The entire Highland Magic series in one thrilling volume. Daring adventure, captivating romance - and maybe a haggis or two.
Gifted Thief Honour Bound Veiled Threat Last Wish
Integrity Taylor walked away from the Sidhe when she was a child. Orphaned and bullied, she simply had no reason to stay, especially not when the sins of her father were going to remain on her shoulders. She found a new family - a group of thieves who proved that blood was less important than loyalty and love.
But the Sidhe aren't going to let Integrity stay away forever. They need her more than anyone realises - besides, there are prophecies to be fulfilled, people to be saved and hearts to be won over. If anyone can do it, Integrity can.
OMG! This is such an amazing story. Integrity is an orphan with a huge weight on her shoulders due to her past and childhood. However, she's witty, a little funny, talented and adventurous. She's also fiercely loyal and protective of those she loves. This story has it all. Suspense, sarcastic commentary, magic, a little steamy and so much more. I am completely addicted. I was captivated by this story after the first few pages. Before I even finished the Prologue, I was already hooked. I absolutely can not wait for the next book in this series. 5*s to Helen and The Highland Magic debut novel.
Honour Bound
So I read the first 4 chapters of this book Friday night before bed and was really excited about seeing what the games were. Saturday night I climbed in bed with the intention of reading just a few chapters. Now, here it is 4:45 in the morning and I'm finished with the book. Once I got started I couldn't put it down. This book is just as amazing as the first in the series. The back and forth with Integrity and Byron is killing me. The knowledge of what their feelings are for each other, and the fact that so many things are working to keep them apart is, as I said, Killing Me. The sexual and emotional tension between them is enough to set you on edge and have you wishing they would just cut loose already. I hate Aifric and the fact that Byron can't see him for what he really is. I was blown away by what transpired between Integrity, Angus and the MacQuarrie Clan. I was further intrigued and stumped by what took place with Morna Carnegie, what she revealed, and even more by what she didn't. Finally, I was struck dumb and speechless at the end by who the winner was and what that person chose as his/her prize. I am so hooked on this series that I'm going to die of impatience waiting for Veiled Threats, book 3 to come out. At the end of this book it says Book 3 will come out in May and let me guarantee you I will be first in line to get it. A huge 5*s to Helen for Honour Bound, Highland Magic Book 2, an amazing follow up to Gifted Thief, Highland Magic Book 1. If you haven't started reading it yet, you must. It's an incredible, intrigued, entertaining, enthralling read! I promise you won't be disappointed.
Veiled Threat
I don't know why I continue to lie to myself when I read this series. Again, I told myself I was only gonna read a few chapters before bed but, here I am at 3:34am on Monday Morning and I have finished the whole book. I just couldn't put it down. I love this series. Integrity 'Taylor' Adair is an amazing character. She is witty, loyal, daring, brave, intelligent, crafty and a ton of other things. She is the last surviving member of the Adair Clan. Her family is all dead. She is determined to prove that her father did not kill her entire clan the way history says he did. Having regained her family lands, due to Byron Moncrieffe naming that as his prize for winning the games, and she has returned to her family home to find the truth. She is determined to prove to everyone what really happened to her clan. She's also determined to prove the truth to Byron who remains ignorant to his father's true nature and secret attempts on killing Integrity. He still fights he feelings for Integrity and is also trying to find a way out of his arranged marriage to Tipsania. I can not get enough of this series. It is going to be torture waiting until possibly December for the next book but, I will do my best. You must give Helen Harper's Highland Magic series a try. You won't be disappointed.
Last Wish
OMG! No! That's the two words that came out of my mouth at the end. Don't take that the wrong way because this is a phenomenal series. I only said "OMG, NO" at the end because it was the end. I mean I want more and seriously what a way to end that tale. I will definitely be revisiting Scotland, Integrity, Byron and all the others many times. Helen, you have out done yourself. I can't wait for your new series 'The Lazy Girl's Guide to Magic'. Fantastic, is my last word for this amazing series.
