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More than Magic #0.5
Danio's Prelude
Hear Danio's story, told by the people who know him best. The ones who knew him when all of his laughter was genuine. The ones who were there through the worst that life could throw at him. And the ones who stayed by his side while he picked up the pieces.
An adult, short story collection, based on the Young Adult series, More than Magic.
Contains strong language, violence, and sex.
An adult, short story collection, based on the Young Adult series, More than Magic.
Contains strong language, violence, and sex.
- GenresParanormalFantasy
295 pages, ebook
Published November 14, 2013
About the author
Elizabeth Kirke
38 books205 followersElizabeth Kirke wanted to be an author before she even knew what an author was. She used to say that she wanted to be an artist, but that was only because she was too young to write and had to tell stories with pictures instead. She hasn't stopped writing since she learned how. It wasn't long before she dreamed of becoming an author and couldn't be happier now that that dream is a reality.
If she isn't writing...well, let's be honest; if she isn't writing she's probably on Facebook thinking that she should start writing. But, if she isn't writing or on Facebook, she's probably doing something involving books, baking, gardening, or yarn. In an ideal world, she'd be reading and knitting while something from the garden is in the oven. Then again, in an ideal world, she'd have a flock of ducks and a couple of goats.
Like most slightly-nosy, avid readers, Elizabeth can't resist trying to catch a peek at books she sees people reading when out in public to see if she can figure out what it is. While doing just that one day, she realized that it would probably be the coolest-thing-ever if she caught a complete stranger reading one of her books. That's her new dream.
If she isn't writing...well, let's be honest; if she isn't writing she's probably on Facebook thinking that she should start writing. But, if she isn't writing or on Facebook, she's probably doing something involving books, baking, gardening, or yarn. In an ideal world, she'd be reading and knitting while something from the garden is in the oven. Then again, in an ideal world, she'd have a flock of ducks and a couple of goats.
Like most slightly-nosy, avid readers, Elizabeth can't resist trying to catch a peek at books she sees people reading when out in public to see if she can figure out what it is. While doing just that one day, she realized that it would probably be the coolest-thing-ever if she caught a complete stranger reading one of her books. That's her new dream.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 25, 2018
Danio's prelude is the adult only accompaniment to the More Than Magic series. More than Magic is a YA series but Dani's story is at times distressing, and far too mature for younger audiences.
As readers of the YA More Than Magic series will know, Dani has injuries in his abdomen that have never healed. This is virtually unheard of in the magical world, where accelerated healing is pretty much guaranteed. Magic's of all kinds can live forever unless their lives are taken before their time.
Elizabeth Kirke gives us fabulous snapshots on how he met all of his wonderfully close circle of friends.
As readers will also know, Danio is a gay water elemental in a devoted relationship with Char who is a fire elemental. We get to see how they meet and become the fantastic couple that they are.
Danio's Prelude takes us through snapshots of Dani's life. Bearing in mind that he was a homosexual man in a male dominated situation, in the sixties and you cannot imagine the bigotry that he experienced.
I was utterly gripped by every page of Danio's Prelude and didn't want it to end, but no matter how much we pace ourselves, (which was so hard to do when I wanted to devour every page!) the book has to end. Through this wonderful book we have a stunning insight into the life of, what was undoubtedly the most mysterious character in the series.
Elizabeth Kirke tells an outstanding story that is every bit as good as the rest of the series but with quiet explicit sex and violence, and some distressing situations, this had to be an adult book. This story took me on a journey of rage, emotion, friendship and romance and I will definitely read it again in the future.
I cannot recommend this series high enough. To all YA readers but Eespecially to adult, YA lovers as they can also read Danio's Prelude, which, in my opinion, is an amazing book.
As readers of the YA More Than Magic series will know, Dani has injuries in his abdomen that have never healed. This is virtually unheard of in the magical world, where accelerated healing is pretty much guaranteed. Magic's of all kinds can live forever unless their lives are taken before their time.
Elizabeth Kirke gives us fabulous snapshots on how he met all of his wonderfully close circle of friends.
As readers will also know, Danio is a gay water elemental in a devoted relationship with Char who is a fire elemental. We get to see how they meet and become the fantastic couple that they are.
