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The Fay of Skye #1
Essential Magic
This is an alternate cover edition for B01EUA0YH4
A woman driven to excel. A man ashamed of his past. A desire that could lead them to bliss…or peril.
Etta Mae Cook, a mountain witch from Appalachia, arrives in London in 1895. Her goal: to study magic. But she steps off the train and into a dangerous world of politics, decadence, and power. Queen Victoria, the Prince of Wales, and the Fay Clan are waging a silent war. In the balance: the future of spellcraft in the kingdom. Etta’s lineage and magical power make her an asset - or a threat - to all three formidable forces.
Her choices skew when she meets Malcolm Seward, a mage of the Fay Clan. He once held a prominent role in society, but a tragic mistake forced him to flee into obscurity. His attraction to Etta draws him back into the fray, but though she’s drawn to him in return, she didn’t come to England for desire.
Despite her intentions, their passion flares, and Malcolm falls for her. Now, Etta must choose: love, or ambition? Either path could mean the renewal -- or the destruction -- of British sorcery. If she follows her heart, will she doom their magic?
A woman driven to excel. A man ashamed of his past. A desire that could lead them to bliss…or peril.
Etta Mae Cook, a mountain witch from Appalachia, arrives in London in 1895. Her goal: to study magic. But she steps off the train and into a dangerous world of politics, decadence, and power. Queen Victoria, the Prince of Wales, and the Fay Clan are waging a silent war. In the balance: the future of spellcraft in the kingdom. Etta’s lineage and magical power make her an asset - or a threat - to all three formidable forces.
Her choices skew when she meets Malcolm Seward, a mage of the Fay Clan. He once held a prominent role in society, but a tragic mistake forced him to flee into obscurity. His attraction to Etta draws him back into the fray, but though she’s drawn to him in return, she didn’t come to England for desire.
Despite her intentions, their passion flares, and Malcolm falls for her. Now, Etta must choose: love, or ambition? Either path could mean the renewal -- or the destruction -- of British sorcery. If she follows her heart, will she doom their magic?
207 pages, Paperback
Published June 23, 2016
3 people are currently reading
300 people want to read
About the author
Cara McKinnon
12 books11 followersCara McKinnon has been writing magical stories since age five, when she penned a gripping tale about a unicorn couple--her first foray into fantasy romance. Cara is a graduate of the Seton Hill University Writing Popular Fiction MFA program, which she recommends to all genre writers. She lives in Western Maryland with her husband, two children, and an oversized lapdog named Jake.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 20, 2016
ESSENTIAL MAGIC (The Fay of Skye Book 1) by Cara McKinnon is an alternate history romance set in a 19th century Victorian England that believes in and practices magic. An American witch is searching for her extended family for training and an English second son is afraid to use his magic since a terrible accident. This series is set around a dynasty of powerful English/Scottish magic wielders and the search for the reason that England is losing its magic.
Etta Mae Cook was raised in Appalachia by a Fay mother and a Choctaw medicine-man father. After her mother’s death, she follows her last instructions to return to her distant clan relations in England to train her exceptionally strong powers. It is quite a cultural change from running through the mountains to being in the home of a Marquiness, but Etta is willing to put up with just about anything for the chance to train. What she wasn’t expecting was an instant attraction to Mal, the second son of the Marquiness.
Malcolm Seward just wants to run his Scottish lands and forget about magic, but his family has other plans for him. When he meets Etta, there is an awakening of his power that he will fight at all costs and it could be at the cost of losing Etta. When the clan comes together for the birth of his sister’s twins, many magically secrets become clear and Mal and Etta will need to work their magic together to triumph.
The author has set a vivid backdrop to this series and the research seems very thorough. The characters are all interesting because they have differing levels of magic and come from different levels of society. The romance was spread at a natural progression throughout the story with some very hot sex scenes. This book does give you a HEA for Mal and Etta, but carries over the overall arc of the search for the reason of the magical drain in England. An entertaining start to a new series.
Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.com.