This didn't deserve 4 stars, but it was better than 3 too. So here were my issues. The biggest one, which deserved at least one star off for was Integritys awful, terrible, juvenile jokes one every frickin page! It was so bad. You know when your kids come home from kindergarten spouting all these one liner awful jokes? The ones that you have to take laugh at and you end up being so thankful that they too realize how bad they are by the third grade and stop telling them. Yeah, that was what this author inflicted on readers every page by the main character. Every single time it made her look like a woman with the mentality of a 5 year old. I absolutely hated it. Want an example? You should be prepared for what you have to look forward to... ‘The first time I used an elevator,’ I said softly, ‘it was really uplifting but in the end it just let me down.' Yep that there was told in a very serious moment. About her guy being betrayed. Way to go Integrity. Next the book did pretty well story wise until the end when it really ended abruptly. Would have been nice to get an Epilogue to see what happened next. Everything's just sort of left to guess at. Lastly, I was really activated with Integrity's inability to use her words. She would have knowledge that could change things, but she could never actually say the right thing or drain things correctly, so we got more intrigue because she was an idiot. Spoiler ahead example: The steward had admitted to her that he had tried to kill her, but when trying to convince Byron, she never once mentioned that he had actually admitted it to her. Heaven forbid we make things easy. Or when meeting with the demons leaders insisting on telling them what the real prophecy said and telling them that the steward had betrayed everyone. Nope let's get in a little more drama and angst because Integrity can't say anything right. Or when the steward was keeping her from speaking out and when her icebox was released instead of shouting out what he was doing to her, she just incriminate herself. Yeah the more I point out it makes me want to change that rating to 3 stars. That said, I enjoyed the story itself, even though she took the no violence thing to stupid levels. I never could warm-up to Integrity though. Between the awful jokes, her infantile behavior, her inability to admit her feelings or
This is the second Helen Harper series that I've read--and I'm excited to say I seem to have stumbled into a treasure trove. I can't wait to read the rest of her works! The author is excellent at world-building, creating layers upon layers of interwoven plot that all connect together almost seamlessly. There were a few timeline issues, especially in the first two books, and no one's ages are clearly stated, just implied, but that works in this book. I liked the heroine, Integrity Adair, a lot. She was smart but not so smart I was rolling my eyes, she was independent but knew she needed her team, she had flaws and problems but was determined and able to overcome. Her moral compass was a bit sketchy to me. I know they say there is honor among thieves....and that was clearly shown in this book, yet she avoids all violence--not even defending herself, which got to be irritating, and her thought process on this was a little to alien to be believed. Not defending herself against an attack because her attacker, a great big brute hell bent on killing her, is also a victim of circumstance? Maybe afterwards you could have that kind of philosophical thought, but I doubt anyone is reminding themselves of their pacifism philosophy when their life is on the line. In the first book, *spoiler alert*, the only other scene that didn't make sense was when Integrity sleeps with Jamie. I can believe the emotions behind it, that such a scene is possible, but I don't understand how it worked itself into the plot. For the first book, Integrity rubs it into Byron's face a few times, mostly when jealousy rears at his supposed relationship. But then it's just over, completely forgotten about going forward--and yet, that doesn't fit Byron' s character either. He proves himself protective and possessive of Integrity and he supposedly has a spoiled streak. Is he really completely fine that his best friend had sex with his girl? I don't know, maybe I was just thinking about it too much, but that was one of only a couple small things that didn't quite work as well for me. Otherwise, the series was very good, I enjoyed Integrity and her band of misfits' adventures!
I usually read a little every night before bed. That was a pretty horrible idea with this series. As I write this review at 4 am, finally finished, sleepy, and satisfied, I can only say go to bed early. If you like to read before bed and don't want your morning destroyed, just get a little early start. Halfway through the first book, I started "going to bed" around 9pm. By the second, I was skipping dessert and faking yawns at the dinner table just so I could "get a few extra winks in". Before I knew it, I was "cat napping" through DWTS. Yesterday, one of my children came in after breakfast and caught me back in bed with Integrity and my snuggie. Hopefully I can now go back to my regular life, although it will be a lot less shiny without Bob and the gang around.
I really enjoyed the story and the characters in the series. I will admit that at times, the perfect solution magically appearing at JUST the right moment made me roll my eyes. However, the story was fast paced and there was what I feel was a really good job of making it plausible, and the character flawed enough, that it didn't get off putting. As a matter of fact, the main character has about the worst luck I've seen. Again, excellent character development, because despite most of the population of the book, the universe, and sometimes Integrity herself trying to kill her, she lives, and you can only admire her attitude. The relationships are strong, you really find yourself rooting for everyone and feeling like part of the gang. There were some really interesting character traits that I feel you don't usually see in this genre and I really enjoyed the fresh take and watching the character stick to and struggle with her principals all the way to the end. I feel it would be a mild spoiler, as I was pretty surprised when it was revealed, so I'll leave it to you to find.
Another fantastic series by Helen Harper. You really can't go wrong with anything by her. I cannot recommend this series enough, I literally couldn't put it down.