Danio's Prelude takes us through snapshots of Dani's life. Bearing in mind that he was a homosexual man in a male dominated situation, in the sixties and you cannot imagine the bigotry that he experienced.
I was utterly gripped by every page of Danio's Prelude and didn't want it to end, but no matter how much we pace ourselves, (which was so hard to do when I wanted to devour every page!) the book has to end. Through this wonderful book we have a stunning insight into the life of, what was undoubtedly the most mysterious character in the series.
Elizabeth Kirke tells an outstanding story that is every bit as good as the rest of the series but with quiet explicit sex and violence, and some distressing situations, this had to be an adult book. This story took me on a journey of rage, emotion, friendship and romance and I will definitely read it again in the future.
I cannot recommend this series high enough. To all YA readers but Eespecially to adult, YA lovers as they can also read Danio's Prelude, which, in my opinion, is an amazing book.
December 21, 2013
Everything you ever wanted to know about Danio!!!!!
If you have read Semester Abroad and Snow Bound and was curious about the untold past of Danio, this book is for you! If you are new to the series I recommend you read them in order.
In Danio's Prelude we get tracks or stories from characters like Jen, Thomas, Marianna and Char from the MTM series as well as new characters like Danio's Legion Brothers. We learn about Danio's childhood with Pike, his time in the military as a member of the Legion, how he met the other characters from MTM, and how he was introduced to MES. Everything you ever wanted to know about Danio is answered. Elizabeth Kirke delivers as promised. Nothing is off limits. From the scars on his abs to his smokin' hot first encounter with Char! I highly recommend this book and this series.
If you have read Semester Abroad and Snow Bound and was curious about the untold past of Danio, this book is for you! If you are new to the series I recommend you read them in order.
In Danio's Prelude we get tracks or stories from characters like Jen, Thomas, Marianna and Char from the MTM series as well as new characters like Danio's Legion Brothers. We learn about Danio's childhood with Pike, his time in the military as a member of the Legion, how he met the other characters from MTM, and how he was introduced to MES. Everything you ever wanted to know about Danio is answered. Elizabeth Kirke delivers as promised. Nothing is off limits. From the scars on his abs to his smokin' hot first encounter with Char! I highly recommend this book and this series.
November 21, 2013
I'm a follower of Kirke's Facebook page for the More Than Magic series and so I knew this book was in the making and have been eagerly awaiting it. I mean, its part of an awesome series but it also happens to be about one half of one of my all time favourite couples Whats not to love?.
What I didn't know (until I bought it) is that this book is a collection of short stories, told out of sequence, from other peoples perspective. Now all you Danio fans needn't panic. While we may not get into Danio's head (which is what I was expecting we still get a whole lot of Danio.
The More Than Magic series is definitely Young Adult, this novella is most definitely Adult.. And I loved every single bit of it.
I loved this side to my favourite characters... don't get me wrong I thoroughly enjoyed the MTM series but this gives us a whole lot more.
From start to finish I was torn. I wanted to whizz my way through and devour the book, but at the same time i genuinely wanted to savour it and for the first time in a ling time i limited my time with this book and gave it the attention it deserved. I refused to read while the children were around because they have this pesky habit of asking for food and things when I read.. so I found myself at night curled up under my duvet learning about Danio into the wee small hours of the morning.
And there was so much to learn about Danio and his life. Kirke has done an amazing job at filling in some of the blanks in Danios history, revealing some of his secrets (and some of the secrets of his friends) without giving everything away.
What I didn't know (until I bought it) is that this book is a collection of short stories, told out of sequence, from other peoples perspective. Now all you Danio fans needn't panic. While we may not get into Danio's head (which is what I was expecting we still get a whole lot of Danio.
The More Than Magic series is definitely Young Adult, this novella is most definitely Adult.. And I loved every single bit of it.
I loved this side to my favourite characters... don't get me wrong I thoroughly enjoyed the MTM series but this gives us a whole lot more.
