Review: “Jinxed”
I read the first book in this series, after being blown away by this author’s other books (see all links below), so of course I eagerly lapped up this ARC once I got a notification that it was available.
The Premise
Continuing on from where the last book ended, Talia now has some experience in the Fae world under her belt, but there’s still a lot she doesn’t know about her mysterious Runemaster and incubus boss Zayn. When he is captured in a seemingly unreachable location, she must find a way to rescue him from the power-hungry mob boss that he betrayed. But as she learns more about Zayn, she realises she may be in over her head with the violent magic they are fighting against. With the help of a reincarnated fledgling familiar Biscuit in tow, can she find a way to save them all?
The Pros & Cons
This was another rollicking adventure with lovable, colourful characters that leap off the page and stay with you. As Talia bumbles her way through the Fae world and finds innovative ways to survive, we cheer her on hoping that she and her lover Zayn can reunite and FINALLY get their act together! But of course it’s not quite that simple… though the passion is there (and there are some super-steamy moments to prove it!), she soon realises that her infatuated connection is no match for the power-hungry Sol and his crew of evil-doers. The history between Sol and Zayn goes way back — and Zayn has conveniently omitted a few key details about how they became entangled in the first place.
Again I loved all the descriptions, the hilarious moments, and of course the always-cheeky Biscuit! The book is fast-paced and if you put it down for a bit you’ll struggle to get back into the swing of it, because there is barely a pause for breath from one scene to the next! I mentioned with the first book that I got a wee bit lost with keeping track of the fae realm’s inner workings, so I was grateful this time for the inclusion of a chart at the beginning with some info to remind me of what’s what! Also I did miss the Jewish language scattered among the words throughout the last book; there’s a bit of it here as well, but just not quite as much overall — as we’ve gotten to know the characters better, and the action is heavier with the plot moving things forward quicker. Nevertheless these tiny niggles are minuscule compared to the story that is riveting from beginning to end, with a hefty amount of heart for good measure!
Conclusion
This was another great one to complement the first in the series, and I highly recommend to adult readers who enjoy a little raunchiness in their fantasy reads. Fabulous characters, beautiful book covers (works of art!), just the right amount of steaminess to curl your toes, and a nice dollop of humour to make you laugh out loud! This is now my seventh book by this author, and I’m officially a fan (I have been from the first one!) so I eagerly await the next in this series, and look forward to her other future works as well.
