The final installment in the Legacy of Magic series!
Matti Puletasi has defeated her enemies, rescued her parents, fallen in love with the elf of her dreams, and even started thinking of having children. Will her life finally return to normal (as normal as possible when one is mated to an elf and has a goblin for a roommate and a dragon for a neighbor)?
All Matti has left to do is to fulfill her obligation to Mikki the Wrench. That task, however, takes an unexpected turn when she encounters a powerful dark-elven artifact.
Before she knows it, the foul relic has marked her, leaving her cursed as it steals her magic—and threatens to steal her life.
If she can’t figure out how to remove the curse, she may lose everything she’s fought so hard to achieve.
This kindle e-book novel is from my Kindle Unlimited account book 8 of 8
Another will written fantasy world 🌎 adventure thriller with interesting characters lots of action, misdirection and violence leading to the conclusion.
I would recommend this series and author to 👍 readers of romantic fantasy world 🌎adventure novels 👍🔰. 2024
A great ending to a great series. It is a bit bittersweet having to say goodbye to such great characters. Especially Matti and Sarrlevi. I was a bit worried that the last book of the series was called Cursed, but like all the books in this series, it was a great story and brought the characters together even more so.
No good deed goes unpunished, or is it you get what you pay for. On inspecting a new warehouse for her latest project, Matti is left with unfortunate magical repercussions. After all the bullets Matti has dodged if her time is finally up. How far will her friends and Sarrlevi go to save her.
A great ending. Though, there is more of a chance to spend some more time in this universe. Which I will definitely be taking up. I always know that the series is great if I greedily want more of it.
This series was a true discovy. After Val's series I thought I couldn't love other protagonists in this universe. I was sooo wrong!. I loved Matis and Sarlevy's story and specially the characters evolution. I really hope that Lindsay Buroker will continue to write series on this particular universe, there is sooo much still to know about Mati & Sven and their future offspring, the strange bromance between the elf and the dragon, workleader Tinja's sanctuary and the rest of their friends. Starblade and Arwen would be my recomendation for the following series, but I still want to see the evolution on all the other characters!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Such a great series. I was sorry this was the last book! The world building was so good it felt like I understood it and lived there too. And I loved the relationship between Matti and Varlesh. The quirkiness, snarkiness and humour was also very entertaining. There was very little overt sex in this series, for those to which this matters, but a lot of allusions to it. I would highly recommend this series, but please do yourself a favour and read it in order. Each book builds on the last.
I'm extremely sad that this is the last book in the series because I loved it. I don't know how Lindsay Buroker keeps writing amazing series after amazing series. She definitely is my favorite author!
Luckily there's another series in this world, the Tracking Trouble series with Arwen as a main character. I can't wait to see where it goes and I hope we'll get glimpses of Val and Matti.
Oh my god! What a perfect finale for this wonderful and amazing series! I picked up Hammered, my first book by Lindsay Buroker this February. Since then, I have been (im)patiently waiting for the last books in this series while reading my way through her backlist. This series will always have a special place in my heart though bc I absolutely loved Matti and her quirky friends (and sometimes her foes). This final book was everything I could have hoped for. It kept me up at night, made me cry and laugh and smile and everything in between. I can't wait to find out where the authors imagination will lead us next but I'll love it as much as I loved all her other books. I just hope that we'll meet Matti and her friends again in future books and I'll definitely reread these books of the Legacy of Magic series in the future. Often.
I loved this series as much as the first one, maybe more. Val and Zav were in the mix enough to satisfy my desire for ongoing adventures with these characters. Matti is an amazing character all on her own. I love that she is not perfect in looks or body and that she wins most situations with her charm, wit and loyalty. I gave this book 4 stars because while I looked it and enjoy a happy ending as much as the next person, it had a very different tone than all the others. There was humor, but it also has a heavy, somber feel, that hasn't been a part of this series. That being said, I will still look at any new series Lindsay Buroker puts out with interest as she had given me hours of enjoyable reading.
It was fun reading the adventure of Matti and Sarrlevi. I'm not sure why, but I felt like something was missing. The story didn't quite fill full. When Val's story concluded, it was bittersweet but beautiful. Matti's left something to be desired. All in all, I loved the buddy friendship between Sarrlevi and Zav and their continuous banter. It was a fun read. I would love to read a story where Sarrlevi and Zav have to work together to accomplish a task. It would be hilarious.
Cursed is the last and 8th book in this series. While it feels a bit like it's own adventure with the plot not being as connected and standing on it's own, it also wraps up the series and character plot lines really well. I wanted a comforting read and this one fit my mood perfectly. I enjoyed the satisfying conclusion and look forward to starting the next spin-off series soon!
