Sinister Magic (Death Before Dragons, #1) by Lindsay Buroker

Sinister Magic (Death Before Dragons, #1) Reviews

• 
  Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin

  4.5 Stars ⭐️
  
  
  
  Buddy Read With My MacHalo Lovelies!
  
  This book was so much fun and I loved the characters. Well, most of them!
  
  Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
• 
  Angela (Angel's Guilty Pleasures)

  Sinister Magic is book one in a brand new urban fantasy series, Death Before Dragons, by Lindsay Buroker.
  
  What an AWSOME Urban Fantasy. It reminded me a little of Kate Daniels series, yet completely different. It’s got an older snarky heroine, a fun tiger side-kick, and a patronizing dragon.
  
  Val our heroine is a half-elven bounty hunter. It’s her job to go after the vile and weird creatures. She's a contractor for the government and working for the them; well it involves an entirely different kind of nasty.
  
  Zavyrd or Lord Zavyrd as he wants to be called is sent to Earth, a plant he despises, to clean it up of all the riff raft that have fled justice. His job is to bring them home for rehabilitation.
  
  Val soon finds herself crossing paths with a this self-important dragon shifter who just begs our heroine to poke and get a rise out of him at every opportunity. Val and Zavryd, don’t get along and Zavyrd insists that Val is his bait.
  
  We are also treated to Val’s friend, familiar, side-kick, bodyguard, and service animal, the magical silver tiger Sindari. He warns Val not to aggravate the dragon, but she can’t help herself in the face of such a smug and superior being.
  
  Let me first mention that cover. It’s eye-catching and pulled me in. I also want to say that this is my first taste of Lindsay Buroker. I had know idea what I was getting into, but man did she hook me. I actually read Sinister Magic in Kindle Unlimited and I just knew after finishing, that I’d read it again, so I ended up buying the book and all the rest in the series.
  
  I had a blast with this first novel. I loved that our heroine is in her 40’s, has life experience, and still can kicking-ass. Her magical cat, Sindari, is such a fun character and Zavyrd, our dragon shifter, is perfectly arrogant. I loved Val, Sindari, and Zavyrd.
  
  Sinister Magic is packed full of action and adventure. It’s one wild ride from beginning to end. We are treated to unique characters. A plot that pulls you in and doesn't let go. The world building is well done and Val’s backstory was perfect.
  
  I can’t wait to see what’s next. If you love Urban Fantasy, then this one is for you. It’s got it all.
  
  Rated: 5 Stars
  
  
  
• 
  Ronda

  This was a great book, full of adventure and twists and turns. I loved the mystery side to the story but more than that I am looking ahead and I'm wondering how this is going to play out!
  
  Great characters, great plot, first time with this author and I'm downloading the 2nd one to start right away!!!
• 
  ✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans)

  🐲 We Lurves Dragon and Stuff Buddy Read (WLDaS™) with the MacHalos and stuff 🐲
  
  Actual rating: 3.687955896548 stars.
  
  Okay, kingdoms to overthrow, puny humans to enslave and all that crap, ergo jump right into this we shall.
  
  Here be the good stuff:
  
  ① The heroine is 40+ years old.
  
  
  
  I know right? That was my first reaction, too. I mean, you have to admit that any woman a day older than 25 is considered as positively ancient and utterly decrepit in the not-so wonderful world of UF, so the fact that Buroker chose to make Val—the MC—such a decaying fossil is quite shocking indeed.
  
  Now my second reaction upon being told Val’s age was something akin to this:
  
  
  
  Because you have to admit that Buroker choosing to make Val such a decaying fossil is bloody shrimping glorious indeed. Take that you ridiculously prepubescent female UF leads!
  
  And get that, not only is Val most wondrously old, she is an 💕assassin💕, too. I kid you not. She also happens to snarky as fish (which results in lots of hahahahahahaha moments, just so you know). And complex and strong and independent and I don't know her that well yet but I’m calling pre-emptive dibs because you never know and stuff.
  
