At the end of the last book, Winter discovered that she actually has Magic, she had it all along, but her psychopathic Father cast a powerful blocking spell on her, preventing her from using it, as he was worried what she might be capable of. Now with the blocking spell removed, Winter has to try and play catch up, for most people with Magic have been learning how to use it since they were little, Winter has been using it for the last couple of days.
Did anyone say learning curve? And this leads to some amusing parts in the book, especially in the opening sequences when we get to see and learn about Winters attempts at Magic.
It’s a case of, “Hey what’s the worst that could happen, I mean, if she has her fingers in the slightly wrong place, Magic is totally forgiving right?” “Sorry, can you put that fire out yourself, or did you need a Hazmat Team?”
Humour has been used as a key part of this series with exceptional skill, making for a story that is not only really engaging, but a lot of fun to read. French keeps the dialogue between the Characters snappy and alive with sarcasm (especially from Winter), that leaves you either laughing or with a smirk on your face as you whip through this book.
It gives the series a real edge as French is seriously gifted with inserting humour in all the right spots.
Without giving too much away (no spoilers), at the start of this second book, Winter, Frankie and Jason are still trying to get past the events of Book #1, as well as trying to keep their jobs at the agency.
Things have been very strange at the agency, lots of weird incidents, the latest involving a strange little demon that is able to cast magic – something that Demon kind are not supposed to be able to do. Winter soon learns that this is only because her parent are involved.
Several other things occur, (I don’t want to give anything away really), that lead Winter, and her new Boss, Dax Murphy, into a trap designed by a crazy lunatic, one that they will have to fight for their lives to escape.
Winter is still angry at Dax for tricking her into kissing him with magic, but at the same time, has kind of strange thoughts when she looks into his big lovely eyes, right before screaming EWWWWW in her mind remembering she hates Dax Murphy, and then wondering when life got so confusing, and why is she stuck with him in this awful place!!
French does a wonderful job of delving into the minds of both Winter and Dax and giving us great insight into the Characters and their feelings and it is rather hilarious as both of them take a roller coaster ride of emotions about each other and the events going on around them.
It is not just the characters that are exceptional though, French has again created another remarkable world for her characters to play out their story in. The world building is stunning, with rich and stunning detail, incredibly in-depth, intricate details of each of the locations they are at, so that you really feel like you are in each of the places with them, looking around, and seeing what they see, or smelling what they…Ok, too much detail… Oh my god that smells bad…
Seriously, the descriptions are beautifully crafted, French has obviously sat down and not only given it great thought, but put a lot of thought into each of her locations before writing the story, so that she can easily recreate these amazing places for the reader.
The other really amazing aspect of this book that goes with the world building is the magic, and the combat sequences, which are just as extraordinary. French’s magic system is simple and elegant, allowing the reader to follow along with it and be a part of the fun, without it being overly complicated like some Fantasy series are prone to do.
The combat scenes are just amazing, with so much detail that you can visualise each and every movement, spell, and cutting strike. The scenes combine combat and magic to be a gritty portrayal of, at times rather bloody and brutal, fight for your life scenes, in which each of the characters are fighting for their lives and are lucky to come out the other side, if they actually do. Whilst the book has this incredible sense of humour running through it, and this is wound into the combat sequences at times, the fights are ferocious, and vicious, and it is not guaranteed who is going to win, and you find yourself glued to the pages, drinking the words in and literally flipping pages like a fan to find out what happens.
This is a fascinating story, with a lot of intrigue, stunning world building and even better characters. Winter is again struggling to deal with her parents, and this time around, we get to actually hear from Dax Murphy, who has his own issues. Dax is a deeply trouble character, trapped not only by his ego and pride, but also by his deep love and the overriding desire to protect his sister at any cost. This most of all, guides his decisions, and in some cases, guides him in a very ‘wrong’ direction, and into dangerous territory, for him and others.
If you love urban fantasy, clever, well told stories with a wicked sense of humour, and extraordinary characters, you will love this book. Even if you just love a good story, a good mystery, or great world building, this series has something for everyone. Part 3 drops soon, so make sure to get into this series soon, you won’t be disappointed!!