Three Mages and a Margarita (The Guild Codex: Spellbound Book 1)
by Annette Marie
September 14, 2018
265 pages
Genres: New Adult, Urban Fantasy
Broke, almost homeless, and recently fired. Those are my official reasons for answering a wanted ad for a skeevy-looking bartender gig.
It went downhill the moment they asked me to do a trial shift instead of an interview—to see if I’d mesh with their “special” clientele. I think that part went great. Their customers were complete dickheads, and I was an asshole right back. That’s the definition of fitting in, right?
I expected to get thrown out on my ass. Instead, they…offered me the job?
It turns out this place isn’t a bar. It’s aguild. And the three cocky guys I drenched with a margarita during my trial? Yeah, they were mages. Either I’m exactly the kind of takes-no-shit bartender this guild needs, or there’s a good reason no one else wants to work here.
So what’s a broke girl to do? Take the job, of course—with a pay raise.
—
Note: The three mages are definitely sexy, but this series isn’t a reverse harem. It’s 100% fun, sassy, fast-paced urban fantasy.
Tori is a fiery redhead with a temper to match. Bouncing from job to job, Tori never seems to find her calling until an errant want ad leads her to a dingy pub on the wrong wide of town, The Crow and Hammer. Tori accepts a bartending position wholly unaware she’s working for a guild of paranormals. In her new position, Tori’s temper is an asset. Her grit is admired and secures her position in a world where humans are otherwise unwelcome. Without supernatural gifts, Tori is forced to rely on her wit and cunning to stay afloat. Soon she’s completely entrenched in the guild and a malevolent group targeting her newfound friends, the three mages.
This was a satisfying series starter. A female main reliant on her own (very human) savvy throughout the book was entirely refreshing. Despite her lack of magic, Tori is quite capable of saving her own ass as well as the boys in her life. The action and intrigue is fairly well developed and I enjoyed the unveiling of a new series with its colourful cast of characters. I found the dynamic of Tori and her three mages a little puzzling, but I’m sure relationships will become more defined as the series progresses. I’m always game for a little more romance.
Finally, a massive thumbs up from this reviewer for a book with a Canadian setting :)
Four Sheep
Bianca Greenwood
About the Author:
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Annette Marie is the author of Amazon best-selling YA urban fantasy series Steel & Stone, its prequel trilogy Spell Weaver, and romantic fantasy trilogy Red Winter. Her first love is fantasy, but fast-paced adventures and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it's not quite that bad) with her husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.
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Website-FB-Twitter
Goodreads
Annette Marie is the author of Amazon best-selling YA urban fantasy series Steel & Stone, its prequel trilogy Spell Weaver, and romantic fantasy trilogy Red Winter. Her first love is fantasy, but fast-paced adventures and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it's not quite that bad) with her husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.
Giveaway:
Tour-wide giveaway (US/CAN)
Three (3) paperbacks, a copy of each of Annette's first in series. Chase the Dark, The Night Realm, and Red Winter.
I look forward to reading this.
ReplyDeleteI have a large collection of early "Swords & Sorcery" style books in my library (I'm olde) and I also have a set of the Mac's Bar books. I'm looking forward to reading this new series and hopefully being able to add it to my home library (2500+).
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a lot of fun and well written overall! Great review, Sharon!
ReplyDeleteBianca Greenwood reviewed this for us!
DeleteLooking forward to reading this series. Thank you
ReplyDeleteFunny title!
ReplyDelete