  ② Val the Fossil has the coolest pet ever.
  Okay, given how, um, susceptible said pet is, maybe I should call him a feline companion. Or better yet, a superiorly magnificent (and magnificently superior) apex predator. (Yes, I’m sure that would be more to Sindari’s liking.) Anyhoo and stuff, Sindari—that’s the pet’s apex predator’s name, by the way—is an ever-so-slightly smug tiger Val summons from another realm when she needs a hand in the assassination business. (Now if you're familiar with
  Drizzzzzt's adventures this should definitely ring a bell but more on that later and stuff.) It is a truth universally acknowledged that I simply cannot resist hilariously pompous as shrimp felines—👋waves👋 at
  Mr Poe—ergo the Poof, Gone, Kidnapped (PGK™) on Sindari I have done.
  
  ③ A most titillating cast of secondary characters.
  Because I said so and stuff. And also because Colonel Willard + Mary the shrink + Zoltan the vamp 😂😂😂 + Lieutenant Dickhead + Dimitri the quarter-dwarf + Nin of the Thai Tiger Truck =
  
  
  
  ④ A most scrumptious array of delightfully diverse creatures.
  Gnomes and golems and trolls, oh my! Dwarves and werewolves and dark elves, oh my! Vampires and manticores and orcs, oh my! Goblins and orcs and firbolgs, oh my! Satyrs and minotaurs and wyverns, oh my! And let's not forget dragons! (Well it's asshole dragons, really, but more on that later.) Quite the equal-opportunity author Lindsay Buroker is. I think the only fluffy beasts—sorry I meant to say sentient beings—that are missing from this story are crustaceans. Which would have meant instant excruciating death for any other author but Buroker wrote
  The Emperor's Edge and shall therefore escape my vengeful wrath. Besides, she also threw in a spoiler spoiler spoiler—named Fred, just so you know—in her story, which is pretty awesome, if you ask me.
  
  Here be the not-so-good stuff:
  
  ① Asshole dragons.
  Our Lord Fish knows how much I usually 💕lurves💕 a good old arrogant bastard. But the male MC (and resident dragon) in this story is such a giant piece of crap that it's too much, even for me (which is saying something). I mean, the guy doesn't have a single redeeming quality. He's just a pretentious ass who treats people like shit the fecal matter of underage shrimp and manipulates the fish out of everyone Val. Not to mention that he has the fashion sense of Mr. T.
  
  
  
  Yeah, um, right, I think I'll pass and stuff.
  
  ② The Drizzzzzzt copy/paste.
  Remember my new favorite pet apex predator, Sindari? Well if I didn't know any better I would think he was
  Guenhwyvar reincarnated. I mean, a feline companion formerly belonging to dark elves and that can be summoned from another plane through a cat figurine? I'm willing to give Buroker the benefit of the doubt here but there are coincidences and then there are COINCIDENCES.
  
  
  
  My thoughts exactly.
  
  ③ Fun plot, fast pace, and then yawwwnnnn.
  I'm pretty sure the last third of the story could have been edited down to a single chapter. The final showdown goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on. And also on and on and on. But the worst thing is, the Asshole Dragon isn't even killed dead at the end! Most outrageous, that.
  
  ➽ Nefarious Last Words (NLW™): if there are two things that Buroker does very well, it's assassins and submarine stuff. Sorry, what? Oh, you want to know what submarines have to do with all this? Well you'll have to read the book to find out, won't you now? 😬.
  
  P.S. The unabridged audios for ALL the books in this series are available for FREE on Lindsay Buroker's
  YouTube channel! You can listen to this installment
  here and stuff!
  
  · Book 2:
  Battle Bond ★★★
  
  
  
  [Pre-review nonsense]
  
  There's a supposedly hot-as-fish arrogant bastard of a dragon shifter in this book. But I will not be doing the Poof Gone Harem (PGH™) on him. (Not for now anyway, so don't get your hopes up.) I have, however, fallen slightly in 💕lurve💕 with Sindari, the MC's scrumptious (if a teensy little bit smug) feline sidekick. Because reasons and stuff.
  
