Axel Locke is a witch hunter with a curse that can only be
softened by sex or the blood of a witch, causing him to
lose his soul and become a rogue witch hunter. Darcy
MacAlister works in the family's funeral home and has
fought the stigma of being "strange" for years; her own
personality has contributed to the label far more than her
family's vocation ever has.
So often, recent publications in the paranormal romance
field follow such a contrived pattern that the reader could
just read any formulaic romance with the main characters as
different paranormal creatures each time and be just as
fulfilled, or not, as the case may be. Jennifer
Lyon's BLOOD MAGIC is an excellent reminder that the
field still has fresh, uncharted and exciting avenues to
explore. Instead of one-dimensional characters who never
get more complex than any one-line description can convey,
the characters in BLOOD MAGIC are multi-layered, detailed
and, most importantly, interesting.
This novel has a carefully woven backstory of intrigue and
magic: a rift occurred between the "good" witches and those
sworn to protect them, the hunters of "evil" witches,
causing a curse to fall upon the witch hunters and leaving
both sides suspicious of the other. They no longer work in
harmony because the witches fear that the witch hunters are
rogues, and the witch hunters fear the witches are curse-
bearers. When a witch hunter's little sister gains a Death
Mark in retaliation for his father's bad acts, he has to
fight the desires of the curse and find a witch willing to
help him heal her. When Darcy MacAlister is
recruited...kidnapped...in order to save Axel Locke's
sister, Hannah, from the Death Mark, there is only one
problem: She was adopted and has no concept about her
abilities.
While trying to work together, find the truth about her
origins, dissuade the curse, unearth forgotten magical
teachings and stay safe from the sides trying to hurt them
and their friends, Axel and Darcy must also analyze their
feelings toward each other and confront the possibility
that they may be pawns in some much larger game.
For a thrilling adventure sizzling with passion, intrigue
and complexity, pick up BLOOD MAGIC and prepare to be
absorbed by a work that far exceeds many current
publications in the field.
In the days when powerful witches used their magic to shield
humanity from demons, their allies and guardians were a
group of men gifted with preternatural abilities of their
own–the witch guardians. But when a band of witches traded
their humanity for demonic power, the ancient bond was
broken, and the guardians became the hunters.
Darcy MacAlister knows nothing of demons or magic. But this
beautiful young woman is about to discover the truth about
her past . . . and her future. For she is a witch–not just
any witch, but the key to breaking the curse that has
plagued witches and the men who hunt them. For if a hunter
kills an innocent witch by mistake, the price is no less
than a piece of his soul.
Axel Locke, gorgeous leader of the Wing Slayer Hunters, has
sworn never to shed the blood of the earth witches who have
resisted the temptation of demonic power. But when his
sister is cursed by a demon witch, he discovers that Darcy
MacAlister may hold the cure–if she can master her newfound
powers in time. When the chase begins and Axel and Darcy
come face-to-face, this hunter must weigh his soul against
his honor–and against his heart.