Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Caught
SERIES: A Balance of Magic – book 1
AUTHOR: Jackie Keswick
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 219 Pages
RELEASE DATE: September 24, 2021
BLURB:
Save two worlds, or save each other?
Rakurai hunts demons. He doesn’t consort with gods. Until he meets Tenzen.
Tenzen cares for souls. He despises the callous, self-absorbed Yuvine. Until he meets Rakurai.
A rescue and a sacrifice make a death god and a hunter fall in love, but a life of bliss is a long way off. Someone is disturbing the balance of magic and threatening two worlds. And while desire draws Rakurai and Tenzen together, duty, assassins, and clan politics keep them apart.
Who will Tenzen and Rakurai save in the end? Two worlds or each other?
***
Caught starts a new mm paranormal romance series, A Balance of Magic, featuring mortals and immortals from both sides of the veil, old promises, new revelations, and a bloody fight between love and duty. It is the first book of a trilogy and ends with a HFN. The characters will get their HEA in the final book.
Tags: Tenzen doesn’t watch where he’s going, how do you rescue a death god, Rakurai is honorable and Tenzen has no social skills, spending all your life alone does that to a god, yes – sharing a hot tub is a great idea; who is so stupid to send human assassins after a Yuvine hunter, Tenzen loses the plot – and his immortality, Rakurai is a mother hen, especially when Tenzen looks like that, Tenzen refuses to fall off that bridge, Rakurai can’t decide which world he’d rather live in, that’s what having a son does to you, that happy ending is a long time coming.
REVIEW:
A catastrophic landslide brings a range of gods out to feast. The God, Tenzen, was there to protect and guide the souls of the dead. Rakurai is a father and Yuvine clan hunter of demons. Unfortunately, his clan leader is not a good person, and, when asked, Rakurai refuses to break his Yuvine vows for him. Consequently, Rakurai is sent on missions meant to punish him. One such mission leads Rakurai to a captured Tenzen. What follows is a battle of good vs evil, conspiracy, love, and allegiance.
Caught, is the first of a Japanese-based magical series, told in the third person from the viewpoints of Tenzen and Rakurai. The super imagery of gardens, life, culture, and events transported me into the classic worlds of several well-known movies. I especially loved the idea of butterflies representing souls.
Judging from the book’s cover, Tenzen and Rakurai may have the physique of younger men, but they are much older – and it is this aspect that comes over in the story. The age difference also made their initial liaisons a touch awkward to read – akin to watching your parents kissing. But as the story progressed, the bond and support they gave to one another was lovely.
As for the extended cast, the regulars are relatively small and vary in character but there are plenty of Gods and Demons mentioned en-route. Caught, is the type of story that, once started, needs to be finished. Occasionally, magical lore’s, and storylines between who did what to who and why, got somewhat confusing especially if reading is put aside for a few days. Bargains are made, conspiracies hatched, theories discussed, and there are plenty of explanations between bouts of action and drama. The plot germination for book two is also woven into the story.
Caught is different, and I like different. The world is complex to the point where some may find it a little marmite, but if you’re into Japanese culture, gods, and magic, it’s one to immerse yourself into. I am looking forward to the next in the series.
RATING: 
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