In Cursed main character Matti is working on building 20 tiny homes for a goblin after making a deal with him in the previous book. When scouting out a potential warehouse where she can build these homes she find an artifact that curses her and Dimitri. The rest of the book mostly deals with her and those around her trying to find a dark elf who can lift the curse. I liked this book and enjoying listening to it. It starts a new adventure for Matti and wraps it up by the end of the book and it was interesting reading a bit more about the dark elves, although they do seem very over the top evil race so far. I liked how the plot got resolved. The ending is well done, wraps everything up nicely and I liked seeing Matti and Varlesh have their happy ending.
I enjoyed reading more about Matti and Varlesh. I enjoy seeing them together and how Varlesh is there for her and is doing everything he can to help he find a way to break the curse. Their connection and love for each other is obvious and I enjoyed reading about them. There's more of all the side characters as well, from Matti's parents and grandparents to Val and Zav to Tinga the goblin roommate. I also liked we get to see more of Arwen and Starblade and this book sets things up nicely for their series which is next.
While book 6 felt like an ending in a way, I am glad the author wrote these last two books as well as this feels like an even better ending. I like the way Matti's story got wrapped up and this was just such a great series.
To summarize: I really enjoyed this last book in the series. It introduces a new adventure for Matti when after she got cursed she's trying to find a way way to break the curse. I liked reading more about Matti, Varlesh and all the side characters. It was interesting to learn a bit more about the dark elf race even though they seem pretty over the top evil so far. It also sets the stage nicely for Arwen and Starblade's series which is next. The ending wraps things up nicely and I liked seeing where it left things for Matti and Varlesh. And I look forward to starting Arwen's series soon!
This is the eighth and final book in the Legacy of Magic series. Characters from the Death Before Dragons series appear. The series felt pretty complete after 6 books but the author closed out some story lines in books 7 & 8. I do not recommend it as a standalone; the series should be read in order. This book was a bit of a transition to the next series in this world. It does end Matti and Sarrlevi’s story. Matti is a half dwarf, half human woman who works as a house flipper in the Seattle area. In this book, accidentally touches a magic artifact that contains a death curse. Getting rid of it involves finding someone who is dark fae, an evil group of Satan worshipers that have been mostly eradicated and who are untrustworthy if you do find them. Sarrlevi and Matti continue to move forward in their relationship. I really liked how Sarrlevi is now open and supportive of Matti. He is slow to trust but he allows Matti to read his thoughts. I did think that there were times when Sarrlevi should have been given input into how to handle the situations they were facing. He has years of experience. The author continues to develop the characters and gives them their own story lines. The characters are interesting. The author writes characters that are realistic. They have flaws and a good side whether they are the hero or the villain with a few exceptions. As Matti suffers from the curse, on one page the author writes that she has lost her ability to talk to anyone, including Sarrlevi. A few pages later, she is able to do so again. Matti works with Val, a character from the Death Before Dragons series, who is half elf. She is the daughter of the elf king (on a different world) and has an elf sister. I liked the friendship between them. The book is told solely from Matti’s point of view. I enjoy the vocabulary used by the author. She uses interesting words in her writing. I also enjoy the richness of her stories. Lindsay Buroker is an auto-buy for me and I plan to continue reading her books.
Lindsay Buroker’s Legacy of Magic series is a fantastic romantic comedy, or perhaps a comic romantic fantasy, or even a romantic comic fantasy. However described, it’s worth reading.
Set primarily in the Seattle area (although parts take place on both the dwarven and elven planets in close by dimensions), it’s the story of Matti, a half dwarf craftswoman and her quest to find and free her father from the hidden prison where he’d been locked up since she was just four years old. One of her earliest memories was of his being taken prisoner by the Army as he fought to protect her dwarven mother, before fire had consumed their home.
Raised by her Samoan American grandparents, Matti had little hope of finding her father, of whom the government denied having any knowledge, until she connected with an elf who was as attractive as he was dangerous; a professional assassin, Saarlevi. Together, the two would not only seek her father, but her mother as well when they learned that she might still live, while he wooed her with exotic cheeses.
Add in a dragon and his human/elf mate, a goblin with the energy (and personal boundaries) of a three year old, and an Army colonel whose job it was to control the sorts of mythical creatures that the government refused to admit existed, and Ms. Buroker has written a delightful eight book paranormal series— my sole complaint is that she’s stopped at eight books.
Review of the entire series: Rating: ☆☆☆,5 Main character: Matti & Sarlevii POV: single POV (told by Matti) Experience w/t author: this is the 3rd series I read by her and I plan on reading a lot more First time reading this series: yes Ways of reading: audiobook Spice: 3/5 Tropes: - urban fantasy - action packed - wide variety of magical creatures/people/artifacts - bad-ass half-dwarf FMC - MC in her 30s - in Seattle - morally gray MMC - visiting other realms - women of colour as FMC ( half-Samoan) - a new quest/adventure each book with an continuing plot true out the series - spin-off series ➡️ NOT a standalone series!
