What I’m Reading

What I’m Reading

fugitive of magicOne of the most important things about being a writer is making time to read. Most of the writers I know love to read. It’s probably why many of us started writing in the first place. So in the interest of keeping up with reading ficiton and doing more regular blog posts, I’m going to try to post about a new book I’m reading every week. I typically read a book a week when I’m in the writing stage of a work. When I’m editing, I’m often reading my own work and don’t get to read other people’s work as often. But I’m going to aim for a post every week.

First up, Fugitive of Magic by Linsey Hall. This book is a quick, action-filled urban fantasy book mixed with mystery. It’s part of a larger world, but it’s the first I’ve read.

Book Description from Amazon:

To the world, I’m a just a Conjurer. To my closest friends, I’m a FireSoul–a dangerous Magica with forbidden powers and a dragon’s soul. The downside? If anyone discovers what I am, I’m dead. So I lay low, kicking butt with my weapons, not my magic.

Things get ugly when I witness the murder of a powerful vampire ally and become the key suspect. Soon, I’m hunted by the sexiest, strongest supernatural I’ve ever met. Ares is an unheard of vampire hybrid, and it’s hard to say if he wants to kiss me or kill me.

I’ve got three days to catch the real killer. The bad news? It will take my forbidden magic to succeed. But can I control it, much less keep my secret with Ares watching my every move? Especially when the stakes get ever higher?

I’m used to protecting others…now I have to protect myself.

What I liked about this book:

The pacing was awesome. I’m not a fan of books that take a long time to get from point A to point B. This one gave us the magic right off the bat, then threw us into the mysetery that the main character has to solve or she could end up dead. The stakes are clear and they are as high as they get: life or death (probably). Throw in a handsome half-vampire to help her solve the mystery and things get even better. The heroine is strong, snarky, and has some pretty kick-ass magical abilities. I LOVE the world building and magic system she created. It was a lot of fun.

Other thoughts:

The book moves pretty fast and while it has a mystery, I never really felt like the character was in danger. She solves things quickly and moves on to the next clue right away. This isn’t a deal-breaker, though. It’s a candy read. The kind of book that you know is going to satisfy your reading sweet-tooth, keeping you entertained without having to participate in much deep thinking. That is exactly what I look for in a book during the school year when I choose a fiction read. I save my deep thinking for non-fiction books.

Will I continue in the Series?

I will likely go back to the beginning of this world. I want to learn more about the magic systems and the world she built. This didn’t pull me in to the point where I felt like I had to read the next one, but honestly, that is rare for me anymore. Part of that is that I have the biggest TBR list ever and I want to read them all. So I tend to stick to first in the series for now and save my sequel reading for summer break when I (in theory) have more time.

Fugitive of Magic on Amazon