Waiting on Wednesday #115: Bright Blaze of Magic by Jennifer Estep

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

Bright Blaze of Magic by Jennifer Estep is book #3 in the Black Blade series. It's due out April 26, 2016 from Kensington. It's a YA urban fantasy novel.

Synopsis from Goodreads.com:

In the exciting conclusion to her richly imagined Black Blade series about a reluctant young bodyguard and thief, and her hometown, where magic, mobsters and monsters make for a dangerous mix, Jennifer Estep expertly combines the snark and fast-paced action that have made her a New York Times bestselling author.

BAD THINGS ALWAYS COME IN THREES…

As a thief, I’m good at three things: hiding in the shadows, getting in and out unseen, and uncovering secrets. I put these skills to work for the Sinclair Family, one of the magical mobs that run the tourist town of Cloudburst Falls.

Everyone knows Victor Draconi wants to take over all the other Families—and kill every last Sinclair. What they don’t know is that I’m on to him, and no way will I let the man who murdered my mom get away with hurting all the other people I care about. Especially when I’ve got places to break into, stuff to steal, and Devon Sinclair fighting right by my side…

Why am I waiting on this book? It's the third one in the series and I've loved the previous two. If you like YA urban fantasy you should consider checking this series out. I'd start at the beginning though. The second book showed changes in the characters as they matured. 

You can read an excerpt of the book at the author's website here.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out. 

Review: Dark Heart of Magic by Jennifer Estep

Dark Heart of Magic by Jennifer Estep is book #2 in the Black Blade series. It was published October 27, 2015 by Kensington.

Lila Merriweather has been appointed Devon Sinclair's bodyguard. This is a new role for this former thief. All kinds of surprises are in store for her in this book including being placed into a tournament along with Devon and several other Sinclair family members against selected participants from the other families. This puts Lila into an uncomfortable place in the spotlight. Meanwhile, Victor Draconi is plotting against the families, especially the Sinclairs.And someone is killing monsters in Cloudburst Falls.

This book is a good follow up to Cold Burn of Magic. The characters are portrayed in greater depth. And they are allowed to grow and change - especially Lila. Even Victor is portrayed in greater depth since the first book. He is turning out to be quite the bad guy in more ways than one.

It's a good plot with plenty of action scenes. It will keep you turning pages to find out what's going on with Lila, Devon, and the monsters. And it looks like there is a human who is more of a monster than the magical monsters.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. It's a good urban fantasy book. Cloudburst Falls, VA is an interesting setting. The characters are well developed. It is considered a YA title, but I think it can be enjoyed by adults as well.

An excerpt is available on the author's website. Just click on the title above.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Teaser Tuesday: Dark Heart of Magic by Jennifer Estep

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Miz B of A Daily Rhythm. 

Anyone can participate, just do the following:

• Grab your current read and open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and the author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

Published October 27, 2015
by Kensington

William Reginald eyed the three of us and our persimmon-spattered clothes, his nose twitching with obvious distaste. "I take it things didn't go so well with the tree troll?" an English accent colored his voice, making him sound exactly like the butler he was.

...

Felix threw his arm around Devon's shoulder, making bits of persimmon slide off both their T-shirts. "Oh, it went just fine and dandy. Can't you tell?"

13% through on my Kindle

The teasers are told from Lila Merriweather's perspective, as is the rest of the book. It's a good YA urban fantasy title. There is some snappy dialogue and definitely sarcasm as well as great action scenes. This is book 2 in the Black Blade series.

What book are your teasers from? Please share them or a link in the comments so we can check them out.

Waiting on Wednesday #106: Dark Heart of Magic by Jennifer Estep

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

This week the book I am waiting on is Dark Heart of Magic by Jennifer Estep. This is book two in her Black Blade series. It's due out October 27, 2015 from Kensington I reviewed book one in the series, Cold Burn of Magic, here.

Synopsis from Goodreads.com:

As a thief, I stick to the shadows as much as possible. But when the head of the Sinclair Family picks me to compete in the Tournament of Blades, there's no escaping the spotlight—or the danger.

Even though he's my competition, Devon Sinclair thinks I have the best shot at winning what's supposed to be a friendly contest. But when the competitors start having mysterious "accidents," it looks like someone will do anything to win—no matter who they hurt.

As if I didn't have enough to worry about, mobster Victor Draconi is plotting against Devon and the rest of my friends, and someone's going around Cloudburst Falls murdering monsters. One thing's for sure. Sometimes, humans can be more monstrous than anything else...

Why am I waiting on this book? I enjoyed book one in the series and I want to see where book two takes Lila Merriweather, the main character in the books. I like that it is sort of a cross between urban fantasy and regular fantasy. It's a city in the US, but a magical city that everyone knows has fantastical goings on. And it's a Jennifer Estep book. I enjoy her writing in general.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out.

Waiting on Wednesday #76 - Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. 


This week the book I am waiting on is Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep. This is the first book in a new YA urban fantasy series called The BlackBlade series. I've been enjoying her Elemental series for adults, but I haven't read any of her works aimed at the YA yet. On Jennifer Estep's homepage,  there is a brief explanation of each of the series along with relevant titles.This month there is a drawing on Goodreads for a copy of this book.

The synopsis from Goodreads.com: 

There Be Monsters Here. . .
It's not as great as you'd think, living in a tourist town that's known as "the most magical place in America." Same boring high school, just twice as many monsters under the bridges and rival Families killing each other for power. 

I try to keep out of it. I've got my mom's bloodiron sword and my slightly illegal home in the basement of the municipal library. And a couple of Talents I try to keep quiet, including very light fingers and a way with a lock pick. 

But then some nasty characters bring their Family feud into my friend's pawn shop, and I have to make a call--get involved, or watch a cute guy die because I didn't. I guess I made the wrong choice, because now I'm stuck putting everything on the line for Devon Sinclair. My mom was murdered because of the Families, and it looks like I'm going to end up just like her.

 So, what book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our ever growing TBR lists.