What do you think?
Rate this book
Death Before Dragons #1
Sinister Magic
I’m Val Thorvald, and I’m an assassin.
When magical bad guys hurt people, I take care of them. Permanently.
This doesn’t make me popular with the rest of the magical community—as you can tell from the numerous break-ins and assassination attempts I’ve endured over the years. But thanks to my half-elven blood, a powerful sword named Chopper, and a telepathic tiger with an attitude, I’ve always been able to handle my problems with aplomb. Maybe some cursing and swearing, too, but definitely aplomb.
That changes when my boss is afflicted with a mysterious disease, a government agent starts investigating me, and a godforsaken dragon shows up in the middle of my latest job.
I’ve taken down vampires, zombies, and ogres, but dragons are way, way more powerful. And it doesn’t look like this one is going to like me.
Worse than that, he wants to use his magic to compel me to do his bidding, as if I’m some weak-minded minion.
That’s not going to happen. I’d die before being some dragon’s slave.
But if I can’t figure out a way to avoid him, save my boss, and get rid of the government spook, I’m screwed. Or dead. Or screwed and dead. And that’s never comfortable.
When magical bad guys hurt people, I take care of them. Permanently.
This doesn’t make me popular with the rest of the magical community—as you can tell from the numerous break-ins and assassination attempts I’ve endured over the years. But thanks to my half-elven blood, a powerful sword named Chopper, and a telepathic tiger with an attitude, I’ve always been able to handle my problems with aplomb. Maybe some cursing and swearing, too, but definitely aplomb.
That changes when my boss is afflicted with a mysterious disease, a government agent starts investigating me, and a godforsaken dragon shows up in the middle of my latest job.
I’ve taken down vampires, zombies, and ogres, but dragons are way, way more powerful. And it doesn’t look like this one is going to like me.
Worse than that, he wants to use his magic to compel me to do his bidding, as if I’m some weak-minded minion.
That’s not going to happen. I’d die before being some dragon’s slave.
But if I can’t figure out a way to avoid him, save my boss, and get rid of the government spook, I’m screwed. Or dead. Or screwed and dead. And that’s never comfortable.
248 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 28, 2020
4316 people are currently reading
12669 people want to read
About the author
Lindsay Buroker
191 books6,075 followersI'm a full-time indie fantasy and science fiction author. When I'm not writing, I'm ferrying my dogs to hiking trails for adventures.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,038 reviews
March 17, 2021
4.5 Stars ⭐️
Buddy Read With My MacHalo Lovelies!
This book was so much fun and I loved the characters. Well, most of them!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Buddy Read With My MacHalo Lovelies!
This book was so much fun and I loved the characters. Well, most of them!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
April 10, 2020
Sinister Magic is book one in a brand new urban fantasy series, Death Before Dragons, by Lindsay Buroker.
What an AWSOME Urban Fantasy. It reminded me a little of Kate Daniels series, yet completely different. It’s got an older snarky heroine, a fun tiger side-kick, and a patronizing dragon.
Val our heroine is a half-elven bounty hunter. It’s her job to go after the vile and weird creatures. She's a contractor for the government and working for the them; well it involves an entirely different kind of nasty.
Zavyrd or Lord Zavyrd as he wants to be called is sent to Earth, a plant he despises, to clean it up of all the riff raft that have fled justice. His job is to bring them home for rehabilitation.
Val soon finds herself crossing paths with a this self-important dragon shifter who just begs our heroine to poke and get a rise out of him at every opportunity. Val and Zavryd, don’t get along and Zavyrd insists that Val is his bait.
We are also treated to Val’s friend, familiar, side-kick, bodyguard, and service animal, the magical silver tiger Sindari. He warns Val not to aggravate the dragon, but she can’t help herself in the face of such a smug and superior being.
Let me first mention that cover. It’s eye-catching and pulled me in. I also want to say that this is my first taste of Lindsay Buroker. I had know idea what I was getting into, but man did she hook me. I actually read Sinister Magic in Kindle Unlimited and I just knew after finishing, that I’d read it again, so I ended up buying the book and all the rest in the series.
I had a blast with this first novel. I loved that our heroine is in her 40’s, has life experience, and still can kicking-ass. Her magical cat, Sindari, is such a fun character and Zavyrd, our dragon shifter, is perfectly arrogant. I loved Val, Sindari, and Zavyrd.
Sinister Magic is packed full of action and adventure. It’s one wild ride from beginning to end. We are treated to unique characters. A plot that pulls you in and doesn't let go. The world building is well done and Val’s backstory was perfect.
I can’t wait to see what’s next. If you love Urban Fantasy, then this one is for you. It’s got it all.
Rated: 5 Stars
What an AWSOME Urban Fantasy. It reminded me a little of Kate Daniels series, yet completely different. It’s got an older snarky heroine, a fun tiger side-kick, and a patronizing dragon.
Val our heroine is a half-elven bounty hunter. It’s her job to go after the vile and weird creatures. She's a contractor for the government and working for the them; well it involves an entirely different kind of nasty.
Zavyrd or Lord Zavyrd as he wants to be called is sent to Earth, a plant he despises, to clean it up of all the riff raft that have fled justice. His job is to bring them home for rehabilitation.
Val soon finds herself crossing paths with a this self-important dragon shifter who just begs our heroine to poke and get a rise out of him at every opportunity. Val and Zavryd, don’t get along and Zavyrd insists that Val is his bait.
We are also treated to Val’s friend, familiar, side-kick, bodyguard, and service animal, the magical silver tiger Sindari. He warns Val not to aggravate the dragon, but she can’t help herself in the face of such a smug and superior being.
Let me first mention that cover. It’s eye-catching and pulled me in. I also want to say that this is my first taste of Lindsay Buroker. I had know idea what I was getting into, but man did she hook me. I actually read Sinister Magic in Kindle Unlimited and I just knew after finishing, that I’d read it again, so I ended up buying the book and all the rest in the series.
I had a blast with this first novel. I loved that our heroine is in her 40’s, has life experience, and still can kicking-ass. Her magical cat, Sindari, is such a fun character and Zavyrd, our dragon shifter, is perfectly arrogant. I loved Val, Sindari, and Zavyrd.
Sinister Magic is packed full of action and adventure. It’s one wild ride from beginning to end. We are treated to unique characters. A plot that pulls you in and doesn't let go. The world building is well done and Val’s backstory was perfect.
I can’t wait to see what’s next. If you love Urban Fantasy, then this one is for you. It’s got it all.
Rated: 5 Stars
September 28, 2020
This was a great book, full of adventure and twists and turns. I loved the mystery side to the story but more than that I am looking ahead and I'm wondering how this is going to play out!
Great characters, great plot, first time with this author and I'm downloading the 2nd one to start right away!!!