  
  
  This might or might not be one of said reasons, yes.
  
  ➽ Full review (and reasons) to come.
  
  P.S. The heroine of this series is 40+ years old, aka nearly as ancient as I am. I kid you not.
  
  
• 
  Jacob Proffitt

  I like Lindsay Buroker and enjoy her books, but they're outside my usual genre—i.e. while they often contain romances, those romances aren't ever truly central. Even her sci-fi romance books (written under a penname) are a blend with the sci-fi as emphasis. So I have to be in the right mood for whatever aspect is primary for me to enjoy her books.
  
  Fortunately, when I'm in the right mood, they almost always hit home. Which is the case with this series. It's Urban Fantasy (which I happen to be in the mood for) and there isn't even a hint of romance (okay, a very little hint of a reeeaaaly slow burn) but since I really liked Val, that worked out very well. Val is a little different from your typical UF heroine. She's half-elven but mostly relies on a collection of trinkets and a few magic weapons to do her thing. And her thing is killing magical creatures that prey on humans. For the US Army. And she's in her early 40s and has a daughter and ex she doesn't ever see because magical creatures hold grudges and don't give her credit that she only takes out the killers and rapists.
  
  It's an interesting dynamic and it was fun seeing her struggle with her largely-undeserved reputation and feelings of isolation in a job she feels duty/honor-bound to continue. And Zav, the dragon kinda-cop she runs afoul of, was an interesting foil and contrast as he judges her for killing instead of his duty to apprehend for "rehabilitation" (an unspecified process that many magical beings apparently flee to our cesspit world to escape). But my favorite secondary character was her magical tiger companion, Sindari. Their banter was awesome as it becomes clear that he's her only real friend.
  
  Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this and give it a full five stars. It has a quick pace, wonderful characters, and I definitely want more.
  
  A complaint about GR and Kindle Highlights: Some of the best highlights come from Val's banter with Sindari. But those highlights lose both the italics (used for telepathic communications) and line breaks so they're just confusing when they get to GR. It's a shame because there are some great back-and-forth there that I can't actually share. Maybe if I include a note on them? I'll try that, but I doubt it comes off as well as it should...
• 
  Carol

  This was a good read, but I have to say I didn't really connect with the protagonist all that much. What keep me reading till the end was her job, it was interesting, and dangerous, and the protagonists had so many other interesting people and magical beings around her that it was still a good read.
  
  Time well tell if the story will stay with me long enough to want to continue with the rest of the series
  
  Happy Reading 😇📚📚📚📖
• 
  Christa

  
  “Here.”
  I set the container of bath beads down beside Zav’s foot.
  “Throw some of those down when you get a chance.”
  I backed away slowly, not wanting the dark elves to notice.
  “And try to keep them distracted. Keep saying arrogant things.”
  Zav looked over his shoulder, pinning me with his glare.
  “I do not take orders from law-breaking mongrels who do not acknowledge the supremacy of dragons.”
  “Yeah, say stuff like that.” I gave him a sarcastic thumbs-up. “You’re a natural.”
  
  This book was a lot of fun. Urban fantasy with a funny older heroine. I laughed a whole lot.
• 
  Adah Udechukwu

  Sinister Magic was interesting. I love how the novel is straight-forward. It didn't waste any time in creating predictable suspense.
• 
  Denisa

  After my last read, I really needed a Lindsay Buroker book!
  
  
  If you've never read this author before, you definitely should. She is an amazing world builder, a great character created, and she always has really awesome plots.
  
  This book, this series (I'm writing this after I finished all the books) didn't disappoint. True, it's not the author's best work (it's the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars), but it really is a great read.
  
  Give this author a try, any series, and you won't regret it.
  
• 
  Andrea

  3.5
  
  Magic? Dragons? A bad ass, weapons toting, sarcastic, confident and competent adult female lead?
  Yes. Sign me up.
  
