| Title | : | Magic Forged (Hall of Blood and Mercy, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 270 |
| Publication | : | First published February 28, 2020 |
The situation veers from bad to catastrophic when my backstabbing cousin stages a coup and takes my family hostage. I barely manage to flee, but the only supernatural willing to help me is Killian Drake - the most feared vampire in the region, and a far more deadly villain than the jerk threatening my family.
Is Killian sexy and charismatic? Heck yeah.
He's also so powerful that my flight or fight instincts kick in every time our eyes meet. And he's definitely using me as his personal magic detector in his feud against the local fae.
But Killian is also the first person to believe I might have more than just a scrap of magic. And if I can convince him to train me, I might get strong enough to free my family and get my house back.
I'm not sure what happens when a scrappy wizard is taught how to fight by a hall of deadly vampires, but I'm about to find out.
Magic Forged is the first book in the Hall of Blood and Mercy trilogy, which features vampires, wizards, fae, and werewolves. It's packed with humor, adventure, and a sweet, slow burn romance between a vertically challenged wizard and the most lethal vampire in town.
Magic Forged (Hall of Blood and Mercy, #1) Reviews
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– 3.25 stars 💫
This was actually a fun start to a new urban fantasy series! Magic Forged had:
✧ a likeable heroine who is a badass without power kill. At the beginning Hazel (h) starts out with almost no power. Then her parents die in a tragic accident (very original storyline ik 💀) and she finds out that they have sealed her power. Long story short, Hazel has not much power but starts combat training to be able to defend herself and protect the members of her house. I find it boring when the heroine already has too much power at the start of the book, because where is the fun in that? But I also don't like doormat heroine that need saving all the time, so imo Hazel was the perfect mix in between with enough room for development.
✧ fun side-characters. Hazel is seeking protection at the Drake House, a very powerful vampire clan, and Josh, Celestina, Rupert and all the other vampires in that house were such entertaining characters.
✧ Killian Drake (H) I was already sold when I read his name 🤷🏽♀️ But then he is the most powerful and feared vampire? Has no problem killing? Cold vampire who doesn't care about anyone beside the ones who belong to his house? BRITISH ACCENT?!!? Yeah, I was a goner. It was cute how every time he was ready to rip someone a new hole, Hazel just had to tell him not to kill them and he would stop. Just like that. I don't really know why he is so smitten with her, but it's cute how he's basically the only one who believes in her ... even tho you wouldn't guessed that from the way he speaks the her lol.
✧ the banter. Hazel and Killian were already bickering like an old married couple and I really liked that.
Conclusion
Overall I liked this book and I don't have anything negative to say per se, besides that the plot wasn't the best and I wasn't fan of the murder mystery plot that the Drake house was dealing with. I liked what read, but I wasn't 100% invested in it, because I had no problem reading a couple of pages and then closing the book doing something else, which I did quite a couple of times here.
P.S.: I forgot to add that I've been told by Julia that this author only writes clean romances so the spice level in this series is non-existent. Still looking forward to read the rest of the series tho 👀
P.P.S.: I actually finished this series last year and only posted the review for book 1 now and everything about this book could apply to the whole series.
┍━━━━━━━━»•» «•«━┑
HALL OF BLOOD AND MERCY SERIES
#1 Magic Forged – 3.25 stars
#2 Magic Redeemed – 3.5 stars
#3 Magic Unleashed – 3.5 stars
┕━»•» «•«━━━━━━━━┙ -
“Are we done making fun of my suit yet?” “You have somewhere more important to be?” Killian asked in a deceptively mild voice. “Nooo,” I reluctantly said. His smirk was back, and he sauntered closer to me. “If you are so bored, we could go downstairs and engage in a practice match. It’s about time you started having play fights.” “No!” I said with a lot more fire. “We can make fun of my suit!”
~ First Read- 2020 ~
Second Read- 2021 ~
~ First Rating- 4 stars ~
~ Second Rating- 3.5 stars ~
Is this the best piece of literature I’ve read? - No
Did I still rate it 4 stars?- Yes
I read this a long time back so I don’t remember the precise content and trigger warnings, extremely sorry, but from what I remember:
Content/ Trigger Warnings- Death of parents, murder (on page), blood, car accident, bullying (on page)
I read this last year, when I was in a huge reading slump and I didn’t know at that time this would become of of my favourite series. I really need to reread it soon.
