Genres: Paranormal Romance

Casee‘s review of Soul Magic (Wing Slayer Hunters, book 2) by Jennifer Lyon.

When an ancient pact is broken, powerful witches who once used their magic to help humanity become the twisted playthings of demons, and the mortal men who once protected the sorceresses become witch hunters, cursed with the longing to spill the witches’ blood: an irresistible craving that will cost witches their lives and witch hunters their souls.

The Wing Slayer Hunters fight this curse, guarding innocent witches until the urge to harm them grows too strong–then they must kill their own. Wing Slayer Sutton West has always honored that vow. His own father killed himself rather than go rogue. But now Sutton is tempted as never before by Carla Fisk, a brilliant psychologist and dynamic witch whose twin sister, Keri, was murdered by rogues.

Bound by blood and passion, Carla and Sutton dare not succumb to their deadly attraction. Yet when a mysterious rogue named Styx joins forces with the demon Asmodeus, witch and hunter have no choice but to work together. For Keri’s immortal soul is at stake–and with it, balanced on a knife-edge, is the fate of humanity itself.

This series is my favorite new series of the year. I loved the idea of witch hunters, witches (good and bad), and curses. It’s just intriguing. Like I’ve said in the past, coming onto the paranormal scene these days is hard b/c there is so much out there. This series is fresh and original. Soul Magic takes us deeper into the world that Lyon has created.

Both Sutton and Carla were fairly prominent in Blood Magic. Sutton is a Wing Slayer and Carla is a witch. After a mortal woman attacks Sutton, they take her to Carla when it’s clear that she’s been under some kind of mind control. Carla is able to go to the astral plane to help the soul go back to the physical body. When she attempts to bring the woman back, she finds her twin sister Keri’s soul. Keri died two years before and it is very obvious that Keri didn’t go onto Summerland. Keri stopped this particular knife from killing Carla which is how her soul got trapped in it.

Sutton and Carla are forced to work together, something neither of them want. Sutton is afraid that he’s finally going to give into the bloodlust that turns witch hunters into rogues. Like his father before him, he will die before he lets that happen. Not only does he not want to become the very thing that he’s hunting, he doesn’t want to hurt Carla.

When it appears that Sutton and Carla are soul melds, Carla isn’t so sure. Keri has a bond with Sutton that doesn’t seem to include Carla. Sutton denies it, telling Carla that it’s her he’s always been attracted to. He is sure that Carla is his soul meld.

That aspect of the book was the most interesting. It doesn’t become apparent until the end who Sutton’s soul meld really is. I don’t want to spoil it, but it doesn’t end as easily as you expect. In fact, it was probably the most emotional part of the book. I really like what Lyon did with the Sutton/Carla/Keri triangle (not that it was a triangle.

4.25 out of 5.

This book is available from Ballantine. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Other books in the series:

Genres: Paranormal Romance

THE HUNTER AND THE HUNTED

In the days when powerful witches used their magic to shield humanity from demons, their allies and guardians were a group of men gifted with preternatural abilities of their own–the witch guardians. But when a band of witches traded their humanity for demonic power, the ancient bond was broken, and the guardians became the hunters.

Darcy MacAlister knows nothing of demons or magic. But this beautiful young woman is about to discover the truth about her past . . . and her future. For she is a witch–not just any witch, but the key to breaking the curse that has plagued witches and the men who hunt them. For if a hunter kills an innocent witch by mistake, the price is no less than a piece of his soul.

Axel Locke, gorgeous leader of the Wing Slayer Hunters, has sworn never to shed the blood of the earth witches who have resisted the temptation of demonic power. But when his sister is cursed by a demon witch, he discovers that Darcy MacAlister may hold the cure–if she can master her newfound powers in time. When the chase begins and Axel and Darcy come face-to-face, this hunter must weigh his soul against his honor–and against his heart.

Jennifer Lyon, where have you been my whole paranormal reading life?

This is one of those books that sticks with you long after you read it. It’s even better b/c it was so unexpected. I just thought it sounded good. Witches and witch hunters. Curses and death marks. It sounded like a recipe for reading success and it truly was.

Darcy MacAlister has no earthly clue that magic even exists, let alone that she’s a witch. She’s just a normal woman, running her family’s mortuary and mourning the death of her adoptive mom. She’s always known she was different; not everyone hears voices in their heads. Or not the sane ones, anyway. When she starts getting emails from herself telling her to “Run”, she’s mystified. It’s when she gets a phone call telling her to run that she finally listens. Almost too late.

Axel Locke to the rescue. Or not.

Axel has a mission: find Darcy MacAlister and force her to save his little sister’s life. While he doesn’t immediately believe her when she claims that she’s not a witch, he starts believing when he realizes she’s actually telling the truth. That makes his life even harder since he only has a certain amount of time to either make Darcy save his sister or kill the demon witch that cursed her. Axel would much rather have Darcy save her b/c killing a demon witch will make him a rogue, a soulless witch hunter that only cares about killing witches.

Axel was your textbook alpha male. Hawtness.

I loved that Darcy wouldn’t take any crap from Axel. From the very beginning, he took charge and pointed her in the direction he wanted her to go. Darcy didn’t stand for that and it didn’t take long for her to turn the tables. She was such a great heroine; smart, strong, and independent. I thought that her reaction to the fact that she was a witch was right on. Of course it helped when she remembered certain things that happened in her childhood.

Axel was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. He wanted Darcy almost as much as he wanted her to heal Hannah. Yet he was raised believing that a witch’s blood would trigger an insane bloodlust that would ultimately cause her death. He was very confused at the protective instincts that arose in him when it came to Darcy. All he knew was that he had a connection with this earth witch when it seemed entirely impossible.

I think Jennifer Lyon has created a fabulous world with Blood Magic. She started the story arc with Axel and Darcy and it’s just going to keep on going. I can’t wait.

4.5 out of 5.

This book is available from Ballantine. You can buy it here or here in e-format.