Etta Mae Cook was raised in Appalachia by a Fay mother and a Choctaw medicine-man father. After her mother’s death, she follows her last instructions to return to her distant clan relations in England to train her exceptionally strong powers. It is quite a cultural change from running through the mountains to being in the home of a Marquiness, but Etta is willing to put up with just about anything for the chance to train. What she wasn’t expecting was an instant attraction to Mal, the second son of the Marquiness.
Malcolm Seward just wants to run his Scottish lands and forget about magic, but his family has other plans for him. When he meets Etta, there is an awakening of his power that he will fight at all costs and it could be at the cost of losing Etta. When the clan comes together for the birth of his sister’s twins, many magically secrets become clear and Mal and Etta will need to work their magic together to triumph.
The author has set a vivid backdrop to this series and the research seems very thorough. The characters are all interesting because they have differing levels of magic and come from different levels of society. The romance was spread at a natural progression throughout the story with some very hot sex scenes. This book does give you a HEA for Mal and Etta, but carries over the overall arc of the search for the reason of the magical drain in England. An entertaining start to a new series.
Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.com.
November 5, 2016
This book was written by one of my Seton Hill MFA students so I'm biased :) However, the writing is just lovely and the characters are very engaging. This isn't Cara's graduate thesis, but a book she wrote after the program.
This books is a combination of genres, including historical, romance and fantasy - the romance is the main plot and the romantic scenes are detailed - no fading to black. I liked the fantasy and historical elements and being a fantasy writer of course I wanted more about the magic and less about the romance, but that's me. Book 2, A Theft of Magic may focus more on the magic and how it's being drained/stolen from England.
The cover of this book is a bit...busy, but don't let that stop you if you like historical fantasy romance and characters you care about!
This books is a combination of genres, including historical, romance and fantasy - the romance is the main plot and the romantic scenes are detailed - no fading to black. I liked the fantasy and historical elements and being a fantasy writer of course I wanted more about the magic and less about the romance, but that's me. Book 2, A Theft of Magic may focus more on the magic and how it's being drained/stolen from England.
The cover of this book is a bit...busy, but don't let that stop you if you like historical fantasy romance and characters you care about!
October 27, 2017
Superb for a first time author for me. Just loved this fantasy book, couldn’t put it down.
February 28, 2017
A definite buy buy buy buy buy Book! A great read in fantasy magical historicals!
What a superb fantasy historical! I am not much in the way of reading these for many are such a disappointment to those who love historical romances. However, I will eat my words for this series. I have now read them all and each of them was a five star read. A great read that I shall keep and reread again and again. I adored the authors way of telling the story. Her characters are super and done in a very imaginative way. Her way of blending fantasy and magic with history was great. I was captivated and enchanted and enthralled by her writing and her stories. I will keep looking for more from this one as I cannot wait to see what else she does. You will absolutely not be disappointed in buying this book or the series. So buy buy buy buy buy.
I was given this book in return for an honest review. I will absolutely use this review for all in the series for in my opinion each of them deserves the great read five star ratings. Anna Swedenmom
What a superb fantasy historical! I am not much in the way of reading these for many are such a disappointment to those who love historical romances. However, I will eat my words for this series. I have now read them all and each of them was a five star read. A great read that I shall keep and reread again and again. I adored the authors way of telling the story. Her characters are super and done in a very imaginative way. Her way of blending fantasy and magic with history was great. I was captivated and enchanted and enthralled by her writing and her stories. I will keep looking for more from this one as I cannot wait to see what else she does. You will absolutely not be disappointed in buying this book or the series. So buy buy buy buy buy.
I was given this book in return for an honest review. I will absolutely use this review for all in the series for in my opinion each of them deserves the great read five star ratings. Anna Swedenmom
October 17, 2016
Disclaimer: The author and I attended the same graduate school program and participate in group promotional tours for our books. However, I purchased my hardcopy version of this novel for full price.
For a person who doesn't claim to be a "romance book" reader, I seem to keep lucking out with some amazing speculative fiction romances. In this case, I enjoyed a lovely historical fantasy romance (or is that a historical romance fantasy?) that takes place in an alternate version of Victorian England. Magic is both real and expected in this world, and our heroine has returned to her English roots to find training for her supernatural gifts.