Review of this particular book: I absolutely LOVED seeing Matti and Sarlevii together in this book. The way he takes care of her! 🥰
The plot was original and the story kept me interested. When I started this series, I was afraid that it would remind me to much of the Dead Before Dragons-series, but the better we got to know the MC's, the more they got their own identity and voice. Although the writingstyle and the way the story flows are the same, the characters and the specifics are different enough.
I was very intrigued by the half-dragon and I can't wait for the next series with him as a love-interest! This series is called "Tracking Trouble" and it's a follow-up story to this one.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this series, it has lighthearted and sweet moments, as well as adrenaline pumping battles, that gets your heart pounding. It has plenty of beautiful and unexpected friendships, and moments of going into bat for the little guys. It has a wide range of characters on both sides of the fence. And the main Characters are instantaneously likeable, and draw you in so completely that you 100% fall in love with them and want to be a part of their world. They have you laughing out loud at their witty banter one minute, then your following them into battle the next. This series is so immersive that it pulls you completely into their world and become gladly swept from your world and straight into thiers. The love interests were unlikely pairings, but you love the characters so much that you're completely invested in them getting their happily ever after. The world building was fantastic, the characters loveable, the plot was gripping and exciting. The storytelling was amazing, and I'm glad it came up as a "you maybe interested in" In the Kindle Store. Because it was a great series with awesome storytelling. And I'm glad I read it it was a Worthy Read that I didn't want to end.
So with this book, we close out this series. And, it is an inCREDible ending, let me tell you.
If you read my review of Book 7, you will know that I predicted that this book would center around a resolution of issues related to the cohort of half-dragons. I was wrong. (Please note the date and time - since it happens so rarely it’s sure to become a question in Trivial Pursuit.)
While the half-dragons DO appear in this book, and in fact play a pivotal role, they are most definitely NOT the book’s focus. What we DO get is the resolution, instead, of Mattie’s insecurities and the beginning of a true “happily-ever-after” scenario for both her and Varlesh. Lord knows, they’ve most definitely earned it.
I’m also quite excited to start the (currently) final series in the DBD universe. One never knows, it’s entirely possible that Buroker may write more later on, and one can hope, as one does.
Everything is going pretty well for Matti, except while checking out a building to rent that she can use to build the tiny houses she’s agreed to provide for Mikki the Wrench, she runs across a dark-elven artifact. When it marks her and Dimitri, she’s left in a race to find a way to lift the curse before it kills both of them. Her mother and all of her friends rush to help her, and they travel to some unusual places searching for a dark-elf to remove the curse, which are in very short supply since they have been driven out of most worlds. I really hated for Matti to be in such dire straits after everything else she’s fought through to get to a good place in her life, but I felt confident that she would find a way to get through it. It was a lovely ending and since there’s another series in the same world, I'm hoping we might see Matti and Varlesh, as well as Val and Zavryd in those stories as well.
Ok, I admit, Lindsay Buroker has better series out there, but I can't help but to absolutely enjoy everything she writes.
The series wraps up nicely, we get the ending we expect, and one last adventure from this duo. If you've read the books until now, you'll enjoy this one too.
What I really love about Buroker's series though is that a lot of characters end up meeting each other in other books. Like, when you get to see some characters you adored a while back, in other series, meet up and still be awesome and kick ass, you can't help but want to see more, read more, discover more.
And just for that, hats down, Buroker is one of my favorite authors.
As with the previous series set in this world, I'm sad to see this series end. I really grew to adore these characters, and it was fantastic to see the people we loved from the first series. (Even if I still want more of them too!) I would love to read more featuring Matti and Sarrlevi as the main characters, especially seeing their future adventures and seeing more of the frenemies interactions from Sarrlevi and Zav, Matti's Mum's TMI moments, and Tinja's success with all her goblin sanctuary dreams. For now, I'll be happy if Matti and Sarrlevi (and everyone else) show up in the next series set in the same world: Tracking Trouble.
This was the final book for Matti...for now. I do hope more in this world follow as Val and Matti are glorious and their partners/mates are hilarious. This book ends on a joyous and hopeful for the future note. If this is the last, and I pray it's not, it ended well. So, the book itself. Matti is fulfilling her pro.ise to build the hidden sanctuary for the goblins and while trying to find a deal and be a cheapskate (she admits this to herself), she ends up with a horrible curse. Losing her power and strength, trying to find a cure and staying as strong as she can, this books keeps an exciting pace. Lots of hilarious action and commentary ensue. I highly recommend it if you're even remotely interested. You will not go wrong.
