danicamidlil's review
3.0
A lot like the Black Dagger Brotherhood but with witches instead of vampires.
laurenjodi's review
3.0
Blood Magic
3 Stars
As the leader of the Wing Slayer Hunters, a supernatural species that refuses to give in to the curse that compels them to kill witches, Axel Locke faces a devastating dilemma - kill a witch or watch his sister die. In order to save her life and his soul, Axel needs the help of a witch, but the only one available, Darcy McAllister, is unaware of her identity or powers. Forced into an unlikely alliance, Darcy and Axel are in a race against time to cure a young girl and protect themselves from a demon witch's wrath.
A somewhat creative premise, but the execution is exceedingly weak with repetitive descriptions and internal musings as well as an excessive number of characters with confusing affiliations.
Much of the book is bogged down with Darcy gaining new powers and learning how to control them, which slows the pacing down to a crawl. This is exacerbated by the dense world building with various groups of characters with similar titles - demon witches, earth witches, wing slayer hunters, rogue hunters - all with their own agendas and motivations.
The romance is also unsatisfactory. Not only do Axel and Darcy have little to no chemistry, but the conflict between them, which is based on issues of secrets and distrust, is contrived and illogical.
All in all, not the most original of concepts and it has all been done to much better effect in other series.
3 Stars
As the leader of the Wing Slayer Hunters, a supernatural species that refuses to give in to the curse that compels them to kill witches, Axel Locke faces a devastating dilemma - kill a witch or watch his sister die. In order to save her life and his soul, Axel needs the help of a witch, but the only one available, Darcy McAllister, is unaware of her identity or powers. Forced into an unlikely alliance, Darcy and Axel are in a race against time to cure a young girl and protect themselves from a demon witch's wrath.
A somewhat creative premise, but the execution is exceedingly weak with repetitive descriptions and internal musings as well as an excessive number of characters with confusing affiliations.
Much of the book is bogged down with Darcy gaining new powers and learning how to control them, which slows the pacing down to a crawl. This is exacerbated by the dense world building with various groups of characters with similar titles - demon witches, earth witches, wing slayer hunters, rogue hunters - all with their own agendas and motivations.
The romance is also unsatisfactory. Not only do Axel and Darcy have little to no chemistry, but the conflict between them, which is based on issues of secrets and distrust, is contrived and illogical.
All in all, not the most original of concepts and it has all been done to much better effect in other series.
mrose21's review against another edition
4.0
I actually really enjoyed this. This doesn't ring any bells with me at all! However I did enjoy this book. I was pretty hooked and enthralled with it all.
I love Darcy she actually develops quite well from being a shy brow beaten female to being strong and a kick butt witch.
Axel is just hot and heavy from the beginning, I was into him straight away the author has written him really well.
The only thing is this is so quick, and its almost like Darcy is super special and then not? I'm intrigued to see how this series goes and from my view point this is a good first book.
I love Darcy she actually develops quite well from being a shy brow beaten female to being strong and a kick butt witch.
Axel is just hot and heavy from the beginning, I was into him straight away the author has written him really well.
The only thing is this is so quick, and its almost like Darcy is super special and then not? I'm intrigued to see how this series goes and from my view point this is a good first book.
bookwife's review against another edition
2.0
http://megansbookmaddness.blogspot.com/2015/10/blood-magic-by-jennifer-lyon.html
I struggled a little bit with this one. I almost didn't finish it but I pushed myself to do it and I ended up liking it. kind of. I felt like the story wasn't that smooth and honestly it was hard to follow at the beginning. I wasn't getting it. To the point where I had to go and make sure that this was the first of the series.. which it is.
And Axel.. what a dick. seriously I hated him so much that by time he started being nice that I couldn't get over what a jerk he was in the beginning. I know that he had to be a jerk but I just think it was done to an excessive amount. There are lot of books where the guy is a jerk but I still end up loving him.. This was not one of them. Like I liked nothing about him. And then theres Darcey. Who I felt bad for because lets face it, Axel gave her no choice but to be trapped.. but then you go and sleep with him?? Sure makes sense to me. You can't hit him because of the witch karma(which is just ridiculous if you ask me.) so naturally that means sex it the next option. Dumb. Obviously it all worked out but whatever.
I wanted to like this book because the concept of the story is so interesting. But to me it did not deliver. The only thing I did like about the book was the group of guys. I love the brotherhood they seemed to have. Other than that though.. ehhh.
I struggled a little bit with this one. I almost didn't finish it but I pushed myself to do it and I ended up liking it. kind of. I felt like the story wasn't that smooth and honestly it was hard to follow at the beginning. I wasn't getting it. To the point where I had to go and make sure that this was the first of the series.. which it is.
And Axel.. what a dick. seriously I hated him so much that by time he started being nice that I couldn't get over what a jerk he was in the beginning. I know that he had to be a jerk but I just think it was done to an excessive amount. There are lot of books where the guy is a jerk but I still end up loving him.. This was not one of them. Like I liked nothing about him. And then theres Darcey. Who I felt bad for because lets face it, Axel gave her no choice but to be trapped.. but then you go and sleep with him?? Sure makes sense to me. You can't hit him because of the witch karma(which is just ridiculous if you ask me.) so naturally that means sex it the next option. Dumb. Obviously it all worked out but whatever.
I wanted to like this book because the concept of the story is so interesting. But to me it did not deliver. The only thing I did like about the book was the group of guys. I love the brotherhood they seemed to have. Other than that though.. ehhh.
pebblespenguin1's review against another edition
5.0
‘Blood Magic’ was a powerhouse of a novel, it had every element you could want in a paranormal romance. ‘Blood Magic’ gives a new twist on the world of witches. I have read novels about witches and witchcraft since I was a little girl and never before have I ever seen it done like this. The story captivated me from the very first page and it just pumped out adventure and adrenaline filled scenes right after the other. Axel and Darcy have such a powerful love story happening that it is hard to turn away from. Darcy feels like she just wants to lose herself in him and Axel feels the same but he can’t allow the curse and his bloodlust to take over and take her life! The exchanges between those two were so passionate, powerful, and beautifully written. I am absolutely in love with these characters and I cannot wait to read ‘Soul Magic’ which is the next book in the series.
Darcy had never fit in she always knew she was different but tried to be as normal as possible because her adopted father told her she was evil. Well it turns out Darcy isn’t normal at all she indeed an earth witch and she could possibly be the very most important and powerful one though she has never known it. After a series of confusing and terrifying events she finds herself prisoner in a witch hunter’s house. He has been cursed just like all the other hunters with a terrible bloodlust for witch’s blood but Axel and his men are determined not to go rogue and have dedicated their lives to protecting earth witches and killing rogues. Now Axel has run into a problem his four year old sister, Hannah has been cursed with the death mark and will die soon if they cannot get a earth witch to remove the spell. This is where Darcy comes in; Axel kidnapped her and is depending on her to save Hannah.
Darcy has no idea where to even start considering she didn’t even know she was a witch but after seeing Hannah, she realizes she cannot walk away and let a poor little innocent girl die; she has to at least try. She begins to work on her witchcraft and she and Axel realize that they are in the fight of their lives, in more ways than one.
Axel and Darcy have such a heavy lethal attraction to each other and soon begin to realize they need each other and can help each other more than they ever could have imagined. Besides the story of Darcy and Axel there are plenty of other characters that play their own parts in the story, each one is important and I really love the aspect of that. There is no meaningless character in this book.
It is such a compelling and powerful story, just when you think everything is going to be ok, their world gets flipped upside down again. The whole time I was reading I was just waiting for Axel to take Darcy into his arms and overcome the curse but I never ever saw the ending coming. That is a rare talent, to completely throw the reader off throughout the book. ‘Blood Magic’ was such a captivating, thrilling story, with unforgettable characters that you won’t forget and it will leave you craving the next book. I give it five stars!
Darcy had never fit in she always knew she was different but tried to be as normal as possible because her adopted father told her she was evil. Well it turns out Darcy isn’t normal at all she indeed an earth witch and she could possibly be the very most important and powerful one though she has never known it. After a series of confusing and terrifying events she finds herself prisoner in a witch hunter’s house. He has been cursed just like all the other hunters with a terrible bloodlust for witch’s blood but Axel and his men are determined not to go rogue and have dedicated their lives to protecting earth witches and killing rogues. Now Axel has run into a problem his four year old sister, Hannah has been cursed with the death mark and will die soon if they cannot get a earth witch to remove the spell. This is where Darcy comes in; Axel kidnapped her and is depending on her to save Hannah.
Darcy has no idea where to even start considering she didn’t even know she was a witch but after seeing Hannah, she realizes she cannot walk away and let a poor little innocent girl die; she has to at least try. She begins to work on her witchcraft and she and Axel realize that they are in the fight of their lives, in more ways than one.
Axel and Darcy have such a heavy lethal attraction to each other and soon begin to realize they need each other and can help each other more than they ever could have imagined. Besides the story of Darcy and Axel there are plenty of other characters that play their own parts in the story, each one is important and I really love the aspect of that. There is no meaningless character in this book.
It is such a compelling and powerful story, just when you think everything is going to be ok, their world gets flipped upside down again. The whole time I was reading I was just waiting for Axel to take Darcy into his arms and overcome the curse but I never ever saw the ending coming. That is a rare talent, to completely throw the reader off throughout the book. ‘Blood Magic’ was such a captivating, thrilling story, with unforgettable characters that you won’t forget and it will leave you craving the next book. I give it five stars!
skateanddonate's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent book. One of the best I've read all year. Only negative thing I can say about this book is the 'sparkling' skin reminded me of Twilight and pulled me out of the story the first two times. Great world buildning. Had tears streaming down my face near the end then laughter through tears.
raven168's review against another edition
4.0
I am not really all that into witch books so I'm not sure why I wanted to read this one. But despite that, I really enjoyed it. I kept wanting to continue reading to find out what would happen next. So I was pleasantly surprised.
Both Axel and Darcy were great characters in their own ways. Sure, Darcy was a probably a little more selfless than most people would be in her situation but she was still believable and despite being thrown into a world she had no idea even existed, let alone that she was part of, she worked hard to do all she could. I loved Axel. He might not have made me swoon per se, but I still loved him. He was such a great mix of intimidating, fierce warrior and such a sweet softy.
Axel is a witch hunter and the leader of the wing slayers. Years ago a curse was placed on all of the hunters as well as the earth witches. The hunters suffer from a overbearing blood lust and a need for sex. They crave the blood of witches pretty much over anything else, but if they were to kill one they become soulless and part of the rouges. Since he was 14, Axel has fought against this with everything in him. But his father is determined to force him to become a rouge. Which sets Darcy right in his path.
Darcy was adopted and never knew her birth parents. While her adoptive mother loved her, her adoptive father hated her and was always saying or doing cruel things to her. Which would end up having a great impact on her not only as a child but later when she would try to harness her powers. With her mother's death, Darcy has no family left except her cousin. Shortly after a terrifying encounter at her mother's funeral, Darcy's life will never be the same and neither will she.
With a death curse slowly killing his young sister, Axel has little choice on how to save her. He can either kill the demon witch who cast the spell thereby turning into a rouge, or he can get an earth witch to remove it. And he knows just where to find Darcy. Saving her life from a couple other rouges, Axel kidnaps her and takes her to his home. It soon becomes clear to him that she is telling the truth when she tells him she has no idea what he's talking about when it comes to witches and the hunters. But when she meets his sister and sees what's happening to her, Darcy is determined to learn what it means to be a witch and save her. Neither Darcy or Axel know what it is about the other that makes them feel what they do for the other and it's not long before they end up sleeping together. As it turns out, that happens to also be what helps bring out Darcy's control over her power. It also starts to change Axel.
The more power that Darcy gains, the more she also learns. About her birth parents and the curse. But even with this knowledge, she fears telling Axel about what's really happening between them. And by not doing so it causes tension between them that breaks at the worst time. Feeling betrayed and storming off, Axel encounters his Wing Slayer god (who was actually pretty cool) and gets a good slap of reality. And just when you think things are going to be okay and the story over, we get the baddies doing what they do best.
By the end, the hunters have learned a lot about the curse and how to break it. They know who the real mastermind is and what his end goal is as well. Plus, with Axel and Darcy's mating it also becomes clear that things are about to change and a prophecy of a sort is coming to be.
Seeing how I actually quite enjoyed this book, I probably will end up checking out more of this series.
Copy provided by publisher via Netgalley.
Both Axel and Darcy were great characters in their own ways. Sure, Darcy was a probably a little more selfless than most people would be in her situation but she was still believable and despite being thrown into a world she had no idea even existed, let alone that she was part of, she worked hard to do all she could. I loved Axel. He might not have made me swoon per se, but I still loved him. He was such a great mix of intimidating, fierce warrior and such a sweet softy.
Axel is a witch hunter and the leader of the wing slayers. Years ago a curse was placed on all of the hunters as well as the earth witches. The hunters suffer from a overbearing blood lust and a need for sex. They crave the blood of witches pretty much over anything else, but if they were to kill one they become soulless and part of the rouges. Since he was 14, Axel has fought against this with everything in him. But his father is determined to force him to become a rouge. Which sets Darcy right in his path.
Darcy was adopted and never knew her birth parents. While her adoptive mother loved her, her adoptive father hated her and was always saying or doing cruel things to her. Which would end up having a great impact on her not only as a child but later when she would try to harness her powers. With her mother's death, Darcy has no family left except her cousin. Shortly after a terrifying encounter at her mother's funeral, Darcy's life will never be the same and neither will she.
With a death curse slowly killing his young sister, Axel has little choice on how to save her. He can either kill the demon witch who cast the spell thereby turning into a rouge, or he can get an earth witch to remove it. And he knows just where to find Darcy. Saving her life from a couple other rouges, Axel kidnaps her and takes her to his home. It soon becomes clear to him that she is telling the truth when she tells him she has no idea what he's talking about when it comes to witches and the hunters. But when she meets his sister and sees what's happening to her, Darcy is determined to learn what it means to be a witch and save her. Neither Darcy or Axel know what it is about the other that makes them feel what they do for the other and it's not long before they end up sleeping together. As it turns out, that happens to also be what helps bring out Darcy's control over her power. It also starts to change Axel.
The more power that Darcy gains, the more she also learns. About her birth parents and the curse. But even with this knowledge, she fears telling Axel about what's really happening between them. And by not doing so it causes tension between them that breaks at the worst time. Feeling betrayed and storming off, Axel encounters his Wing Slayer god (who was actually pretty cool) and gets a good slap of reality. And just when you think things are going to be okay and the story over, we get the baddies doing what they do best.
By the end, the hunters have learned a lot about the curse and how to break it. They know who the real mastermind is and what his end goal is as well. Plus, with Axel and Darcy's mating it also becomes clear that things are about to change and a prophecy of a sort is coming to be.
Seeing how I actually quite enjoyed this book, I probably will end up checking out more of this series.
Copy provided by publisher via Netgalley.
chllybrd's review against another edition
4.0
With a great cast of characters and an interesting storyline, BLOOD MAGIC was a fast paced read that was easy to enjoy from front to back.
Darcy has always felt different and the night she's attacked she finds out why. She has a really hard time believing that she is a witch, but she can't deny it for long. She doesn't appreciate being kidnapped, but she wants to help Axel's little sister and she also wants to learn what she can really do. I thought she was a pretty strong individual considering what she was going through. She didn't sit in the corner and cry, she did what she needed to do.
It took me a bit to get a good feel for Axel. I could FEEL his struggle with his curse and the pull he had to Darcy. He wants her to save his sister, but I really felt that he wanted to be saved too and he just didn't know it. He has a really hard time trusting his feelings as well as Darcy since she is a witch, but he does pursue his feelings for her and when they are together, they make a really good team.
I truly enjoyed reading BLOOD MAGIC and thought that the introduction to the world and characters of the Wing Slayer series was well executed. I really liked getting to know both the main characters as well as the secondary characters. You could tell that they were all going to be important to the series and I definitely have a few that I want to read more about. I look forward to reading book two!
* This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Darcy has always felt different and the night she's attacked she finds out why. She has a really hard time believing that she is a witch, but she can't deny it for long. She doesn't appreciate being kidnapped, but she wants to help Axel's little sister and she also wants to learn what she can really do. I thought she was a pretty strong individual considering what she was going through. She didn't sit in the corner and cry, she did what she needed to do.
It took me a bit to get a good feel for Axel. I could FEEL his struggle with his curse and the pull he had to Darcy. He wants her to save his sister, but I really felt that he wanted to be saved too and he just didn't know it. He has a really hard time trusting his feelings as well as Darcy since she is a witch, but he does pursue his feelings for her and when they are together, they make a really good team.
I truly enjoyed reading BLOOD MAGIC and thought that the introduction to the world and characters of the Wing Slayer series was well executed. I really liked getting to know both the main characters as well as the secondary characters. You could tell that they were all going to be important to the series and I definitely have a few that I want to read more about. I look forward to reading book two!
* This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
csc0tt's review against another edition
3.0
I'll give it a 3.5 and I'm sure I will read the next one. This was one of those books that got better as it went on. I like the idea behind the story line, and I think the author was beginning to develop it well when the book ended. I'm thinking the next one will be even better!
nikkim17's review against another edition
4.0
Lovely story! No spoilers
Loved it and read pretty quickly. The only thing that's keeping it from being 5 stars for me is it seemed almost every time they described history and what something meant during the whole first half of the book, I felt lost and didn't understand it. That did finally go away and pieces started to fall into place. But I wouldn't be so lost that I became uninterested. I loved the story as a whole and there is definitely enough to build a huge series on. It was different and refreshing to see something this unique in the paranormal fiction realm. Highly recommend!
Loved it and read pretty quickly. The only thing that's keeping it from being 5 stars for me is it seemed almost every time they described history and what something meant during the whole first half of the book, I felt lost and didn't understand it. That did finally go away and pieces started to fall into place. But I wouldn't be so lost that I became uninterested. I loved the story as a whole and there is definitely enough to build a huge series on. It was different and refreshing to see something this unique in the paranormal fiction realm. Highly recommend!