Great characters, great plot, first time with this author and I'm downloading the 2nd one to start right away!!!
May 20, 2021
🐲 We Lurves Dragon and Stuff Buddy Read (WLDaS™) with the MacHalos and stuff 🐲
Actual rating: 3.687955896548 stars.
Okay, kingdoms to overthrow, puny humans to enslave and all thatcrap, ergo jump right into this we shall.
Here be the good stuff:
① The heroine is 40+ years old.
I know right? That was my first reaction, too. I mean, you have to admit that any woman a day older than 25 is considered as positively ancient and utterly decrepit in thenot-so wonderful world of UF, so the fact that Buroker chose to make Val—the MC—such a decaying fossil is quite shocking indeed.
Now my second reaction upon being told Val’s age was something akin to this:
Because you have to admit that Buroker choosing to make Val such a decaying fossil is bloody shrimping glorious indeed. Take that you ridiculously prepubescent female UF leads!
And get that, not only is Val most wondrously old, she is an 💕assassin💕, too. I kid you not. She also happens to snarky as fish (which results in lots of hahahahahahaha moments, just so you know). And complex and strong and independent and I don't know her that well yet but I’m calling pre-emptive dibs because you never know and stuff.
② Val the Fossil has the coolest pet ever.
Okay, given how, um, susceptible said pet is, maybe I should call him a feline companion. Or better yet, a superiorly magnificent (and magnificently superior) apex predator. (Yes, I’m sure that would be more to Sindari’s liking.) Anyhoo and stuff, Sindari—that’s thepet’s apex predator’s name, by the way—is an ever-so-slightly smug tiger Val summons from another realm when she needs a hand in the assassination business. (Now if you're familiar with Drizzzzzt's adventures this should definitely ring a bell but more on that later and stuff.) It is a truth universally acknowledged that I simply cannot resist hilariously pompous as shrimp felines—👋waves👋 at Mr Poe—ergo the Poof, Gone, Kidnapped (PGK™) on Sindari I have done.
③ A most titillating cast of secondary characters.
Because I said so and stuff. And also because Colonel Willard + Mary the shrink + Zoltan the vamp + Lieutenant Dickhead + Dimitri the quarter-dwarf + Nin of the Thai Tiger Truck =
④ A most scrumptious array of delightfully diverse creatures.
Gnomes and golems and trolls, oh my! Dwarves and werewolves and dark elves, oh my! Vampires and manticores and orcs, oh my! Goblins and orcs and firbolgs, oh my! Satyrs and minotaurs and wyverns, oh my! And let's not forget dragons! (Well it's asshole dragons, really, but more on that later.) Quite the equal-opportunity author Lindsay Buroker is. I think the only fluffy beasts—sorry I meant to say sentient beings—that are missing from this story are crustaceans. Which would have meant instant excruciating death for any other author but Buroker wrote The Emperor's Edge and shall therefore escape my vengeful wrath. Besides, she also threw in a spoiler spoiler spoiler—named Fred, just so you know—in her story, which is pretty awesome, if you ask me.
Here be the not-so-good stuff:
① Asshole dragons.
Our Lord Fish knows how much I usually 💕lurves💕 a good old arrogant bastard. But the male MC (and resident dragon) in this story is such a giant piece of crap that it's too much, even for me (which is saying something). I mean, the guy doesn't have a single redeeming quality. He's just a pretentious ass who treats people likeshit the fecal matter of underage shrimp and manipulates the fish out of everyone Val. Not to mention that he has the fashion sense of Mr. T.
② The Drizzzzzzt copy/paste.
Remember my new favoritepet apex predator, Sindari? Well if I didn't know any better I would think he was Guenhwyvar reincarnated. I mean, a feline companion formerly belonging to dark elves and that can be summoned from another plane through a cat figurine? I'm willing to give Buroker the benefit of the doubt here but there are coincidences and then there are COINCIDENCES.
My thoughts exactly.
③ Fun plot, fast pace, and then yawwwnnnn.
I'm pretty sure the last third of the story could have been edited down to a single chapter. The final showdown goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on. And also on and on and on. But the worst thing is, the Asshole Dragon isn't even killed dead at the end! Most outrageous, that.
➽ Nefarious Last Words (NLW™): if there are two things that Buroker does very well, it's assassins and submarine stuff. Sorry, what? Oh, you want to know what submarines have to do with all this? Well you'll have to read the book to find out, won't you now? 😬.
P.S. The unabridged audios for ALL the books in this series are available for FREE on Lindsay Buroker's YouTube channel! You can listen to this installment here and stuff!
· Book 2: Battle Bond ★★★
[Pre-review nonsense]
There's a supposedly hot-as-fish arrogant bastard of a dragon shifter in this book. But I will not be doing the Poof Gone Harem (PGH™) on him. (Not for now anyway, so don't get your hopes up.) I have, however, fallen slightly in 💕lurve💕 with Sindari, the MC's scrumptious (if a teensy little bit smug) feline sidekick. Because reasons and stuff.
This might or might not be one of said reasons, yes.
➽ Full review (and reasons) to come.
P.S. The heroine of this series is 40+ years old, aka nearly as ancient as I am. I kid you not.
Actual rating: 3.687955896548 stars.
Okay, kingdoms to overthrow, puny humans to enslave and all that
Here be the good stuff:
① The heroine is 40+ years old.
I know right? That was my first reaction, too. I mean, you have to admit that any woman a day older than 25 is considered as positively ancient and utterly decrepit in the
Now my second reaction upon being told Val’s age was something akin to this:
Because you have to admit that Buroker choosing to make Val such a decaying fossil is bloody shrimping glorious indeed. Take that you ridiculously prepubescent female UF leads!
And get that, not only is Val most wondrously old, she is an 💕assassin💕, too. I kid you not. She also happens to snarky as fish (which results in lots of hahahahahahaha moments, just so you know). And complex and strong and independent and I don't know her that well yet but I’m calling pre-emptive dibs because you never know and stuff.
② Val the Fossil has the coolest pet ever.
Okay, given how, um, susceptible said pet is, maybe I should call him a feline companion. Or better yet, a superiorly magnificent (and magnificently superior) apex predator. (Yes, I’m sure that would be more to Sindari’s liking.) Anyhoo and stuff, Sindari—that’s the
③ A most titillating cast of secondary characters.
Because I said so and stuff. And also because Colonel Willard + Mary the shrink + Zoltan the vamp + Lieutenant Dickhead + Dimitri the quarter-dwarf + Nin of the Thai Tiger Truck =
④ A most scrumptious array of delightfully diverse creatures.