Magic Forged has everything I like to read in books. It has an intriguing plot, characters that have development, action, an enemies-to-lovers-slow-burn-clean romance, and lots of drama (but the good kind) and it’s just such an amazing series that is so underrated, I can go on and on about it, but I want to write a long review after my reread so I’ll keep this short.
The only reason it’s not a 5 star is because of the lack of world building. There were some interesting elements to the world I haven’t seen done before, but if you are big on world building then you might not enjoy this so much. However everything else about the book makes up for the lack of world building.
I should also emphasise that this is a clean romance. Completely clean. I personally love clean romance books, but if this isn’t your kind of thing I’d say not to read this book and this author in general.
There is also a major age gap between the love interest and MC, which is normally something I despise but
K.M. Shea knows how to do this trope well. There is proper build-up with the relationship, and despite the age gap it is not toxic in any way, specially not in the ways I’ve seen with more popular books. *cough
ACOTAR cough*
Bonus- This book has an actual strong female protagonist. I mean it, the actual strong one and not a
‘i am very badass because i can fight or have some kind of power and i am superior and not like other girls’ trope or as I like to call it
‘a wannabe strong female protagonist’ which I hate. This is much better.“You are one of those awful people who follows a moral code.” “Everyone follows a moral code.” “No, everyone is too busy trying to figure out what shades of gray they can get away with manipulating or pulling before they get in trouble,”
In short, please pick this up if you’re sick and tired of typical YA fantasy. It’s worth the read.
DISCLAIMER-All opinions on books I’ve read and reviewed are my own, and are with no intention to offend anyone. If you feel offended by my reviews, let me know how I can fix it.
How I Rate-
1 star- Hardly liked anything/was disappointed
2 star- Had potential but did not deliver/was disappointed
3 stars- Was ok but could have been better/was average/Enjoyed a lot but something was missing
4 stars- Loved a lot but something was missing
5 stars- Loved it/new favourite -
I was drawn into this from the start and that's all down to Hazel. She's resilient and tough as a response to having so much less magic than others of her kind and being bullied all her life as a result. It's an interesting response choice because she runs first and is always on the lookout for alternatives to confrontation and Shea made that a strength of the character even if it is out of necessity. So being tough didn't make her hard or bitter; it made her flexible and that plays as a subtle backdrop in her character I enjoyed seeing manifest in so many different ways—not least in taking to the training of House Drake.
And I really enjoyed seeing her play off of Killian as a foil/banter buddy/protector. I liked that she could reason him out of some of his harsher decisions and that you could see him come to care for her over time, even if neither can quite admit that he might actually do so. And some of the secondary characters are outstanding, though I'm sad there wasn't more variation in their response to her invading their House. I mean, I liked the Rupert storyline and his intense and open dislike of her and how that played out was well-thought, I think. But it could have done with more variation in those Hazel had steady contact with (because pretty much everybody else likes her).
The rest of the elements were what they needed to be, and I mean that in a good way. The plot held together, the worldbuilding was creative enough to be interesting (though there isn't a ton of deviation from the standard supernatural fare), and the pace held my attention rapt.
Anyway, I was so engaged that it was an easy 4½ stars with only minor detractions (a captured foe disappeared somehow, some minor copy edit issues, some timing didn't work day/night wise, and a thing I'll mention below because it was weird). But what is going to tip it firmly into rounding up is Hazel's moral journey that stands at the explicit heart of her character arc. And yes, some of that is because the end-point matches my own moral code very closely. But even more is that we still have Killian at the end with the concern that however noble a place she ends up at, her certainty is a concern to watch out for. And I agree with that even more.
A note about Craft: Shea does that thing you get in multi-PoV books where each chapter starts with the name of the PoV character for that chapter. Only every chapter except the last is Hazel. So I spent the entire book going "please don't do Killian's PoV. This is so much better leaving him a mystery ala
The Hating Game so please just let it lie." And she did until the very end so that was good. But I wish she hadn't felt like she needed to include that last chapter. It makes explicit what is hinted at in the penultimate chapter and Shea did a beautiful job relaying the key point in a way that readers can pick up on and I really wish she had let that go without the confirmation.
A note about Chaste: While I think this is a slow-burn romance and it fits all those tropes, there are no sexy times, not even a kiss, in this story. So it is very chaste, indeed. And that fit the story very well, by the way, so kudos! -
Read it in a day, but I'll probably forget this a week from now. There was nothing particularly wrong with this book per se, but I just wasn't connected to any of the characters. Mainly because the actions of most of the characters logically don't make sense and/or are not explained.
