Rogue Magic Author: Kit Brisby Title: Rogue Magic Series: None Genre: Paranormal Fantasy Pairing: M/M, F/F Rating: Four Petals On the Author's Website: http://www.kitbrisby.com/books Summary: While trapped in a stalled subway train on his morning commute, PR rep Byron Cole flirts with Levi, a young waiter with adorable curls. But Byron's hopes for romance crash and burn when Levi saves him from a brutal explosion—with outlawed magic. When Levi is imprisoned, Byron begins to question everything he's ever believed. How can magic be evil when Levi used it to save dozens of lives? So Byron hatches a plan to save Levi that will cost him his job and probably his life. If he doesn't pull it off, Levi will be put to death. Byron discovers that he isn't the only one questioning America's stance on magic. And he learns that Levi is stubborn, angry, and utterly enchanting. Time is running out, though. Byron must convince Levi to trust him, to trust his own magic, and to fight against the hatred that’s forced him to hide his true nature his entire life. The more Levi opens up, the harder Byron falls. And the more they have to lose. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Byron is trapped underground on the subway as a terrorist group's explosions go off overhead. He's trying to stay calm and wait for rescue, but as he's pulled free of the underground another explosion hits. Instead of dying, Byron and the dozens of people with him are saved by Levi using magic to shield them from the fire. The only problem is that magic is illegal and Levi is immediately arrested for being the terrorist that set off the explosions in the first place. Byron had never thought about the lives those with magic are forced to endure before, but watching the man that just saved his life beaten and carted away in chains for a crime Levi didn't commit is too much for Byron. Hatching a plan to reveal the truth about magic in a world that reviles magic is dangerous, so dangerous that Byron and Levi know they probably aren't going to survive this. This story really makes a reader think about hate and fear and prejudice. In this case its against those that use magic. Given the current political climate in our real world, I couldn't help feeling particularly pained by how much those with magic are forced to endure. I could see the parallels with the antisemitism of Nazi Germany and even the anti-immigrant/anti-Muslim stance of the current U.S. administration. This book clearly and painfully outlines the worst that could happen if one group of people are systematically maligned in today's modern world. Any book that makes me think so very deeply about such difficult topics is one that I can definitively state is well written and a damned good book. Of course, I did find this book difficult to read. The build up to the actual plot to try to save those with magic is very slow and a lot of the extra scenes beforehand felt a little pointless. Yet, Byron changing a lifetime's belief that magic is evil isn't something he can come to quickly. The length of time is therefore necessary, but because it reads so slowly I had some trouble getting into this book. Maggie's Recommendation: This book made me think about fear and hatred and the world we live in today, and any book that makes me think so deeply is one I know is well written. The plot itself was slow to begin, which made the book difficult to get into, but overall I liked this book and I definitely recommend it.
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Magnolia's Reviews
Maggie reviews paranormal and fantasy novels and novellas. She also interviews authors and hosts giveaways. Archives
April 2018
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