  
  
  I'm really enjoying the start to this new series, and can't wait to see where the story goes!
  My only issue is that everyone really seems to treat the h like crap (if they aren't trying to murder her on the spot) or that she is annoying them in some way.
  Boo, give Val some love for being a BA Hoss!
  
  Oh and I'm feeling the dry humor and possible romance that was hinted at between the leads.
  
  
• 
  Heike

  3.7 stars
  
  Why, oh why does one of my most favorite authors jump on the YA 1st person narration bandwagon? It’s so sad, I could cry.
  
  Half-elf Val is a government contracted assassin fighting magical criminals. When she crosses paths with a dragon on one of her missions, she earns his scorn by killing the magical creature he intended to bring to (dragon) court.
  Meanwhile her commanding officer was magical poisoned and is dying. Val goes on a quest to find an antidote.
  
  This story has the main ingredients that I loved most in Lindsay Buroker’s books: a strong and confident heroine and an even stronger, yet somewhat hostile male hero – awesome.
  Nevertheless, it took me more than half into the story until I was hooked. Let’s face it: only when the dragon appeared on the pages, I didn’t get distracted by something more interesting to do, like dusting my book shelves.
  
  Some facts were repeated again and again, as if the reader didn’t get the point at least the second time:
  
  But I was good at this job, better than anyone else around, and with my fast healing and ability to sense magic, I was the ideal person to send after the magical.
  
  A lot of the humor was very childish and ill-placed, giving it an unreal feeling. While Val standing up to the dragon was admirable, at times it was also unbelievably stupid. Being told in first person made her also exceptional arrogant. However, there were some absolute highlights, like when Val tells Zav during a battle:
  
  “And try to keep them distracted. Keep saying arrogant things.”
  Zav looked over his shoulder, pinning me with his glare. “I do not take orders from law-breaking mongrels who do not acknowledge the supremacy of dragons.”
  “Yeah, say stuff like that.” I gave him a sarcastic thumbs-up. “You’re a natural.”
  
  I wished humor would have been reduced to these more scattered highlights.
  
  The world building was somewhat incomplete. Set in the contemporary real world it was unclear how much humans knew about magical creatures living among them, sometimes it seemed to be common knowledge, other times not so much.
  
  When the book picked up in the second half I was ready to forgive some of the more annoying parts, and I do have to admit that it is difficult for any book character to compare to the adventures of Amaranthe and Sicarius (
  The Emperor's Edge) or Alisa and Leonidas (
  Star Nomad) by
  Lindsay Buroker.
  
  Pros:
  - The dragon character Zav.
  - Some kick ass fighting.
  - The dragon character Zav.
  - The vampire whom I hope to meet again.
  - The dragon character Zav.
  - Lindsay Buroker’s awesome writing when not pre-occupied with giving characters quirkiness that is over the top.
  - The dragon character Zav.
  - A neat wrap up of the storyline with general questions staying open for future books in the series but the plot line of this book being closed.
  
  Cons:
  - First person narration.
  - The humor was, despite some really funny dialogs, often childish and really more than necessary, and some of the jokes like "arrogant dragon talk" or "irritated tiger talk" got old after a while.
  - First person narration.
  - I found the meetings with the shrink not story enhancing.
  - First person narration.
  - I actually got downright bored around the meeting time with mom.
  - First person narration.
  - Does the female hero really have to have asthma? This is so weird.
  - First person narration.
  
  Humor: 3 stars
  General writing style: 5 stars
  Story line idea: 5 stars
  Story line execution: 3 stars
  Plot: 3 stars
  Annoy factors: present=3 stars.
  
  Narration: 1st person female protagonist’s POV
  Main Location: contemporary Seattle
  Romance: none (I just saw in reviews that some readers expected romance or at least a slow burning. I would expect the dragon character to come to par in future books of the series, but I consider this first and foremost a fantasy novel)
• 
  Tina

  3.5 stars
  
  This was entertaining and a good set up/first book for a new series. The last series by this author I really clicked with was her Emperor's Edge series which I got the first book back in the heady days when getting free ebooks was a new and awesome thing. I loved that series, especially its brand of humor, the world-building and the different personalities.
  