From start to finish I was torn. I wanted to whizz my way through and devour the book, but at the same time i genuinely wanted to savour it and for the first time in a ling time i limited my time with this book and gave it the attention it deserved. I refused to read while the children were around because they have this pesky habit of asking for food and things when I read.. so I found myself at night curled up under my duvet learning about Danio into the wee small hours of the morning.
And there was so much to learn about Danio and his life. Kirke has done an amazing job at filling in some of the blanks in Danios history, revealing some of his secrets (and some of the secrets of his friends) without giving everything away.
March 16, 2017
A bit dark, a bit funny... Really everything you want to know about Danio. Only wish we actually heard his voice too. We heard everyone else talk about Dani, but not him. A quick overview or something from him would have been really nice.
November 22, 2013
I loved the first two books of this More Than Magic series - Semester Aboard and Snow Bound. Elizabeth Kirke does a tremendous job creating characters you love and a magical world full of so many layers and so much depth, you want to live there. If you haven't read those two books, or at least the first one, than I highly recommend you check them out. Danio's Prelude may be considered a prequel to those other books, but it is really intended to be read afterwards. First, you need to meet Danio in Semester Aboard and Snow Bound, take an instant liking to him, feel the mystery of his past and who he is, and then discover all the depths of Danio in Danio's Prelude. Note: The first two books are really written as Young Adult/New Adult, but Danio's Prelude is most definitely written as an Adult book.
In Danio's Prelude, we are given stories from individuals from Danio's life, ranging from his childhood at age 11 to our introduction to him in Semester Aboard at age 81. But this book is not in chronological order. No, it is a mixed up file of puzzled goodness, bouncing around in time, giving us bits and pieces of Danio's life, culminating in a fiery conclusion in the last chapter, finally giving up the completed picture of Danio. Additionally, these 12 chapter, titled "tracks," are each narrated by a different person from Danio's life. So while the tracks themselves are numbered chronologically, they are ordered very specifically in the book, starting with Track 12. I thought using both the different narrators and the interweaving of time elements was brilliant. I don't think the journey to discovering Danio would have been quite so impacting or entertaining had it been written chronologically or all been narrated by Danio himself. I give Elizabeth major props for this!
As for what we discover about Danio, I will not give away spoilers, but I will say that I laughed, cried, smiled, sighed, ached, fumed, and blushed at various points throughout the book. I felt the complete gamut of emotions and feels. A good portion of Danio's personality and experience is out there for us to read. He is a thoroughly complex character with a boatload of baggage and trauma from his life, but in spite of all he's been through, he is one of the most endearing people to read about. His humor, kindness, and sincerity always shine through. Elizabeth has created such a wonderful character here, and reading Danio's Prelude was truly a treat. Plus, we get to discover and uncover his secrets (and some other people's secrets as well). And we get to know more about some other characters as well. I'm already planning to re-read the entire series again soon to see all the hints I missed during my first read. Plus, I just love hanging out with these characters.
Additionally, we get insight into Danio and Char's relationship, how they met, etc. To be honest, I'm not a reader of m/m romantic scenes. And as the content warning states, there is some sex in this book, and if you are remotely familiar with Danio, then you know where his preferences lie. So if you like those scenes, then you will love them in this book. If you're like me, I'll say that I had no problem skimming those scenes, gaining the tidbits and insights I wanted, but not lingering on the details that I didn't. Though even with the skimming, I could definitely feel the "heat" coming off of the pages. (Yes, that was a fire elemental pun. I couldn't help myself.)
So overall, I don't know if there are other books out there set up in this fashion, but I haven't read them, so for me this book was genius in its arrangement, narration, insight, and all-around entertainment. Danio's Prelude is definitely for fans of the MTM series. And if you are not familiar with this series, than I highly recommend you check it out.
In Danio's Prelude, we are given stories from individuals from Danio's life, ranging from his childhood at age 11 to our introduction to him in Semester Aboard at age 81. But this book is not in chronological order. No, it is a mixed up file of puzzled goodness, bouncing around in time, giving us bits and pieces of Danio's life, culminating in a fiery conclusion in the last chapter, finally giving up the completed picture of Danio. Additionally, these 12 chapter, titled "tracks," are each narrated by a different person from Danio's life. So while the tracks themselves are numbered chronologically, they are ordered very specifically in the book, starting with Track 12. I thought using both the different narrators and the interweaving of time elements was brilliant. I don't think the journey to discovering Danio would have been quite so impacting or entertaining had it been written chronologically or all been narrated by Danio himself. I give Elizabeth major props for this!