Helen Harper is one of my favorite authors. While this wasn't my favorite series it was still pretty good. This series is about integrity adair, a thief and a clan less sidhe. All the sidhe hate her because they think her father killed his entire clan. Unfortunately, they need her to help save magic; she is the only adair left and is herself 1 of 4 keys to get to where the whole of magic is kept. The second book has her trying to win back her birthright in the form of games. The third book has her taking care of her lands, reaching the demons lands, and taking her death. The fourth and final book has her pretending to be dead, going again the sidhe leader, and saving Scotland by talking w the demons. The My issues were that there was far too much mention and focus on the fact that she is a pacifist. She had plenty of times when she could have gotten Byron to realize his father was a bad man and shouldn't have been the sidhe leader. The relationship between Bryan and integrity is also weird up until the last book. Otherwise it's a good redesigning not my favorite of hers.
(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)
3.25*
First time read the author's work?: No
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------ How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author) 4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author). 3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series) or 3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them! - 2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.) 1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
Another whimsical piece of fun from Helen Harper. Once more an orphan sets out into the world to discover her destiny, make weak jokes (actually a lot of the puns are funny) and fall into the arms of romantic hero - although Byron (see what she did there) is rather more sympatique and interesting than the love interest in Ms. Harper's previous outing.
Although the author makes the occasional nod to psychological and political reality - it takes time, the heroine intones, before two peoples who have been at war for 300 years can get to trust each other - the book is a fairy-tale romp where even the most threatening villain can be dismissed with a little well-place magical spell. The writing sweeps the reader along, and all ends well.
This is not my first series that I read from Helen Harper and it took a little while to warm up with it (a few chapters). However, half way through the first book (Gifted Thief), I wouldn't put it away anymore until I finished them all. It's a fascinating mixture of modern life with Scotland's mythology. I struggled quite a bit with the Gaelic terms and creature names, but Google can help with that. The story is about a nameless runaway girl. She gives herself the name Integrity which will also become her standard of moral. The story is about friendship, danger, trust, and love, of course. I want to give the story itself 5 stars but because of the above described struggles, and because I love other stories of Helen Harper even more, I have to downgrade it to 4.
Ploughed through in three days, really wonderfully written, very good read, love the mix of magic and reality. Characters where all flawless and consistent.....my only wish, with it being set in Scotland and with Scottish flame that there had been words like " wee" instead of tiny or words like blethering and greeting ( chatting a lot and greeting is crying ) Kirk instead of church etc. However it didn't stop me loving the story and wishing it carried on, I feel there was so many more adventures that could be had, it's hard finishing a good book, the closer to the end you want there to be more, I didn't want to say goodbye to any of the amazing characters
Lately, many fantasy authors have their heroines be so damaged that they are sniveling or super tough or (most egregious of all) simultaneously sniveling and tough. Thankfully, Integrity Adair is none of those. Despite a truly horrible childhood, Integrity is a hero by using empathy, humor, and yes, integrity. But she’s also no pushover. Somehow combining Indiana Jones (the third one), the Goblet of Fire, and Zombie movie Warm Bodies, she solves the mystery of her parents’ death, clears her clan’s name, and saves Scotland.
The only reason this doesn’t have a fifth star is that her love interest is truly irritating. Every other man who shows up in this story is so much better and I just kept thinking, “Gah, choose him instead.”
Outlander (too easy right?), Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and a Brandon Sanderson novel walk into a bar. They get hammered, make a lovechild somehow, and this series is born.
I pegged these books for sappy and juvenile. Maybe they are, but I could not care one bit less. Apparently sappy and juvenile are my thing because I enjoyed the hell out of this series. Note: I don’t actually think these are sappy or juvenile; they are quick, fun, and charming. Well worth your reading time. It’s an interesting mix of fantasy and romantic comedy-ish.
I have read hundreds of fantasy novels. My personal favorite authors in this genre are Shelly Laurenston, TJ Klune and now Helen Harper. I am impressed by how well this series flows even as a compilation in one book. I love the characters, even tertiary characters in this series are lovable...or despicable as the case may be. It's an interesting universe with unique takes on the Sidhe, demons and many other magical beings. A hundred thumbs up. You should absolutely read this. I'm going to start reading through the rest of Helen Harper's library now!
I’ve just finished reading The Highland Magic series for the 2nd time & I think I love it even more now than the first time. I’m a massive Helen Harper fan, & this series is where it all started for me.
If you’re a fan of multi faceted characters, laugh out loud humour, unexpected plot twists, surprisingly deep sub-text, and genies, then this series is for you.
Integrity is our leading lady and she is a woman of high morals, with a criminal past. The way the story progresses, both for her and around her, captured me from start to finish.
I would happily have given this series 6 stars if I had the option. Loved it!!
What I love about these books is the characters. They didn’t: start out with low self esteem, make stupid mistakes, worthy of a horror movie, then finally grow up and get it together. Integrity,( I think that is her “true name”, had a horrible childhood and a rough life. She was loved by a found family and never considered herself a victim. She persevered and maintained her moral compass without hating or killing anyone. What a breath of fresh air for this genre. This series plot contains action, adventure, twisty politics and plot twist. It will keep you reading all night.
Thank you, Helen Harper! I read fiction to relax and step away from the real world. Most fantasy series go pretty much the same. You kind of know what to expect. I find myself skimming past the filler text to get to the next chapter... This series had me hooked all the way through. The only disappointment I had was that is was over. In all my years of reading countless fantasy books, this is the first review I've ever made. That should tell you all you need to know. I'm not going into detail about the story. Find out for yourself. 😊 Happy reading!
I loved this story. The jokes were a nice touch. Best pickup line ever written is in the first book.
"You have very soft skin,’ he told me. ‘Actually, I have eczema all over my chest,’ I said with a straight face. the first time he appeared taken aback. ‘Really? That’s awful.’ ‘Yes.’ I cast my eyes down and tried to look sad. ‘I have a cracking pair of tits.’"
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. There were times I did not like Integrety yet I still kept reading when I usually will stop once the heroine is annoying or stupid. After some thought I realized it was because she kept honest ( in her way) & growing. She didn’t stay stuck. It is a long story so I did take breaks, yet always returned - another thing I rarely do. It is fun, light hearted while giving action & romance
This is the second time I've read this series. I loved it the first go around, but reading it this second time and vaguely remembering what happens, I was able to catch things I may have glanced over the previously. The story is fun and exciting. Each character is well rounded and has a purpose, they aren't just fillee for the story. I loved it and will most likely read it again in a couple of years!
The author is excellent at keeping you guessing. The writing is well done. However in the romance aspect I don’t feel it with any of her characters in any of her books. I’d love to see her write mysteries. I think she would be amazing at it. However for romance...not as good. And I’ve read every series she’s written so far but one. She did have a good start with this couple but somehow it fizzled.
I read the boxed set of all four Highland Magic books in a week. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline was good; however, I preferred the Firebrand (and werewolf) books more. The stories that this author writes are mysteries presented in a fantasy setting. This series needs more world development on the front end. Even having read some of the authors other series, I was lost in understanding the world that this series took place in.
Helen is an AMAZING author. I have read her other books and think that she is one of the leading authors in this genre and needs to be added to the Fab13!!
Extremely well developed characters, interesting story lines with thrilling plot twists and a genuine protagonist for the ages. I sincerely hope that you enjoy this series as much as I did!
Its a great series. I enjoyed it and the highland lean to thievery, court politics and world ending magic.
Minor spoiler: I really really hate a plot device used early in one to create drama. It was unnecessary and almost made me dnf. I wish all the jealous tension bc of this event was never there, bc it added nothing and detracted so much.
Usually if I have a box set, I'll read one book, then switch authors, then wander back eventually... Not with this! I read the whole series back to back until the end & loved every minute of it! Excellent characters who are believable in their flaws yet remain true to their natures throughout the entire series. Great storytelling, you won't guess what's about to happen, ever!
Helen Harper is a marvelous storyteller! Her characters are well fleshed out and each has a unique personality as well as magic. I thoroughly enjoyed every book in the series- each an adventure that continued to build. There’s mystery, puns, clever plot twists, and terrific descriptions of elemental magics. I have read a few of her books and am quickly going through every book she’s published! Highly recommend!!!
O my goodness I loved these books, I have been staying up late all week trying to get to the end! If you enjoy a good mystery, and some Syfy you will enjoy these books. I knew what the ending was mostly likely going to be but with twist and turns I didn't know how they were going to get there. So good a must read.
These are fast paced and fun reads. The characters are well developed and grow as individuals over the series. The plot is pretty original and creative. There are plenty of twists and turns as the series moves along. It is also hilarious, punny as all get out. I highly recommend it and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Good books to read and written well. Great stories with surprises and keeps you turning the pages. Heads up has some love scenes that are not PG and some swearing. So have to skip some pages to avoid those. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
I truly loved this series. I would read anything from this author. z
I read a lot, I can honestly say this was one of my most favorite series ever. I loved the humor but the storyline and insight into the characters was what made these books,to me,outstanding. I loved the pop culture reference s and everything else about this series.