A Taste of Magic (Magic of the Damned, Book 3) - McKenzie Hunter

Devious deities, monstrous magicians and more than a sprinkling of spice. 

This is the final installment of this PNR series and it didn’t disappoint. If you like your paranormal romance with devious monsters and a dash of spice, then this is a series for you.

Our FMC, Luna, is in a sticky situation. She has no magic; it has been stolen by a powerful Dark Caster who would happily leave the supernatural world without magic. Everyone in the supernatural world blames her. Most of them would happily see her dead, including family members of the Prince of Darkness, who has claimed her as his own. 

Will she be able to reclaim her magic or is it gone forever? Can her relationship with the Prince survive? Can she, herself, survive?

I love the way this ended. It could have gone down a wholly predictable route but it didn’t. 

The reading order is as follows:

Book 1 : A Touch of Brimstone

Book 2 : A Hint of Darkness

Book 3 : A Taste of Magic

Available from Amazon

Ironclad (Raven Cursed, Book 6) - McKenzie Hunter

Enraged Elves, Furious Fae, Vindictive Vampires. All in a day’s work for Erin.

I loved this book. I have read everything else this author has published and this is by far my favourite series of hers. I love the characters; they are so relatable and the character development since book one for all the characters has been outstanding. The world building, the magic, the action; all of it is superb. 

McKenzie Hunter has such a fluid style of writing. I flew through this in a day. The story was well-paced and engaging. Like the others in this series, this book started with a bang and ended with another. I had thought maybe it was wrapping up and Erin, our fabulous FMC, was finally going to get a bit of stability and maybe a Happy Ever After. Not so. There’s a beautiful big shiny hook at the end to reel us all in for book seven. I really cannot wait to read it. 

I’m off to nurse my book hangover with a cuppa.

This is the sixth book in McKenzie Hunter’s Raven Cursed series. It’s an Urban Fantasy set in modern day USA. There is some romance but it’s not the main focus of the story. There are some scenes of a sexual nature between consenting adults.

If you haven’t read the rest of the series, please do yourself a massive favour and grab them. The reading order for this series so far is:

Book 1 Fireborne

Book 2 Silverfall

Book 3 Nightsoul

Book 4 Shadowmark

Book 5 Hellcrossed

Book 6 Ironclad

Available from Amazon

A Hint of Darkness (Magic of the Damned, Book 2) - McKenzie Hunter

Duplicitous gods and devious monsters. Surviving in the Underworld is Hellish. 

This is the second installment of McKenzie Hunter’s new Paranormal Romance series. The story is set primarily in the Underworld. Unusually for this author, there are several descriptive scenes of a sexual nature, which really enhance this story.

I have been eagerly waiting for this book and I was not disappointed. The characters are well thought out and well developed. The interaction is believable and the worldbuilding is excellent. McKenzie Hunter has created a well developed magical system and included a variety of supernatural species; some familiar and some less so.

Our FMC, Luna finds herself trapped in the Underworld alongside the Prince and a host of other supernatural and demonic beings. They all want out and to most of them, the only way to achieve this is through her death. There are only so many places to hide in the underworld; at least she seems to have the Prince on her side. His family however, not so much. 

Magic, politics, intrigue and betrayal abound. There are duplicitous gods, monsters who aren’t necessarily what they seem, and a fight for survival.

I raced through this book. I could not put it down. There is a big shiny hook at the end and I cannot wait for book three.

Available from Amazon

 

Hellcrossed (Raven Cursed Book 5) - McKenzie Hunter

Being dragged kicking and screaming to the demon realm can really change a person’s perspective on life

This is the fifth installment of McKenzie Hunter’s Raven Cursed series. It’s an Urban Fantasy set in modern day USA with some crossover into the demon realm. There is some romance but it’s not the main focus of the story. There are some mild scenes of a sexual nature between contenting adults.

This series is my favourite of all the work McKenzie Hunter has published so far. The character development is outstanding. The world building and magic systems are well thought through. These are long, action-packed books with believable relationships and complex story arcs. 

