Between pandemic and work, life has been a bit stressful of late. Then Artifact was cancelled by valve, which was very sad. So, when I went looking for something to read, I knew that I was not feeling adventuresome. I wanted something light, positive and … safe. I am not in a position where emotionally draining is what I am looking for. I have had enough of that in life recently. 

So I turned to an author I am familiar with, K.M. Shea. I have read a number of her books, including various fairy tales and urban fantasy. Her new series are set in the Magiford Supernatural City setting and are urban fantasy. They have all the key supernaturals, wizards, vampires, werewolves and fae. Not necessarily my favourite mix, but the characters are compelling. The stories were fun. And everything was cohesive. While you might describe the books as being young adult, I am so grateful the characters are in their early 20’s – post-college age. They are young enough to be optimistic and occasionally make brash decisions. Old enough I am not dealing with teen-aged angst.

Currently there are two series the first follows the wizard Hazel as she strives to regain her magic house and family (think coven). Driven by the betrayal of her cousin, Hazel falls in with the powerful vampire, Killian Drake. I liked the series. I loved the secondary characters, which really help to create a rich, believable world – and ground all the fantasy in the real world. 

While Hazel is an orphan (and that is sad), she has family in the form of distant relations and friends. I like that family is a driving force within this book and especially in the next series. The magic is a mix bag – with so many supernaturals present, it would hard to be anything else. However, for all their powers, they can be killed easily with modern weapons. This helps to ground everything and help to explain why supernaturals are not ruling the world. 

My biggest complaint was that reading the preview for the second series set in the same world, kind of spoiled some of the big reveals in Hazel’s trilogy. 

The second trilogy stars Leila. Leila was a super minor and unassuming character in the stories about Hazel. However, her adventure in the same city starts directly after the events in which Hazel fights to reclaim her birthright. Leila is not an orphan, and in fact her family is more modern with a biological father that left when Leila was a toddler and was replaced by a step father later on. Family again, plays a huge part in the motivations and design of the characters, which is so true to life. We love and hate our families. We struggle to understand the actions of our parents and to develop different relationships as we, ourselves, become adults. Because I had fewer indications of how the story would turn out, I would say that Leila’s trilogy was my favourite. But then I really liked Hazel and her friends, so…

The best part of the books was the message of hope. The idea that by working together, by everyone working together and finding common ground, we can all move forward into a brighter future. That our strengths lay more in the relationships we can build than in the personal power and prestige we can achieve as individuals. (I am trying really hard not to spoil the plot lines – hence the vague wording). 

The short version is that I liked these books, all six of them. I liked the world, which surprised me a little. I loved the small, practical details, like Leila having to deal with the debt of her predecessor and so is very budget focused. Most importantly I liked the characters. Yes, this is a series I would recommended, even though I am going to be stingy and only give it 4.5 stars out of 5 – mostly because I am sad I don’t have any more books to read. 

Hazel’s story (Hall of Blood and Mercy): Magic Forged (Book 1), Magic Redeemed (Book 2), and Magic Unleashed (Book 3)

Leila’s story (Court of Midnight and Deception): Crown of Shadows (Book 1), Crown of Moonlight (Book 2), and The Queen’s Crown (Book 3).