Gnomes and golems and trolls, oh my! Dwarves and werewolves and dark elves, oh my! Vampires and manticores and orcs, oh my! Goblins and orcs and firbolgs, oh my! Satyrs and minotaurs and wyverns, oh my! And let's not forget dragons! (Well it's asshole dragons, really, but more on that later.) Quite the equal-opportunity author Lindsay Buroker is. I think the only fluffy beasts—sorry I meant to say sentient beings—that are missing from this story are crustaceans. Which would have meant instant excruciating death for any other author but Buroker wrote The Emperor's Edge and shall therefore escape my vengeful wrath. Besides, she also threw in a spoiler spoiler spoiler—named Fred, just so you know—in her story, which is pretty awesome, if you ask me.
Here be the not-so-good stuff:
① Asshole dragons.
Our Lord Fish knows how much I usually 💕lurves💕 a good old arrogant bastard. But the male MC (and resident dragon) in this story is such a giant piece of crap that it's too much, even for me (which is saying something). I mean, the guy doesn't have a single redeeming quality. He's just a pretentious ass who treats people like
② The Drizzzzzzt copy/paste.
Remember my new favorite
My thoughts exactly.
③ Fun plot, fast pace, and then yawwwnnnn.
I'm pretty sure the last third of the story could have been edited down to a single chapter. The final showdown goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on. And also on and on and on. But the worst thing is, the Asshole Dragon isn't even killed dead at the end! Most outrageous, that.
➽ Nefarious Last Words (NLW™): if there are two things that Buroker does very well, it's assassins and submarine stuff. Sorry, what? Oh, you want to know what submarines have to do with all this? Well you'll have to read the book to find out, won't you now? 😬.
P.S. The unabridged audios for ALL the books in this series are available for FREE on Lindsay Buroker's YouTube channel! You can listen to this installment here and stuff!
· Book 2: Battle Bond ★★★
[Pre-review nonsense]
There's a supposedly hot-as-fish arrogant bastard of a dragon shifter in this book. But I will not be doing the Poof Gone Harem (PGH™) on him. (Not for now anyway, so don't get your hopes up.) I have, however, fallen slightly in 💕lurve💕 with Sindari, the MC's scrumptious (if a teensy little bit smug) feline sidekick. Because reasons and stuff.
This might or might not be one of said reasons, yes.
➽ Full review (and reasons) to come.
P.S. The heroine of this series is 40+ years old, aka nearly as ancient as I am. I kid you not.
April 12, 2020
I like Lindsay Buroker and enjoy her books, but they're outside my usual genre—i.e. while they often contain romances, those romances aren't ever truly central. Even her sci-fi romance books (written under a penname) are a blend with the sci-fi as emphasis. So I have to be in the right mood for whatever aspect is primary for me to enjoy her books.
Fortunately, when I'm in the right mood, they almost always hit home. Which is the case with this series. It's Urban Fantasy (which I happen to be in the mood for) and there isn't even a hint of romance (okay, a very little hint of a reeeaaaly slow burn) but since I really liked Val, that worked out very well. Val is a little different from your typical UF heroine. She's half-elven but mostly relies on a collection of trinkets and a few magic weapons to do her thing. And her thing is killing magical creatures that prey on humans. For the US Army. And she's in her early 40s and has a daughter and ex she doesn't ever see because magical creatures hold grudges and don't give her credit that she only takes out the killers and rapists.
It's an interesting dynamic and it was fun seeing her struggle with her largely-undeserved reputation and feelings of isolation in a job she feels duty/honor-bound to continue. And Zav, the dragon kinda-cop she runs afoul of, was an interesting foil and contrast as he judges her for killing instead of his duty to apprehend for "rehabilitation" (an unspecified process that many magical beings apparently flee to our cesspit world to escape). But my favorite secondary character was her magical tiger companion, Sindari. Their banter was awesome as it becomes clear that he's her only real friend.
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this and give it a full five stars. It has a quick pace, wonderful characters, and I definitely want more.
A complaint about GR and Kindle Highlights: Some of the best highlights come from Val's banter with Sindari. But those highlights lose both the italics (used for telepathic communications) and line breaks so they're just confusing when they get to GR. It's a shame because there are some great back-and-forth there that I can't actually share. Maybe if I include a note on them? I'll try that, but I doubt it comes off as well as it should...
Fortunately, when I'm in the right mood, they almost always hit home. Which is the case with this series. It's Urban Fantasy (which I happen to be in the mood for) and there isn't even a hint of romance (okay, a very little hint of a reeeaaaly slow burn) but since I really liked Val, that worked out very well. Val is a little different from your typical UF heroine. She's half-elven but mostly relies on a collection of trinkets and a few magic weapons to do her thing. And her thing is killing magical creatures that prey on humans. For the US Army. And she's in her early 40s and has a daughter and ex she doesn't ever see because magical creatures hold grudges and don't give her credit that she only takes out the killers and rapists.
It's an interesting dynamic and it was fun seeing her struggle with her largely-undeserved reputation and feelings of isolation in a job she feels duty/honor-bound to continue. And Zav, the dragon kinda-cop she runs afoul of, was an interesting foil and contrast as he judges her for killing instead of his duty to apprehend for "rehabilitation" (an unspecified process that many magical beings apparently flee to our cesspit world to escape). But my favorite secondary character was her magical tiger companion, Sindari. Their banter was awesome as it becomes clear that he's her only real friend.
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this and give it a full five stars. It has a quick pace, wonderful characters, and I definitely want more.
A complaint about GR and Kindle Highlights: Some of the best highlights come from Val's banter with Sindari. But those highlights lose both the italics (used for telepathic communications) and line breaks so they're just confusing when they get to GR. It's a shame because there are some great back-and-forth there that I can't actually share. Maybe if I include a note on them? I'll try that, but I doubt it comes off as well as it should...
August 24, 2021
This was a good read, but I have to say I didn't really connect with the protagonist all that much. What keep me reading till the end was her job, it was interesting, and dangerous, and the protagonists had so many other interesting people and magical beings around her that it was still a good read.
Time well tell if the story will stay with me long enough to want to continue with the rest of the series
Happy Reading 😇📚📚📚📖
Time well tell if the story will stay with me long enough to want to continue with the rest of the series
Happy Reading 😇📚📚📚📖
July 7, 2020
“Here.”
I set the container of bath beads down beside Zav’s foot.
“Throw some of those down when you get a chance.”
I backed away slowly, not wanting the dark elves to notice.
“And try to keep them distracted. Keep saying arrogant things.”
Zav looked over his shoulder, pinning me with his glare.
“I do not take orders from law-breaking mongrels who do not acknowledge the supremacy of dragons.”
“Yeah, say stuff like that.” I gave him a sarcastic thumbs-up. “You’re a natural.”
This book was a lot of fun. Urban fantasy with a funny older heroine. I laughed a whole lot.
July 29, 2022
After my last read, I really needed a Lindsay Buroker book!
If you've never read this author before, you definitely should. She is an amazing world builder, a great character created, and she always has really awesome plots.