-
Another one I liked. It's always fun when the dark brooding hero gets the girl. I'll admit Hazel was a bit annoying at first but I can't fault her in that, her house was made up of pacifists, some real 'turn the other cheek' kind of people and it took the help of Killian and the vampires to break her out of that habit.
The romance was really sloooow. I say that after reading the entire series and seeing which book they actually kissed. It reminds me of the book I like to call "Six books for a Kiss" by
Anne Bishop. -
Rounding this up to 5 stars because I devoured it and I've been in a rounding up mood for rating books lately.
Cute, fun, fast read. I already know this author and enjoy her books so I was excited when she announced a new trilogy. It's an urban fiction book. This author writes clean, fantasy romance with a lot of fairy tale retellings. She did a good job with the Urban Fiction.
This story is not for people who like a lot of world building. For me it strikes a good balance because I often get bored in books with complicated worlds and all the many pages devoted to describing them. It's often done in very dry, info dumping ways. Worldbuilding can be done well and interestingly (see books by Illona Andrews as an example of how to write complex world building that is still interesting). However, I am not bothered by books that give you just enough and you supply the rest. My mind is good at providing what isn't explained. But if you need deep, complex and thorough world building this might not be for you.
This author in general is not a good fit if you don't like clean romance elements in stories. There is no romance yet in the story but there seems like there might be one. And knowing this author I am thinking it will develop. If you don't like any whiff of romance maybe pass. If you don't enjoy clean romance then pass on this author because all she writes is clean.
Basically, this book is for people looking for a fun, urban fiction book with a spunky heroine in over her head. I think the Hero is going to be a morally complex, redeemed kind of guy. This author does those pretty satisfyingly. -
This was really fun! Thanku Bhavya fr the rec. It was so much fun to BR with u❤️
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Since I've been threatened by someone👀 I'm reading this soon yayyy -
Originally posted at:
My Rating: 4 and a half stars
This. Book. Is. SO. Good! Someone I interact with on Goodreads highly recommended this book (I'm SO sorry but I don't remember who it was!) and I am so deeply sorry that it took me months to finally get to this. Though it wasn't without its hiccups. I actually started and stopped this 3 times before finally getting into it. My initial issue was with how slow it starts off. After Chapter 2 I was hooked and couldn't put it down!
Hazel was a very sassy and entertaining character. I loved how snarky she was. I also liked that she cared for those who she considered friends and people who had helped her along the way. She never took anything lying down and always gave as good as she got. Can you tell I really enjoyed being in her head for the duration of this story?
Killian is on his way to being included in my top 5 Book Boyfriends list of all time. That was how much I loved him. If I could call dibs on him and have him be all mine I would. I adored his sarcastic remarks and how he ended up finding it in himself to have a soft spot for Hazel. The way he had me cackling with almost every remark was a breath of fresh air. I could gush about him for hours at this point but I'll stop it at that ♡
The overall story after it got going was very good! I'm not usually a big fan of murder mystery but this one proved to be an exception. The ending was exhilarating and I'm excited to see where this story is going! I'm also very proud that I called the twist in the last chapter from Killian's POV. -
Move over Edward Cullen, there is a new vampire in town!!
This is a fun urban fantasy series. I decided to read it again after finishing Ms. Shea's new book
The King's Captive and as I wait for the rest of that series to come out. Hazel is a likable heroine; she's put in a tough situation when there is a coup in her wizarding family and the only people to take her in is the dangerous Drake family of vampires. The overall story is fun, a mystery was woven into the story, and I liked the relationship that is developing between Hazel and Killian.
Content Rated PG
Not much romance, very slow burn. No language and mild violence - talk of murders
Hall of Blood and Mercy
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Collective review on the last book! :)
4 stars! -
SERIES: Hall Of Blood And Mercy #1
GENRE: NA Urban Fantasy
TROPES & THEMES: mentor, training, hidden truths, murder mystery
CLIFFHANGER: No
TRIGGER WARNINGS: loss of parents
HOTTIE METER: 0 🌡 Clean!!
RATING: 4,5⭐
there is nothing
* new about the idea behind this storyline, a girl finds that her parents lied to her, she finds unusual help and allies because someone attacks her
or
*exciting about world-building we get the usual gang of vampires, werewolves, fae, and witches.. BUT I still found it extremely enjoyable..
yes, the writing can be wobbly but you know what - I DON'T CARE...
can't wait to start on the next one.. -
This was a fun quick read- on KU for free!