As for what we discover about Danio, I will not give away spoilers, but I will say that I laughed, cried, smiled, sighed, ached, fumed, and blushed at various points throughout the book. I felt the complete gamut of emotions and feels. A good portion of Danio's personality and experience is out there for us to read. He is a thoroughly complex character with a boatload of baggage and trauma from his life, but in spite of all he's been through, he is one of the most endearing people to read about. His humor, kindness, and sincerity always shine through. Elizabeth has created such a wonderful character here, and reading Danio's Prelude was truly a treat. Plus, we get to discover and uncover his secrets (and some other people's secrets as well). And we get to know more about some other characters as well. I'm already planning to re-read the entire series again soon to see all the hints I missed during my first read. Plus, I just love hanging out with these characters.
Additionally, we get insight into Danio and Char's relationship, how they met, etc. To be honest, I'm not a reader of m/m romantic scenes. And as the content warning states, there is some sex in this book, and if you are remotely familiar with Danio, then you know where his preferences lie. So if you like those scenes, then you will love them in this book. If you're like me, I'll say that I had no problem skimming those scenes, gaining the tidbits and insights I wanted, but not lingering on the details that I didn't. Though even with the skimming, I could definitely feel the "heat" coming off of the pages. (Yes, that was a fire elemental pun. I couldn't help myself.)
So overall, I don't know if there are other books out there set up in this fashion, but I haven't read them, so for me this book was genius in its arrangement, narration, insight, and all-around entertainment. Danio's Prelude is definitely for fans of the MTM series. And if you are not familiar with this series, than I highly recommend you check it out.
December 13, 2016
Read my full review at http://blackwords-whitepages1977.blog...
This book was incredible. I have always wanted to know what the story was on Danio. I knew he had to have quite a story to his life and quite the story he did have too. So many secrets and so many good and yet bad things that he went through. It was so unreal. It was a genius idea the way the author made each part of Danio's life into many short stories. It made for an interesting and addicting read at the same time. I was so addicted, I kept on the edge of my seat at the turn of every page, because I just had to absorb more of the story into my brain. A lot of the questions that I had about Danio were answered in this series of short stories and it made my feelers pop out during these stories for Danio. I highly recommend this read, though I strongly suggest an audience of 18+ due to some of the graphic scenes in the story. It was an incredible ride that I enjoyed from beginning to end.
This book was incredible. I have always wanted to know what the story was on Danio. I knew he had to have quite a story to his life and quite the story he did have too. So many secrets and so many good and yet bad things that he went through. It was so unreal. It was a genius idea the way the author made each part of Danio's life into many short stories. It made for an interesting and addicting read at the same time. I was so addicted, I kept on the edge of my seat at the turn of every page, because I just had to absorb more of the story into my brain. A lot of the questions that I had about Danio were answered in this series of short stories and it made my feelers pop out during these stories for Danio. I highly recommend this read, though I strongly suggest an audience of 18+ due to some of the graphic scenes in the story. It was an incredible ride that I enjoyed from beginning to end.
March 21, 2014
A very well written book filled with very real characters. The story was interesting, especially as it was told from so many different points of view and in a pretty scrambled up time line - but it did answer a lot of questions I had about Danio after reading the other two books in the More Than Magic series. I did enjoy the story, although it was a bit too graphic for my taste - which is why I usually stick to the young-adult category, however the author did write a warning note at the start though so fair enough. It was gritty, dark, and brutal in places but also happy and moving in others. Overall, a really well written story that elaborates a lot of Danio's character - but I wouldn't recommend reading this unless you've read the other two books in the series first.
May 29, 2014
Great Background story on Danio! Heart wrenching and gripping. Tissues and ice cream is right! If you loved MTM, then I'm sure you love Danio, this will only seal the deal on your love and respect for this man! And Elizabeth does a great job keeping it suspenseful by jumping around from scene to scene and out of "time" order!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews