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As a freelance assassin, Val Thorvald leads a dangerous life.

She’s learned not to stay in the same place for long and not to get too attached to anything. For example, she would never consider adopting a pet.

But when she’s searching for a missing friend, she finds an abandoned silver tiger cub.

The magical feline is clearly from another realm, but Val has no idea which one or how to send it back. All she knows is that it’s the only witness to her friend's kidnapping.

Val can kick the butts of ogres, trolls, and wizards, but she has no experience taking care of pets—certainly not magical tigers. And as she quickly learns, the cub has teeth like a chainsaw. Soon, everything from her apartment to her seat belts to the hair on her head is in danger.

But if Val can’t forge a bond with the cub, figure out what it knows, and find her missing friend, more than her belongings—and her hair—may be at risk.

Mist and Magic is a prequel to the Death Before Dragons series and can be read as a complete stand-alone adventure.

153 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 31, 2020

632 people are currently reading
1136 people want to read

About the author

Lindsay Buroker

191 books6,075 followers
I'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.

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5 stars
1,349 (56%)
4 stars
746 (31%)
3 stars
255 (10%)
2 stars
37 (1%)
1 star
10 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 201 reviews
Profile Image for julia ☆ [owls reads].
2,029 reviews415 followers
December 13, 2020
Mist and Magic was a quick and fun read! The prequel did a really really good job at setting up Val's character, a big part of her background, and what fuels her. I also loooooved the world-building regarding the tigers and am very much looking forward to seeing how that develops in the series.
Profile Image for Che is Slowly Getting Back to Reading .
306 reviews19 followers
August 7, 2020
Great prequel.

I would've loved to have more on page Sindari action, but its a good intro to Val and her world.

We finally find out how she ends up with Sindari's charm, her meeting Willard for the first time and what happened to Michael and how she came to be the person she is now.

I freaking love this series and Val is one of my all time favorite heroines. How much she's grown, how she's be treated fairly and unfairly by the supernatural community.

Can't wait for book 6! Just a couple more days to go!
6,721 reviews5 followers
June 30, 2024
Entertaining fantasy listening 🎧🎉🤔🎶😎🎵

This kindle e-book novel is from my Kindle Unlimited account

Prequel to Death Before Dragons

Her friend Michael has gone missing. She finds a silver tiger on his boat. She takes care of it. The case leads to a castle where a vampire and magic user work together. It all comes to a happy ending.

I would recommend this prequel and author to readers of fantasy adventure novels. 2024
Profile Image for Jonathan.
88 reviews2 followers
July 28, 2020
Val, Sindari and Willard meet

Colonel Willard is new, replacing Val's former military contact. Val has a mystery to solve regarding a kidnapped boyfriend. And there is a mysterious flowing tiger cub.

It is a good short story. I thought the ending was a little sad, but there were good things too.

Overall, I liked it.
Profile Image for Carolyn F..
3,491 reviews51 followers
September 5, 2021
I just did not enjoy this book. I thought I would start with the prequel and my library at that time had a program where they would purchase books for you but you had to return them to the library. So I thought I would try this one before I read the first book in the series. It felt like this wasn't a prequel. Events and encounters are discussed like I should know the stories. For a novella, it took forever for the story to move forward and I was really dissatisfied.
Profile Image for Lorre.
306 reviews7 followers
October 8, 2023
Excellent start to a series!
Like with the other 10 Lindsay Buroker series I've read so far, it pulls you right in for the first page.
She has definitely become my favorite author!

This prequel is about 4 years before the first book of the series, Sinister Magic.
Profile Image for Zen.
2,846 reviews
June 17, 2021
Fun prequel novella

I read this novella after I read Sinister Magic, so it was interesting to see how Val met Willard and Sindari. Sometimes the strongest friendships come from the most unexpected place. The adventure in this novella keeps your interest and the end result gave me a surprise, but helps explain some of Val's later relationships.
Profile Image for Kelly.
5,517 reviews223 followers
August 19, 2022
This is the Val who shoots first and asks questions later and sort of earned the name "Ruin Bringer" with her actions. This is also the Val who's starting to question if maybe sometimes there are other ways to go about getting things done than just going in swinging. This is also Val without Sindari. Or Zav. (In fact, dragons are still more myth than reality and that's kind of weird.)

