Title: The Witchkin Murders
Series: Magicfall Book #1
Stand Alone Title: yes
Author: Diana Pharaoh Francis
Genre: Romance, Sci-fi Fantasy
Blurb: Four years ago, my world—the world—exploded with wild magic. The cherry on top of that crap cake? The supernatural world declared war on humans, and my life went straight to hell.
I used to be a detective, and a damned good one. Then Magicfall happened, and I changed along with the world. I’m witchkin now—something more than human or not quite human, depending on your perspective. To survive, I’ve become a scavenger, searching abandoned houses and stores for the everyday luxuries in short supply—tampons and peanut butter. Oh, how the mighty have fallen, but anything’s better than risking my secret.
Except, old habits die hard. When I discover a murder scene screaming with signs of black magic ritual, I know my days of hiding are over. Any chance I had of escaping my past with my secret intact is gone. Solving the witchkin murders is going to be the hardest case of my life, and not just because every second will torture me with reminders of how much I miss my old life and my partner, who hates my guts for abandoning the department.
But it’s time to suck it up, because if I screw this up, Portland will be wiped out, and I’m not going to let that happen. Hold on to your butts, Portland. Justice is coming, and I don’t take prisoners.
Favorite quote(s)/excerpt(s): “What’s that?”
“Some things to soften up a witch’s heart,” she said. “Stuff they can’t get all that easily. Tampons, for one.”
“I could have lived without knowing that,” Ray said, starting the car and backing out of the driveway.
“Men can be so squeamish.”
“We could talk about ball sweat if you’d like,” he offered.
She snickered. “Maybe not. Drink your coffee and drive.”
Something in Ray’s chest loosened like an overtightened rusty valve. He felt himself smile. This was the way things were supposed to be. He’d fight hard not to lose this again.
Thoughts: I absolutely love Diana Pharaoh Francis – she has the most original storylines and I love the wild ride her stories take you on. I really enjoyed these characters, their amazing connection to each other, and their desire to fight to hold their friendship together. Both are attracted to each other, but they don’t want to lose their partnership and friendship with each other to pursue a romantic relationship. Not to mention, readers are thrown into a whole new world – a world in which magic has changed everything, sort of reminiscent of the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. Trust me, though the world is completely different in the changes it renders. I loved how the story played out and the glimpses of the real feelings and desires we had from each character, as the POV does switch back and forth between the two. One of my favorite reads this year! I look forward to getting the next installment in this series!
Rating: A