I had a good time reading about the world building and magical creatures. (witches, vamps, fae, and werewolves!)
I also like Hazel as a character for the most part, and even though the romantic lead is a bit of a jerk here and there I'm seeing potential for some steamy romance.
However, The only thing I wish was that the h stuck up for herself more with the other vampires- hopefully in the next book? I'm guessing its to eventually show Hazel's transformation from meek to a real threat, but in the mean time it was kind of annoying to watch her get picked on for others amusement. But she took it in stride, so hey, good for her?
“It’s settled, then,” Celestina said. “Hazel will deliver the Eminence his blood—though I will go with her to show her where to take it.” The Drake vampires nodded, and the decision was made despite my opposition.
Also I know that -
Hey now, this was loads of fun! The story hooked me right from the start, I loved our MC Hazel and overall the story just really flowed and worked for me. In a way, the world building felt familiar and not overly complicated but still with a touch of uniqueness to make things interesting. It made me smile a lot, too. I devoured book one and two within 48 hours.
-
Woooooooooo!!!!
Guys, this is a great vampire romance. Gave me 'Vampire Towers by Kelly St. Clare' vibes.
Plot: Hazel is a wizard, but a very weak one. Due to some family misunderstandings, she was basically cast out. She seeks refuge to become one of the servants of the vampire family, the Drakes, with its leader Killian Drake. However, the Drake family's servants have started to be killed and murdered by unknown creatures, and Killian and the family is desperate to find out who is killing the servants, why, and how to stop them.
I loved the slow burn romance, the mysteries, Hazel herself is a great heroine and really funny, brave, and witty. The vampires here are deadly, lethal, but very funny (particularly Josh). You obviously get some bad apples like Rupert, but that's to be expected.
All I'm saying is, if you enjoy vampire romances with a really good plot and lots of mystery, I think you'll enjoy this!
→4 stars -
Bad me, I didn't write a review after my original read. But I'm rereading now (Jan 2021) because I just finished Leila's series and wanted to revisit this one to spend a little more time in this world.
I think I didn't review the first time because I was tentative. To be honest, there were things in the first 50% that made me crazy, and I thought Hazel occasionally strayed into TSTL because she'd totally miss the obvious. BUT... the back half of the book totally knocked it out of the park, so I gave it 4 stars and moved on to the next book without reviewing. I'm writing this now because if any of my friends pick this up and find themselves eyerolling at Hazel or wanting to punch Killian in the throat (anyone who snaps their fingers at another human being and calls them like a dog deserves to be punched in the throat) in the first 50%, stick it out. Not only did I really enjoy the back half, but also, from then on the series really soars - it's a favorite, and here I am rereading. -
An Amazing Beginning
Rating 5 stars
Hazel was funny, smart and tough. Loved every moment of this book and all its cast of interesting, fresh characters. As usual, the world building is thrilling and well constructed. I can't wait until the next book which will conclude this fun duology. -
Vampires, wizards, werewolves and fae, the start of the Magiford Supernatural Cities series saga is perfect! I loved Haze, Killian, and all the other Drakes. The political games, the fierceness of Hazel and just everything. This series is so good, and book one is so much fun!
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4.5 stars.
Fabulous read! ❤️
This is a trilogy and I will write a quick review on book #3. -
After a really long week I was skimming through my Kindle for something to read. I needed something that was more than brain candy, but also not too intense, and Magic Forged hit that nicely.
I love urban fantasy and this offering hits the right spots for me. Quirky, fiesty heroine and a dark broody (but with a sense of humor) hero, figuring out how to get along because of plot things that throw them together. I was reminded several times of the Chicagoland series, and (for the most part) this held up to the comparison.
So why down a star? I wish the last chapter had been left off. I think having just one chapter from Killian's pov weakened the book. We don't need it. The information there I gathered without being told and so I felt like I was being hit over the head with it. As well the author's style 1st person POV has some really odd tense shifts that would occasionally throw me out of the book. I don't think it was copyediting errors, but something stylistic, but still buggy.
However, it was fun and I want to read the rest and see if Hazel gets her house back, and in the end who is taking care of who. -
3.75 stars!
Magic Forged was a very fun start to the
Hall of Blood and Mercy Trilogy!
