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A review by searchingforhappilyeverafter
The Magpie Lord by KJ Charles
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Magic, magpies, humor, mystery, and spookiness abound in KJ Charles’s The Magpie Lord, the first book in her Charm of Magpies series!
Lucien Vaudrey, the new Lord Crane, has returned to England after inheriting an earldom. It seems he’s also inherited his family’s enemies and deadly curses. He needs magical assistance as soon as possible, so that he can get everything in order and return to his home in Shanghai. Enter magician Stephen Day, who hates the Vaudrey family. His job, however, is to deal with supernatural threats. As he is helping Lucien, Stephen discovers that they are in a lot of danger, both from outside forces and from their undeniable attraction to each other.
KJ Charles's words captivated me from the start! I am very easily scared and avoid all things horror. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which starts off with a bit of spooky paranormal activity. The fact that I could not put it down despite the potential of being scared out of my mind really says a lot about how much I loved this story, the author's writing style, and the worldbuilding. I just had to keep reading to find out what happened next. There were a lot of laugh-out-loud moments and witty dialogue that provided a nice balance. To top it off, the way that Stephen and Lucien reluctantly fell for each other was absolutely charming and full of delicious tension, making me eager to read more about their love story. I'm so glad the rest of the books in the series are already out, so I can dive into those soon!
Lucien Vaudrey, the new Lord Crane, has returned to England after inheriting an earldom. It seems he’s also inherited his family’s enemies and deadly curses. He needs magical assistance as soon as possible, so that he can get everything in order and return to his home in Shanghai. Enter magician Stephen Day, who hates the Vaudrey family. His job, however, is to deal with supernatural threats. As he is helping Lucien, Stephen discovers that they are in a lot of danger, both from outside forces and from their undeniable attraction to each other.
KJ Charles's words captivated me from the start! I am very easily scared and avoid all things horror. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which starts off with a bit of spooky paranormal activity. The fact that I could not put it down despite the potential of being scared out of my mind really says a lot about how much I loved this story, the author's writing style, and the worldbuilding. I just had to keep reading to find out what happened next. There were a lot of laugh-out-loud moments and witty dialogue that provided a nice balance. To top it off, the way that Stephen and Lucien reluctantly fell for each other was absolutely charming and full of delicious tension, making me eager to read more about their love story. I'm so glad the rest of the books in the series are already out, so I can dive into those soon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia and Incest
Minor: Antisemitism