I got the privilege (and was a dumb-dumb and got the date wrong) to read A Drop of Magic and the NEW sequel Courting Darkness by Silver Dagger Reviews for their blog tour.
But, I missed the day. SO. Here is the review, late.
I’m going to talk about these two books as one, since they are getting reviewed as one.
A Drop of Magic starts out with a female, Alex (our main character), as she is working at her forge and has unexpected visitors, which is the start just before learning her best friend has died and she doesn’t even know her own family history.
From the first page, this book was so enjoyable to read. Well written, with characters that jump off the page (though, I will admit, I maybe could have done with a touch more romance), this novel just flowed.
The author, L.R. Braden, knows how to write a story that I wanted to read, and I think a lot of others would too. This book felt similar to the Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson novels, but the story is very different and the characters are different. But I think Alex and Mercy would get along.
And Courting Darkness continues this wonderful trend.
I’ll admit, I really want Kai and Alex to get together. But, oh, James. This novel lets us see a lot more of the side characters, what it really means to be a Vampire and getting to see Kai and Chase just be… themselves.
And, we get some wonderful action.
This novel’s writing style is slightly better than the last and just flows so well. Honestly, I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed this novel.
Despite being with James, this novel is all about Alex, who she is, what she can do, and really her being separate from James. James is a vampire who is old and looks at the world differently from a mortal.
For anyone who is a fan of urban fantasy, vampires, shape shifters, or fae, this is honestly a book I recommend reading. If you are ONLY about the romance, though, as in the Not Safe For Children, keep on walking. This is a well written novel with deep, interesting characters that will keep you reading well past bedtime.