I'd have to say the best part about
Magic Forged has to be Hazel! Man she was such a fun main character! She's pretty funny, smart, strong, and has a strong sense of self. Also I mean my man Killian was perfect as well!
I will say I couldn't give this one a full 4 stars because of all the info dumping :/ I think the author could have gone about the world building in a slightly better way. A lot of the conversations in this first book felt like they were there to inform me about the rules of this world then actual conversations.
I flew through this book and had a blast reading it! While it is definitely low on the steam scale I actually really didn't mind it at all. So if you're looking for a fun quick read that has a cool world check this one out! -
This was so much fun! I love Hazel, Killian, Celestina, Josh, and the rest of the characters. The relationship between Killian and Hazel is fun and full of hilarious banter, with just a slight bit of ever-growing attraction and sexual tension. I really like that fact that she's being trained by them, which is quite cool, and is becoming closer to everyone in the Drake Family. I can't wait for book two, as it's sure to be just as good, with more romance (as this one was only really hinting at it around the end), magic, and also more about Hazel's House. That should be interesting. :) On a different note, I definitely understand the title after reading this, and I'm a fan. Great work Ms. Shea! I loved this! 5 stars.
Reread August 30th, 2021
This was a fun reread! I really enjoyed watching the beginning of Hazel's relationship with the Drake family of vampires, as well as her journey to understand her own power. It was funny and entertaining, with a nice amount of action and excellent banter! 5 stars. -
I never thought I'd find a story that featured vampires fun and easy, but lo and behold, that's how I found this story/world. The writing was easy to read and the story was engaging. I'm curious to see what the author has in store for this likable heroine and arrogant hero.
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This book is free today on Amazon (01/07/2021) 🙂
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That was fun!!! Onto book 2! 🙌🏻
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This escapist read was exactly what I needed. Hazel, our gutsy heroine, has major problems - betrayed by her Wizard family, no allies left to help her, she has no choice but to become a servant for the Drake Vampire family.
Hazel is not a quitter, no matter what the vamps ask of her, she steps up. There's a murderer on the loose. Way too many wizards are out for her blood. And the enigmatic scion of Family Drake, he's suddenly decided to start 'playing' with Hazel, to test her abilities and turn her into a useful pet.
The romance factor is way low on simmer. But it's there and I can't wait to dive into books 2 & 3 (which are already out) to find out how these two eventually hook-up. -
Nice twist on the trope. We all know the end game but it's even slower than a slow burn. Kinda adorable.
Liked it so much I bought instead of just K.U. ing it. -
When I heard K.M. Shea was making a return to urban fantasy, I was beyond excited. She's been one of my favorite authors since I first read My Life at the MBRC (the first book in her only other urban fantasy series). Urban fantasy is where I became a fan of her writing, and after all this time, it was awesome to be able to step back into that kind of world with her again.
If you're looking for an exact repeat of MBRC, Magic Forged isn't it. It is darker, more adult-feeling than MBRC (which should be the case since MBRC features a high school heroine and Magic Forged has someone who is an adult). But it is still funny, still clean, and still classic K.M. Shea. There's just something about this author's writing style and sense of humor that hits my reading preferences just right.
In the first chapter, I was worried I wasn't going to like the book. A LOT of characters are introduced in short succession and a major tragedy makes the beginning of the book lack humor (as it probably should, but it made me worry there for a moment). But, I shouldn't have worried. The book quickly picks up pace and picks up the humor. Once Killian is introduced, the book really flies.
Also, did I mention Hazel, the main girl, is short!!!! As someone who is barely 5 ft, I adored having a heroine who is vertically challenged and has to deal with things like pants being too long.
If you loved W.R. Gingell's City Between series, you'll adore this book! If you like books with snarky, suit-wearing vampires and tough, short heroines, this is the book for you! -
DNF 50%
1. I just felt like this book just wasn’t for me. Sometimes the characters emotions change so quickly that the sentences don’t have a transition.
2. The H just wasn’t bad enough for me. The female was too meek.
3. The story was really nice and I cold have gotten into it if it weren’t for the constant grammar mistakes.
4. One second the female was talking about how she wouldn’t think about how the other Houses (group of wizards) were gunning for her capture and then the next second she was clapping her hands in glee and saying that she was amazing out there by fighting off the wizard bad guy. Right after that she was saying she thinks the bad guy could be someone from the H’s house
All in all the book had a really grey story but the H and h just weren’t badass enuf for me. -
If you can make it past the first 4 chapters the book picks up significantly.