  I have tried other series by the authors but none worked for me. I like this one, it is set in modern day earth that just happens to have been discovered by other dimensions who have other creatures like dragons, elves, dwarves and vampires. They are kinda low key but some see earth as a place with easy prey whereas other see it as a place of sanctuary.
  
  The main character is Val Thorvald. She works for a covert ops branch of the U.S. government who is tasked with bringing justice (i.e. killing with extreme prejudice) these non-human beings who have harmed humans. I liked Val. She is older, in her forties. She is extremely conscientious about her work -- she is relentless but only goes after bad guys who have been proven beyond a reasonable doubt to have hurt or killed humans. This also makes her a target and because of it she divorced her husband and walked away from her family, keeping up no contact with them.
  
  In that sense I found the extreme hatred of her by these non-humanoid communities to be rather one-note and the one aspect of the storytelling that I found lacking. I can get them being wary of her, she is an executioner after all, but the single abiding attitude toward her across all these groups is that she is a quasi-Hitler like figure that is a scourge who merrily practices genocide on these people and therefore she must be a target herself at all times no matter what. It, imo, is a little overdone and lacks storytelling nuance, imo. It would have made more sense if there were degrees of attitude toward her ranging from indifference to wariness to fear to hatred to vengeance. Nothing has a 100% certitude of attitude across everyone and that just did not ring as authentic here.
  
  Outside of that, I really enjoyed everything else. I especially liked her budding relationship with the Dragon Lord Zav who comes to earth to capture a wyvern for judgement and rehabilitation. But that wyvern is on Val's kill list because it ate some human children. No way they are going to get the chance to be rehabilitated. That is just her and Zav's first clash they continue throughout the book. I like the fact that Zav just really had no time for humans. We are roaches to him and Val (who is half elf) is simply a mongrel who gets in his way. He is arrogant and snotty and insulting. But Val just doesn't take him as seriously as he takes himself. She can't even pronounce his full name (tbh, neither could I) but she gamely tries, settling on "Zav-thingy." Her failure to be impressed by his importance causes a lot of teeth gnashing on his end. Their snarky back and forth (mostly from her) is fun to read.
  
  The book balances good urban fantasy thrills with sharply funny humor very well. I take off a bit because it lagged a little in the middle and what I mention above. But I am enjoying this and plan continue the series.
  
  
• 
  Lukasz

  2.5/5
  
  Readable but predictable and formulaic. It had great moments and it doesn't treat itself too seriously. I mean, the story's protagonist sleeps and fights with a sword named Chopper and a gun called Fezzik. She's six feet tall and can bench press more than her body weight. Accompanied by magical "tiger" with whom she has nice banter, she kills magical creatures that pose threat to people.
  
  All told, it has good moments but it feels too corny to be enjoyable (again, a subjective opinion - if you love the book I'm happy for you. Really.).
• 
  Cleo

  If I had to use one word to describe this book it would be: Boring . Don't get me wrong, it certainly had its moments, but overall Sinister Magic came off as formulaic, predictable, and terribly repetitive. The characters were not very compelling and the plot was really average.
• 
  Beth

  Great new series by Lindsay Buroker! Already grab a copy of second book and can't wait for its release.
• 
  Anubha (BooksFullOfLife, LifeFullOfBooks)

  It was intriguing given the plot but I didn't like either of the main characters, I am not eager to pick up the next book so probably not going to continue with the series.
• 
  Karen ⚜Mess⚜

  
  MacHalo Buddy Read

  FINALLY got to sink my teeth into something good! I really love what Buroker has done with this urban fantasy. The magic was all in the characters and dialogue. I'm all in for book 2 buddy read!
• 
  Marianne

  Audiobooks 1-5 now available for free on the author’s YouTube channel along with her other series.
  
