more I kept saying 'No, you're not going there... oh god, ...more
Loved it... again! 4 stars because the books will get better and better and I want to be able to give them more stars!
Apr 26, 2014
Experiment BL626
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
recently-reviewed,
paranormal
CAUTION: major spoilers
+ the protag
Nathan was a Gary Stu. Most of the female characters he met wanted to bed him. All of the female characters wanted to be saved by him. It didn't matter if the ladies had powers of their own or that Nathan was amnesic and dazed, they wanted him on that fucking white horse riding to their rescue (figuratively speaking). I expected a Gary Stu, but I didn't expect Nathan to be a James Bond type. I was annoyed how practically all the ladies were made damsels in ...more
+ the protag
Nathan was a Gary Stu. Most of the female characters he met wanted to bed him. All of the female characters wanted to be saved by him. It didn't matter if the ladies had powers of their own or that Nathan was amnesic and dazed, they wanted him on that fucking white horse riding to their rescue (figuratively speaking). I expected a Gary Stu, but I didn't expect Nathan to be a James Bond type. I was annoyed how practically all the ladies were made damsels in ...more
Cheesy in a CW kind of way but entertaining. I actually liked this better than Dresden. There's definitely a lot of cliche action one liners and over simplified story line but overall a fun read. I'll continue the series.
Full Review originally at Fantasy Book Critic
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Crimes Against Magic is Steve McHugh’s debut novel and is a dual story feature. I was very much interested in this story because of its Jason Bourne-like origin. I approached the author and he graciously agreed. I wanted to see how the book would hold up since it promised lots of action, magic & intrigue.
Nathan Garrett is a sorcerer who is living currently as a thief in London, he however remembers his life only ten years past ...more
Jan 30, 2013
Verity Brown
rated it
it was ok
Recommends it for:
Undemanding fans of magic/action/adventure
Recommended to Verity by:
Amazon reviewers
This book is a really good example of why self-publishing (or publishing through a very small press, can't tell for sure which this is) shouldn't be an author's first choice (as opposed to actually submitting it to several major publishers). There's a genuinely interesting story here. But it's undercut by small-but-persistent grammatical errors and the author's inability to resist turning his "hero" into a Gary Stu. A good editor's discipline could have turned this into a good book instead of a ...more
3.5 stars
Mindless badassery. Dude runs around London punching people out and rescuing women. I got most of the way through this but wasn't interested enough to finish it.
Jan 22, 2016
Kitvaria Sarene
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy-urban,
fantasy-all-subgenres
A really fun read, with lots of action, humor, magic, friendships and a good amount of fighting and blood. ;) I had a great time reading it - and the series will help tide me over until the next Harry Dresden book will be out. Really good urban fantasy with a thieving wizzard whonhasnto find out who he is, after 10 years without his memories.
Testosterone laden thrill ride between past and present Magic! "I know what you are. You’re the thing the monsters fear.” – Ivy, The Hellequin Chronicles
“If you believe, as the Greeks did, that man is at the mercy of the gods, then you write tragedy. The end is inevitable from the beginning. But if you believe that man can solve his own problems and is at nobody’s mercy, then you will probably write melodrama.” – Lillian Hellman
“So, Nate, I’ve heard rumours that you’re actually alive.” It would ...more
“If you believe, as the Greeks did, that man is at the mercy of the gods, then you write tragedy. The end is inevitable from the beginning. But if you believe that man can solve his own problems and is at nobody’s mercy, then you will probably write melodrama.” – Lillian Hellman
“So, Nate, I’ve heard rumours that you’re actually alive.” It would ...more
really enjoyed this book 5 stars all the way I would say to anyone to read this if they like the magical side of things thank you to a friend that recommended it to me I will be reading the rest of the series
Enjoyable start to a new series for me,
If there were any issues with this book, I couldn't find them. The main character, Nathan, was fantastic. A little psychotic, powerful, and willing to protect those who needed it. In short, my favourite kind of guy. ;) Yeah, yeah, we all know I have issues. I'm cool with that.
