I don't typically read m/m romance or books with paranormal
themes so I'm not exactly sure what drew me to THE MAGPIE
LORD, the story of a man who falls in love with the magician
he hires to remove the evil haunting him. Maybe it was the
description of the tattooed unconventional aristocrat, or
maybe I was just in the mood for joining in a battle against
a supernatural threat. Whatever instinct it was, I'm glad
it led me to this story. THE MAGPIE LORD pulled me in on
page one and kept me on the edge of my seat until the very
end. The characters are fascinating, the threat is
frightening, and the journey is unpredictable. In the last
pages I had no idea how they were going get out alive... and I
loved every minute of it!
Lucien Vaudrey was exiled to China where he, along with
Merrick, managed to thrive. Lucien enjoyed the freedom to
live the life he wanted without the oppressive hatred of his
father and brother. Now that they are both dead, Lucien
finds himself back in the ancestral home as the new Lord
Crane. After a third suicide attempt, Lucien is convinced
he has inherited the family madness. It's Merrick who
convinces Lucien to find a Shaman to fight the evil before
it's too late.
Steven Day is not thrilled to be called to help Lord Crane.
Lucien's father had destroyed Steven's family out of petty
anger and revenge. Steven wants nothing to do with Crane but
once he senses the dark magic that Lucien is fighting he
knows he must intervene. Someone is trying to murder Lucien
through magic and it's Steven's job to stop those who use
magic for evil purposes. It helps that he senses Lucien
maybe be a man of honor, unlike his father and brother. As
they fight together to save Lucien's life, an attraction
flares between them that they just can't resist.
THE MAGPIE LORD is a historical supernatural story with
romantic elements. KJ Charles has created a version of
Victorian England in which there is a whole magic
sub-culture with its own rules and regulations. I found the
whole world fascinating but just barely developed so I was
glad to see that this is the first book in A Charm of
Magpies series featuring Lucien and Steven. I can't wait to
see what's in store for them next!
Exiled to China for twenty years, Lucien Vaudrey never
planned to return to England. But with the mysterious deaths
of his father and brother, it seems the new Lord Crane has
inherited an earldom. He’s also inherited his family’s
enemies. He needs magical assistance, fast. He doesn’t
expect it to turn up angry.
Magician Stephen Day has good reason to hate Crane’s family.
Unfortunately, it’s his job to deal with supernatural
threats. Besides, the earl is unlike any aristocrat he’s
ever met, with the tattoos, the attitude…and the way Crane
seems determined to get him into bed. That’s definitely unusual.
Soon Stephen is falling hard for the worst possible man, at
the worst possible time. But Crane’s dangerous appeal isn’t
the only thing rendering Stephen powerless. Evil pervades
the house, a web of plots is closing round Crane, and if
Stephen can’t find a way through it—they’re both going to die.
Warning: Contains hot m/m sex between a deeply inappropriate
earl and a very confused magician, dark plots in a magical
version of Victorian England, family values (not the good
kind), and a lot of swearing.