Etta's journey as she takes her rightful place among her people was engrossing and dramatic. I can't wait to read more in this series as the world McKinnon created gets bigger and bigger, since so many tantalizing details are dropped about other areas in this first novel.
What I wasn't expecting to enjoy so much was the romance. Stodgy period dramas aren't exactly my thing, but Etta and Mal's story is infused with enough passion and excitement to carry along even the most non-romance reader. I even read and enjoyed the sexually explicit bits! I tend to skip over them in most (non-erotica) novels, because so often the sex is just there as provocative window dressing. In this novel, the sex acts as a delightful representation of the evolution of the relationship itself.
As the first book in a series, obviously not every question is answered to the reader's satisfaction. However, this book is not a cliff-hanger. It ends on a satisfying note at the end of the first major arc. But plenty of threads are left dangling, and I'm looking forward to the next installment of the series.
For a person who doesn't claim to be a "romance book" reader, I seem to keep lucking out with some amazing speculative fiction romances. In this case, I enjoyed a lovely historical fantasy romance (or is that a historical romance fantasy?) that takes place in an alternate version of Victorian England. Magic is both real and expected in this world, and our heroine has returned to her English roots to find training for her supernatural gifts.
Etta's journey as she takes her rightful place among her people was engrossing and dramatic. I can't wait to read more in this series as the world McKinnon created gets bigger and bigger, since so many tantalizing details are dropped about other areas in this first novel.
What I wasn't expecting to enjoy so much was the romance. Stodgy period dramas aren't exactly my thing, but Etta and Mal's story is infused with enough passion and excitement to carry along even the most non-romance reader. I even read and enjoyed the sexually explicit bits! I tend to skip over them in most (non-erotica) novels, because so often the sex is just there as provocative window dressing. In this novel, the sex acts as a delightful representation of the evolution of the relationship itself.
As the first book in a series, obviously not every question is answered to the reader's satisfaction. However, this book is not a cliff-hanger. It ends on a satisfying note at the end of the first major arc. But plenty of threads are left dangling, and I'm looking forward to the next installment of the series.
August 14, 2016
"Essential Magic" is the story of Etta who has traveled to the UK in the nineteenth century to learn about magic. She seeks out her distant family, the Fay clan, to learn from them. The Fay clan is fighter a bigger problem- the fact that magic is draining from the UK. There are also clandestine relationships and familial obligations which color their time/experiences.
Upon arrival, Etta and Malcolm feel an immediate pull to be together and have a strong connection. They are each fighting it for different reasons- Etta is convinced that relationships will pull you away from your purpose and Malcolm is afraid she will pull him back into magic too much. I liked the other Fay clan members too- they are people I'd be curious to learn more about. I found the Etta/Malcolm relationship a little creepy in theory as they know they are related (albeit distantly). If you can forget about that, it's a great romance between them. The book moves quickly and has a clear storyline (mostly about their relationship with subplots of who will teach her, rival clans, and the problem of magic).
Please note that I received this book through goodreads giveaways.
Upon arrival, Etta and Malcolm feel an immediate pull to be together and have a strong connection. They are each fighting it for different reasons- Etta is convinced that relationships will pull you away from your purpose and Malcolm is afraid she will pull him back into magic too much. I liked the other Fay clan members too- they are people I'd be curious to learn more about. I found the Etta/Malcolm relationship a little creepy in theory as they know they are related (albeit distantly). If you can forget about that, it's a great romance between them. The book moves quickly and has a clear storyline (mostly about their relationship with subplots of who will teach her, rival clans, and the problem of magic).
Please note that I received this book through goodreads giveaways.
June 30, 2017
Interesting story, but way too slow and lust not love.
This story started out interesting, but is way to slow. Nothing happens in the entire book except lust/love at first sight between the two main characters. Also no real progress was made about the plot line.
Spoilers
When we finally get to her training the book is over and the next book is about a different couple.
This story started out interesting, but is way to slow. Nothing happens in the entire book except lust/love at first sight between the two main characters. Also no real progress was made about the plot line.
Spoilers
When we finally get to her training the book is over and the next book is about a different couple.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews