Reviewed by Sarina
TITLE: Spell Cat
SERIES: The Aloysius Tales #1
AUTHOR: Tara Lain
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 201 pages
RELEASE DATE: October 31, 2016
BLURB:
2nd Edition
An Aloysius Tale
When Killian Barth, history professor, meets Blaine Genneau, quantum physicist, they ignite their own big bang. But Killian can’t pursue a physics professor—or a human. As the most powerful male witch in ten generations, Killian must bolster his dying race by reproducing—despite the fact that he’s gay. Even a fling with Blaine is out of the question, because Killian has been told sex with humans drains his power. But if that’s true, why can young human Jimmy Janx dissolve spoons with the power of his mind? If Killian can sort through the lies he’s been fed, he’ll still face his biggest obstacle—convincing rational scientist Blaine to believe in magic. With his ancient and powerful cat familiar, Aloysius, on his shoulder, Killian brings the lightning against deceit and greed to save Blaine from danger and prove love is the greatest power of them all.
REVIEW:
Hailed as the most powerful witch of the last ten generations, Killian Barth just wants to spend his days teaching his students and daydreaming about finding someone to love who’ll love him in return. Unfortunately, magic amongst witches is beginning to wane and in order to facilitate its return to his people, he’ll have to go through an arranged marriage he in no way wants but can’t say no to. Never mind the fact that he’s gay and the young woman in question is in love with another. When one night of selfishly going after what he wants leads to a startling conclusion that’s contrary to everything he’s always been taught, Killian sets off to unravel the threads of the web that that have kept his people from reaching their true potential. And maybe, just maybe, he’ll be able to get a happy ending for himself along the way.
I’ve had this book on my tbr for years and when I saw it was being re-released, I jumped at the chance to read it. I have to say, Spell Cat was different than what I’d been expecting but it was also a really enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. I loved both main characters though if I had to pick a favorite…it would be Aloysius. 😀 Seriously though, Killian and Blaine were just perfect for each other even if they each fought the connection in their own ways. Killian needed someone to love him for who he was as a person and not just for what he represented while Blaine needed someone to open up his eyes to the fact that there’s more in the world than just what he can quantify. Aloysius probably was my favorite character, however; it was amazing just how well he communicated what he wanted, thought and felt without the benefit of speech. I thoroughly enjoyed his presence throughout the story.
While I did really enjoy the characters, and did like the story itself quite a bit, until Killian comes to the conclusion that what he’s always been taught is a lie, things moved at a slower pace than I had been expecting or really wanted. Like I said, I did really enjoy the story but there were several points where I just wondered how much longer I’d have to wait for things to really get moving, if that makes sense. When the truth did come to light things moved fairly quickly and I had no complaints from that point forward. The showdown at the end was well worth the wait and was highly entertaining, especially since you finally get to see just what Killian is capable of. Wrapping up with a lovely happy ending and I finished the book on a great note. 🙂
I really liked this one; the characters were great, both human and feline, and there was a good blending of story with steamy bedroom scenes that kept the book from being bogged down with just one or the other. If you enjoy stories featuring magic, know it all familiars and men that are head over heels for one another, I’d recommend you giving this one a try.
RATING:
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