That being said, I simply ADORE KJ's writing. Even in the gloomiest situation I can still laugh out loud with her special wording not to mention I feel like cleaning the house from dust just reading about Ned's "home environment".
We've met this couple in the prelude "A Queer Trade". It all started when magic practitioner Crispin Tredarloe is looking for his masters writings who were sold to a waste-man after his unexpected passing. Edward "Ned" Hall is said waste-man and he does a lot more than just help Crispin and soon become friends and lovers.
The story continues when Crispin is trying to learn how to do magic the "right" way, unlike how his Warlock master taught him (using blood and bone) and no matter who they match him with it doesn't work. When they finally find Mr. Sweet a new comer to London on his own project he FINALLY gets the help he needs and yet while being focused on magic, learning how to do magic and trying to improve his (lack of) self esteem his relationship with Ned suffers greatly.
Ned simply had ENOUGH of magic, talk or act. He doesn't think it does any good not to Crispin and not the world around them. Especially after his landlord and neighbor is murdered in a magical way and the Justiciary won't do anything about it. That's when he decides to start his OWN investigation.
This novel has the same timeline as "Jackdaw" so while the Justiciary are ALL immersed in finding Jonah Pastern (and his lover Ben Spenser) the murders Ned is so interested in goes totally unnoticed, and it doesn't help that there is no magical trace to any of them even if they don't seem to be natural at all.
The relationship between Ned and Crispin is in a constant breakdown. When Crispin is feeling great about himself, Ned feels horrible about the deaths happening almost unnoticed around him and he blames Crispin's "lot" for it. When Ned feels like he is actually doing something, Crispin feels like he isn't doing enough and is in a constant battle with himself about the way he uses magic. There is very little to no comfort to be found between them. It takes VERY LONG for them to start working together and that only happens when Ned's life is in danger. Meaning almost too late considering the evil they are up against.
Ned and Crispin's way of working together and the connection they have through magic was actually pretty cool! On the one hand it makes me want to see more of them together, yet on the other hand I think I've had enough of these two and just wish them all the best as I KNOW they'll do the way the novel ended (which was pretty obvious though I'm not complaining about that AT ALL).
I don't know really. I think my problem was mostly the interaction between Ned and Crispin. I wanted to hit both of them on the head too many times to count.
 |
Rating:
★★★ |
E-Book
Edition |
177
pages
|
Read on:
28 March 2020
|  |  |  |  |  |
ABOUT THIS SERIES
A Charm of Magpies is a MUST READ simply FANTASTIC Paranormal Romance series set in Victorian times by K.J. Charles. The (main) series follows Lucien Vaudrey - Lord Crane and Justiciar and Magic Practitioner Stephen Day.
There are not enough amazing words to describe how much I love and recommend this series. It has everything anyone can wish for. Great romance with a beautiful build up. Banter galore. An interesting setting in Victorian London with more than a little sprinkle of magic. Action and mystery in every book keeping me at the edge of my seat for the mystery to resolve as well as for these two to find their solace together.
GRAB IT NOW! You won't regret it.
In "Jackdaw" we revisit Jonah Pastern who was a sort of a villain in "Flight of Magpies". We understand his reasons for acting the way he did and how he redeemed himself, not only from his action there but his life in general with help and support from Ben - the man he did it all for. It was a treasure of a book as well.
Ned and Crispin are a new couple as well, they have a short novella (of them getting to know each other) and a short novel of them pretty much saving the world.. It takes time in the same timeline as "Jackdaw" each explains why they were pretty much on their own fighting evil with very little help. I didn't really like these two together. They have a lot of potential but at their current state they are barely functioning which I had a difficult time with honestly.
Books:
A Charm of Magpies
0.5 The Smuggler and the Warlord (Published 30 November 2013) ★★★★★
1. The Magpie Lord (Published 3 September 2013) ★★★★★
[ 1.5 Interlude with Tattoos (Included in "The Magpie Lord") ]
2. A Case of Possession (Published 6 January 2014 ★★★★★
[ 2.5 A Case of Spirits (Included in "A Case of Possession") ]
3. Flight of Magpies (Published 28 October 2014) ★★★★★
[ 3.5 Feast of Stephen (Included in "Flight of Magpies") ]
There are not enough amazing words to describe how much I love and recommend this series. It has everything anyone can wish for. Great romance with a beautiful build up. Banter galore. An interesting setting in Victorian London with more than a little sprinkle of magic. Action and mystery in every book keeping me at the edge of my seat for the mystery to resolve as well as for these two to find their solace together.
GRAB IT NOW! You won't regret it.
In "Jackdaw" we revisit Jonah Pastern who was a sort of a villain in "Flight of Magpies". We understand his reasons for acting the way he did and how he redeemed himself, not only from his action there but his life in general with help and support from Ben - the man he did it all for. It was a treasure of a book as well.
Ned and Crispin are a new couple as well, they have a short novella (of them getting to know each other) and a short novel of them pretty much saving the world.. It takes time in the same timeline as "Jackdaw" each explains why they were pretty much on their own fighting evil with very little help. I didn't really like these two together. They have a lot of potential but at their current state they are barely functioning which I had a difficult time with honestly.
Books:
A Charm of Magpies
0.5 The Smuggler and the Warlord (Published 30 November 2013) ★★★★★
1. The Magpie Lord (Published 3 September 2013) ★★★★★
[ 1.5 Interlude with Tattoos (Included in "The Magpie Lord") ]
2. A Case of Possession (Published 6 January 2014 ★★★★★
[ 2.5 A Case of Spirits (Included in "A Case of Possession") ]
3. Flight of Magpies (Published 28 October 2014) ★★★★★
[ 3.5 Feast of Stephen (Included in "Flight of Magpies") ]
 |  |  |
 |
The World of Magpies
Edward "Ned" Hall & Crispin Tredarloe:
A Queer Trade (Rag and Bone prequel) (Published 2 February 2016) ★★★★
Rag and Bone (Published 1 March 2016) ★★★
Benedict "Ben" Spenser & Jonah Pastern:
Jackdaw (Published 9 November 2017) ★★★★★
Edward "Ned" Hall & Crispin Tredarloe:
A Queer Trade (Rag and Bone prequel) (Published 2 February 2016) ★★★★
Rag and Bone (Published 1 March 2016) ★★★
Benedict "Ben" Spenser & Jonah Pastern:
Jackdaw (Published 9 November 2017) ★★★★★
 | |  |
No comments:
Post a Comment