Being dragged kicking and screaming to the demon realm and then being forced into a blood-oath with an untrustworthy demon can really change a person’s perspective on life. Erin is no slouch but this experience really lights a fire under her. There are too many people either trying to kill her or make her life a misery and it’s time they all went. If she wants to live a peaceful life, she needs to improve her already impressive magical repertoire and in order to do that, she has to find out how her elven magic works. No mean feat when the elves are nowhere to be found.

This book started out with a bang and ended on a much bigger one. There were unexpected twists and there may also have been an audible gasp and mutterings of ‘oh my god!’ from me when I got to the end. Every book is better than the last so far and now, because I raced through this one so quickly, I have to attempt to wait patiently for the next one.

The reading order for this series so far is:

Book 1 Fireborne

Book 2 Silverfall

Book 3 Nightsoul

Book 4 Shadowmark

Book 5 Hellcrossed

Available from Amazon

 

A Touch of Brimstone (Magic of the Damned, Book 1) : McKenzie Hunter

Magic, politics and some very devious characters. Is the Prince of the Underworld really the Good Guy? 

This book is the first in a new Paranormal Romance series from McKenzie Hunter. The book is set across both modern day USA and the Underworld. There is the potential for romance but there are no descriptive scenes of a sexual nature.

As with all McKenzie Hunter’s books, the characters are well thought out and well developed. The interaction is believable and the worldbuilding is excellent. She has created a well developed magical system and included a variety of supernatural species; some familiar and some less so.

The book’s main character is Luna, an unsuspecting human woman who is dragged unwittingly into the supernatural world, which comes as something of a surprise to her, as she’d previously been under the impression that witches, shifters and vampires were only found on the fiction shelves. Sadly for her, they are all real and the method in which she is drawn in has made her the target for several supernatural political groups, some of which want her dead. 

It’s coming to something when the only being who might be able to keep you alive just happens to be the seemingly all-powerful Prince of the Underworld. Luna is in a fight for her life and her only option is to help him but even that’s not guaranteed to keep her safe. 

This book has magic, politics, battles, deception and some very devious characters. Nothing is what it seems. Who is human? Who is Supernatural? Who are the good guys? It’s hard for Luna to tell. 

I was so wrapped up in this book that I couldn’t put it down and ended up reading until well into the early hours of the morning. I have been eagerly waiting for this book all year and I was not disappointed. I’m very much looking forward to book two. 

Available from Amazon

Shadowmark (Raven Cursed Book 4) : McKenzie Hunter

This is the fourth instalment of McKenzie Hunter’s Raven Cursed series and this is turning out to be my favourite of all the work she has done so far.  If you’ve read the previous books, you’ll definitely want to dive headlong into this. Once again, I paused everything else I was reading to immerse myself back into this universe. I originally read this book in January 2021.

I love McKenzie Hunter’s style of writing. It flows well and pulls you along at a pace which matches the scenes being described. I can read these books with confidence, knowing there won’t be any glaring grammatical or continuity errors to break the suspension of my disbelief.

I am fully invested in all the characters and they are so well developed. I read a lot, often around seven books a week and I can honestly say that Erin is one of my favourite female characters. I relate to her so strongly. In terms of character development, there has been a marked growth in her maturity and magical ability over the series and I found myself really rooting for her.

In the last few books we have had the question of #teammephisto or #teamasher. Without spoilers, I can confirm that a decision was finally made and I, for one, was very happy with that decision. Here’s hoping that there are more of these scenes in future books.

I finished the book having had many questions answered as one story arc closed but with many more raised as a new arc began. As ever, the ending was dramatic and brilliantly done. I hadn’t seen it coming and I’m delighted. That big shiny hook has definitely reeled me in and I’m hankering for book five. It can’t come soon enough.

If you read and enjoyed the previous books in this series, you won’t be disappointed. If you haven’t read the previous books, what are you waiting for? Go and get them.

I’m off to nurse my book hangover with a cuppa and a lie down. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. 