  
  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mp6bOxV...
  
  
  Excellent start to a series, though it seems that the prequel novella is essential to the story, so I’d not skip out on that one. Great supporting cast so far, and if that arrogant dragon doesn’t fall embarrassingly hard I will be VERY disappointed.
• 
  Pamela

  Won this on a Goodread's giveaway, so thought I had better get it read. Found the audio version for $.99, so listened to it in a day. The story is fast paced and easy to keep track of everything going on, unlike some of the epic's I've been reading lately, so is a nice change to relax my mind a bit.
  Val is a half-elf assassin working for the government to kill magical beings that have murdered humans. She's 40, battling stress, asthma, is tough as nails, and full of snark. Val puts me to mind of Kate Daniels, along with her magical Tiger, which brought me to mind of Guenhwyvar.
  Val's commanding officer Col Willard lays poisoned, as the new commander tries to take out both of them. It's up to Val to find an antidote, clear her name, deal with some murderous magicals, and avoid the wrath of an arrogant dragon.
  It's an enjoyable urban fantasy with a sword swinging heroin, humorous characters, and no romance.
• 
  TJ

  This was fun! And it sets up what looks to be a great series. I especially love Val’s (the heroine) quick wit, it is often hilarious and always smile-inducing. It is also nice to have a heroine who is a bit older. It adds a bit of world experience and wisdom even though she attracts new and unknown encounters.
  
  The world is also interesting and holds tons of promise for engrossing storylines to follow. The only downside (for me) is that there is absolutely no romantic thread and that’s a must if I want to five star any book.
• 
  Bookphenomena (Micky)

  I read this blurb and immediately thought of Kate Daniels. That feeling is correct, it does have that UF/PNR (potentially the romance) sense to the characters and world. The MC also has a powerful magic sword and a possible love interest that feels a bit like the KD world. All that said, there was enough uniqueness to sell this concept to me and I'll be reading on.
  
  Let's see if Lindsay Buroker can reach my UF/PNR heights of Patricia Briggs and Ilona Andrews. I do hope for something near.
• 
  Sharon

  Adheres pretty closely to the Kate Daniels formula, but it lacks - something - that keeps it from being great.
  
  I read the whole thing and it mostly kept my interest. That earns it three stars from me.
• 
  Melliane

  
  Mon avis en français
  
  
  My English review
  
  I bought the novel when I saw it for 0.99 and as it is an urban fantasy, I couldn’t resist. I was also curious to discover this author I didn’t know yet. I must say I was pleasantly surprised.
  
  Val is an assassin for the government, but not just any assassin, because she kills magical creatures who have perpetrated horrible crimes. But now her latest case is going to turn her whole life upside down! Indeed, while she is hunting a wyvern, she finds herself in front of a real dragon, an entity that is not usually on Earth, and he is as beautiful as he is unbearable. Oh yes, because he is determined to keep her out of his way or use her as a bait to stop the people he has been sent to. On top of that, our heroine is going to have to do everything she can to save the life of her boss who is in hospital, as well as trying to clear her name and his since an investigation has been opened against them.
  
  It was a really nice first volume to read and I really liked the author’s ideas. Zav is a really unbearable dragon and at the same time you can’t help but like him too. Val, on the other hand, is a very strong, outspoken woman who doesn’t hesitate to put herself in danger. And what about her tiger? I really loved her companion who is far from ordinary!
  
  Yes, it was a good discovery and I can’t wait to dive into volume 2!
• 
  Cee

  re-read 2021
  I listened to the audiobook on this one. The narrator is pretty good, although it will always sound different from what I imagined and how I stress more of the dry humor. Still funny, although I'm not sure if I would have found reading it to be funnier. Still recommend and I'm looking forward to continuing this re-read
  
  --------------
  Amazing new Urban fantasy series! I laughed consistently and am slowly growing to love these characters. I'm sensing a new favorite.
• 
  Lexy

  I thought that this book was good
• 
  Meels

  Vampires, shifters, elves, dragons...even a kraken! This was a really fun ride, and I definitely plan to read on in the series.
• 
  Sophia

  A woman assassin with a magical sword and magical tiger who contracts with the government to police the supernaturals that come to earth and wreck havoc facing off against a mighty dragon lord, dark fae, and the frame up that has her on the wrong side of the law sounded like a fab set up to an urban fantasy series. And, it has been an age since I spotted this author's books and have always wanted to try them.
  
