Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Magic Burning
SERIES: Carnival Of Mysteries #3
AUTHOR: Kaje Harper
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 323 pages
RELEASE DATE: July 26, 2023
BLURB:
Alan
I haven’t been out with a guy in the last two years. Partly because I’m a gay elementary-school teacher in a fairly small, conservative town. Partly because I’m a sorcerer, and dating ordinary humans only leads to trouble. Sleeping with one though? That’s doable, so when my birdbrained familiar Sunny lines up a tall, muscular firefighter for me, I’m not going to say no. Just once, though. Maybe twice. I don’t need more trouble in my life.
Jason
I don’t regret moving back to my hometown and my big family. Well, not much. I’m not out to them, and I miss the anonymity of the big city, but I like the local fire house and the slower-paced life. Still, when I see my niece’s teacher, Mr. Hiranchai, in gray sweatpants talking to a mini-parrot on his shoulder, something inside me (or maybe something in front of me) perks up and says “I want that one.” I can’t have an actual boyfriend, but I sure wouldn’t mind getting laid, and Alan’s slim, dark-haired, smart-assed style rings all my bells.
It’s no surprise we turn out to be great together, even if my job and his responsibilities make it hard to find time. It is a surprise when I realize I want more than just an occasional night. But some weird fires out in the brush keep us firefighters hopping, and when this strange carnival comes to town and lands me with a pair of magical doll shoes, life gets truly confusing. There’s more to Alan than he’s telling me, and I’m getting a bad, bad feeling about all this.
Magic Burning is a story in the Necromancer universe, 60 years after Marked by Death, and is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains a snarky, matchmaking bird, a lonely young teacher, and a gay firefighter finally coming out to his large family.
REVIEW:
When Alan’s familiar, a mischievous Conure named Sunny, engineered a meeting between his human, and Jason, a muscular firefighter; neither man expected they’d find their soul mate. After all, it wasn’t done for sorcerers to date humans – a quick roll in the sack, yes – but nothing serious.
Magic Burning is a lovely story made all the more enjoyable by the show’s star – Sunny. The characters are brave and have plenty to learn about life, magic, family, and love. Their journey to something special was a page-turning read with obstacles on the way.
The story is told in the first person from the viewpoints of Jason and Alan and is technically sound. Worldbuilding suited my tastes as it settled in that sweet zone – enough to form a picture in my mind without going OTT.
Sunny’s opening-page antics gave him a firmly loved place in the story. Yet the wider cast was varied between work, and family who had a range of views on homosexuality, the enigmatic members of the Carnival of Mysteries, and the world of magic.
Alan is a sorcerer who has issues controlling his power. As this is primarily a paranormal book, I got to experience these issues with him. He also must deal with the directive of keeping his talents undisclosed vs the dilemma of keeping secrets from Jason – especially as their connection deepens. One aspect of Alan’s life is coping with his mentor, who has dementia. This element of the story has its amusing parts and its heartbreaking ones.
Back in his small hometown, Jason is a brave muscular firefighter. And here is my only gripe about the story. I got to experience Alan’s days as a teacher, and his use of magic, but fires are part of this story, too, and other than a couple of magical ones, I didn’t experience what Jason went through during a fire. I was shown the aftermath but mostly told about the rest. A fireman was chosen as the other protagonist, so I wanted to experience Jason in his job too.
The story has several cockblocking events alongside a super balance of humor, drama, and heartbreak. Bravo on a balanced page-turner of a tale.
RATING: 
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