Heather’s Bookshelf: In the Midst of Magic
Author: Christian Cura
Released: 05/25/22
Genre: Urban Fantasy
“How dare she do this to us? We welcomed her as one of our own. We worked together. We hung out together. I thought she was my friend. I thought we were going to have an amazing career together. Well, not anymore. Get ready, b****. I’m coming for you.”
“In the Midst of Magic” introduces Kara Hartman, a young woman photojournalist. She used to study magic at the Academy of Mystic Arts with her brother, Anthony, and best friend, Charlotte. But one terrible day, Charlotte went against the rules of magic and betrayed her friend, ending the life of Anthony. Charlotte went to jail, blaming Kara for her predicament and swearing revenge.
Kara gave up magic altogether until one of her work assignments put her and an innocent girl in danger. Using her magic to save them, revealed her truth. Admittedly rusty, she is referred to a demon hunter named Selene Radcliffe for training.
Meanwhile, betrayal at the prison results in the escape of 3 dangerous criminals—-including Charlotte. The rogue mystics are determined to enact their plan of revenge on the world, but Charlotte can’t shake the need to get back at Kara. Who will win this clash of magic and who will survive to tell the tale?
Trigger Warning: violence, adult language, sexual situations, animal death, murder
Overall, I liked this story. The main concept was interesting and included many subplots including revenge, love, friendship, family, and trust. There were also interesting takes on magic stories I had not encountered before like the laws on the Seven Tenets (based on the 10 commandments) and the healing abilities of Kara. I thought it interesting how she had to heal each tissue and it made it more realistic, for some reason. I also found Kara a well-developed and likable character. Many of the ancillary characters (like Thalia) were just as memorable and meaningful. However, I wish the rivalry between Kara and Charlotte would have been developed more. It would have been nice to see them as friends before Charlotte killed her brother- to see her as a good person before she devolved and what brought her there. (That would make a great prequel, actually). As it was, I felt a little disconnect to Charlotte. There’s a lot of action in this book which helps with the pacing, but the fight scenes were a little drawn out at times. I also found the love story a little forced and more about the physical connection than the emotional one. While the ending itself felt complete, the second to the last chapter seemed so out of place! I really enjoyed this author’s style and found the dialogue natural and easy to read.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A magic-filled tale of revenge, family, friendship, and betrayal. A lack of backstory limits the connection to the main story and villain.
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