Available from Amazon

Nightsoul (Raven Cursed Book 3) : McKenzie Hunter

This is the third instalment of McKenzie Hunter’s Raven Cursed series and each book is better than the last.  If you’ve read the first two (Fireborne and Silverfall), you’ll definitely want to jump right into this. I paused everything else I was reading to immerse myself back in this universe. This is Urban Fantasy and PNR. I originally read this book in June 2020.

Erin is a well developed character and in this book we find out more about her heritage and see a massive change in her magical abilities.  We finally discover what Mephisto is and a lot more about what makes him tick. The dynamic between these two is intense with a forbidden feel to it and is further complicated by input from other characters. 

We see a continuing development in the relationship between Erin and Asher, the powerful Shifter Alpha and are given more insight into his character and feelings for her. There’s a definite call for #teammephisto or #teamasher here. Not your average paranormal romance. 

The book is well written and flows seamlessly. The characters are complex, relatable and I found myself invested in what happens to them. There is a lot going on in this story. New characters and plot twists abound. Questions are answered but more are asked. As always, the book closes on a dramatic crescendo, leaving us dying to know more and wanting to dive headlong into the next book. 

Available at Amazon

Silverfall (Raven Cursed Book 2) : McKenzie Hunter

This is the second book in the Raven Cursed series. It falls under Urban Fantasy and PNR with a slow burn. I originally read this book in January 2020.

If, like me, you were completely taken with book one (Fireborne) and were waiting with anticipation for this second book, you won’t be disappointed. McKenzie Hunter has outdone herself. It’s packed with action, intrigue, believable world building and well developed characters. 

Erin is the main character. Her inner monologue gives us a fantastic insight into who she is and frequently provides an element of comedy. She remains one of McKenzie Hunter’s most relatable female characters and is definitely one of my favourites. 

The Raven mark which was revealed in book one has signified that she is far more dangerous than anyone had anticipated. Erin doesn’t know how or why but she does know she’s attracting attention from all sides and it’s hard to tell who is friend or foe. There are only a few people she can trust but they might not be able to keep her safe. In an attempt to discover more about her magic and protect her from Mephisto, her friend accidentally unleashes a powerful entity which poses a threat to the shifters. Erin really doesn’t need the shifters and their powerful Alpha as mortal enemies, so she has no choice but to turn to Mephisto for help in order to protect her friend.  

Despite great character development and more insight into his magic, Mephisto‘s background and history remain a mystery. He is willing to help Erin but at what cost to her? 

You can buy the book from Amazon UK

Fireborne (Raven Cursed Book 1) : McKenzie Hunter

This is the first in a new urban fantasy series by McKenzie Hunter. I originally read this book in November 2019.

I’ve read everything else McKenzie Hunter has written and this is by far my favourite yet. What a way to start the new series.

The writing is good and flows well. The world building is solid and believable and the characters are interesting. The story is set in a place where magic users and mundane live alongside each other. Some magic is acceptable. Some is not. 

Erin is our main character and is quite possibly the most relatable of all the female characters I’ve read in a while. Her magic is most definitely not considered acceptable. She struggles in trying to live up to expectations in controlling it and has enough flaws to make her feel real and likeable. She drinks too much, she’s constantly in trouble with authorities, has mandatory court ordered visits with a therapist and can’t seem to keep herself on the straight and narrow. 

Mephisto is our anti-hero. He reveals just enough of himself to intrigue and yet hides enough to leave you wondering just who and what he really is. He’s definitely not human, despite looking like a very well built one. He has magic. He’s got more than a passing interest in Erin and her forbidden magic. However, where he comes from, what he really wants with Erin and how powerful his magic really is, remain mysteries. 

Erin’s job is to retrieve the missing or stolen. Her latest job drags her into a magical underbelly where a spell reveals the mark of the Raven. A mark which identifies her as something deadly and piques the interest of the magical elite, which is something she definitely doesn’t want. 

The main characters are well developed and I was invested in their stories. The secondary characters are interesting and I hope we delve further into their journeys as the series progresses. 

If you like Paranormal Romance (PNR) and Urban Fantasy (UF) then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this book. 

You can buy it from Amazon UK.