#BookReview – “Blood Magic” by Jennifer Lyon

Blurb

A dangerous curse…

Axel Locke is the sinfully sexy leader of the Wing Slayer Hunters–a group of supernatural witch hunters who have vowed to never give into the curse driving them to slaughter innocent witches. But when his little sister is death-cursed by a demon witch, Axel will stop at nothing to save her. He rescues a beautiful witch from a killer, intending to force her to magically cure his sister. The only problem? She has no idea what she is.

A deadly passion…

Darcy McAllister grew up knowing she was different, but she never imagined she’s a witch. With the life of a child at stake, she agrees to work with the hot, compelling hunter to gain control over her newfound powers. But an irresistible attraction crackles between them, creating a dangerous dilemma—can Darcy trust the man hexed to crave her blood to satisfy her aching desire?

Will their forbidden love destroy them?

As Darcy and Axel race against the clock, their explosive passion deepens to a fiery love. But when Darcy attempts to heal his sister makes her a target for a demon’s revenge, Axel will sacrifice anything, including his immortal soul, to save her.

Review

In book one of the Wing Hunter Slayers series, Axel is a kickass hunter in desperate need a witch.

Historically, the Wing Slayers were witch hunters who killed the evil ‘demon witches’ but protected the good ‘earth witches.’ Thirty years ago, the demon witches cursed the race of slayers into craving witch blood. If the hunter gives in, he’ll lose his soul and become a heartless, killing monster. Axel and his hunter friends are determined to never give in, but the only way to calm their bloodlust without killing a witch is to have lots of sex with humans. When rogues are attacking witches, the hunters fight them, but they try their hardest to stay away from both types of witches, so they themselves won’t be tempted to hurt the women. (Rogues are ex-hunters who believe the curse will be broken if they kill all the witches in existence.)

Darcy is an earth witch but doesn’t know it. Raised by a mortal family, she always knew she was different but didn’t know why until two rogues attack her. Axel ends up saving her by kidnapping her. He needs her to do a spell to save his little sister from a death mark, but Darcy knows very little about witchcraft.

Their relationship starts with lots of problems. Neither trust each other, but they decide to work together to save the child. They learn from each other and become stronger and more powerful than they ever would’ve been if apart.

Axel and Darcy’s chemistry is off the charts. They’re both wonderfully stubborn and strong characters. They work great together, but their mistrust is understandable. Both characters feel very real, and their mutual sacrifices will pave the way for a better future.

Axel’s friends—Sutton, Key, Ram, and Phoenix—are in the same boat Axel’s in, and I can’t wait to see what happens to them when they meet the women who will save them in the following books. Darcy’s friends—Joe, Carla, and Morgan—play a big role in the story. I usually read books that feature a hero and his friends saving the day while the heroine’s friends don’t exist or are on the backburner. Not so in this book. Darcy’s pals are just as important as the hunters are.

I really enjoyed this story, but sometimes I had a hard time following. The history of the Wing Slayer Hunters, the earth witches, and the demon witches is scattered throughout the book in bits and pieces, which made it difficult to understand what was really going on and what these people were about. By the time all the information was stated, I was a little lost but managed to piece most everything together in my head. Now that I know what’s going on, I should be able to enjoy and understand the other books in the series better.

The story is free of spelling typos, from what I could tell. There were a few scenes where I would’ve liked more detail and description (I had a hard time picturing the cat inside the magical tapestry), but I could make out what was going on through my own imagination.

I definitely recommend this book for paranormal romance lovers, and I look forward to reading more in the series.

4 Stars

Disclaimer – I bought this book for my own enjoyment. I am not paid or compensated in any way, shape, or form for this honest review. I will not change or alter this review for any reason unless at my discretion.