That said, Val is sill wildly loyal. She sets out without any pause when an old friend goes missing. She also scoops up a magical tiger cub and does her best to figure out what the cub needs. She might come out swinging, but she (mostly) does it to keep those around her safe.

A little danger, a sweet bundle of cub, a fair amount of magic, and Val doing what she does best. Which means she refuses to back down even when the odds are against her.

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
7 reviews
July 28, 2020
Read Mist and Magic

Another magical adventure with Val and an introduction to Willard and SIndari. Please read the series. Death Before Dragons. And continue on with any or all of her other works. There is something for everyone , be it steam pink romance with deadly assassins, dragons who think they're gods, starships and cyborgs, relic hunters, etc. Please check out her books. My favorite author of this century. And I am drooling at the tantalizing thought of more Sicarius and the Emperors Edge gang.


Profile Image for Sharon Hughson.
Author 30 books63 followers
July 30, 2020
Magical Tigers Rule

A brilliant adventure that fills in a few gaps and makes this reader hungry for more.
Sindari is a favorite character of mine in this fantasy series set in contemporary Seattle. It was tons of fun seeing how he came to be part of Val’s collection of magical talismans. The story also reinforces Val’s very real fear of losing people she cares about due to her dangerous occupation.
Start here with this series since it’s something of a prequel, or enjoy it at any point. I’m primed for the next full-length novel in the series now. Bring on the magical adventures.
Profile Image for Darcy.
14.1k reviews531 followers
October 18, 2023
I had read the first book before realizing that there was this book. This one really helped me understand the relationships in the first book much better. You see the first meetings and how they didn't go all that well. You understand why Val is a bit standoffish, even as she would like to have family and loved ones around and you see why the tiger is willing to help Val.
Profile Image for Leiah Cooper.
756 reviews93 followers
December 4, 2023
How Val met Sindari and Willard

A wonderful short story introducing our intrepid band of heroes to Death Before Dragons. Action abounds, lives are saved and lost, and the basis for the series grabbed my attention and held it throughout.

Even if you have read the series, you should still read this story. It was well worth my reading time!
Profile Image for Rhonda Taylor.
523 reviews1 follower
August 2, 2020
Excellent

I hope we get to see the cub in future stories. I loved learning how Val met Sindari and Willard. Michael was a good character. I immediately liked him. Good story all around even if parts of it made sad.
Profile Image for Randy Harmelink.
934 reviews258 followers
June 20, 2021
I really enjoyed the ending of the book. It set up the premise for what could be very promising stories. And I did like the start of the book. However, it dragged a bit for me in the middle, so I couldn't quite give it 4 stars.
Profile Image for Alix .
1,100 reviews38 followers
November 17, 2023
3.5 - fun - glad I read this! Reminds me how much I love this series!
978 reviews12 followers
July 30, 2020
Sindari

This prequel tells us how Val and Sindari got together. Great characters, good mystery, magic and the first glimpse of Willard is included. Spot on with the rest of the series.
1,182 reviews3 followers
July 6, 2023
a fun book to introduce Val, Sindari and Willard. Lots of action, interesting story and characters
Profile Image for Janice Mahn.
222 reviews1 follower
February 16, 2025
cute

I enjoyed seeing how Val meets Sindari. Quick read. Fun plot and nice to have the backstory. Looking forward to reading more of the series.
Profile Image for Katie.
422 reviews
May 3, 2021
A prequel explaining how things came about

This was a cute short story of how Val acquired her !magical tiger, Sindari. It also gives us the story of the person she lost; an often referenced character in the main book series. I'm not sure when this short came out but I'm reading it after the 7th book of the series. It is a prequel to the entire series but I'd probably read it after the first book. Its a good story once you've read the series but if I had read it beforehand I'm not sure it would have fully endeared me seeing as how things can't be as flushed out as a full length book. I! Glad I read it last a its fun to see how things came to be for our Val.
Profile Image for SheLove2Read.
3,060 reviews201 followers
April 3, 2021
After a bit of a rocky start, this actually turned out to be pretty good.
Profile Image for Emma.
461 reviews54 followers
August 1, 2020
Ahh i love cats big & small. Wish i knew the cuties name.

This wasnt a typical prequel and by that i mean i usually hate or avoid them like the plague lol but as this is one of my favourite series thats been consistently awesome i decided to read this.

Thankfully i was not disappointed, it was very weird reading val being romantic in any sense toward anyone but mr slippers mcscales but thank god the author made it flash backs and limited the romantic element to like kid friendly so i didnt have to get firebreathing furious on behalf of my fav surly dragon.

I wouldnt say this is a necessary read for the series but if you love the series then youll enjoy it at the very least, imo its not as amazing or anything as the actual main books since well we know what happens from the main books theres no real gravity to events because of that.

besides the cub part and the only thing that was interesting for me anyway was meeting willard and interacting with nin aka the characters that exist heavily in the main books that im invested in.

Like the only time i felt like mmm scareds the wrong word but emotional minus the cute cub was when sindari was under control of the ogre and forced to do what he wanted and also when he got shot at etc like i get the situation and i knew hed be fine i have 4 books worth of evidence of that haha but yeah i guess its like a friend telling you of past pain and despite knowing theyre fine or it was ages ago etc you still get hurt on their behalf.

So yeah cant say im gonna be all yay prequels now i know this is the exception the rule.

Im glad i read it but like i said its not necessary to the story since we get the jist through the main books anyway.

And frankly without zav it doesnt feel as potent seems a creepy word to use like sizzly fun bantery alive? And its not so much that zav brings this but rather val and zav together and whatnot really really do. Without that chemistry its more vanilla book that a fancy icecream flavour that the other books have been. Not ribs or anything but like idk deli ham? Haha. When your a vegetarian trying to think of a meat metaphor that ould make zav proud.

Its a maccas cheeseburger when you could be having an entire cow fresh from the depository? 😂😂😂 alright im stopping now.
Profile Image for Sadie Forsythe.
Author 1 book283 followers
June 22, 2021
3.5
Note: I read/listened to this series while traveling, so I didn't have access to review each individually. So, this is a review for books .5-6.

I’ve read several of Buroker’s books by now and enjoyed them all. The Death Before Dragons series is no exception. I really liked Val and her sarcasm, especially when she bantered with Willard. I loved that she was over 40, even if the fact that she didn’t look it kind of made it only half as satisfying as it would be to have a 40yo heroine who looked her age too. I adored that Val was biologically a mother, but not maternal or raising her child. This is a reality authors very rarely allow female characters, especially ones we’re supposed to like. I appreciate the diversity of the cast. And each of the books wrapped up nicely, which I prefer over an overarching plot where you have to read the whole series to get any conclusive satisfaction. All in all, I would be happy to continue the series.

I did have a few complaints. Some of the humor was over the top silly at times. There was a running joke about the shoes the hero wore and if they made him look gay or not, which trod a little too close to a gay joke for my taste (pun intended). This was somewhat mitigated by a loved and important gay character (who wasn’t cliched). But it shouldn’t be a tit for tat situation. Similarly, Val’s refusal to learn to pronounce the dragons’ names was a sign of rebellion, but it also reminded me a lot of Westerners who can learn to pronounce Dostoevsky but not names from the African continent. Uncomfortably close to a problem, close enough to recognize, but not quite there.

Lastly, I liked Zav and appreciated him as a love interest, but I never truly felt the passion. There was only one sex scene and it was fade to black, so I suppose passion wasn’t the point. But I might have liked to feel the love more strongly.