A friend recommended I read this book and I both hate and love her for it. Hate because I stayed up late reading and have ignored responsibilities. Sorry, work, we both knew you'd be the one to suffer. And love because, ...more
A friend recommended I read this book and I both hate and love her for it. Hate because I stayed up late reading and have ignored responsibilities. Sorry, work, we both knew you'd be the one to suffer. And love because, ...more
During my quest to find any and all examples of good Urban Fantasy novels, started by my love of the Felix Castor stories, I have found many strange and wonderful worlds - That of Jack Nightingale, Constable Grant and Matthew Swift to name but a few. And now to my utter joy, here is Nathan "Nate" Garrett, who awoke in a warehouse ten years ago with no knowledge of who he is. His only clues - A gun, a Sword and a piece of paper with his name on it, along with a tendency to practice magic. And
...more
3.5 stars. Liked it but didn't love it. It's action-packed urban fantasy with an interesting premise although I didn't connect with the MC and I couldn't see an overarching theme or storyline that would keep me invested in the whole series. (view spoiler) There
...more
This was an interesting urban fantasy involving Legends, Sorcerers, Gargoyl, Werewolves and Myths. Nathan Garret wokeup, a decade ago, with no memories of his past. He learns that he's a highly skilled sorcerer and use his talents to work as a thief. He is a bit of an anti-hero, with a sense of humor. The plot is fast paced and told in flash backs from fifteenth century France and alternating to present day London. During a case which involves his sixteen years old neighbor he is confronted by
...more
Actual rating: 3.50
Nov 07, 2013
Mello ❣ Illium ✮Harry✮ ☀Myrnin☀ Torin Ichimaru
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
commence-insanity,
hawt-heroes,
action,
adult,
mystery,
dat-twist,
magic,
assassins,
vamps,
shapeshifters
Synopsis:
How do you keep the people you care about safe from enemies you can’t remember?
Ten years ago, Nate Garrett awoke on a cold warehouse floor with no memory of his past—a gun, a sword, and a piece of paper with his name on it the only clues to his identity. Since then, he’s discovered he’s a powerful sorcerer and has used his magical abilities to become a successful thief for hire.
But those who stole his memories aren’t done with him yet: when they cause a job to go bad and threaten a ...more
How do you keep the people you care about safe from enemies you can’t remember?
Ten years ago, Nate Garrett awoke on a cold warehouse floor with no memory of his past—a gun, a sword, and a piece of paper with his name on it the only clues to his identity. Since then, he’s discovered he’s a powerful sorcerer and has used his magical abilities to become a successful thief for hire.
But those who stole his memories aren’t done with him yet: when they cause a job to go bad and threaten a ...more
Crimes Against Magic by Steve McHugh is urban fantasy with a sprinkle of secret history.
Before writing this review, I spent a few minutes considering whether or not the following statement was accurate: “Crimes Against Magic is the worst book I’ve ever read.”
To be fair, I’ve stopped reading books before because of prose, story, and character, but I did manage to at least finish CaM. There are two reasons for this. First, I won a copy from a Goodreads contest and felt obligated to give it a ...more
Before writing this review, I spent a few minutes considering whether or not the following statement was accurate: “Crimes Against Magic is the worst book I’ve ever read.”
To be fair, I’ve stopped reading books before because of prose, story, and character, but I did manage to at least finish CaM. There are two reasons for this. First, I won a copy from a Goodreads contest and felt obligated to give it a ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
YA Buddy Readers'...:
Hellequin Chronicles, starting with Crimes Against Magic, by Steve McHugh - beginning May 1st, 2018
|
24 | 31 | Jun 29, 2018 02:10PM | |
| Fantasy Buddy Reads: Crimes Against Magic [Mar 15, 2018] | 27 | 47 | Mar 31, 2018 06:56AM | |
| Saucy Wenches Boo...: Crimes Against Magic [January BotM] | 6 | 12 | Feb 27, 2018 05:40PM | |
| Urban Fantasy Afi...: June BOM ~ Crimes Against Magic | 19 | 38 | Jun 30, 2014 09:14AM | |
| Madison Mega-Mara...: "Crimes Against Magic" (Hellequin Chronicles) by Steve McHugh | 1 | 2 | Jun 19, 2014 05:59PM |
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Hellequin Chronicles
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“The memory of being shot by a woman pretty much kills any sexual urge you have toward her. And if it doesn't, you have issues.”
—
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“Words actually failed me. I felt as dumb as my lounge-less friend in the corner. "You injected me with vampire blood?" My words were said slowly, ensuring that I didn't get one wrong or accidentally call Francis a fucking asshat. "You're a vampire?"
Francis' expression managed to convey how stupid he thought that question was. "I live underground, and you've never seen me outside. I'm pale in complexion ands obviously hundreds of years old. What did you think I was? Agoraphobic?”
—
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More quotes…
Francis' expression managed to convey how stupid he thought that question was. "I live underground, and you've never seen me outside. I'm pale in complexion ands obviously hundreds of years old. What did you think I was? Agoraphobic?”
