Eemotional drama finally hits this lighthearted series as a demon attack drags secrets into the open, and Tori is forced to reckon with how far she is willing to go to protect her friends. (Answer: extremely far.) Her usual snarky attitude remains firmly in place, which helps to move the story along without things getting too heavy. I also like how firmly this series is set in Vancouver; when demon attacks threatened the cobblestone streets of Gastown, I was able to picture the scene very well.
Tag: author-annette marie
Two Witches and a Whiskey, by Annette Marie, read by Cris Dukehart
Another of Marie’s Guild Codex books; in this one, human bartender Tori tries to stay out of trouble with the magical police, who are investigating fallout from her earlier adventures. Being Tori, of course she fails utterly at lying low, and finds herself not only getting entangled with powerful fae and dark magic guilds, but pulling her friends into the mess as well. Entertaining and amusing as usual. Dukehart’s Tori, sassy and pouty by turns, helps the character’s choices seem more believable in the moment.
Dark Arts and a Daiquiri, by Annette Marie, read by Cris Dukehart
Second in the Guild Codex “Spellbound” series, human bartender Tori quickly gets over her head when she goes off-script and gets herself kidnapped by a notorious magical criminal; snark and action ensue. I like how her actions grew out of her past trauma, and how her friends are understanding but still call her out when she’s behaving badly. Fun and satisfying, and Dukehart does a great Tori: perky, indignant, and brave.
Warping Minds and Other Misdemeanors, by Annette Marie, read by Iggy Toma
The main character is one of my favorite tropes, the snarky criminal with a good heart, who is forced to work with the police to stop an even worse crime. Great one-liners and snappy comebacks, good handling of tension throughout. Toma’s voice was perfect for the character, though I’m not a huge fan of using falsetto to voice the very strong female characters.
A Damsel and a Demigod, by Annette Marie, read by Nelson Hobbs
Side novella for the Guild Codex series. Frankly not very good; the supposed master strategist character makes a chain of questionable decisions, and although for this genre I don’t mind love stories that come out of nowhere, I really did hate how poorly the guy used his magical electricity powers. I could have done so much better! Even so, Hobbs did a great job with the audio reading, and Marie’s snarky, snappy dialogue was still a fun time.
Three Mages and a Margarita, by Annette Marie, read by Cris Dukehart
This is total fluff urban fantasy, and utterly enjoyable. Hot-tempered Tori stumbles upon an ad for a bartending job in a mysterious club; the club a place where magic-users (called “mythics”) meet to hang out and plan adventures. Even though Tori is human, some of the mythics (who are improbably hot*) decide to adopt her, and she deems the paycheck and company worthy of returning to the job. Danger and derring-do ensue; I particularly appreciated that Tori managed to hold her own despite her lack of magic, and that the characters did not spend a lot of energy on love triangle drama. It’s the first of a series so there’s some serious info dump, but the conversation flows easily. Fun, light read.
* the conceit of “one’s magic is only as strong as one’s physical body, and therefore if you want to be a strong mage, you are motivated to work out” is as good a reason as any for the main characters to be extremely fit.