This book, this series (I'm writing this after I finished all the books) didn't disappoint. True, it's not the author's best work (it's the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars), but it really is a great read.
Give this author a try, any series, and you won't regret it.
If you've never read this author before, you definitely should. She is an amazing world builder, a great character created, and she always has really awesome plots.
This book, this series (I'm writing this after I finished all the books) didn't disappoint. True, it's not the author's best work (it's the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars), but it really is a great read.
Give this author a try, any series, and you won't regret it.
May 19, 2020
Sinister Magic was interesting. I love how the novel is straight-forward. It didn't waste any time in creating predictable suspense.
March 28, 2020
Well that was disappointing and mildly annoying. Ok, more than mildly. I almost dnfed it multiple times and ended up lightly skimming the last half of the book. I don’t feel that I missed much by doing that either.
The author chose to elaborate on odd, unnecessary details, but not give enough information about other, more interesting things. It was weirdly unbalanced. The whole book just felt kind of wonky to me.
The main character was painful to read about. Typical UF female heroine. Overdone, over-angsty, and over-obnoxious. Listening to her inner-dialogue was painful. I don’t understand how a 41 year old mercenary has not yet learned how to hold her tongue, be prepared, and listen to warnings. These seem like basic life lessons that are eventually pounded into most people, except the supremely dense. If this were a YA or she were in her early 20s I could forgive her stupidity, but no, she is unapologetically in her 40s with a 14 yr old daughter and an ex-husband she walked out on.
The only upside was the mystical tiger side-kick. One character. in. the. whole. book.
The inanity of the plot, or lack thereof, was irksome and the wishy washiness of all the secondary characters set up was clunky. Whenever she ran into a new person, the author fixed spotlights on them to let us know that they had a history and we would have many adventures with them and they were quirky and lovable.
The writing is all tell and no show. I am told she is an infamous badass, who the magical community has given many fearsome names to, but I am never shown this.
Also, the dragon was barely a presence. And he was obnoxious. Not in a badass way. Just in an obnoxious way. But there is some potential. The MC just acted stupid around him. Not like the 41 year old she is. More like a mouthy teenager. Which was.... unpleasant, to say the least. He was not given enough backstory to truly get a feel for his character. He swooped in a few times to be an asshole or save her ungrateful life and swooped back out.
Overall, this felt like an opening novella that was, unfortunately, stretched into a first novel. There is simply not enough material to necessitate its length. Also, it is not a complete story by itself and suffers from the pains of setting up for a who knows how long book series.
The author chose to elaborate on odd, unnecessary details, but not give enough information about other, more interesting things. It was weirdly unbalanced. The whole book just felt kind of wonky to me.
The main character was painful to read about. Typical UF female heroine. Overdone, over-angsty, and over-obnoxious. Listening to her inner-dialogue was painful. I don’t understand how a 41 year old mercenary has not yet learned how to hold her tongue, be prepared, and listen to warnings. These seem like basic life lessons that are eventually pounded into most people, except the supremely dense. If this were a YA or she were in her early 20s I could forgive her stupidity, but no, she is unapologetically in her 40s with a 14 yr old daughter and an ex-husband she walked out on.
The only upside was the mystical tiger side-kick. One character. in. the. whole. book.
The inanity of the plot, or lack thereof, was irksome and the wishy washiness of all the secondary characters set up was clunky. Whenever she ran into a new person, the author fixed spotlights on them to let us know that they had a history and we would have many adventures with them and they were quirky and lovable.
The writing is all tell and no show. I am told she is an infamous badass, who the magical community has given many fearsome names to, but I am never shown this.
Also, the dragon was barely a presence. And he was obnoxious. Not in a badass way. Just in an obnoxious way. But there is some potential. The MC just acted stupid around him. Not like the 41 year old she is. More like a mouthy teenager. Which was.... unpleasant, to say the least. He was not given enough backstory to truly get a feel for his character. He swooped in a few times to be an asshole or save her ungrateful life and swooped back out.
Overall, this felt like an opening novella that was, unfortunately, stretched into a first novel. There is simply not enough material to necessitate its length. Also, it is not a complete story by itself and suffers from the pains of setting up for a who knows how long book series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2020
3.5
Magic? Dragons? A bad ass, weapons toting, sarcastic, confident and competent adult female lead?
Yes. Sign me up.
I'm really enjoying the start to this new series, and can't wait to see where the story goes!
My only issue is that everyone really seems to treat the h like crap (if they aren't trying to murder her on the spot) or that she is annoying them in some way.
Boo, give Val some love for being a BA Hoss!
Oh and I'm feeling the dry humor and possible romance that was hinted at between the leads.
Magic? Dragons? A bad ass, weapons toting, sarcastic, confident and competent adult female lead?
Yes. Sign me up.
I'm really enjoying the start to this new series, and can't wait to see where the story goes!
My only issue is that everyone really seems to treat the h like crap (if they aren't trying to murder her on the spot) or that she is annoying them in some way.
Boo, give Val some love for being a BA Hoss!
Oh and I'm feeling the dry humor and possible romance that was hinted at between the leads.
February 15, 2021
If I had to use one word to describe this book it would be: Boring . Don't get me wrong, it certainly had its moments, but overall Sinister Magic came off as formulaic, predictable, and terribly repetitive. The characters were not very compelling and the plot was really average.
Read
January 7, 2025DNF. I really enjoy this authors sci-fi stories, so I thought I would give this urban fantasy a go. The fmc in her early 40s, but her rash decision-making felt juvenile. I don’t have the patience to continue, but I might pick this up again in the future.
October 1, 2023
DNF stopped at 67%. Nothing really grabbed me. Characters and storyline did not connect with me.
July 19, 2020
3.7 stars
Why, oh why does one of my most favorite authors jump on the YA 1st person narration bandwagon? It’s so sad, I could cry.
Half-elf Val is a government contracted assassin fighting magical criminals. When she crosses paths with a dragon on one of her missions, she earns his scorn by killing the magical creature he intended to bring to (dragon) court.
Meanwhile her commanding officer was magical poisoned and is dying. Val goes on a quest to find an antidote.
This story has the main ingredients that I loved most in Lindsay Buroker’s books: a strong and confident heroine and an even stronger, yet somewhat hostile male hero – awesome.
Nevertheless, it took me more than half into the story until I was hooked. Let’s face it: only when the dragon appeared on the pages, I didn’t get distracted by something more interesting to do, like dusting my book shelves.
Some facts were repeated again and again, as if the reader didn’t get the point at least the second time:
But I was good at this job, better than anyone else around, and with my fast healing and ability to sense magic, I was the ideal person to send after the magical.
A lot of the humor was very childish and ill-placed, giving it an unreal feeling. While Val standing up to the dragon was admirable, at times it was also unbelievably stupid. Being told in first person made her also exceptional arrogant. However, there were some absolute highlights, like when Val tells Zav during a battle:
“And try to keep them distracted. Keep saying arrogant things.”
Zav looked over his shoulder, pinning me with his glare. “I do not take orders from law-breaking mongrels who do not acknowledge the supremacy of dragons.”
“Yeah, say stuff like that.” I gave him a sarcastic thumbs-up. “You’re a natural.”
I wished humor would have been reduced to these more scattered highlights.
The world building was somewhat incomplete. Set in the contemporary real world it was unclear how much humans knew about magical creatures living among them, sometimes it seemed to be common knowledge, other times not so much.
When the book picked up in the second half I was ready to forgive some of the more annoying parts, and I do have to admit that it is difficult for any book character to compare to the adventures of Amaranthe and Sicarius (The Emperor's Edge) or Alisa and Leonidas (Star Nomad) by Lindsay Buroker.
Pros:
- The dragon character Zav.
- Some kick ass fighting.
- The dragon character Zav.
- The vampire whom I hope to meet again.
- The dragon character Zav.
- Lindsay Buroker’s awesome writing when not pre-occupied with giving characters quirkiness that is over the top.
- The dragon character Zav.
- A neat wrap up of the storyline with general questions staying open for future books in the series but the plot line of this book being closed.
Cons:
- First person narration.
- The humor was, despite some really funny dialogs, often childish and really more than necessary, and some of the jokes like "arrogant dragon talk" or "irritated tiger talk" got old after a while.
- First person narration.
- I found the meetings with the shrink not story enhancing.
- First person narration.
- I actually got downright bored around the meeting time with mom.
- First person narration.
- Does the female hero really have to have asthma? This is so weird.
- First person narration.
Humor: 3 stars
General writing style: 5 stars
Story line idea: 5 stars
Story line execution: 3 stars
Plot: 3 stars
Annoy factors: present=3 stars.
Narration: 1st person female protagonist’s POV
Main Location: contemporary Seattle
Romance: none (I just saw in reviews that some readers expected romance or at least a slow burning. I would expect the dragon character to come to par in future books of the series, but I consider this first and foremost a fantasy novel)
Why, oh why does one of my most favorite authors jump on the YA 1st person narration bandwagon? It’s so sad, I could cry.
Half-elf Val is a government contracted assassin fighting magical criminals. When she crosses paths with a dragon on one of her missions, she earns his scorn by killing the magical creature he intended to bring to (dragon) court.
Meanwhile her commanding officer was magical poisoned and is dying. Val goes on a quest to find an antidote.
This story has the main ingredients that I loved most in Lindsay Buroker’s books: a strong and confident heroine and an even stronger, yet somewhat hostile male hero – awesome.
Nevertheless, it took me more than half into the story until I was hooked. Let’s face it: only when the dragon appeared on the pages, I didn’t get distracted by something more interesting to do, like dusting my book shelves.
Some facts were repeated again and again, as if the reader didn’t get the point at least the second time:
But I was good at this job, better than anyone else around, and with my fast healing and ability to sense magic, I was the ideal person to send after the magical.
A lot of the humor was very childish and ill-placed, giving it an unreal feeling. While Val standing up to the dragon was admirable, at times it was also unbelievably stupid. Being told in first person made her also exceptional arrogant. However, there were some absolute highlights, like when Val tells Zav during a battle:
“And try to keep them distracted. Keep saying arrogant things.”
Zav looked over his shoulder, pinning me with his glare. “I do not take orders from law-breaking mongrels who do not acknowledge the supremacy of dragons.”
“Yeah, say stuff like that.” I gave him a sarcastic thumbs-up. “You’re a natural.”
I wished humor would have been reduced to these more scattered highlights.
The world building was somewhat incomplete. Set in the contemporary real world it was unclear how much humans knew about magical creatures living among them, sometimes it seemed to be common knowledge, other times not so much.
When the book picked up in the second half I was ready to forgive some of the more annoying parts, and I do have to admit that it is difficult for any book character to compare to the adventures of Amaranthe and Sicarius (The Emperor's Edge) or Alisa and Leonidas (Star Nomad) by Lindsay Buroker.
Pros:
- The dragon character Zav.
- Some kick ass fighting.
- The dragon character Zav.
- The vampire whom I hope to meet again.
- The dragon character Zav.
- Lindsay Buroker’s awesome writing when not pre-occupied with giving characters quirkiness that is over the top.
- The dragon character Zav.
- A neat wrap up of the storyline with general questions staying open for future books in the series but the plot line of this book being closed.
Cons:
- First person narration.
- The humor was, despite some really funny dialogs, often childish and really more than necessary, and some of the jokes like "arrogant dragon talk" or "irritated tiger talk" got old after a while.
- First person narration.
- I found the meetings with the shrink not story enhancing.
- First person narration.
- I actually got downright bored around the meeting time with mom.
- First person narration.
- Does the female hero really have to have asthma? This is so weird.
- First person narration.
Humor: 3 stars
General writing style: 5 stars
Story line idea: 5 stars
Story line execution: 3 stars
Plot: 3 stars
Annoy factors: present=3 stars.
Narration: 1st person female protagonist’s POV
Main Location: contemporary Seattle
Romance: none (I just saw in reviews that some readers expected romance or at least a slow burning. I would expect the dragon character to come to par in future books of the series, but I consider this first and foremost a fantasy novel)
May 2, 2020
3.5 stars
This was entertaining and a good set up/first book for a new series. The last series by this author I really clicked with was her Emperor's Edge series which I got the first book back in the heady days when getting free ebooks was a new and awesome thing. I loved that series, especially its brand of humor, the world-building and the different personalities.
I have tried other series by the authors but none worked for me. I like this one, it is set in modern day earth that just happens to have been discovered by other dimensions who have other creatures like dragons, elves, dwarves and vampires. They are kinda low key but some see earth as a place with easy prey whereas other see it as a place of sanctuary.
The main character is Val Thorvald. She works for a covert ops branch of the U.S. government who is tasked with bringing justice (i.e. killing with extreme prejudice) these non-human beings who have harmed humans. I liked Val. She is older, in her forties. She is extremely conscientious about her work -- she is relentless but only goes after bad guys who have been proven beyond a reasonable doubt to have hurt or killed humans. This also makes her a target and because of it she divorced her husband and walked away from her family, keeping up no contact with them.
In that sense I found the extreme hatred of her by these non-humanoid communities to be rather one-note and the one aspect of the storytelling that I found lacking. I can get them being wary of her, she is an executioner after all, but the single abiding attitude toward her across all these groups is that she is a quasi-Hitler like figure that is a scourge who merrily practices genocide on these people and therefore she must be a target herself at all times no matter what. It, imo, is a little overdone and lacks storytelling nuance, imo. It would have made more sense if there were degrees of attitude toward her ranging from indifference to wariness to fear to hatred to vengeance. Nothing has a 100% certitude of attitude across everyone and that just did not ring as authentic here.
Outside of that, I really enjoyed everything else. I especially liked her budding relationship with the Dragon Lord Zav who comes to earth to capture a wyvern for judgement and rehabilitation. But that wyvern is on Val's kill list because it ate some human children. No way they are going to get the chance to be rehabilitated. That is just her and Zav's first clash they continue throughout the book. I like the fact that Zav just really had no time for humans. We are roaches to him and Val (who is half elf) is simply a mongrel who gets in his way. He is arrogant and snotty and insulting. But Val just doesn't take him as seriously as he takes himself. She can't even pronounce his full name (tbh, neither could I) but she gamely tries, settling on "Zav-thingy." Her failure to be impressed by his importance causes a lot of teeth gnashing on his end. Their snarky back and forth (mostly from her) is fun to read.
The book balances good urban fantasy thrills with sharply funny humor very well. I take off a bit because it lagged a little in the middle and what I mention above. But I am enjoying this and plan continue the series.
This was entertaining and a good set up/first book for a new series. The last series by this author I really clicked with was her Emperor's Edge series which I got the first book back in the heady days when getting free ebooks was a new and awesome thing. I loved that series, especially its brand of humor, the world-building and the different personalities.
I have tried other series by the authors but none worked for me. I like this one, it is set in modern day earth that just happens to have been discovered by other dimensions who have other creatures like dragons, elves, dwarves and vampires. They are kinda low key but some see earth as a place with easy prey whereas other see it as a place of sanctuary.
The main character is Val Thorvald. She works for a covert ops branch of the U.S. government who is tasked with bringing justice (i.e. killing with extreme prejudice) these non-human beings who have harmed humans. I liked Val. She is older, in her forties. She is extremely conscientious about her work -- she is relentless but only goes after bad guys who have been proven beyond a reasonable doubt to have hurt or killed humans. This also makes her a target and because of it she divorced her husband and walked away from her family, keeping up no contact with them.
In that sense I found the extreme hatred of her by these non-humanoid communities to be rather one-note and the one aspect of the storytelling that I found lacking. I can get them being wary of her, she is an executioner after all, but the single abiding attitude toward her across all these groups is that she is a quasi-Hitler like figure that is a scourge who merrily practices genocide on these people and therefore she must be a target herself at all times no matter what. It, imo, is a little overdone and lacks storytelling nuance, imo. It would have made more sense if there were degrees of attitude toward her ranging from indifference to wariness to fear to hatred to vengeance. Nothing has a 100% certitude of attitude across everyone and that just did not ring as authentic here.
Outside of that, I really enjoyed everything else. I especially liked her budding relationship with the Dragon Lord Zav who comes to earth to capture a wyvern for judgement and rehabilitation. But that wyvern is on Val's kill list because it ate some human children. No way they are going to get the chance to be rehabilitated. That is just her and Zav's first clash they continue throughout the book. I like the fact that Zav just really had no time for humans. We are roaches to him and Val (who is half elf) is simply a mongrel who gets in his way. He is arrogant and snotty and insulting. But Val just doesn't take him as seriously as he takes himself. She can't even pronounce his full name (tbh, neither could I) but she gamely tries, settling on "Zav-thingy." Her failure to be impressed by his importance causes a lot of teeth gnashing on his end. Their snarky back and forth (mostly from her) is fun to read.
The book balances good urban fantasy thrills with sharply funny humor very well. I take off a bit because it lagged a little in the middle and what I mention above. But I am enjoying this and plan continue the series.
November 13, 2023
re-read 2021
I listened to the audiobook on this one. The narrator is pretty good, although it will always sound different from what I imagined and how I stress more of the dry humor. Still funny, although I'm not sure if I would have found reading it to be funnier. Still recommend and I'm looking forward to continuing this re-read
--------------
Amazing new Urban fantasy series! I laughed consistently and am slowly growing to love these characters. I'm sensing a new favorite.
I listened to the audiobook on this one. The narrator is pretty good, although it will always sound different from what I imagined and how I stress more of the dry humor. Still funny, although I'm not sure if I would have found reading it to be funnier. Still recommend and I'm looking forward to continuing this re-read
--------------
Amazing new Urban fantasy series! I laughed consistently and am slowly growing to love these characters. I'm sensing a new favorite.
April 23, 2020
2.5/5
Readable but predictable and formulaic. It had great moments and it doesn't treat itself too seriously. I mean, the story's protagonist sleeps and fights with a sword named Chopper and a gun called Fezzik. She's six feet tall and can bench press more than her body weight. Accompanied by magical "tiger" with whom she has nice banter, she kills magical creatures that pose threat to people.
All told, it has good moments but it feels too corny to be enjoyable (again, a subjective opinion - if you love the book I'm happy for you. Really.).
Readable but predictable and formulaic. It had great moments and it doesn't treat itself too seriously. I mean, the story's protagonist sleeps and fights with a sword named Chopper and a gun called Fezzik. She's six feet tall and can bench press more than her body weight. Accompanied by magical "tiger" with whom she has nice banter, she kills magical creatures that pose threat to people.
All told, it has good moments but it feels too corny to be enjoyable (again, a subjective opinion - if you love the book I'm happy for you. Really.).
March 1, 2023
This was fun! And it sets up what looks to be a great series. I especially love Val’s (the heroine) quick wit, it is often hilarious and always smile-inducing. It is also nice to have a heroine who is a bit older. It adds a bit of world experience and wisdom even though she attracts new and unknown encounters.
The world is also interesting and holds tons of promise for engrossing storylines to follow. The only downside (for me) is that there is absolutely no romantic thread and that’s a must if I want to five star any book.
The world is also interesting and holds tons of promise for engrossing storylines to follow. The only downside (for me) is that there is absolutely no romantic thread and that’s a must if I want to five star any book.
February 29, 2020
Great new series by Lindsay Buroker! Already grab a copy of second book and can't wait for its release.
October 11, 2021
It was intriguing given the plot but I didn't like either of the main characters, I am not eager to pick up the next book so probably not going to continue with the series.
April 22, 2025
4.25✨ (rounded to 4 for GR)
0🌶️
Sinister Magic by Lindsay Buroker is the kickstart to a new urban fantasy series Death Before Dragons, a collection of 9 main books that follow Val Thorvald, a former military and current government assassin as she deals with growing magical threats – and a teenage daughter.
🔥Urban fantasy
🔥Book 1 in series
🔥Half-human-half-elf government assassin fmc
🔥FMC in her 40s (but looks younger due to her elf heritage)
🔥Mom FMC, to teen daughter (estranged)
🔥Fight first ask questions later FMC
🔥Slow burn romance, looking to be adversaries-to-allies-to-friends-to-lovers
Half-human-half-elf Val’s work as a hired mercenary hasn’t given her a sterling reputation amongst the magical communities. Her mission is to target only the criminals, but Val’s tendency towards violence-first has earned her fearsome nicknames such as Mythic Murderer, Ruin Bringer, and Monster Slayer, among others.
The cast of characters includes Val’s boss, Willard, who gives and oversees Val’s jobs, and allies like Nin, Dimitri, and Zoltan. Two characters that have a prescene just as much as Val are Zav, the royal dragon shifter who travels to magical America in search of criminals that must appear before the dragon court, and Sindari, a magical tiger-like being that can aid Val in battle through the use of a charm on her necklace.
There is a slow burn romance brewing between Val and Zav, but it’s more of a subplot to a larger urban fantasy story with really engaging worldbuilding. Val already has experience in the romance department, and it didn’t work out well the first time. She married Thad, fellow military, and had a kid, all the things Val thought she was supposed to do. But after being recruited to a different line of work, the new dangers of the job also became a danger to her family, and Val would rather be alone and let Thad and their daughter Amber live a safe and happy life away from her. She pretty much cuts off all contact, watching her daughter grow from afar and getting updates from her mother. I’m looking forward to seeing how her romance progresses with Zav, he’s an all around better match, even if he’s too big-headed and haughty to see it now. If Val gives black cat energy, Zav definitely gives fluffy white cat energy.
Lindsay Buroker is an author not unfamiliar to me at all. Her Emperor’s Edge series remains one of my favorites of all time, point blank period. So diving into a whole new world from LB was always going to be special to me. And I’m so happy to say that Sinister Magic delivered as a compelling start to a new series and world. If I’m not mistaken, this world will also serve as a setting to future LB works as well. Buroker truly shines when it comes to worldbuilding with a shorter-than-expected page count. She’s always able to plant ongoing plot points and weave in worldbuilding in a way that feels organic and even fun. I vibe heavily with LB’s writing too, it just comes off as so smooth and readable.
As of now I’m about to start the fourth book in the series, and it has continued to impress. I would highly recommend this series to urban fantasy lovers who don’t mind if the romance takes a back seat but is there. I would also highly recommend checking out any other works by Lindsay Buroker, I think she’s one of the best storytellers in the urban fantasy space.
0🌶️
Sinister Magic by Lindsay Buroker is the kickstart to a new urban fantasy series Death Before Dragons, a collection of 9 main books that follow Val Thorvald, a former military and current government assassin as she deals with growing magical threats – and a teenage daughter.
🔥Urban fantasy
🔥Book 1 in series
🔥Half-human-half-elf government assassin fmc
🔥FMC in her 40s (but looks younger due to her elf heritage)
🔥Mom FMC, to teen daughter (estranged)
🔥Fight first ask questions later FMC
🔥Slow burn romance, looking to be adversaries-to-allies-to-friends-to-lovers
Half-human-half-elf Val’s work as a hired mercenary hasn’t given her a sterling reputation amongst the magical communities. Her mission is to target only the criminals, but Val’s tendency towards violence-first has earned her fearsome nicknames such as Mythic Murderer, Ruin Bringer, and Monster Slayer, among others.
The cast of characters includes Val’s boss, Willard, who gives and oversees Val’s jobs, and allies like Nin, Dimitri, and Zoltan. Two characters that have a prescene just as much as Val are Zav, the royal dragon shifter who travels to magical America in search of criminals that must appear before the dragon court, and Sindari, a magical tiger-like being that can aid Val in battle through the use of a charm on her necklace.
There is a slow burn romance brewing between Val and Zav, but it’s more of a subplot to a larger urban fantasy story with really engaging worldbuilding. Val already has experience in the romance department, and it didn’t work out well the first time. She married Thad, fellow military, and had a kid, all the things Val thought she was supposed to do. But after being recruited to a different line of work, the new dangers of the job also became a danger to her family, and Val would rather be alone and let Thad and their daughter Amber live a safe and happy life away from her. She pretty much cuts off all contact, watching her daughter grow from afar and getting updates from her mother. I’m looking forward to seeing how her romance progresses with Zav, he’s an all around better match, even if he’s too big-headed and haughty to see it now. If Val gives black cat energy, Zav definitely gives fluffy white cat energy.
Lindsay Buroker is an author not unfamiliar to me at all. Her Emperor’s Edge series remains one of my favorites of all time, point blank period. So diving into a whole new world from LB was always going to be special to me. And I’m so happy to say that Sinister Magic delivered as a compelling start to a new series and world. If I’m not mistaken, this world will also serve as a setting to future LB works as well. Buroker truly shines when it comes to worldbuilding with a shorter-than-expected page count. She’s always able to plant ongoing plot points and weave in worldbuilding in a way that feels organic and even fun. I vibe heavily with LB’s writing too, it just comes off as so smooth and readable.
As of now I’m about to start the fourth book in the series, and it has continued to impress. I would highly recommend this series to urban fantasy lovers who don’t mind if the romance takes a back seat but is there. I would also highly recommend checking out any other works by Lindsay Buroker, I think she’s one of the best storytellers in the urban fantasy space.
March 15, 2021
MacHalo Buddy Read
FINALLY got to sink my teeth into something good! I really love what Buroker has done with this urban fantasy. The magic was all in the characters and dialogue. I'm all in for book 2 buddy read!
April 22, 2020
This was surprisingly meh to me. I generally really enjoy this author, but this story just couldn't keep my attention. I kept wandering away, having to re-read sections because I'd not been paying attention, etc.
I just ... I think I just didn't like any of the characters. I have a really hard time engaging in a story if I don't like the characters. I thought Val was a weird cross between whiny (this chick really needs therapy) and weak-willed (she just lets everyone walk all over her), and it's weird that while she did get married and have a kid, she then decided to throw them out the window because she wants to do this job but can't do it with them. She felt like kind of a self-absorbed asshole.
And the dragon was such an enormous douche that I just can't imagine myself ever actually wanting to read about him.
And all of the other characters are just ridiculous judgey assholes. I mean ... they treat her like some serial killer, but the only magical being we've seen her go hunting was a wyvern who is on camera attacking a playground and literally eating children. The only other people she killed were people who attacked her - the werewolves in this book, for example. This judgey bullshit behavior comes from everyone - the dragon, her own goddamn mother, and every other magical creature in, apparently, the entire world. Frankly, any magical creature who has a problem with her killing something that - again - literally was eating children ... should just be beheaded immediately because they are clearly also evil.
It made it really hard for me to get into this book, because frankly, fuck all these people. I hope they get eaten.
And Val - this supposed badass - doesn't defend herself against it. She accepts all this judgement, without, say, pulling out the video of children being eaten and saying "really? really? you think that I'm going too far with getting kill orders on THIS??" So fuck her too, honestly.
Which all means I think I'm bowing out of this series.
I just ... I think I just didn't like any of the characters. I have a really hard time engaging in a story if I don't like the characters. I thought Val was a weird cross between whiny (this chick really needs therapy) and weak-willed (she just lets everyone walk all over her), and it's weird that while she did get married and have a kid, she then decided to throw them out the window because she wants to do this job but can't do it with them. She felt like kind of a self-absorbed asshole.
And the dragon was such an enormous douche that I just can't imagine myself ever actually wanting to read about him.
And all of the other characters are just ridiculous judgey assholes. I mean ... they treat her like some serial killer, but the only magical being we've seen her go hunting was a wyvern who is on camera attacking a playground and literally eating children. The only other people she killed were people who attacked her - the werewolves in this book, for example. This judgey bullshit behavior comes from everyone - the dragon, her own goddamn mother, and every other magical creature in, apparently, the entire world. Frankly, any magical creature who has a problem with her killing something that - again - literally was eating children ... should just be beheaded immediately because they are clearly also evil.
It made it really hard for me to get into this book, because frankly, fuck all these people. I hope they get eaten.
And Val - this supposed badass - doesn't defend herself against it. She accepts all this judgement, without, say, pulling out the video of children being eaten and saying "really? really? you think that I'm going too far with getting kill orders on THIS??" So fuck her too, honestly.
Which all means I think I'm bowing out of this series.
January 29, 2021
Audiobooks 1-5 now available for free on the author’s YouTube channel along with her other series.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mp6bOxV...
Excellent start to a series, though it seems that the prequel novella is essential to the story, so I’d not skip out on that one. Great supporting cast so far, and if that arrogant dragon doesn’t fall embarrassingly hard I will be VERY disappointed.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mp6bOxV...
Excellent start to a series, though it seems that the prequel novella is essential to the story, so I’d not skip out on that one. Great supporting cast so far, and if that arrogant dragon doesn’t fall embarrassingly hard I will be VERY disappointed.
August 12, 2020
Won this on a Goodread's giveaway, so thought I had better get it read. Found the audio version for $.99, so listened to it in a day. The story is fast paced and easy to keep track of everything going on, unlike some of the epic's I've been reading lately, so is a nice change to relax my mind a bit.
Val is a half-elf assassin working for the government to kill magical beings that have murdered humans. She's 40, battling stress, asthma, is tough as nails, and full of snark. Val puts me to mind of Kate Daniels, along with her magical Tiger, which brought me to mind of Guenhwyvar.
Val's commanding officer Col Willard lays poisoned, as the new commander tries to take out both of them. It's up to Val to find an antidote, clear her name, deal with some murderous magicals, and avoid the wrath of an arrogant dragon.
It's an enjoyable urban fantasy with a sword swinging heroin, humorous characters, and no romance.
Val is a half-elf assassin working for the government to kill magical beings that have murdered humans. She's 40, battling stress, asthma, is tough as nails, and full of snark. Val puts me to mind of Kate Daniels, along with her magical Tiger, which brought me to mind of Guenhwyvar.
Val's commanding officer Col Willard lays poisoned, as the new commander tries to take out both of them. It's up to Val to find an antidote, clear her name, deal with some murderous magicals, and avoid the wrath of an arrogant dragon.
It's an enjoyable urban fantasy with a sword swinging heroin, humorous characters, and no romance.
February 25, 2023
Adheres pretty closely to the Kate Daniels formula, but it lacks - something - that keeps it from being great.
I read the whole thing and it mostly kept my interest. That earns it three stars from me.
I read the whole thing and it mostly kept my interest. That earns it three stars from me.
December 24, 2022
I read this blurb and immediately thought of Kate Daniels. That feeling is correct, it does have that UF/PNR (potentially the romance) sense to the characters and world. The MC also has a powerful magic sword and a possible love interest that feels a bit like the KD world. All that said, there was enough uniqueness to sell this concept to me and I'll be reading on.
Let's see if Lindsay Buroker can reach my UF/PNR heights of Patricia Briggs and Ilona Andrews. I do hope for something near.
Let's see if Lindsay Buroker can reach my UF/PNR heights of Patricia Briggs and Ilona Andrews. I do hope for something near.
November 26, 2020
Mon avis en français
My English review
I bought the novel when I saw it for 0.99 and as it is an urban fantasy, I couldn’t resist. I was also curious to discover this author I didn’t know yet. I must say I was pleasantly surprised.
Val is an assassin for the government, but not just any assassin, because she kills magical creatures who have perpetrated horrible crimes. But now her latest case is going to turn her whole life upside down! Indeed, while she is hunting a wyvern, she finds herself in front of a real dragon, an entity that is not usually on Earth, and he is as beautiful as he is unbearable. Oh yes, because he is determined to keep her out of his way or use her as a bait to stop the people he has been sent to. On top of that, our heroine is going to have to do everything she can to save the life of her boss who is in hospital, as well as trying to clear her name and his since an investigation has been opened against them.
It was a really nice first volume to read and I really liked the author’s ideas. Zav is a really unbearable dragon and at the same time you can’t help but like him too. Val, on the other hand, is a very strong, outspoken woman who doesn’t hesitate to put herself in danger. And what about her tiger? I really loved her companion who is far from ordinary!
Yes, it was a good discovery and I can’t wait to dive into volume 2!
My English review
I bought the novel when I saw it for 0.99 and as it is an urban fantasy, I couldn’t resist. I was also curious to discover this author I didn’t know yet. I must say I was pleasantly surprised.
Val is an assassin for the government, but not just any assassin, because she kills magical creatures who have perpetrated horrible crimes. But now her latest case is going to turn her whole life upside down! Indeed, while she is hunting a wyvern, she finds herself in front of a real dragon, an entity that is not usually on Earth, and he is as beautiful as he is unbearable. Oh yes, because he is determined to keep her out of his way or use her as a bait to stop the people he has been sent to. On top of that, our heroine is going to have to do everything she can to save the life of her boss who is in hospital, as well as trying to clear her name and his since an investigation has been opened against them.
It was a really nice first volume to read and I really liked the author’s ideas. Zav is a really unbearable dragon and at the same time you can’t help but like him too. Val, on the other hand, is a very strong, outspoken woman who doesn’t hesitate to put herself in danger. And what about her tiger? I really loved her companion who is far from ordinary!
Yes, it was a good discovery and I can’t wait to dive into volume 2!
June 17, 2024
Freebie - loved the plot but it was DNF FOR ME. mature heroine, dragons, magic and shifters, but I thought the h was arrogant and downright mean. I know this author has strong fan base, so might try again.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,038 reviews