Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Spellbound
SERIES: Magic In Manhattan #1
AUTHOR: Allie Therin
PUBLISHER: Carina Press
RELEASE DATE: July 29, 2019
LENGTH: 243 Pages
BLURB:
1925
New York
Arthur Kenzie’s life’s work is protecting the world from the supernatural relics that could destroy it. When an amulet with the power to control the tides is shipped to New York, he must intercept it before it can be used to devastating effects. This time, in order to succeed, he needs a powerful psychometric…and the only one available has sworn off his abilities altogether.
Rory Brodigan’s gift comes with great risk. To protect himself, he’s become a recluse, redirecting his magic to find counterfeit antiques. But with the city’s fate hanging in the balance, he can’t force himself to say no.
Being with Arthur is dangerous, but Rory’s ever-growing attraction to him begins to make him brave. And as Arthur coaxes him out of seclusion, a magical and emotional bond begins to form. One that proves impossible to break—even when Arthur sacrifices himself to keep Rory safe and Rory must risk everything to save him.
REVIEW:
Rory uses magic to seek out fake antiques. Scrying allows him to see the history in an object, hence its authenticity. He is young and innocent, but he is magically powerful. Arthur is not magical, but he has wealth, experience, a big heart and is on a mission to stop relics that could devastate, into the city.
Set in 1925, the era of prohibition, Rory didn’t have the best start in life, and is effectively a recluse working in an antiques shop. Arthur comes from a wealthy family and has all the privileges money can afford. When the two meet, Arthur is taken aback by the delightfully defensively snarky young man, who quickly gets under his skin.
Told in the third person, technically the novel is sound. There were also none of those little phrases that belong in my room 101. Wuhooo.
I found the story gripping from the start. So engaging that I read it in two days. This novel is part of a series, and while characters will overlap, each mystery is solved by the last page. This particular tale involves the battle between people wielding magic for good and evil. Also, in 1925 and despite a growing attraction, the law along with mixed signals keeps Rory and Arthur at arm’s length.
The overall cast is strong, with a range of personalities including the sassy little old lady, a voice of reason, pals turned enemies and a band of good guys.
There is a lovely depth to the story, with each character having a history, some of which comes out in this instalment. The rest will no doubt come out in further books.
Arthur is a selfless man with an intensive protective streak. Although he has wealth, his life experiences in the first world war made him a man with a huge heart. The battle between heart and head is an endearing one. He needs to ensure all those in his circle are safe and sound, which puts him at odds with himself when Rory agrees to some risky ventures. A story wouldn’t be a story without the inevitable passionate moments, which adds an extra element to the drama. The intimate scenes are fade out, which for this story I was pleased about because A) it wasn’t needed and B) it kept the emphasis on the magical mystery.
Overall, Spellbound is an engaging tale with humor, drama, and super characters that have room to grow. The paranormal element truly kept me spellbound within the pages. I look forward to reading others in the series.
RATING: 
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