Honestly, this is the book I didn’t think I needed. I was happy where we left Matti and Saarlevi in book seven.
But then I started reading this and I couldn’t stop. Inside, you’ll enjoy all the dragon and elf haughtiness, Val and Willard byplay and Matti snark you’ve come to love in the series. Along with goblins. And dark elf curses.
My favorite was the return of Starblade and the other dragon halfbloods. I really wanted them to get a happy ending. I guess you’ll have to read the book to find out if they do…when everyone in the Cosmic Realms wants them dead.
This is an epic finish to an epic series that Buroker fans will love.
As always, superb, entertaining tales from Lindsay's pen
Great world building and characters with frequent doses of chuckles. I've lived in the Seattle metro before. If I went back now, I'd be looking quite differently at many of the places around the city, expecting a gnome-mobile to go clanking by or a dwarf portal to suddenly open. I'm not a prude but could do with a bit less of the sex stuff. Otherwise, fantastic job! I lost a lot of sleep because I couldn't stop reading!
New and on-going challenges with a surprise ending
The latest dangerous adventure in the Legacy of Magic series presented both new and ongoing life-threatening challenges and suspense for Matti and Sarrlevi, as well as Val, Zav, and the magical family of characters. The bond of friendship and sense of family-like support to each other largely contributes to the continued success of their missions. I loved the series and was especially delighted with the surprise events revealed in the final pages.
I'm so glad the author ended up writing these extra few books in Matti's story. Everything was tied up nicely and a few options were left for another series or book or two (maybe with Starblade and Arwen?) And I know it's not Val's story, but it was nice to see Val have a friend/neighbor like Matti. They can commiserate about their mates and go beat up bad guys together. It was also nice to see Zav and Sarrlevi's progress as frienemies (Zav tried to fist bump with Sarrlevi in a previous book even!)
Sad to see the series end, but can't wait to see what the author comes out with next.
I think what I like most from this author, is that her characters are not all very young, or unrealistically perfect. And of course how you see favorite other series characters blended in. As I read this is the last of this series, I just couldn't help but wonder if many save myself wouldn't also be interested in seeing the "offspring" generate their own blended series? (Didn't want to spoil a happy ending so kept that intentionally cryptic). Food for thought!
Although I thought this story was wholly unnecessary, I’m glad Maati and Varlesh got their happily ever after. What was the point of not including scenes or mentions of her realtor BFF (yeah, I forgot about her too), Abbas (her contractor partner), and Willard didn’t make it to the big affair either.. kinda makes their entire journey not quite worth it. I’m not gonna write up all the inconsistencies here either, it was a cute story that tied up just about everything that didn’t quite need tying up.
Thank God justice and peace at last for Matti and Varlesh, didn’t think this day would come. M &V went to Hell and back on a journey of trust and acceptance but honestly if the magical world could have backed off for like ten seconds that probably would have helped. I’m glad they’re getting a happily ever after at last. I’m also happy for Starblade and all the other supporting characters for finally being able to take a breath. After my heart rate relaxes this will become a yearly reread for sure.
Loving this fantasy adventure genre because of this book!
It's the last book in the LoM series (boo!) and I couldn't be sadder. Cursed has been my favorite story so far. Matti is cursed (duh) so she and her friends and loved ones need to cure her and poor Dimitri before time, and their lives, run out. Sarrlevi is as aloof as ever but his love for Matti leaps off the pages. I'm looking forward to the new series and hopeful for a reappearance of Matti and Sarrlevi with an update on how they are fairing (hint, hint Lindsay).
Satisfying HEA for Matti. I wish there was a follow-up novella because it took this long for the author to hit her stride with this series. Matti is imperiled but the author has finally laid off of bullying our heroine: she’s put through the wringer yet again but it didn’t make for torturous reading because the secondary characters are a solid support system. This was a fun journey with continuous forward momentum, instead of the frustrating “Matti swings about blindly with her hammer” experience of the previous books. The story did feel like a giant set-up for the next series with Arwen.
I truly will miss Matti and her banter with ...well, everyone. I want to hear how the surprise at the end turns out. I want to hear more about half dragons and of course that super hasty elf Sarlevi. I loved this last book and honestly did not know how this course would end. I hope this will not be the end and that there are books to follow this one with all of the beautifully, robust characters and their quirks. Great read and I highly recommend.
Talk about if there is no such thing as bad luck, Matti would up the creek without a paddle. She stumbles across an ancient artifact that belongs to Dark Elves, which cursed her. She is attempting to build these tiny houses upon request but can barely function. Her man stands by her often regardless of the situation, so he has proven himself wieght in gold. It's a shame that because all of the races that don't understand a particular one that they automatically want to exterminate them and that was wrong to.