I stopped at book six because that’s the last the library had. But if I came across book 7 I’d happily read it. But I’m not sad to have a break here either.

Profile Image for Heather.
2,670 reviews19 followers
May 20, 2021
She’s learned not to stay in the same place for long and not to get too attached to anything. For example, she would never consider adopting a pet.
But when she’s searching for a missing friend, she finds an abandoned silver tiger cub.
The magical feline is clearly from another realm, but Val has no idea which one or how to send it back. All she knows is that it’s the only witness to her friend's kidnapping.
Val can kick the butts of ogres, trolls, and wizards, but she has no experience taking care of pets—certainly not magical tigers. And as she quickly learns, the cub has teeth like a chainsaw. Soon, everything from her apartment to her seat belts to the hair on her head is in danger.
But if Val can’t forge a bond with the cub, figure out what it knows, and find her missing friend, more than her belongings—and her hair—may be at risk.

Heather's Notes
I liked this story. I liked seeing how Val and Sindari meet. I also like that she doesn't command him, that they work together. I was sorry to see Michael die, but I disagree with Val that she was somehow at fault. You cannot stop people from doing what they want to do. Also, it was pretty obvious from the beginning that he would not make it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
8 reviews
December 28, 2022
3.5
Fairly well written and I do like Lindsay's recurring humor, very present in this book, which I've read after finishing the series (SotSIII). The history of the prequel is also quite interesting - basically how Val became the Val we see in the main books, and how she met Willard and Sindari.

That said, I think it is the weakest book of the series when it didn't need to be - my problems are with some story elements that make little sense:

Still an interesting book for fans
2,878 reviews13 followers
March 7, 2023
"Mist and Magic" is a novella-length introduction to the 'Death Before Dragons' series and it serves its purpose well as I will definitely be reading on.
It's set in Seattle where Valmeyjar Thorvald (aka 'The Mythic Murderer', 'The Ruin Bringer'), freelance assassin fights the good fight against paranormals.
"As far as my enemies go, I’m just a single gal with no ties to anyone." That's not true, she walked away from her husband and child because their association with her put them in danger.
Work, which normally comes from military Intelligence, has been slow for months.
Michael Kwon, her former lover, has gone missing leaving behind a sickly magical tiger cub from another realm.
Armed with her magic sword Chopper and her pistol Fezzik, she'll keep walking those mean streets/forests until she finds him.
It's a generally light paranormal read though the author, Lindsay Buroker, does show a promising disregard for character survivability.
Great fun.
4 Stars.
Profile Image for Yvonne.
349 reviews
March 28, 2023
I didn’t expect to get teary eyed towards the end…but I did. I felt like I wasn’t in the right mood heading into this book…it’s mainly because there wasn’t an audio version and I was trying to rush thru this so that I can get to the rest of the series that does 😅 but the book it really well written and I feel bad for Val and how she’s disappointed in herself and I see her reasoning behind not wanting to have close relationships and having to abandon her family to keep them safe 😭😭 and Michaels family are so mean to her..it’s not like she forced Michael to have an interest in her line of work, he was an adult and made his own choices and he had responsibilities over his own life..it wasn’t fair to blame it all on Val

Oh oh oh !! And for some reason I thought the cub was gonna be her side kick as it grew up lol but the He tiger works too hhaha
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Lori.
802 reviews
October 31, 2021
Loved it - wish I'd read it first!

Yes, PREquel. But somehow I didn't check the series out prior to reading. Normally I will find a story then check reading order. So many series these days and even more now, there's possibly a series before the series! Learned that lesson again.

The story? I really like having an intro into a story that gives me more than "Meet Dick and Jane, wizards in PNR Land.", but never finding out how they came to be together. You get that here, how Val and Sindari met and came to work together. You also get action, humor, and several magical species. It's well told and I really enjoyed it. Hopefully you'll find it first! (I only got thru book#1, so it's not too bad.)
✋🐺
Displaying 1 - 30 of 201 reviews

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