  Sinister Magic introduces Val Thorvald, built like a Viking female from legend, ex military and half fae elf. Val's something of a loner who tried a relationship or two and even has a teenage daughter, but her dangerous work causes her to make the decision to put her loved ones at a distance. She does not do this easily and takes the guilt that goes with it, but she knows that few others are equipped to do the task needed from her- keeping the human world safe from the big bads from other worlds. Now, she takes jobs from a clandestine government agency and watches over her daughter from afar. She has a little magic of her own from her long absent fae father, but she relies on the powerful sword she took off a dead zombie, the magical gun she got from a clever magic weaponsmith, the charms she got from the weaponsmith and other vanquished opponents. One of which is a charm to call her tiger protector from his other realm.
  
  Tracking down a murdering wyvern has her facing off against an arrogant dragon lord who has come to earth to collect those who face dragon justice. Val is stubborn and wants the wyvern to face human justice. The clash is memorable and now leaves her on the dragon's radar even as she discovers that her boss has been mysteriously cursed and is dying. Val must work to find the answers regarding the curse even as some government pencil pusher has moved in and is determined to shut down their work and have Val arrested. Would it be so bad to work for the dragon? Emphatically yes!
  
  Sinister Magic was very obviously an introduction book with a whole new wonderful world, exciting characters, and magical intrigue and action. I heard about it when I saw Angela at Angel's Guilty Pleasure blog giving it a high rating and that very day noticed it on sale. Serendipity, right? I loved it all from the action scenes to the introspective moments. Val is a complex heroine. She is an assassin who does what she does to protect humanity though it is at a great cost of having a family and friends and hated by the supernaturals because she is forced to kill their kind when they harm humans. I respected Val because she doesn't make excuses for herself and takes responsibility for her choices. She is determined to protect those she loves even if it means staying far from them and letting them think badly of her.
  
  There are her fun side kicks from her hilarious tiger protector, Sindari, to the giant half-dwarf who won't be fobbed off and wants to be the getaway driver. Even her weapons have names like Chopper her sword and Fessik her gun. Quirky and just the sort of little extras I like.
  
  I am oh so curious to see how things develop between Val and Zav, the dragon lord. Their heated exchanges cause sparks and he is about the only person Val can't steamroll- okay and her boss. Yes, I really want to see where things go as Zav has other supernaturals to arrest, the dark fae are plotting, and Val is as unpopular as it gets in the supernatural world.
  
  As to the narration work, Vivienne Leheny was a good match all around. I had no trouble settling into the story, her voicing of the characters, and her way of catching the tone of the overall writing and the individual scenes.
  
  All in all, I was most impressed with the author's writing and the world of the series. There is gritty action and more subtle intrigue that all build toward a rewarding climax. The characters, especially Val, were a fab focal point. All-around satisfying start and I can definitely recommend this urban fantasy.
• 
  Lisa

  Nothing too exciting or original here.
  
  Valmeyjar Thorvald is a half-elf assassin looking for a cure to treat her suddenly sicken human boss. She becomes bait by a black dragon to root out dark elves with her telepathic tiger and dwarven sword at her side. She also has stress a induced asthma who she's seeing a therapist for.
  
  IDK, the 'clever' strong independent warrior woman trope with superficial world-building unoriginal characters and boring plot.
  
  Nothing to re-read here.
• 
  Melindeeloo

  3 stars = pretty good. It was a promising start to the series, though I don't have a sense of where this is going to go series-wise yet. Some magic, tiger "service friend" from another dimension, and arrogant dragons. The next book is out today.